Effects of Comprehension Monitoring on Academic Performance of Primary School Pupils in Nakuru West Sub- County, Kenya
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Date
2019-11-24Author
Aguta, Matunga Hellen
Gichohi, Paul
Wamalwa, Bernard
Type
ArticleLanguage
en_USMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Academic performance has remained elusive as different cohorts of learners perform differently
in national examinations. However, previous studies on academic performance of pupils have
explored the question from an environmental perspective, where little attention has been given
to the pupil’s intrinsic factors such as reading difficulties and successes of respective intervention
measures. Interventions on reading difficulties being experienced by learners have been sought,
however, the persistence of the problem leads to questions over the efficacy of the interventions.
This study set out to find out the effects of comprehension monitoring on academic performance
of primary school pupils in Nakuru West Sub-County, Kenya. It was guided by the Cognitive Model
of Reading Comprehension. Both descriptive survey and experimental research designs were
used. The target population comprised of 12 public primary schools in the area of study from which 342 language
teachers and 1133 pupils whom were theorized to have reading difficulties were sampled. A sample size of 160
respondents was selected using both purposive and stratified random sampling for teachers and
pupils respectively. Data was collected using a well-structured questionnaire, an observation
schedule and through administering a reading test. Data was analyzed with the aid of the
Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 21.0. Descriptive statistics involving means,
modes and standard deviations, and inferential statistical methods involving Pearson’s Product
Moment correlation and ANOVA, were used to analyze data. The results from the tests and the
observation schedule were analyzed using content analysis and integrated during
interpretations, discussion and conclusion. The study found that comprehension monitoring had
a positive and significant effects on academic performance of pupils with reading difficulties in
the area. Results from the reading test experiment showed that learners with reading difficulties who had received interventions (Group B) performed significantly better than their counterparts
who had not received the interventions (Group A). Hence, the study concluded that the
comprehension monitoring as a reading difficulties intervention had the potential of improving
academic performance of the learners if well emphasized. Therefore, the study recommended
that teachers should introduce regular comprehension tests to monitor the students reading
abilities.
Citation
Agutu, M. H., Gichohi, P., Wamalwa, B. (2019). Effects of Comprehension Monitoring on Academic Performance of Primary School Pupils in Nakuru West Sub-County, Kenya. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 9(11), 284–312.Publisher
International Journal of academic research in business & social sciences