This study examines the associations between teachers' language-related beliefs, classroom language practices, and perceived learner outcomes under Kenya's multilingual Competency-Based Education (CBE) reform, focusing on the linguistically diverse region of Homa Bay County. Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected from 112 early-grade teachers through structured surveys and open-ended reflections to explore how language ideologies relate to instructional decision-making and perceived learning equity. Quantitative analyses showed that teachers who strongly endorsed the pedagogical value of mother-tongue instruction reported higher perceived learner comprehension (r = 0.586) and engagement (r = 0.601), whereas beliefs that mother-tongue use delays the acquisition of English or Kiswahili were negatively associated with perceived comprehension (B = −0.317, p = 0.009). Teacher beliefs collectively accounted for a substantial proportion of the variance in perceived comprehension (Adjusted R 2 = 0.345). Among instructional practices, the use of Kiswahili to explain key concepts was the only practice significantly associated with higher perceived learner outcomes (B = 0.341, p = 0.028), highlighting its role as a pragmatic bridge language in multilingual classrooms. Qualitative findings revealed strong normative support for multilingual pedagogy alongside limited formal preparation, with only 13 percent of teachers reporting training in mother-tongue instruction. The findings suggest that the enactment of multilingual education policy is closely linked to teacher preparation, institutional capacity, and local sociolinguistic ecologies. The study contributes to debates on multilingual education reform by illustrating how teacher beliefs and instructional pragmatism shape the implementation of national policies in marginalized and linguistically complex contexts.
Ondiba et al. (Fri,) studied this question.