INFLUENCE OF METHODS OF TEACHING ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN FRENCH.
A case study of Ikere local government area
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the study
French is one language that is taught in most schools in Nigeria. It is perceived to be as important as the mandatory English Language. The Nigeria nation is perceived as a country where diverse languages are spoken but belong to the English population that is surrounded by the population of French countries. For smooth and productive communication and working relationship with the border countries, the Nigerian citizens mandatorily require a good knowledge of French Language. (Olayiwola, 2015) opined that Nigeria is a country where diverse languages are spoken in a sea of francophone, and as such, the Nigerian citizens do not just need a good knowledge of French language to be able to relate and interact with the border countries but also to be able to relate with the French world as a whole.
Irrespective of the above, French language has still been given little attention in Nigeria as students see it as a difficult to learn and understand the subject. In recent times, dating back to the sixties, French language was instituted into the countries education after the extinction of Latin language. The language was highly esteemed because the users were seen as prestigious. But today, the feelings are no longer the same. In the late seventies and eighties, professionals were brought into the country to teach the language in Nigerian secondary schools. Since the early nineties, Nigerian government started losing interest in the teaching and learning of the French language.
Presently, French teachers are inadequate in the secondary schools, while some are subjected to teach some other subjects like English Language, literature in English and some other subjects because the original language they came to teach, French, is seen as irrelevant. This behaviour of the government towards teaching and learning of the language has made both the parents and the students to loss interest in the language. A good number of students and parents now see French language learning as a waste of time. In view of this, the students now pay very little or no attention to French as a subject in the schools where the language is still taught. This attitude has reduced many French graduates, made them irrelevant to the society and rendered them unemployed. This alarming challenge is now telling on the departments of French in the different schools in Cross River State and in Boki, Local Government Area of Cross River State.
Presently, few students now willingly enrol for French language as a course. School departments now rely on preliminary program in other to have some students in the departments. The few students that are now offering the language are handling the course with lack of seriousness because they see it as a course that cannot assure them a better and sound future. This attitude of Nigerians towards the study of French Language in Nigerian schools is due to the fact that most of these people are not well oriented about the need of French in our educational system as an international language. The thought has misled and confused some of the students that they no longer have interest in studying the language.
Bliss (2007) maintained that Nigeria is surrounded by French countries, and is been described as an Anglophone country in a sea of Francophones. Though, the geographical location of Nigeria as a country has made French Language mandatory in the country. Researchers have noticed that Nigerians highly need a good knowledge of French so as to have a healthy relationship with their francophone neighbours. Also, for Nigeria to enter a relationship of mutual benefit with these nations, it is paramount for her to be able to interact with the official Language-French, at least to an extent. It has been over 50 decades since French Language was introduced into our school system, yet there are still impediments to learning it.
French language is a core subject in the Nigerian school system. However, only few students are prepared to continue with it right up to at least O’ level. Infact, even those few enthusiastic students who manage despite all odds to maintain their interest and enthusiasm for French are viable to make the most elementary mistakes when required to express themselves spontaneously in French either in writing, speaking or reading at the simplest level of SSCE, NECO and GCE examinations when compared with English Language.
Statement of the problem
There has been an alarming rate of students’ failure in French language in external examinations conducted by West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) in recent times. This trend has posed a serious concern to stakeholders in education industry. Nigeria is a country blessed with abundant human and materials resources; yet, there is nothing to show for it in terms of students’ academic performance.
However, many people including authorities of Ministry of Education were pointing accusing fingers to so many factors of which methods of instruction are very much involved. There are a lot of teaching methods used by instructors but the researcher wants to find out which of them will be found worthy. It is against this backdrop that this study is picked.
Objective of the study
The major objective of this study is to investigate the Influence of methods of teaching on Students’ performance in French in IKERE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EKITI STATE
The specific objective is
- To determine if the use of different methods of teaching influence students performance in French
- Find out the ways teachers can improve on their use of different methods of teaching French
- To determine the level in which the use of different methods of teaching and learning of French affect male and female students?
- Find out the attitude of students towards learning of French language
Research question
The following research questions were raised to guide the study
- To what extents of the use of different methods teaching have effect on students performance
- What are the ways teachers can improve on their use of different methods of teaching French ?
- To what level does the use of different methods of teaching and learning of French affect male and female students?
- What are the attitude of students towards the learning of French Language?
Research Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were formulated for this study.
Ho1: There is no significant relationship between teachers teaching method and students performance in French language
Ho2: There is no significant relationship between student’s attitude and student’s performance in French language.
Significance of the study
The findings of this study will be of benefit to the Students, Teachers, Teacher Educators, Pedagogic Inspectors, School Administrators, Authors and Publishers of French Textbooks, Ministry of Education, Examination Board Authorities, Curriculum Planners and Future Researchers. The students will benefit from this study because the findings of the study will be
exposed to teaching and learning methods that would enhance students’ achievement in French . The use of this method will create in students’ team learning spirit and it will also increase their interest in learning French . To French teachers, the findings of this study if disseminated through teachers’ workshop
will likely make them to improve and use appropriate teaching methods and strategies for the teaching and learning of French reading comprehension irrespective students’ gender and school location for improved academic achievement.
Based on the findings of this study, the teacher educators who train future teachers in Colleges of Education and Faculties of Education in Universities will encourage the student teachers to acquaint themselves with the characteristics of the method and its use in their regular classroom practices for teaching and learning in order to improve on students’ achievement in French.
The pedagogic inspectors will benefit from this study. This is because the findings will make these inspectors aware of a new teaching methods and this will motivate them to ensure adequate use of these methods in the teaching and learning process through routine inspections and follow-ups for its implementation in classroom for improved students’ achievement.
The school administrators which include principals of schools will benefit from the findings of this study which will provide information on the both methods under study. The school administrators will propose how the school timetables could accommodate this method and they will also encourage teachers to use this method during French lessons for a better achievement of the learning goals.
To the curriculum planners, the findings of this study will encourage them to produce better curriculum materials for French reading comprehension by accommodating the cooperative and communicative methods fully in the National Curriculum. For instance, if the findings are published, it will create awareness in the current existing situation in teaching and learning French reading comprehension in schools.
Finally, future researchers will as well benefit from this study because it will serve as an empirical study to them.
Scope of the Study
The focus of this study is on the influence of methods of teaching on Students’ performance in French, five selected secondary schools will be used for the study.
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