Abstract:
Language policy emphasizes on mother tongue/first language-based education system with adequate teachers and learning resource materials. The policy of language in Kenya emphasizes on the importance of first language; teachers overlook everyday reality of its usage, and tend to be irrelevant to their needs. The objective was to establish the influence of teacher preparation mother tongue/first language usage as a medium of instruction in rural ECDE centres in Nandi County, Kenya. The study adopted the Interdependence Theory. A descriptive survey research design was used. Target population was 4 Quality Assurance and Standards Officer (QASO), 200 head teachers and 400 teachers from 200 ECDE centres in the county. The sample size was 241 respondents, these were; 4 QASOs, 79 head teachers and 158 pre-school teachers. The study used purposive sampling technique to select seventy nine head teachers and four Sub County QASOs. The study used simple random sampling technique to select 158 teachers from the sampled schools. The instruments for data collection were interviews and questionnaires. Questionnaires were administered to the pre-school teachers, while Sub County Quality assurance officers and head teachers were interviewed. The instruments were piloted in Kericho County that had similar characteristics as the study area. The reliability of research instrument was tested using Cronbanch’s Alpha coefficient. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings indicated that teacher preparedness, teacher attitude, instructional materials and medium of instruction accounted for 55.7% of classroom instruction. Classroom instruction was influenced by teacher’s preparedness. Good teacher preparation enabled them to implement the language policy effectively. The teachers lacked teaching and learning materials on vernacular languages. The study recommended that the government should support in-service training for pre-school teachers on the use of mother tongue/first language as a language of instruction; provide funds for the development and acquisition of L1 resources for teaching that ensures schools comply with the language policy
