Exploring the use of mother tongue as the medium of instruction in grade 4: a case study of four schools in the East London education district
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2016
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Fort Hare
Abstract
The study explored the views of parents and educators on the use of mother tongue as the medium of instruction in Grade 4. This was with the view to providing answers to the three research questions; namely: the advantages of mother tongue instruction, challenges on the introduction and implementation of mother tongue and strategies to promote mother tongue as the medium of instruction in Grade 4. The study employed a case study design, comprising Grade 4 classes in four public primary schools in the East London Education District. Purposeful sampling was employed to select four Grade 4 class teachers (one per school), four Heads of Department and four parents. Semi-structured interviews, observation and documents were used in collecting data which was analysed. Findings revealed that parents and educators perceived mother tongue instruction as good in terms of improved learner performance, improved parent involvement in homework activities, preservation of culture and heritage, and improved teaching practices. However, lack of resources and specialized teacher training and the status of English as an international language of communication were viewed as major barriers for the implementation of mother tongue as the medium of instruction. The need for policy change in respect of the language for teaching and learning in Grade 4 is recommended.
Description
Keywords
Mother tongue, medium of instruction, language in education policy, educators, parents, isiXhosa, East London Education District