EFFECTS OF MOTHER TONGUE ON STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN BASIC SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AT THE UPPER BASIC EDUCATION IN KATSINA-ALA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

Johnson Mhile Yaapera and Sunday Ade Adeniran

University of Agriculture Markurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

Email: ahnagbayaapera@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

This study sought to find out the effects of using Tiv language as medium of instruction on students’ achievement in Basic Science and Technology at Upper Basic Education in Katsina-Ala Local Government area of Benue state. The study was carried out in two secondary schools in Katsina-Ala Government area of Benue State. Two intact classes of the schools were assigned to experimental and control conditions. Experiment lasted for two weeks. It started with a pretest before treatment and a posttest after treatment using Basic science and Technology achievement test (BSAT). Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was the statistical tool to test the hypotheses. The result showed that students in experimental group who were taught in Tiv did not perform better than the control taught in English language and there was no significant difference in the achievement scores of male and female students taught in Tiv language. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended that the use of Tiv language alone in teaching of Basic science and Technology should be discourage, however, Basic Science and Technology teachers may use Tiv language as an instructional tool in teaching of Basic Science and Technology at Upper Basic Education in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.    

Keywords: Language, Achievement, Students