Abstract:
This study identifies factors predicting reading literacy achievement among Grade
4 students in South Africa by utilizing Vygotsky’s social interaction theory. The
study draws on the preProgress in International Reading Literacy Study
(prePIRLS) 2011 data, which places South African Grade 4 students’ results below
the international centre point of 500 at 461. For the current analysis, distinct items
from the prePIRLS 2011 parent, student, and teacher questionnaires predict
learning outcomes significantly, including parents talking to students about school
and assisting with homework, teachers’ degree of success in implementing the
school’s curriculum, and student responses on how clear teacher expectations are.
Findings explain 41% of the variance in student reading achievement and provide
evidence for the significant role of teachers and parents in predicting increased
reading literacy achievement scores. An absence of interaction with the child in
either parents who do not engage in homework activities or talking about school,
teachers who do not successfully implement the curriculum or make their
expectations clear to students link statistically significantly to lower reading
literacy achievement scores. Achievement for Grade 4 students who were tested in
African languages was adversely worse than those students by test language.
