Teachers’ voices on the poor reading skills of Setswana-speaking Foundation Phase learners

• Published in: Reading & Writing Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 1 - 9
• Main Authors: Mokobe, Joyce, Badenhorst, Jo, Schlebusch, Luzaan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cape Town AOSIS 2025; African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS; AOSIS (Pty) Ltd; AOSIS Publishing on behalf of the Literacy Association of South Africa (LITASA)
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; African languages; Analysis; Case studies; Curricula; Early Reading; Educational Quality; Elementary school students; Elementary Schools; Evidence Based Practice; foundation phase; Grade 3; Grade 4; Graphemes; Humanities, Multidisciplinary; insufficient sources; International Assessment; Language; Language Skills; Learning; Linguistic Competence; Linguistics; Literacy; Literacy Education; Oral Language; Oral Reading; Orthography; Pedagogy; Phoneme Grapheme Correspondence; Phonemes; Phonemic Awareness; Phonemics; Phonics; Phonological Awareness; Phonology; Poverty; Problem solving; Reading ability; Reading comprehension; Reading instruction; Reading materials; Reading Skills; School Effectiveness; Setswana-speaking learners; Skills; Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary; Teacher education; teacher training; Teachers; Teaching; Tswana language; South Africa; United Kingdom; California; foundation phase; Setswana-speaking learners; insufficient sources; reading skills; teacher training
• ISSN: 2079-8245; 2308-1422; 2308-1422
• DOI: 10.4102/rw.v16i1.520

BackgroundProficient reading skills are crucial for Foundation Phase learners to develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. The 2021 PIRLS assessment highlighted alarmingly low reading proficiency among ten-year-olds. Effective reading instruction, and a positive reading environment are essential for developing confident, skilled readers.ObjectivesThis research focused on the reading instruction challenges of selected Setswana-speaking Foundation Phase teachers in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda Education District in the North West Province in South Africa.MethodUsing a qualitative approach, the study employed a multiple case study design, incorporating interviews and document analysis.ResultsThe findings revealed significant challenges for Grade 3 teachers in teaching reading to Setswana-speaking students. A key issue was inadequate training in reading instruction methods, which hindered their effectiveness. Teachers also lacked sufficient subject knowledge of Setswana, complicating their ability to support reading development. Additional problems included a severe shortage of essential resources: textbooks, visual aids, and access to libraries were limited, depriving learners of necessary reading materials and opportunities.ConclusionThe study highlighted the critical role of teacher training and sufficient resources in effective teaching and the impact of their absence on instructional challenges. It underscored the need for education authorities to address the difficulties rural schools and their staff face.ContributionCurrently, there is no effective system in place for teachers in this district to enhance reading instruction and better support their learners. This research aimed to address this gap by establishing how the extent of these problems may help identify measures to address them.