Mauritanian Teachers' Perspectives on Bilingual Program: Attitudes and Challenges

Abstract

This study aims to explore Mauritanian primary and secondary teachers’ attitudes toward the bilingual education program in Mauritania. It also aims to investigate the challenges faced by teachers and students in this program. Mauritanian teachers may be more likely to have negative attitudes towards the bilingual program due to the challenges they face in implementing this program. A mixed method approach was adopted using an explanatory sequential design.  A Google Form survey was distributed via WhatsApp to 103 Mauritanian primary (n=53) and secondary (n=50) teachers. Additionally, to collect more in-depth data, 6 teachers were interviewed via recorded WhatsApp calls.  The interview participants were 3 primary teachers and 3 secondary teachers. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics in Excel while qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate a negative Mauritanian teacher’ attitude toward the program’s effectiveness in improving student levels. Teacher participants suggested that students’ engagement with this program is limited, and they face difficulties adapting to the foreign language, French. Participants also reported that this program is facing many challenges. These main challenges are: inadequate teaching resources and materials, inappropriate infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, and a lack of effective teacher training specially in professional development. To overcome these challenges and make the Mauritanian bilingual program more effective, the study emphasizes the urgent need for policy-makers and educational authorities to take adequate action to address these issues.