1

Research Proposal
Impact of mother tongue education on academic achievement of primary students,
mediating role of intelligence

Submitted by Submitted to
Mazhar Ali Prof. Dr Asghar Ali Shah
223-MSEP/FSS/F17

Department of Psychology
Faculty of Social Sciences
International Islamic University Islamabad
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List of contents

1.0 Introduction 3
1.1 Literature review 4
1.2 Rationale 8
2.0 Method 9

2.1 Objectives 9
2.2 Hypothesis 10
2.3 Sample 10
2.4 Conceptual framework 11

2.5 Theoretical framework 11

2.6 Statistical analysis 12

2.7 Instrument 12
2.7.1 Demographic sheet
2.7.2 The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test Second Edition
2.7.3 Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM)
2.8 Procedure 13
3.0 References 14
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1.0 Introduction
Mother tongue could be defined as the language which a group of people considered to
inhabitants of an area acquired in the early years and which eventually becomes their natural
instrument of thoughts and communication. Mother tongue is the first language that a person
learns. In terms of that view, the person is defined as a native speaker of the first language,
although one may also be a native speaker of more than one language if all of the languages
were learned without formal education, such as through cultural immersion before puberty.
Often a child learns the basics of the first language(s) from family (Oluwole, 2008), Awoniyi
1978).

It is then generally accepted that in teaching and learning processes, the mother tongue of the
child is of utmost importance. For one thing, it categorizes a large part of the child’s
environment, that is, it has names for most of the objects, actions, ideas, attributes and so on
that are so important to him, as well as to any society. The mother tongue is the child’s
environment and is the natural basis on which verbal skills can be built, children learn
through communicating in a language, which they understood. The poor level of achievement
in many subject areas may be due to poor foundation in English language among secondary
school students which invariably may be connected with the conflict between mother tongue
and English. This is because children in this part of the world are first introduced to their
mother tongue with which they comprehend ideas. But as they grow, they sooner or later
realize that the language of instruction in schools is basically in English. For this reason,
learners struggle in between two languages mentally, socially, economically and
educationally. (Olanipekun, Atteh, Andokari, & Sarki, 2014).

Some educationists have also decided to inculcate in the children the habit of speaking
English language alone both at home and in school. But if this kind of mentality is embraced
by all, the country may stand the risk of accommodating a future generations without roots
and culture.

From a policy perspective, understanding whether the advantage that mother tongue students
enjoy in gains in academic achievement while learning in their mother tongue will carry over
to later years in school after they transition to English instruction is crucial. The findings
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from this kind of study, for instance, highlight whether the choice of medium of instruction
in primary school sets students from different language groups to different trajectories in
their academic achievement in later years in school and, hence, in their labor market
outcomes later in life. Though there is growing evidence on the role mother-tongue
instruction plays in performance in primary school, we have a limited understanding on
whether students taught in their mother tongue first learn in English (or other foreign
languages) better than their peers taught in their second language first.

It is not clear whether students taught in their mother-tongue first will be at disadvantage
later when they did transition to English-instruction classrooms. Students taught in their
mother tongue first seem to be better off since subject contents/concepts that are first learned
through mother tongue can easily be transferred to English (Brock-Utne, 2007) as long as
students have reached a certain threshold in their proficiency in English (Cummins, 2000).
On the contrary, students taught in their second language first seem to be better off since they
have had experience in learning in a language different from their mother tongue by the time
they transition to English-instruction classrooms. Thus, it might be easier for these students
to quickly adapt to English-instruction classrooms relative to their peers taught in their
mother tongue first.

1.1Literature review

The language, which is being used as medium of instruction in different educational

institutions, has major effects and consequences on the performance of pupils in various
examinations, on their pleasure in learning a specific subject and the way they communicate
with each other about the different concepts in a subject. Ehindero (1980) proposed that
pupils waste valuable time on both primary and secondary schools in attempting to learn
English so that it can used as a medium of instruction in the learning of science. Jegede
(1996) highlighting the same sentiments as Ehindero, suggested that the learning of science
(biology, physical science, physics etc) should be in languages pupils are proficient in so that
they focus their attention in mastering of the science content rather than English language.
Therefore pupils waste time trying to learn a language which they do not need for them to
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master the content given that there are vernacular languages such as Shona, Ndebele,
Kalanga, Venda, Tonga and Shangani which people can speak more fluently.

A large number of countries in the developing world have made tremendous effort to make
education more and more inclusive and accessible to historically marginalized groups.
Adopting mother-tongue instruction in primary school has played a role in this regard as it
motivates children from language-minority groups to attend school (Cummins, 1999).
Though the adoption of mother-tongue instruction in primary school has increased
enrollment in primary school and performance at school (e.g., Seid, 2016), it has a potential
to limit student’s labor market opportunities later in life as it makes students less proficient
in both national and international languages (Angrist and Lavy, 1997). As a result, many
governments in developing countries design their education language policies in such a way
that students transition from mother-tongue to English (or other foreign-language) instruction
after completing few years of primary schooling.

Consider Ethiopia as an example as it has adopted mother-tongue instruction in primary

school following the signing of the Education and Training Policy into law in 1994 (Ministry
of Education, 1994). The same policy document, on the other hand, states that mother-tongue
languages should be used as media of instruction up to only a certain grade, after which
students have to transition to English instruction. However, we have a limited understanding
of the effect of learning in mother tongue first (relative to learning in non-English second
language first) on student’s academic achievement later after they transition to English
instruction.

Exploring the effect of learning in mother tongue on the performance of students from
different language groups (i.e., those taught in their mother tongue first versus their peers
taught in their second language first) is particularly important for a multilingual country like
Ethiopia where, in some states, a large number of ethnic groups live in close geographic
proximity, but speak different languages. This implies that it is difficult to ensure that a great
majority of students learn in their mother tongue as there are practical limitations on the
number of languages that can feasibly be adopted as media of instruction, particularly in a
resource-constrained country. The 1994 education reform also prescribes the introduction of
teaching English as a subject starting from grade 1 in all schools in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is a
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federal country with three levels of government: federal, state (or regional), and local. By
2007, about 25 languages were adopted as media of instruction in primary schools in
Ethiopia (Seidel and Moritz, 2007), which is a huge improvement, particularly considering
that Amharic was the only medium of instruction in primary school in 1990. Comparing the
number of languages used as media of instruction with the number of languages that are
being spoken in the country, however a large number of students are still learning in their
second language in primary school. Partly due to the extraordinary ethno-linguistic diversity
of people in SNNP state, the state, immediately after the 1994 Ethiopian education reform,
has legislated that students have to transition to English instruction in grade 5.

Fraser (1994) studied the impact of the using a second language (L2), (in this case English)
as the medium of instruction in Science learning in secondary school students in Hong-Kong.
He concluded that students who received lessons in the Chinese’ mother tongue were found
to perform better than those who were given instructions in English. The problems the study
highlighted were failure to understand abstract concepts and inability to comprehend the
information in the second language. Although the study did not reveal how fluent and
proficient these Chinese pupils were in English language, the results gave evidence that the
use of second language has serious repercussions in the learning of science. Therefore, it may
imply that, learning English as from grade four (in the case of Zimbabwean education
system) may not be adequate to give us confidence in using English as a learning tool at
secondary school science.

From a policy perspective, understanding whether the advantage that mother tongue students
enjoy in gains in academic achievement while learning in their mother tongue will carry over
to later years in school after they transition to English instruction is crucial. The findings
from this kind of study, for instance, highlight whether the choice of medium of instruction
in primary school sets students from different language groups to different trajectories in
their academic achievement in later years in school and, hence, in their labor market
outcomes later in life. Though there is growing evidence on the role mother-tongue
instruction plays in performance in primary school, we have a limited understanding on
whether students taught in their mother tongue first learn in English (or other foreign
languages) better than their peers taught in their second language first. A priori it is not clear
 7

whether students taught in their mother-tongue first will be at disadvantage later when they
transition to English-instruction classrooms. On the one hand, students taught in their mother
tongue first seem to be better off since subject contents/concepts that are first learned through
mother tongue can easily be transferred to English (Brock-Utne, 2007) as long as students
have reached a certain threshold in their proficiency in English (Cummins, 2000). On the
contrary, students taught in their second language first seem to be better off since they have
had experience in learning in a language different from their mother tongue by the time they
transition to English-instruction classrooms. Thus, it might be easier for these students to
quickly adapt to English-instruction classrooms relative to their peers taught in their mother
tongue first.

The literature on the role of English instruction in primary school focuses on comparing the
relative effectiveness of bilingual education and English-immersion programs. The vast
majority of prior studies on the topic come from the USbecause many primary schools in the
US enroll a large number of immigrant students with limited English proficiency. It is typical
for US primary schools to adopt either bilingual education or English-immersion program as
a solution (Slavin et al., 2011). The findings from prior studies on the relative effectiveness
of the two programs, however, are mixed, ranging from documenting no significant
differences in the two programs (e.g., Rossell and Baker, 1996) to the superiority of bilingual
education program (Slavin, Cheung, 2005).

Some studies, on the other hand, have indicated that English-immersion program improves
educational outcomes of students with limited English proficiency (Kuziemko, 2014). Even
if prior studies differ in the spectrum of their findings on the relative effectiveness of
bilingual education and English-immersion programs, the majority of the studies on the topic
share a common feature: they consider students with limited English proficiency as
homogeneous. In the US, the primary focus is on Spanish speaking students even if a
reasonable number of language-minority students from different language groups enroll in
the US primary schools every year. On the other hand, the literature on alternative language-
of-instruction regimes from developing countries, especially those from Sub-Saharan Africa,
is limited. However, it is not uncommon for students in developing countries to transition to
English instruction after completing few years of primary schooling. The transition to
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English instruction is believed to be necessary to prepare students for further education since
the medium of instruction in high school and college is, for the most part, English. The
limited studies from developing countries find out that mother-tongue instruction improves
performance in primary school (Hynsj, Damon, 2016) (Piper 2016 Seid, 2016) and mother-
tongue instruction in early grades improves English acquisition later in grades 4−6 (Taylor,
Fintel, 2016). However, we are not aware of studies that empirically document whether
students taught in their mother tongue first learn in English better (than their peers taught in
their non-English second language first) after they transition to English-instruction
classrooms, except anecdotal evidence that suggests concepts that are first learned in mother
tongue can be transferred to English (Brock-Utne, 2007).

1.2Rationale

Pakistan is a multi-lingual country which emerged on the map of the world as a result of the
partition of British India in 1947. According to the Ethnologue (2016) the number of
individual languages listed is 73. However, excluding varieties of the same language counted
separately, we get a total of 66 languages (Lewis et al. 2016).

The relevant articles of the constitution are as follows:

a. TheNational language of Pakistan is Urdu, and arrangements shall be made for its being

Used for official and other purposes within fifteen years from the commencing day.

b. Subject to clause (a) the English language may be used for official purposes until
arrangements are made for its replacement by Urdu.

c. Without prejudice to the status of the National language, a Provincial Assembly may by
law prescribe measures for the teaching, promotion and use of a provincial language in
addition to the national language.

(Constitution 1973: Article 251)

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrines the right to freedom of
opinion and expression. UN Resolution A/RES/61/266 called upon Member States “to
promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world”. This
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resolution has particular relevance for minority language groups where mother tongue is
primarily a spoken medium, often ascribed low status. UNESCO (2017) states “Local
languages, especially minority and indigenous, transmit cultures, values and traditional
knowledge, thus playing an important role in promoting sustainable futures.” (n.p.)

Despite the overwhelming evidence of the value and benefits of education in the mother
tongue, too few countries invest in it. Now is the time for action. On January 1st 2016, a new
global development agenda came into effect. 193 world leaders have pledged to a set of goals
which will ‘leave no-one behind’. Respect for the use of mother tongue language is
imperative if the world is to deliver on its promise of inclusive, quality education for all by
2030. The Education 2030 Framework for Action (a road-map on how to implement the new
agenda) clearly refers to the need for ‘language policies to address exclusion’ and asserts that
‘particular attention should be paid to the role of learners’ first language in becoming literate
and in learning’.

Governments need to set about enacting policies that recognize mother tongue learning, and -
crucially – finance their implementation. This task will be costly and complex as there’s a
need for more trained teachers from linguistic minority groups, teachers who can teach in
more than one language, and textbooks in a language students can understand. However, the
social, political and economic cost of maintaining the status quo cannot be ignored. By this
research we will get a research ground that mother tongue education is very crucial for
development, education and ultimately the development of the said community and
eventually country.

2.0 Method

2.1 Objectives of the study

The research explored the issue of the mother tongue as the medium of instruction to
communicate effectively to the primary level students specially nursery and kindergarten. In
particular, the research sought:

a. To investigate how medium of instruction affects the learning of primary students in

mother tongue based schools in Bahrain swat.
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b. To examine whether those pupils who use mother tongue as medium of instruction and
syllabus perform better than those who use language other than mother tongue.

c. To examine whether intelligence has a mediating role in the effect of mother tongue
education on academic achievement.

2.2 Hypothesis

To achieve the objectives above, the following hypothesis was tested:

a. There is a statistically significant difference in academic performance between those who get
their primary education in mother tongue and those that learn it in a language other than their
mother tongue.

b. Mother tongue education cause increase in learning and consequently lead to better
understanding and performance i.e. academic achievement.

c. Intelligence has a mediating role in the effect of mother tongue on academic achievement of
primary students.

2.3 Sample

The Cross sectional survey method will be used for data collection. The current research will
consist of 200 male and female school students (100 each) who are enrolled in two different
schools of Bahrain Swat. The students will be from two schools out of which one has mother
tongue Torwali as medium of instruction and available syllabus in nursery and class KG and
the other one has English and Urdu as medium of instruction and medium of syllabus.
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2.4 Conceptual Framework

Intelligence

Mother tongue Academic achievement

education

2.5 Theoretical framework

Vygotsky (1978) posit that language is a tool for learning and an aid to understanding, as
such the mother tongue acts as a vehicle for educational development and important for the
apprehension and acquisition of knowledge. Harlem quoted in Shumba (1995) finds the
importance of language in learning is more than a means of communication but as having a
significant part in the development of thought. Vygotsky (1978) describes language
development as connected to the cognitive development whereby children require mastery of
their first language (mother tongue) as a basis of their thoughts. For the early years of
schooling, the use of language in which a child is not proficient results in cognitive
difficulties. Kachaso (1994) emphasizes that the human and societal development is
dependent upon growth in the communicative competencies. Kuleneka (1994) quoted
Aikenhead as saying “in addition to practical, the teacher should encourage talk which can be
exploratory, tentative and language is used for thinking problems discussing assignments and
clarifying thought.
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Since the aims of science education is to construct tentative explanations of natural

phenomena therefore an inquiry approach to school science should encompass ways of
talking, reading and writing in the language pupils are proficient and comfortable with such
that they begin to appropriate the reasoning that transforms data into evidence supporting
explanations. (Ehindero, 1980)

The importance of language proficiency in the learning of since cannot be over emphasized.
Several studies have shown that incompetence in the language of instruction is directly
related to low achievement in science (Fraser, 1994; Bar and Travis, 1991 and Hohn, 1995).
Because of this relationship, teachers use both the language of instruction and learners’
mother tongue when teaching. (Wachanga, 2002) and teachers use both languages so that
they do not deny students the opportunity to understand science concepts.

Furthermore, teachers use the mother tongue for other reasons such as reformulation of
instructions, explanatory ad regulatory purposes, for regaining students’ attention and
clarification purposes (Hohn,1995), for invoking cultural values (Fraser,1994), for
communication of beliefs as well as expressing of expectations and disappointments. (Love,
1990) All these functions of language enhance instructional practice. They contextualize
classroom discourse and solicit students’ participation. (Love, 1993) Reformulating questions
and explaining concepts in mother tongue augment students’ understanding, on one hand and
on the other the hand reformulation of instructions, regaining students’ attention, expression
of disappointments and expectations, all help in class control and management. Also,
invoking cultural norms and values would encourage students to participate freely in
classroom discourse, an attribute that is highly recommended for science teaching in the 21st
century. (Jekede, 1995)

Rollnick and Rutherford (1993) observed that primary and secondary student teachers in
Swaziland mixed up the indigenous languages although authorities declared English
language as the official medium of instruction. The reasons for mixing the languages were
that the teachers were not fluent in English and therefore they were not comfortable in using
English throughout the lessons. Reinhard (2002) studied the effect of using English language
as a medium of instruction to secondary school pupils in Malawi and concluded the English
language prevents pupils to excel and comprehend some important concept of science.
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Important studies in this respect are by Aikenhead, 1996; Cobem, 1994; Jekede, 1996;
Ehindero, 1980 and Strevens, 1971). All suggested one way or the other that learning in the
mother’s tongue improves the understanding of scientific ideas.

2.6 Proposed Statistical Analysis

For the statistical analysis of data, SPSS will be applied. Further; descriptive statistics will be
used to for the analysis of demographic variables. T test will be administered for the
comparability of mean difference between groups.

2.7 Instrument

2.7.1A demographic sheet will be used to record all the relevant information from students
including name, age, sex, class, number of siblings, location etc.

2.7.2 The participant’s opinions will be recordedusingThe Wechsler Individual

Achievement Test Second Edition (WIAT-II; Wechsler, 2005) Academic achievement is
the extent which a student, teacher or institution has achieved their short or long-term
educational goals.

2.7.3 The participant’s intelligence will be assessed through Raven’s Coloured Progressive
Matrices (CPM) as intelligence is the mediating variable in the study.

2.8 Procedures

A quantitative non-experimental cross sectional research design will be utilized to

accomplish the purpose of the current research. Participants would be approached in groups
and individually depending on their availability and would be requested to fill in the scale.
The current research will consist of 200 male and female school students (100 each) who are
enrolled in two different school of Bahrain Swat. The students will be from two schools out
of which one has mother tongue as teaching medium and the other one has English language.
One the data is collected; the statistical tests would be applied to get the results of the
research for discussion and conclusion.
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3References

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students’ academic performance in English language among secondary school
students. International Journal of Language, Literature and Culture, 1(1), 1.

Olarewaju, A.O. (1986) Causes of Students’ Underachievement in Science, Proceedings of

the 27th Annual Conference of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria pp. 95-99. [28]

Olarewaju,A.O. and Akinwunmi, J.O. (1988) Remedying Students Underachievement in

Science through the use of Mother Tongue as a Language of Instruction: An Experimental
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Ayodele, S.O. (1988). A study of the effects of the problem of class sizes and location of
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Lee, Myoung-jae and Changhui Kang, “Identification for Difference in Differences with
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Republic of Ethiopia, 1994.
 15

Piper, Benjamin, Stephanie S Zuilkowski, and Salome Ongele, “Implementing Mother

Tongue Instruction in the Real World: Results from a Medium-Scale Randomized Controlled
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Rossell, Christine H and Keith Baker, “The Educational Effectiveness of Bilingual

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Hynsj¨o, Disa and Amy Damon, “Bilingual Education in Peru: Evidence on how Quechua-
medium Education Affects Indigenous Children’s Academic Achievement,” Economics of
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Kuziemko, Ilyana, “Human Capital Spillovers in Families: Do Parents Learn from or Lean
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Piper, Benjamin, Stephanie S Zuilkowski, and Salome Ongele, “Implementing Mother

Tongue Instruction in the Real World: Results from a Medium-Scale Randomized Controlled
Trial in Kenya,” Comparative Education Review, 2016, 60 (4), 776–807.