The teacher’s role in teaching reading comprehension skills to Grade 9 English Home Language learners

Abstract

Background: The high number of poor-performing learners in reading comprehension in South African schools is a concerning factor that calls for studies to mitigate this problem. The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) of 2021 indicates that about 81% of South African Grade 4 learners who participated, failed to reach the required benchmark in the test. Research indicates that teachers are not conversant with theory and explicit teaching of reading comprehension strategies.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the role played by teachers in developing Grade 9 learners’ reading comprehension skills in English Home Language and establishing which reading comprehension skills and strategies are taught to learners.

Method: This study used a qualitative approach. Four data sets were utilised to collect data including a document analysis, a questionnaire for learners, interviews with teachers of English and lesson observations.

Results: The findings of the study show that there is little guidance on how to teach reading comprehension skills. It also emerged that instead of teaching reading comprehension skills, teachers merely ‘test’ learners’ answering skills.

Conclusion: This study suggests that there is a need for re-training and assisting teachers in explicitly teaching reading comprehension skills to learners. Learners may benefit from the enhanced expertise of teachers and become more proficient in reading comprehension.

Contribution: The study has provided invaluable insights into the current teaching practice of comprehension skills with actionable insights for teachers, teacher educators, and policymakers to support learners’ academic success and bridge the gap between praxis and theory.