Gender moderation and mother tongue medium of instruction effect on learners academic performance in basic science in Anambra State Primary Schools, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of gender moderation and mother tongue medium of instruction on the academic performance of  learners in Basic Science in Anambra State primary schools, Nigeria. The quasi-experimental design was adopted for the study. The  study's population comprised of all primary school learners in Anambra State, Nigeria. The sample consisted of 121 Basic Science  learners who were purposively selected from four primary schools in Awka metropolis of Anambra State. The experimental group was  taught the subject using Mother Tongue while the control group was taught using English language as the medium of instruction. Data  was collected for six weeks, between 10th of May to June 30th,,2022. Descriptive statistics and ANCOVA were used for data analyses.  Findings indicate that learners taught using mother tongue medium of instruction performed better in Basic Science than those taught  using the English medium of instruction, there was no significant difference in the posttest mean scores of male and female learners  taught with these mediums of instruction, and no significant interaction effect between the treatments and gender. It is concluded that  mother tongue medium of instruction has a positive impact on learners academic performance in Basic Science. The study recommends  the training of Basic Science teachers in the use of mother tongue medium of instruction, and providing equal preferences and  opportunities for learners within the learning context irrespective of their gender amongst others.