TWO ACTIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES AND PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN ENGLISH READING COMPREHENSION AND COMPOSITION IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

English reading comprehension and composition are taught at primary school to lay a solid foundation for acquisition of literacy. Reports have shown that public primary school pupils in Lagos State exhibit deficiency in English reading comprehension and composition, which partly accounts for their low literacy skills. Previous studies largely focused on home and teacher factors influencing pupils’ achievement in English reading comprehension and composition with little emphasis on interventions through active learning strategies. This study, therefore, was carried out to determine the effects of Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRCLS) and Group Investigation (GILS) learning strategies on public primary school pupils’ achievement in English reading comprehension and composition in Lagos State, Nigeria. The moderating effects of self efficacy and home background were also examined. Social Constructivist Learning Theory provided the framework, while the pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental research design with 3x3x2 factorial matrix was adopted. The three senatorial districts were enumerated in Lagos State. Two primary schools were randomly selected from each senatorial district, making a total of six primary schools. An intact class of Primary V was randomly selected from each school, while the six intact classes were randomly assigned to CIRCLS (128), GILS (108) and control (121) groups. Treatment lasted 12 weeks. Instruments used were English Reading Comprehension (r=0.80) and English Composition Achievement (r=0.77) tests, Self-Efficacy Scale (r=0.74) and Home Background Questionnaire (r=0.76). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, analysis of covariance and Bonferroni post-hoc at 0.05 level of significance. The mean age of participants was 10.8 2.20 years. The achievements in reading comprehension (40.2%) and composition (20.1%) were low. There were significant main effects of treatment on pupils’ achievement in reading comprehension (F(2,342)=13.32; partial η2 =0.07) and composition (F(2,342)=5.68; partial η2 =0.03). Pupils exposed to CIRCLS had the highest achievement mean scores (reading comprehension- 46.79; composition– 22.80) followed by GILS (reading comprehension 38.26; composition– 22.27) and control (reading comprehension- 35.58; composition– 15.16) groups. Self-efficacy significantly influenced achievement in reading comprehension (F(2,342)=4.27; partial η2 =0.02), but there was no significant effect on composition. Pupils with low self-efficacy had the highest achievement mean score (44.35), followed by those with medium (40.25) and high (30.02). Home background had no significant effects on reading comprehension and composition. There was a significant two-way interaction effect of treatment and self-efficacy on pupils’ achievement in composition (F(4,342)=2.75, partial η2 =0.02) but none on reading comprehension. There were no significant two-way interaction effects of treatment and home background, and self efficacy and home background on pupils’ achievement in reading comprehension and composition. The three-way interaction effect was not significant. Cooperative integrated reading and composition, and group investigation strategies were effective at improving pupils’ achievement in English reading comprehension and composition with the former being more effective. Teachers of English language should adopt both strategies for improved public primary school pupils’ achievement in English reading comprehension and composition, particularly those with low self-efficacy