Mathematics In Hausa For SS2

Mathematics is better understood by Hausa students when taught in Hausa language

It has been an established academic research findings that lessons taught in mothers’ tongue are better understood by the pupils and students. This is simply because learning in a native language is just facing a single task. That is, understanding the concepts of the topics. On the other hand, learning in a borrowed or imposed language involves double tasks; Which means understanding the medium of communication (English language in the case of Nigeria and other Anglophone countries) in addition to the concepts of the topics.

Unfortunately, most students are not privileged with fluency in English language which is the official medium of instructions in our schools. Therefore students are mostly left with little or no understanding of the lessons taught in the classes. That is what causes the massive failure in most of the subjects in which Mathematics is leading in that regard.

The books ‘Mathematics A Harshen Hausa’ for senior secondary school are written in a plain Hausa language to promote the teaching and learning of Mathematics among the native and non-native Hausa readers and speakers at the senior secondary level and beyond. The books are meant to break language barrier that inhibit most students from achieving their desired academic objectives.

The books extensively covered the foundational topics of SS 1 and SS 2. The topics that are difficult to understand. They are explained in such a way that an average student can teach himself or herself with little or no push from the teachers.

Although the SS 3 book is in the pipeline, but the SS 3 students can use the two books available to do revision and prepare for SSCE, NECO and by extension JAMB examinations.

The topics are properly introduced at the beginning to give picture of the concept and sequentially summarized at the end to consolidate what has been learnt. Furthermore, relevant illustrative diagrams and structures are well outlined to facilitate the learning process.

There are also a lot of examples with common activities in hausa cultures and communities to make the students easily comprehend the questions and their solutions.

Each chapter of the books contains extensive exercise questions and their answers to enable the students test their understandings.

With regard to the status of the books, the Kano and Katsina states ministries of education through their relevant centers such as Kano Educational Resource Development (KERD), Katsina Education Resource Center (KTERC) and Mathematics Improvement Project (MIP) have reviewed, approved and recommended the books for teaching and learning in their public and private schools. The respective reports of the centers are fixed at the preliminary pages of the books. Moreover, Sokoto and Zamfara states have equally communicated to the writer that the books have been approved and recommended for students and teachers after thorough professional reviews; although official letters are yet to be issued by the two later states.

In addition to this, the SS 1 book of ‘Mathematics A Harshen Hausa’ has won the 2022 contest of Hausa language category of Mathematics books written in the three major indigenous languages of Nigeria, that is Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, organized by ‘Hadiza Ibrahim Annual School Festival (HIASFEST 2022)’ that held in Niger state in January this year. The entries of the competition were screened and judged by university academicians.

The books were professionally reviewed and edited by Kaduna state chairman of Mathematical Association of Nigeria (MAN), Associate Professor Muhammad Kabir Dauda of Department of Mathematical sciences and Mallam Jibril Yusuf of Department of Nigerian Languages and Linguistics both of Kaduna State University. Professor Ibrahim Malumfashi also played an intensive fatherly role in the process.