INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR PROMOTION OF QUESTIONING SKILLS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined indigenous languages as an instrument for promotion of questioning skills in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The study assessed the level of relationship and knowledge of indigenous languages on questioning skills of academic staff of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere. The study adopted a descriptive research design of survey type. The sample size of 100 respondents which included lecturers and students was drawn from the population of 345 members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere chapter. The instrument for data collection was a self-structured questionnaire tagged “Indigenous Language as an Instrument of Promoting Questioning Skills in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria (ILIPQSTI) Questionnaire”. The three research questions raised to guide the study was answered using descriptive analysis of simple frequency count, percentage, mean and standard deviation. Two (2) research hypotheses formulated for the study was tested at 0.05 level of significance using Chi-square (χ²) statistic of independent sample. Analysis of the study revealed that there was significant relationship between indigenous languages and questioning skills in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. It was also revealed that lack of knowledge of indigenous languages does not influence the promotion of questioning skills in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The study concluded that there is an urgent need to deliberately inculcate and imbibe right indigenous values and languages as sine qua non for student-centered academic development and excellence. The study recommended that Nigerian government must match actions with words by adopting policies that would promote their use by all and sundry, including the masses and the ‘exploitative’ elites and most importantly by tertiary institutions’ lecturers as a medium of instruction, communication and in development of their questioning skills.