The influence of language policy in education on mathematics classroom discourse in malawi: The teachers’ perspective

Abstract

The study investigated the influence of language policy in education in a bilingual mathematics classroom in the first four years of primary school in selected schools in Malawi. The sample consisted of mathematics teachers from primary schools in Zomba District. Classroom observation and clinical interviews were conducted with teachers who each taught a lesson in Chichewa and also in English. The findings showed that teachers experience dilemmas and tensions in the use of either Chichewa or English in mathematics teaching partly owing to language policy in education. Implications for the teaching of mathematics in either the local or foreign language were discussed. Teachers found code switching the most rewarding use of local language or foreign language in the mathematics classroom. © 2003 by Taylor nad Francis Group, LLC.