Setting up classroom libraries in rural areas: The case of Mogodumo circuit in Limpopo

Abstract

There is an urgent need to establish classroom libraries, especially in rural areas where learners hardly come across any reading material.  The purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers set up classroom libraries in rural areas of the Mogodumo circuit in  the Limpopo province of South Africa. The study was qualitative in nature. Fifteen English First Additional Language (EFAL) teachers from  12 schools participated in the study. Observation and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect data. It was found that while  all participants recognised the importance of reading for their learners, only 7 of the 15 teachers managed to establish classroom  libraries. The study revealed that teacher selfefficacy (TSE) played a crucial role in setting up classroom libraries, given the serious  challenges of funding, resources and support experienced by rural schoolteachers. Teachers with high TSE managed to establish  classroom libraries by using their own time, money, and resources, while those with low TSE failed to establish classroom libraries. We  recommend that school managers should make time and resources available to rural schoolteachers to enable them to establish  classroom libraries.