Abstract:
Research indicates that a substantial number of students entering higher education institutions lack the foundational academic reading skills, strategies, and approaches necessary for meaningful engagement with texts in their respective fields. This deficiency in reading skills poses a significant challenge to students’ academic success. Many studies highlight that the utilisation of effective reading strategies and approaches significantly enhances the reading comprehension of English first additional language (EFAL) learners in high schools. Despite scholarly attention to the significance of reading and the challenges teachers confront in its implementation, a clear void exists in the research concerning the precise reading strategies and approaches utilised by EFAL teachers in the South African high school context.
This study aims to address this gap by investigating the use of reading strategies and approaches by Grade 10 EFAL teachers across six schools in the Bushbuckridge region of Mpumalanga, South Africa. The study seeks to answer the following research questions, (a) What specific reading strategies and approaches do Grade 10 EFAL teachers in the Bushbuckridge region employ during the instruction of reading comprehension? (b) What challenges do Grade 10 EFAL teachers encounter while implementing these strategies and approaches for reading comprehension? (c) How are reading strategies delineated in the EFAL CAPS document for Grades 10-12?
Schema theory (Bartlett, 1932; Nunan, 1999) guides this study, offering analytical insights into the collected findings and enriches the study’s findings. Through a qualitative and interpretive case study design, the researcher gathered in-depth descriptions from teachers, learners, and the curriculum assessment policy document (CAPS). To explore teachers’ usage of reading strategies and approaches, data were collected through online semi-structured interviews, online focus group discussions, and documentary analysis. This study’s thematic analysis reveals disparities in Grade 10 EFAL instruction. Despite the integration of reading strategies, their implementation falls below expectations. This is exemplified by teachers providing summaries due to perceived learner incapacity, contrary to the pedagogical ideal of encouraging independent learning. Furthermore, a marked deficiency in higher-order reading skills among EFAL learners, including skimming and keyword identification, undermines effective summarisation and English text comprehension. The study also highlights a distinct divergence between proficient and struggling readers. Proficient readers adeptly deploy varied strategies to decode complex textual meanings, whereas struggling readers grapple even with basic word meanings and struggle to employ these strategies effectively, in contrast to schema theory’s emphasis on active learner participation in constructing meaning.
This study holds valuable implications for both EFAL teachers and learners. By shedding light on the crucial role of reading strategies and approaches in enhancing the reading capabilities of EFAL learners, it enriches their comprehension of the subject. However, the identified shortfall in the use of strategies by teachers demands a comprehensive assessment of their current teaching approaches in the research context of reading. Additionally, it underscores the urgency of instituting a continuous training program aimed at enhancing teachers’ competencies. This emphasis on teacher development is pivotal to empowering EFAL learners, ensuring they are well-prepared for their pursuits in higher education institutions. This study emphasises the need for an immediate reevaluation of EFAL teachers’ instructional strategies in the context of reading. This should be coupled with a sustained commitment to ongoing training initiatives, thereby equipping teachers with the tools to effectively elevate the reading proficiencies of EFAL learners.
