Examining Challenges that Affect the Implementation of the National Reading Programme by Teachers: A Case of Selected Schools in Malawi
Keywords:
National Reading Programme, Implementation, Literacy, Scaffolding, Curriculum, Instruction
Abstract
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) in Malawi introduced the National Reading Programme (NRP) in 2015 to improve early grade learners’ literacy skills. However, results from the 2017 and 2018 national reading assessment for Standard 2, Standard 4 and the NRP monitoring strategy revealed that the state of reading achievement was still below average. This study therefore examined challenges that affect the implementation of NRP by teachers. The study was qualitative in nature and was guided by the Social Constructivist Theory. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with sixteen teachers, four head teachers, two Primary Education Advisors (PEAs) and one NRP Officer. Documentary analysis and classroom observations were done to triangulate data collected through interviews. The study revealed that improvements in aspects of education systems including proper training and distribution of teachers, improved school infrastructure and community involvement, etc., are certainly necessary to achieve universal literacy. The study also suggested that it is only through everyone’s hard work and commitment that would ensure the realisation of the important goal of having all Malawian children be able to read and write. The study is important because it provides a set of principles of learning about ideas and practices that promote learners’ academic achievement in reading and writing. Another anticipated value of the study is that it aggregates previous relevant studies on the problems surrounding the language curriculum implementation and synthesise the findings of previous studies.References
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38. Vygotsky, L.S. (1980). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
39. Wall, H. (2014). ‘When guided reading isn’t working: Strategies for effective instruction’. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 10(2), 134-141.
40. Wamba, N. and Mgomezulu, V. (2014). ‘The crisis in public education in Malawi’. International Journal of AdvancedResearch, 2(4), 323-331.
2. Adekola, O. A. (2007). Language, literacy and learning in primary schools: Implications for teacher development programs in Nigeria. Washington, DC: World Bank.
3. Allan, E. J. and Horn, N. (2013). Evaluation of the USAID funded textbooks and learning materials programmes (TLMP) in Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania. Washington, DC: USAID.
4. Buli-Holmberg, J. and Jeyaprathaban, S. (2016). ‘Effective practice in inclusive and special needs education’. International Journal of Special Education, 31(1), 119-134.
5. Campbell, J. (2014). Overloaded curriculum may lead to underperformance. Viewed 19 April 2019, from http://www.nst.com.my/news/2015/09/overloaded-curriculum-may-lead-underperformance.
6. Cekiso, M. (2012). ‘Reading comprehension and strategy awareness of Grade 11 English Second Language learners’. Reading and Writing, 3(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.4102/rw.v3il.23.
7. Cekiso, M. (2017). ‘Teachers’ perceptions of reading instruction in selected primary schools in Eastern Cape,’ Reading and Writing, 8(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.4102/rw.v8i1.158
8. Motitswe, J.M.C. (2012). Teaching and learning methods in inclusive classrooms in the foundation phase. Master’s Thesis, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa. Viewed 19 April 2019, from http://hdl.handle.net/10500/6037
9. Creswell, J.W. (2002). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative approaches to research. Upper Saddle River, NJ:Merrill/Pearson Education.
10. Dambudzo, I.I. (2015). ‘Curriculum issues: Teaching and learning for sustainable development in developing countries: Zimbabwe case study’. CanadianJournal of Education and Learning, 4(1), 11-24. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/jel.v4n1p11.
11. Education for All. (2014). EFA Global Monitoring Report (2013/14). Montreal: UNESCO.
12. Education Statistics. (2010). Education Management Information System (EMIS). Ministry of Education Science and Technology, Government of Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi.
13. Education Statistics. (2016-2017). Education Management Information System (EMIS). Ministry of Education Science and Technology, Government of Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi.
14. Graham, J. and Kelly, S. (2018). ‘How effective are early grade reading interventions?A review of the evidence (English)’. Policy Research Working Paper: No. 8292. Washington, D.C. : World Bank group.
15. Grauwe, A. (2007). ‘Transforming school supervision into a tool for quality improvement’. International Review of Education, 53, 709-714.
16. Kadzamira, E. and Rose, P. (2003). ‘Can free primary education meet the needs of the poor? Evidence from Malawi.’International Journal of Educational Development, 23, 501-516.
17. Kasmaienezhadfard, S., Pourrajab, M. and Rabbani, M. (2015). ‘Effects of pictures in textbooks on students’ creativity,’ Multi-Disciplinary Education Global Quest, 4 (2), 2250-3048.
18. Kim, Y.S.G., Boyle, H., Zuilkowski, S.S., and Nakamura, P. (2016). Landscape Report on Early Grade Literacy. Washington, DC: USAID. https://globalreadingnetwork.net/sites/default/files/research_files/LandscapeReport.pdf.
19. Kissau, S. and Hiller, F. (2013). ‘Reading comprehension strategies: An international comparison of teacher preferences’. Research in Comparative and International Education, 8(4), 437-454. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/rcie.2013.8A437.
20. Klapwijk, N.M. (2012). ‘Reading strategy instruction and teacher change: Implications for teacher training’. South African Journal of Education 32(2), 191-204. https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v32n2a618.
21. Klapwijk, N. M. and Van der Walt, C. (2011). ‘Measuring reading strategy knowledge transfer: Motivation for teachers to implement reading strategy instruction’. Per Linguam, 27(2), 25-40.
22. Mackey, A. and Gass, S. M. (2011). Research methods in second language acquisition. A practical guide. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444347340
23. Masina, L. (2014). Malawi schools to teach in English. Viewed 16 January 2019, from http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/08/malawi-schools-teach-english-local-debate-colonial-201482184041156272.html.
24. McDevitt, D. (1998). ‘How effective is the cascade as a method for disseminating ideas? A case study in Botswana’. International Journal of Educational Development, 18(5), 425-428.
25. Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MoEST). (2016). National Reading Programme. Lilongwe: MoEST.
26. Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MoEST). (2017-2018). National Reading Assessment. Lilongwe: MoEST.
27. Mulkeen, A. (2010). Teachers in Anglophone Africa: Issues in teacher supply, training and management. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank.
28. Patrinos, H.A. (2013). ‘The hidden cost of corruption: Teacher absenteeism and loss in schools’. In G. Sweeney, K. Despota and S. Lindner (Eds.), Global corruption report: Education, pp. 70-73, New York: Routledge.
29. Phiri, S. (2016). Why is performance in English different in Conventional and community day secondary schools yet they are resourced equally? Master’s Thesis, Mzuzu University, Mzuzu, Malawi.
30. Roskos, K., Strickland, D., Haase, J. and Maliki, S. (2009). First Principles for Early Grades Reading Programs in Developing Countries. New York: Reading Association in American Institutes for Research.
31. Rowe, K. (2005). ‘Evidence for the kinds of feedback data that supports both student and teacher learning’. Research conference proceedings, pp. 131-146, Camberwell, VIC: Australian Council for Educational Research.
32. Singh, R. and Sarkar, S. (2015). ‘Does teaching Matter? Students’ learning outcome related to teaching quality in public and private Primary schools in India’. International Journal of Education Development, 41, 153-163.
33. Stuart, J., Akyeampong, K. and Croft, A. (2009). Key issues in teacher education: A sourcebook for teacher educators in developing countries. Oxford, UK: Macmillan.
34. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. (2011). Doing business 2011 report: Economy rankings. Viewed 19 May 2019, from http://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings.
35. The World Bank Development Report. (2018). Learning to realise education’s promise. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank Group.
36. UNESCO, (2010). Global Monitoring Report. Education For All: Reading for the Marginalised. Paris: UNESCO
37. UNESCO. (2011). Global Monitoring Report. Education for All: Reading for the Marginalised. Paris: UNESCO.
38. Vygotsky, L.S. (1980). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
39. Wall, H. (2014). ‘When guided reading isn’t working: Strategies for effective instruction’. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 10(2), 134-141.
40. Wamba, N. and Mgomezulu, V. (2014). ‘The crisis in public education in Malawi’. International Journal of AdvancedResearch, 2(4), 323-331.
Published
2022-05-27
How to Cite
Mbale, G. and Hara, A. (2022) “Examining Challenges that Affect the Implementation of the National Reading Programme by Teachers: A Case of Selected Schools in Malawi”, Journal of Law and Social Sciences, 4(3), pp. 45-64. doi: https://doi.org/10.53974/unza.jlss.4.3.761.
Section
Articles