ASSESSING THE PRACTICE OF TEACHING READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS AT KOBO SECONDARY SCHOOL: GRADE NINE IN FOCUS

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the practice of teaching of reading comprehension skills at Kobo Secondary School, Grade 9 in focus. To achieve the objective of the research, descriptive case study design and a mixed research approach were used. In line with this, questionnaires, interviews and classroom observations were the main data collection tools through which English language teachers, and students participated. Thirty closed-ended questions of the Likert Scale type were given to students, and these items were used again for the observation checklist. Likewise, the analysis of the collected data was made through simple descriptive statistics (i.e., frequency, percentage, and mean). Each teacher was observed four times for a total of twenty observations, which were triangulated with student responses and the teachers’ interview results. The data from the student questionnaire was analyzed using percentages and mean values, along with the integration of observation results, which were evaluated using percentages. The finding of the study shows that there were discrepancies in the implementation of strategies used during the pre-reading stage, indicating that this stage is not given sufficient attention. Similarly, the study found that while-reading stage did not incorporate a wide range of interactive activities such as group discussions or visual aids, and many English language teachers relied on traditional teaching methods. Finally, it was found that assigning activities that require critical thinking skills after reading the text was lacking, and teachers mainly focused on summarizing, supporting details, and topic sentences. The study recommends that English language teachers at Kobo Secondary School strengthen reading comprehension by emphasizing pre-reading activities, incorporating interactive activities during reading, and designing post-reading tasks that encourage critical thinking