PROBLEMS CONFRONTING THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ENGLISH COMPREHENSION AMONG SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ IN ILORIN WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT

ABSTRACT

This research work was aimed at investigating the Problems Confronting the Teaching and Learning of English Comprehension Among Selected Secondary School Students in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State. Five schools were selected out of the 25 secondary schools in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State. Also twelve teachers and twenty-eight students were randomly selected from each school as research subject giving a total of twelve teachers and twenty eight students as the respondents. The instrument used was the questionnaire consisted of four categories corresponding to the research questions. Frequency counts and percentages were the statistical approaches for data analysis. The results showed that the parents, teachers, pupils and the government have a great role to play in ensuring improvement in the learners reading and comprehend abilities. The pupils should develop positive attitude to reading. The teachers should be effective tolerant and up and doing in their teaching. The parents should encourage the pupils to speak English at homes as a continuity of the language used in schools.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page                                                                                 i

Certification                                                                                       ii

Dedication                                                                                iii

Acknowledgement                                                                    iv

Abstract                                                                                   v

Table of Content                                                                       vi

List of Tables                                                                           x

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study                                                         1

Statement of the Problem                                                        6

Purpose of the Study                                                               6

Research Questions                                                                 7

Research Hypotheses                                                               8

Significance of the Study                                                         9

Scope of the Study                                                                   10

Definition of Terms                                                                  11     

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Introduction                                                                            13

The Standard of English in Nigeria                                          13

Development Reading Habits among Children                         17

Technique of Reading Comprehension                                    20

Problems of Reading Comprehension                                      26

The Role of the Teacher                                                            31

Appraisal of Literature Reviewed                                              38

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction                                                                            40

Research Design                                                                      40

Population                                                                               41

Sample and Sampling Techniques                                           41

Instrument for the Study                                                         42

Validity of the Instrument                                                        43

Reliability of the Instrument                                                    43

Procedure for Data Collection                                                   44

Data Analysis Techniques                                                        45     

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Introduction                                                                            46

Analysis of Data                                                                       47

Discussion of the Findings                                                      53

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND

RECOMMENDATION 

Introduction                                                                            59

Summary                                                                                 59

Conclusion                                                                               59

Recommendations                                                                   60

Suggestion for Further Research                                             62

REFERENCES                                                                         64

APPENDIX                                                                                65     

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1:       Comparison of Male and Female Teachers’ views on the problems confronting the teaching and learning of English comprehension in frequency count and percentage.                          48

Table 2:       Comparison of the views of experienced and in experienced teachers on the problems confronting the learning and teaching of English comprehensions                                      49

Table 3:       Comparison of Students and Teacher’s views of the Problem Confronting the Teaching of English Comprehension in frequency counts and percentage                                                     51     

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

English language can be traced from England as the local language of British. But now adays is spoken throughout the world such as America, India, Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Australia and some other countries like that in the world.

English language is a medium of communication and expression of idea, fact, news, request are made known.

Hence, the speakers of the language in these countries are referred to as members of “English speech community”. These countries came to have the language as their official language i.e. the language of government, justice education, commerce e.t.c, due to their being colonised by the British Government.

In Nigeria the origin of the first use of English Language could be traced to the period of the settlement of the Christian Missionaries in the country before the era of colonization, which were faced with communication problems between them and the natives. Thus, the missionaries established schools alongside with the churches with the principal aim of training the converts in the art of reading and writing and to interprete the Bible and messages to the converts as well as to teach in Sunday schools.

The acquisition of English language has assumed a wider dimension in English especially when Universal Free Primary (UPE) was introduced in 1976.

English language this day has come to play a dominant role in the linguistic development of Nigeria, however, despite the wide spread use of the local languages in the Nigerian society none of these languages has yet emerged as the country’s dominant language. This is so because none of these languages could be spoken and understood by an over-whelming Nigerians. Likewise, none of these languages would be willingly adopted by an over-whelming majority of Nigerians. i.e. the language situation of the country is heterogeneous.

It is therefore apparent that since Nigerian languages situation is one in which a multiplicity of language co-exist (Multilingualism), English language became an inevitable instrument for communication in the Nigerian society However, inter-ethic communication too is hard i.e no speaker of Nigeria language speaks the language in the same way an English man would speak English. With this view, the huge gap that English language fills in Nigeria could easily be seen.

In this note, the Nigerian language situation today is a pointer to the role and status of English langue as an inevitable panacea to the problem of multiplicity of language in Nigeria. English language helps to facilitate contact between Nigerian of diverse backgrounds. It has thus become the official language of documentation and communication. English language plays a unifying role in Nigeria almost in the same way as other instrument of communication it is the only language which Nigerians of diverse linguistics, geographical, social, cultural and religion background have in common. It is the language of business, social and commercial life (Obayan 1982).

English as an international language today occupies the position Latin and Greek occupied in the ancient world. English as used in the native speakers environment reflects the cultural background of the speakers (Perpetual et al, 1989). Social, political, geographical and attitudinal peculiarities are some of the elements super-imposed over the common background.

These peculiarities are what account for the different varieties of English, which depend on time, distance, and geographical factors. In Nigerian society, these varieties are manifested in pronunciation, use of expressions, meanings attached to words and so on.

As a subject, English language can be divided into several parts comprising Phonology, Lexis and Structure, comprehension (reading) and others. Comprehension being the focus of this study can be defined as: ‘The ability to interpret a message according to the circumstances or context shaping the writer’s knowledge and the reader’s expression.

In view of the above definition, the teacher, and the students have a lot to do in ensuring perfect teaching and learning of comprehension in secondary schools.

What are the prospects of achieving the perfectness in the teaching and learning of comprehension, which is a very vital aspect of English language as a means of communication leaves much to the desired in this area.

However, it should be noted that comprehension a vital aspect of English language has its impact on all other subjects taught in schools e.g. mathematics, social studies, technical subjects, sciences and other subjects. Hence lack of good grip in comprehension is bound to have effect on the teaching and learning of these subjects since instructions on the teaching of the subjects are based on English Language.

Therefore, inability to comprehend well results into mass failure of students in their various examinations.

It is apparent therefore that the developments in the teaching and learning of English language are reflections of the dwindling standard in the performance of children in English language generally and comprehension in particular. Thus the researcher is inspired to carry out this study due to the prevailing poor performance of children in English language and particularly comprehension and the desire to proffer a panacea to the problem among secondary school students.

Statement of the Problem