Influence of Lwisukha as L1 on pupils’ ability to meet curriculum expectations in Kiswahili among primary school in Kakamega East Sub-County

Abstract

Kenya’s multilingual education context recognizes the use of indigenous languages in lower primary education, but learners transitioning from their first language (L1) to Kiswahili may experience difficulties in acquiring the language. In Kakamega East Sub-County, Lwisukha is widely spoken as an L1, creating a need to examine its influence on learners’ attainment of Kiswahili curriculum expectations. The study examined how Lwisukha as L1 influences pupils’ ability to meet curriculum expectations in Kiswahili in public day primary schools in Kakamega East Sub-County. The study was guided by Cummins’ Interdependence Theory. The study adopted a convergent mixed-methods design involving 9 public day primary schools, 9 headteachers, 9 Kiswahili teachers, and 90 learners selected through purposive sampling and stratified sampling. Data were collected using questionnaires, semi structured interviews, and observation checklist and analyzed using frequencies and percentages for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data. Findings showed that 62.5% of teachers reported that Lwisukha interfered with pupils’ ability to meet Kiswahili curriculum expectations, with pronunciation (37.5%) and reading comprehension (25.0%) being the most affected areas, followed by vocabulary, sentence structure and writing (12.5% each). Further, 75.0% of teachers reported difficulties in pupils’ comprehension of simple Kiswahili texts, while 57.5% of pupils found learning Kiswahili difficult or very difficult. The study concluded that Lwisukha as L1 negatively influences pupils’ attainment of Kiswahili curriculum expectations, particularly in pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, reading and writing. The study recommends targeted teacher training on L1 interference, remedial Kiswahili instruction, increased exposure to Kiswahili at school and home, and provision of appropriate Kiswahili learning materials.