Gender differences in reading and listening comprehension of South African primary school English language learners

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between reading comprehension (RC) and listening comprehension (LC) of Grade 4 Sesotho home language (HL) learners in English while examining gender differences in these two comprehension skills. English serves as the Language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT) in many South African schools, leading to a transition for learners to study all subjects in English from Grade 4. The Simple View of Reading model, which posits that language is essential for the success of RC and LC, was employed as the theoretical framework. This study is based on the post-positivism paradigm, uses a cross-sectional quantitative approach, and is deductive in nature. The study sample comprised 84 male (n = 38) and female (n = 46) Grade 4 Sesotho HL learners in two schools in the Gauteng province. Data was collected using the Annual National Assessments chosen for their validity and reliability in assessing learners. The Spearman correlation and the Mann-Whitney tests were utilised, and they indicated a significant positive correlation between RC and LC. At the same time, gender differences in RC and LC were found to be statistically insignificant. The research has revealed a gap in existing literature as there are no prior studies on the relationship between RC and LC of Grade 4 South African Sesotho HL learners and the role that gender plays in this relationship. Future recommendations include conducting longitudinal studies on the RC and LC development of Grade 4 Sesotho HL learners to establish causation, which will help to understand the underlying factors that impact comprehension skills over time.