relationships between reading ability, vocabulary, reading attitudes and academic performance ...

228 Pages·2016·4.8 MB·English

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN READING ABILITY, VOCABULARY, READING
ATTITUDES AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG FORM 5 LEARNERS
IN SWAZILAND’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS
by
MLUNGISI WELLINGTON NXUMALO

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

MASTERS OF ARTS

in the subject of

APPLIED LINGUISTICS
at the
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA

SUPERVISOR: PROF ELIZABETH J. PRETORIUS

MAY 2016

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DECLARATION

I declare that Relationships between reading ability, vocabulary, and reading attitudes and
academic performance among Form 5 learners in Swaziland’s public schools is my own work
and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledge by
means of complete references.

…………………………………………………………………………. 30 may 2016
(Mr Mlungisi Wellington Nxumalo)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to acknowledge the contributions of the following:

 Prof EJ Pretorius, my supervisor, for her scholarly advice, unending support, patience and
commitment. This project would not have been completed without her assistance.

 My wife, Nozipho Nxumalo, for her support and understanding during my sleepless nights
as I worked on this project.

 My friend, Baggio, who always drove with me to Pretoria and offered invaluable support
when I worked on this project.

 Finally, to God be the glory for strength to complete it.

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ABSTRACT

It is well documented that reading plays a crucial role in success at school and beyond. Studies
indicate that reading not only contributes to academic performance, but also enriches
vocabulary. Positive reading attitudes and the will to read are factors that determine whether
or not students read at school. However, not much reading research has been conducted in
Swaziland. Using Form 5 learners from four public schools, this study explores the relationships
between reading ability, vocabulary, reading attitudes, habits and access and academic
performance among Form 5 Swazi learners. To complement the quantitative study, classroom
observations were conducted to contextualise the quantitative results. The combined findings
indicate that reading correlates robustly with vocabulary development and also with academic
performance. The findings suggest that the ability to read and understand text plays a dynamic
role in academic success. For students to be well informed and have a rich vocabulary, schools
should make reading a priority.
Key words: Reading comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, reading attitudes and academic
performance.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Introduction 1
1.1 Aims of the study 3
1.2 Rationale of the study 3
1.3 Research context 4
1.3.1 Official languages in Swaziland 4
1.3.2 Print based material in the official languages 5
1.3.3 Schooling in the Swazi context 6
1.3.4 Primary and Secondary school performance 8
1.3.5 Teacher training 10
1.3.6 Culture and learning in Swaziland 12
1.3.7 Socio-economic factors 14
1.3.8 Reading resources at high schools 16
1.3.9 Access to national libraries 19
1.3.10 Form 5 academic performance 20
1.4 Research problem 22
1.5 Research questions 23
1.6 Research method 23
1.7 The structure of the dissertation 24
1.8 Conclusion 25
CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
2.0 Introduction 26
2.1 Reading 26
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2.1.1 Definition of reading 27
2.1.2 Comprehension 27
2.1.2.1 Literal level 30
2.1.2.2 Inferential level 30
2.1.2.3 Evaluative level 31
2.1.2.4 Appreciative level 32
2.1.3 Response 33
2.1.4 Metacognition 33
2.1.5 Research findings on comprehension 34
2.2 Vocabulary knowledge 39
2.2.1 Knowing words 40
2.2.2 Receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge 44
2.2.3 Breadth of Vocabulary 46
2.2.4 Depth of vocabulary 48
2.2.5 Vocabulary learning 51
2.2.6 Incidental vocabulary learning 51
2.2.7 Explicit vocabulary teaching/learning 54
2.2.8 Reading and vocabulary knowledge 56
2.3 Academic performance 58
2.3.1 Definition of academic performance 59
2.3.2 Reading and academic performance 59
2.4 Reading attitudes 61
2.4.1 Formation of attitudes 62
2.4.2 Attitudes and academic performance 65
2.5 Conclusion 68

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CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction 69
3.1 Quantitative and qualitative research approaches 69
3.1.1 Quantitative approach 69
3.1.2 Qualitative approach 70
3.2 Validity and Reliability 70
3.2.1 Validity 70
3.2.1.1 Construct and criterion related validity 71
3.2.1.2 Face validity 71
3.2.1.3 Internal validity 72
3.2.1.4 External validity 72
3.3 Reliability of research instruments 73
3.3.1 Internal reliability 73
3.3.2 External reliability 75
3.4 Ethical considerations 75
3.5 The studies 76
3.5.1 Research context 77
3.5.2 Participants 80
3.5.3 Research instruments 80
3.5.4 Data collection procedures 82
3.5.5 Data coding and analysis 83
3.5.6 Results of the pilot study 84
3.5.7 Modifications of research instruments 87
3.5.8 Discussion 88
3.6 Main study 90
3.6.1 Research context 91
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3.6.2 Participants 93
3.6.3 Research instruments 93
3.6.4 Procedures 95
3.6.5 Data scoring and analysis 97
3.7 Conclusion 97
CHAPTER 4
RESULTS
4.0 Introduction 98
4.1 Relationship between reading, vocabulary and academic performance 98
4.2 Differences in performance between the two types of schools 103
4.3 Differences in performance between genders 106
4.4 Relationship between reading attitudes, habits, and access,
and performance in reading comprehension and vocabulary 108
4.5 Discussion of results 110
4.5.1 Reading, vocabulary and academic performance 110
4.5.1.1 Performance in RC questions 113
4.5.1.2 Vocabulary levels 115
4.5.1.3 Academic performance 117
4.5.1.4 Relationship between reading comprehension, vocabulary
and academic performance 118
4.5.2 Urban versus rural schools 118
4.5.3 Differences in performance between genders 120
4.5.4 Reading attitudes, habits and access, and reading
comprehension, vocabulary and academic performance 121
4.6 Conclusion 124

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CHAPTER 5
REFLECTION ON CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS
5.0 Introduction 126
5.1 Contextualizing the findings 127
5.1.1 Procedures 127
5.2 Observations at the schools 128
5.2.1 Observation in rural School A 129
5.2.1.1 Classroom practices and lesson evaluation 134
5.2.2 Observation in urban School B 137
5.2.2.1 Classroom practices and lesson evaluation 143
5.2.3 Similarities and differences in the two lessons 146
5.3 Conclusion 147
CHAPTER 6
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
6.0 Introduction 149
6.1 Overview of the study 149
6.2 Main trends in the findings 151
6.2.1 Trends in reading comprehension 151
6.2.2 Trends in vocabulary 153
6.2.3 Trends in the reading questionnaire 154
6.2.4 Trends from the class observations 156
6.3 Limitations of the study 158
6.4 Significance of the study in relation to reading research 160
6.5 Recommendations 164
6.6 Suggestions for further research 170
6.7 Concluding remarks 172

REFERENCES 174
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APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: LETTER OF PERMISSION FROM THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION 189
APPENDIX B: SAMPLE LETTER OF PERMISSION FROM SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 190
APPENDIX C: SAMPLE OF READING TEST 191
APPENDIX D: SAMPLE OF READING QUESTIONNAIRE 197
APPENDIX E: SAMPLE OF VOCABULARY LEVELS TEST 200
APPENDIX F: URBAN/ RURAL SPEARMAN’S CORRELATION FOR READING
ATTITUDES, HABITS AND ACCESS 206
APPENDIX G: URBAN/RURAL CORRELATIONS FOR READING, VOCABULARY
AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 209

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