An evaluation of literacy programmes offered by the media for primary school learners in Lusaka District: A case of Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation and MUVI media Stations
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Date
2013-12-10
Authors
Choongo, John
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Abstract
This study was an evaluation of the literacy programmes offered by the media which are aimed at promoting literacy among primary school going learners. The study used Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) and MUVI media houses as cases of study. A number of respondents helped in the study, among these were the staff and pupils from four sampled Basic schools of Lusaka district. The study was grounded upon the principle that people learn better when the material that is delivered to them for consumption targets such learners’ Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) (Vygotsky, 1978). The study sought to find out whether literacy programmes that were being offered by ZNBC and MUVI stations were of great benefit to primary school going learners seeing that this age group forms quite a substantial population of their viewers/listeners.The study used a qualitative research design. This was due to the fact that the data which was used in this study was collected through face to face interviews, focus group discussions and observation method. The sample size of ninety four participants was drawn from the population. Eight of these were teachers of both grade four and grade seven classes, four school managers, two directors of programming and eighty learners from both grade four and grade seven classes. The two grades were deliberately selected under the assumption that being the final grades at the lower and upper primary sections respectively, they would significantly help the study.Findings from this study revealed that media houses had a threefold mandate to the general public. This mandate being to inform, educate and entertain. Pursuant to the education mandate, media houses do air education targeted programmes to the general public. It is in this area that media literacy programmes are found. It was established that the two media houses under investigation did air programmes aimed at promoting literacy among primary school going learners. The literacy programmes that the media houses air were found not to be meeting the literacy needs of the targeted learners. It was also established that many primary schools lacked the necessary equipment with which to run effective literacy lessons that are offered by the media in their respective schools. It was recommended by this study that government through the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education should provide the necessary equipment as well as other logistics such as trained facilitators to enhance efficiency in literacy lessons being offered by the media. It was also recommended that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting should be rehearsing with their counterparts in the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education in order to come up with literacy programmes for airing that would really target the needs of the primary school going learners.
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Keywords
Literacy programmes , Reading programmes , Elementary Education of Children