Effect of Code-Switching Teaching Strategy Between English and Kiswahili on Performance in Public Primary Schools: A Case Of Eldoret West Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

English is a special place in most countries’ educational systems since it is a language that is used for communication worldwide (Mutai,2021). Both primary and secondary schools in in Kenya use English is a teaching subject for examination. Even so, many students find it difficult to demonstrate their English proficiency, raising questions about the efficacy struggle to realize aptitude in English, which fosters concerns about the effectiveness of teaching strategies employed in classrooms, including the use of code-switching Akumu, E. O., Bwire, A. M., & Ndethiu, (Susan,2019).Establishing the impact of switching between Kiswahili and English on English proficiency on public primary schools in Eldoret West Sub-County was the aim of the study. Establishing the degree of code-switching between English and Kiswahili lessons and looking into the motivations behind it were the specific goals. The study adopted Sociolinguistic Theory by (Heller,2011). The study adopted descriptive survey design and mixed methods approach. The study was conducted among teachers and learners in primary schools in Eldoret West Sub County (S., Rono, J., Matere, A., & Situma, J.,2021). The target population was 243 teachers, 64 grade three teachers and 2176 learners (Mutai, 2024). The sample size was 135 teachers of English, 36 Grade 3 teachers and 327 Class Seven learners. Both quantitative and qualitative information were collected using questionnaires, interviews, and observation. Piloting of research instruments was conducted in the nearby Eldoret West Sub County (S., Rono, J., Matere, A., & Situma, J.,2021). Validity was ensured through expert judgment while reliability was tested using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient after piloting. A co-efficiency of 0.72 was obtained in this study indicating that the instruments were reliable. The data was analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics; frequencies and percentages, while qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis (Mutai, 2024). The findings from the first objective revealed that most teachers frequently used code-switching, with 43.5% employing it to assess comprehension and 51.1% using it for classroom management. Additionally, 50% of teachers used it for explaining grammar, highlighting its role in simplifying difficult concepts for students. From the second objective, findings revealed that 79.3% of teachers believed it increased student participation, while 81.0% noted it strengthened teacher-learner relationships. Furthermore, 75.7% felt it eased students’ anxiety, enhancing classroom engagement and performance. From the third objective, study showed that 88.6% of teachers agreed that code-switching improved learners' understanding, and 81.7% believed it enhanced vocabulary development. Additionally, 77.0% felt it helped clarify English words, suggesting positive effects on academic achievement. From the fourth objective, the study established that 65.0% of students understood English better when explanations were in Kiswahili, while 77.8% preferred difficult words explained in Kiswahili. Most learners (82.1%) stated that they struggled to discuss solely in English, indicating the necessity of code-switching in learning. The study concluded that code-switching between English and Kiswahili boosts student participation, comprehension, and performance in English lessons in public primary schools. Thus, the study emphasized the need to foster code-switching purposefully to aid learning, exclusively for students with lower English expertise, while progressively increasing acquaintance to English-only instruction (Hussein, 2020).