Efficacy of Mother Tongue-Based Instruction and the Relationship on the Academic Achievement in Mathematics: The Case of Primary Pupils of Kaypaaba Elementary School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

In K to 12 curriculum, the mother tongue is being utilized by the teachers in their teaching for it has a goal of a multilingual, multi-literate, and critically-thinking Filipinos. Students from kindergarten to Grade 3 are expected to use their first language in the core subjects of the curriculum. In general, the purpose of mother tongue is to develop appropriate cognitive and reasoning skills among the children by letting them express themselves through the language they are fluent in. In Math, mother tongue is used to familiarize students with terms and to teach the process in a manner they can comprehend. Mother Tongue is used in major subjects like Math. Most teachers say that it is a helpful tool to teach the process appropriate for solving mathematical equations. Whether it will help or hinder, for students to understand more the lesson taught and how they view the effectivity of Mother Tongue-Based Instruction.

METHODS

The study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Mother Tongue-Based Instruction and its relationship on the academic achievement of primary school pupils of Kaypaaba Elementary School in the Municipality of Gen. E. Aguinaldo. Pretest Posttest Experimental Design was applied in the study using teacher-made tests. The lesson plan used is the Mother Tongue-Based Instruction in the experimental group and English-Based Instruction in the control group.

RESULTS

Findings revealed that during pretest and posttest, both the experimental and control groups have significant differences. This implies that Mother Tongue-Based Instruction has a positive impact in the academic achievement in Mathematics. They indicated that their learning outcomes are more beneficial, effective, and enjoyable compared to English-Based Instruction.

DISCUSSIONS

In view of the above findings and conclusions, the following recommendations were offered: For pupils' better academic achievement and positive development in Mathematics, Mother Tongue-Based Instruction should be used. The study should be replicated in other subjects and in intermediate levels. Teachers should be encouraged to teach in their own dialect so that pupils canunderstand the lesson well and they can both express themselves freely.