Lower Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Educational Language Policy in Kenya

Ongeti Karren Ohanga; Isaac Ipara Odeo; Elizabeth Abenga

doi:doi:10.11648/j.tecs.20210604.15

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Lower Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Educational Language Policy in Kenya

Ongeti Karren Ohanga, Isaac Ipara Odeo, Elizabeth Abenga

Published in Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies (Volume 6, Issue 4)

Received: 1 December 2021 Accepted: 16 December 2021 Published: 24 December 2021

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Abstract

In Kenya, the educational language policy prescribes that the language of instruction in lower primary school (Grade 1 to 3) for schools in urban areas should be English or Kiswahili. For schools located in rural areas, the language of instruction in Grade 1 to 3 is the learners’ mother tongue or the language of the catchment area of the school. From Grade 4 onwards, all learners are to be instructed and examined in English. For this language policy to achieve its intended outcomes, there is a need for awareness and positive reception by its implementers: lower primary school teachers. This study examines the awareness and attitudes of lower primary school teachers toward the educational language policy. A survey design was adopted for this study. Questionnaires were administered to 75 teachers of Grade 1 to 3, drawn from a stratified multistage sample of 175 primary schools in rural, urban and semi-urban areas of Kakamega County, Western Kenya. The results of the study reveal that lower primary school teachers are aware of the existing language of instruction. The teachers feel that they ought to be free to select the language of instruction based on their particular pedagogical needs. The findings indicate the need for policymakers to review the educational language policy as currently formulated, especially concerning the use of Mother Tongue as one of the languages of instruction in lower primary schools. The current framework leads to a differential application of the policy, which in turn may affect learner outcomes at Grade 4, where all learners switch to the use of English. If the policy is to persist, then learning materials and teaching aids in Mother Tongue should be availed to rural schools to permit equitable outcomes for all learners.

Published in	Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies (Volume 6, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.tecs.20210604.15
Page(s)	137-142
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Language of Instruction, Educational Language Policy, Language and Learning

References

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[2]	Q. E. Awuor, "Acquisition of English Passive Constructions by Dholuo Speaking Students," Kenyatta University, Thika, 2015.
[3]	M. Manel, A. Hassan and H. A. Buriro, "Learners’ Attitudes towards Teachers’ switching to the mother tongue (The Case of Secondary school learners in Algeria)," Indonesia TESOL Journal, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1-88, 2019.
[4]	A. S. Young, "Unpacking Teachers' Language Ideologies: Attitudes, Beliefs, and Practiced Language Policies in Schools in Alsace, France," Institute of Education Sciences, vol. 23, no. 1-2, pp. 157-171, 2014.
[5]	UNICEF, "The impact of language policy and practise on children’s learning: Evidence from Eastern and Southern Africa," UNICEF, Nairobi, 2016.
[6]	R. B. Noss, "The Evaluation of Language Planning in Education," Southeast Asian Journal of Social Science, pp. 82-105, 1985.
[7]	W. Bull, "The use of the vernacular in education," in Language in culture and society, New York, Harper and Row, 1964, pp. 527-533.
[8]	H. H. Stern, Fundamental Concepts of Language Teaching, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983.
[9]	A. A. Mazrui and A. Mazrui, "The Power of Babel: Language and Governance in the African Experience," The International Journal of African Historical Studies 33 (1), 2000.
[10]	E. Kembo-Sure and N. Ogechi, Linguistic Human Rights and Language Policy in the Kenyan Education System, Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 2009.
[11]	B. Trudell, "Local Community Perspectives and Language of Education in Sub-Saharan African Communities," International Journal of Educational Development, pp. 552-563, 2007.
[12]	D. Crystal, English as a global language, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
[13]	KNBS, "Kenya National Census," Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Nairobi, 2019.
[14]	O. Mugenda and A. Mugenda, Research Methods, Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches, Nairobi: ACT Press, 2003.
[15]	W. Nabea, "Language Policy in Kenya: Negotiation with Hegemony," The Journal of Pan African Studies, pp. 121-139, 2009.
[16]	G. R. Mtallo, "Teaching and Learning English in Tanzania: Blessing or Curse?," Journal of Education and Practice, 2015.
[17]	K. Gacheche, "Challenges in implementing a mother tongue-based language in education," Politics and International Studies Journal, pp. 1-45, 2010.
[18]	P. Auer, Code-switching in Conversation: Language, Interaction and Identity, New York: Routledge, 1998.
[19]	J. Moschkovich, "A situated and sociocultural perspective on bilingual mathematics learners," Mathematical Thinking and Learning, vol. 4, no. 2-3, pp. 189-212, 2002.
[20]	KNEC, Competency-Based Assessment Framework, Nairobi: The Kenya National Examinations Council, 2021.

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APA Style

Ongeti Karren Ohanga, Isaac Ipara Odeo, Elizabeth Abenga. (2021). Lower Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Educational Language Policy in Kenya. Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies, 6(4), 137-142. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.tecs.20210604.15

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ACS Style

Ongeti Karren Ohanga; Isaac Ipara Odeo; Elizabeth Abenga. Lower Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Educational Language Policy in Kenya. Teach. Educ. Curric. Stud. 2021, 6(4), 137-142. doi: 10.11648/j.tecs.20210604.15

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AMA Style

Ongeti Karren Ohanga, Isaac Ipara Odeo, Elizabeth Abenga. Lower Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Educational Language Policy in Kenya. Teach Educ Curric Stud. 2021;6(4):137-142. doi: 10.11648/j.tecs.20210604.15

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@article{10.11648/j.tecs.20210604.15,
  author = {Ongeti Karren Ohanga and Isaac Ipara Odeo and Elizabeth Abenga},
  title = {Lower Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Educational Language Policy in Kenya},
  journal = {Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies},
  volume = {6},
  number = {4},
  pages = {137-142},
  doi = {10.11648/j.tecs.20210604.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.tecs.20210604.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.tecs.20210604.15},
  abstract = {In Kenya, the educational language policy prescribes that the language of instruction in lower primary school (Grade 1 to 3) for schools in urban areas should be English or Kiswahili. For schools located in rural areas, the language of instruction in Grade 1 to 3 is the learners’ mother tongue or the language of the catchment area of the school. From Grade 4 onwards, all learners are to be instructed and examined in English. For this language policy to achieve its intended outcomes, there is a need for awareness and positive reception by its implementers: lower primary school teachers. This study examines the awareness and attitudes of lower primary school teachers toward the educational language policy. A survey design was adopted for this study. Questionnaires were administered to 75 teachers of Grade 1 to 3, drawn from a stratified multistage sample of 175 primary schools in rural, urban and semi-urban areas of Kakamega County, Western Kenya. The results of the study reveal that lower primary school teachers are aware of the existing language of instruction. The teachers feel that they ought to be free to select the language of instruction based on their particular pedagogical needs. The findings indicate the need for policymakers to review the educational language policy as currently formulated, especially concerning the use of Mother Tongue as one of the languages of instruction in lower primary schools. The current framework leads to a differential application of the policy, which in turn may affect learner outcomes at Grade 4, where all learners switch to the use of English. If the policy is to persist, then learning materials and teaching aids in Mother Tongue should be availed to rural schools to permit equitable outcomes for all learners.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY - JOUR
T1 - Lower Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Educational Language Policy in Kenya
AU - Ongeti Karren Ohanga
AU - Isaac Ipara Odeo
AU - Elizabeth Abenga
Y1 - 2021/12/24
PY - 2021
N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.tecs.20210604.15
DO - 10.11648/j.tecs.20210604.15
T2 - Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies
JF - Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies
JO - Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies
SP - 137
EP - 142
PB - Science Publishing Group
SN - 2575-4971
UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.tecs.20210604.15
AB - In Kenya, the educational language policy prescribes that the language of instruction in lower primary school (Grade 1 to 3) for schools in urban areas should be English or Kiswahili. For schools located in rural areas, the language of instruction in Grade 1 to 3 is the learners’ mother tongue or the language of the catchment area of the school. From Grade 4 onwards, all learners are to be instructed and examined in English. For this language policy to achieve its intended outcomes, there is a need for awareness and positive reception by its implementers: lower primary school teachers. This study examines the awareness and attitudes of lower primary school teachers toward the educational language policy. A survey design was adopted for this study. Questionnaires were administered to 75 teachers of Grade 1 to 3, drawn from a stratified multistage sample of 175 primary schools in rural, urban and semi-urban areas of Kakamega County, Western Kenya. The results of the study reveal that lower primary school teachers are aware of the existing language of instruction. The teachers feel that they ought to be free to select the language of instruction based on their particular pedagogical needs. The findings indicate the need for policymakers to review the educational language policy as currently formulated, especially concerning the use of Mother Tongue as one of the languages of instruction in lower primary schools. The current framework leads to a differential application of the policy, which in turn may affect learner outcomes at Grade 4, where all learners switch to the use of English. If the policy is to persist, then learning materials and teaching aids in Mother Tongue should be availed to rural schools to permit equitable outcomes for all learners.
VL - 6
IS - 4
ER -

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Author Information

Ongeti Karren Ohanga

Department of Curriculum and Instructional Technology, Masinde Muliro University of Science & Technology, Kakamega, Kenya
Isaac Ipara Odeo

Department of Language and Literature Education, Kibabii University, Bungoma, Kenya
Elizabeth Abenga

Department of Curriculum and Instructional Technology, Masinde Muliro University of Science & Technology, Kakamega, Kenya

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APA Style

Ongeti Karren Ohanga, Isaac Ipara Odeo, Elizabeth Abenga. (2021). Lower Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Educational Language Policy in Kenya. Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies, 6(4), 137-142. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.tecs.20210604.15

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ACS Style

Ongeti Karren Ohanga; Isaac Ipara Odeo; Elizabeth Abenga. Lower Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Educational Language Policy in Kenya. Teach. Educ. Curric. Stud. 2021, 6(4), 137-142. doi: 10.11648/j.tecs.20210604.15

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AMA Style

Ongeti Karren Ohanga, Isaac Ipara Odeo, Elizabeth Abenga. Lower Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Educational Language Policy in Kenya. Teach Educ Curric Stud. 2021;6(4):137-142. doi: 10.11648/j.tecs.20210604.15

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@article{10.11648/j.tecs.20210604.15,
  author = {Ongeti Karren Ohanga and Isaac Ipara Odeo and Elizabeth Abenga},
  title = {Lower Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Educational Language Policy in Kenya},
  journal = {Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies},
  volume = {6},
  number = {4},
  pages = {137-142},
  doi = {10.11648/j.tecs.20210604.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.tecs.20210604.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.tecs.20210604.15},
  abstract = {In Kenya, the educational language policy prescribes that the language of instruction in lower primary school (Grade 1 to 3) for schools in urban areas should be English or Kiswahili. For schools located in rural areas, the language of instruction in Grade 1 to 3 is the learners’ mother tongue or the language of the catchment area of the school. From Grade 4 onwards, all learners are to be instructed and examined in English. For this language policy to achieve its intended outcomes, there is a need for awareness and positive reception by its implementers: lower primary school teachers. This study examines the awareness and attitudes of lower primary school teachers toward the educational language policy. A survey design was adopted for this study. Questionnaires were administered to 75 teachers of Grade 1 to 3, drawn from a stratified multistage sample of 175 primary schools in rural, urban and semi-urban areas of Kakamega County, Western Kenya. The results of the study reveal that lower primary school teachers are aware of the existing language of instruction. The teachers feel that they ought to be free to select the language of instruction based on their particular pedagogical needs. The findings indicate the need for policymakers to review the educational language policy as currently formulated, especially concerning the use of Mother Tongue as one of the languages of instruction in lower primary schools. The current framework leads to a differential application of the policy, which in turn may affect learner outcomes at Grade 4, where all learners switch to the use of English. If the policy is to persist, then learning materials and teaching aids in Mother Tongue should be availed to rural schools to permit equitable outcomes for all learners.},
 year = {2021}
}

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