Abstract

This article investigated students’ learning competencies in mother’s tongue as compared to English as media of instruction in the subject of science at low level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It also found gender-based differences in students’ performance in science in mother’s tongue at low level. The study followed documents analysis method design. The sample of the study was 200 government primary schools (100 male+100 female) conveniently selected from two densely populated districts (Mardan and Swabi) of the province. Primary data regarding class-3 and 4 students’ scores in mother’s tongue and English as media of instruction in the subject of science were collected from schools’ record (School Annual Exam, Gazette: Sessions, 2016-2019) respectively. The collected data were analyzed by applying t-test. The results of the study concluded that students significantly showed better learning competencies in terms of well performance in mother’s tongue as compared to English as media of instruction in the subject of science. The study further found that there was no gender-based difference in students’ learning competencies in mother’s tongue as medium of instruction at primary level. Therefore, it was recommended that keeping in views students’ learning competencies in mother’s tongue government should make sure the implementation of NEP-2017 at primary level to ensure the provision of quality at the initial stages of child’s education.