Classroom Code-Mixing Practices Among Mathematics Teachers in Bilingual Schools in Taraba State

Code-mixing by teachers in content subject classrooms is a common but systematically variable practice in Nigerian schools, with implications for content learning, language development, and classroom equity that are debated in the bilingual education literature. This study examines classroom code-mixing practices among Mathematics teachers in bilingual secondary schools in Taraba State, focusing on the triggers, directions, and perceived pedagogical rationales of mixing between English and local languages. Classroom observation data were collected across twenty Mathematics lessons in five secondary schools in Jalingo and Wukari, using a structured observation protocol that recorded each code-mix instance, the language combination involved, the pedagogical context, and the apparent functional purpose. Post-observation interviews were conducted with the ten observed teachers. Results show that English-to-Chamba or English-to-Fulfulde mixing constitutes the dominant mixing direction, occurring predominantly during concept explanation and student confusion management phases of lessons. Teachers report using code-mixing as a comprehension scaffolding strategy, particularly for abstract algebraic concepts, and describe it as a pragmatic response to students' limited English academic vocabulary. However, mixed-into language varies unsystematically across teachers and lessons, reflecting individual teacher repertoire rather than school language policy. The study advocates for a structured translanguaging policy in Mathematics instruction in Taraba State bilingual schools, providing principled guidelines for pedagogically motivated code-mixing. Keywords: code-mixing, Mathematics instruction, bilingual schools, Taraba State, translanguaging.