Effects of creating physical learning spaces on the reading comprehension skills performance of primary four pupils

Abstract

Literacy development in education has been an issue of global concern. In Nigeria, learners in primary schools generally struggle to learn due to poor literacy skills which manifests in their inability to comprehend concepts in the school subjects. It is against this background that several research studies have been carried out on ways of improving the literacy skills of pupils in order to enhance their academic performance, social skills and survival skills. In spite of these efforts, not much has been achieved as reflected in current research findings on literacy skills’ performance of pupils in primary schools. This study examined the effects of creating physical learning spaces on the reading comprehension performance of primary four pupils. It is a quasi-experiment using two intact groups: one experimental and one control.  The study was guided by two research questions and two hypotheses. All the primary four pupils in Alvan Ikoku Staff Primary School, Owerri, totalling 120 made up the population for the study. A 50-item researcher-made (Literacy Learning Centres Test, LLCT) reading comprehension test was used as pre and post-tests, to establish statistical equivalence. The pre-test was given to the pupils and the outcome was used to assign 40 subjects to each of the two groups. This experiment lasted for 6 weeks. The result was analysed using t-test and ANOVA. The results showed that there was a significant difference in the mean scores of the pupils taught using Literacy Learning Centres (LLC) and Normal Classroom Environment (NCE) and no significant difference was noted between male and female students taught using LLC. The recommendations include a suggestion that English Language teachers should use local resources to create learning centres for the teaching of the reading in order to enhance comprehension.

Keywords: classroom practices, learning space, comprehension skills, teaching space