Relationship between performance in instructional medium and performance in selected school subjects in Tanzania secondary schools
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Date
1982
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
It is the aim of this study to test the hypothesis that it is the variance in the performance of English as an instructional medium which accounts for a great portion of the variance in the general performance of the school system. That is, it is interested in establishing that the performance in English language (instructional medium) positively and strongly correlates with performance in school subjects and motivation toward English are also surveyed in the schools under study. The research sample for examining the issues within the country were schools selected from among five regions spread out in the north, south, east, west and the central part to meet comparative and representative requirements. Each region produced a school and two forms in each school, that is form II and IV with contrasting features in the areas of sex; such as, single sex or co-educational; rural versus town; day against boarding; public against private. Two teacher programmes were also included for purposes of cross matching the pedagogy teacher themselves received with that employed in the schools. Both science and arts students and both science and arts teachers/tutors were included. The findings of the study indicate that learners performance in the instructional medium varies between schools and individuals. There are definitely good schools and poor schools. Low performances affect production more than comprehension. While there were some marked sex differences between performances in form II, there was none in form IV. The findings on motivation indicate that background variable are only effective when subjects interact with them. Subjects' performances in the instructional medium highly correlate with their own self evaluation on how they will perform. Motivation toward the instructional medium is lacking in instances where facilities are not conducive to learning. The third hypothesis that errors made in the use of English would be similar in both forms had great support from the results of error analysis of the students produced language. In the light of these findings, it is recommended that the change of instructional medium from English to Swahili in Tanzania. Secondary schools ought to take place so as to allow easier provision of meaningful education to the learners.
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Keywords
Performance, secondary schools, Tanzania, Education, Study and teaching
Citation
Mvungi, M. M (1982) Relationship between performance in instructional medium and performance in selected school subjects in Tanzania secondary schools,Masters dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam. Available at (http://41.86.178.3/internetserver3.1.2/detail.aspx?parentpriref= )