SURVEY OF BASIC SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’S READINESS TO ADOPT MOTHER TONGUE LANGUAGE AT BASIC EDUCATION GRADE LEVEL IN MINNA METROPOLIS

Abstract

The paper was a survey research design that investigated the readiness of Basic Science and Mathematics Teacher’s Readiness to adopt the Mother Tongue Language Language in teaching at Basic Education Grade Levels in Niger State. The population of the study are Basic Education Teacher teaching Science and Mathematics in Minna Metropolis. A sample size of 68 Basic education mathematics Teachers teaching in both public and private secondary schools was selected using a convenient (purposive) sampling technique. A researcher prepared a questionnaire titled “Basic Education Science and Mathematics Teacher’s Readiness to Adopt Mother Tongue Language Questionnaire” (RAMTOQ). The instrument was validated by experts in Science Education (SED) from the Department of Science Education, Federal University of Technology, Minna. A reliability coefficient of 0.89 was determined using KR20 (Cronbach alpha). The data collected were subjected to descriptive statistical tools of Mean (X) and Standard Deviation (SD). Descriptive charts were used to describe the analysed data and ANOVA wsa used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that Basic Science and Mathematics Teachers' are readiness to adopt the Mother Tongue Language to teaching Basic Science and mathematics at Basic Education levels in Minna Metropolis. The result also showed that female teachers are more disposed to use to Mother Tongue Language with a Mean (𝑥̅) difference of 2.99. It was concluded that, Mathematics Teachers' Readiness to adopt MTL is not influenced by their gender differences; the basic Level of the teaching of Mathematics Teachers did not significantly affect their Readiness to adopt MTL while Readiness to adopt MTL amongst Mathematics Teachers is affected by the school type they are teaching. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that; government must make a deliberate effort to see to the adoption of the Mother Tongue Language in teaching Mathematics are both primary and junior secondary education levels in Niger State.