Physical Science Teachers’ Use of Reading Strategies in a South African Context

Abstract

Teaching in global multilingual societies requires a change of instruction concerning reading comprehension, as many learners are not instructed in their home language. Reading comprehension skills are lacking in South Africa and are discernible in subjects like physical sciences, where the text requires high levels of cognitive thinking. This study focused on improving reading comprehension using strategies like vocabulary, syntactical awareness, and text recognition, among others. An interpretative qualitative approach was chosen to determine to which extent reading strategies are used and taught in the physical sciences classroom. Semi-structured interviews and non-participant teacher observations were conducted to determine the participants’ knowledge of and ability and skill in using reading strategies. The study found that the use of reading strategies in physical sciences classrooms was limited, and the participants (physical sciences teachers) were unable to integrate many strategies to assist with reading comprehension.