Bahir Dar Journal of Education

The influence of orthographic depth on early grade students’ reading of words and non-words in Sidaama and English

Samrawit Bekele Demissie — 2024-06-26

The purpose of this study was to analyse word and non-word reading among early-grade students of Sidaama and English, with a specific emphasis on the difference in orthographic depth between the two languages. The research has a convergent mixed methods design applying reading skills tests, interviews with teachers, and classroom observations. The results of the quantitative and qualitative analysis showed that student scores in Sidaama, which has a transparent orthography, indicated greater accuracy in both word and non-word reading compared to English with its deep orthography. Overall, students read words more correctly than non-words in both languages. Especially in English, the scores for non-words were very low. The results from the reading tests suggest that orthographic differences between the two languages caused challenges for the students when decoding words and non-words. The teachers confirmed the influence of these challenges in interviews, and students were observed struggling to read in class.

Explicit instructional moves in teaching reading in grade one: Observations from four Amharic classrooms

Nigist Gedife Hunegnaw — 2024-06-26

In response to the recurring poor literacy achievement among learners in various mother tongue languages in Ethiopian schools, this study investigated teaching practices of four Amharic teachers at three government schools in Hawassa city, focusing on how the instructional content is implemented and what explicit instructional moves the teachers used in teaching early reading. Through a qualitative case study approach, utilizing video-recordings and checklist-based observations as data collection tools, the study revealed variations in implementation among all four teachers. Modelling, discussion, feedback and guided practice have been found to be the explicit instructional moves most prominently used by the teachers. Elements of explicit instruction seemed to be implemented simultaneously, albeit randomly, and the lesson content was delivered systematically from simple to more complex. The instructional content was found to be primarily grapho-phonological, where the fidäl was the minimal content unit of the instruction. Finally, the findings indicate that teaching practices are influenced by external factors such as lack of literacy materials and inadequate Amharic language competence among some teachers. The results might suggest the need for future policy changes and practical interventions aimed at enhancing teachers’ competence and improving the provision of adequate literacy instructional materials.

Developing young learners’ reading competence in Ethiopia: A critical review of the Ministry of Education’s guidelines for developing supplementary reading materials

Samuel Belayneh Kame — 2024-06-26

This study presents a critical review of the official guidelines established in 2016 by the Ethiopian Ministry of Education offering detailed criteria for the development and selection of supplementary reading materials (SRMs) for primary school learners to enhance their reading competence. Despite interventions during the last couple of decades to enhance reading performance in Ethiopia, sufficient improvement has not been seen. The study examined the extent to which the Ministry’s guidelines are conducive to appropriate development of students’ reading fluency and reading comprehension with a focus on Grades 1–4. We analyzed the criteria in view of current research in the science of reading, building also on theories of multimodality and text linguistics. Findings show that the SRM selection and development guidelines align with a traditional simple view of reading (SVR). We argue that developing and selecting SRMs based on an active view of reading, highlighting a learner-sensitive affective dimension of learning, has the potential to make SRMs more motivating and thus more conducive to young learners’ reading development. With this perspective on the SRM guidelines, the article ends with a reflection on the potential pedagogical implications of these new insights as part of reading teachers’ professional knowledge base.

The impacts of word attack strategies in improving students’ reading skill: A sequential explanatory mixed methods study

Chanyalew Enyew Adamu — 2024-06-26

This study sought to examine the effects of meaning and visual word attack instructional strategies on the reading skills of students focusing on Grade 6 students at one primary school in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed to explore the impact of these strategies on students' reading skills. A sample of 30 Grade 6 students was selected from an intact classroom using a purposive sampling technique. The students were assessed using a pre-test-post-test design, with the pre-test administered before the intervention and the post-test administered after the intervention. The results showed that the word attack instructional strategies significantly improved students' reading skills, as measured by a paired samples t-test. Furthermore, the qualitative results revealed improvements in students' self-confidence, motivation, and participation in reading activities. The findings suggest that incorporating word attack strategies into reading lessons can have a positive impact on students' reading skills and overall reading experiences.

The effects of interactive writing instructional method on the Amharic writing skills of students with hearing impairment

Etagegne Gedefaw Getahun — 2024-06-26

This study aimed to explore the impact of the interactive writing instructional method on the Amharic writing skills of grade seven students with hearing impairment. A single-group experimental design was employed, involving seven participants selected using the comprehensive sampling technique due to the small study group size. The school was also selected purposefully. Data were collected through pretest and posttest methods, which were analyzed using a paired sample t-test. The results showed a significant improvement in students' writing skills, with a mean score increase from 34.10 in the pretest to 62.07 in the posttest, representing a notable 32.36-point average score difference between the two tests. Furthermore, the analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in writing skills between the pre-and post-intervention results. The results of the study suggest that the interactive writing instructional method has a positive effect on improving Amharic writing skills among students with hearing impairment.

Enhancing early grade reading development: A call for education reform and innovation

Reda Darge Negasi — 2024-06-26

Welcome to the May issue of Bahir Dar Journal of Education. The present issue is a special issue focusing on the theme "Early Grade Reading Development". In this issue, we present five research articles that examine crucial topics in early-grade reading development. Authored by a total of 13 scholars from four universities in Ethiopia and Norway, the articles provide a comprehensive exploration of the complexities surrounding early-grade reading. They also offer valuable insights into the multifaceted nature of this critical issue and shed light on the various factors that influence early-grade reading development in Ethiopia and beyond.