2026/06/30 by Sibhekinkosi Anna Nkomo, Raihaana Chothia
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Bachelor #Curriculum #Educational Theory and Curriculum Studies #Focus group #Foundation (evidence) #Literacy #Meaning (existential) #Multilingual Education and Policy #Preparedness #Reading (process) #Reading and Literacy Development
paper · pdf · doi:10.38140/pie.v44i2.9125
openalex publication_date 2026/06/30 · openalex created_date 2026/07/23 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/24
South Africa faces a major challenge in improving early literacy instruction, as reading proficiency in the foundation phase is essential for later academic success. Research shows that after three years of schooling, 81% of learners cannot read for meaning in any of the country’s 12 official languages, and eight out of 10 children require support to achieve expected reading outcomes. Poor teaching quality and weaknesses in initial teacher education programmes are key contributing factors. Studies indicate that many primary school teachers have low expectations of learners and provide limited support to struggling readers, leaving preservice teachers underprepared to teach literacy effectively. This mixed-methods study explored how pre-service foundation phase teachers perceived their preparedness to teach reading and identified areas of reading instruction requiring greater emphasis in teacher education programmes. The study involved 68 final year Bachelor of Education foundation phase students at a South African higher education institution. Data were collected through questionnaires and focus group discussions and analysed using pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and the framework for curriculum evaluation (FCE). Findings revealed that students were uncertain about their readiness to teach reading despite completing a four-year literacy module. While they felt more confident teaching some reading components, they reported lower confidence in phonological awareness, comprehension, fluency, and selecting appropriate children’s literature. These concerns were linked to course structure, teaching approaches, and weak integration between reading components and assessments. The study recommends strengthening literacy curricula in teacher education programmes to align with research-based literacy practices and national policy frameworks.