Assessing learners' reading skills : a development of an in-service training programme for Junior Primary teachers

[摘要] ENGLISH SUMMARY: Most learners in South Africa are only taught knowledge-based skills, and reading skillsare assessed according to a prescribed curriculum. The emphasis seems to be on whatthe learner cannot do, instead of what the learner can do. South African educationalsystem is currently in a transitional phase, where teachers are required to assesslearners on their critical outcomes. This transitional phase demands that teachers makea mindshift from the old traditional, deductive teaching approaches to literacy to themore inductive, cognitive, social and sociopolitical constructions of literacy. Against thisbackground, the study investigated first of all the beliefs of teachers concerning theirteaching reading approaches and reading assessment. This information was then usedas a point of departure in the development of a framework for an in-service trainingprogramme in order to provide teachers with the skills and confidence that will enablethem not only to identify and assess reading problems in the Junior Primary phase, butalso to teach reading effectively.To achieve the objectives, a qualitative research approach was used. Datacollection methods included a literature review, a semi-structured questionnaire andthree in-depth interviews with Junior Primary teachers at six primary schools (exHORand ex-model C) in the Bellville area, near Cape Town. Although the results ofthe semi-structured questionnnaires provide a reasonably clear picture of the beliefsof teachers pertaining to learners reading skills, more information was gathered by means of the in-depth interviews. From the analysis of data, it became apparent thatthere is a need for further training and support regarding the implementation ofOutcomes Based Education; teachers are currently focusing on reductionisticteaching approaches and are not knowledgeable about how to assess and rectifyreading problems. In spite of these problems, most teachers expressed awillingness to learn new teaching reading approaches.The framework for an in-service training programme focused, as a result of theliterature review and qualitative data analysis of the questionnaire and in-depthinterviews, on a holistic teaching and assessment approach to reading within anecosystemic framework. The active involvement of teachers and learners in theteaching and assessment of reading was stressed.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University