Report on reading in English in primary schools in Zambia - Education Research Paper No. 05, 1993, 55 p.

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4. Description of the project

4.1. Aims of the project
4.2. Project timetable outline
4.3. The initial field trip
4.4. Final test instruments
4.5. Sample of schools
4.6. Data structure for tests

4.1. Aims of the project

The aims of the project were:

(i) to investigate reading proficiency in English in primary schools in Zambia. Data for this was collected through two reading tests.

(ii) to report methods used by teachers in rural and urban primary schools in the teaching of reading. Information was gathered through recorded observation of classes.

(iii) to describe resource levels within schools (qualified teachers, class sizes and number of English books). Data was gathered through structured interviews with teachers.

(iv) to characterise the approach to the teaching of reading in teacher training colleges. The information was collected through interviews with college staff and examination of syllabuses.

4.2. Project timetable outline

(i) planning and background research (October, 1991)
(ii) initial field trip of one week (November 1991)
(iii) the preparation of data collection instruments and planning for main visit (March-April 1992)
(iv) the main data collection trip of two weeks (May, 1992).
(v) analysis and writing up (June & November, 1992)

The total time allocated to all phases listed above was 9 weeks.

4.3. The initial field trip

4.3.1. During the initial field trip in autumn 1991 visits were made to two urban schools and one rural school. Visits were made to Inspectors in the Ministry of Education, to the Curriculum Development Centre, to one Teachers Training College and to the University of Zambia.

4.3.2. Data Collection Instruments used in the Initial Trip

Classroom Observation: A number of classroom observation schedules were considered. However, they were abandoned as not appropriate to the conditions. Instead, a running record of lessons was made on the spot and they were also recorded on audio tape.

Reading Tests: For individual reading aloud the Macmillan Individual Reading Analysis (Vincent and de la Mare, 1990), hereafter referred to as MIRA, was used. For group reading two tests were used: Cloze Reading Tests, Level 1 (Young, 1982), and a slightly modified version of Word Search 1B (Godfrey Thomson Unit, 1986). These tests are intended for British schoolchildren, and while they are not appropriate for other countries it was felt that they would serve as a guide to the preparation of final test instruments.

4.3.3. Initial Field Trip: Observation and Testing

Observation and/or testing was carried out in a total of 9 classes as follows:

Year	Schl 1 (urb)	Schl 2 (urb)	Schl 3 (rural)
1	Observe	-	Observe
2	Observe	-	Observe
3	Observe	-	Observe + Test
4	Test	-	-
5	-	Observe + Test	-
6	Test	-	-
7	-	-	-

4.3.4. Testing of Reading in the Initial Visit.

MIRA (which consists of the pupil reading aloud a series of graded passages, each followed by questions) was administered to two pupils (one boy, one girl) in all classes where "Test" is indicated above. The sessions were recorded. In addition, in Year 6 of School 1, Word Search was administered to 20 pupils (10 boys, 10 girls) and Cloze Reading Tests to 25 pupils (17 boys and 8 girls).

4.3.5 Conclusions from the Initial Visit

(i) that recording classroom methodology through keeping a running record and audio recording was entirely adequate.

(ii) that a modified cloze format with deleted words provided was a fairer format than the cloze format (see Appendix C).

(iii) that a culturally appropriate version of a "read aloud" test should be devised.

(iv) that it would be desirable to test reading in Nyanja. The reason for this was that poor performance in an English language reading test could be attributed either to low ability in English or low ability in reading. If pupils were to score high in Nyanja and low in English then this would suggest an English language problem.

(v) that testing of reading should be carried out at years 3, 4 and 6. Testing at years 1 or 2 would be inappropriate since very little achievement would be registered (this does not, of course, mean that no learning is going on in those years). Year 6 was selected as a point by which pupils should be recording reasonable progress.

4.4. Final test instruments

(i) a new series of "read aloud" passages was prepared. They consisted of five graded passages based upon language from the course books followed by questions (see Appendix D).

(iii) a group reading test was prepared which consisted of a series of short paragraphs from which 4 or 6 words had been deleted. Above each paragraph was a box which contained the deleted words plus 2 extra (for 4 deletions) and 3 extra (for 6 deletions). The total number of items was 60. This test is referred to as Word Find (see Appendix E for extracted examples). Pupils are familiar with the gap-filling technique from the tests and exercises used by their teachers. In addition the test administration included a practice section which the whole class did together. The texts in which the Word Find items occur were based on language appearing in the English language course books as follows:

Texts for items	1 - 20:	Year 2 or below.
Texts for items	21 - 40:	Year 3 or below.
Texts for items	41 - 60:	Mainly Year 6 or below.

All pupils were asked to attempt all 60 items. It should be noted that control of supposed English language input is difficult as the curriculum is taught mainly through English from year 1 in Zambian primary schools.

(iv) a similar test to Word Find was prepared for Nyanja (referred to here as Nyanja V.01; see Appendix F). It was based on rough translations of the English version, although no claim for equivalence is made, or necessary.

4.5. Sample of schools

The tests were administered in two urban schools (in Lusaka) and three rural schools (in the North Eastern Province). This is not a geographically representative sample in that approximately 50% of the Zambian population live in urban areas. This is to be borne in mind in the interpretion of the results. Likewise only 2 provinces out of 9 are sampled. This project is therefore a descriptive survey rather than one based on sampling, a procedure which shortage of time and resources made impossible (a 1.5% sample of grade 4 children alone would amount to over 3,000 children). The schools in Zambia were selected by the British Council and Zambian Ministry of Education officials. A Nyanja (Chichewa) speaking area in the North Eastern province was selected to ensure that the Nyanja reading tests would be appropriate. It might also be claimed that four categories of sample, namely urban central, urban peripheral, rural on-road and rural off-road would have been more suitable. However, precise information on schools within these hypothesised categories was not available.

4.6. Data structure for tests

4.6.1. Reading Test: Word Find

This group test was administered by the researcher and/or a Ministry helper. Tests were administered to intact classes if those classes were less than 34. In cases of larger classes a representative sample of 34 or 40 pupils was requested, if possible with equal numbers of girls and boys. Data from the written test was in this way collected from the following numbers of pupils (the schools are referred to by letters, to preserve anonymity):

Schools

Year	Sex	Rural				Urban		Total
		C	D	K	(Total)	J	T	(Total)
3	Boys	17	6	17	(40)	13	14	(27)	67
3	Girls	22	4	17	(43)	22	19	(41)	84
4	Boys	24	8	17	(49)	17	12	(29)	78
4	Girls	13	10	8	(31)	17	22	(39)	70
6	Boys	12	16	18	(46)	15	18	(33)	79
6	Girls	12	20	15	(47)	15	12	(27)	74
Total		100	64	92	(256)	99	97	(196)	452

4.6.2. Read Aloud Tests

For the read aloud tests the teacher of each class which had done Word Find was asked to select a high ability boy and girl, and an average ability boy and girl from the class. Due to time constraints it was not possible to test 4 pupils from all relevant classes. However, in rural School I (where Word Find was not administered) pupils from Grades 4 and 6 did the read aloud test. The final data structure for the read aloud test was as follows:

Schools

Yr	Sex	Rural					Urban		Total
		C	D	K	I	(Total)	J	T	(Total)
3	Boys	1	2	0	0	(3)	2	0	(2)	5
3	Girls	1	2	0	0	(3)	2	0	(2)	5
4	Boys	1	2	0	1	(4)	2	2	(4)	8
4	Girls	1	2	0	1	(4)	2	2	(4)	8
6	Boys	1	2	1	1	(5)	2	2	(4)	9
6	Girls	1	2	1	1	(5)	2	2	(4)	9
Total		6	12	2	4	(24)	12	8	(20)	44

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