ATTACHMENT_J.9_Final_Report_for_Study_on_Community_Perception_of_Student_Reading_Abilities.pdf

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STUDY ON COMMUNITY PERCEPTIONS OF STUDENTS’

READING ABILITIES IN MALAWI

MARCH 2015

This publication was made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It was reviewed by the USAID/Malawi Education team and prepared by D R Consulting Services (DRCS) through Dr. Denis Khasu, Dickens Chiyani, Aaron Mapondera and Gracious Hamuza.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF TABLES .................................................................................................................... IV

TABLE OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................... V

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................... VI

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ................................................................................. VII

1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

1.1 INTRODUCTION

1.2 BACKGROUND

1.3 STUDY PURPOSE

1.4 STUDY HYPOTHESES AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.5 STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT

2 METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH

2.1 RESEARCH DESIGN

2.2 SAMPLING PROCESS

2.3 DATA COLLECTION METHODS

2.4 DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS

2.4.1 HOUSEHOLD SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE

2.4.2 HEAD TEACHER INTERVIEW GUIDE

2.4.3 TEACHER QUESTIONNAIRE

2.4.4 COMMUNITY SCORECARD

2.4.5 STUDENT ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL

2.4.6 KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEW GUIDE

2.4.7 SCHOOL CLIMATE CHECKLIST

2.5 DATA MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS

2.6 QUALITY ASSURANCE

2.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

3 ANALYSIS OF RESULTS,

3.1 STUDY CHARACTERISTICS

3.2 COMMUNITY PERCEPTIONS

3.2.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES

3.2.2 GENERAL COMMUNITY PERCEPTION ON STUDENTS’ READING ABILITIES

3.3 SCHOOL BASED PERCEPTIONS

3.3.1 ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE TEACHER’S EMPLOYMENT STATUS AND CHILDREN’S

ABILITY TO READ

3.3.2 TEACHER’S TRAINING IN READING INSTRUCTION AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

3.3.3 TEACHER’S QUALIFICATION AND CHILDREN’S ABILITY TO READ

3.3.4 TEACHER’S TRAINING MODE AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

3.3.5 COMMUNITY SUPPORT ON STUDENT READING

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3.4 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND EXPECTATION AND

LEARNING OUTCOMES

3.4.1 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENTS’ READING ABILITY AND COMMUNITY

PARTICIPATION AND EXPECTATION VARIABLES

3.5 RELATIVE INFLUENCE OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN READING PROGRAMS ON

STUDENTS’ READING ABILITY

3.6 RELATIVE INFLUENCE OF INCREASED COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN LEARNING OF

STUDENTS ON STUDENTS’ READING ABILITY

3.7 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS AND STANDARDS KNOWLEDGE

OF APPROPRIATE LEARNING OUTCOMES AND QUALITY OF LEARNING OUTCOMES

4 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

4.1 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY AND HOW IT AFFECTS

THE VALUES AND EXPECTATIONS OF LEARNING OUTCOMES

4.2 ROLE OF SCHOOLS IN HELPING STUDENTS REALIZE THE EXPECTATIONS OF

COMMUNITIES ON THE STUDENTS LEARNING OUTCOMES AND PREPARE THEM TO BECOME

MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITIES AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT

4.3 KNOWLEDGE OF EDUCATION STANDARDS BY COMMUNITIES AND THEIR USAGE IN

SETTING EDUCATIONAL PREFERENCES OF THEIR CHILDREN ENROLLED IN SCHOOLS

4.4 STUDY HYPOTHESIS

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 CONCLUSIONS

5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS

6 ANNEX

6.1 REFERENCES

6.2 SAMPLED STUDY DISTRICTS AND SCHOOLS

6.3 FIGURES OF ANALYSIS MODEL SHOWING ISOLATED ISSUES THAT AFFECT READING

ABILITY

6.4 STATEMENT OF WORK

6.5 STUDY INSTRUMENTS

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TABLE OF TABLES

Table 1: Sample Sizes of Different Sources of Data for the Study ______________ 6 Table 2: EGRA Tasks and Competences _______________________________ 8 Table 3: Description of Variables used in the Analysis ______________________ 9 Table 4: Study Population Characteristics ______________________________ 14 Table 5: Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) on Performance between Interventions _ 18 Table 6: Relationship between Teacher’s Employment Status and Students Reading Abilities ______________________________________________________ 24 Table 7: Relationship between Teacher’s Qualification and Student’s Ability to Read ____________________________________________________________ 24 Table 8: Relationship between Teacher’s Education Training Mode and Student’s Ability to Read _________________________________________________ 25 Table 9: Correlation between Students’ Reading ability and Community Participation and Expectation Variables _________________________________________ 27 Table 10: Logistic Regression Analysis of Community Involvement Associated with Students’ Ability to Read __________________________________________ 28 Table 11: Logistic Regression Analysis of Community Participation Associated with Students’ Ability to Read __________________________________________ 30 Table 12: Logistic Regression Analysis of community expectations and standards on students and teachers associated with learning outcomes __________________ 31 v

TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 1: : Distribution of Students by Sex Able to Read Based on Specific Benchmarks _________________________________________________________ 16 Figure 2: Number of Words Read per Minute by Sex ________________________ 17 Figure 3: Mean Number of Words Read per Minute by District________________ 17 Figure 4: A comparison of Mean Number of Words Read per minute in EGRA Intervention & Non EGRA _____________________________________________ 18 Figure 5: Distribution of Students’ Reading Ability by Categories and Intervention _ 19 Figure 6: Percentage of Zero Scores by EGRA Subtasks ______________________ 19 Figure 7: Percentage of Zero Scores by Districts ___________________________ 20 Figure 8: Percentage of Zero Scores by EGRA Intervention ___________________ 20 Figure 9: Parents’ Perceptions of Children on Education Related Capabilities _____ 21 Figure 10: Parents Perception and Expectations ____________________________ 22 Figure 11: Community Perception on Key Challenges Affecting Student Reading Ability _____________________________________________________________ 22 Figure 12: Teachers’ Perceptions of Challenges that Impinge Students’ Reading Skills Development________________________________________________________ 23 Figure 13: Head Teacher Perception on Level of Support by Community Structures on Students Reading __________________________________________________ 26 vi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This Study on Community Perception on Student Reading Abilities in Malawi Primary Education was commissioned by the United States Agency for International Development/Malawi (USAID) to understand the community perspective on students reading abilities and community expectations on students’ reading standards.. This was with a view to inform decision-making among policymakers.

The successful undertaking of this study was a result of concerted effort and support by different players. They all deserve commendation and special mention.

D R Consulting Services (DRCS) wishes to first and foremost offer profound gratitude to the American people through USAID for providing the financial resources to conduct the study.

At the USAID/Malawi office, DRCS wishes to acknowledge the support that the Contracting Officer and his team provided to DRCS from the time that DRCS was selected for award.

DRCS is also indebted and wishes to express profound gratitude to Ramsey Sosola the Contracting Officers Representative (COR) who has been supportive to DRCS in providing technical guidance in the execution of the study. DRCS also wishes to thank the assistant COR, Chikondi Maleta, for being available to guide the team in the absence of the COR. DRCS also wishes to thank the USAID/Malawi Education Office Director, Christine Djondo, for her valuable support and guidance throughout the execution of the study.

DRCS also wishes to recognise the support the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) provided to the consulting team especially those from the Department of Inspection and Advisory Services.

Finally, DRCS acknowledges the willingness of all officials from Development Partners, MoEST, District Councils, CSOs/NGOs, students, teachers, communities and parents to respond to the study questions through different methods used in the study.

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ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

AIDS Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

ANOVA Analysis of Variance

ATR Ability to Read

CEL Community Education Level

CDCS Country Development and Cooperation Strategy

COR Contracting Officers Representative

CPD Continuous Professional Development

CRC Community Reading Culture

CSO Civil society organization

CVs Community Volunteers

DEC Development Experience Clearinghouse

DEM District Education Managers

DIAS Department of Inspection and Advisory Services

DO Development Objective

DP Development Partners

DRCS Dickens Robert Consulting Services

EDSA Education Decentralization Support Activity

EGRA Early Grade Reading Activity

FGD Focus Group Discussion

FPE Free Primary Education

GOM Government of Malawi

GABLE Girls Attainment in Basic Literacy Education

GABLE SMC Girls Attainment in Basic Literacy Education Social Mobilization Campaign

GABLE SMC-EQ Girls Attainment in Basic Literacy Education Social Mobilization Campaign Education Quality

HHLANG Household Language

HHSIZE Household size

IPTE Initial Primary Teacher Education

JCE Junior Certificate Education

KII Key Informant Interview

MASTEP Malawi Special Teacher Education Program

MDG Millennium Development Goals

MG Mother Group

MESA Malawi Education Support Activity viii

MGDS Malawi Growth and Development Strategy

MIITEP Malawi Integrated In-service Teacher Education Program

MOEST Ministry of Education Science and Technology

MOGCSW Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare

NGO Non-Governmental Organization

NSCPMPS National Strategy on Community Participation and Management in Primary Schools

ODL Open Distance Learning

PEA Primary Education Advisors

PR Parents Reading

PSSP Primary School Support Program

PTA Parents Teacher Association

RA Research Assistants

RTI Research Triangle Institute

SAT Standard Achievement Test

SIP School Improvement Plan

SMC School Management Committee

SOW Statement of Work

SPSS Statistical Package for Social Science

TFD Theatre for Development

USAID United States Agency for International Development ix

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Introduction

This is a report for a study on Community Perceptions on Students Reading Abilities in Malawi. The study was commissioned by USAID/Malawi and carried out by D R Consulting Services of Malawi. This study sought to understand the community perception of students reading abilities and community expectations on students reading abilities. The findings contained in this report are intended to inform future programming by education stakeholders and form part of information campaigns, policy dialogue on early grade reading and improvement in students’ attainment of learning outcomes.

The design and implementation of this study was informed by the following development hypothesis: (i) If communities are involved in reading programs then children’s learning outcomes will be enhanced. (ii) Increased participation and interest of communities in student learning contributes significantly to the learning outcomes of students. (iii) Community expectations and standards knowledge of appropriate learning outcomes will promote quality learning outcomes. In exploring the hypothesis, the study answers the following key questions: (i) What is the relationship between the school and the community and how does this relationship affect the values and expectations of learning outcomes? (ii) What roles does the school play to help the students realize the expectations of communities on student learning outcomes and prepare them to become members of the communities and contribute to the development? (iii) What education standards do communities use to know whether their children are learning in schools? Does this affect education preferences of the family in terms of learning outcomes for both girls and boys?

These hypotheses and key questions informed the data collection protocols. Results from the data collected were analysed using several data analysis packages. The findings from the data analysis led to the conclusions and the recommendations for the study stakeholders to consider in a bid to improve the reading abilities of students.

Methodological Approach

The study design within the context of the methodological approach was tuned to effectively test the hypothesis and respond to the study questions. In this regard the research design followed a mixed methods paradigm. This is where a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches was used to design data collection instruments that complemented each other and allowed for triangulation of the question raised in the study. The study used surveys, Focus Group Discussions (FGD), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and secondary data sources to collect data.

Key respondents included head teachers, teachers, and parents, Primary Education Advisors (PEAs), District Education Managers (DEMs), representatives of Development Partners (DPs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) among others.

Data were analysed using SPSS but a variety of techniques such as Logistic regression analyses were conducted to either accept or reject the null hypotheses.

Findings

The major study findings on community perception on students reading abilities are categorised in key characteristics of students, students reading abilities, community perceptions on students reading abilities, school perceptions on students reading x abilities and expectations and the relationship between reading fluency and factors from school and households that effect on reading abilities of students.

Key characteristics of the students study population

From the sampled students who participated in the study, 50.1% were females and 49.9% were males. Further to this all the students were in the range of 6 to 14 years of age. From the analysis results, 60.1% of the students came from the families with Chichewa as their mother language. In addition, 76.7% of the household heads interviewed in the study had some level of primary education. 87.3% were subsistence farmers with minimal household expenditure on education of their children. Students from households where one of the parents had some level of education performed better during the reading assessment than students from households with parents who have never been to school. Students from households with higher expenditure on education performed better in the reading assessments than students that were coming from households with less education expenditure and dependent on subsistence farming.

Students Reading Abilities

In order to determine students who can read from those who are unable to read, students were assessed using oral fluency. In this regard, study results have shown that only 2.1% students were able to read and 97.9% were unable to read. Further to this, the study has shown that the mean number of correct words read per minute (cwpm) for both sexes is similar. However, female students are reading better than their male counterparts. Further analysis showed that students from schools with early Grade Reading Activity (EGRA) are reading more words than students from Non-EGRA schools, mainly because of reading instruction training provided to teachers in EGRA schools.

Community perceptions

From the results of the study, community perception and expectations about their children’s ability to read is high. The community expects their children to acquire some literacy skills both in English and Chichewa and the numeracy skills by the end of standard 2. However, although parents have positive perceptions and expectations of their children’s performance, and think that their children are reading well; the reading assessment show that students reading abilities are below the National Reading Standards benchmark of 30 cwpm for standard 1. Only 2.1% of the students assessed met the benchmark. This disjuncture between the community perception and reality, and lack of information to the community on the meaning of what reading well is leading to communities limited efforts to work with students and teachers on reading instruction in both school and home environments. This information asymmetry is also translated in School Improvement Plans, where communities’ involvement is not directed at instructional leadership but on other extractive areas such as building classrooms, teachers houses and school management; which are essential but not sufficient and critical to improving reading abilities of students.

School based perceptions on the teaching of reading

The study revealed that teacher’ qualifications and years of experience are associated with children’s reading abilities. From the analysis, the number of students who could read, 93% was from the qualified and experienced teachers.

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Further, the study has shown that 69% of the students that were able to read were taught by teachers who were trained in reading instruction. This implies that training of teachers in reading instruction has a significant contribution on the ability of students reading. The study further revealed that the school community has the structures that are supportive to the management of schools such as the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), School Management Committees (SMCs) and Mother Groups. However, the study revealed that most of these structures are not involved in instructional leadership on reading, except for traditional leaders that are actively involved in the establishment of reading centres that offer after school reading instruction delivered by volunteers. These centres were noticed active in EGRA districts. Therefore, whilst school structures are present in all schools sampled, reading instruction leadership is lacking; hence limited support to student’s acquisition of reading skills, the essence of academic engagement.

Factors associated with acquisition of reading skills

The study has revealed that home support differentiates students who are able to read from the ones that are unable to read. Students that are given strong home support on learning to read are 6 times likely to read than those that are not given home support on learning of reading.

In addition, students that come from the community that has interest in reading are 4 times likely to read than students that come from communities that do not have interest in reading. Again, students that have literate parents have greater chances of being able to read compared to those from illiterate parents.

The study has also shown that there is a close relationship between the reading centres with active community volunteer participation with the ability to read.

Students that are surrounded by active reading centres are 10 times likely to be read than students that are not surrounded by active reading centres.

The study results have also shown that activities of the community groups alone cannot improve reading abilities of the students. There must be an availability of other resources that can make the school and household environment conducive for students’ attainment of reading abilities such as availability of reading materials, exposure to text in home environments, reading instruction, and increased time on task on reading.

Conclusions

The results have shown that there is no difference in reading abilities between the males and the females, however female students are reading better that male students, their variation in scores is closer to the mean reading score than that of male students. However there are differences in reading abilities between districts that implement EGRA activities and those that are not implementing. Districts that are under EGRA implementation were performing relatively better than those that are not under EGRA implementation.

The study has also revealed that the community has high expectations on the reading abilities of their children and that their children read well. Nonetheless, 97.9% of the students are reading below the national reading benchmark for standard 1 of 30cwpm.

Evidence from the study has shown that there are some potential determinants of reading training in instructions, home support, accessible reading materials and xii assigning qualified and experienced teachers in lower classes. If these determinants are improved then there is a likelihood that students’ reading abilities will improve.

The study has also shown that community perceptions, expectations and involvement on reading require complementing with strong capacity building in reading instruction at school and community level, students’ frequent engagement with text, and increased support on learning reading to students by the school as well as the community. This complementation will significantly contribute to acquisition of reading skills by the students.

Recommendations

Based on the findings presented in this study report the following recommendations are advanced for consideration by identified parties at the various levels of the Education System in Malawi. The recommendations are categorized into central, community and school level.

Central Level

MoEST in collaboration with Development Partners should build the capacity of illiterate parents to provide instructional support on learning reading at home.

MoEST should expand EGRA to all schools to improve students’ reading abilities and lay down the foundation for effective self-learning

Government through MoEST should develop clear standards of accountability to set and hold teachers to high professional standards.

MoEST should incorporate reading instruction into the curriculum of teacher training institutions to ensure that each qualified teacher is able to teach reading.

This will in the long run resolve the challenges of teacher allocation within the schools where teachers with in-service training on reading instruction are allocated to senior classes whose focus is not acquisition of reading skills.

MoEST in collaboration with Civil Society should mount an information campaign on the role of the school, communities and traditional leaders in promoting acquisition of reading skills for both parents and students. The campaign should also include publicizing of the national reading standards and easy-to-use reading assessment criteria that parents should use in assessing their children acquisition of reading skills.

• School level

Schools’ management should integrate reading instructional leadership in the School Improvement Planning processes to ensure that schools investment plans are informed by challenges students face in acquisition of reading skills.

Teachers should provide parents/guardians information necessary to enhance learning of reading for students at home and in reading centres

Schools should promote a two-way communication with parents/guardians through open days to among other things develop consensus on parents’ expectations of students’ attainment of learning outcomes including reading benchmarks and mechanisms that parents should use in assessing how well their children are reading. This will ease off assessment pressure that teachers face in schools due to large class sizes.

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Schools must create a supportive system in which teachers within the community can offer guidance and technical support to volunteers and community leaders to effectively facilitate community based student reading activities.

• Community level

Communities should resource reading centres with reading materials for after school reading instruction

Parents/guardians that are able to read should volunteer in reading centres.

MoEST should encourage communities to adapt and develop reading materials for use in reading centres. E.g. copying decodable stories from reading digests and textbooks on sheets of paper for reading practice by their children and writing texts on appropriate walls to increase exposure to text by their children in home and school environments.

1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

1.1 Introduction

This is a report for a study on community perception on student’s reading abilities which was commissioned by USAID Malawi. The report responds to the Statement of Work (SOW) defined for the study. This study was undertaken in six education districts three of which are EGRA districts (Lilongwe East, Balaka and Machinga) and other three non-EGRA districts ( (Mzimba South, Dedza and Rumphi).

Reading is a multi-layered learning process that varies in attainment from language to language, taking a short time in some and much longer in others. A great deal of research has shown over time that the ability to read and understand a simple text is one of the most fundamental skills a child can learn. Evidence increasingly indicates that learning to read both early and at a sufficient rate with comprehension is essential for learning to read well and for children to be able to learn other subjects and skills on their own. In the present, EGRA Malawi is using the Chichewa language as a basis for learning reading.

Both parents and communities have different perception and indeed expectations regarding students reading abilities and factors affecting achievement. This study sought to understand community perceptions of student reading abilities and community expectations on student reading benchmarks. The findings that this report presents are intended to inform future programming of educational interventions such as information and mobilization campaigns on reading, Policy Dialogue on Early Grade Reading, Improvements and expansion of existing activities on Early Grade Reading (EGR). In doing so the report provides an analysis of common community perceptions and expectations and how these relate to student reading abilities. Further, this report articulates teachers’ perceptions of the early grade reading intervention and provides teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of student learning, teachers’ own skills in teaching reading and the culture of learning as all these factors are instrumental in understanding expectations of student learning. The study also outlines teachers’ attitudes and perceptions of their own students and the communities from which students are drawn; teachers’ view of the learning capacity of their students; teachers’ attitudes and perceptions of their own teaching and language skills and teachers’ perceptions of materials available to them, among other.

In the final analysis the report makes a number of action-oriented, practical and specific recommendations based on the findings clearly with defined responsibility for the action. It is expected that this will allow stakeholders to integrate such recommendations in on-going education sector interventions to promote student reading abilities that are critical for overall performance in the attainment of learning outcomes. The recommendations pay ample attention to feasibility of change and innovation as well as the economic and political context in which the stakeholders in the education sector will be working.

1.2 Background

Since the introduction of Free Primary Education (FPE) in Malawi, most communities have been pro-active in supporting their children’s education. Therefore, community participation has been impressive in most schools in Malawi. Most Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have supported community development and sensitization efforts in the education sector for decades some of them funded by USAID. The USAID/Malawi education team has a long history of supporting programs aimed at increasing the capacity of communities and schools to participate in education. Programs that have been implemented over the past 10 years include the following: Girls Attainment in Basic Literacy Education (GABLE) program;

GABLE Social Mobilization Campaign (SMC); GABLE SMC-Education Quality (EQ);

the Malawi Education Sector Support Activity (MESA); Primary School Support Program (PSSP) and most recently the Education Decentralization Support Activity (EDSA). All programs have had notable interventions in the education sector in Malawi and had components which specifically targeted communities and their intensified participation in education development. Information on these and related programs is accessible from quarterly reports, annual reports, management assessments and previous evaluation for GABLE, EDSA, and PSSP.

The GABLE SMC approach had mostly used Theatre for Development (TFD) as an action research tool to gather community perspectives about development. TFD is a process or methodology for information gathering, community sensitization and empowerment through theatre or participatory drama performances. There are six steps involved in TFD: Fact-finding; problem/data analysis; storyline development;

rehearsals; participatory drama performances; performance evaluation/post-mortem.

This approach has been widely used to collect data on community perspectives on girls’ education in Malawi.

At institutional and capacity building level, the Education Decentralization Support Activity (EDSA) supported the training of head teachers and school communities in financial management and school improvement planning. School communities were also “sensitized” around the need for, and nature of, community participation as it contributes to national education sector policies and goals as well as the National Strategy on Community Participation and Management in Primary Schools (NSCPMPS), which articulates their responsibility for monitoring the quality of learning in the school. The participatory development of the School Improvement Plan (SIP), accessing funds directly from school/community bank accounts, and successfully funding and implementing activities from these SIPs is the culmination of EDSA efforts. These elements of EDSA are now an integrated part of the Primary School Improvement Plan (PSIP) which rolled out in all districts and all school communities. In PSIP school communities receive a grant from the government used for implementation of school plans. School governance structures such as School Management Committees (SMCs) and Parents/Teachers Associations (PTAs) have undergone training in planning, financing management, and monitoring of school activities.

In Malawi community-based interventions have mainly focused on school improvement planning and community participation through construction of additional blocks and rehabilitation of existing buildings. With USAID funds under EDSA school grants, school improvement funds hired assistant teachers, bought exercise books and pens, and conducted school–based–in-service i.e. involvement of the community in the implementation of the curriculum in the classroom. The new reading approach calls for a shift in different methods of community participation and school improvement planning for greater improvement of learning outcomes. The New Early Grade Reading Activity (EGRA) implemented by the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) continues to implement community lessons from EDSA and other USAID previous projects. However while the greatest focus is on community support for early grade reading, the EGRA project also implements interventions that entail teacher training and supply of teaching and learning materials.

This study focuses on the analysis of community perceptions on Standard 2 students reading abilities and what communities expect of these students’ performance on reading. The study therefore determines some of the predictors for acquisition of reading skills based on community perceptions and expectation.

Further to this, this study investigates the community perceptions of what students ought to learn in school and how quickly they should start to read at grade level. In addition the study targeted school staff with the view to establish a relationship that exists between school and community and how this affects the values and expectations of learning outcomes.

1.3 Study Purpose

The purpose of the study is to understand the community perceptions of students’ reading abilities and community expectations on students reading standards.

1.4 Study Hypotheses and Research Questions

USAID/Malawi Country Cooperation and Development Strategy (CDCS) Development Objective (DO) 3 is “Citizens rights and responsibilities exercised”.

The corresponding Results Framework provides a chain of linked hypotheses as follows.

I. If communities are involved in students’ reading programs then children’s learning outcomes will be enhanced

II. Increased participation of communities in the learning of students contributes significantly to the learning outcomes of the students

III. Community expectations and standards on students and teachers promote quality learning outcomes

To address these hypotheses and the study purpose, the following key research questions formed the basis on which the study was designed:

I. What is the relationship between the school and the community and how does this relationship affect the values and expectations of learning outcomes?

II. What roles does the school play to help the students realize the expectations of communities on the students learning outcomes and prepare them to become members of the communities and contribute to the development?

III. What education standards do communities use to know whether their children are learning in schools? Does this affect education preferences of the family in terms of learning outcomes for both girls and boys?

1.5 Structure of the Report

This report is organized into 5 Chapters. Chapter 1 provides the background and context of the study, its aims and objectives. Chapter 2 defines the methodological approach to the study and elaborates study design, sampling techniques and the sample size. Chapter 3 presents the key findings, discussion and interpretation based on primary and secondary data from all levels of data sources. Chapter 4 sets out the conclusions and recommendations based on the findings of the study. In Chapter 5 the report catalogues annexes of the report including data collection instruments, and people and groups that were interviewed.

2 METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH

2.1 Research Design

The research design is based on the study purpose and hypotheses. The study hypotheses indicate that if communities are involved in students’ reading activities then student’s learning outcomes will be enhanced. The hypothesis further states that increased participation of communities in the learning of students contributes significantly to the learning outcomes of the students and that community expectation and standards on students and teachers promote quality learning outcomes.

To effectively test these hypotheses and answer the study purpose as outlined in Section 1.3 the research design followed a mixed methods approach where a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods were used to design data collection instruments that complemented each other and allowed for triangulation of the questions raised in the study. Through this design the study has unearthed a rich and wide fact base of tangible factors that have established the perception of communities in student reading abilities. The study has further established facts in relation to the interactions between these community perceptions, expectations and what happens at the school in relation to learning outcomes.

2.2 Sampling Process

The sampling process for this study ensured that a representative sample of the study subjects from its various elements is drawn for comprehensiveness in the data capture. The study used the multi-stage sampling technique, which included simple, stratified, purposive and cluster sampling. The rationale for adopting the multi-stage sampling was the imperative to solicit information from each of the respondent categories and statistical representativeness in the data sought. In addition the study benefitted from the geo-spatial distribution of the districts across the country.

In conducting the multi-stage sampling process the first consideration was to select districts from where data was collected. In this regard the study purposively sampled Lilongwe Rural East, Balaka and Machinga districts where EGRA is under implementation. Further the study randomly selected Rumphi, Mzimba South and Dedza districts where EGRA is not being implemented. The inclusion of Mzimba and Rumphi districts in the sample was also to ensure representation of the Northern Education Division based on the philosophy of equitable geo-spatial distribution of the sample.

In each district 15 primary schools were selected. In order to achieve good spread and representation these schools were sampled from five education zones. This meant that from each of the education zone three schools were randomly sampled.

Names of the schools sampled per district and zone are in Annex 5.2

In addition, the study design entailed random sampling of 15 Standard 2 students to participate in the study. From each of the six study districts, 15 schools were sampled. In order to determine the relationship between the perceptions of communities with the students’ reading abilities and their actual performance in the reading assessment, parents/guardians for each of the sampled students were included in the study. This means that 15 households from the surrounding school community were included in the sample.

The study design further involved staging Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with members of Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs), School Management Committees

(SMCs) and Mother Groups (MGs). These structures were engaged in one FGD at each of the 90 primary schools sampled. In addition school heads and Standard 2 teachers participated in the study to cross check the perception of these school staff on the reading abilities of the students and how this influenced what happened at the school in terms of practice, commitment and design of school programs.

The following is the summary of sample sizes of the different sources of data in the six sampled districts. The broadening of the data sources was premised on social research requirements that a study sample needs to be adequate and representative to make scientifically acceptable inferences and conclusions.

Table 1: Sample Sizes of Different Sources of Data for the Study District Number of School Number of students

Number of households

Number of Head teacher for KII

Number of standard two Teachers

Number of FGDs with SMCs/PTA

DEM

(1/District)

PEA

(5/District)

Other GoM Service Providers (Agriculture & Social Welfare, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Youth (District Level)

District level CSOs/NGOs

Rumphi 15 225 225 15 15 15 1 5 4 2

Mzimba South

15 225 225 15 15 15 1 5 4 2

Lilongwe Rural East

15 225 225 15 15 15 1 5 4 2

Dedza 15 225 225 15 15 15 1 5 4 2

Balaka 15 225 225 15 15 15 1 5 4 2

Machinga 15 225 225 15 15 15 1 5 4 2

Total 90 1, 350 1, 350 90 90 90 6

30 36 12

2.3 Data Collection Methods

As discussed in Section 2.2, both qualitative and quantitative methods in collecting data were used in this study. There was a diversity of sources of data, and several different data collection methods were therefore utilized during the study. Such data collection methods included the following:

• Students survey

• Parents/Guardians survey

• FGD with community school leadership structures

• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with stakeholders that included head teachers, teachers, PEAs, DEMs, CSO/NGO representatives, Development Partners (DPs) and Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) directors among others.

2.4 Data Collection Instruments

Seven different types of instruments were developed to collect quantitative and qualitative data from the sources that were identified (Annex 5.7). These instruments included the students and parents survey questionnaires. The entire list of study instruments included the following:

2.4.1 Household Survey Questionnaire

The study conducted a household/parents survey as a follow up mechanism for sampled students. The household survey questionnaire was therefore used in facilitating the interaction of researchers with the household representative who in many instances was the head of the household.

2.4.2 Head Teacher Interview Guide

The Interview Guide to head teachers was administered to head teachers from all sampled schools. The head teachers’ interview guide addressed key questions for the study.

2.4.3 Teacher Questionnaire

Teachers for Standard 2 from each of the sampled schools in all the study districts were engaged using the Teacher Interview Guide. The teacher interview guide sought to address all objectives of the study.

2.4.4 Community Scorecard

The Community Scorecard through FGDs was developed and administered among school community leadership structure members. Participants to the community FGDs were drawn from PTAs, SMCs and Mother Groups (MGs). Based on the scorecard community group members scored different perceptions on students as well as provided explanations for the scores and made recommendations on what needed improvements.

2.4.5 Student Assessment Protocol

In order to assess standard two students’ reading abilities, the study adopted and administered the Chichewa EGRA form. The form comprises several reading related tasks that students were requested to undertake on the basis of which their reading abilities have been determined and provided in this study.

2.4.6 Key Informant Interview Guide

The education sector has many other stakeholders that are in one way or another involved in the sector. These stakeholders are either involved in financing of education programs (DPs), implementation of education programs in selected impact areas (CSOs/NGOs), advocacy and lobbying programs (CSO/NGOs). The study therefore developed an interview guide for this grouping of stakeholders. KII guides were therefore used to obtain potential recommendations that may be considered in the drive to improve students’ reading abilities.

2.4.7 School Climate Checklist

The school climate checklist was developed to assess school characteristics such as the size of the school, type and availability of school infrastructure, teachers and their academic and professional qualifications. The analysis of these characteristics has been paramount in determining the implications of the school climate on the level of reading abilities of the students of the school.

2.5 Data Management and Analysis

The data manager/statistician was responsible for ensuring that all data especially the quantitative were being well managed. Once the questionnaires were filled, they were sent to a dedicated computer room for data capture. One way of systematically measuring how well children in the primary school early grades are acquiring reading skills is Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) toolkit (World Bank and RTI, 2009). It has 8 tasks (subtests) that are used to comprehensively determine the reading levels. The table below outlines EGRA and competences measured:

Table 2: EGRA Tasks and Competences Task Code

Task Name Competence

1 Letter name knowledge Basic vocabulary and understanding of commands

2 Phonemic awareness Ability to read correctly the letters of alphabet or say their sounds (timed)

3 Letter sound knowledge Understanding of relationship between sounds and letters

4 Familiar word reading Ability to read correctly high fluency word quickly (timed)

5 Unfamiliar word reading Ability to decode correctly make up words fluently (timed)

6 Oral reading fluency Ability to read correctly short passage that tells a story (timed)

7 Oral comprehension Ability to answer correctly up 5 questions based on the portion of the oral passage that a student could read

8 Listening comprehension Ability to correctly follow and understand a simple oral story

Depending on the level of investigation, each one of the tasks can be used. In this study, all these tasks were covered in the student’s instrument. However, student’s reading ability as measured by Task 6 (Oral Reading Fluency), as one measure of learning outcomes, is the base indicator on which most of the analysis relied upon.

This is so because passage reading and comprehension is a measure of overall reading competence: the ability to translate letters into sound, unify sounds into words, process connection, relate text to meaning and make inferences to fill in missing information (Hasbrouck and Tindal, 2006).

Task 6 – Oral Reading Fluency with Comprehension as a focus of analysis

As skilled readers translate text into spoken language, they combine these tasks in a seemingly effortless manner; because oral reading fluency captures this complex process and can be used to characterise overall reading skill. Tests of oral reading fluency, as measured by timed assessments of correct words per minute, have been shown to have a strong correlation (0.91) with reading comprehension subtest of the Standard Achievement Test (SAT) (Fuchs et al., 2001). Poor performance on reading comprehension tool would suggest that the student had trouble with decoding, or with reading fluently enough to comprehend, or with vocabulary. The scoring (indicator) for this task is derived from the number of correct words read per minute.

Independent factors

Community perceptions and expectations were collected from the households and the general community such as standard 2 teachers, head teachers, community grouping directly connected to school such as mother groups (MGs), parent-teacher associations (PTAs), community volunteers (CVs), school management committees (SMCs), community/public leaders (education players) through KIIs and the general school information. Table 3 below gives the description of the variables, source and their descriptions.

Table 3: Description of Variables used in the Analysis Variable Source Description Response (Dependent) Variable

Ability to Read (ATR) Student Questionnaire

Ability to correctly read is determined by number of words read per minute. 1 for those who read 30 words or more within 1 minute and 0 otherwise

Independent (Explanatory) Variable Students Demographics

Age Student Questionnaire Numeric - continuous

Sex Student Questionnaire

Category - 1 for Female and 2 for Male

Household Demographics

Occupation Household Questionnaire

Category - 1 for Business, 2 for Employed, 3 for Farming, 4 for

Others

Education status

Questionnaire

Category - 1 None, 2 for Less than Primary, 3 for Primary, 4 for Secondary and 5 for Others

Age

Questionnaire Numeric - continuous

Language

Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Chichewa, 2 for Chitumbuka, 3 for Chiyao, 4 for English and 5 for Others

Family Books

Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for having books and 0 for no books

HHSize Household questionnaire Numeric-continuous

Perceptions

Child intelligence

Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Yes and 0 otherwise

Child eagerness to learn

Household Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Yes and 0 otherwise

Girls' determination Household Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Yes and 0 otherwise

Girls' success Household Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Yes and 0 otherwise

Student failures Household Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Yes and 0 otherwise

Child speaks Chichewa

Household Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Yes and 0 otherwise

Effective learning promoter

Household Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Yes and 0 otherwise

Expectations

Assist Child

Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Yes and 0 otherwise

Teacher dedicated Household Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Yes and 0 otherwise

Textbooks user friendly

Household Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Yes and 0 otherwise

Children receive TBs Household Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Yes and 0 otherwise

Have extra Chichewa books

Household Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Yes and 0 otherwise

Teacher feedback Household Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Yes and 0 otherwise

Parental support Household Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Yes and 0 otherwise

Effects of Educ BG Household Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Yes and 0 otherwise

Have TGs Teacher Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Yes and 0

Have Textbooks Teacher Questionnaire

Home support (HS)

Teacher/Household Questionnaire

Volunteer Committees (VC) School Checklist

Categorical - 1 for Active 0 for non-active

PTA School Checklist Categorical - 1 for Active 0 for non-active

School Management Committees (SMC) School Checklist

Categorical - 1 for Active 0 for non-active

Mother Groups (MG) School Checklist Categorical - 1 for Active 0 for non-active

School Information

Teacher Training Modes

Teacher Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for one year training, 2 for One plus one (IPTE), 3 for 2 year teacher training, 4 for MIITEP, 5 for ODL, 6 for MASTEP and 7 for others

Teacher Qualifications

Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for JCE, 2 for MSCE, 3 for Diploma in Education, 4 for Bachelor of Education and 5 for Others

Teacher employment type

Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Permanent, 2 for Month, 3 for Temporary, 4 for Student Teacher, 5 for Volunteer and 6 for Others

Teacher attended reading Instruction

Teacher Questionnaire

Categorical - 1 for Yes and 0 for No

Std 2 Enrolment School checklist Numeric - Continuous

Qualified Teachers

Questionnaire Numeric - Continuous

Logistic Regression Analysis

Students that are able to read correctly 30 words or more per minute are categorised as able to read while those who fail to attain this status are categorised as failures. In this case, all 1350 students were categorised according to their ability to read or not. The positive outcome in this study is ability to read and therefore those with a positive result are categorised as 1 while those who failed to attain this status were coded as 0, which resulted into having a binary response variable. This permits the adoption of the binary logistic regression analysis as the main analysis.

Such analysis has been done based on interventions of EGRA and non EGRA. Using this analysis the study has provided the relationship between ability to read and several predictors such as household and community demographics, perceptions, expectations and school information according to EGRA and Non-EGRA districts.

This has been paramount in determining factors that are likely to lift students from a status of ‘unable to read’ to the status of ‘able to read’; and enable an investigation on positive…