Investigating the reading comprehension ability of Grade 9 (Form 2) learners at Bulawayo Central District high schools in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Reading ability is important in education, as it transcends all forms of learning. Poor reading performance usually means that a learner will encounter challenges and perform poorly at school. Grade 9 (Form 2) learners in Zimbabwe were thought to have been disadvantaged during Zimbabwe’s economic turmoil of 2006 to 2008. There were so many disruptions and instances of absenteeism in government schools at the time that these learners did not receive adequate instruction. The aim of the study was to investigate the reading comprehension levels of Grade 9 (Form 2) learners in Bulawayo Central District high schools in Zimbabwe. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to collect data to establish the learners’ reading proficiency and determine what factors influenced their reading. Forty-eight learners from government schools and 22 from private schools voluntarily wrote a reading comprehension test and provided narratives on their reading development. The test results were analysed using ANOVA and the narratives were analysed using content analysis. The test results showed that the reading comprehension level of the cohort of Grade 9 (Form 2) learners in government schools was below that expected for Grade 4. The narratives of the government school learners were also fraught with errors, whereas private school learners wrote better narratives. The study therefore showed that the reading proficiency of the learners who were in Grade R in 2008 was below the required level. Recommendations are made for interventions to improve the reading proficiency of these learners before they embark on studies at tertiary level.