Attitudes of Student Teachers Towards Teaching in Mother Tongue in Nigerian Primary Schools: Implications for Planning

Abstract

Following the results of the Ife Six-Year Primary Project designed to use an indigenous Nigerian language as a medium of instruction in primary schools, some suggestions have been made to introduce it in all Nigerian primary schools. This study investigates the attitudes of student teachers towards mother-tongue instruction. Data for the study were gathered by means of a questionnaire administered to 106 students in a Nigerian college of education. It was found that the students had a generally negative attitude to it. The findings and their implications for educational planning and teacher education are discussed.