Early childhood education teachers' understanding and enhancement of cognitive justice in indigenous languages.

Abstract

This study explored how early childhood education teachers’ understanding and enhancement of cognitive justice in indigenous languages could be effectively utilised to promote the language of the immediate environment during teaching and learning processes. This qualitative research study was guided by the action research design that consisted of a self-reflective enquiry involving the dissection of participants’ actions within a critical emancipatory paradigm. The study also adopted two data generation methods; namely, collages and focus group discussions to respond to the main research question and three secondary questions which guided this study. Additionally, I employed the asset-based approach as a theoretical framework that focused on the innate capabilities an individual, and the exploitation of existing strengths, potentials and assets within the community which could possibly contribute to the wellness and sustainability of a school-community. Hence, previously ‘unidentified’ resources were appropriately utilised to promote effective teaching and learning within the school system. Ten participants consisting of male and female teachers, who were considered as primary assets within the community, were purposively and conveniently selected because of their familiarity with the research’s objectives. Since purposive sampling was used to select participants to generate data, the research instruments of focus group discussions and collage construction were suitable and thus employed. Ethical considerations were also observed to adhere to research principles that minimise harm to participants, in addition to validating and authenticating research results. To analyse the collected data, it was firstly organised thoroughly, categorised, transcribed, and then subjected to an open coding process such that emerging themes were also subjected to thematic analysis. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was used for data analysis strategy which studies social injustice, oppression, hegemony, conflict, and marginalisation. Findings of the study pointed to the current situation not being conducive because of marginalisation, inequalities, and oppression of indigenous languages during teaching and learning in early childhood education spaces which implied the gradual extinction of indigenous languages as a result of the linguistic hegemony of the English language. Based on the findings and conclusions, teachers as primary assets and stakeholders within the community should be encouraged to effectively utilise their inherent potentials towards ensuring equal treatment and justice between a foreign language and an indigenous language that would empower and transform learners. In the same vein, there is the need to promote interactive programmes in the indigenous language for some of the subjects in the classroom to improve the academic performance of learners. Furthermore, for teachers to be more innovative in the delivery of lessons, the new mode of delivering the curriculum through EKO EXCEL should accommodate the use of indigenous language during teaching and learning in the classroom for all the subjects to ensure that no learner is left behind. The study could also benefit all relevant stakeholders such as Local Government agencies where more than one school could be studied by engaging a larger number of participants for more conclusive results.