CHAPTER
ONE
1.1 Introduction
The teaching
and learning of English Language is very important in our society today. This
is because of the various roles it plays in the geo-political structure of the
country. In Nigeria,
English Language is used for communication, education, economic and social
purposes. In the school system, English Language is not only taught as a
subject but it is also the core subject by which over school subject is being
taught.
Despite the
above, less attention is given to the grammatical aspect of English in the
primary school. Today, the nature of teaching and learning of English
grammatical structure in the primary school has become area of great interest
to teachers, researchers, and policy makers because through it the acquisition
of the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) is
greatly enhanced.
In view of
the above, grammatical structure which entails English tenses, parts of speech,
punctuation, concord, clauses and phrases, is of immense importance to the
teaching, learning and mastery of English language among primary school pupils.
Therefore it must not only be taught to the pupils, but it should be taken
seriously at the primary school level since primary education is a better
foundation on which the future depends.
Looking
however at what is applicable in some selected primary schools in Kaduna North
Local Government Area of Kaduna State, the general practice by both teachers
and pupils towards the teaching and learning of English grammatical structure
is not encouraging. Emphasis has shifted from learning the grammar of the
language to teaching of writing and reading comprehension, the use of past
common entrance examination question papers, teaching of spellings, dictation
etc instead of adequate instruction/explanation on the aspects of English
grammatical structures which is much needed by the pupils.
Lack of
trained/qualified teachers, inadequate materials (textbooks and teaching aids),
poor classroom facilities, ambiguity of some English syllabi, inadequate
evaluation of teacher’s work by the supervisory authority, the teacher’s
inability to properly evaluate pupils’ work on grammar, are all contributory
factors to pupils’ poor performance in not only grammatical structure but other
aspects of English language at large.
Therefore the
teaching and learning of English language in the primary school should be to
ensure that pupils have good knowledge and mastery of the grammatical
structures and the ability to use these effectively for a better improvement in
English language. This is what has actually prompted the need for this
research.
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
The problem
to be investigated in “An evaluative study of the teaching and learning of
English grammatical structures in some primary schools.”
The research
work is aimed at identifying the causes of pupils’ poor performance in using
English structural items correctly. As a result of this, and other problems,
this research will specifically investigate the following:
i)
How pupils in the primary schools are
motivated to learn and use English grammatical structures.
ii)
The methods and techniques employed
by teachers in the teaching of English structural items in the primary school
and the effectiveness of these methods and techniques.
iii)
The types of materials
(textbooks/teaching aids) used by the teachers and how relevant these materials
are to the teaching and learning of English grammatical structures.
iv)
The types of teachers employed to
teach English language in the primary school.
v)
The areas of difficulty faced by
teachers and pupils in the teaching and learning of English grammatical
structures in the primary schools.
vi)
Suggest how best to improve the
teaching and learning of English grammatical structures in the primary school.
1.3 Objectives
of the Study
The objectives of this research are:
1.
Find out how English grammatical structures
are being taught in the primary school.
2.
Address the various challenges faced
by teachers and learners of English especially in the aspects of grammatical
structures.
3.
Make educational planners, language
policy makers, curriculum developers and educational administrators to be aware
of what is happening in the field (class room).
4.
Identify problem areas in the
teaching and learning English grammatical structures in the primary schools and
to proffer solutions to such identified problems.
5.
Assess and evaluate the quality of
teachers teaching English and the materials used in the teaching of English
grammatical structures whether the materials are adequate, relevant or not.
6.
Finally this research work will
suggest and recommend some measures for improving the standard of English
language teaching and learning with special focus on grammatical structures at
the primary school level.
1.4 Hypothesis
There has
been great and serious concern from parents, teachers and educational bodies
about the declining standard of pupils’ performance in English language. It is
because of this that the researcher sets out to test the following hypotheses:
i)
That pupils in the primary school
show non challant attitude to the learning of English grammatical structures
due to its rules and technicalities.
ii)
That some of the teachers teaching
English are not qualified to teach English.
iii)
That some teachers use methods that
are inappropriate and inadequate for pupils comprehension in the teaching of
English grammatical structures.
iv)
That there is general neglect by both
teachers and pupils on the aspect of grammatical structures.
v)
That some English textbooks are
inadequate, outdated and inappropriate for pupils’ learning background.
1.5 Scope
and Delimitation of the Study
Due to the
large size of the study area and the number of primary schools availably, the
researcher finds it uneasy to cover the whole primary schools in the local
government area. Few schools are therefore randomly selected for the purpose of
this study, namely:
i)
L.G.E.A Primary School, U/Sarki
ii)
L.G.E.A Primary School, U/Rimi
iii)
L.G.E.A Primary School, Kaduna
iv)
L.G.E.A Primary School, Kawo
v)
L.E.A Primary School, U/Shanu.
vi)
L.G.E.A Primary School, M/Gari.
This research
is also going to centre on the teaching and learning of English grammatical
structures in the above primary schools only.