Assessment of Perceived Teaching Strategies Used by Teachers of English in Teaching Reading Comprehension

Abstract

The study assessed the perceived teaching strategies English teachers use in teaching reading comprehension at Cascade Technical Academy (pseudonym) in Ghana. The study was underpinned by the constructivist theory. A mixed-method approach, questionnaires and observation checklists were used for data collection. The study relied on simple random sampling to select 80 Form Three students, while 5 teachers of English were purposively selected. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) were used for the quantitative analysis, while the qualitative data were grouped into themes. The study found from teachers' experiences that students had an average reading level. Teaching strategies, duration, and the number of times teachers have reading activities to teach reading comprehension were average. Again, the study established that inadequate textbooks, time allocation, and absenteeism were some challenges teachers encountered in English comprehension. Finally, it was observed that difficulty in pronunciation and the use of idiomatic expressions were sources of worry for students. Most students believe that reading comprehension directly impacts a student's academic performance, which influences other subjects of study. The study recommends that teachers help develop students' reading skills and comprehension of text on a daily basis to help improve students' performance.