TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION OF READING COMPREHENSION OF A GROUP OF 4TH GRADERS IN A JAMAICAN PRIMARY SCHOOL: AN EMPIRICAL INQUIRY

Abstract

For decades, various stakeholders have been complaining about the state of Jamaica’s educational system. It seems that despite the efforts to employ different intervention programmes, the dismal performance of candidates in numeracy and literacy tests persists. The purpose of this research was to examine the extent to which teachers in rural Jamaica perceived reader competencies to be impacting the performance of students in reading comprehension at the grade four level. It also sought to determine the extent to which teachers in rural Jamaica perceived social and cultural influences to be impacting the performance of students in reading comprehension at the grade four level, and evaluate teachers’ senses of efficacy and whether this impacts the performance of students in reading comprehension at the grade four level. Using a Modification of the Ohio State Teacher Efficacy Scale and Theoretical Orientation to reading Profile Index, the mean score was 76.2±6.5, 95% CI: 74.7-77.7, with the maximum value being 89.0 and the minimum value being 60.0. A very high perception exists among teachers that reader’s competence influence reading comprehension of students (29.7±3.2; 29.0-30.5)—the average score for male-students was 48.9%±11.7% (95%CI: 44.8– 54.1%) compared to 56.6%±18.7% (95%CI: 50.7-62.5%) for girls, with there being a statistical difference between the two scores (t = -2.417, P = 0.048). Most of the studies done on reading have centered their attention on the students; but this research has approached the subject from a different vantage point, examining the instructors and how they perceived issues in reading and comprehension as critical to the teaching-learning process. This study revealed that there is a very strong perception among teachers that reading competence has a direct influence on reading comprehension among students, and that reading comprehension is equally impacted upon by self-efficacy and socio-cultural conditions