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Factors influencing learners' reading ability in English in Bulawayo Central District high schools in Zimbabwe

Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2018.

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Other Authors: Boakye, Naomi Adjoa Nana Yeboah
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2018
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Boakye, Naomi Adjoa Nana Yeboah
author_browse Boakye, Naomi Adjoa Nana Yeboah
author_facet Boakye, Naomi Adjoa Nana Yeboah
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2018 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2018.
format Thesis
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:36:53.259Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2018
publishDateRange 2018
publishDateSort 2018
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
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source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/68023 Factors influencing learners' reading ability in English in Bulawayo Central District high schools in Zimbabwe Boakye, Naomi Adjoa Nana Yeboah GTHENJIE@YAHOO.CO.UK Gumede, Thenjiwe Unrestricted UCTD Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2018. Reading proficiency is a critical endeavour as it transcends and includes all learning. This study set out to establish the reading comprehension level of Form 2 learners in Bulawayo Central District high schools in Zimbabwe, and to find out what factors determine the reading proficiency level of the same learners. These learners were thought to have been previously disadvantaged during Zimbabwe’s economic downturn of 2006 to 2008. The researcher used quantitative and qualitative methods to gather information to answer the research questions. Forty-eight and 22 learners from government and private schools respectively, voluntarily wrote a comprehension test to answer the first research question, completed a questionnaire to answer the second research question on factors that influenced their reading proficiency and wrote narratives on their reading development. Twelve and nine teachers from government and private schools respectively, voluntarily completed questionnaires to provide answers to the second research question. The comprehension test revealed differences in the reading comprehension level of the learners. The mean performance of private school learners stood at 91.64% compared to 36.63% for learners from government schools. Findings revealed that the reading comprehension level of Form 2 (Grade 9) learners at government schools is below that for Grade 4 (Zimbabwe and South Africa) yet the learners were in Form 2 (Grade 9). The t-test on learner questionnaires showed statistical significance of the home environment, socio-economic status (SES), and motivation as factors influencing reading practices. Private school teachers also indicated that home environment, SES, and motivation were factors in reading (ability and comprehension), unlike teachers in government schools who disagreed. Private school learners wrote strong narratives compared to those of government school learners, which were flawed with grammatical and spelling errors. The study hence revealed that reading performance lags behind in government school learners. Re-introduction of special classes, revival of public libraries and exchange and network programmes are recommended if learners at government schools are to be brought abreast of learners at private schools. Unit for Academic Literacy MA Unrestricted 2018-12-05T08:06:29Z 2018-12-05T08:06:29Z 2009/05/18 2018 Dissertation Gumede, T 2018, Factors influencing learners' reading ability in English in Bulawayo Central District high schools in Zimbabwe, MA Dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/68023> S2018 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/68023 en © 2018 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle Unrestricted
UCTD
Factors influencing learners' reading ability in English in Bulawayo Central District high schools in Zimbabwe
title Factors influencing learners' reading ability in English in Bulawayo Central District high schools in Zimbabwe
title_full Factors influencing learners' reading ability in English in Bulawayo Central District high schools in Zimbabwe
title_fullStr Factors influencing learners' reading ability in English in Bulawayo Central District high schools in Zimbabwe
title_full_unstemmed Factors influencing learners' reading ability in English in Bulawayo Central District high schools in Zimbabwe
title_short Factors influencing learners' reading ability in English in Bulawayo Central District high schools in Zimbabwe
title_sort factors influencing learners reading ability in english in bulawayo central district high schools in zimbabwe
topic Unrestricted
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/68023