Mother Tongue Based (MTB) Classroom Instruction: The Attitudes and Perceptions of School Community in Sidama Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

The main objective of the study is to assess the attitudes and perceptions of school community towards mother tongue based classroom instruction. The study was conducted in Sidama zone, particularly in three Woredas which one school was drawn from each. The approach employed to carry out the study was mixed one: quantitative and qualitative approach. The tools which were used to collect data are questionnaires and interview. The questionnaire was administered to the teachers and the students, and the interview was to the school parents in the target area. There were 70 students, 6 parents and 11 teachers who were taken by using cluster and random sampling. The results of the study showed that most parents and almost half of the sample students have negative attitude and perception towards using mother tongue as a medium of instruction. But, the teachers’ attitude and perception can be rated as good. Moreover, the study revealed that there are challenges like shortages of reference materials and text books to be used in Sidama language; students might have problems in their future since the language is being used in their local environment only, and the students are experiencing serious writing problems in the texts they produce in the Sidama language.

Key words: Mother-tongue, Attitude, Perception, Classroom instruction