Primary school teachers’ and pupils’ attitudes toward the kiswahili language learning textbooks usage in Tanzania: the case study of Nyamagana District

The purpose of the study was to investigate the teachers and pupils attitudes to using Kiswahili textbooks for Kiswahili learning in standard four classrooms in Nyamagana District. The study was specifically guided by the research tasks which focused on the availability of Kiswahili textbooks in the schools: Teachers and pupils’ attitudes toward Kiswahili textbooks use in learning, teachers and pupils Kiswahili textbooks use and the measures needed for the changing attitudes towards using Kiswahili textbooks in learning Kiswahili.The case study design was employed using multiple methods of data collection, including interviews, questionnaires; focus group discussions, observation checklist, and document search. The population sample comprised of ten primary schools in Nyamagana district, with a total of 120 respondents drawn from ten primary schools head teachers, ten Kiswahili subject teachers and 100 pupils of standard four classes. These were either purposively or simple randomly selected. The findings revealed that in both at schools and at home, there were no adequate quality Kiswahili textbooks for the children. The pupils have no access to Kiswahili textbooks, which limited their ability to use and develop Kiswahili books reading attitudes. In light of this fact, it was not possible to expect the pupils to have positive attitude to textbooks use as they had no reading materials and reading facilities. Also findings showed that there were some variations on textbooks use on the part of the teachers and pupils. The study, therefore, recommended that parents should set good example. Parents should develop Kiswahili texts reading interest for their children so that they could emulate them. In addition to that, provision of appropriate rich print environment for children, television viewing monitoring and help them in their routine home chores and giving them enough time for play and reading. The library facilities should be provided in all primary school in the country so as to give access to pupils developing reading interests and attitudes. Thus, the use of libraries should be part of instruction offered from the primary school level on wards so that reading to learn becomes a predisposition. The government should furnish all primary schools with quality Kiswahili texts by allocating adequate funds so as to establish classroom and school libraries with current Kiswahili literature. Reading hours need to be made part of the school timetable and where necessary, evaluated.