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‘We think in isiXhosa first’: Medium of instruction preferences in Rural Eastern Cape mathematics classrooms

Artigo2025

Michael Allie Makupe; Masilo France Machaba

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Resumo

This study investigates the medium of instruction preferences in mathematics classroom discourses among rural secondary school learners in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, where isiXhosa is widely spoken as a home language and English is the official medium of instruction. Anchored in Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, the research explores how language influences learners’ engagement, comprehension, and achievement in mathematics, particularly within under-resourced rural contexts. Using a qualitative case study design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 Grades 10–12 learners from three high schools. Thematic analysis revealed that learners overwhelmingly prefer a bilingual approach that integrates both isiXhosa and English. While English is valued for assessments and future academic opportunities, learners reported enhanced understanding, participation, and confidence when instruction included their home language. Challenges identified include limited English proficiency, reduced classroom participation, and increased cognitive load when mathematics is taught solely in English. The study highlighted a critical tension between policy and practice in South Africa’s rural mathematics classrooms. While English serves as the official medium of instruction, learners’ voices point towards the necessity of isiXhosa for achieving real understanding, equity, and participation in mathematics education. It recommends the adoption of bilingual pedagogical strategies, development of isiXhosa-English mathematics support materials, and further research into long-term academic outcomes of dual-medium instruction. This research contributes to the discourse on language policy in education and offers practical insights for fostering equitable and linguistically inclusive mathematics teaching in rural South African schools.

Dados da obra

Tipo
Artigo
Periódico
International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies, v. 6, n. 4, p. 226-249
Editora
Institute of Industry and Academic Research Incorporated
Ano
2025 (2025-12)
Idioma
en
Palavras-chave
bilingual teaching; code-switching; isixhosa; language policy; medium of instruction; translanguaging
Temas
Avaliação
DOI
10.53378/ijemds.353295
ISSN
2719-0633, 2719-0641
Acesso
Acesso aberto
Fontes
DOAJ — Directory of Open Access Journals
Na Biblioteca desde
01/10/2026 · verificada em 03/10/2026

Como citar

ABNT
MAKUPE, Michael Allie; MACHABA, Masilo France. ‘We think in isiXhosa first’: Medium of instruction preferences in Rural Eastern Cape mathematics classrooms. International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies, v. 6, n. 4, p. 226-249, 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.53378/ijemds.353295.

APA

Makupe, M. A., & Machaba, M. F. (2025). ‘We think in isiXhosa first’: Medium of instruction preferences in Rural Eastern Cape mathematics classrooms. International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies, 6(4), 226-249. https://doi.org/10.53378/ijemds.353295

BibTeX
@article{makupe2025,
  author = {Makupe, Michael Allie and Machaba, Masilo France},
  title = {‘We think in isiXhosa first’: Medium of instruction preferences in Rural Eastern Cape mathematics classrooms},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies},
  volume = {6},
  number = {4},
  pages = {226-249},
  publisher = {Institute of Industry and Academic Research Incorporated},
  doi = {10.53378/ijemds.353295},
  language = {en}
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
AU  - Makupe, Michael Allie
AU  - Machaba, Masilo France
TI  - ‘We think in isiXhosa first’: Medium of instruction preferences in Rural Eastern Cape mathematics classrooms
PY  - 2025
JO  - International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies
VL  - 6
IS  - 4
SP  - 226
EP  - 249
DO  - 10.53378/ijemds.353295
LA  - en
ER  -

Referência gerada automaticamente a partir dos metadados das fontes; confira com o documento original. Baixar BibTeX · Baixar RIS

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