Academic Procrastination among Tribal Primary Learners in Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Classrooms: A Review of Issues and Challenges for Inclusive Education

Abstract

This review article explores academic procrastination of tribal primary learners in mother tongue based multilingual classrooms, focusing particularly on the problems and challenges of academic procrastination in inclusive education. This review addressed academic procrastination using a concept of procrastination-like task-delay behaviours that are influenced by linguistic, cultural, psychological and institutional factors. Task-delay behaviours in tribal primary classrooms are likely to be observed when students encounter language challenges, lack confidence, fear errors, or lack support in the classroom when reading, writing, speaking, completing homework, and participating in assessment tasks. The review is based on the context of the Mother-Tongue Based Multilingual Education Programme in Odisha which supports the use of mother tongue as the medium of instruction in the primary stage, gradual introduction of Odia and English language, teacher recruitment from within the community, culturally appropriate learning materials and assessment in the mother tongue. Such measures enhance linguistic inclusion and foster learner identities, although there are issues in multilingual classroom management, language transition, teacher preparedness, material development, and ongoing assessment. The review makes a case for academic procrastination among tribal learners to be treated as an inclusive education issue instead of a problem with the learner. It will take culturally responsive pedagogy, mother-tongue support, flexible assessment, teacher training and stronger institutional monitoring to address it. The article emphasizes the importance of more classroom-based research into the behaviours associated with procrastination in tribal multilingual primary education..