Reading approaches adopted by Grade 4 teachers in inclusive classrooms in a primary school in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district

Abstract

Background: South Africa's persistent literacy crisis, as evidenced by Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS 2021, which indicates that 81% of Grade 4 learners are unable to read for meaning, underscores the systemic challenges within inclusive classrooms of resource-constrained rural primary schools, such as Maquassie Hills in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District. This qualitative exploratory descriptive study, theoretically anchored in Vygotsky's socio-constructivist framework, investigated Grade 4 teachers' reading instructional approaches, adaptations for struggling readers, and barriers/facilitators to reading comprehension proficiency in a multilingual Setswana/English instructional context. Methodology: Employing purposive sampling, five female educators (aged 29-38 years, 5-14 years' experience, B.Ed./PGCE qualified, SACE-registered) participated in semi-structured interviews. Deductive thematic analysis, guided by a priori codes derived from extant literature and CAPS documentation, generated six salient themes, ensuring methodological trustworthiness through member-checking, peer debriefing, constant comparison, and supervisor validation. Finding of the current study: Key findings reveal: (1) instructional approaches comprising read-aloud, phonics instruction, peer-mediated support, and visual aids; (2) barriers including time constraints, material scarcity, and classroom noise; (3) facilitators such as visual aids and cozy reading nooks; (4) interventions featuring delayed School-based Support Team referrals and suboptimal co-teaching; (5) professional development deficits; and (6) inclusive management challenges. Resource limitations undermined partial CAPS congruence on balanced literacy and multilingualism, constraining proximal development scaffolding. Conclusion of the current study: The study concludes that systemic impediments, with professional development and inter-professional collaboration as pivotal enablers, temper approach viability. Recommendations advocate prioritising differentiated instruction, resource diversification, extended reading allocations, streamlined SBST/co-teaching protocols, regular CPTD in inclusive pedagogies, and parental literacy seminars.