The influence of a historically disadvantaged background on reading culture

Abstract

This article discusses the influence of historically disadvantaged background on the culture of reading in some primary school learners from a school district. Investigation for this article was administered through a qualitative research approach, assisting in attaining first-hand information directly from the participants, thereby generating nonnumerical data. Embedded in this qualitative investigation was a case study design. As qualitative research concentrates on acquiring a comprehended understanding of how individuals perceive lived experiences, the main purpose of entrenching a case study was to dig deep into the in-depth descriptions coupled with the personal experiences of the subjects. It draws from semi-structured interviews conducted with primary school language teachers. The interview schedule specifically designed for this inquiry contained open-ended question types. During interviews, recordings were made in their natural settings through interacting with each participant. Data coding and analysis were informed by the iterative approach. The main findings of this investigation indicate that (i) teaching reading remains one of the basic skills in learning but was (ii) compromised by the lack of reading material, stemming from the disadvantaged background of the studied schools. Also, though motivation by parents seems to yield good results, there seemed to be (iii) a lack of influence and intervention strategies regarding available resources in the learners’ homes. I argue that family background does correlate (have an impact on learner reading ability) with learners’ reading ability. I conclude and propose that teachers need to employ teaching and learning methods that accommodate various cultural notions learners bring to school, as this is likely to impart positively on their academic performance.

Keywords: {'name': 'Culture of reading, Disadvantaged background, Exposure, Reading material, Learning'}

Authors & affiliations

Bulelwa Makena
Affiliation not supplied

Deposited references

Supplied references, not a list of publications citing this article.

DOI: 10.1177/1362168818767191

Baleeta, M. (2005). Barriers to reading: Cultural background and the interpretation of literary texts. Kampala: Fountain Publishers Ltd.

DOI: 10.15700/saje.v38n3a1577

DOI: 10.1080/00131946.2016.1190366

DOI: 10.3102/0034654316669821

DOI: 10.4324/9781410607027

Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J Richardson (ed). Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education. New York, NY: Greenwood. Available at: https://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/fr/bourdieu-forms capital.htm (Accessed September 12, 2020).

Brozo, W. G. (2014). Literacy beginnings and futures: turning learners into lifelong readers. Available at: http://www.avi.fi/documents/10191/909204/Brozo (Accessed January 6, 2020).

DOI: 10.1037/a0036897

DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12397

Clark, R., Kirschner, P. & Sweller, J. (2012). The case for fully guided instruction. American Educator, 36(1), 6-11.

DOI: 10.5210/fm.v16i6.3340

Creswell, J. (2014). Research design : qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Cziko, C., Greenleaf, C., Hurwitz, L. & Schoenbach, R. (2000). ‘What is reading? An excerpt from reading for understanding’. The Quarterly, 22(3), 38–39.

Davis, B. (2016). Keynote speech presented at The Art and Science of Math Education. Canada: Carleton University.

DOI: 10.1080/00220671.2017.1302915

DOI: 10.1207/S15327809JLS1101_4

Flick, U. (2015). Introducing Research Methodology. Boston, USA: Sage.

Fisher, C. B. (2003). Choosing qualitative research: A primer for technology education researchers. Journal of Technology Education, 9, 47-63.

Hannah, H. (2021). How to Promote a Reading Culture in Schools. Available at: https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/how-to-promote-a-reading-culture-in-schools/ (Accessed November 11, 2021).

DOI: 10.3102/0013189X12445320

Houck, B. D. & Ross, K. (2012). ‘Dismantling the myth of learning to read and reading to learn’. ASCD Express, 7(11). Available at: http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/ vol7/711-houck.aspx (Accessed March 27, 2020).

Igwe, K. N. (2011). Reading culture and Nigeria’s quest for sustainable development. Library Philosophy and Practice. Available at:https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kn_Igwe/publication/280049170_Reading_Culture_and_Nigeria's_Quest_for_Sustainable_Development/links/5750f4a208aef67d0d8a7389/Reading-Culture-and-Nigerias-Quest-for-Sustainable-Development.pdf (Accessed June 7, 2020).

DOI: 10.1007/s11159-008-9104-1

DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2014.11.001

DOI: 10.1086/695534

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2016.10.007

DOI: 10.1111/flan.12314

Leipzig, D. H. (2001). What is reading? Available at: http://www.readingrockets.org/ article/what-reading (Accessed March 19, 2020).

Lynch, M. (2016). Examining the impact of culture on academic performance. Pennsylvania: Routledge.

Maree, K. (2008). First Steps in Action Research. Pretoria: Van Schaik.

DOI: 10.4324/9781315816876

DOI: 10.25115/ejrep.v18i50.2780

Miles, M. B. & Huberman, M. A. (1984). Qualitative data analysis: A sourcebook of new methods. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Mohd, A. R. (2003). Learning English in Malaysian rural schools: Attitudes, motivation, and anxiety. Frankfurt: Peter Lang.

OECD, (2007). Society at a Glance: OECD Social Indicators. Paris: OECD.

Onyango, M. A., Indoshi, F. C. & Ayere, M. A. (2015). Assessment of possible causes of poor reading culture of secondary school students in Ugunja district, Siaya County, Kenya. International Journal of Educational Policy Research and Review, 2(6), 60-68.

DOI: 10.1007/s11145-016-9682-4

DOI: 10.4314/jlt.v38i1.6027

DOI: 10.1111/lit.12188

DOI: 10.1002/rrq.158

Ren, C. R. & Xin, T. (2013). Longitudinal study on predicting effect of social economic status on students’ performance. Educational Researcher, 398, 79–87.

DOI: 10.1080/00223891.2017.1418748

DOI: 10.1177/1362168816659681

DOI: 10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0664

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2010.06.008

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2010.06.001

Tomasello, M. (2003). Constructing a language: A usage-based theory of language acquisition. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University

UNESCO, 2009. Statistics -literacy 2000. Available at: URL:www./en/stats/statistics/literacy2000.htm (Accessed May 22, 2020).

DOI: 10.4324/9781410615299

VanPatten, B., & Williams, J. (2002). Research criteria for tenure in second language acquisition: Results from a survey of the field. Unpublished manuscript. University of Illinois at Chicago

DOI: 10.1177/1474022209349767

DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2016.00248

White, R. & Cooper, K. (2012). Critical Leadership and Social Justice: Research, Policy and Educational Practice. USA-China Education Review, 5(1), 517–532. Available at: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED534295.pdf (Accessed June 2, 2020).

Winter, P. G. (2014). A critical overview of models of reading comprehension. Focus on Cognitive Aspects, 1(3), 156-160.

Zare, P. (2012). Language Learning Strategies Among EFL/ESL Learners: A Review of Literature. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2(5), 162-169.