Abstract

Reading comprehension in English language is a challenge among learners at all levels of education in Malawi. The government of Malawi through MoEST with support from USAID and DFID is implementing a National Reading Programme (NRP) and English Language Proficiency (EPL). NRP and ELP aim at improving literacy skills through building teachers’ capacity to teach literacy skills at primary school. ELP programme is a result of studies that have shown that Early Grade reading (EGRA) alone has not helped much in improving literacy acquisition in primary school learners in Malawi (MIE, 2017). However, the focus has been on the basic level of education and little has been done in order to improve learners’ reading comprehension abilities at secondary school level. At secondary school level, the problem of low reading comprehension is more pronounced in Community Day Secondary Schools as compared to Conventional Secondary Schools. The current study aimed at assessing the practices that teachers of English use when teaching reading comprehension in CDSSs. This was done to find out if the practices are appropriate for enhancing learners’ reading comprehension abilities. A qualitative research design was employed and the schools involved in the study were selected using convenient sampling while the respondents were selected using purposive sampling. The sample comprised two schools, three teachers and forty learners. Data was generated using qualitative methods. Data was analysed qualitatively using thematic approach. The study found that much as the teachers were using the recommended practices which would enhance learners reading comprehension abilities, but, the practices were not used effectively and were inadequate. The study also showed that teachers encountered many challenges in the use of different practices and the solutions the teachers used did not help to enhance learners’ reading comprehension abilities to a larger extent. The study concludes that unless teachers start to use the practices effectively and that the challenges they encounter are minimised, learners reading comprehension abilities in the two schools studied will continue to be low.

More details

School	: School of Education
Issued Date	: 2019

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