Evaluation of a structured phonics programme to assist with reading acquisition in grade 1 English submersion classrooms

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured phonics inter-vention programme to assist with reading acquisition in Grade 1 English submersion classrooms. The intervention programme included a teacher’s guide as well as a pho-netic reading book to assist learners in English on Grade 1 level. These learners have a different mother tongue than English and are referred to as English language learn-ers (ELLs). The research further investigated teacher perspectives on the effective-ness of the CAPS for English Home Language in relation to reading acquisition. The study adopted an intervention mixed method research approach to collect quali-tative and quantitative data. Data were collected in three phases: Data gathering meth-ods included interviews, a quasi-experiment, and a questionnaire. A total of 219 par-ticipants were involved in the study. Purposive sampling was used to select the par-ticipants for the interviews and questionnaires while cluster sampling was used to iden-tify the participants for the quasi-experiment to provide data. The participants were selected from three schools situated in different socio-economic areas in Mpuma-langa, South Africa. The conceptual framework of the study expounded the concept of English submersion classrooms and evaluated the current curriculum followed by ELLs in regard to reading acquisition. Three theories also underpinned the study: The social cognitive theory guided the psychological perspective, the complex dynamic systems theory guided the linguistic perspective while the componential model of reading guided the educational perspec-tive of the study. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data while a software programme called SAS JMP (version 16) was used to analyse the quantita-tive data of the study. The findings of the study indicate that a structured phonics programme may be bene-ficial to assist ELLs with reading. The programme may also assist Grade 1 teachers in teaching Grade 1 learners how to read in English submersion classrooms. The re-search contributes a suggested phonics programme to be used in English submersion classrooms. This study is significant in that it contributes a model to consider when revising the curriculum to accommodate ELLs. The strucutured phonics programme is highly relevant for policy makers and curriculum designers to assist with reading ac-quisition in Grade 1 English submersion classrooms.

Inhloso yocwaningo bekuwukuhlola ukusebenza kahle kohlelo lokungenelela lwemis-indo oluhlelekile ukusiza ngokutholakala kokufunda egumbini lokufundela lokuhlalisa isiNgisi ebangeni lokuqala (1). Uhlelo lokungenelela lubandakanya umhlahlandlela kathisha kanye nencwadi yokufunda imisindo ukusiza abafundi abafunda ngesiNgisi kusukela ebangeni lokuqala (1). Laba bafundi banolimi lokuzalwa oluhlukile kunesi- Ngisi futhi babizwa ngokuthi ngabafundi bolimi lwesiNgisi (ELLs). Uhlelo lokungene-lela lwethulwe umncwaningi ngemuva kokuthola ukuthi izinsiza ezikhona ezinikezwa othisha azanele ukufundisa ama-ELL ukufunda. Umncwaningi uphinde waphenya ngemibono yothisha ngokusebenza ngempumelelo kwe-CAPS yolimi lwasekhaya lwesiNgisi maqondana nokutholakala kokufunda, njengoba lolu wuhlelo lwezifundo olulandelwayo ezindlini zokufundela zesiNgisi. Ucwaningo lwamukele indlela yokun-genelela yocwaningo lwezindlela ezixubile ukuze kuqoqwe ulwazi olusezingeni kanye nenani. Ulwazi luqoqwe ngezigaba ezintathu. Izindlela zokuqoqa ulwazi zazihlanga-nisa izingxoxo, i-quasi-experiment, kanye nohlu lwemibuzo. Bangu-219 sebebonke ababambe iqhaza kulolu cwaningo. Kwasetshenziswa isampula elihlosiwe ukuze ku-khethwe ababambiqhaza benhlolokhono kanye nohlu lwemibuzo, kube sekusetshen-ziswa ukusampula kweqoqo ukuhlonza abazobambabiqhaza ukuze kuhlinzekwe ul-wazi lwe-quasi-experiment. Abahlanganyeli bakhethwe ezikoleni ezintathu ezisezin-daweni ezihlukene zenhlalo-mnotho esifundazweni saseMpumalanga, eNingizimu Af-rika. Uhlaka lomqondo wocwaningo luchaze umqondo wamagumbi okufundisa isiNgisi kwabafundi okungelona ulimi lwebele, futhi lwahlola nenqubo yezemfundo yamanje elandelwa ngabafundi bolimi lwesiNgisi mayelana nekhono lokufunda ukufunda ulimi. Lezindlela zemicabango ezintathu nazo zisekela ucwaningo. Izindlela zemicabango yokuqonda komphakathi iqondise umbono ngokwengqondo, imicabango yezinhlelo eziguqukayo eyinkimbinkimbi yaqondisa umbono wolimi kanye nemodeli yengxenye yokufunda (CMR) yaqondisa umbono wocwaningo lwezemfundo. Ukuhlaziywa kweth-ematic kusetshenziswe ukuhlaziya ulwazi lwezinga kanye nohlelo lwesofthiwe (soft-ware) olubizwa nge-(SAS- JMP) lwasetshenziswa ukuhlaziya ulwazi lobuningi locwan-ingo. Okutholwe ocwaningweni kubonisa ukuthi uhlelo ehlelekile lokufundisa imisindo lungaba usizo ukusiza ama-ELLs ngokufunda. Lolu hlelo lungasiza nothisha beBanga lokuqala ekufundiseni abafundi ukufunda. Ucwaningo lunikela isiphakamiso sokuthi uhlelo lwemisindo oluhambisana nekharikhulamu elandelwa abenza i-ELL, okuwu-hlelo lokufunda nokufundisa lolwlimi lwasekhaya lwesiNgisi. Ocwaningweni olwethu-liwe kuyabonakala ukuthi ayikho imiyalelo ekhethekile noma imihlahlandlela okumele ilandelwe kuCAPS yolimi lwasekhaya lwesiNgisi lapho kufundiswa ama-ELLs. Lolu cwaningo lubalulekile ngoba lunikela ngemodeli okufanele icatshangelwe lapho ku-buyekezwa uhlelo lokufunda nokufundisa ukuze kuhambisane nabafundi bolimi lwesi-Ngisi phecelezi ama-ELLs. Uhlelo lwemisindo ehlelekile luhambisana kakhulu nabenzi bezinqubomgomo nabaklami bohlelo lwezifundo ukuze basize ekutholeni ukufunda emagumbini okufundela esiNgisi ebanga lokuqala. Izifundo ezengeziwe kufanele zibheke ukufaneleka kwezinto zokufunda ezinikezwe kwamanye amabanga esigabeni eyisesekelo

Die navorser het verder die onderwysers se perspektief ten opsigte van die effektiwiteit van die Engels-huistaal kurrikulum en assesseringsbeleid ondersoek, aangesien dit die kurrikulum is wat deur Engelse taalleerders gevolg word. Die studie het ’n ge-mengde intervensiemetode gebruik om kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data te versa-mel. Data is in drie fases versamel, naamlik by wyse van onderhoude, ’n kwasi-eks-periment en ’n vraelys. Die studie het ’n totaal van 219 deelnemers betrek. Die navorser het gebruikgemaak van doelgerigte steekproefneming vir die onderhoude en die vraelys, terwyl sy van bondel-steekproefneming gebruikgemaak het vir die kwasi-eksperiment. Die deelnemers is gekies uit drie skole van verskillende sosio-ekono-miese gebiede in Mpumalanga. Die konseptuele basis van die studie bevat ’n bespre-king oor klaskamers met slegs Engels as voertaal, asook ’n evaluasie van die huidige kurrikulum wat die leerders volg. Die drie teorieë wat in die studie gebruik is, is die sosiale kognitiewe teorie wat die sielkundige perspektief van die studie gevorm het, die kompleks-dinamiese sisteemte-orie wat die taalkundige perspektief gevorm het en die “komponent model tot lees” wat die opvoedkundige perspektief beskryf het. Temas is gebruik om die kwalitatiewe data te analiseer en ’n sagtewareprogram (SAS JMP – weergawe 16) is gebruik om die kwantitatiewe data te analiseer. Die bevindinge van die studie toon aan dat ’n gestruktureerde fonetiese leesprogram wel Engelse taalleerders kan help om die taal beter te lees. Die program kan ook Graad 1 onderwysers help met die onderrig van lees in die klaskamer waar slegs En-gels as voertaal gebruik word. Die navorsing lewer ’n bydrae deur ’n gestruktureerde fonetiese leesprogram voor te stel wat deur Engelse taalleerders in Graad 1 gebruik kan word, wat in lyn is met die huidige kurrikulum wat gevolg word deur die leerders. ie studie se relevansie lê daarin dat dit ’n model voorstel wat deur kurrikulum-on-twerpers benut kan word met die oog op Engelse taalleerders in Graad 1. Die gestuk-tureerde fonetiese leesprogram is uiters relevant vir kurrikulumontwerpers, aangesien dit Engelse taalleerders kan help om Engels te begin lees in Graad 1.