An investigation of the relationship between the in school linguistic environment and academic performance in primary schools

Abstract

This work deals with the in-school linguistic environment of a few selected primary schools in Molo town zone and the effect this has on performance in English as a subject and in the subjects taught and tested in English. Four schools were considered but only the sixth class was put under observation.

The issue was to determine the extent to which exclusive speaking of English in the school compound affects performance in, one, English and two, the subjects taught and tested in English. Thus two of the schools were those that use English in and outside the classroom while the other two were those that only encounter it in the classroom.

Several instruments were used to collect data. They were: a composition; class tests in English, C.R.E., geography and history; an interview with the Molo Area Education Officer; a questionnaire and an opinionnaire for pupils and teachers respectively.

In data analysis, the statistical method was employed. Relative frequency distributions, frequency polygons and the mean scores of the tests given in the four subjects were given. The data analysis showed that the two schools which speak English exclusively in the school compound performed better in the four subjects tested than the other two that don't. Recommendations on how to improve the existing situation were also made.