Immigrant student identities and classroom engagement

Immigrant students bring to school multiple identities, shaped by language exposure at home and in school. The present study examined the relationship between the multiple identities of 264 immigrant students’ and their classroom engagement. Participants from French (n = 105), Russian (n = 63), English (n = 55) and Kuki (n = 41) speaking backgrounds in elementary, middle and high schools rated their current, preferred and future Israeli and heritage identities. Five identity clusters emerged: Strong Israeli (n = 27), Future Israeli (n = 43), Bicultural (n = 96), Current home (n = 49) and Strong home identity (n = 49). No differences were found among immigrant groups in terms of the identity cluster they fall under except for Kuki-Hebrew immigrants. Classroom engagement as measured by class attendance, participation, textbook use and assignment submission differed for the different identity clusters. Bicultural and Future Israeli identity clusters showed the highest engagement levels. Furthermore, younger students who opted for Current home identity exhibited the lowest engagement levels. The discussion argues for a multiple identities approach, challenging the conventional Home-School dichotomy used to study identity. This approach proposes using pedagogical approaches, such as translanguaging, to foster a sense of belonging and promote achievement among immigrant students by acknowledging their diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.