Effects of Language of Instruction on Junior Secondary School (JSS) Students’ Academic Achievement in Basic Science

Abstract

This study sought to find out the effects of using Igbo language as a medium of instruction on academic achievement of Junior Secondary School I Students in Enugu State. The study was carried out in two schools (one male and one female) in Oji-River Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. Two intact classes from each of the schools were randomly assigned to either experimental or control conditions. The experiment lasted for four weeks. It started with a pretest and ended with a posttest using Basic Science Achievement Test (BSAT). Means and Standard deviations were used to answer the research questions whereas analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was the statistical tool used to test the hypotheses. The result showed that the students who were taught with Igbo language performed better than the control group taught with English language. Based on this result, the researcher recommended the use of Igbo in teaching Basic Science, which helps to relate the subject to the immediate environment on the learners.