Pedagogical Knowledge and Classroom Practice in Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education

This paper examines how mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) empowers teachers to improve their skills in pedagogy, classroom management, and professional development within a multilingual environment, particularly in primary English education. The study aims to explore educators' experiences with pedagogical practices within the MTB-MLE framework of the mother tongue-based multilingual education approach as implemented in schools and to highlight the importance of these experiences. The authors adopted a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to explore and interpret the lived experiences of teachers within the context of MTB-MLE. Seven English teachers from schools implementing the MTB-MLE framework were purposefully selected as participants. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews and informal conversations. The collected responses were transcribed in Nepali, translated into English, and systematically coded to identify emerging themes. These themes were then analyzed in light of relevant literature and interpreted through theoretical lenses such as schema theory and linguistic interdependence theory. The results showed that understanding students' linguistic backgrounds, prior knowledge and individual needs leads to instructional effectiveness. Proper classroom management skills help teachers create learning environments that motivate students and keep them engaged. Pedagogical knowledge promotes ongoing professional development whereas professional knowledge boosts teaching skills and enhances confidence along with decision-making abilities.