1.

INTRODUCTION students become more likely active which aims to improve

metacognitive skills in the process of constructing the
In the year 1953, the United Nations Educational, Scientific,
information. Metacognitive skills such as questioning,
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) disclosed to the
analyzing, inferring and evaluating that would be acquired
world the significance of using the first language (L1) as
at later ages. Hence, a study by Günes (2012) concluded that
medium of instruction (MoI) for educating the children in
language policy is essential, it is needed to be implemented
the primary years. This made a call for its use across various
because student’s need to be honed for them to become
countries (Perez & Alieto, 2019). Subsequently, countries
competent enough and to be prepared to the difficulties of
around the globe especially in Southeast Asia such as
real life.
Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam
[Perez, N.] began to embrace and recognize the value of Despite the proposed advantages of L1 in early education, a
mother tongue education despite of the existing language number of criticisms and challenges were held towards it.
diversity. Moreover, the Philippines have recently In respect of academic and economic field, English
considered the call for the use of mother tongue as MoI. In language is favored over MT (Martin as cited in Tupaz &
2012, the Philippine government introduced the use of Martin, 2016), which may be brought by the idea that
mother tongue as the instructional language in schools, indigenous languages are linguistically limited (Orwenjo as
ending a long-held policy of using only the national cited in Alieto, 2019, p. 135 ) and are not yet fully developed
languages, English and Filipino. Students have been as academic languages (Sumbalan, Caterial, Jimeno &
acquiring emerging literacy and numeracy skills in their Balane, 2017). Although local languages have slowly
mother tongue since 2012 along with the national languages gained the attention of majority, English has never been
taught as subjects in the first three grades, transitioning from swept away from its dominant stage. English continued to
Grade 4 into English and Filipino instruction (Welter & be the major language of higher education and
Dekker, 2018). socioeconomic opportunities, putting the local languages in
a place far from prestige. The resistance to the use of MT
Studies across research have provided the benefits of
has a variety of reasons and it includes the mismatch
implementing the use of L1 for children. Researchers like
between the language policy; the teacher deployment policy
(Mackenzie, 2009; Ocampo, 2006; Smits & Kruijff, 2008;
and; the fact that the major examinations such as board
Hungi & Thuku, 2010; Günes, 2012; Uzun, 2019; and
exams are in English (Trudel & Piper, 2014). Furthermore,
Alieto, 2019) have found the benefits of the use of the
language policy may also provide concerns and
Mother Tongue (MT) in the early education. Alieto (2019)
complexities in countries that are highly multilingual. The
states that the appropriateness of language to be use inside
more a country is linguistically diversed, the more difficult
the classroom is important for it can actually lead to quality
it is to implement MTB- MLE (Wa-Mbaleka, 2014).
education and this could determine the success of a child. In
Perhaps the call to use mother tongue have caused
the context of teaching and learning, if the teacher will use
stakeholders to fear that promoting local languages might
inappropriate language as a MoI, learning could not take
deepen ethnic divisions (Skuttnab-Kangas, 2001;
place and it will cause confusion among students. Right
(Gacheche, 2010) and have doubted MTB-MLE's
choice of language used in education could lead to more
effectiveness in places habituated people with diverse
convenient discussion which can engage students to
linguistic ethnic groupings. Adding to the major humps of
participate more simply because they can easily relate to it.
MTB-MLE implementation includes the teachers’ lack of
In a similar vein, Mackenzie (2009) posited that, if a child
training and the learning materials written or encoded in
has a good linguistic foundation in their L1, learning a
vernaculars were not fully developed. When MT books are
second or third language (L2) will be as easy as learning the
available, they are often of poor quality or are not treated
first one. Supporting this notion, the study of Ocampo
the same as the other textbooks. A study by (Piper,
(2006) reveals that MT helps the child master other
Zuilkowski, & Ong’ele, 2016) reported that MT texts in one
languages because of the foundation. Also, several studies
school were printed in black and white while others were
like (Smits & Kruijff,2008) and (Hungi & Thuku, 2010)
colored. Therefore, the lukewarm approach towards
have identified associations between mother tongue
resources contributed to the humps of the implementation
instruction and student outcomes, findings of these studies
of the mother tongue policy. Even if teachers and parents
suggest that instruction in children’s home language can
support MT instruction, multiple resource constraints make
positively affect achievement in early education. According
it difficult for teachers to undertake it successfully. Hence,
to Uzun (2019), the major factor for providing a healthy
stakeholder beliefs and commitment to MTB-MLE are
education for MT is a well-prepared curriculum. If the
critical to programs’ success (Trudel, 2007; Jones, 2012).
students are well - trained in the early years of education,
Despite the benefits brought by the implementation of the
language policy this does not necessarily mean full
acceptance across stakeholders (Skuttnab-Kangas, 2001)
and (Gacheche, 2010). Knowing the cognition and beliefs
of the concerned people to the success of MTB-MLE
program is very important. Therefore, studies such as
(Alieto, 2019) "Cognition as predictor of willingness to
teach in the MT and the MT as a subject among prospective
language teachers" was conducted that focuses on the
teachers as respondents, concerning their beliefs that can
affect to the implementation and success of MTB-MLE.
However, there is no research conducted with parents as
respondents towards MT as MoI in the context of
Chavacano. Hence, the researchers of this study found a
need to excavate and concentrate more on the beliefs of
parents since they are one of the important stakeholders and
take part to the education of their children. Thus, this
research aims to find out the beliefs of the parents towards
the use of Chavacano as a MoI. Furthermore, stakeholder's
belief and commitment to MTB-MLE are critical to
program's success (Trudell, 2007; Jones, 2012).
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