CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 1.1 Background of the Study:
English language serves as the sole medium of classroom instruction in Nigerian schools, significantly impacting students' academic performances due to its foreign nature. This linguistic imposition has led to communication skill challenges among students, potentially hindering their academic success (Olanipekun et al., 2014). In contrast, countries like Finland and Japan utilize their first language in higher education, emphasizing the advantages of mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) for improved learning outcomes (Zumor, 2013; Benson and Kosonen, 2013).
Mother tongue-based bilingual education, including translation in the classroom, aims to enhance the comprehensibility of the second language (L2) for learners, positively impacting educational and learning outcomes. Bilingual education involves teaching academic content in two languages, with the transitional bilingual education program model being adopted in this study. This model focuses on ensuring mastery of educational content in the students' primary language before facilitating fluency in the second language, usually English. The skills acquired in the native language are then translated into proficiency in the second language, contributing to potential benefits such as increased mental flexibility and improved intercultural skills (Mehisto, 2012).
Mother tongue as a medium of instruction promotes and enhances the quality of education by building on the knowledge and experiences of both students and teachers. UNESCO supports the notion that mother tongue instruction is a key factor for literacy and learning, allowing students to express themselves, contribute to discussions, and develop their intellects in familiar language settings (Bamgbose, 2004). The use of mother tongue translation modules facilitates learners' understanding of texts, aids vocabulary acquisition, and eases memory constraints, promoting efficient memorization processes (June Jordan, 2009).
Mother tongue terminology, involving the translation of technical terms into the native language, strengthens cognitive development, clarifies concepts, and enables students to articulate their thoughts more confidently. Technical terms are connected with regional characteristics, allowing for one-to-one correspondence and accurate translation of foreign terms into familiar concepts (Nolasco, 2010). The researcher aims to explore the impact of mother tongue-based instructional approaches on the academic performance of technical education students.
1.2 Statement of the Problem:
The academic performance of technical education students has been consistently poor, leading to a decline in their ability to exhibit desirable skills, competences, and contribute to technological development in society. The researcher identifies several challenges contributing to this issue. First, technical students often begin their education in a language they do not comprehend, hindering their understanding of instructional content. The use of a second language as the medium of instruction poses communication barriers, slowing down the teaching and learning process.
Additionally, technical students face challenges in expressing themselves and participating effectively in the classroom due to a lack of proficiency in the language of instruction. The researcher observes a deficiency in the expressive skills of technical students. Moreover, the need to process information from one language to another negatively impacts the efficacy of technical knowledge. The linguistic relativity hypothesis suggests that our native language influences how we think, implying that students may struggle to think about concepts for which they lack appropriate words.
In light of these challenges, the researcher seeks to investigate the relationship between the use of mother tongue in instructional approaches and the academic performances of technical education students. Understanding this relationship is crucial for proposing effective interventions to improve the learning outcomes of technical education students.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of the study is thus:
- To investigate the relationship between mother tongue translation module and academic performance of technical education students in Akwa Ibom State.
- To investigate the relationship between mother tongue terminologies and academic performance of technical education students in Akwa Ibom State.
- To investigate the relationship between mother tongue based bilingual programme and academic performance of technical education students in Akwa Ibom State.
1.4 Significance of the Study
The finding will provide useful information to all education stakeholders such as the government, institute of education, teachers, students, parents and community at large if published on journals or discussed at seminars and conferences. The information about the relationship of mother tongue to academic performance of technical education students will not only be useful in Akwa Ibom State but also in Nigeria at large. Specifically the school administrators will benefit from the findings by collecting information that will be helpful in their endeavour to address schools language policy issue in terms of the use of mother tongue in school.
The findings will be of benefit to government by utilizing, the information, findings and recommendation on language policies. The findings will be of benefit to student by identifying effective learning in terms of clarifications of technical concepts and thus enhances their performance in technical education.
The findings also will benefit teachers by providing them with information on flexibility, innovation and creativity on their preparations with an aim of improving students’ performance in technical education. Parents or guardians, on the other hand, can use the research recommendations to help them to contribute positively to their children performance in technical education. The finding will benefit guidance counselors by providing reliable information for technical guidance of the students. The finding will also serve as a useful feedback to language policy makers, curriculum developers and implementers.
Finally, the research will help future researchers in identifying priority areas in which to carry out more research in terms of use of language in the context of technical colleges.
1.5 Research Questions
The following research questions will be used:
- Is there any relationship between mother tongue translation module and academic performance of technical education students in Akwa Ibom State?
- Is there any relationship between mother tongue terminologies and academic performance of technical education students in Akwa Ibom State?
- Is there any relationship between mother tongue base bilingual programme and academic performance of technical educations students in Akwa Ibom State.
1.6 Research Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were formulated to direct the study.
- There is no significant difference in the perception of mother tongue translation module on academic performance of technical education students in Government Technical College, Ewet, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State base on teachers and students.
- There is significant difference in the perception of mother tongue terminologies on academic performance of technical education students in Government Technical College, Ewet, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State base on teachers and students.
- There is no significant difference in the perception of mother tongue base bilingual programme on academic performance of technical education students in Government Technical College, Ewet, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State base on teachers and students.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The study focused on how use of mother tongue by teachers and students in technical colleges relates to the academic performance in technical education in Akwa Ibom State. The study was delimited to three (3) technical colleges in Akwa Ibom State in which Ibibio language are spoken by an absolute majority of the population. This research work soley based on mother tongue, Ibibio, on the relationship on the academic performances of technical education student in Government technical college, Ewet, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
1.8 Limitations of the Study
The study will be limited to Ibibio-speaking students in technical college.
The study will be limited to studying only one dependent variable which was the academic performance of technical students.
The study will confined to only the students pursing technical courses (Electrical) in technical college.
