EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The
importance of Examination cannot be underestimated in academic development, but
in Omuthiya Circuit, the pupils' performance has been less than satisfactory determinants.
Why were the primary schools in Omuthiya Circuit performing poorly in English
communicative competence? The purpose of the discourse was thus to investigate
the underlying determinants for the poor state of grade four learners'
performance. The objectives were to: assess tutor determinants that contribute
to poor performance in English; assess the learner determinants that contribute
to poor performance in English; highlight the school determinants contributing
to poor performance in English; find out how schools get assisted to optimise
the performance of Grade four learners of Omuthiya circuit. It is expected that
the findings of this discourse will facilitate the improvement in English Language results in Omuthiya as all
stakeholders, including the MoE, take corrective measures to enhance
performance in the Circuit. This discourse was based on the contemporary organisation
theory, which states that "all systems are characterised by an assemblage
or combination of parts whose function is inter-depended. The discourse adapted
the descriptive survey design. The population included the Tutors, HoDs and
Principals. The discourse used both purposive and simple random sampling
designs. The sample size was composed of fifteen Tutors, five HoDs and five Principals. Two types of research instruments
were used, i.e., a Questionnaire and an Interview schedule. The content
validity was executed. The test-retest tactic was deployed to examine the
reliability of the instruments. The pilot approach was made in one selected
school. An introductory letter from the University and a permit from MoE was
sought. The researcher visited the sampled schools and administered the
questionnaires to the Tutors. The researcher interviewed at the schools where
participants were working. The data were analysed by descriptive statistics
(frequencies and percentages). Findings were presented in frequency
distribution tables and pie charts. The research findings are that head Tutors
supervised the learning /Tutoring processes, the curriculum was not effective,
physical, tutoring and learning resources were available but not adequate,
guardians and family members had a negative attitude towards students learning.
Recommendations are that: increase resources and supplement resources donated
by the free primary programmes, external and internal supervision should be
enhanced in all the schools in the Circuit and schools should improve their
relationship with their immediate communities.
Introduction
Learners' academic performance has been
a concern to educators and other stakeholders from the genesis of modern education.
Most countries in the world have realised that it is central to the process of education.
Further, it has been apparent that all the interventions and innovations that
did not yield good results were not worth perusing (Glewwe 2018). Globally, the
main objective of education is to provide pupils with quality learning that
equips them to be productive members of society (Kundu & Tutoo 2017). With
globalisation, English has been adopted as the primary language of
communication around the world. Key fraternities and academic disciplines such
as science, globalisation, commerce, trade, politics, history, education,
entertainment, media, and technology use the English Language as a means of
transmission (Kagan, 2017).
Cohen et al. (2017) noted that one of
the most imperative aspects of efficient and productive education is literacy
and that learners were not entirely made aware of essential health, social, cultural,
and political problems, as well as sources of enjoyment and enrichment, without
having the capacity to read, writing, listening, and speaking. The English Language
is essential for learning but should not be reckoned as only a diaglosic as it
offers independent access to a vast information world and enjoyment and
fulfilment for learners (Chisholm et al., 2019). The MoE recognises that the English language
is part of nation-building and that it is a must-have linguistic skill that
young learners need to develop (MoE, 2015). For O'Grady
et al. (2016),
English is a critical element of academic success, and there is a strong link
between poor English language skills and failure in school. English is essential for learning, and if
students have not grasped the skill correctly, their learning potential is
hampered (Dupree, 2015).
On a global scale, studies suggest
mounting concerns in numerous countries that learners lack the English language
skills they ought to possess in schools and tertiary institutions. For example,
in the United States of America (USA), 40% of children are not adequately
competent, while 40% of 4th graders and 8th graders have
difficulties reading at the standard expected of them at that level (Dupree,
2015). Moreover, only one out of 10
learners in Francophone Guinea could recite the whole alphabet in grade two,
while the rest could read just four of the twenty words presented to them. Participants
found that only twenty-five per cent of grade one and forty-five per cent of
grade two learners could read single alphabets and common words (Enos,
2017). Ellis (2016), Dutch
students achieved a higher average level of performance in an international
comparative discourse of the English language, with only seven per cent not being
able to read satisdeterminantily to be able to communicate in broader society,
in juxtaposition to the European mean of about seventeen percent .
Studies in South Africa have found that,
generally, the English language skills of learners are inadequately developed
from elementary to tertiary institutions (Dimmock, 2016). More literature also
indicates that most young learners have a problem with speaking English and
that the Tutor's role in Tutoring the English language has long been
misunderstood, be it with the 2005 Curriculum or the National Curriculum
Statement (NCS). It is attributed to the
fact that most Tutors believed that it is not necessary for them to
"teach" spoken and written English but simply "facilitate"
the process if learners would eventually learn to read themselves. Plethoric
just actually was not able to teach the English language (MoE, 2016).
South Africa participated in an
international English language literacy assessment discourse that examined how
well grade four learners read as a determinant in their academic excellence
nationwide revealed that they were struggling to build the skills needed to
make an effective transition to use the English language as a learning method
and academic performance (Darling-Hammond, 2016). In 2001 and 2004, Two national structural
surveys aimed at determining the level of literacy and numerical competence in
primary schools also yielded low results (MoE, 2015), while another, which
focused on the results of 1,000 grade three classes in 2015, suggested that eight
out of every ten learners had less than 50% of language and math skills, and
35% of grade 3 learners received between 0 and 34% for literacy
(Darling-Hammond, 2016).
South Africa's ranking was the lowest
in the latest Improvement in International English language Literacy Discourse
(IELLS), carried out in 2006, in which 40 countries participated. The findings
highlighted concerns regarding the quality of English language literacy in
primary schools in South Africa (Cummins, 2018). According to Hammond (2016), only 13% of
Grade four pupils obtained the lower international benchmark, vastly far from the
international average of 94%. Therefore, no benchmarks were reached by 87%.
Assessments also showed that over half of the learners who speak English and
Afrikaans and More than 80 per cent of African speakers did not meet the low
international standard, suggesting they lacked basic English language skills
and academic tasks strategies. The findings mean that primary schools in South
Africa face significant difficulties in helping learners achieve the optimal performance
of their English language skills.
English language skill is highly
regarded and is essential to social and economic development. Anbar (2015),
Backmann (2016), Bissex (2017) and Jackson (2017), in Snow, Burns and Griffin
(2015) Remember that the English language is a dynamic developmental task that
we know is interwoven with plethoric other developmental accomplishments such
as concentration, memory, language and motivation. If the child performs well
in English, they acquired an essential human capital of the English
alphabetical writing structure concepts.
Learning to read and write starts well
before school years, with the development of biological, cognitive, and social
precursors (Stanovich and Siegel, 2017). Stanovich and Siegel (2017) added that
the ability to read and write is primarily influenced by developmental
timetables related to children's age. There is no consensus on the approximate
chronological or mental age or on a particular stage of maturity that children
need to achieve before learning to read and write. The learners cannot
understand the contents of their textbooks without English language skills. It
is crucial why plethoric Namibian
learners struggle to make adequate progress in school (Educational Library
Services (ELS), 2015).
English language struggles among
primary school learners are concerned (Snow, Burns and Griffin, 2015). English
is seen as a fundamental requirement in the new science and technology
world. Most children in the lower
elementary schools in Namibia lack adequate English language skills and can
neither write, speak, understand, or read correctly. Some students leave school
without gaining the English language skills required. (Kuutondokwa, 2015).
The English Language is potentially a push towards school achievement, school interests, leisure time, and personal and social change for children. English helps children adjust to their age group, become not too reliant on parents and Tutors, pick and plan for a job and fulfil social obligations. It should be noted that developing English competence at the expense of your mother tongue could be a misnomer. Dechant and Smith (2017) further note that English plays a vital role in fulfilling personal needs and fostering social human capital and development as society becomes more complex. Through English, one acquires all of one's standards of conduct and morals and widens one's desires, preferences, and understanding of others. Dechant and Smith (2017) note that every person who knows how to read has it within their powers to advance themselves amplify the way they exist, and make their lives complete, meaningful, and attractive. Nevertheless, ultimately, English is the most important way to learn effectively in a modern school. English is so interconnected with the whole education process that academic excellence requires proficiency in all English language skills.
Conundrum
Enos (2017) deduced that the English Language
is indispensable for learning and that if learners have not grasped such a tool
well, their potential for learning success is impaired. Given the importance of
English in and out of school and the possible accrued long-term cost of
literacy deficits, urgent measures need to be introduced, especially at the
foundation level. Learners who cannot
read during primary have trouble following the curriculum in the higher grades
(senior, middle school & senior) (Enos, 2017).
International Research indicates that
analphabetism is a severe issue in most developing countries, and more than
half of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia do not have literacy
skills (Mosha, 2018). Various studies on
the institutional assessment performed by the MoE and international student-
English language bodies suggest that South African learners English reading,
writing, and speaking skills are well below the required predicted levels (MoE,
2015).
Craig (2017) points out increasing
national fear that South African learners lack the Language, Reading, writing,
and speaking skills needed to excel in their academic years in schools and
tertiary institutions. Plethoric who have undergone Outcomes-Based Education
(OBE) either read well below the average or cannot read at all; they are poor
and cannot express themselves well in writing; OBE lacks the 'three Rs' (i.e.,
Reading, writing and arithmetic).
According to the national curriculum of
primary education (2016), the transition to English as a medium of instruction
in Namibia is in Grade 4. According to them, the learners in the junior primary
phase (pre-primary to grade 3) are taught in their mother tongue, and the
changes from mother tongue to English have led to low performances in English
as a second language among grade 4 learners in the Omuthiya circuit. English
second language for grade 4 has been below 40 per cent since 2016 in the Circuit
compared to other subjects. Therefore, this discourse will investigate the determinants
contributing to poor performance in English as a second language among the
grade 4 learners of the Omuthiya circuit.
Research questions
The questions
of the discourse will assist the researcher in answering the research problem,
hence based on the background above; the researcher formulates research
questions as follows:
i.
What Tutor determinants contribute to
poor performance in English as a second language among grade 4 learners of the Omuthiya
circuit in the Oshikoto region?
ii.
What learner determinants contribute to
poor performance in English as a second language among grade 4 learners of the Omuthiya
circuit in the Oshikoto region?
iii.
What are school determinants
contributing to poor performance in English as a second language among
grade 4 learners of the Omuthiya circuit in the Oshikoto region?
iv.
How can schools get assisted
to optimise the performance of Grade 4 learners of the Omuthiya
circuit in the Oshikoto region?
Significance of the discourse
This discourse intends to identify the determinants
contributing to poor performance in English as a second language and seek
solutions that might help all the stakeholders in education. The results of
this discourse could also be helpful for MoE, particularly the Director of
Education in the Oshikoto region, the inspector of Omuthiya Circuit,
educational planners, advisory Tutors, English grade 4 Tutors, parents and
members of the public to make informed decisions regarding new curriculum that
was introduced in 2016, as it might help the Tutors with the Tutoring methods,
they should use to improve the grade 4 learners performances in English as a
second language.
MoE might start organising workshops
and training for grade 4 English Tutors with efficient Tutoring methods and human
capital that will help children acquire
the skills. Moreover, grade 4 learners will benefit through better and practical
measures that the English Tutors can use in their classrooms.
Limitations
Numerous obstacles hindered the
researcher during the discourse.
Chisholm et al. (2019) state, "Potential
limitations can be overwhelming even in
the most carefully planned studies, and it is important to take them into full
account."
Since the research was conducted during
the corona virus, the state restricted travelling, social distancing, and
public gatherings. Conducting the research was a problem since police clearance
was needed to travel using public transport from one place to another.
Interviewing respondents was a problem due to the general fear of the distance
by the respondents.
Since the researcher is a full-time Tutor
in a rural setup, the schools under discourse are far from each other and
covering the schools took time as transport was a problem to some schools.
One of the significant limitations was
that respondents could not answer the questions honestly during interviews and
questionnaires. They might have answered in a way that tried to protect their
schools, thinking their reputation would be ruined.
Delimitation
This discourse was limited to some
schools with grade 4 of Omuthiya circuit and offers English Second Language,
Oshikoto region, and the results will then be generalised to the rest of the
schools with grade 4 in Namibia.
Delineation of terms
Tutoring methods: In this review, the Tutoring
approach refers to a specific methodology used by an instructor to help the
learner obtain the human capital they
need to achieve the desired result
Second Language: Second Language (L2)
means a language learned after the first language or mother tongue (L1) and
used for some purposes, such as education
Medium of
Instruction: This refers to a particular language used as a mechanism for Tutoring
school subjects and as a medium for conducting classroom discussions between Tutors
and learners. That definition will be adopted in this discourse.
English as a medium
of instruction: This means that the entire Tutoring and learning process
should occur in English.
Communicative competence
Chomsky and others were enthused to
have grasped that at least an aspect of semantics was not "in the
head": it was determined by external circumstances, natural and social. By
juxtaposition, referential competence is a cognitive capability of the human mind: in this sense, it is
entirely "in the head." As construed in the dual-aspect picture,
reference is an objective property of words: there is no guarantee that persona's
referential competence with lexis is, or ever will be, adequate to that word's
reference. Therefore, in my sense, referential competence cannot be equated
with the human capital of reference in the dualists' (or, more generally, the externalists')
sense. Indeed, specifically aggressive externalists would say that as I use it,
'referential competence' is a misnomer.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Introduction
The previous chapter covered components
on the background of the determinants contributing to the poor performance of
grade 4 learners in English. This chapter highlights the review of related
literature and studies from researchers who studied poor performance in English
around the globe. Some specific books, research articles, dissertations/thesis
and journals have been reviewed under the main headings of Tutor, leaner,
school determinants affecting performance and recommendations to the determinants.
The
presence of underqualified, untrained, and incompetent Tutors in the rural
schools extensively played a part in the student's poor performance in English,
as observed
Incompetent Tutors
In addition to the inevitable problem
faced by learners in Namibia, learning becomes more complicated when tutors are
not sufficiently competent to teach English and resort to code-switching with
their mother tongue or Local languages to enable learners to understand as
Brock-Utne, (2018) stated that given the effectiveness of code-switching in tutoring
and leaning in the classroom, there is a problem that emerges with its use:
student fails to perform well in their Examination since it is not a legitimate
strategy.
Studies conducted in Namibia on how the
subject of English is taught revealed that tutors struggle to effectively enforce
the English syllabus because they are not educated on how to enforce the
syllabus, there is a shortage of tutoring and learning resources, insufficient Tutors
and unqualified Tutors due to a lack of service training, the use of conventional approaches to fulfil
the criteria of the syllabus, a large number of students in the classroom and
the checking of material or grammar during the final exam (Ellis, (2016); Gama,
2016 and Enos, (2017).
Ellis (2016) also restricted that the
English-language output of elementary school pupils was meagre. They also
emphasised that the quality was poor due to several other determinants, such
as:
Ø the use of tribal language in lower
primary school classes
Ø Some pupils do not understand grammar
because their Tutors do not know it themselves.
For
most cases, primary school English language tutors use the mother tongue to
teach and demonstrate English up to the primary level.
Performance of English Language
Student achievement in English as a
Second Language (ESL) has been the topic of ongoing debate among educators, academics,
and policymakers. Research elsewhere has shown that hard work, previous Education,
upbringing, family income, and motivation significantly impact student success
in English. Most of this research concentrated on the students' success in the
United States and Europe (Chisholm et al., 2019). Students admitted to high schools
in African countries do not have enough opportunities to learn English except
students admitted to learning English and other related subjects such as
English Language and literature. Students admitted to universities are allowed
to take only a few English courses. The quality of these English courses is
poorly inadequate for the students to develop necessary communication language
skills and take up social experience. To learn English as a second language and
excel in it, the instructor must assist the student in gaining skills in the
four language competencies, namely: speaking, reading, listening, and writing.
Chisholm et al. (2019) revealed that a student is immediately disadvantaged
when he already has his language and is asked to learn a new language. Poor
English performance in primary schools in Africa is caused by several determinants
such as language policy, a lack of tutoring and learning materials, incompetent
Tutors.
Figure 2.2: Determinants contributing
to poor performance of English language subject
Source: modified from (Baker, 2017)
Student based determinants that affect the performance of the English Language.
Entry behavior
After
completing pre-primary education, a student continues to pursue primary education;
in primary schools, students face communication problems in both the classroom
and outside the classroom, where the communication medium is English, a modern
language that was only used as a compulsory subject, in the grade four (Bernard
and Gvozdenko, 2015). This time does not suffice to allow a second language to
master the language. When a public-school student graduates to high school, the
language of instruction in primary schools quickly changes from Local languages
to English (MoE, 2016). Under these conditions,
primary school students do not make adequate use of the language.
According
to Bernard and Gvozdenko (2015), this may be the critical determinant
contributing to the failure of students in the discourse of the English Language
and other subjects such as history, computers, agriculture and so on due to poor
English language proficiency. After completing the seven-point level for
primary education, a student will score 150 points on average and enter one.
Below that point, a student should not be enrolled to join one because that
student does not fit or comply with the education applied to that level, which
can directly affect English language performance.
Attitude
Attitudes begin to evolve early and are affected by plethoric determinants like parents, peers and experiences with individuals that have social and cultural differences. Attitudes "form a part of one's expectations of oneself, of others and of the societies in which one lives" Brown (2016) introduced the positive attitude to the self, the native language group and target language group have increased their skills while negative attitudes toward the foreign language and community, often resulting from stereotypes, may impede the learning of that language. Experience can improve attitudes, and successful language Tutoring methods can inspire students to be more optimistic about learning the language. Bernard and Gvozdenko (2015) address current problems, pedagogical consequences and emerging developments in language learning values, including social, economic, contextual, cognitive, affective, and personal influences. In their research on the internal structure of language learning motivation and its relationship with language choice and learning effort dornyei (2015) also concludes the attitude is a significant determinant in language learning. Attitudes are learned throughout our lives and reflected in our cycle of socialisation. We all observe others and evaluate behaviours based on the type of communication and behaviour. This represents an informal approach focused on our interpretation of social signals, which is spontaneous. In our assessment of learners who report late for classes and are reluctant to ask questions, we may be wrong, but they can have positive attitudes towards the subjects being taught. The negative attitude towards learning could lead to poor performance by the learners preventing them from obtaining the necessary results for university entrance (Darling-Hammond, 2016).
Motivation
is the term most used to describe a learner's failure or success; it is an
inner source, motivation, justification for emotion, need, instinct or intent
that drives an individual to a particular action. The motivation was seen as a significant
determinant affecting the development and progress of foreign language
learners. Motivation has received significant research attention since the
1980s as a modifiable learner determinant that affects the linguistic outcome
of learning. The state has funded plethoric relevant studies, research teams have been
involved, and the results are well established. Research in England achuman
capital d several determinants affecting both learning levels and enjoyment. If
a person has experienced something and has processed the experience, at a later
point, they can return to it and use it. Therefore, learning and memory are
inextricably related. Like in the past, the reward and punishment imposed on
learners would affect their motivation and present-day attitude towards
learning. Others 'perceptions and the environment surrounding learners will
decide their willingness to learn, resulting in low academic performance (Darling-Hammond, (2016). Another research indicates that
maintaining high motivation affects psychological and social functioning,
promoting academic achievement and positive impressions of the school (Cummins, 2018).
Socioeconomic issues
Students
come from different backgrounds; some are poor, while others come from a
household of affluence. Some may come from robust family systems where the
parents are professionals or highly trained, while others may come from a
single-parent household or have parents with minimal educational history.
After
school events and educational shops, students from wealthy households have more
tutoring firms than the working class or disadvantaged community. An affluent
community will also be packed with high education can be seen more as a means
of getting a career after high school. In some situations, the concept of
receiving an education is economically primary.
A
student's socioeconomic history matters greatly. For instance, parents who
sponsor their children by paying extra tuition after school and buying
additional reading books help their children develop their English language and
abilities (Cummins, 2018). They also revealed in their discourse that children
who had a background in English from kindergarten or class one and a supportive
home environment that encouraged them to practice English with family and
friends had a positive contribution to helping them learn English. In contrast,
those who later started learning the English Language and typically spoke Local
languages or their Mother Tongue (MT) at home or with friends suggested that
their poor English skills were due to weak primary school foundations.
Also,
Mawere's discourse (2017) said that schools and parents could not collect the
money required for the textbooks to be used in school and home, respectively,
due to poverty and economic hardships. In addition, where the education budget
for Tutor training is limited, there would be limited resources for primary education
(books, periodicals, and newspapers are outdated) and poor supervision of Tutor
staff.
Poor
discourseing activities continue in such an educational context, and the
ability of students to interpret the text for hidden meanings would be
seriously compromised. Providing resources and moral encouragement promotes the
academic success of children at school (Bong, 2016). Tutors need to include
parents to ensure children read at home and do their homework (Omari, 2015).
Diaz, an expert in tutoring and psycho-pedagogy in Spain, suggests that the
educational rates of parents are among the most critical family determinants (Enos, 2017).
The
understanding of family support by the learner directly influences success,
while this is achieved indirectly by the mother's level of education. Plethoric
pupils whose parents are not literate
are underprivileged because parents nowadays are expected to assist their
children with their homework and projects. Enos (2017)
researched the social class in Spain,
and the findings showed that one's outcomes and hopes for the future are more
substantial if one is from a higher social class. Similarly, studies in America
also show a strong association between underachievement and poor socioeconomic
backgrounds.
Home Ecosystem
Any
focus is required on the educational condition attributed to the father, as
there is an increased understanding of the importance of the role of the
parents in their children's success and educational development. Family history
is the most significant and vital determinant in assessing a learner's academic
success (Adell, 2018). Countries that are
educationally progressive foster the active participation of parents and local
communities in their children's education.
Other student determinants
During
learning it, almost all language learners face various language problems; these
problems may come from inside or outside the language, to both first and second
language learners. Nevertheless, second language learners face several problems
because of other languages, such as local languages and other languages of the
ethnic group. Owing to conflict with mother tongue (MT), these language issues
have established roots in English language Namibian learners. Gall et al.
(2017) noted the same issues in language learning, who
pointed out that "we have seen several forms of errors committed by
children learning their first language which could have been committed
plausibly by older second language learners".
School-based determinants that affect the performance of
English
Tutors
are essential determinants in every kind of education as they encourage
learning for students; schools need competent Tutors and successfully promote
learning for pupils. Mosha (2018) clarified that good tutoring requires a Tutor
to know the subject, competence in the methods and good character.
Tutor skills and qualifications
The
skills and qualifications of tutors are more critical than other determinants
for academic achievement because tutoring resources and equipment depend on the
Tutors being productive (Mosha, 2018). Plethoric tutors
experienced a lack of faith in themselves and what they taught, and there was a
significant swing away from grammar studies that very often, if misconceived,
gave tutors and pupils something sold to hang on to. As a result, English
teachings seem to have lost substance, which might well have had, and quality
has suffered. A professional tutor should be educated academically and
methodologically with a vital mastery of subject matter. Craig,
(2017) observes that plethoric tutors, particularly in primary schools,
have low qualifications, which is because of recruitment of UPE Tutors still
influences the pattern of primary education, whereby half of the tutors have
access to teaching. Learning materials such as textbooks, tutors 'guides, maps,
blackboards, charts, chalk Tutoring and learning materials (Neke et al., 2018)
say that textbooks have been cited as a significant and reliable contribution
to enhancing learner success in various ways. Textbooks are also resources
which Tutors use to plan curriculum-based lessons. The most reliably optimistic
determinant in predicting achievement tends to be the availability of textbooks
(Neke et al., 2018).
Pupil Tutor ration
Inside
the school considerations, class size is also another significant thing. Fabunmi and Craig (2017) find class determinants very
significant in teaching-learning activities, particularly when considering the students'
academic performance. He maintains that class size is a significant determinant
affecting students 'academic success. Furthermore, he suggests that there is
agreement among different researchers and educators that as class size
increases, the smaller the class size or tutor pupil ratio, the greater the
achievement and the lesser the student's achievement. Given this fact, it could
be said that one of the essential determinants deciding good academic
performance is the tutor-pupil ratio. Class size is another issue that hinders
English language success in primary schools, and most state schools have large
class sizes; this hinders the tutoring and learning process because it is
difficult for Tutors to meet their individual needs as Cohen et al. (2017) argues
that spending less time in actual tutoring and learning contributes to low
academic performance among students. The size of the classes should be significant
to get good academic results.
Availability of Tutoring and Learning
rubric
Learning
resources contain things that assist in the learning process. There may be
books available, but there are not enough books. If a student sees a sound-symbol
in a book, how do they pronounce it? The truth is that English Language
students graduate into English Language Tutors, and an English native speaker
never gets to hear the correct development of a specific sound. Why can the Tutor
teach the right thing, then? The students are also haphazard at learning. We must
read books so we cannot tell how those words are being said. How does a student
interpret the word ewe pronunciation? They must learn the correct pronunciation
from their tutor or a native English speaker. Often students prefer to learn
from the films they watch but also learn the wrong things because they do not
realise that various English varieties are used in movies.
Craig
(2017) conducted
a discourse in North African primary school classrooms on tutoring and learning
English grammar and found that the schools studied did not have adequate media
support for English learning. Such a lack of education and learning facilities
was found to have affected Tutors 'preference of approach to grammar teaching.
In particular, the scarcity of textbooks was a significant determinant that
caused grammatical problems among students, including Cohen
et al. (2017) on
determinants affecting examination performance Africa: A case of SDA supported
in schools found that most primary school Tutors (63.2%) showed a lack of
learning tools, such as appropriate textbooks and a sound library. They also
pointed out that this condition significantly affected the success of students
in Namibian Primary Education.
Source Author (2021)
Tutoring method
Methods of Tutoring are some of the measurable variables that affect the Tutoring outcome. There are, however, other fundamental determinants that need to be critically analysed in the analysis of learners 'results, and these are the principles that guide the choice of Tutoring methods. Attempts to overhaul the Tutoring methods would leave the problem unresolved without questioning the principles which govern their choice and usage. Therefore, the statement that we need to alter first is the Tutors 'values about acceptable methods and the learning process involving contact with students. If the mindsets of Tutors change, their Tutoring methods will change automatically to reflect the thought habits of the Tutors about the Tutoring and learning process. There is a robust relationship between the methods used to teach a language and success in that language. In addition, there is a strong relationship between language Tutoring methods and the values that motivate them.
When
we say poor learning environment, we do not talk about the weather, the
availability of furniture in the classrooms or the school location. All the circumstances
mentioned above will usually influence learning. Nevertheless, speaking
primarily about the English Language, we should talk about learning aids
outside the curriculum. In most cases, students only do their best to speak
clear English in the classroom and under observation. Students do not always
listen to people who speak clear English around them. These are growing their
ability to learn English properly. Across Europe, it is easy to flow in the language
because it is, of course, the people's general language.
Language policy
This
part is also discussed briefly in the introduction portion of this section. In
2016 the MoE and Culture released a Cultural Policy. This document discussed
the issue of instructional language, in particular the Namibian government's
stance on the two languages used within the formal education system (Brock-Utne,
2009). The policy stated:
Ø A unique system shall be prepared and
implemented to allow Local languages to be used at all levels of education and
training (URT, 2016:19 translated).
Ø While English is a compulsory subject
in pre-primary, primary and primary education, it is promoted and strengthened
in higher Education (URT, 2016:18).
As
far as all levels of education are concerned, these policies have only been
enforced by primary schools because the language of instruction is already
Local languages, and English is a compulsory subject. However, there has been
no improvement in post-primary education at the primary and tertiary levels;
the instruction language is still English. The language policy does not offer
an incentive for primary school students to learn English skills as it is
difficult to fully understand the language when this student lacks low-level
language human capital .
Strategies to improve learners' performance in ESL in
Namibian
schools
Conteh-Morgan
(2016) suggests that when writing test papers for ESL, the learners encounter plethoric
problems, which include the inability to follow the basic instructions provided
in the ESL exam papers, failure to adhere to the requirements of the ESL items
used in exams, challenges with interpreting the resources and utilise provided
for questions, Lack of English proficiency, local subject matter expertise and
problems related to investigation skills. The problems found may lead to poor
performance in exams. Titus (2017) further notes that Namibian learners pose a
specific test to Tutors who need to find adaptive ways to educate learners who
cannot speak or understand English.
There
should be standards to be observed by instructors, administrators, supervisors,
parents and ultimately learners for a school to boost the performance of its
students in ESL exams. Conteh-Morgan (2016) notes that if a school wants to
boost the success of learners and Tutors in ESL exams, motivation levels and
the help they receive should be increased. He further states that inspired
learners are more attainable than non-motivated ones. To reach the desired goal
and excel, a learner needs to be motivated emotionally (Pottas, 2017).
Some
learners need extrinsic encouragement because not all ESL learners are
naturally inspired to learn (Krashen, 2015). They must be recompensed through
words or tokens. ESL Tutors, therefore, need to devise means to make ESL
learning attractive to learners. In addition, Krashen (2015) stresses the need
to encourage students to provide direct feedback in each lesson to guide ESL
learners accordingly. Krashen advises ESL Tutors to raise the burden on
learners to demotivate them; consequently, their ability to learn is reduced.
Furthermore,
the effect of peer pressure on academic results goes without saying, as it is a
source of learner encouragement and support (Krashen, 2015). Therefore,
learners with common interests should form social groups to mentor and
encourage one another in discoursing and doing schoolwork (Fourie & Smit,
2015).
Improved school management and leadership
Efficient
school management and leadership are necessary ingredients for poorly
performing schools to boost their academic performance in ESL. According to
Mushaandja (2016), the central leadership tasks are to harbour teamwork,
motivate their commitment to the community and make a positive contribution to
achieving school goals, adding that school administrators and leaders should be
creative and imaginative so that schools can become centres of excellence.
Nicodemus
(2015) shares the views of Mushaandja and adds that quality managers are the
ones who can recognise the subordinates 'potential and enable them to turn the
potential into tangible outcomes. Such managers also inspire their fans not to
be content with average but to do outstanding work (Nicodemus, 2015).
Krashen
(2015) suggests that only principals in their schools who teach ESL are
promptly aware of what is going on in the classrooms. He urges all principals
to have teachable or daily classroom visits. However, not all school principals
are equipped with various administrative skills and consistent policies
relevant to the ESL program, including classroom visits, homework policy, and
assessment policy. Krashen (2015) further claims that principals need to
improve to work closely with the Tutors to develop their managerial capacities
in ESL.
Tutoring
and learning occur effectively when students and tutors are aware of the language
used, thus indicating a shift in instruction from English to Local languages
and English to be taught as a subject. She suggested other measures for
stakeholders such as policy makers, parents, and the public to consider as
follows:
(i) Policymakers will go back to the
drawing board and analyse the goals of English language Tutoring and match them
with language policy and planning so that the activity in the classroom
corresponds to that objective.
(ii) Researchers need to sensitise and
educate policymakers, parents, and the public on research results from
classroom observations so that all educational actors know the implications of
important decisions taken so far and take action to detain the situation.
(iii)
Researchers and educators need to realise that
good work has been carried out on LOI issues to allow policymakers to take the following
steps to advocate the establishment of the Local Language medium in schools to
demonstrate research findings through the application.
(iv) Researchers and educators need to network with
their counterparts on the continent and form an activist movement that
integrates research on the language of instruction in Africa and other least
developed countries to improve efforts to use indigenous language as a primary
to the tertiary language of instruction.
(v) Policymakers would adopt a program
requiring scholars and researchers in Africa, in this case, Africans, to create
a translation of their research findings or other writings into languages
accessible to most people in their communities (Qorro, 2016).
Possible strategies to address Reading, writing, and
listening difficulties among school learners
The
object of Reading and writing is comprehension. Beckman (2015) asserts that good
readers and writers know that Reading and writing is about knowing, enjoying,
and learning from the written materials. By juxtaposition, learners with Reading
and writing difficulties frequently assume that Reading and writing requires
understanding words. Some believe they are done after reading all the words.
These learners may be helped by constantly asking them for answers of
understanding after reading the content. They may be asked to answer questions
based on the texts or storytelling. We ought to promote quiet Reading.
Apprentices who only read orally consider reading as an act. Silent reading
allows them to recognise Reading as a personal experience with a positive
emphasis. Tutors may use various techniques to promote productive yet detailed Reading
and understanding so that the learners answer questions through writing,
testing them of their understanding levels and writing skills. Before learners
start reading to answer questions, Tutors should make learners interested in
the content by informing them what is pleasant or exciting about the subject or
story.
While
most kids start school with optimistic attitudes and aspirations for progress
(Snow, Burn and Griffin, 2015), it is mentioned that some kids become
disillusioned by the end of primary grades and progressively later. Most
English difficulties teenagers and adults encounter result from issues that
should have been prevented or solved in their early childhood years. It is
vital to ensure that during primary grades, children resolve these obstacles. An
extensive primary move towards reducing English language bottlenecks is to
minimise the number of children starting school with insufficient information
and skills relevant to literacy. Beckman
(2015), this will help significantly minimise the challenges that schools
currently face. Schools with a more significant number of children at risk of
English language require rich services, reasonable class sizes and student Tutor
ratios, ample materials of high quality, well-furnished libraries, and friendly
physical facilities. Children with poor English abilities, those with hearing
and verbal impairments and those in the pre-school and those whose parents have
trouble learning to read are especially at risk of having deficits in these
areas and thus dropping back from the outset (Nicodemus, 2015). Space, materials,
and services should be rendered with two goals in mind in the early grades; to
promote regular independent Reading, writing speaking to the individual learner
and under the level of agitation of the individual learner, to improve the
capacity of the learner in English independently, Thirdly, to facilitate
regular aided or sponsored texts for successful verbal, rhetorical or logical
framework to encourage improvements in the learner's skill.
Schools
will encourage independent English language skills outside of school in their
early years, such as regular at-home writing, Reading, listening, and spoken English,
promoting parental engagement, and collaborating with neighbourhood organisations,
including public librarians, sharing this goal (Baker, 2017). In other subjects
too, a lack of English Language skills results in low performance. Research
implies that failures in school usually fail in Reading first. There is a proverb, "If the first button on a coat is not
buttoned correctly, all the others are likely to be crooked" (Baker,
2017). Reading is the first button in your educational garment.
While
the literature has established various determinants influencing children's Reading,
it is not known whether such determinants are applicable to grade 4 learners in
the Oshikoto Education Region of Namibia on the Omuthiya Circuit.
Summary
English
has significant consequences on tutoring and learning in Namibia. The ability
to read influences learning and teaching.
There is a need to tackle difficulties surrounding English as a Second
Language among learners in primary schools in Namibian to enhance academic
performance. The chapter addressed the determinants that cause, the effects and
the strategies to curb the poor performance of English as a second language.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter described the research
design, the population and sampling procedures, and instruments and methods
employed in the data collection and analysis. Ethical considerations were also
discussed here.
Research design
A research design is a strategy or
outline of how you expect to perform the discourse (Stephanie, 2015).
It determines the procedures for the research to be used based on the research
problem. A research design is the total analysis technique such as qualitative,
quantitative, case discourse or a combination thereof. It alludes to the
general approach taken in carrying out the research. The researcher must
specify what type of design the discourse followed (Quad, 2016).
The discourse took a mixed research
approach which included qualitative and quantitative methods. It was chosen to
capture relevant data that helped to answer the research questions. The
qualitative approach drew participants' views, beliefs, and experiences on affecting
learners' English Second Language performance. Alase ( 2017)
indicated that "qualitative methodology allows researchers to
advance and apply their interpersonal and subjectivity skills to their research
exploratory processes." On the other hand,
the quantitative approach yielded similarities and differences between
the responses from the selected schools.
Quantitative research quantifies the problem by generating numerical
data or data that can be transformed into usable statistics.
Population
The discourse population comprised all
the grade 4 English second language Tutors, language HODs and school principals
in the Omuthiya circuit. The Circuit has seven schools and 183 Tutors. The
rationale to this is that Omuthiya circuit is that, according to the results
statistics of Omuthiya circuit, most of the grade four learners have been
performing poorly in English as a Second Language, as most of the schools had
been scoring below forty per cent in English second language since 2016.
Sample and sampling procedures
The discourse was carried out in five
schools of the Omuthiya circuit with grade 4. The sample of the discourse was five
language HODs, five principals, and 15 language Tutors. The schools were
selected through an extreme case sampling procedure, whereby only schools with
grade 4s and offers English second language were chosen. Extreme Case Sampling
focuses on participants with unique or special characteristics.
Research Instruments
Questionnaires and interviews were used
to collect data from the sample.
Questionnaires
Due to the covid-19 pandemic, an online
questionnaire was provided for the fifteen language Tutors. They comprised
open-ended and closed-ended questions, which were used to obtain data from
them. A questionnaire is an instrument
for collecting the primary data with plethoric uses, most notably discovering
what the masses are thinking.
The use of questionnaires helped the
participants share their opinions and experiences on the Tutoring and learning
of English Second Language.
Interviews
An interview is a method of data
gathering by which the interviewer asks the interviewee questions (Resnik, 2015).
According to Alase ( 2017), the in-depth interview is a technique
developed to provide a vivid picture of the participants' views on the topic
under discourse, where the interviewee is the expert while the interviewer is
the student, and the techniques used during interviews are driven by the will
to learn from the participants' experiences and views.
Interviews were conducted through open-ended
questions, which began with a series of questions followed by a more detailed
investigation into the topic to acquire additional information. Interviews are
an essential tool as they can yield information that cannot be obtained through
observations and questionnaires. The questions were compiled, and all
interviewees read the questions precisely in the order they occurred (Alase, 2017).
This was done to ensure that all participants responded in the same order to
the same set of questions to avoid interviewer bias. The researcher used an interview guide
to collect data from the five principals and five HODs of the selected schools
and took notes during the interviews.
Pilot discourse
A pilot is a small exercise aimed at testing logistics and
gather human capital before the actual project to enhance the quality and
efficiency of the latter (NC3Rs, 2016). A mini discourse exposes possible
shortcomings in the proposed discourse's design to find a remedy beforehand and
allocate resources accordingly for the large-scale discourse (Defranzo, 2011;
NC3Rs, 2016). A pilot discourse helps inform further validation and can have
different uses such as testing the discourse procedures, validation of tools,
approximation of the staffing rate and Examination of parameters such as the variance
of variables for calculating the sample size (Stephanie, 2015).
Before a complete research project, it is necessary to conduct a pilot discourse
to determine whether the discourse is valid or not and whether the design of
the discourse can capture the relevant data.
A
pilot discourse was carried out at a combined school located in the same
circuit area. The researcher presented to the school principal a letter of
permission to research schools in the Omuthiya circuit, Oshikoto Region,
requesting permission to conduct the pilot discourse under his supervision.
The researcher interviewed one principal and one language
HOD and issued three questionnaires to educators. After piloting, the results
showed that the questionnaire and interview guide had the necessary questions
to gather information required by the researcher.
Data Collection Procedures
A letter requesting authorisation to
conduct the discourse in the selected schools was submitted to the Omuthiya
circuit inspector's office. The letter explained the purpose of the discourse
and proposed dates for interviews for the principals and the distribution of the
online questionnaires for English Tutors. The researcher Then sent the
acceptance letter from the circuit office to each of the selected schools
The principals were interviewed
individually to ensure trust and data confidentiality, while the Tutors were
requested to complete and submit questionnaires within three days. The school
principals and HODs were interviewed after school hours as this was when they
were free to avoid interruptions into their usual schedule.
Data Analysis
The
quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics. Mathematical and
graphical methods were used to arrange or summarise numerical data are
descriptive statistics (Resnik, 2015).
Percentages were used to represent the frequency of different responses the
respondents had expressed. The investigator arranged the quantitative data in
tables and charts. Qualitative data were coded and then analysed using
identified themes (Stephanie, 2015).
Categories and themes were created. A review of the qualitative data also
included the quest for correlations and trends to obtain a comprehensive image
of the extraordinary measures implemented by the Tutors and directors in the
two selected schools to improve the English performance of the learners. A
qualitative analysis was also used to establish trends depicting a holistic
picture of the measures that could be implemented to advance the English
performance of the learners in the selected schools.
Ethical considerations
Ethical concerns
related to researching a fashion that will not harm the participants in one
manner or another. Quad (2016) explained
to the participants in the research an ethical act as "no harm."
Ethical issues were apparent in this discourse, as it is more direct and sensitive
to participants. Agreed-up guidelines for research
ethics should prompt the researcher to human capital the interests and concerns
of their participants, that there is sufficient supervision of the conduct of research,
and that it is based on trust (Quad, 2016). In this discourse, the following
ethics for research were considered: permission, prior-informed consent,
confidentiality, and anonymity.
Permission: It
was essential to seek formal approval from leaders within the Department of
Education before work. The authorisation was obtained from the circuit office
and the schools the researcher intended to conduct the research project.
Prior-informed consent: This
is one of the essential instruments during research to ensure respect for
individuals. Participants should be made aware of the intent of the research,
how confidentiality will be secured, that they are free to withdraw from the discourse
without adverse consequences at any time, and that participation was
voluntary. The researcher, therefore,
informed the participants before interviewing and sending the questionnaires to
them.
Confidentiality: Participants
received confidentiality assurances and clarification on what the data would be
used for. The researcher promised to protect the confidentiality of everyone
from other participants and the general (McMillan & Schumacher, 2016).
Anonymity: Anonymity involves using fictitious names instead of real names of the participants, ensuring the participants were not identifiable (Leedy and Omrod, 2015). In this analysis, the researcher used numbers, for example, "Participant 4", to refer to specific participants
This section described how research
data were collected, and this was done through the subheadings: research
design, the population, and the procedures employed to draw the sample. The
ethical considerations are also described in this chapter. The next section will highlight data presentation, discussion, and analysis.
Responses from Interview with Principals and HODs
Number
English language Tutors according to Principals and HODs
The
responses made from the interviews were gathered from HODs and principals. On
the questions about the number of English language Tutors, most of these
respondents mentioned that the staff was not enough for the schools, HOD three mentioned that:
"We
have three English language Tutors, but because of the current situation and
transition which takes place in grade four, most of the schools, in general,
need more Tutors to reduce the Tutor pupil ratio for effective Tutoring and
learning."
Principal
three also mentioned that:
"We
have four English language Tutors at
this school, but they are not enough to meet the Tutor pupil ratio; therefore,
I end up Tutoring the English language because of low staffing to make the
total number of five English Tutors."
The
issue of shortage of staff was highlighted by eight respondents who were
interviewed. However, low staffing was not an issue in one of the schools as
both the HOD and the principal mentioned that their school was well staffed for
languages.
The
principal five said:
"We
have four Tutors for English, and we
cannot complain at all about low staffing. Our Tutor pupil ratio now is not bad
compared to other schools in the Circuit which have a ratio of one to fifty learners."
The
number of Tutors concerning the tutor pupil ratio has a massive impact on the
learners' performance in English. The classes with a low Tutor pupil ratio are
likely to perform much better than those with a very high Tutor pupil ratio. The
high tutor pupil ratio leads to inefficient tutoring and a lack of close
interaction between tutors and learners.
Availability
of Tutoring and learning materials
The
responses on the availability of tutoring resources showed that all the schools
did not have enough. Head Of Department three
mentioned that:
"Tutoring
resources in Namibia is a problem, irrespective of the subject. Here at our
school, we receive all the materials we want to use from the ministry through
the circuit office; out of the materials we request, only the basics come in
most cases, and the rest will be marked as pending. Hence, we improvise for
learning to continue taking place."
In
line with what was said, Head Of Department four also mentioned that:
"Resources
are never enough; at first, I thought we were not getting the materials while
other schools are getting all they ask for, but only to discover that we are
all sailing in the same boat, the state can not provide all the resources to
the schools. We end up getting the posters/ manilla, copy paper, board makers,
and printing toners which are the basics, and other requisitions come with
time."
The
responses made by the Head Of Departments
were very much like those made by the principals.
Principal one mentioned that:
"…
resources are a considerable concern at this school we end up overusing same of
them because they are only a few to be used by the whole combined school, from
elementary to grade twelve. For example, we only have one audio device used for
primary to secondary learners' listening examinations, which is not good. Nevertheless,
we do not have a choice but to use the one available. To mention but a few, the
issue of learning resources is a big concern even textbooks we are now
encouraging those parents who can afford textbook to buy for their children so
that they can make use of their ones, while those who cannot afford will use
the ones for the school."
Principal
three mentioned that:
"With
the number of learners we have here at this school resources we need are
forever not enough, books, charts and plethoric other resources are scarce, learners normally
share textbooks and other learning resources because if they do not share the
learning process becomes very slow therefore sharing so far has made us
progress with learning especially with those learners who are at the transition
stage of grade four "
Learning
resources are a problem worldwide in almost all schools, especially in those
institutions funded by the government. The state usually has tight budgets to
meet in various areas such as housing, poverty alleviating schemes, tertiary
student grants, etc. This forces the state to reduce funding in all sectors but
keeps all the sectors running. Cohen et al. (2017) added
that in most African countries, those in the rural areas suffer much from the
shortage of resources because most of them will be living below the poverty
datum line. Mostly the learners in group A schools are the ones who benefit a
lot from resources which may be enough or just in slight short.
HODs
and Principals' responses on the language used when communicating with learners
The
data gathered on the language used most in communicating with learners shows
that the local language was the most common way to communicate with learners in
grade four . HOD 1 mentioned that:
"Communication
at the school should be in English but to use the language with elementary
school classes will cause havoc because only a few speak English at home
therefore like a Tutor if you give an instruction in English and learners do
not understand then the same instruction is made in local language to make them understand."
HOD two
mentioned that:
"Communication
at the school with higher grade learners is done in English though some of them
may not understand but learn from there. However, for grades 0 to 4,
communication is mostly in a local language because they are yet to be at
transition stage; therefore, Oshindonga and Oshikwanyama are the commonly used
languages."
These
responses were like those principals gave as they illustrated that only
Oshindonga and Oshikwanyama are the languages used for lower primary learners
to understand given instructions fully.
Principal
three, however, mentioned that:
"...
It is complicated to start communicating with learners in English while at home
and in their communities, they speak local languages and most of them get
exposure to English when they reach the 4th Grade."
The
collected data was like what was said by Titus (2017), who asserts that English
is difficult to start learning at school; families and communities should
develop English speaking culture so that the learners will go to school when
they already have the basics of speaking it. Conteh-Morgan (2016) also states
that most families speak local languages, especially in rural settings where
most of the relatives, which the learners might be staying with families who do
not have English backgrounds or are illiterate.
Frequency of class
visits HODs and Principals for English classes
The data responses on class visits show
that HODs are the ones who frequently visit classes more than principals and
most of the HODs accepted the notion that they must supervise classes they
head. HOD four denotes that:
"… for all the HODs at our school,
it is mandatory to have a visit in all the language classes at least once a
month, and this can be more than that."
HOD five stated a similar statement saying:
"… as a language head Tutor I need
to know the problems Tutors are facing when teaching, I normally visit classes
randomly and this can be two times a month for each class and for those classes
which might need attention I can go up to three or four times especially those with tutors doing their
student practice."
HOD one also added that:
"… class visits are normally done
once a month per class, there is no stipulated number of times, but we must
have records of what is taking place in the subject classes we head which means
a month is too long without visiting a class since it is our responsibility to
do so."
For most of the principals interviewed,
the case was different. Most of them claimed that class visits are mandatory
but conducted mainly by HODS, who then give feedback to the principals.
Principal 1 said:
"... because of the duties I have
to take care of as a principal getting time to visit all the classes may be a
problem, we normally send HODs for class visits and bring to us those
situations which they may not be able to handle well, but I would say I also visit
classes once every term especially those with underlying issues and recommended
by the HOD."
Principal four said:
"Class visits are the reason why I
am here. I need to know what is happening in every class and the strengths and
weaknesses of my staff in tutoring to work together to build a better learner.
I visit classes twice a term, but HODs does that more.
Principal five stated that:
"… time for class visits is
limited as I have to take care of some of the duties I cannot delegate; I
normally send HODs for class visits, though sometimes I go myself. In most
cases, I do not finish the whole class period, some things would be needing my
attention already in the office, so I end up visiting a few classes in a term."
The information provided by both the Tutors
and principals on the issue of class visits was in line with what was said by
Pottas (2017), who asserts that class visits are effective when conducted by
HODs who have enough time and have similar pedagogical human capital with the
subject tutors, he went on to say that principals have a lot to do. They end up
doing class visits for fifteen minutes or even less before they rush to
something else. Nicodemus (2015), having a different view, asserts that
principals need to visit those classes with issues so that they can be solved
more quickly.
Tutor planning
and its relationship with students' performance
The data collected shows that planning
is one of the most critical aspects of teaching. This idea was supported by all
the interviewed respondents where HOD 2 stated that:
"… the issue of planning is
mandatory to all Tutors; besides that, it shows Tutor commitment it also shows
that the Tutor is organised and the lessons flow well when good planning is
done this also enhances learners' understanding though interrelationship of
work."
HOD three supported the same idea saying:
"… work planned is work done,
which means the Tutor can plan to organise and control by assessing and making
sure that the students understood what was taught."
Principals' views were in the same line
with HODS where principals two and three stated that planning in schools
involves predetermining what learners will be taught and the type of materials
needed to reinforce the learning process; they both mentioned that Tutors plan
through term plans or schemes of work and daily lesson plans.
Principal four states that:
"… planning is vital because it is
easy to follow and understand learners' progress."
All responses about tutor planning
contributing to learner performance were in line with what was said by Fourie
& Smit (2015), and Mushaandja (2016)
all mentioned that planning is the key to students' high pass rates
since what is planned is what is taught as the Tutor will not take time talking
about things, not in the plan or irrelevant to the learners' curriculum.
Therefore, it enables learners to be taught all the essential aspects, thus,
leading to better performance.
Reasons of poor performance of English language
The reasons leading to poor performance
in English for grade 4 learners as indicated by HODs and principals were very
similar; most of the reasons frequently appeared in most of the responses.
Principal one mentioned that:
"... issues
such as large classes, shortage of resources, lack of learner and Tutor
supervision, family engagement in learner education and school culture. All
these affect the learners pass rates and if these are improved learners will
eventually improve in English Language and overall subject performance."
These responses were the same as those
provided by HOD one, four and principal two. From what was said by Principal one.
Principal two added that:
"... I believe home and school
culture plays the greatest role; if learners go home to an environment that
does not have a learning culture, the learner will not bother to discourse or
to be taught by anyone while at home. This means that learners need a push when
they go home at the same time; school culture makes learning interesting and
more fun, having enough time with the tutor
to ask questions freely enables the learner to have confidence in themselves
and the tutor mutually."
HOD three, however, mentioned that:
"… other hidden determinants such
as lack of tutor patience with their learners, lack of textbooks and
instructional media, the workload of tutors with plethoric classes, school libraries and extreme use of
mother language greatly influence the learners' in English."
Principal four came in with a different
perspective which was like one of the Tutors'. The principal stated that:
"... Most of the people who talk
of these performance issues forget of our very own curriculum, its making
learners fail drastically, Namibia is the only country where learners start to
learn other subjects in the English language at grade 4 and have mother tongue
as the main medium of instruction for lower primary level, this is a decision
that needs to be revised to have better passes because English is the backbone
of the education system."
Principal three added that:
"... these learners are not
exposed to technology, most of the things are just there on Internet and
YouTube, learning to pronounce words etc. the problem is that technology in the
rural setting we serve is low because of family standards of living this means
that if technology could be used at school for examples tablets and Wi-Fi
English would have been straightforward to teach and learners attain better
passes."
HOD four also added that:
"... Lack of supervision from
HODs, principals or any representative from the circuit may cause Tutors to
relax in such a way that they will not effectively teach thus resulting in poor
performance."
Principal five also added that:
"... we also need primary school
libraries which enable learners to have access to books, computers and novels
thus enriching learners' English language performance the libraries are
essential."
The contributions made on this notion
was in line with what was said by Nicodemus (2015), who assert that most of the
determinants that lead to poor performance of learners are divided into
different categories: tutor determinants, learner determinants and school determinants.
Nicodemus (2015), learner determinants
include the learners' issues that affect performance such as education
background of the guardian, home living standards, learner personal drive,
reading and discoursing conditions at home etc., in agreement with what was
stated by the principal 3. Mushaandja
(2016) asserts that the nature of the curriculum is one of the determinants that
impair students' performance in English and plethoric other languages. The
arrangement of the National curriculum,
the
syllabus, scheme of work until the lesson plan yields the learners best
performance if conducted well. On a similar note, Qorro (2016) stated that
school culture, along with the availability of resources for learning, Tutor
pupil ratio contributes more to learners' performance. Beckman (2015) argues
that when learners are exposed to solid and influential school culture, they
perform well. This was supported by Snow, et al. (2015), who mentioned that
learners spend more time at school; therefore, strengthening and improving
school culture leads to a better performance of learners. Nicodemus (2015)
argued that Tutor determinants contribute much to performance because they directly
lower learners' performance. The word
cloud shows the outcomes of the interview.
Source
Author (2021)
Discussions of the research findings
Theme
1: Tutor determinants
The
English language tutors' characteristics
The English language tutors were asked
to state their highest academic credentials, which revealed that all English
language tutors had a plethoric range of tutoring qualifications and were eligible
to teach the Language at the Grade four level. Moreover, five primary schools
had qualified English language Tutors. These findings suggest that Tutoring qualification
cannot be considered a critical determinant in learners' English language
performance at the selected schools.
Tutors' experiences in the English Language
regarding the number of years they have been Tutoring the subject were
determined, and the results showed varying Tutoring experience. Seven of the respondents from the schools had
between one to five years of Tutoring experience, while 9 Tutors had more than
16 years of experience. It seemed to suggest that experienced Tutors taught the
Grade four English language learners.
Furthermore, this is even more interesting, as it implies that the Tutoring experience
may not necessarily bring about improved learners' performance. This view confirms
Knapp's (2016) opinion that the availability of adequately trained and
experienced English Tutors at any school can go a long way in elevating
learners' English language performance.
Theme
2: Student based determinants
Lack
of parental involvements
Some respondents argued that parents
were not well acquainted with English to guide and support their children in
the language. This finding suggests that learners did not receive assistance
from their parents with English homework and related activities. Further, this
gives the impression that parents did not deem it necessary to address matters
that affect their children in the English Language.
Support
networks on learners' performance in the English language
Support from tutors, principals,
advisory services, and MoE seemed to play a crucial role in learners'
performance in English. The positive influence of peers when it comes to
learning as experienced by English tutors is recommended by some respondents
and supported by Fourie and Smit (2017), who advise learners to work in groups
to coach and support each other in their studies.
It was also noticed that tutors did not
receive much support from the school management. At the same time, the
researcher is under the impression that parental involvement is an integral
part of success in learning; as such, schools should strive to educate parents
and help them appreciate the value of their children's education.
The tutors also reported that the MoE
and the regional office were not determinately supporting them in
professional development, tutoring, and learning materials. Principals also
reported the lack of support from the regional office and the MoE. However, the
principal of one of the schools revealed that the school has linked up with
other best performing schools to solicit some best practices on English
language Tutoring and learning.
It appears that the MoE and the
Oshikoto Regional Education Office were not fulfilling their duties in ensuring
that both English language learners and the tutors were appropriately supported
to improve performance. Therefore, the researcher feels that the English
language Tutors should be directed, assessed, and assisted in achieving their
objectives by the MoE and Regional office. This is consistent with Krashen
(2015), who suggested that attention should be given to the level of support
that Tutors receive from the school and other stakeholders to increase learners'
and Tutors' performance.
Learners'
background in the English language
The learners' background of the English
language from pre-primary and lower grades was found to influence performance
in English significantly. Moreover, lack of essential English human capital
from lower grades was also a key determinant. All respondents from the five
schools agreed that most of their learners had a poor English background. Data
from the interviews and questionnaires also showed that English language Tutors
in primary schools lacked sufficient human capital of English, which meant
learners proceeded to senior secondary school with barely any human capital in
the subject. Wenglinsky (2018) believes that primary Tutors are critical
players in imparting the necessary skills to children in the early grades for
successful learning at higher grades.
learners'
English-speaking abilities
English language-related difficulties
experienced by some learners were attributed to their poor performance. During
the interviews with school principals of the five primary schools, all
principals concurred that poor English-speaking abilities contributed mightily to poor performance among Grade four
learners. Further, one of the English language Tutors echoed that most learners
in their English class could not express themselves confidently in English and could
not understand what they read.
Learners seemed to have limited
English-speaking abilities due to limited or no opportunities to speak the language
outside the English classroom, including at home or with friends. However, one
of the school principals pointed out that their school had an English-speaking
programme, which was meant to enable their English language learners and Tutors
to exercise speaking and sharpen their English-speaking skills. This programme
could potentially contribute to the improved performance of the Grade 4
learners in English.
The principal noted that most tutors
who had difficulties tutoring in English used their vernacular Language (Oshiwambo) even when tutoring the
English Language, aiming to make learners understand the content better. It was
reflected by the data from the tutors' questionnaires, where one of the English
tutors emphasised that they used both the Oshiwambo and English to explain
English concepts better to learners. These results are like Swarts (2018), who
found that tutors are challenged with English, particularly in rural areas
(this discourse focused on five primary schools in rural Namibia) due to
limited exposure to the language. It could there be inferred that Tutors' poor
English proficiency, in turn, impacted learners' proficiency negatively.
English
language work was given to learners
The quality, quantity and frequency of
English language work given to learners appeared to impact Grade four learners' performance in the subject
significantly. Lack of learners' dedication to their class and homework might
have led to low performance. Again, the lack of tutors monitoring learners'
work might have triggered poor English language performance.
In essence, learners' written work is significant
to both tutors and learners, as it is a source of crucial information that
would guide the tutors to mend their tutoring and provide practical support to
learners, especially in areas where they are lagging (MoE, 2017). Therefore,
the English language tutors should frequently mark the learners' assignments
and provide feedback on completed tasks.
Theme
three: School-based determinants
Lack
of resources
The findings from all respondents
indicated schools did not possess good tutoring and learning materials for
English, such as textbooks, dictionaries, audio-visual equipment, and other
printouts. In addition, 100% of the respondents stated that the resources in
the English language classrooms were not enough (Table 3). Makuwa (2017),
access to educational resources can boost learners' capabilities, particularly
those in remote areas where educational resources are scarce. It was revealed
in the current discourse that English language learners did not have personal
textbooks for use after school hours. One of the principals confirmed further
by adding that most learners did not have all the required English language
textbooks and shared the few available textbooks. This situation could lead to
a decline performance of the students in English. Legotle (2015) noted that
learners and even tutors tend to be demoralised and not advance in English when
textbooks must be shared in the classroom. Makuwa (2017) and Legottle (2015)
support this by arguing that equipping learners with textbooks that they can
carry home and for discourse and homework aid can enhance tutoring and learning.
Data showed that some schools had
libraries, while others had none, which meant that learners did not have access
to different reading sources to sharpen their English proficiency.
Lack
of monitoring and supervision of English language Tutoring and learning by the school
management
The tutors who participated in the discourse
suggested that their principals did not fulfil their duties. Some English
language tutors echoed similar sentiments suggesting that the principals did
not supervise the tutors' work and HODs did not visit classes the subject was
being taught regularly. It confirms Nwihim's (2017) view that monitoring and
supervision of learners and Tutors by the school management is crucial to
improve their English language performance.
One of the principals questioned some
school management's monitoring and supervision efforts, adding that lack of
supervision could significantly hamper effective tutoring and learning and
eventually contribute to the poor academic performance of learners in English.
Moreover, the principal urged school principals and HODs to conduct routine
class visits to observe whether the English language tutors deliver quality
lessons.
Based on these views, it appears that
school managers focus on the mere attendance of tutors at school other than the
quality of tutoring and learning, which is consistent with Garub and Rothstein's
(2018) findings. It may also be concluded that if English language learners'
performance is to improve, management ensures that HODs for languages and
school principals monitor learners' and tutors' work to evaluate the efficiency
of instructional activities.
Large
classes
Most of the English language tutors
remarked that they had classes of over 35 learners. This implies that English Tutors
were under immense pressure to improve the learners' results despite the
overcrowded classrooms. Therefore, it could be concluded that large class sizes
can contribute massively to inadequate class activities in English Language and
effective monitoring, which reduces learners' performance. Kizilbash (2015)
agreed that although English language tutors endeavoured to do as best to
assist the learners, large classes hindered them from achieving their
objective.
Summary
The chapter highlighted and presented
data leading to poor performance in the English Language in Grade 4 learners.
The information was presented in sections: the demographic information,
specific information, and the discussion of findings. The next chapter focuses
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