Literature indicates that there is a national outcry about learners who read below the required levels and that poor matriculation results are, in part, due to the low levels of learners’ reading skills. The focus of this study is reading difficulties experienced by learners in the Foundation Phase in inclusive schools in Makapanstad. The researcher used a qualitative method for the study. The case study research design was adopted for the study. Three schools in Makapanstad were sampled for the study. Empirical investigation was conducted through literature study, observations, interviews and document analysis. There is a worldwide concern with regard to learners’ low reading levels. The study explores the extensive models, methods and theories on reading, the strategies that could be used to teach reading in the Foundation Phase to alleviate or improve reading difficulties experienced by learners, as well as the findings and recommendations towards minimising the reading difficulties in primary schools. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Literacy is a critical aspect of learning in the Foundation phase and forms an important foundation for learners’ education. Studies, however, show that many learners in Grade 3 cannot read at the expected levels. This problem has generated increasing public demand for schools in South Africa in general and Limpopo Province, in particular, to produce learners who are able to read for pleasure, learning and enrichment. It is against this background that this study sought to examine the management of an instructional programme for reading English as First Additional Language in Grade 3. To achieve this aim, a qualitative research approach was followed to collect data through interviews, observations and document analysis. The results revealed weaknesses in the instructional leadership of School Management Teams, which the study attributes to a limited understanding of their roles in this area. The qualitative case study method was used for this study. The sample for this study comprised three principals, three Foundation Phase Heads of Department and three Grade 3 teachers drawn from three primary schools. Three qualitative data collection instruments, namely, semi-structured interview schedule, classroom observation schedule and documents analysis were used to collect data. Data on the management of teaching and learning were collected during interviews from principals and HoDs. Data on how reading is taught and assessed were gathered through observation of teachers’ lesson presentations. Documents analysed were curriculum management files, monitoring tools, planning files, lesson plans, mark-schedules and learners’ workbooks. Thematic analysis was carried out to analyse data collected through the three instruments. This study found that School Management experience challenges in managing the teaching of English reading in schools. The study calls for continuous professional development for primary school principals and English teachers on the methodology of teaching English First Additional Language as well as training of Curriculum Advisors. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)

During the 1990s, many low-income countries were committed to the United Nations Education for All (EFA) goals of ensuring universal access to primary education and learners’ completion of all primary grades (Gove & Wetterberg 2011:1). Since then some countries, including South Africa, have made impressive strides towards expanded access to schooling. Much of the progress has stemmed from additional inputs such as classrooms, educators, and textbooks and this has created the assumption that with sufficient inputs, learning will naturally flow. However, increases in enrollment rates alone have not always translated into high quality education or even basic learning. Additionally, South Africa’s unique politically burdened history has had profound effects on the education system. Due to its multifarious population and the amalgamation of various sectors, including education, the Department of Basic Education was and still is faced with the daunting challenge of providing quality education to its diverse citizens. This has resulted in the establishment of multiracial, multilingual, and multicultural schools. The corollary is that schools have become more inclusive. However, the ability of South Africa to educate its learners cannot be measured by access to schooling or enrollment rates alone, but rather by its ability to impart to learners the knowledge and skills necessary to function as literate and numerate members of the broader society. Within the context of EFA several international organisations began to conduct early grade reading assessments in many developing countries in Africa and Asia. These studies include SACMEQ, PIRLS and prePIRLS, EGRA, and ASER. The aim of these assessments is to facilitate the expansion of quality education by providing the necessary data to monitor educational quality, and by improving the research capacity and technical skills of educational planners. Within the context of major transitions throughout the world, the organisations mentioned above perspicaciously focused on countries that encounter major challenges in literacy. The extensive studies on reading and writing that were conducted by some of these organisations amplify the crisis in education and the plight of early grade learners. Nationally and internationally the situation appears to be relatively bleak, especially for L2 learners. Literacy, specifically reading literacy, forms the backbone of scholastic success at primary, secondary and tertiary levels and research consistently shows that learners who are good readers also tend to perform well academically (Pretorius & Machet 2004:129). Emanating from the above, this study focused on the factors that affect foundation phase English second language learners’ reading and writing skills. The study was conducted at five English medium primary schools in Port Shepstone. A literature study on second language acquisition and the factors that impact on the English second language learners’ reading and writing achievements was undertaken. Furthermore, the expansion of the English language, the significance of the primary language in second language acquisition, insights and issues focusing on bilingualism and multilingualism, theories on second language acquisition, reading and writing in the home language, and factors related to English second language learners’ reading and writing achievements were examined. A mixed-method research design was utilised. In order to obtain an in-depth perspective both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to collect data from foundation phase educators, and the parents of isiZulu-speaking foundation phase learners. Survey questionnaires, which were the main research instruments for gathering data, were distributed to the parents of isiZulu-speaking learners and the educators. Additionally, individual interviews were conducted with educators and reading and writing observations were also conducted. Quantitative data analysis was done by means of tables, frequencies, and graphs. Qualitative data was subjected to analysis by means of an eclectic approach. This study found that cultural, psychological, social, cognitive, school, and developmental factors do indeed affect the second language learners’ reading and writing skills. It was found that the learners’ home language background significantly affected their pronunciation of words in English, their ability to use phonics to read and write, and their ability to differentiate between male and female when writing sentences. Moreover, no specific model of acculturation was found to be apparent in this study. However, the processes of integration and separation did play a role in the learners’ acculturation. On the other hand, the processes of assimilation and maginalisation were not found amongst isiZulu-speaking learners. Two prominent psychological factors, anxiety and motivation, were apparent in this study. This study revealed that isiZulu-speaking learners do experience reading and writing anxiety but do not experience writing test anxiety. It was also found that isiZulu-speaking learners do enjoy reading in English and they demonstrate relatively positive attitudes towards reading. Their attitudes towards writing in English were somewhat varied. Although integrative motivation and instrumental motivation were seen to play a dual role in the learners’ experiences, the parents’ views were strongly influenced by instrumental motivation. IsiZulu-speaking learners have good social relationships with their peers. Educators affirmed that these learners interact relatively well with both their English-speaking peers and their isiZulu-speaking peers. The amiable relationships were also observed by the researcher during the classroom reading and writing observations. None of the isiZulu-speaking learners experienced social isolation or alienation at any of the five English medium schools. IsiZulu-speaking learners’ ability to speak and understand isiZulu is relatively good. However, their ability to read and write in isiZulu is generally poor. IsiZulu-speaking learners usually cope well with conversational skills in the English language. However, their ability to read English texts fluently with understanding and to write simple stories in English ranges from fair to poor. Generally, at the five schools similar approaches were used to teach reading and writing. The dominance of the phonic approach was observed during several reading lessons. In general, educators expressed their absolute dissatisfaction with the CAPS document and the CAPS English home language workbook. They were not content with the manner in which the phonics is structured in the CAPS workbook and document. Educators asserted that CAPS is too challenging for most isiZulu-speaking learners, too much of emphasis is placed on assessments, and due to the large learner/educator ratio educators experience frustration when teaching reading and writing. Educators emphasised the significance of Grade R attendance and the Grade R curriculum. Furthermore, they asserted that learners who enter Grade 1 at the age of five are not ready for formal schooling and they generally experience reading and writing difficulties. Moreover, this study reproduced those found in literature that showed that generally girls significantly outperform boys on reading and writing tasks. There were various reasons for the parents wanting their children to learn to read and write in English. Two of the prominent reasons advanced by the parents were: parents want their children to learn more than one language and learning English at school will help their children to continue their studies at colleges or universities. Overall, this study has demonstrated that the English language has significantly impacted on all aspects of the isiZulu-speaking foundation phase learners’ lives, and more especially has considerably influenced their reading and writing achievements at English medium schools. / Inclusive Education / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Literacy is a critical aspect of learning in the Foundation phase and forms an important foundation for learners’ education. Studies, however, show that many learners in Grade 3 cannot read at the expected levels. This problem has generated increasing public demand for schools in South Africa in general and Limpopo Province, in particular, to produce learners who are able to read for pleasure, learning and enrichment. It is against this background that this study sought to examine the management of an instructional programme for reading English as First Additional Language in Grade 3. To achieve this aim, a qualitative research approach was followed to collect data through interviews, observations and document analysis. The results revealed weaknesses in the instructional leadership of School Management Teams, which the study attributes to a limited understanding of their roles in this area. The qualitative case study method was used for this study. The sample for this study comprised three principals, three Foundation Phase Heads of Department and three Grade 3 teachers drawn from three primary schools. Three qualitative data collection instruments, namely, semi-structured interview schedule, classroom observation schedule and documents analysis were used to collect data. Data on the management of teaching and learning were collected during interviews from principals and HoDs. Data on how reading is taught and assessed were gathered through observation of teachers’ lesson presentations. Documents analysed were curriculum management files, monitoring tools, planning files, lesson plans, mark-schedules and learners’ workbooks. Thematic analysis was carried out to analyse data collected through the three instruments. This study found that School Management experience challenges in managing the teaching of English reading in schools. The study calls for continuous professional development for primary school principals and English teachers on the methodology of teaching English First Additional Language as well as training of Curriculum Advisors. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

During the 1990s, many low-income countries were committed to the United Nations Education for All (EFA) goals of ensuring universal access to primary education and learners’ completion of all primary grades (Gove & Wetterberg 2011:1). Since then some countries, including South Africa, have made impressive strides towards expanded access to schooling. Much of the progress has stemmed from additional inputs such as classrooms, educators, and textbooks and this has created the assumption that with sufficient inputs, learning will naturally flow. However, increases in enrollment rates alone have not always translated into high quality education or even basic learning. Additionally, South Africa’s unique politically burdened history has had profound effects on the education system. Due to its multifarious population and the amalgamation of various sectors, including education, the Department of Basic Education was and still is faced with the daunting challenge of providing quality education to its diverse citizens. This has resulted in the establishment of multiracial, multilingual, and multicultural schools. The corollary is that schools have become more inclusive. However, the ability of South Africa to educate its learners cannot be measured by access to schooling or enrollment rates alone, but rather by its ability to impart to learners the knowledge and skills necessary to function as literate and numerate members of the broader society. Within the context of EFA several international organisations began to conduct early grade reading assessments in many developing countries in Africa and Asia. These studies include SACMEQ, PIRLS and prePIRLS, EGRA, and ASER. The aim of these assessments is to facilitate the expansion of quality education by providing the necessary data to monitor educational quality, and by improving the research capacity and technical skills of educational planners. Within the context of major transitions throughout the world, the organisations mentioned above perspicaciously focused on countries that encounter major challenges in literacy. The extensive studies on reading and writing that were conducted by some of these organisations amplify the crisis in education and the plight of early grade learners. Nationally and internationally the situation appears to be relatively bleak, especially for L2 learners. Literacy, specifically reading literacy, forms the backbone of scholastic success at primary, secondary and tertiary levels and research consistently shows that learners who are good readers also tend to perform well academically (Pretorius & Machet 2004:129). Emanating from the above, this study focused on the factors that affect foundation phase English second language learners’ reading and writing skills. The study was conducted at five English medium primary schools in Port Shepstone. A literature study on second language acquisition and the factors that impact on the English second language learners’ reading and writing achievements was undertaken. Furthermore, the expansion of the English language, the significance of the primary language in second language acquisition, insights and issues focusing on bilingualism and multilingualism, theories on second language acquisition, reading and writing in the home language, and factors related to English second language learners’ reading and writing achievements were examined. A mixed-method research design was utilised. In order to obtain an in-depth perspective both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to collect data from foundation phase educators, and the parents of isiZulu-speaking foundation phase learners. Survey questionnaires, which were the main research instruments for gathering data, were distributed to the parents of isiZulu-speaking learners and the educators. Additionally, individual interviews were conducted with educators and reading and writing observations were also conducted. Quantitative data analysis was done by means of tables, frequencies, and graphs. Qualitative data was subjected to analysis by means of an eclectic approach. This study found that cultural, psychological, social, cognitive, school, and developmental factors do indeed affect the second language learners’ reading and writing skills. It was found that the learners’ home language background significantly affected their pronunciation of words in English, their ability to use phonics to read and write, and their ability to differentiate between male and female when writing sentences. Moreover, no specific model of acculturation was found to be apparent in this study. However, the processes of integration and separation did play a role in the learners’ acculturation. On the other hand, the processes of assimilation and maginalisation were not found amongst isiZulu-speaking learners. Two prominent psychological factors, anxiety and motivation, were apparent in this study. This study revealed that isiZulu-speaking learners do experience reading and writing anxiety but do not experience writing test anxiety. It was also found that isiZulu-speaking learners do enjoy reading in English and they demonstrate relatively positive attitudes towards reading. Their attitudes towards writing in English were somewhat varied. Although integrative motivation and instrumental motivation were seen to play a dual role in the learners’ experiences, the parents’ views were strongly influenced by instrumental motivation. IsiZulu-speaking learners have good social relationships with their peers. Educators affirmed that these learners interact relatively well with both their English-speaking peers and their isiZulu-speaking peers. The amiable relationships were also observed by the researcher during the classroom reading and writing observations. None of the isiZulu-speaking learners experienced social isolation or alienation at any of the five English medium schools. IsiZulu-speaking learners’ ability to speak and understand isiZulu is relatively good. However, their ability to read and write in isiZulu is generally poor. IsiZulu-speaking learners usually cope well with conversational skills in the English language. However, their ability to read English texts fluently with understanding and to write simple stories in English ranges from fair to poor. Generally, at the five schools similar approaches were used to teach reading and writing. The dominance of the phonic approach was observed during several reading lessons. In general, educators expressed their absolute dissatisfaction with the CAPS document and the CAPS English home language workbook. They were not content with the manner in which the phonics is structured in the CAPS workbook and document. Educators asserted that CAPS is too challenging for most isiZulu-speaking learners, too much of emphasis is placed on assessments, and due to the large learner/educator ratio educators experience frustration when teaching reading and writing. Educators emphasised the significance of Grade R attendance and the Grade R curriculum. Furthermore, they asserted that learners who enter Grade 1 at the age of five are not ready for formal schooling and they generally experience reading and writing difficulties. Moreover, this study reproduced those found in literature that showed that generally girls significantly outperform boys on reading and writing tasks. There were various reasons for the parents wanting their children to learn to read and write in English. Two of the prominent reasons advanced by the parents were: parents want their children to learn more than one language and learning English at school will help their children to continue their studies at colleges or universities. Overall, this study has demonstrated that the English language has significantly impacted on all aspects of the isiZulu-speaking foundation phase learners’ lives, and more especially has considerably influenced their reading and writing achievements at English medium schools. / Inclusive Education / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Literature indicates that there is a national outcry about learners who read below the required levels and that poor matriculation results are, in part, due to the low levels of learners’ reading skills. The focus of this study is reading difficulties experienced by learners in the Foundation Phase in inclusive schools in Makapanstad. The researcher used a qualitative method for the study. The case study research design was adopted for the study. Three schools in Makapanstad were sampled for the study. Empirical investigation was conducted through literature study, observations, interviews and document analysis. There is a worldwide concern with regard to learners’ low reading levels. The study explores the extensive models, methods and theories on reading, the strategies that could be used to teach reading in the Foundation Phase to alleviate or improve reading difficulties experienced by learners, as well as the findings and recommendations towards minimising the reading difficulties in primary schools. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

In South Africa, the issue of learners reading below their grade level is of great concern. In order to overcome this problem, the Department of Education made it possible that learners be taught to read early in Grade 1. However, despite the learners being taught to learn to read at an early stage, numerous studies have revealed that most of the learners, including those in Grade 3, are still experiencing reading problems. The purpose of this study is to explore how Grade 3 teachers support learners who experience reading problems in Full-service schools. Full-service schools are mainstream schools that were transformed to attend to the underlying inclusive principles and to provide quality education to all learners. In this study, a qualitative approach was used to collect data at the Tshwane North District in the Gauteng Province. The interview questions were piloted with one of the Grade 3 class teachers from a neighbouring full-service school. Then after the pilot study, eleven Grade 3 class teachers and six Learner Support Teachers from three identified full-service schools were interviewed and observed in their classroom while supporting learners experiencing reading problems. The documents that they used were also analysed. To analyse the empirical data an inductive approach and the method for analysing data suggested by Creswell (2000) was followed. The findings revealed that teachers who participated in this study followed a more prescriptive approach of supporting learners who were experiencing reading problems. Furthermore, the findings revealed they used different reading strategies and reading methods even though there were some challenges that hampered the implementation of the support. The issue of differentiating and adapting the reading support to suit the diverse reading needs of learners arose from the study. This was due to the fact that most of the teachers were not trained to adapt the reading support based on the reading needs of the learners. Based on the findings, recommendations were made, and guidelines to draw up an effective reading support based on an integrated approach for Grade 3 learners who experience reading problems in full-service schools was developed. The guidelines combined two theories that underpinned the study, namely, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. The researcher concluded that learners’ improvement in terms of their reading abilities relies on how teachers provided support to them. Hence it is important for teachers to be equipped with sufficient skills and knowledge to provide individualised reading support to learners experiencing reading problems. / Inclusive Education / Ph. D. (Inclusive Education)

This study focuses on the barriers that hinder the Zulu-speaking English second language learner in the Foundation Phase in acquiring basic reading and spelling skills. Nine hypotheses were developed from the literature study. Emanating from this, a quantitative empirical investigation, undertaken at various Foundation Phase schools in and around the greater Durban area, examined these barriers. A questionnaire was used as the main instrument in investigating these barriers. The study highlighted the relationships between the various variables. These relationships were, in the main, found significant. The research has indicated that contextual, language, school and intrinsic factors are significantly correlated to the problems L2 learners experience in acquiring English reading and spelling skills. The limitations of this investigation were discussed and recommendations, based on these results, were forwarded. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance & Counselling)

This dissertation study, entitled ‘The development of a reading culture in the Foundation Phase through comprehensive parent involvement’, focused on the challenge of developing a reading culture in which a positive change takes place in the learners’ attitudes towards reading and in particular, towards reading for enjoyment, when parents are comprehensively involved in the process. The research is found to be relevant as many of the learners in the participating school showed little to no interest in reading for enjoyment and saw reading merely as a means of studying. The methodology used in the study is qualitative in nature and included a literature review, case studies and semi-structured interviews. The results of the study showed that the implementation of a comprehensive parent involvement model has a positive impact on the creation of a reading culture. The learners were more inclined to read for enjoyment when their parents participated both in reading programmes and in fun reading activities at home. The learners and parents who actively participated in this study all indicated that they had a greater appreciation of reading for enjoyment after the implementation of the programme. Based on the study findings, recommendations were made for improvements to assist in the issue of creating a reading culture in schools. / Die studie getiteld ‘Die ontwikkeling van ‘n lees-kultuur in die Grondslagfase deur omvattende ouerbetrokkenheid’, het gefokus op die uitdaging om ‘n lees-kultuur te ontwikkel waar ‘n positiewe verandering in leerders se gevoel teenoor lees plaasvind, spesifiek lees vir genot, wanneer hulle ouers intensief betrokke is in die proses. Die navorsing is relevant aangesien baie van die leerders in die betrokke skool min tot geen belangstelling getoon het teenoor lees vir genot en het lees bloot as ‘n metode van studie beleef. Die metodologie wat in die studie gebruik was was kwalitatief van aard en het ‘n literatuurstudie, gevallestudies en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude ingesluit. Die resultate van die studie het getoon dat die implementering van ‘n omvattende ouer-betrokkenheid model ‘n positiewe impak op die ontwikkeling van ‘n lees-kultuur gehad het. Die leerders was meer geneig om vir genot te lees wanneer hulle ouers deelgeneem het aan die lees-program en aan die pret lees-aktiwiteite tuis. Die leerders en hulle ouers wat aktief deelgeneem het aan die studie, het almal aangedui dat hulle ‘n groter waardering vir lees vir genot gehad het na die implementering van die program. Voorstelle om te help met die ontwikkeling van ‘n lees-kultuur is gemaak wat gebaseer was op die bevindings van die studie. / Thuto, e nang le sehlooho se reng 'Ho nts'etsa pele setso sa ho bala ka Sekhahla sa Motheo ka ho kenyeletsa ho kopanyelletsa ha motsoali', ho lebisitse phephetso ea ho hlaolela setso sa ho bala moo phetoho e ntle e etsoang ka maikutlo a barupeluoa ho bala le ka ho khetheha, ho bala bakeng sa thabo, ha batsoali ba ikakhela ka setotsoana mosebetsing ona. Phuputso e fumanoa e le ea bohlokoa ha ba bangata ho baithuti sekolong se kenang sekolo ba sa bontše thahasello ho bala bakeng sa thabo 'me ba bona ho bala feela e le mokhoa oa ho ithuta. Mokhoa o sebelisoang thuputsong ea lipatlisiso e ne e le mokhoa oa boleng bo botle 'me o kenyelelitse tlhahlobo ea lingoliloeng, lipatlisiso tsa liketsahalo le lipuisano tse sa tšoaneng. Liphello tsa phuputso li bontšitse hore ts'ebetso ea kakaretso ea ho kenya letsoho ho motsoali e na le tšusumetso e matla ho thehoa ha setso sa ho bala. Barupeluoa ba ne ba rata ho bala bakeng sa thabo ha batsoali ba bona ba ne ba kopanela ka bobeli mananeong a ho bala le mesebetsing e monate ea ho bala lapeng. Baithuti le batsoali ba ileng ba kenya letsoho thuputsong ena bohle ba bontšitse hore ba ananela haholo ho bala bakeng sa thabo ka mor'a kopo ea ts'ebetso. Ho itšetlehile ka liphuputso tsa lithuto, liphuputso li entsoe bakeng sa ntlafatso ea ho thusa tabeng ea ho theha setso sa ho bala likolong. / Educational Foundations / M. Ed. (Socio-Education)

This study focuses on the barriers that hinder the Zulu-speaking English second language learner in the Foundation Phase in acquiring basic reading and spelling skills. Nine hypotheses were developed from the literature study. Emanating from this, a quantitative empirical investigation, undertaken at various Foundation Phase schools in and around the greater Durban area, examined these barriers. A questionnaire was used as the main instrument in investigating these barriers. The study highlighted the relationships between the various variables. These relationships were, in the main, found significant. The research has indicated that contextual, language, school and intrinsic factors are significantly correlated to the problems L2 learners experience in acquiring English reading and spelling skills. The limitations of this investigation were discussed and recommendations, based on these results, were forwarded. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance & Counselling)