PRACTICES, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF USING GUMUZGNA AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN FOUR PRIMARY SCHOOLS OF METEKEL ZONE BY: KEFEYALEW NEMERA JUNE 2018 ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA i ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY COLLAGE OF EDUCATION AND BEHAVORAL STUDIES DEPARTENENT OF CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION PRACTICES, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF USING GUMUZGNA AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN FOUR PRIMARY SCHOOLS OF METEKEL ZONE BY: KEFEYALEW NEMERA A THESIS SUBMITTED TO DEPARTMENT OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND BEHAVERIAL STUDIES OF ADDIS ABABA UNIVRSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMEN OF THE REQUIRMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTERS‟ OF ART IN CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION. JUNE 2018 ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA ii ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY COLLAGE OF EDUCATION AND BEHAVORAL STUDIES DEPARTENENT OF CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION PRACTICES, CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES OF USING GUMUZGNA AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN FOUR PRIMARY SCHOOLS OF METEKEL ZONE BY: KEFEYALEW NEMERA This is to certify that, the thesis prepared by Kefeyalew Nemera entitled practices, challenges and opportunities on using of Gumuzgna as a medium of instruction in four primary school of Metekel zone. On partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of master of curriculum and instruction complies with the regulation of the university and meets the accepted standard with respect to originality and quality. APPROVED BY BOARD OF EXAMINERS: ---------------------------------------------- -------------------------- ------------------ NAME OF CHAIRPERSON Date SIGNATURE ------------------------------------------------ ------------------------- ----------------- NAME OF ADVISOR Date SIGNATURE ------------------------------------------------ --------------------------- --------------- NAME OF INTERNAL EXAMINER Date SIGNATURE ---------------------------------------------- -------------------- -------------- NAME OF EXTERNAL EXAMINER Date SIGNATURE iii DECLARATION I, Kefeyalew Nemera Fane, declare that Practices, Challenges and opportunities of using Gumuzgna as a medium of instruction in four primary schools: in the case of Metekel Zone, Benishangulu Gumuz Regional State, Ethiopia, is my own work that all the sources that I have used or created have indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. June 2018 Signature Date Kefeyalew Nemera Confirmed by advisor: This thesis has been submitted for the examination with my approval as a university advisor. Name: Dr. Getachew Adugna June 2018 Signature Date iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and for most, I would like to express my deep and cordial feeling to D.r Getachew Adugna my thesis Advisor, for his persistent intellectual guidance, encouragement, helpful comments, timely responses and hospitality. I fully acknowledge his guidance, friendly understanding and priceless comment for the accomplishment of the study. I am very much indebted to express my deep gratitude to my wife W/O Alganesh Roba, who deserves the total credit for carrying our beloved daughter Nardos Kefeyalew and her persistent encouragement for completing my MA program and successful completion, which could in no way be compensated. I would also like to express my gratitude to the school of graduate, studies of Addis Ababa University for covering expenses incurred in this study. I would also like to extend my thanks to all sample schoolteachers, students, parents, directors, supervisors, MT experts and curriculum experts who voluntarily delivered open information. Finally, I would like to thanks my deer brother Dessalgn Nemera, my sister Deribe Nemera and my friend Abele Ademasu & his wife Yemisrach Yeshiwas for their help in different ways of my work. Kefeyalew Nemera June 2018 v Table of Contents Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................... i List of tables .................................................................................................................................... x List of figures ................................................................................................................................. xi Acronyms ...................................................................................................................................... xii Abstract ........................................................................................................................................ xiii Chapter One .................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Background of the study .................................................................................................. 1 1.2. Statement of the problem ................................................................................................. 4 1.3. Objectives of the study ..................................................................................................... 5 1.4. Significance of the study .................................................................................................. 6 1.5. Delimitation of the study .................................................................................................. 6 1.6. Limitations of the study.................................................................................................... 7 1.7. Operational definitions of key terms ................................................................................ 7 1.8. Organization of the study ................................................................................................. 8 Chapter Two.................................................................................................................................... 9 2. Review of Related literature ................................................................................................ 9 2.1. The concept of mother-tongue ......................................................................................... 9 2.2. Arguments in favor of using mother-tongue as languague of instruction ...................... 12 2.2.1. Pedagogical advantages....................................................................................... 13 2.2.2. Psychological advantages .................................................................................... 13 2.2.3. Political advantages ............................................................................................. 14 2.2.4. Cognitive development advantages ..................................................................... 15 2.3. Arguments against using mother-tongue as languague Of Instruction .......................... 16 vi 2.3.1. Economic Challenges .......................................................................................... 17 2.3.2. Pedagogical Challenges....................................................................................... 17 2.3.3. Sociological and political challenges .................................................................. 18 2.4. Planning and implementation of MT as a language of instruction ................................ 19 2.5. Selection of instructional language ................................................................................ 22 2.6. Challenges of using mother tongue as a medium of instruction .................................... 24 2.6.1. Material resource problem .................................................................................. 24 2.6.2. Human resource problem .................................................................................... 24 2.6.3. Communities and school involvement ................................................................ 25 2.6.4. Competing societal attitude ................................................................................. 26 2.7. Education policy in Ethiopia about medium of instruction............................................ 27 2.7.1. From Minilik reign until Italian occupation ........................................................ 27 2.7.2. During Italian occupation .................................................................................... 27 2.7.3. Emperor‟s period (1941-1974) ............................................................................ 28 2.7.4. During the Derg regime (1974/75-1991) ............................................................ 28 2.7.5. Post 1991 ............................................................................................................. 29 Chapter Three................................................................................................................................ 30 3. Research Design and Methodology ..................................................................................... 30 3.1. Research design .............................................................................................................. 30 3.2. Sources of data ............................................................................................................... 31 3.3. Samples and sampling techniques .................................................................................. 31 3.4. Data gathering tools ....................................................................................................... 33 3.4.1. Questionnaire .....................................................................................................