Asian Research Thesis Index

Abstract

The study sought to explore possibilities whether English can replace Urdu as language of instruction and if it can, to what extent it can be an effectiveness medium of instruction in the teaching of Mathematics at primary level in Pakistan. The aim was to compare English as a language of instruction with Urdu as language of instruction in the teaching and learning of Mathematics to grade 4 class. The other objective was to examine people‘s attitudes towards English as medium of instruction in the teaching and learning generally and for the teaching of Mathematics in particular in Pakistan. A practical teaching experiment was conducte to explore the effectiveness of English as language of instruction for teaching and learning Mathematics at grade 4 level. In addition a descriptive survey research design which used questionnaires and interviews as data collection methods was employed. 640 participants were consulted for this research. Amongst these there were 80 grade 4 learners (used in the teaching experiment), 250 teachers and 250 parents (used for questionnaire) and 60 respondents (for interviews). The data collected was analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively resulting in data triangulation for validation. Major findings of the research indicated that the use of Urdu as a medium of instruction in the teaching of Mathematics to primary school children is more realistic and its use impacted positively the teaching of Mathematics as compared to English language. The learners who used Urdu performed better than those who used English as a medium of instruction. However the research further explored that parents preferred English to be the only medium of instruction from primary up to university level as English offers them better opportunities for employment compared to Urdu. The study concluded that Mathematics is a non-linguistic and technical subject. Grasping Mathematical concepts is already difficult for students. The government‘s recent decision (Education Policy 2014) about the conversion of teaching Mathematics from Urdu to English medium from grade 4 class would have a negative effect on students‘ achievement. The study finally recommends that the government should revert the policy of implementing English as a medium of instruction for the teaching and learning of Mathematics at primary level. It also recommends the need for an awareness programme for parents about the importance of indigenous languages for the learners at primary level especially for the teaching of any technical subject such as Mathematics.

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