The Implementation of Mother Tongue Instruction in a Grade 6 Natural Science Class

This book describes the difficulties faced by educators who teach Natural Science in Grade 6 using isiXhosa mother tongue instruction. The author has investigated how educators dealt with Natural Science terminology when teaching. The sample consisted of 10 schools in Gugulethu township, Cape Town. The author used a focus group interview of 10 educators from 10 schools in Gugulethu. The author unpacked the issues of teaching Natural Science using mother tongue instruction, as it was the policy of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). The author compared educational policy in other neighboring countries such as Swaziland and Mozambique, to South Africa and Norway. Therefore, recommendations pose a number of challenges to those committed in the implementation of mother tongue instruction in the Western Cape schools.