Examining teachers’ views on the adoption of mother tongue-based bilingual education in mathematics teaching and learning: A South African context

Abstract

Mathematics is one of the critical subjects studied worldwide and is a major for all science faculties and careers. However, it is 1 of the subjects in which performance is poor in all educational phases and bands. Therefore, with this research we aimed to consider the use of mother tongue in the learning and teaching of mathematics in schools. This qualitative research was a descriptive case study conducted in the OR Tambo Inland district, which comprises 2 satellite towns, Mthatha and Qumbu in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The focus area for the study was the Qumbu satellite. Twenty-four participants were selected through purposeful sampling. Participants were grouped in 4 focus groups with 6 members in each. An interview schedule guide with semi-structured and open-ended questions was used to collect data. A thematic approach and facts were used for data analysis and presentation. Research shows that the use of mother tongue is beneficial for all learners in all subjects, however, this is not what many teachers believe. We conclude with the recommendation that the broad South African community should be schooled in the value and impact of the use of mother tongue in education or consideration of mother-tongue-based bilingual education (MTBBE). There is a need for South Africans to understand the concept of MTBBE better. It provides advantages such as providing learners with an increased ability to think deeply, to express themselves clearly and to improve academic performance (Stoop, 2017).