Teachers Perceptions of Effective Strategies For Teaching Literature To Enhance Students Learning PDF
Teachers Perceptions of Effective Strategies For Teaching Literature To Enhance Students Learning PDF
Teachers Perceptions of Effective Strategies For Teaching Literature To Enhance Students Learning PDF
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Research
Institute
Journals, Research
2011 (ISSN:
Journal
of Emerging
Trends
in Educational
and2141-6990)
Policy Studies (JETERAPS) 2(4):216-264 (ISSN:2141-6990)
jeteraps.scholarlinkresearch.org
Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies (JETERAPS) 2(4):216-264 (ISSN:2141-6990)
portends a problem in education .Education is
expected to change behavior, equip individuals with
skills necessary for self-reliance and national
development.
RESULTS
Research Question
Table 1: Male and female teachers mean responses
on their perceived effective strategies for teaching
literature.
S/N ITEMS
Male literature
Teachers
N=320
X DECISION
Female literature
Teachers
N=680
X DECISION
1.Teacher encourages
students to question
author
2.43 rejected 2.48 rejected
2. Teacher uses think aloud
strategy
2.33 rejected 2.45 rejected
3. Students are involved in
pre-reading activities
2.51 accepted 2.57 accepted
4. Students are encouraged
to form literature circle
2.14 rejected 2.22 rejected
5. Students are taught to
explore activities
2.47 rejected 2.51 accepted
6. Teacher recommends
popular and award
winning stories for
students
2.36 rejected 2.44 rejected
7. Teacher engages students
to actively discuss issues
that crop up from the
text under discussion
2.58 accepted 2.61 accepted
8. Teacher identifies and
puts into use supplemental
materials related to
the recommended texts
2.53 accepted 2.58 accepted
9. Teacher uses multimedia
resources to further clarify
the topic of discussion
2.36 rejected
2.27rejected
10. Teacher gives the
background know-ledge
of the text.
2.63 accepted
2.71accepted
11. Teacher teaches key
concepts and new vocabulary
before students read
2.54 accepted 2.55 accepted
12. Teacher creates reader
response environment 2.51 accepted 2.50 accepted
13. Teacher makes the topic
of discussion more
accessible to less able
students
2.31 rejected 2.58 accepted
14. Teacher encourages students to
discuss in groups
2.21 rejected
2.58 accepted
15. Teacher encourages
students to apply what they
have learned by giving them
projects
2.56 accepted
2.68accepted
RESEARCH QUESTIO(
The following research question guided the study:
What are the strategies literature teachers perceive
effective for teaching literature?
(ull hypothesis:
The following null hypothesis guided the study at
0.05 level of significance:
Male and female literature teachers will not differ
significantly in their perception of effective strategies
for teaching literature.
METHODS
The design of the study was survey. The area of the
study was Anambra State found in the south eastern
part of Nigeria. Literature is an optional subject read
only in the senior secondary schools (equivalent of
high school).There are about 512 secondary schools
with a population of about 1106 literature teachers.
All the literature teachers constituted the population
and the sample of the study. The instrument used for
the study was a 15-item questionnaire titled Effective
Strategies for Teaching Literature (ESTL); which was
developed by the researchers. The instrument had two
parts- A and B. Part A, elicited information such as
name of school, subject taught and class. Part B had
15- item questionnaire structured on a four point
rating scale of Strongly Agree (4points), Agree
(3points), Disagree (2points) and Strongly Disagree
(1point).The instrument was validated by experts in
literacy studies. Pearson Product Moment Correlation
Coefficient was used to test the reliability of the
instrument; it yielded a coefficient value of 0.91.The
instrument was used because of its high coefficient
value. Twenty trained research assistants were used
Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies (JETERAPS) 2(4):216-264 (ISSN:2141-6990)
strategies for teaching literature. They scored mean
values 2.48, 2.45, 2.22, 2.44, 2.27 and2.41
respectively.
Hypothesis
Table 11: t-test comparison of male and female
literature teachers mean responses
on the
strategies they perceive effective for teaching
literature
Respondents N
Male
320
X
SD
2.9 0.55
DF
Female
DISCUSSIO(
The findings of the study revealed that literature
teachers do not perceive some strategies to be
effective for teaching literature. These findings
collaborates the findings of Okoro (2007), which
reported that literature teachers are glued to age-long
methods. This may be as a result of not being abreast
with new effective methods or inefficient
technological growth which hinders access to
information on trend of academic activities in
developed parts of the world. Both male and female
literature do not use questioning the author technique,
think aloud, literature circles, they do not recommend
popular and award winning texts, they do not use
multimedia resources, and they do not make the topic
of discussion more accessible to less able readers.
Male teachers in addition do not encourage students
to explore activities or discuss in groups. The above
findings are factors that hinder acquisition of
knowledge and skills. Literature teachers are
expected to use all these strategies and more in order
to facilitate learning for students. Questioning the
author is a very effective strategy for reading texts
which enable students establish interactions with
texts to build greater understanding and construct
meaning (Beck, Mckeown, Hamilton & Kucan,
2003).Questioning the author not only allows the
reader ask critical questions that give deeper
understanding of the text but also helps the reader
move meaningfully along the text with the author.
Teachers should use literature circles as it nurtures
students love for reading, trains them to express
themselves freely, take up leadership roles and work
better as a group (Raphael & Englert, 1990; Peterson
& Eeds, 1990; Smith, 1998 & Daniels, 2002). Use of
multimedia resources is one visual strategy that
enables students form a mental picture of the topic of
discussion; it also provides background knowledge of
the topic (Tompkins, 2004).Acquisition of knowledge
and skills involve the use of the senses which aid
RECOMME(DATIO(S
The government should as a matter of priority train
and retrain teachers on new strategies that make for
effective teaching and learning. The ability of an
individual to acquire knowledge and skills; and apply
same contributes to national development and self
reliance. Part of the agenda of every government
should be to equip the citizenry with skills and
knowledge. To this effect the government should
organize workshops and seminars to train teachers
and help them improve on their methods and
strategies. The government should also seek
opportunities to study the curriculum of developed
countries with a view to making a balance so that
their students would be at par with their counter-parts
in other parts of the world.
CO(CLUSIO(
Effective teaching of literature prepares learners for
literacy and goes a long way to equip learners with
skills ranging from developing critical thinking,
being creative in writing to acquiring skills for lifelong learning. It is therefore crucial that literature
teachers use effective teaching strategies to enable
students come to full actualization of their potentials.
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