'It's Like a Compass Which I Use to Find Direction': Findings and Learning from an Evaluation of an App Designed to Support the Teaching of Reading Comprehension in Rural and Township Schools in South Africa
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| Title: | 'It's Like a Compass Which I Use to Find Direction': Findings and Learning from an Evaluation of an App Designed to Support the Teaching of Reading Comprehension in Rural and Township Schools in South Africa |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Jane Carter (ORCID |
| Source: | Literacy. 2024 58(2):178-189. |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 12 |
| Publication Date: | 2024 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Rural Schools, Computer Oriented Programs, Reading Instruction, Reading Comprehension, Educational Technology, Student Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes, Literacy Education, Handheld Devices, Telecommunications |
| Geographic Terms: | South Africa |
| DOI: | 10.1111/lit.12361 |
| ISSN: | 1741-4350 1741-4369 |
| Abstract: | South Africa has low literacy levels and teachers face multiple challenges in their endeavours to elevate levels of literacy. This is especially prevalent in rural and township schools where teachers face the additional challenges of isolation, limited resources and access to professional development. This article reports on the findings and learning from a preliminary research study which piloted a handheld mobile phone App. This collaborative project, between a university in KwaZulu-Natal and one in England, aimed to support in-service and preservice teachers in rural and township settings to use the App to assess and match books to learners' (aged 9-12) stage of reading development in order to facilitate their independent reading and provide teachers with a range of strategies for teaching comprehension that could supplement other professional development available. In-service teachers (n = 120) and preservice teachers (n = 93) took part in this mixed-methods study. The main finding from the study was that whilst participants were positive about the App, many did not access the App independently. This article discusses the broader issues, including participants' foundational knowledge and literacy research participation considerations, that may have underpinned this finding in this collaborative Global North and South research. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2024 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1425861 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| Abstract: | South Africa has low literacy levels and teachers face multiple challenges in their endeavours to elevate levels of literacy. This is especially prevalent in rural and township schools where teachers face the additional challenges of isolation, limited resources and access to professional development. This article reports on the findings and learning from a preliminary research study which piloted a handheld mobile phone App. This collaborative project, between a university in KwaZulu-Natal and one in England, aimed to support in-service and preservice teachers in rural and township settings to use the App to assess and match books to learners' (aged 9-12) stage of reading development in order to facilitate their independent reading and provide teachers with a range of strategies for teaching comprehension that could supplement other professional development available. In-service teachers (n = 120) and preservice teachers (n = 93) took part in this mixed-methods study. The main finding from the study was that whilst participants were positive about the App, many did not access the App independently. This article discusses the broader issues, including participants' foundational knowledge and literacy research participation considerations, that may have underpinned this finding in this collaborative Global North and South research. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1741-4350 1741-4369 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/lit.12361 |
