Running records (RR) as ’n leesassesseringstrategie om leesonderrig in Suid-Afrikaanse grondslagfaseklaskamers te ondersteun

Abstract

Vanuit internasionale en nasionale studies kan waargeneem word dat Suid-Afrikaanse grondslagfaseleerders sukkel om basiese leesvaardighede aan die einde van die fase te bemeester. Moontlike redes hiervoor is dat onderwysers ondoeltreffende leesassesseringstrategieë in hul klaskamers aanwend, en onakkurate pedagogie en leeskonteks gebruik om leesprobleme te identifiseer en leesvaardighede vir leerders te leer. Akkurate identifisering van leerders se leesprobleme is noodsaaklik om leesonderrigbeplanning, pedagogie en die onderrig van leesvaardighede korrek in te gee. Effektiewe ingryping en ’n leesassesseringstrategie is noodsaaklik om leerders se leesstruikelblokke aan te spreek en hulle leesvaardighede te verbeter. Running Records (RR) is ’n leesassesseringstrategie wat onderwysers moontlik kan ondersteun om leesprobleme te identifiseer en leesonderrig te rig. In hierdie kwalitatiewe studie is die moontlikheid om RR as ’n leesassesseringstrategie in Suid-Afrikaanse grondslagfaseklaskamers te gebruik vanuit ’n interpretivistiese paradigma ondersoek, en in hierdie artikel word ’n opsommende verslag hieroor gelewer. Die studie is gegrond in die geletterdheidsprosesseringsteorie en die onderwyseragentskapsteorie. Die geletterdheidsprosesseringsteorie is toegespits op die wyse waarop leerders geletterdheidsvaardighede ontwikkel en verkry, terwyl die onderwyseragentskapsteorie sigself toelê op die manier waarop onderwysers hul professionele mag en identiteit gebruik om leesassessering in die klaskamer toe te pas. In hierdie studie het sewe deelnemers (onderwysers) opleiding in die gebruik van RR ontvang. Daarna het hulle RR in hul klaskamers aangewend en terugvoer gelewer oor die uitvoerbaarheid van hierdie strategie in Suid-Afrikaanse grondslagfaseklaskamers. Daar is bevind dat RR die potensiaal het om geldige, betroubare en bestendige inligting op te lewer om leesonderrigbeplanning, pedagogie en leesvaardighede van leerders in te gee sodat leerders se leesstruikelblokke die hoof gebied kan word. Die bevindinge het ook aangedui dat RR leesonderrig akkuraat kan ingee slegs as onderwysers hoëgehalte-opleiding ontvang in die akkurate aanwending en gebruik daarvan. Derhalwe moet daar duidelike riglyne en opleiding verskaf word vir die gebruik van RR en moet onderwysers bereid wees om opleiding oor die gebruik van RR by te woon.

International and national studies have extensively reported on the poor reading outcomes of South African foundation phase learners. PIRLS reported that 78% of South African learners cannot read for meaning. Before readers can read for meaning, they must have mastered components of reading that include phonological awareness, decoding, word recognition, vocabulary knowledge, fluency and comprehension. It has been reported that reading assessment strategies that fail to identify learners’ reading needs and barriers in the classroom, as well as inappropriate reading instruction and pedagogy, contribute to poor reading outcomes. School practices also ignore the value of formative reading assessment, which aggravates poor reading outcomes. The accurate and early identification of learners’ reading needs and barriers is essential to inform the instructional planning and pedagogy of reading and the acquisition of reading skills. A need exists for a reading assessment strategy that validly, reliably and accurately identifies learners’ reading needs and barriers and can ultimately inform reading instructional decisions and planning. Reading assessment refers to the continuous process a teacher uses during different types of assessment (diagnostic, formative or summative) to gain information about learners’ reading ability, including their reading fluency, phonological awareness, phonics knowledge, decoding skills, vocabulary span, comprehension and self-correction pace. The purpose of reading assessment, especially in the foundation phase, is to assess a reader’s current performance in all these components of reading and to indicate in which areas of reading the reader needs more support.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits and limitations of RR and to determine whether, and if so, how RR can inform reading instruction planning and remove reading barriers. RR is an oral reading assessment strategy that can help teachers to identify reading barriers and inform reading instructional planning by systematically observing, monitoring and recording learners’ literacy processing skills and reading behaviour. Reading behaviour refers to the cognitive process and strategies readers use when they read, make errors and correct them by implementing reading strategies or reading cues. RR enables teachers to identify a reader’s accuracy rate, error rate and self-correction rate. The information provided about learners’ reading behaviour can help teachers make informed decisions about reading instruction and plan possible interventions.

RR is based on Mary Clay’s literacy processing theory, which supports RR from a theoretical-pedagogical perspective and focuses on how learners develop and acquire literacy skills and on the decision-making strategies a learner uses while reading. However, in this study participants’ professional agency also played a key role – this theory deals with the way teachers use their professional power and identity to apply reading assessment in the classroom. It is based on teachers’ professional actions and the decisions they made in the past to form decisions and actions for the present.

This qualitative exploratory case study aimed to establish collaborative and empowering partnerships with the participants to gain greater insight into their views of RR as a reading assessment strategy for the South African foundation phase classroom. An interpretivist paradigm was used to conduct the research and analyse the data. Seven participants were selected through purposive non-probability sampling. These participants were all qualified South African foundation phase teachers with more than two years’ teaching experience. They attended an online workshop on the use of RR, then applied it in their classrooms and provided feedback on the benefits and feasibility of this reading assessment strategy (specifically in South African foundation phase classrooms) and the limitations and challenges they experienced while implementing RR.

For data collection we used online questionnaires before the online workshop to determine the teachers’ existing knowledge of RR and reading assessment. After the online workshop, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted. Anecdotal notes were also collected in order to investigate the ways in which the participants had implemented RR. All the data was analysed using inductive content analysis in Atlas.ti qualitative analysis software. Ethical clearance was also obtained to conduct this research.

RR was found to provide reliable, valid and consistent information to use for reading instruction if implemented correctly and consistently. Moreover, it is a standardised strategy, has a logical layout, helps teachers identify learners’ reading behaviour and errors, guides future reading instruction, provides evidence of a learner’s reading progress, is a learner-centred strategy, does not disadvantage any learner and can be used in foundation phase classrooms. The limitations of RR that emerged from the data concern its implementation, which can be time-consuming and hampered by a school’s lack of funds. Furthermore, insufficient training of teachers in the use of RR can result in RR notes’ not being reliable, valid and consistent.

It was also evident from the findings that if RR is not implemented consistently and accurately, it can benefit some learners but disadvantage others. Furthermore, teachers may have insufficient knowledge and skills to select suitable reading material and may fail to test certain aspects of reading. However, the limitations of RR can be overcome if the time needed and the classroom size are taken into account. RR must also be implemented continuously throughout the year if it is to present a comprehensive picture of a learner’s reading skills.

If RR is implemented consistently and continuously, it has the potential to produce valid, reliable and consistent information that could inform reading instruction planning, pedagogy and improve the reading skills of foundation phase learners. However, the findings also indicated that RR can accurately inform reading instruction only if teachers receive high-quality training in its accurate application and use. Therefore, it is recommended that teachers be given clear guidelines and training in the use of RR. This article contains a detailed summary report on this as well as recommendations for future research.