Assessing the Parental Attitude to Tiv Language as a Medium of Instruction in Primary Schools in Tiv Speaking of Benue State, Nigeria.

This study examined parental attitudes towards Tiv Language as a medium of instruction in primary schools in Tiv-speaking areas of Benue State, Nigeria. Specifically, it examined parents’ preferred medium of instruction, their perceptions of pupils’ academic performance under Tiv- and English-medium instruction, and strategies for promoting parental acceptance of Tiv. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design involving 330 Tiv parents from seven Local Government Areas: Katsina-Ala, Konshisha, Kwande, Logo, Ukum, Ushongo and Vandeikya. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire titled Parental Attitude towards Tiv Language as a Medium of Instruction Questionnaire (PATLMOIQ). The data were analysed using frequencies, percentages, the chi-square goodness-of-fit test and paired-samples t-test at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that 190 respondents (57.6%) preferred Tiv, while 140 (42.4%) preferred English as the medium of instruction. This difference was statistically significant, χ²(1, N = 330) = 7.58, p = .006. Parents also rated perceived academic performance more favourably under Tiv-medium instruction (M = 3.72) than under English-medium instruction (M = 3.41), with a statistically significant difference, t(329) = 9.37, p < .001. Advocacy (36.4%), sensitization (33.3%), and seminars or conferences (30.3%) were identified as strategies for promoting parental acceptance of Tiv-medium instruction. The study concluded that Tiv remains a valuable medium of instruction in primary schools. It recommended effective implementation of mother-tongue education policies, provision of qualified teachers and instructional materials, and sustained parental sensitization to promote Tiv-medium instruction alongside English-language development.

Tiv Language, Medium of Instruction, Parental Attitude, Bilingualism, Mother Tongue, Primary Education

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