Teachers' use of formative assessment in the teaching of reading comprehension in Grade 3

Abstract

The main objective of the research was to explore how teachers use formative assessment to enhance the teaching of reading comprehension to Grade 3 siSwatispeaking learners. While the research also sought to determine whether teachers’ practice of formative assessment supported learners’ comprehension of written text, it did not attempt to measure the learners’ achievements. The research was prompted by the low reading performance levels of South African Grade 3 learners, including Grade 3 learners in Mpumalanga. The study was qualitative in nature and was a case study of seven teachers from four primary schools. The paradigmatic position of the study was interpretive. Data was collected through individual semi-structured interviews, lesson observations and analysis of learners’ workbooks. Interviews were taped and transcribed. Data from the three sources was analyzed and reported in an integrated way through themes. The study developed a conceptual framework from the literature review. Various theories and concepts were identified, namely Vygotsky’s theory of learning and socio-cultural perspective (1978), Engeström’s activity system model (1987) and the formative assessment process (Harlen, 2000; Ruiz-Primo, 2011; Birenbaum, Kimron, Shilton & Shahaf-Barzilay, 2009). It was clear that effective use of formative assessment for reading comprehension requires collaboration between teachers and learners. Teachers should involve learners in the five phases of formative assessment of reading comprehension. The conceptual framework also implies that teachers should have pedagogical knowledge of the teaching of reading comprehension. Findings of this study revealed that participating teachers lacked knowledge of formative assessment; consequently they did not plan to use formative assessment to support the teaching of reading comprehension. Teachers did not communicate clear learning objectives and assessment criteria to the learners. As a result, learners did not know what they should achieve in a lesson and did not know how they should achieve it. Teachers did not develop learning activities that supported learners’ comprehension of the written text. Teachers often used literal and closed questions to assess reading comprehension. Teachers did not provide constructive feedback based on the learning objectives, and they did not comment on weaknesses and strengths with regard to the learning objectives. Teachers did not encourage learners to assess their own work or that of their peers. Therefore learners did not develop skills in assessing their own work; they relied on the teacher’s assessment. Furthermore, this study found that teachers were not trained in the teaching and formative assessment of reading comprehension. They did not have a variety of materials to teach reading to siSwati-speaking learners. Some schools did not receive the workbooks from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and had to make do with copies from the DBE workbook on a daily basis. Recommendations ensuing from this research are that the Department of Basic Education and the Mpumalanga Department of Education should equip Foundation Phase teachers with knowledge of and skills in formative assessment applicable to the teaching of reading comprehension. In addition, the Mpumalanga Department of Education should provide a variety of reading material for siSwati-speaking learners to support the teaching and learning of reading comprehension.