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Parents and Teacher Contribution Towards the Study of English Language in Primary School in Nigeria
According to a Malayan proverb, "Melentur bulah semasa masih rebung". In English, it means "To bend the bamboo start with the shoot". Young children learn best in an environment which provides them with an interactive role in the learning process. And this should start in the early years of a child. For this are the critical years when he starts to gain enough knowledge he will need as he grows.
Teachers, therefore have an important role in the learning process of these individuals. However, the traditional approach which is dominant in Nigeria, does not assist the teachers in constructing a learning environment appropriate to the needs and learning styles of young children. New strategies and developments in some areas therefore, are needed to address the certain issue.
Aside from the teachers role in honing the learning capabilities of children, their parents are also playing vital roles. The parents are considered as the first teacher, who taught their children about their primary knowledge. On the other hand, the teachers are considered as the second parents who look for their students and supplement additional knowledge that will be needed in the future.
In childhood education parents play significant role especially in developing the reading skills of their children. In this stage, parents give education to their children that contains holistic and stresses the physical, cognitive, social and emotional education (Pedersen, & Willians, 2004). Basically, early childhood educators can be the parents, caregivers and teachers, and in which the parents play a significant role in the process of early childhood education (Pedersen, & Willians, 2004). Actually, the child’s development contains various developmental domains such as physical development, perception and sensory development, communication and language development, cognitive development, emotional development and social development (Wenglinsky, 2000).
As part of educating children, secondary language learning and acquisition is one of the most important subjects to be learned by children. Particularly, English because it is considered as the global language. With this, this study will focus on analyzing the contribution and role of parents and teachers in the study of English Language in primary schools in Nigeria.
The following questions will serve as the guideline for the author during the investigation process:
- How do parents and teachers interact with each other regarding the learning process and performance of individual students?
- How does parents and teachers contribute to the English language study of students from Nigerian primary school?
- What is the current status of English learning process in Primary School in Nigeria?
Aims and Objectives
The aim of this research is to determine the role of parents and teachers in educating their children especially in teaching the English language. Although one of the ways this research will be run is through subjective interpretation, objectives are also needed as it will also utilize quantitative researched. The following objectives will be addressed in the study:
Ø Identify the significant role of parents and teachers teaching the English language to the children.
Ø Identify the educational needs of the children in their early education.
Ø Identify the significant impact of parents as teachers in teaching the English language of their children.
Ø Identify the current instructions used in by parents and teachers in helping their children learn the English language.
This study will be a significant endeavor in promoting educational concerns such as the role of parents in developing the reading capabilities of their children. This study will be beneficial to not only to parents and children but also to the teachers. By understanding the needs of the students and the benefits of quality education especially in learning English, these practitioners will be assured of a larger progress performance. Moreover, this research will provide recommendations on how to value students as they are taking a large part in the overall performance of the school quality education.
This project will apply both qualitative and quantitative approach in order to support the data to be gathered via two types of data gathering method. This will help in order to study and analyze the topic in in-depth manner.
In essence, Guilford & Fruchter (1973) argued that in choosing sample sizes, the Slovin’s formula should be considered especially in the cases were the total population was impossible to gather. Therefore, in selecting the sample size, the Slovin’s formula was used. The Slovin’s formula is given as:
Data Gathering Method
Survey questionnaire and interview will be implemented. Survey questionnaire will be disseminated through the respondents via mail and personal. 10% of each sampling group will be invited for interview.
Guilford, J.P. & Fruchter, B. Fundamental Statistics in Psychology and Education, 5th Edition (1973). New York: Mc Graw-Hill
Pedersen, S. & Willians, D. (2004). A Comparison of Assessment Practices and Their Effects on Learning and Motivation in a Student-Centered Learning Environment. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 13(3), 1.
Wenglinsky, H. (2000). Teachers Who Learn, Kids Who Achieve: A Look at Schools With Model Professional Development. San Francisco, California: WestEd.