Teachers', methods and materials: exploring opportunities and challenges in learning to read in primary schools in two Kenyan contexts
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Date
2008
Authors
Runo, Mary
Mugo, John Kabutha
Karugu, Geoffrey Kamau
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nairobi Academic press
Abstract
Over recent decades, various studies have decried the rising numbers of non-readers in
Kenyanclassrooms, within the context of a growing global phenomenon. This study aimed at
ascertainingteachers' capacity to teach reading, the materials that they utilize to teach reading,
and the overall challenges and opportunities in teaching reading. A mixed methods design was
utilized,with a purposive sample of 8 urban (Nairobi) and 8 rural (Nyeri) primary schools,
basedon the best and worst performing schools in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education
resultsof the year preceding the study. A total of 34 teachers participated in the study. Findings
indicatethat nearly half of the teachers neither taught reading nor knew the methods to use in
teachingreading. A third of the teachers (31.9%) used phonics, while another third favoured
the whole-word method. The study concludes that lower grade teachers are ill-equipped
with methods of teaching reading, while remediation practice is hardly a focus. It would be
necessary to introduce reading as a subject at the teacher training level, and designate reading
time through the primary education course.
Description
Scanned journal article
Keywords
Learning Disability Association of America; Kenya, Literacy Levels, Reading Competency, Reading difficulties, Teaching reading