Teaching methods used by Grade One educators whilst developing reading skills.

Abstract

This study is an exploration of teaching methods used by Grade One educators whilst developing reading skills at a school in Durban. The researcher has positioned herself within an Interpretivist paradigm in order to approach this study. It is a case study which has been conducted specifically at one primary school in Durban with three Grade One educators as participants. The researcher targeted this group in the full knowledge that it does not represent the wider population and there is no attempt to generalise the findings (Cohen, Manion & Morrison 2000). Purposive sampling has been used because it focusses on participants who are information-rich, based on the purpose of the study (Maree, 2007). Cohen et al (2000) argues that purposive sampling is mostly suitable for small scale research and it is less complicated to set up and is considerably less expensive. This study aims to gain an in-depth knowlegde and greater understanding of teaching methods used by Grade One educators to develop reading skills. It has been conducted within the qualitative framework (Denzin & Lincoln, 2003) with interviews, observations and document analysis as research instruments for data collection. This study attempts to understand the activities, actions and operations performed by participants and to reveal their motives, goals and instrumental conditions respectively on teaching methods of developing reading skills (Mwanza & Engestrom, 2003). The study has employed an Activity Theory as a theoretical frame work. The main issues which are discussed are the teaching methods used by Grade One educators in developing reading skills as well as the manner in which these methods are used in developing the reading skills. The findings of this study could be used to guide the school management team, school governing body and the educators to compile a set of guidelines on the effective methods of teaching to develop reading skills within the context of this study.

It is a case study which has been conducted specifically at one primary school in Durban with three Grade One educators as participants. The researcher targeted this group in the full knowledge that it does not represent the wider population and there is no attempt to generalise the findings (Cohen, Manion & Morrison 2000). Purposive sampling has been used because it focusses on participants who are information-rich, based on the purpose of the study (Maree, 2007). Cohen et al (2000) argues that purposive sampling is mostly suitable for small scale research and it is less complicated to set up and is considerably less expensive.

This study aims to gain an in-depth knowlegde and greater understanding of teaching methods used by Grade One educators to develop reading skills. It has been conducted within the qualitative framework (Denzin & Lincoln, 2003) with interviews, observations and document analysis as research instruments for data collection. This study attempts to understand the activities, actions and operations performed by participants and to reveal their motives, goals and instrumental conditions respectively on teaching methods of developing reading skills (Mwanza & Engestrom, 2003). The study has employed an Activity Theory as a theoretical frame work. The main issues which are discussed are the teaching methods used by Grade One educators in developing reading skills as well as the manner in which these methods are used in developing the reading skills. The findings of this study could be used to guide the school management team, school governing body and the educators to compile a set of guidelines on the effective methods of teaching to develop reading skills within the context of this study.