ERIC Number: EJ1325391
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0300-4430
EISSN: N/A
Improving Learners' Comprehension Skills in the Early Years through Group Discussion
Early Child Development and Care, v192 n1 p159-171 2022
This article reports on the utilization of group discussion by teachers to improve the comprehension skills of learners in their multilingual classes. The study aimed to examine solutions to low comprehension skills among learners whose language of instruction differed from their home languages. The participants were teachers (n = 12) and learners (n = 134) from four purposively sampled primary schools. Data generation included non-participatory observations of comprehension lessons, interviews with teachers, and analyses of teachers' lesson plans and learners' workbooks. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that some teachers employed peer tutoring and group work. Others utilized a quiz-bowl approach in comprehension lessons, which limited learners' independent thinking in discussions. However, further analysis indicated that group discussions could be an asset if the teachers were trained to model and scaffold the art of asking questions. Future research should examine the longitudinal influence of the structured use of group discussions.
Descriptors: Group Discussion, Language of Instruction, Comprehension, Language Skills, Teaching Methods, Peer Teaching, Group Activities, Multilingualism, Foreign Countries, Language Usage, Elementary School Teachers, Elementary School Students, Grade 4, Grade 6
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Grade 6; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Africa
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A