School Performance of Rural Roma Children in a Bilingual Environment

Authors:

Pages: 119-127
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54664/SWIS5477

Abstract:

This article presents the results of a study conducted among Roma children from Bulgaria living in rural areas. A total of 80 children participated in it (1st-grade students n = 40 /20 Roma and 20 Bulgarian/, and 4th-grade students n = 40 /20 Roma and 20 Bulgarian/). It was carried out at the end of the school year. The Roma children constituted the experimental group, and the Bulgarian ones the control group. The results showed that, at the end of the 1st grade, Roma children have not gained the minimum knowledge required, and 4th-grade students have acquired partial knowledge of the Bulgarian language. In conclusion, the authors suggest changes to the curricula, textbooks and teaching methodology in order to make Bulgarian language education successful for all students, including Roma children living in rural areas.

Keywords:

Bulgarian language; bilingualism; Roma children; school performance; rural areas.

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