Challenges in Use of Mother Tongue as a Medium of Instruction in Pre-Primary Schools in Taita Taveta County, Kenya
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Date
2024-05
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Mother tongue use as a medium of instruction promotes learners’ self-esteem together with academic achievement. Despite the advantages gained by using mother tongue in early year’s education, studies have revealed that mother tongue is the least chosen medium of instruction in pre-primary schools in Taita Taveta County. Therefore, this study purposed to establish school and teacher related challenges that hinder use of mother tongue as a medium of instruction in pre-primary schools in the County. The study was guided by the following objectives: to determine the extent to which teachers in pre-primary schools use mother tongue as a medium of instruction, to identify teacher related challenges in the use of mother tongue as a medium of instruction, to establish school related challenges in the use of mother tongue language as a medium of instruction and to determine strategies that can be used to enhance use of mother tongue as a medium of instruction in pre-primary schools in Taita Taveta County. The study was anchored on the Social Constructivist theory of language development by Lev Vygotsky. A descriptive research design was employed. The target population for this study was 384 people encompassing of 120 head teachers and 264 pre-primary school teachers in Voi sub-county. To sample the respondents, stratified, purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used. The sample size was 38 respondent, these included 12 head teachers and 26 pre-primary schoolteachers. Data was collected using a questionnaire for teachers and interview schedule for the head teachers. A Pilot study was done in 2 pre-primary schools in Voi Sub-County. Content validity of the questionnaires and interview schedule was ascertained through expert judgment. The questionnaire's reliability was determined through test-retest method using the Cronbach's Alpha coefficient algorithm. For qualitative data, thematic analysis was done, while analysis of quantitative data was done using descriptive statistics that is percentages and frequencies. The study established that majority of teachers rarely used mother tongue in instruction, they preferred using English and Kiswahili. In addition, the study found that use of mother tongue in instruction was hindered by teacher related factors. Further the study established that use of mother tongue in the schools was influenced by school related factors. Finally, the study established a number of strategies that can enhance use of mother tongue as a medium of instruction in pre-primary schools which include; encouraging parents to use mother tongue when speaking to their children, training teachers on how to use mother tongue in instruction, mobilizing funds for acquiring or developing materials for teaching using mother tongue and sensitization of parents on importance of using mother tongue as a medium of instruction. The study concluded that majority of the pre-primary schools did not embrace use of mother tongue in instruction. The study recommended that the government, the Ministry of Education and its sub sectors like the Teachers’ service commission and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development should come together to address the challenges identified to be in the path of implementing the language policy.
Description
A Research Project Report Submitted in Partial Fulfillment for the Award of the Degree of Master of Education in Early Childhood Education in the School of Education, Kenyatta University May, 2024
supervisor
Nyakwara Begi