n Ondersoek om die waarde van tegnologie by die verwerwing van leesvaardighede te bepaal

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Reading is one of the most important skills that learners need to acquire in schoolbecause they read to learn. From their first school year, it is expected from learners to begood readers and to understand what they are reading. Reading in effect forms the basisfor the learning process in the educational system.Research in South Africa shows that an enormous number of primary and high schoollearners are not able to read sufficiently to perform satisfactorily in their schoolwork.Further studies also show that the reading skills level of 72% of all underachievers inschools are 4 years below the expected performance level. These poor readingperformances have huge implications for educators, specifically because of therelationship between reading and learning. This study was undertaken to address thisproblem, whereby an integrated computer reading program was designed to beimplemented complementary to the traditional reading method in the classroom.The purpose of this research study is to establish the value of technology in theacquisition of reading skills of learners in Gr 10 Afrikaans First Additional Language. Aliterature study was undertaken whereby information was gained regarding existingstudies in research about reading and computer reading. A non-emperical study wasundertaken whereby an experimental and control group took a pre-test, after which theexperimental group was exposed to the computer reading program. During this time, thegroup was observed in their natural learning setup. After exposure to the program, bothgroups took a post-test.The research findings show significant evidence of progress in the readingcomprehension skills of both groups. However, the same amount of progress is detectedin the the comprehension skills of the control group. This is evidence that the progress ofthe experimental group cannot be assigned to their exposure to the computer readingprogram but rather to the learning performance that is expected from all learners.However, various factors played a role in the deviation of the expected outcome of theresearch study namely, the time of exposure to the computer reading program, the factthat not all the learners in the experimental group were computer literate and also the lackof knowledge of educators about computers and computer reading programs.The use of computers in the instruction of reading is inevitable because the NationalEducation Department encourages electronic learning and also provides schools withcomputers and computer programs for all learning areas. It is also recommended thatschools should adapt to the rapid growth in technology and expose both their educatorsand learners to computers in the classroom to empower them for the future.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University