10.1 This conclusion will summarise the findings of the tests, and review syllabuses and classroom methodology relevant to reading in English. There are also some recommendations which, with help from donor agencies, could prove feasible.
10.2 The results of the Word Find group reading tests and the Read Aloud individual reading tests administered to standard 3, 4 and 6 pupils suggest that the reading ability in English of most pupils is lower than that needed to cope with their English coursebooks, and lower than their teachers estimate it.
10.3 Analysis of the Word Find subtests suggests that there is inadequate comprehension of English texts judged to be at their level in the 5 schools tested on the part of:
- approximately 65% of year 3 pupils
- approximately 89% of year 4 pupils
- approximately 78% of year 6 pupils
Year 6 pupils have adequate comprehension of material at year 3 and 4, but this is not likely to be sufficient to allow them to read to learn in English in other subjects at Year 6 level.
10.4 The findings of the individual Read Aloud tests, although more impressionistic, confirm the result of Word Find, in that they suggest the majority of pupils in Standards 3 and 4 have difficulty with material at aimed at their year level, although again most standard 6 pupils seem to cope well with material below their level. In addition, many pupils at all levels have difficulty in making appropriate inferences in reading. This may be a function of the preponderance of "plain sense" direct reference questions that occur in their books.
10.5 As far as methodology of teaching reading is concerned, the teacher training syllabuses have hitherto given too much prominence to "look and say" methods which stress accuracy of reading aloud, rather than promoting reading as a process of acquiring meaning from text. Although some attention to comprehension appears in the training syllabuses, it does not appear to work through to classroom teaching, where teachers seem overwhelmingly concerned with accurate reading aloud, and largely ignore the presentation of meaning and checking of understanding.
10.6 To compound the problems engendered by the predominant classroom methodology, the class sizes are frequently too large for the teacher to give any personal attention. In addition the provision of course books is quite inadequate, so that even those children who learn to read from the blackboard are unable to acquire the practice necessary to make them even moderately fluent readers. However, in the five schools tested there was no apparent link between Word Find test scores and (a) book provision, or (b) type of teacher qualification, or qualified versus unqualified teachers. There was a suggestion that smaller classes are linked to higher test scores. However, none of these findings should be regarded as indicative of general trends. A larger sample of schools, with larger differences between factors investigated, would be needed to come to firmer conclusions.
10.7 Although disquieting, the situation in Malawian primary schools is not entirely gloomy. There is a small proportion of pupils who do seem to read adequately at their level, despite the odds against them. If more of their colleagues are to achieve satisfactory standards however, attention should be given to the following:
First, more teachers should see reading as a process of meaning making, and not as a process of "barking at print". The approach in most classes that I observed appears to be a barrier to their pupils' progress. A more meaning-oriented approach would also require teachers to attend to the presentation of meaning of new language and to develop techniques for the checking of the understanding of meaning.
There are implications here for teacher trainers. They too need to appreciate the importance of seeing reading as essentially concerned with meaning. It may well be that the first priority in inservice courses should be to provide the trainers themselves with courses that expose them a variety of meaning-oriented approaches to reading.
This change of approach may be helped by the new teaching material Activities with English (currently being introduced; see 6.2) which is said to embody a methodology encouraging teachers and pupils to think of reading as a process of obtaining information and as an opportunity to be communicated with, rather than a process of parrotting the book or the teacher.
Recommendation 1: That regular inservice sessions be organised in connection with the new coursebooks, and that those responsible for the content of the sessions should ensure that a "meaning making" approach to reading is integrated into the sessions.
Recommendation 2: That when pre-service teacher training is taking place in the colleges, staff should ensure that a "meaning making" approach to the teaching of reading is given prominence, and that trainees are equipped with appropriate techniques for presenting meaning and checking understanding.
Recommendation 3: If the Ministry of Education assesses that future inservice training requires a larger cadre of specialists in the teaching of reading than is currently available, then the Ministry should consider the preparation of such specialists through short courses (about 10 weeks) which should take place entirely, or at least partly, in Malawi.
10.8 Pupils can "learn how to read" from the blackboard. The fact that the children tested were able to read in Chichewa is confirmation of this. Nevertheless pupils will not become fluent readers if they only read from the blackboard, or even if they only read texts from a coursebook presided over by the teacher. It is widely agreed (and supported by research) that people become fluent readers through doing a lot of reading - there is no short cut. Providing primary school classes with large numbers of different titles of simple readers in English to be used in self-access library mode would be a potentially beneficial step. However, simply providing schools with books is not enough. The books have to be appropriate in terms of linguistic level, so that learners can read them without undue difficulty. They should also be appealing in terms of content so that pupils want to read them. If the Ministry of Education were in a position to implement such a scheme, then it would be advisable to pilot it in selected schools for at least one term, in order to find out the types of books that have appeal, to practise book management schemes, and to ascertain the years at which it should operate. (Given that literacy in Chichewa is being established in the first four years, standards 5 and 6 might be considered appropriate.)
Recommendation 4: That the Ministry of Education should give consideration to providing large numbers of simple English readers for primary schools, to be used for self-access extensive reading through a "class book box" system. The books would have to be appropriate in terms of linguistic level and of content, and the scheme should first be piloted in selected schools.
10.9 The English component of the Standard 8 Primary School Leaving Certificate Examination will need to be changed to bring it into line with the new syllabus. The reading comprehension section in particular will need to be amended, and appropriate information needs to be sought to guide those amendments. The following recommendation is therefore made.
Recommendation 5: That specialist research be carried out into:
(a) specifying for the end of primary school the reading comprehension abilities which are:- relevant to current real life situations, as well as to likely future needs in Malawi;
- relevant to reading to learn in other school subjects;
- relevant to the majority of pupils who will end their schooling at Standard 8.(b) investigating test item types which lend themselves to the assessment of the selected reading abilities in addition to open-ended questions, bearing in mind the practicalities of production and marking.
10.10 To monitor reading achievement standards in English over time requires the development of a basic reading test. Such a test could form part of a national assessment system, should Malawi decide to pursue such a programme.
Recommendation 6: That a feasibility study be carried out into instituting a reading achievement test for Malawi primary schools. The study would look into the practical aspects (costs, appropriate Standard, sample size) and academic aspects (content, test format, etc).
10.11 There are other improvements that could be recommended such as refurbishing schools, providing desks for pupils, reducing the size of classes etc. All these would arguably have a beneficial effect on the learning of reading, which does not take place in a vacuum. The recommendations that have been made however, are those that focus upon reading, and provide relatively inexpensive, and practical help for the primary schools of Malawi.
