The Effectiveness of the Use of MotherTongue as the Medium ofInstruction in Teaching Mathematics as Perceived by the Math Teachers of Panhulan Elementary School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The use of mother tongue enables young learners to immediately construct and explain without fear of making mistakes, articulate their thoughts and add new concepts to that which they already knew. The research was carried out to identify the effects of the productive usage of Mother Tongue in teaching Mathematics at the primary level as perceived by the Math teachers of Panhulan Elementary School.

METHODS

A descriptive research design was utilized in the study with the teachers of Grades 1 to 3 of Panhulan Elementary School as the main respondents. Data were collected through reliable questionnaires and were analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the productive usage of Mother Tongue in teaching Mathematics.

RESULTS

The findings revealed that the first two common problems encountered by the learners were the inability to understand or interpret a mathematical concept and the lack of knowledge to enable them to understand a concept. Thus, the productive usage of mother tongue in teaching Mathematics in the primary level was seen to have a great effect on the following: 1) pupils' enjoyment in doing activities and problem-solving; 2) noticeable cooperative learning and lastly, 3) eagerness to participate in class.

DISCUSSIONS

The results demonstrated the need for educators to conduct collaborative work and cooperation among co-educators and learners to encourage more young learners to obtain self -assessment skills A regular assessment of the effectiveness of mother tongue based on the quality of young learners' performance should also be conducted.