The design and effects of a catch-up reading intervention for grade 5 teachers and learners in Namibia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to carry out a reading comprehension intervention to empower teachers with knowledge and strategies for teaching reading, with the ultimate goal of improving the low reading comprehension of Upper Primary learners in Grade 5. The intervention was carried out for about four months, in which teachers were provided with teaching and learning resources, guidance on how to utilise the resources, and coaching on instructional practices. The intervention involved two control and two intervention schools. A modest interventionist approach was applied in which the six quality criteria for formative assessment as proposed by Nieveen (2007) were adopted to guide the study. The study was carried out in three phases. Phase 1 was concerned with the context and problem identification in which the relevance of the study, the first quality criterion, was addressed. A baseline study was conducted and the results showed that learners had low decoding and reading comprehension skills. The baseline study also revealed that teachers and principals had limited knowledge about reading and comprehension and how to teach them, and the schools were poorly resourced. Considering the low reading levels and academic performance of the learners, there was a need to improve the learners’ reading comprehension levels through teacher empowerment to enhance their literacy practices and change their attitudes. The study was underpinned by two theories of change, namely Guskey’s (1986, 2002) theory of teacher change and Fishbein’s (2000) Integrative Model of Behaviour Prediction. Phase 2 was concerned about the design, development and implementation of the intervention in which four quality criteria were addressed: the consistency, expected practicality, actual practicality, and the expected effectiveness of the intervention. Phase 3 addressed the actual effectiveness of the intervention, and the analysis of the pre- and post-intervention scores showed that the intervention schools improved significantly more than the control schools in decoding tests. The results also showed that the grade-appropriate age groups (10 and 11-yearolds) performed significantly higher than the older learners, and that girls had a slightly better performance than boys in all the assessments. The findings suggest that quality teaching and learning can happen if teachers receive ongoing support to enhance their instructional practices.

Injongo yolu phando ibe ikukuqhuba umsebenzi wokungenelela kufundo ngokuqiqa kwanokuqonda intsingiselo equlethwe kumagama abhaliweyo, ukuze kuxhotyise ootitshala ngezakhono nangeendlela emabafundise ngazo abafundi, khon’ukuze bakwazi ukufunda nokuqonda okubhaliweyo. Eyona nto lujonge kuyo olu phando, kukukhuphula izinga lesakhono sokufundwa kwamagama abhaliweyo ngabafundi bebanga lesi-5, ukuze bafunde ngomoya wengqiqo nokuqonda intsingiselo yoko bakufundayo. Olu phando lulungenelelo olwaaqhutywa isithuba esingangeenyanga ezine, apho ootitshala baanikwa izixhobo zokufundisa, kunye nemigaqo yokusetyenziswa kwazo, baza baqeqeshelwa ukumilisela imiyalelo yokwenza oko bakufundisiweyo. Olu phando lubandakanya amaqela amabini ezikolo. Elokuqala, lelezikolo ezimbini apho abafundi bebandakanywe kuphando njengokuba benjalo. Oko kuthetha ukuthi, aba bafundi abanalo ifuthe longenelelo esingalo esi sifundo. Elesibini, lelezikolo ezimbini ekwenziwe kuzo ungenelelo. Xa kwakuqhutywa olu phando, kwaasetyenziswa uhlobo longenelelo oluzothileyo (i-modest intervention approach). Kulapho kwaaphakanyiswa khona ukuba kusetyenziswe imigaqo emithandathu ekumgangatho ophezulu, apho kuqhutywa uvavanyo olusekwe phezu kweentlobo-ntlobo zeemvavanyo, ngokwengcebiso kaNieveen (2007). Olu phando lwaaqhutywa kwizigaba ezintathu. Kwisigaba soku-1, lwalujongene nokubona ingxaki kunye neemeko eyenzeka phantsi kwazo, Kulapho olu ngenelelo lufuneka khona, nalapho umgangatho ophezulu nowokuqala waathi waphicothwa ngokubanzi. Isiseko sophando saaqhutywa, zaza iziphumo zaso zabonisa okokuba izinga lesakhono sokufunda kwabafundi liphantsi ngokubhekiselele kufundo lwamagama abhaliweyo, kuba bengenaso isakhono sokuhlalutya ngokupheleleyo instingiselo yamagama abhaliweyo, nesakhono sokufunda amagama ngomoya wengqiqo. Isiseko sophando sikwadize okokuba iititshala neenqununu azinalwazi luphangaleleyo malunga nendlela ekufundwa nekuhlalutywa ngayo amagama izivakalisi kunye neentetho ezibhaliweyo. Kananjalo, isiseko sophando sikwadize okokuba iititshala neenqununu azinazo izakhono zokufundisa abafundi ukufunda nokuhlalutya okubhaliweyo ngengqiqo, kwaye izikolo ziswele izixhobo zokukhuphula izinga lokufunda okubhaliweyo ngabafundi. Ngelokuthathela ingqalelo amazinga aphantsi ngokubhekiselele kwizakhono zabafundi ekufundeni amagama abhaliweyo, nakwimpumelelo yabafundi kwizifundo zabo ngokubanzi, kwaabakho imfuneko yokokuba kuphuculwe amazinga ekufundwa ngawo ngabafundi xa befunda okubhaliweyo. Ngokolu phando, konke oku kuyakwenzeka ngokuthi kuxhotyiswe ootitshala ngezakhono zokuphucula indlela abaqhuba ngayo xa befundisa abafundi ukubhala nokufunda okubhaliweyo, ukuze kananjalo batshintshe indlela ababona ngayo. Olu phando luxhaswe ngemibono emalunga notshintsho, nekuyimibono yeengcali ezimbini, u-Guskey’s (1986, 2002) ngombono wakhe osihloko sawo sithi “Utshintsho kwititshala” ‘Teacher change’ kunye no-Fishbein’s (2000) ngombono wakhe omalunga nokuphicotha ngokubanzi indlela zokutshintsha okanye ekunokwakhiwa ngazo izimilo okanye indlela ezithile zokuziphatha (NgesiNgesi yi-“Integrative Model of Behaviour Prediction). Isigaba sesi-2 sasijongene noku kulandelayo: izicwangciso zokungenelela kwingxuba kaxaka ethe yaphawulwa kolu phando, ukusebenzisa olu phando njengelinge lokungenelela ekukhuphuleni izinga lokufunda okubhaliweyo, nasekumiliseleni olu ngenelelo kwinkqubo zokufundisa okubhaliweyo. Kwesi sigaba kuyakuphicothwa ngokwemigqaliselo emine ekudidi oluphezulu ekuyile ilandelayo: Ungenelelo lwenziwa rhoqo okanye ngamaxesha athile; kulindeleke ukuba lwenzeke kangakanani olu ngenelelo? Kanti lona eneneni lwenzeke kangakanani? Utshintsho olulindelekileyo ngenxa yolu phando olungenelele kwingxaki ekhoyo yezinga eliphantsi lokufundwa kwamagama okanye okubhaliweyo ngokubanzi. Kwisigaba sesi-3, kuphicothwe kwabekwa elubala eyona nto iye yenzeka okanye umahluko oye wabonakala ngenxa yolu ngenelelo xa abafundi befunda amagama abhaliweyo. Ukuze kubonakale oku, kuphicothwe amanqaku athathwe phambi kokuba kungenelelwe nasemva kokuba kungenelelwe. Laa manqaku aye abonakalisa okokuba kwizikolo ebekwenziwe kuzo uphando longenelelo, inqanaba lokufunda amagama abhaliweyo ngomoya wokutolika ngengqiqo, likhuphuke ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo, laba ke ngoko libhulele amasaka ezo zikolo bezingakhange zichatshazelwe lungenelelo. Iziphumo zolu phando zikwabonakalisa okokuba amaqela abafundi (abaminyaka ili-10 ne-11 leminyaka ubudala) ngokwamabanga abakuwo esikolweni ngokufanelekileyo, bababhulele amasaka abafundi abadala kunabo ngeminyaka xa kuthelekiswa amanqaku angokufunda ngengqiqo. Ngaphezu koko, amanqaku amantombazana abe bukhuphuka xa kuthelekiswa nawamakhwenkwe kuyo yonke imisebenzi yokuvavanywa kwabo. Iziphumo zophando zibonakalisa okokuba ukufundisa nokufunda okusemgangathweni kungenzeka xa iititshala zisoloko zifumana inkxaso engagungqiyo ukuze zikwazi ukukhuphula nokuphucula imisebenzi yabo yemihla ngemihla, yokufundisa abafundi.

Die doel van hierdie studie was om 'n leesbegripsintervensie uit te voer om onderwysers te bemagtig met kennis en strategieë vir leesonderrig, met die uiteindelike doel om die lae leesbegrip van Hoër Primêre leerders in graad 5 te verbeter. Die intervensie is vir ongeveer vier gedoen maande, waarin onderwysers onderrig- en leerhulpbronne, leiding oor hoe om die hulpbronne te benut, en afrigting oor onderrigpraktyke voorsien is. Die intervensie het twee beheer- en twee intervensieskole behels. 'N Beskeie intervensionistiese benadering is toegepas waarin die ses kwaliteitskriteria vir formatiewe assessering, soos voorgestel deur Nieveen (2007), gebruik word om die studie te lei. Die studie is in drie fases uitgevoer. Fase 1 het gehandel oor die konteks en probleemidentifisering waarin die relevansie van die studie, die eerste kwaliteitskriterium, aangespreek is. 'N Basisstudie is uitgevoer en die resultate het getoon dat leerders oor lae vaardighede beskik oor dekodering en leesbegrip. Die basisstudie het ook aan die lig gebring dat onderwysers en skoolhoofde beperkte kennis gehad het oor lees en begrip en hoe om dit te onderrig, en dat die skole nie genoeg hulpbronne gehad het nie. Met inagneming van die lae leesvlakke en akademiese prestasie van die leerders, was dit nodig om die leerders se leesbegripsvlakke te verbeter deur bemagtiging van onderwysers om hul geletterdheidspraktyke te verbeter en hul houding te verander. Die studie is ondersteun deur twee teorieë oor verandering, naamlik Guskey (1986, 2002) se teorie oor onderwyserverandering en Fishbein (2000) se integrerende model van gedragsvoorspelling. Fase 2 was besorg oor die ontwerp, ontwikkeling en implementering van die intervensie waarin vier kwaliteitskriteria aangespreek is: die konsekwentheid, verwagte praktiese, werklike praktiese en die verwagte effektiwiteit van die intervensie. Fase 3 het die werklike effektiwiteit van die intervensie behandel, en die ontleding van die voor- en na-intervensie-tellings het getoon dat die intervensie-skole aansienlik meer verbeter het as die beheerskole in dekoderingstoetse. Die resultate het ook getoon dat die graadtoepaslike ouderdomsgroepe (10 en 11-jariges) beduidend hoër presteer as die ouer leerders, en dat meisies in al die assesserings effens beter presteer as seuns. Die bevindinge dui daarop dat gehalte-onderrig en -leer kan gebeur as onderwysers deurlopend ondersteuning kry om hul onderrigpraktyke te verbeter.