Investigating Teaching Methods Used By Primary School Teachers In Otjiherero At A Combined School In Okahandja Circuit, Namibia

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the kinds of teaching methods primary school teachers use in teaching reading in Otjiherero at a school in the Okahandja circuit in order to determine their appropriateness in teaching reading. Two teachers were interviewed on the reading instructional methods which they used and were observed during reading instruction sessions. In addition, the study also tested the Otjiherero reading ability of 50 Grade 1 learners in the second term of the academic year 2016. This testing included an investigation of the learners phonological processing skills to determine their level of preparedness for learning to read in Otjiherero. Another aim of the study was an analysis of how much learners benefited from the reading instructional methods as employed by teachers. The study used a mixed-method research design whereby the quantitative part used explanatory correlational design while the qualitative part used a triangulation design. Data were analysed using the interpretive analysis and descriptive statistics. Results indicate that teachers did not use those reading instructional methods such as analogy phonics, embedded phonics and phonics through spelling that would accelerate the learners reading development. This resulted in the learners being unable to learn to read. Furthermore, results showed that learners lacked some phonological processing skills. These results suggest that the learners inability to learn to read are attributable to poor teaching. A significant correlation was noticed between learners’ ability to decode words and letter knowledge, and their phonological processing skills. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that teacher training institutions should ensure that teachers are trained in the different types of reading instructional methods, especially in exposing teachers to various methods of teaching phonics.