University of Nigeria Virtual Library

Serial No ISSN: 978-33730-4-8

Author 1 AZIKIWE, Uche

Author 2 Author 3

Title Teaching Primary Science in Igbo Language Implication for National

Development

Keywords Igbo Language, Primary Science

Description

Teaching Primary Science in Igbo Language Implication for National

Development

Category

Education

Publisher

Publication Date

August, 2008

Signature

Content

PARENTING STYJ-E: A PRE~ICTOR OF ADOLESCNTS' SOCIOEMOTIONAI, IXVELOPh3ENT AND CONSEQUENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT .................................... 1

GIRL?' DISADVANTAGES IN SCENCE AND TECI INOLOGY CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCI'ION: POSSll3LE EXP1,iYVATIONS FOR GENDER DIFTERFNCE IN

................................... PUPIIS' ACF-ITEVEhIENNr AND INTEREST IN PRIMARY SCIENCE.,. 15

L"v1FROVING THE QUALITY OF NIGERIAN SECOhQARY SCI-1001, EDUCATIOW: ....................... ... ........ I?JDICA+rOIZS FOR EiTJlCfIVE PRlNCIPAL LEAI3ERSfIIP ... ... ,2fi

S'TR ATEGIES FOR ITIN DI NG OF POSTSECONDARY SECRETARIAL EDUCA'I'ION P R o G R A M ~ ~ E S AND IhIPLIC ATIONS FOR 'rI-E JOB PERFORMANCE OF SECRETARIAL GRADUATES .......................................................... .40

INFORMAL SECTOR TRAINING IN AUTOMOBTLE TECHNOLOGY: E;Y'IT.hl'OLRTIONS FOR SCTIOOL-FN'lTmT'R[S PROGRAMME REFORM5

............................... IN NIGISRrA TECI IICAUVOCATIONAL CDUChTION PROGRAMMES -47

ETIINIC MILITIA AND DEMOCRATIC CONSOLTDATION- IMPUCATIONS FOR VALUE RE-ORIEXTATION AND ROLE MODELLING IN TI-IE NIGER-DELTA. ...................... .GG

DETFRkllNATTI3N OF JOB-RELATED TRAINING NEEDS OF VILLAGF EXTENSION ...... AGENTS IN 13F.NUE STtYI'E AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL DEVELOI'MGNT AUTIIORI'TY 73

ASSESSING TI IE ET:lTCTIVENESS OF hIEDIA RESOURCE LTTLISATION IN CURRICULUM IhlPLEMENTATION FOR DJSTANCE LEARNERS ...................................... .90

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION AND YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS CORELR'I'ES OF TEAC[-IERS' KNOIVLEDGE OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ................... 101

EFFECT OF SC1 IOOL LOCATION ON S79TC)EhrS'S ACI-IIEVFMENT IN READING COMPREFIENSION ................................................................... .:'. .............. 109

$TEACHING PRIMARY SCIENCE IN I C I ~ I-ANGUAGC IYPI.ICATION ITOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT .............................................................................. 1 1 5 q

EMBATTLED WOMEN OF THE IVORY TOWERS: A IlIS'i 3RICAL ASSESSMIJNT ............ 123

~ONSI 'RA JN'FS 'TO THE MANAGE2MEWr OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL!! IN SECCXWARY SCI-100L.7 IN IMO STATE ................................................................... 132

EFITCI'S OF GFNDER AND TERCI-IING klETIIODS ON SCIENCE T'RROCESS SKI1 .LS ACQIIISITIDN AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY STUDEN'FS .............................................. 141

A STUDY OF COMbIUNITY DASED EXIGENCY SERVICES TOWARDS .............................. A REW~r'UlTOX~OF SECONDARY SCIIOOLS IN TIASTERN NIGERIA. I43

INSTII'UTIONAL AND TL .... .--. .- ..... ,..- .... ,,,. .... ., .. ,.-.,. ... ..-...,..,. .. ..*.. .. .......... ... ......... ACCE3S TO CAPITAL. RESOURCES IN EBONY I STATE , , ., ... ... ., , , . I

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN DONOR AGENCY DEVELOPMENT PROJGCI-S IN NIGERIA: T I E CASE OF UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMiME (UNDP) ACTIVITIES IN THE SOUTH-EAST GEOPOLITICAL ZONE ..................................... I

ARDS MUSIC EDUCATION .. ........ . --. . -A- ATTITUDE TOW 1 AMONG SECONDARY

............... :. ................................................ 1

BY Dr. Uchc Azikiwc

Institute of Education University of Nipcria, Nsukka.

7% Nrrriorinl Police on Ehcarion ( N P E ) of 1977 mld 1981 r~cor~i,rlertrl-rhor inslrt~ctior~ in prinruy schools slrorrId be in the leanwr's nrorlrer fottgrrr. This policy Iws g~nrrrrrecl rr lor of' (ilgwuerrts far and ngains'r i f , especially on if ~ J f ~ c f i v m e s s nnd nd~qnncy in tcachirq certain sclmol srrbjecfs sriclr as !he scicrr~.es.

The prqmse of this srrdy therefore is to f i r d oiit flre exrert? ihe policy is beirtg impler~w~!ecl with relz~orrls to fhe ~cndl i r ig oJprin7nry scieuca in lgbo L ~ r ~ g r ~ n g e , Twelve primnries I - 3 renchcrs rvew ~Bsetvrd rising rhe Tenclzirq Privrrrry Scicrm with iMotlter Torrgrw (TPSM'T) Checklist to cktennine the ~zumher of En~lisll \vorth rcserl ill fhe ?enclti~r.p process. Dora were nrznlyssd irsirtg r m ~ t scores, nndfindiings reven! t l m MT is nmre ~,f;feecriv~~ly used irz rhe ~eocliirrg of pr-irmry scierzce irr el~m~rzfcrr-iies I nrld 2 rhnrr in denrerlln~y 3. Reconlnleildffrions were ~nrnde h:d ulr rhcfludirzgs qf rAe sf!idy.

Introduction I.angunge clisting~~ishcs man from animals and onc race from another. It is ~ h c

meditlm ~hrough which pcoplc lmnsrnit their culmrc to the younger oms and lo generations unborn. Languagc is, thcrefnrc, an essential idcnlity of n pcoplc, hcnce no rrihe in Nigcria is ready to accept another languagc as the nation's lingua Fmncc. It is rhrough Language that the young ones learn and grow to aduIthood tlnd continue the ~rndition of thc Innd. Imguagc is thercfore an impor-tant factor in ~ h c building up of n:~tional chnrncter.

Languaqe is thc vehiclc Tor communication and the inslrumcnt for all crcalivc thought. It i s ilic medium of ins[ruclion for formal and informal learning. Flcnce, i t has been nlxicrvcd that the use of a foreign Lmguagc in tcaching and learning, wherc thc leamcr's n-rothcr tongue dirfers from h c medium, crmtcs a lot of problems. 'Thc problem is not only at thc individual learner's level but also aL the national level. This is in view of the fact that a nation which mcs a foreign Linguage is its mcdium of instruction in schools rcncts'to looses its identity. One of the reasons being that thc foreign Language might hc inappropriate for transmitting its cdture, thcrcby rclegnting it to thc background.

1 1 G Dr, lJcl~c Aziki wc

?'his co~lscc~ucntly, might nffcct 11ic ~lalional dcvclopincnl sincc mcmbcrs of thc SF: nlighl comc to apprccink ~ h c lorcign culicrc nlorc than thcirs.

In o~licr vonls. Icming in a loreign Langungc might prud1~i.c a gcncfiltion v,i supcrfiuial verbal knowIcdgc unconnected with its cnvironmcnl and prcvious knowlc~ l ' h ~ s might not augur wcll for national dcvclopmcnt sincc on adcquarc cducallr systcrn is an invaluable loo1 la dcvc!opmcnt. 0

Scicncc cducnlion is a ficld of study concc~iicd wirh producing n scicntific litci-lirc socicly, and i t ~11crcTorc acquaili~s tllc Icarncr will1 basic knowlcdgt, skills ntli~udcs Ior rutul4r: work in scicncc rclulcd CicJrls (Ogunriiyi, 1986) scicncc cducarin thc bcdrvck upon wllicli dcpcnds thc scicntific and ~cclinologicnl dcvclopmcnt r nolion. Nigcrin, as a dcvcloping country, and as n mcrnbcr or tbc comity of nillions zsl scicnce and trclinolagy havc bccornc integral parts of world's cultur.~, ncctls SCIL

cducntion fur h e realization of national cicvclopmcnt. Knowlcdgc o i seicncc is nccc for the survival of lliu individual as well as [lx socio-cconornic dcvclop~ncnt of an: sincc i~ is part of thc cul~urc of modcrn civilizdon and dcvclopmcn~. Ilcncc unly scientifically Iilcratc scrcic~y can r:~pid social-cconornic, tcchnologic;tl ;lnd indu dcvcloprncnr bc ~.calisable. ln cffcct thclc is no gain saying thc fi\cL l h a ~ dcvelapr goals might not bc cfrcctivcly ;~chicvcd ~ i t l ~ o u t scicnce. Alclc-WiEllams [I! contcrtds, ~hcrcrorc, that Ihc placc of scicl~cc, technology and ~natlmnatrcu (STIM) ir likc of nay nation is onc which is inextricably linkcd with thc pacc or clcwAopmer that na~iun. The paper continued thal STM can bc uscd as rcliablc indiccs or 11ic port for dcvcloprncnt, It concludes that i t is in recognition ol' LIIC importuncc of STM devcloped nations clevotc a sipificant pmpor[ion of 11icir G.N.P. to ~ h c dcvcloprne~ thcsc nrcns.

Molhcr tonguc (WI') as a mcdiu~n of instruclion i n lcaching - Icaniing prc has bccn Lhc Socus of some studics (I;afunw:r, 1975; Af'olayan 1977, Awoniyi I Ojcrindc, 1986). Fur~hcnnurc, leaching and Icaming scicncc and scicncc I-clnlcd sub has atlractcd thc attention of many scholars (Tuiwo, 1378; Nwukcdi, 1984; Akhilo~ 1991). In one or sludies, Afoiayan (1977) obscrvcd that scicncc could rbc taughl molhcr ~unguc hccausc our indigenous Nigcrian I,nngu:~ge can c o ~ ~ wilh scicn[jfic m;~lIicrnn~ical conccprs. IL has p e r a l l y bccn acccptcd rhat lhc cli~lcl's nrorhcl' rong thc mas! r~dcqualc and appropriate mcdiuni of instruction. IIowwcr., l l ~ r c arc : pedagogical problcrns which if not solvcd might undcr cfreclivc Implcmcntation of I

(Azikiwc, 1?91; Ladon 1091, Adeloclun, 1991). Somc of rhc ~onstrilinls arc I P ~ ~noillcr t o n g t ~ equivalents for some conccpts i n scicncc and r;cicncc relared sub. personnel, and no scicncc tcxLs i n vcmacular.

l'hc objcclivcs of primary scicnce as contained i n ~ h c Fcdcral Govcmme Nigeria (1951) reveals the polcntinlilics of scicncc as polyvalent agcnr ful

dcvclopmcnt of t h e individual, and thc socic~y at Iargc. Science cclucafaon, rhcrc s l a r ~ ~ from ~ h c primary school wi~h thc lmpc that rlic child gl-ours no bc able lo ex1 know and undcrsrnnd his cnvironn~enl, as well as be ablc lu solvc his e w r y d w pro i n lifc.

The pol icy I-cconimcnds should bc [ h e nioihcr l r crkci, mmns that p-irn;~r.

'f hc rnorhcr Ton; f i l m s 1 publishccl in 1977 n ~ , ~ z i l thc prcscrcl Minis!c implerncntation snisccl n scicncc sclatcd subjects I

rnatcrinls in hat L~nguil; propcr to dcterrninc thc ~cncrnl, hur in p;lrticulnr

.thcrcTorc, is lo : ~ s s r w rhc primary scicncc in clcr clctci-rninc llic cslcnr Igb nthcr war-rls, to I'ind nut I

l h c ilsc of Ikglish worcls can primary scicncc 13c 1:1

I

l'hc pop~il nlion cr school within Ncukkn I total number of I2 t c ; ~ somplc for thc stiicly. 'I'e; stipulntcs t h a t mohcr I pri marks ( 1 -1-. The lea scicncr uxins Ihc 'knch This insrt-umenr had Tot. teaching. The r ~ r i n ~ s we1

Xnnc (4), 1 - 3 English Abclvc ( I ) . ' I ' l y ins1n.11 Eclucstion:.nnd 'iv~casurc thc rc::enr~chcr was on a 1nstitutc-6f . . duca t ion , IJr

Thc abjccts of o they taught thc snmc tor making, Thus any t e x t

imply cfl'cctivc irnplcrncntation of thc hTIP. On 11lc othcr liend, any tcncl~itig/lcarning activilics with a n-lcan raling bclow 250 jmpIy tkc oppositc.

I~csuIls

Table I : Mc:ro Rating of '~cachcrs on Usc of Igbo in TcncIlil.rg Pci~nary Scicncc in

Elenlenlarics Onc Through 'l'hrcc

2.

3.

Discussion Tlic data 0 1 5 T n b k

Uscs of Scnsc Organs

Mcasurcmcnl of

L c ~ i g ~ h

English ivc~r-ds uscd in tcachirig primary scicncc In ~ h c cEasscs under s m f y arc clcnicnlarics onc and two 3 9 5 and 3.50 icspcclivcly, whik h t [or clcr~icii~:~r.y thrcc is 2.00. 'lhis m a n s 1113~ i n [caching ~ h c Uscs of Water in c1c1-ncnl:u.y unc, th-cc out d llic four tcacllcrs obwvccI [aught thc Icsson all through wirhout using any English ~vorcls while only onc 1c;~hcr used bctwccn I - 3 Englisli words. For clcrncntarp two, two out oS lhc four lcachcrs obscrvcd uscd bcttvccn I - 3 English words, wliilc the rcinaining ~ w o uscd Igbo all 111roi1gh in Lhc teaching or 111c topic Uses of SCIISC Organs. FtnalIy in elcmcn~nry lhrcc, nonc of thc four tcaclicrs taught the lopic, hlcusurcntcnt of L c n ~ ~ h , all through in Igbo, one of thc lcnchcrs ilscd bet\vccn I - 3 Bngl~sh words, 2 of riic~n usc bctwccn 4 - 6 English wads, while one rcachcr uscd about 7 English wui-tls rmcl above.

It is cvidcnt from thc loregoing ha t lgbo should bc clTcclivcly lrscd for tcxhirig prin~ary scicncc in thc first to junior classcs. IIowcvci-, thc piclure chmgcs in clcrncnlnry [hrcc Iicrc none of ~ h c leachcrs tuught t l~c lopic dl 1111-ough in Igbo witl~out using English words. This could t the ~opics rauglli i n clcmentarics I and 2 arc such that do not canhi and conccpls (Usc of wntcr and Scnsc Organs) ns could bc 11 "Mcasuremcnt of Length" for clcmcntary lhrcc.

'Thc ses~~lts imply [hat I ~ b o Lmguagc might hnvc cquivnl nccdcd la tcncli ihcsc lcssons as against the tcaching of "Mensu~-cment 01 Lcnglh" wltl

such words :IS mcier, cenrimcrer, squrlrc clc. In cll'cct, thcreforc, onc idcnrificd factor rcspons~blc for thc use of En~lish words in thc tcaching of primary scicncc is lack of

Wciglitcd

Scorc

15 I A

No Un~g l i s l~ Word U s ~ d

3

4

F

3.75 C) r n

4 - 6 Words Uscd

- -

2

1-3 Words Uscd

1

2

1

7 Words & Abovc Used

- -

1

I&o q u i v a h t s for some English worcls, rc credrnce [o Azikiwc {.I49 1) and Nwokcdi (198.1 is a canqlrnint 10 cffecrivc implemcntalion of W cllwmntion of Afolnynn (1977) that our indigen

! ninthcniaticnl conccps and thus coulcl bc ust I

Thc major findins of th is study tlicrefor-e

1. Mor11~1- I'onguc Policy is being iniplemt w i ~ h Tgba i n clerncntnries I md2 .

2. Marlm- 'l'ongt~c Policy is no! being fully scicncc wiLh Jy_lm in clcmcnrr7ry 3.

3, As ihc topics nrlwnce, il hccomcs morc c or English vmrrls sincc thcl-c nrc no Igbl culic, ctc..

Ttlesc conclusions arc ar-rived at based on rl-te n l

thc proccss of lcncliing sonic lopics in prim environrncnt (I$o). 'l'liis mcnns t h ~ t llie usc of of lltc immcdixc community as 3 medium of' in! regards lo ihc Icaching of primary scinncc is no 11-la1 in as much ns i t coulcl be possiblc to use ins~ruction in othcr p~.im;u-y school subjects, i t scicncc rclaled sul~jccrs.

Impl ic~i io~i ' I k r c arc pnsitivc and ncgariw implicnl

for nalional dcvclopmenr. Thc posiliuc implicati~

a. IT Tglm Lnngm\gc i s sophistic lcd cnoc tcchnical terms and conccpts i t will bc implies lhnr wc wil l bc in a position dcvelop local tcclinology and thus be self

b. C m i sc icn~c teslboclks i n Igho might scicnce and consquenlly the production rcchnological and nalional development.

On thc o ~ h c r Rand, thc negative implications arc:

a. Restricring tenchers, parents and children might net inculcn~c thc spirit of unity

'l'hcrc is 110 dodx t h n t this mighL ncgarc thc constitulional ri$r uT Nigerians to livc and work i n any part of the counwy and thus rnighr undermine thc cilmpaign Tor patrio[ism which is 3 good ingrcdicn~ for national clcvcloprncnr.

13. 'I'llc ccononly is now not buoyant c~~ougli to xcommocln~c thc hcnvy cost, in I~umnn and ~narcrinl rcsourccs, or cwr i l ing and/or producing scicncc malcrials imd rcxibooks i n Igbo.

I<ccor~rmc~dalion 'l'lic fact has bccn established t h a ~ using thc ul~ild's'niothcr tongue as a rncdiurn of

instruciion cnhunccs ycrformiuicc. It is also a fact thnt innovalions have inirial psoldcnis which must bc contcndcd wi (It for fulurc success, I-Icncc ~cnchi ng primary scicncc' in Igbo will not bc an cxccption i~nd ils s~~cccss depends on Finding solulions lo idcntifics problems. 13ascd on thc ~incliug of this sludy, lhc following nrc r~ccommcndcd:

1,

I I .

. . . I l l .

iv.

V .

Thcrc is i~ccd for Igbo linguists lo coin words - cquivalenl for all scicnrific and tccliniciil terms and concepts that do not haw Igbo cquivnlcn~s.

Igbo linguisrics and cxpert in Igbo culturc should up dictionary

'I'lic cxpcrls should also bc cncouragcd to translate scicncc LcxrbooKs Into lgbo as wcIl a:; witc original bovks a d ~cx is .

Thcrc is also rlccd fur curakulum plmners 10 dcvclop primary scicncc programmes bascd on traditional scicntilic and technological know-how to avoid lack o i terms ;~nd conccpts in Igbo

Thcr-c is need lo rcplicatc its study with a larger sample to dclcrnline if findings will bc thc sarnc sirlcc lhc I-esearclicr apprecialcs ilia1 llic prcscnl srudy sample i s srnall.

Dr. Uchc Azikiwc 121

Conclusion

Pi-irnal-y scicnce is taught in Igho, with vcty few English w~rrls , in clcmcntaria 1 and 2, whercax in elcrr-mkry 3 teachers use more English ward. TRis I ~ n s k e n interprctccl r c l ,icnn that MTP i s bcing imphncntcd in only EHW clnsscr: nt lhc junior primary levcl. The

texhcrs' inability to use Igbo i n teaching primary science in clcmcnlary 3 is duc ro Tack of some scienlific lernls and concepts in Igbo language. Thcrc is nccd, thcreforc, firc invcn tion and/or coinage of Igbo ccjuivalcn~s for thcse scicnti ric ierrns, and Lrmslation of sciencc twhooks in Igba in rhc procev of which the cuincd words will be uscd.

Adclodun, A.A.(1991) "Pedagogical Constraints in thc Tcacking of Mathcmarics in Mother Tongue". In Ehisn~at;~lor E.T. el al .(cds), Tcncl i in~ and l carnin~ in Nigcrinn Lanprotp . Ni~erinn Eclucntionnl Research Association 75-8 I

Afolnyan, 11, (1377) " Thc New Language Policy anti Effcctiuc Instrirction in Schools. Lnnyragc in EtInc.ntinn in Nigeria, 1,2G-38

Akhilomen, S . A . (1991) "Teaching Science in Nigcrian Lnnguages; A casc study of Esnn Inngunge". In Ehinmatalor, E.T. ct nl (eds), Teaching and Lcarning in Mi~wia .1~ Tmtguagcs, 13-29

Alelc-Williams, G. (1939) Keynorc Address. In Women Etluca[ion branch of rhc F.M.E., (cds), I'rnn~ating Scicncc, I'ccl~nalngy & Mailirmat ics s m n g C irTs and Wnrncn in Nigeria E a ~ o s : Womcn Education Dranch oi'F.M.E, 9-25.

Awoniyi, ?'.A{ 1978) Yontha J,nny~sgc in Edrrcfition Ibadnn: Oxford Univcrsiry press, 2 4 .

Azi kiwc, U. (I 99 1) "Tcachers' Perception of Constraints to mathcr tongue Policy and Strategies for ils Effective Implemenfation". Tn Ehiarnaralor, E.T. ct a1 (cds), Teaching ant1 Lcarning in Nigcrisn 1,angragc. Nigcrinn Education;tl Rcsearch Association, 168-172.

Fafunwa, Dabs (1975) "Eclucation in rhc Mothcr Tongue: A Nigerian expcrimcnt- the six-year (Ynruba mcdium) Primary Education projcct at thc University of Ifc". Wcst iifrican Journal of Education, XIX (2),2 13-228.

122 Dr. Ucili* Azikiwc

I;cclcral R c p u b f i ~ of Nigcria (1951) N;rknal I'olicy o r 1 Erlucalion. Lagos: l k k r a I Mir~isEry of Information and NERC prcss.

Ogurirriyi, M.B. (1986) Tcarlaing Scicncc in Arrica !bidan: Sdnn Mcdin, p. 147.

Ojerinclc, A. (1986) "Languagc 01 Instruclim and Cognirivc Attainment: A case study of thc Ifc-Six ycur Primary Project". Thc Nigerian Jam-unl of Gvidmce and Counseling 2 ( I ) 3 1-40.

Nwokcdi R. U. (1984) "Languagc Problems in ?'caching and Lcarning Sciencc In ' Nigcria: Physics." l'hc N i ~ e r i a n Language 'l'cadwr, (I), 3-16.

l'aiwo, C.O. (1376) ''Tcilching nnd Ixmning Mathcrna~ics in Yorubu Langungc". .Journ;tl ilf lhc Science l'cachrrs Association of Nigcria, 15 ( I ) , 70-77.