Centre for Evaluation & Assessment (CEA) (Reports)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/65220

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Progress in International Reading Literacy Study 2021 : South African main report
(Department of Basic Education, 2023) Roux, Karen; Van Staden, Surette; Tshele, Mishack; Department of Basic Education
The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) assesses reading comprehension and monitors trends and indicators of growth in reading literacy at five-year intervals. This project falls under the auspices of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). The PIRLS international scale has a range that is set from 0 to 1 000, with a centre point of 500, and a standard deviation of 100. PIRLS 2021 marks the fourth cycle of South Africa’s participation in the study. Studies like PIRLS allow participating countries to make international comparisons across education systems and monitor trends and indicators of growth in the early phases of children’s education. While attention will be drawn to the overall league table standings that are released after every cycle to indicate country positions, the value of large-scale international assessments is most valuable in analysing data and trends against the IEA’s tripartite curricular framework. In this framework, the link between the intended curriculum (as described by policy and curricular documents), the implemented curriculum (that which is taught in schools) and the attained curriculum (as seen by learner achievement) is essential for ensuring that assessment instruments that are developed are fair, reliable, valid and accurate for cross-national use. It is important to note that PIRLS 2021 is the first international large-scale assessment to report achievement trends after successfully collecting data during the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing 400 000 students in 57 countries. PIRLS achievement trends in fourth grade reading show a negative impact from the COVID-19 pandemic; home and school socioeconomic status persist as strong indicators of achievement; most children attend schools with positive environments; and many learners and their parents only “somewhat” like reading. Among the 57 participating countries, Africa is underrepresented and South Africa is one of three countries to participate with countries using developed education systems from the global north (Europe, North America, Middle and Far East). In the Sub-Saharan region, South Africa is the only participating country.
PIRLS Literacy 2016 : South African Highlights Report (Grade 4)
(Centre for Evaluation and Assessment (CEA), 2017) Howie, Sarah J.; Combrinck, Celeste; Roux, Karen; Tshele, Mishack; Mokoena, Gabriel; McLeod Palane, Nelladee
How well do South African Grade 4 learners read when compared internationally and locally in the 11 official languages? Can Grade 4 learners read for meaning by the end of their scholastic year? These are but some of the many critical questions the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) aimed to answer when South Africa participated in the 2016 round. The PIRLS Literacy assessment contains easier passages and questions when compared to the standard PIRLS assessment. Due to the low South African achievement in previous rounds of participation, South Africa opted to participate in PIRLS Literacy at Grade 4 level in the 2011 and 2016 cycles. Despite the fact that the South African Grade 4 learners wrote easier passages than most of their international counterparts, South Africa was the lowest performing country out of 50 and was on average 6 schooling years behind the top performing countries. South Africa participated at a national level, and Grade 4 samples were drawn to represent all 11 languages and the nine provinces. The highlight report includes comparisons between the 2011 and 2016 cycles as well as international reading literacy benchmarks reached. The report concludes that South Africa faces many challenges when developing reading literacy at Grade 4 level. Findings include that learners who attended schools in rural areas and townships and were taught in the African languages in Foundation Phase tend to have lower reading literacy comprehension when compared to other learners in the study. Boys also emerged as a vulnerable group who need additional assistance as they have significantly lower reading literacy achievement when compared with girls.
PIRLS 2016 : South African Highlights Report
(Centre for Evaluation and Assessment (CEA), 2017) Howie, Sarah J.; Combrinck, Celeste; Tshele, Mishack; Roux, Karen; McLeod Palane, Nelladee; Mokoena, Gabriel
The Grade 5 reading literacy achievement of learners who wrote in Afrikaans, English and isiZulu are reported in the PIRLS 2016 highlights report. The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is a worldwide study involving more than 50 countries and is conducted once every 5 years. South Africa participated in the PIRLS 2016 study at Grade 5 level as a benchmarking participant. A representative sample was drawn for the three languages (Afr/Eng/Zul), and learners wrote in the language of learning and teaching (LoLT) to which they had been exposed in Foundation phase. The Grade 5 report reveals challenges faced in teaching and learning reading literacy and offers insights and recommendations. South Africa remains one of the lowest achieving countries, and the reading literacy crisis as well as potential reasons thereof are discussed in the report.
ePIRLS 2016 : South African Highlights Report
(Centre for Evaluation and Assessment (CEA), 2017) Howie, Sarah J.; Combrinck, Celeste; Roux, Karen; Tshele, Mishack; Mtsatse, Nangamso; McLeod Palane, Nelladee; Mokoena, Gabriel
The difference between reading on-line and reading on paper for Grade 5 learners in Gauteng was explored in a multiple case study when South Africa participated in ePIRLS 2016. The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) introduced a simulated on-line reading assessment to their 2016 cycle. Due to various challenges of sampling and implementation, the study is classified as a multiple case study. The study revealed some of the problems South Africa faces in terms of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) capacity in primary schools as well as conducting research using computer-based assessments. Due to schools lacking ICT infrastructure as well as inaccurate information regarding ICT capacity in schools, it was not possible to draw a random sample in Gauteng. Schools from disadvantaged backgrounds, especially African language schools, was found to be the most likely to lack ICT capacity. The study revealed that there was no significant difference between reading on-line when compared to paper-based. But learners who had more access to ICT resources were likely to read well both on-paper and on-line but this may be due to other socio-economic factors.
PIRLS 2011 : South African Children’s Reading Literacy Achievement Report
(Centre for Evaluation and Assessment (CEA), 2012) Howie, Sarah J.; Van Staden, Surette; Tshele, Mishack; Dowse, Cilla; Zimmerman, Lisa
After participation in PIRLS 2006, South Africa participated in once again in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS 2011). In PIRLS 2011, the South African study assessed a Grade 5 population in an attempt to develop trends from PIRLS 2006 to PIRLS 2011. However, to assess Grade 4 learners, South Africa opted to participate in the preProgress in International Reading Literacy Study (prePIRLS) 2011, a less difficult version of PIRLS which allows developing countries to assess children’s reading comprehension with shorter texts, easier vocabulary, simpler grammar and less emphasis on higher-order reading skills. PrePIRLS is designed to test basic reading skills that are preconditions for success in PIRLS. For purposes of participating in prePIRLS 2011, South African Grade 4 learners were assessed across all 11 official languages. The PIRLS 2011 Summary report provides an overview of the main findings of the PIRLS and prePIRLS 2011 study in South Africa. Chapter 1 provides a background and introduction to the study, while chapter 2 provides insights on reading curricula and literacy in South Africa. Chapter 3 details the research design and conceptual framework for PIRLS and prePIRLS 2011, with chapter 4 and 5 paying attention to the overall results and results by international benchmarks. Chapters 6 to 8 provides a summary of contextual background results from the home, the school, the teacher and the learners themselves on issues of reading activities at home, teaching reading and learners’ reading self-concepts, before concluding the report with Chapter 9.
PIRLS 2006 Summary Report : South African Children’s Reading Achievement
(Centre for Evaluation and Assessment (CEA), 2007) Howie, Sarah J.; Venter, Elsie; Van Staden, Surette; Zimmerman, Lisa; Long, Caroline; Du Toit, Cecilia Magdalena; Scherman, Vanessa; Archer, Elizabeth; Nel, Cilla; Botha, Monica; M Consulting CC
The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is an international comparative survey of reading literacy of Grade 4 (9 year-old) learners. The study was established to provide countries with information about learners’ achievement in the core curriculum area of reading to complement the mathematics and science data provided by the Trends in International Mathematics and Science study (TIMSS). PIRLS is run under the auspices of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (the IEA). As an organisation, the IEA undertakes international studies that benchmark performance of school-going children in mathematics, science, civic education, information, communication, technology and reading, to name several, across more than 60 countries. PIRLS takes the form of a cross-sectional survey at it is administered to a different sample of Grade 4 learners every five years, as well as a trend study that allows for comparisons to be made from one cycle to the next. As an international comparative study, PIRLS not only provides the participating education systems with the opportunity to assess reading literacy achievement, but also provides an opportunity for those repeat participating countries another cycle in which to establish 5-year trends in reading literacy achievement worldwide. As a trend study, PIRLS retains a selection of reading passages to allow for the repeat administration of that selection in future assessment cycles in order for comparisons to be made from one cycle of assessment to the next. Apart from measuring children’s reading literacy achievement, the PIRLS assessment also makes use of contextual questionnaires that are administered internationally to Grade 4 learners, Grade 4 teachers, school principals and Grade 4 learners’ parents to gauge reading attitudes and behaviours. After absence from the PIRLS study undertaken in 2001, South Africa’s first participation in the survey took place in the 2006 cycle. The South African PIRLS 2006 study assessed a first population of Grade 4 learners, but also included a second population of Grade 5 learners as a national option within the study (Howie, Venter, van Staden, Zimmerman, Long, Scherman & Archer, 2009). Grade 4 learners achieved on average 253 points (SE=4.6). South African Grade 5 learners achieved the lowest score of the 45 participating education systems of 302 (SE=5.6). Average achievement for both these grades was well below the fixed international reference average of 500 points. The PIRLS 2006 Summary report provides an overview of the main findings of the PIRLS 2006 study in South Africa. Chapter 1 provides a background and introduction to the study, while chapter 2 provides insights on reading curricula and language policies in South Africa. Chapter 3 details the research design and conceptual framework for PIRLS 2006, with chapter 4 and 5 paying attention to the overall results and results by international benchmarks. Chapters 6 to 11 provides a summary of contextual background results from the home, the school, the teacher and the learners themselves on issues of reading activities at home, teaching reading and learners’ reading self-concepts.
Moving from a discourse of access to reading instructional materials to the management and utilisation thereof : Progress International Reading Literature Study at Grade 4 in South Africa
(Unisa Press, 2016-12) Zimmerman, Lisa; Howie, Sarah J.; sarah.howie@up.ac.za
Two cycles of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) were completed in South Africa in 2006 and 2011. In this article, we investigate the qualities of high-performing reading literacy schools for optimal resource management and utilisation strategies for possible application to low-performing schools. We do this against the background of reports on reading resource shortages and inadequacies in the context of reading literacy learning from both of the PIRLS main studies. This is done by comparing six case study schools with varying contexts and performance levels. The findings from a secondary analysis using the PIRLS 2006 data together with six case studies using international reading benchmarks from PIRLS 2006 to depict performance levels, confirmed that learners in low-performing schools from the study had inadequate access to reading instruction resources. This appeared partly attributable to inadequate funding and government provisioning; ineffective resource management at school level and non-resourcefulness of teachers at classroom level exacerbating reading resource inadequacies; as well as ineffective utilisation of materials at these low-performing schools. The resource management and utilisation strategies of high-performing case study schools were found to be potential models for schools with inadequate strategies.
Van implementering tot verwesentliking : aanwending van resultate van internasionaal vergelykende studies
(AOSIS Open Journals, 2016-02-11) Van Staden, Surette; surette.vanstaden@up.ac.za
Die prestasies van Suid-Afrikaanse leerders in internasionaal vergelykende studies bly voortdurend swak, wat vrae laat ontstaan oor die kwaliteit van onderwys wat aan Suid- Afrikaanse kinders gebied word in die verskillende grade en fases van formele skoolonderrig. Ernstige kommer oor leerders se swak prestasies oorheers navorsing en opvoedkundige debatte in Suid-Afrika. Ondanks goeie oogmerke, soos die hersiening van beleid en leerplanne, en die fokus op implementering, deur middel van kurrikulêre voorsiening en ondersteuning aan onderwysers, bly die verwesentliking in terme van leerders se prestasie teleurstellend swak. Hierdie studie ondersoek data verkry uit die preProgress in International Reading Literacy Study (prePIRLS) van 2011. Die prestasie van Suid-Afrikaanse Graad 4-leerders is op ’n punt van 461 bereken, wat beduidend laer is as die internasionale gemiddeld van 500 (SE = 3.7). Resultate van die prePIRLS 2011-studie word gebruik as bewys van die bereiking van kurrikulêre doelwitte op die Graad 4-vlak, oor die spektrum van 11 Suid-Afrikaanse landstale. Norme of maatstawwe, soos afgelei uit die resultate, word verder ondersoek om moontlike verbeteringe aan te wys in die implementering van leerplanne in die klaskamer. Gevolgtrekkings sluit voorstelle in oor hoe onderwyspraktyk voordeel kan trek uit die bevindings van internasionaal vergelykende studies.
Developing early readers : patterns in introducing critical reading skills and strategies to South African children
(AOSIS OpenJournals Publishing, 2014-11-14) Combrinck, Celeste; Van Staden, Surette; Roux, Karen; surette.vanstaden@up.ac.za
This study draws on the preProgress in International Reading Literacy Study (prePIRLS) 2011 data. It aims to illustrate the effect of early home literacy activities and the early introduction of reading skills and strategies in the school setting on reading literacy achievement amongst South African Grade 4 learners across the 11 official languages. South African learner performance is consistently poor across a variety of international assessment programmes. The prePIRLS 2011 study results place South African Grade 4 learners’ results substantially below the international centre point of 500 at 461 (SE = 3.7). As part of the reading achievement assessment, prePIRLS 2011 gathered background information in the form of learner, parent, teacher and school questionnaires. This study investigates two aspects as reported by parents and school principals of Grade 4 learners: firstly, parents of Grade 4 learners reported in the Learning to Read survey (or Parent Questionnaire) on the frequency with which early home literacy activities were conducted in the home before the learner commenced schooling. Secondly, principals of learners reported on the grade level (from Grade 1 to Grade 4 and beyond) at which a number of critical reading skills and strategies were introduced to learners. Fourteen such skills are identified, ranging from basic skills to skills with increased complexity. This study links the frequency of early home literacy activities, as reported by Grade 4 learners’ parents, and the introduction of the 14 reading skills, as reported by school principals, to learner achievement scores in the prePIRLS 2011 assessment.
Factors that affect South African reading literacy achievement : evidence from prePIRLS 2011
(EASA, 2014-08) Van Staden, Surette; Bosker, Roel; surette.vanstaden@up.ac.za
This study aims to identify factors that predict reading literacy achievement among Grade 4 learners in South Africa by utilising aspects of Carroll’s model of school learning. The study draws on the preProgress in International Reading Literacy Study (prePIRLS) 2011 data, which places South African Grade 4 learners’ results substantially below the international centre point of 500 at 461 (SE = 3.7). Selected items from the prePIRLS 2011 learner, parent and teacher questionnaires were used in a two-level model to determine the effect of learner aptitude, opportunity to learn and quality of instructional events on reading literacy achievement. The results point to the statistical significance of engaged reading and cultivating motivation for reading among learners from an early age, specifically through parental involvement in introducing early literacy activities as foundation of reading literacy by school-going age. Other results provide evidence for the importance of the value of reading across the curriculum not confined to formal reading lessons only. The teaching of reading comprehension skills and strategies is identified as a significant predictor of reading literacy achievement, instruction of which should form an integral part of teaching reading in the classroom.
Reading between the lines : contributing factors that affect grade 5 student reading performance as measured across South Africa's 11 languages
(Routledge, 2012-01) Van Staden, Surette; Howie, Sarah J.; surette.vanstaden@up.ac.za
This paper reports on the South African results of a study to identify and explain relationships between some major factors associated with successful reading at Grade 5. With 11 official languages, educational policy in South Africa advocates an additive bilingualism model and students in Grade 1 to 3 are taught in their mother tongue. Thereafter, the language of learning and teaching changes to a second language, which in most cases is English. With this complexity of issues, Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was used to determine the effect of a number of explanatory variables at student- and school level on reading achievement as outcome variable, while controlling for language using the South African PIRLS 2006 data. Utilizing Creemers’ Comprehensive Model of Educational Effectiveness (Creemers and Reezigt, 1999) as theoretical point of departure, this paper will focus on the results of an overall South African model with student- and school level variables.

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