Challenges in Teaching and Learning of Reading in English as a Second Language in Ghanaian Basic Schools

Abstract

This study investigated the challenges pre-service teachers from Accra College of Education encountered when teaching reading comprehension in English as a second language within Ghanaian basic schools. It was conducted in the school environments of six basic schools drawn from the basic schools of Accra College of Education. The participants were Level 400 students (final-year pre-service teachers) from Accra College of Education, learners they instructed during their macro teaching practice, and their mentors (teachers from the basic schools). The study was an action research design utilizing a mixed-method approach. The sequential explanatory design was adopted to enable the collection of quantitative data (the primary source of data) first, followed by gathering qualitative data to enhance the initial findings. The quantitative data were collected through questionnaires and tests as instruments. One hundred pre-service teachers responded to the questionnaires, while three hundred and sixty learners were assessed through the pre-test and post-test. An intervention interspaced the tests. Then, the qualitative data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with in-service teachers, and focus group discussions involving pre-service teachers and learners. The qualitative data were organized through thematic analysis, highlighting the key themes emerging from the data, with content analysis providing interpretation of these themes, supported by direct quotes from participants. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS Version 21. The findings identified teaching large classes, limited availability of English reading textbooks in the basic schools, and learners' lack of foundational reading skills, even at the Junior High (Basic Eight) level, as some challenges that pre-service teachers encounter in delivering reading comprehension instruction in the basic schools. The study also highlighted a disconnect between the strategies intended for teaching reading comprehension to basic school learners and the training received by pre-service teachers in college. Based on the findings, suggestions and recommendations were made to policymakers, teacher education curriculum designers, and the Heads of Colleges of Education in Ghana.