PILOT STUDY ON CHILDREN’S READING IN NAMIBIA: PITFALLS AND NEW STRATEGIES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/0027-2639/1687Abstract
The aim of this article is to report on a pilot study conducted in 2011 that preceded a main study undertaken in 2012, investigating the reading behaviour and preferences of Grade 6 Namibian students. The aims of the pilot study were to develop an easy to answer and reliable questionnaire; to enable emerging researchers to gain experience in data collection through small-scale sampling; and to test whether the instruments of data collection were covering the main aims of the study. The questionnaire was developed and tested three times on small groups before the pilot study. In all 226 students, both rural and urban, from three educational regions in Namibia were included in the pilot study. Vast differences in the students’ language ability and socio-economic situation were observed. The data analysis showed that the researchers underestimated the impact of the social desirability factor and the reading levels of the respondents. The questionnaire had to be drastically redesigned. Six further versions of the questionnaire were developed and tested before implementation in the main study. Careful reporting and recording of the pilot process ensured that a successful main study was conducted in 2012. While pilot studies are not frequently fully documented and reported on, it is argued that valuable lessons can be learnt from this honest report.
Metrics
References
Arain, M, Campbell, MJ, Cooper, CL & Lancaster GA. 2010. What is a pilot or feasibility study?
A review of current practice and editorial policy. Medical Research Methodology 10:67.
Keulder, T. 2009. Catching the voice of the ‘Born-free’ generation of Namibia through mobile phones 23 October – 30 November, Namibia Institute for Democracy, Swakopmund, Namibia.
Lancaster, GA, Dodd, S & Williamson, PR. 2004. Design and analysis of pilot studies: recommendations for good practice. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice 10:307–312. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j..2002.384.doc.x
Lukhele, BBS. 2013. Exploring relationships between reading attitudes, reading ability and academic performance amongst primary teacher trainees in Swaziland. Reading and Writing
(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/rw.v4i1.28 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/rw.v4i1.28
Mathewson, GC. 2004. Model of attitude influence upon reading and learning to read, in
Theoretical models and processes of reading, ed. RB Ruddell & NJ Unrau. Newark, DE:
International Reading Association: 1431–1461.
McKenna, MC. 2001. Development of reading attitudes, in Literacy and motivation: reading engagement in individuals and groups, ed. L Verhoeven & CE Snow. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum: 135–158.
MoE see Ministry of Education.
Moore, CG, Carter, RE, Nietert, PJ & Stewart, PW. 2011. Recommendations for planning pilot studies in clinical and translational research. Clinical and Translational Science 4(5):332– DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-8062.2011.00347.x
Namibia Ministry of Education. 2009. National Curriculum for Basic Education. Okahandja:
National Institute for Educational Development.
Namibia Ministry of Education. 2012. EMIS Education Statistics. Table 17. Windhoek: Namibia
MoE.
Namibia National Planning Commission. 2011. Population and Housing Census Main Report.
Windhoek: Namibia National Planning Commission.
Nederhof, AJ. 1985. Methods of coping with social desirability bias: a review. European Journal of Social Psychology 15:263–280. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2420150303
SADC see Southern African Development Community.
Sharma, M. 2008. The influence of parental guidance on children’s sexual behaviour: a case study of Windhoek. MA thesis, University of Namibia, Windhoek.
Siririka, G. 2007. An investigation of parental involvement in the development of their children’s literacy in a rural Namibian school. MEd thesis, Rhodes University, Grahamstown.
Southern African Development Community HIV & AIDS Unit. 2007. Circles of support for orphans and vulnerable children: a community and schools-based multi-sectoral approach to meeting their needs. Gaborone: SADC Secretariat.
Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality. 2010. SACMEQ
III Project Results: pupil achievement levels in reading and mathematics, working document no. 1.
Theis, J. 2003. Handbook for action-oriented research on the worst forms of child labour, including trafficking in children. Bangkok: Regional Working Group on Child Labour in
Asia.
Tseng, D. 2007. To know or not to know: the right to information in Namibia. Windhoek: Media
Institute of Southern Africa.
Van der Walt, S, Liman, M, Gross, R & Rogers, S. 2007. Findings from an HIV/AIDS KAPB survey with teacher educators in four colleges in Namibia. Pilot Study Report. Namibia:
Academy for Education Development.
Welman, C, Kruger, F & Mitchell, B. 2005. Research methodology. 3rd ed. Cape Town: Oxford
University Press.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
