Strategies teachers use to enhance grade 7 learners' reading comprehension skills in first additional language : four primary schools in Fort Beaufort

This study focused on the strategies teachers use to enhance grade 7 learners’ reading comprehension skills in English First Additional Language at Fort Beaufort District. This study was impelled by low performance of learners in English language, where learners were unable to read and answer questions promptly due lack of understanding what they read. This study is qualitative in approach and underpinned interpretive paradigm position. Fort Beaufort Education District used as a case study whereby four schools were purposively selected and each with six grade seven learners, teachers and Subject Advisor. Qualitative data was gathered through semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, observations and documents analysis. Interviews and focus groups discussions were taped, transcribed, analysed and the data was categorised into themes. The findings of this study disclosed the weak correlation between teachers’ knowledge and teaching practices and lack of support from the district. The participating teachers had limited understanding of reading comprehension strategies; as a result, they regarded teaching reading comprehension as a challenge since they do not know what comprehension strategies are, and how to apply them. Teachers lack theoretical knowledge and practice concerning the teaching of reading for comprehension resulted to a negative attitude and a total neglect towards teaching reading for comprehension. The participants showed dissatisfaction with the intervention of the Department of Education and the policies they impose on them. The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement has no clear guidelines on how to teach these strategies of reading comprehension, rather it places reading comprehension under three phases, namely: Pre-reading, During- reading and Post-reading. As they lack appropriate techniques to teach English comprehension effectively, more workshops should be done to empower them in order to become competent teachers. Teachers need more training on active approaches in order to change their comprehension instruction and to select texts that are relevant to learners’ life situations or experiences, in order for them to relate with the text and thus would cause them to read with understanding