The main objective of the research was to explore how teachers use formative
assessment to enhance the teaching of reading comprehension to Grade 3 siSwatispeaking
learners. While the research also sought to determine whether teachers’
practice of formative assessment supported learners’ comprehension of written text,
it did not attempt to measure the learners’ achievements. The research was
prompted by the low reading performance levels of South African Grade 3 learners,
including Grade 3 learners in Mpumalanga.
The study was qualitative in nature and was a case study of seven teachers from four
primary schools. The paradigmatic position of the study was interpretive. Data was
collected through individual semi-structured interviews, lesson observations and
analysis of learners’ workbooks. Interviews were taped and transcribed. Data from
the three sources was analyzed and reported in an integrated way through themes.
The study developed a conceptual framework from the literature review. Various
theories and concepts were identified, namely Vygotsky’s theory of learning and
socio-cultural perspective (1978), Engeström’s activity system model (1987) and the
formative assessment process (Harlen, 2000; Ruiz-Primo, 2011; Birenbaum, Kimron, Shilton & Shahaf-Barzilay, 2009). It was clear that effective use of formative
assessment for reading comprehension requires collaboration between teachers and
learners. Teachers should involve learners in the five phases of formative
assessment of reading comprehension. The conceptual framework also implies that
teachers should have pedagogical knowledge of the teaching of reading
comprehension. Findings of this study revealed that participating teachers lacked knowledge of
formative assessment; consequently they did not plan to use formative assessment
to support the teaching of reading comprehension. Teachers did not communicate
clear learning objectives and assessment criteria to the learners. As a result, learners
did not know what they should achieve in a lesson and did not know how they should
achieve it. Teachers did not develop learning activities that supported learners’ comprehension of the written text. Teachers often used literal and closed questions
to assess reading comprehension. Teachers did not provide constructive feedback
based on the learning objectives, and they did not comment on weaknesses and
strengths with regard to the learning objectives. Teachers did not encourage learners
to assess their own work or that of their peers. Therefore learners did not develop
skills in assessing their own work; they relied on the teacher’s assessment.
Furthermore, this study found that teachers were not trained in the teaching and
formative assessment of reading comprehension. They did not have a variety of
materials to teach reading to siSwati-speaking learners. Some schools did not
receive the workbooks from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and had to
make do with copies from the DBE workbook on a daily basis.
Recommendations ensuing from this research are that the Department of Basic
Education and the Mpumalanga Department of Education should equip Foundation
Phase teachers with knowledge of and skills in formative assessment applicable to
the teaching of reading comprehension. In addition, the Mpumalanga Department of
Education should provide a variety of reading material for siSwati-speaking learners
to support the teaching and learning of reading comprehension. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / Early Childhood Education / unrestricted
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:up/oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/40237 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Mkhwanazi, Hellen Ntombifuthi |
| Contributors | Joubert, Jacomina Christina, h.mkhwanazi@education.mpy.gov.za, Phatudi, Nkidi C., Fraser, W. J. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | © 2013 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
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