Views and Opinions of Stakeholders in the Implementation of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education: A Phenomenological Study

This study aimed to describe the views and opinions of stakeholders towards the implementation of mother tongue-based multilingual education as a medium of instruction. It looked into the experiences and challenges that took place while also emphasizing the meaning that stakeholders attached to their experiences. Further, this study utilized a qualitative design, employing a phenomenological approach to gain access to the value of individual experiences. The data came from the narrative accounts from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. There were 8 participants for in-depth interviews and eight for a focus group discussion for triangulation purposes. The participants’ accounts were carefully transcribed, then translated and analyzed with the help of an expert. Findings revealed that learners’ responses to mother tongue-based education can be both negative and positive. To cope with the unfavorable experiences which are most significantly brought about by the difficulty in understanding the mother tongue used in the classroom, the teachers engage in lack sessions, peer-mentoring, research, study and seminars. They also use strategies such as presenting pictures and other interactive activities. The stakeholders’ insights into mother-based education revealed that they find such type of education to be practical and helpful, but they highly recommend that to make their teaching more effective, Davao City should have its orthography to be used in mother tongue-based instruction.