An assessment of grade 5 learners’ reading fluency in english at a selected primary school in Serenje district.
| dc.contributor.author | Kasimba, Kennedy | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-08-26T10:08:24Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-08-26T10:08:24Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description | Thesis of Master of Education In Literacy, Language and Applied Linguistics. | |
| dc.description.abstract | Studies have been conducted to assess literacy abilities of learners in Zambia. However, these studies have been surveys which have reported data on a large scale. As a point of departure, this study sought to assess the reading fluency of learners of a particular primary school in Serenje District since it was not known how fluent learners of a selected primary school were in reading and what contextual factors contributed to the reading fluency of the learners. The study aimed at assessing grade 5 learners’ reading fluency in English. Specifically, the objectives were: first, to assess grade 5 learners’ reading fluency in English at a selected primary school in Serenje District. Second, to establish grades 5 teachers’ perspectives on learners reading fluency in English. Third, to explore factors affecting grade 5 learners’ acquisition of reading fluency in English. The study employed a concurrent mixed methods design in which both qualitative and quantitative approaches were integrated. In total, the study had 50 Grade 5 pupils (21 females and 29 males), 2 Grade 5 class teachers and 2 senior teachers for upper primary section at a selected school in Serenje District. The selected primary school was randomly sampled from the top five ranked schools in Ibolelo Zone of Serenje district. In this study, the researcher involved Grade 5 class teachers and senior teachers in upper primary in one-to-one interviews using semi-structured interview guides. Grade 5 pupils’ reading fluency was assessed using a standardised reading fluency Words Correct Per Minute (WCPM) assessment using a cold read or an unpractised passage. The teachers and pupils were purposively sampled. The main findings of the study with respect to objective number 1, revealed that about 62 percent of grade 5 learners at the selected primary school were reading at frustration level in English. Additionally, the average Words Per Minute (WPM) was at 44, the average Words Correct Per Minute (WCPM) was at 38, the average prosody score was 7 out of 16 points, average written comprehension score of 1 out of 5 marks. Regarding objective number 2, the findings of the study noted that respondents explained that learners reading fluency was average to below average and they found prosody and comprehension to be the most problematic areas. With respect to objective number 3, the study highlighted the following factors that positively affected grade 5 learners’ acquisition of reading fluency in English: Practice, materials, differentiation, teacher, oral English, teacher-pupil rapport and methodology factors. Additionally, the study noted the following factors that negatively affected grade 5 learners’ acquisition of reading fluency in English: Time, background, material/resource, environmental, teacher, pupil, transition, parental and policy. The key conclusions of the study were that the dismal performance of grade 5 learners in reading fluency in English could be explained by an interplay of positive and negative factors. This was compounded by pedagogical-content knowledge deficit among teachers and negative attitude on the part of some teachers, learners and parents. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education should consider explicitly infusing reading fluency content in the Teacher Education curriculum for pre-service teachers as well as introduce a daily 1 hour of reading in English for learners from Grade 1 -7. Key words: Reading fluency, Words Correct Per Minute, prosody, frustration level. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://dspace.unza.zm/handle/123456789/8807 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | The University of Zambia | |
| dc.title | An assessment of grade 5 learners’ reading fluency in english at a selected primary school in Serenje district. | |
| dc.type | Thesis |