INVESTIGATING THE INFLUENCE OF LITERACY RICH CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT ON LEARNING: A CASE STUDY OF ONE PRE AND LOWER PRIMARY SCHOOL IN NACHINGWEA DISTRICT, SOUTHERN TANZANIA MUSTAFA H. MALIBICHE

THE AGA KHAN UNIVERSITY

TANZANIA INSTITUTE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT EASTERN AFRICA

INVESTIGATING THE INFLUENCE OF LITERACY RICH CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT ON LEARNING: A CASE STUDY OF ONE PRE AND LOWER PRIMARY SCHOOL IN NACHINGWEA DISTRICT, SOUTHERN TANZANIA

MUSTAFA H. MALIBICHE

A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT EASTERN AFRICA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE COMPLETION OF MASTERS DEGREE IN EDUCATION (LANGUAGE AND LITERACY)

DAR ES SALAAM – TANZANIA

27^th,11, 2015

APPROVAL PAGE

THE AGA KHAN UNIVERSITY

Tanzania Institute for Higher Education

Institute for Educational Development Eastern Africa

TO: THE INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, EASTERN AFRICA

MUSTAFA HAMISI MALIBICHE

Full Name of Student

I hereby give my permission for the research project of the above named student, for whom I have been acting as supervisor, to proceed to examination.

DR.LILLIAN VIKIRU(Research Project Supervisor)

Date: …………………………………

The members of the Research Project Evaluation Committee appointed to examine the research project of the above named student find it satisfactory and recommend that it be accepted.

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(First Examiner)

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(Second Examiner)

Date: --------------------------------------

DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to my beloved family particularly my wife Sarah Malibiche, my daughters and sons Mwajab, Hidaya, Shazir, Abdulrazaq, Yusra and Hamisi. Their toleration, prayer, encouragement, advice, and assistance during my study were appreciative towards my academic achievement. They really demonstrated the idea that there is a stream of fantastic love and realization that I was pursuing a job for the benefit of entire family.

More specific, for all good they have done to me, let them continue, what's more, I apologize for anything that was behind my scene and those missed them during my study that caused distressful.

 

ABSTRACT

Literacy rich classroom environment is a cornerstone for pupil’s multi-literacies and intelligences. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of literacy rich classroom environment on pupil’s learning in one pre and lower primary school using a case study research design.

Four instruments namely interview, focus group discussion, observation and photographs were used to collect valid information from 18 research participants in Daweni primary school. Four themes were discussed within research dichotomies which came out with the valid expectations of the research. These looked for genuineness of information about availability of resources in classrooms, contributions of literacy rich environment on learning, teacher’s, parent’s and pupil’s views about literacy rich classroom environment and measures taken to sustain literacy rich environment. The end result obtained from the study revealed that visual literacy resources were much present in the area of the study with no digital literacy. The study also revealed fifteen (15) influences about literacy rich classroom environment on the learning of pupils in pre and lower primary school. These were; it  facilitate inquiring mind on learning amongst pupils, permit pupils to account for the form, content and use, easy retrieval of information, teacher’s and pupil’s engagement, motivation, enjoyment, difference in teaching and learning. Others were involvement, active participation, love to subject, and creativity. In addition to that, love to students and teachers, easy assessment, school attractiveness, retention of students in schools, interaction and responsiveness were also noticed. Interestingly, various efforts such as making of tools lessons in all classes, creation of abacus, numbers and shapes using clay soil, making of vowel, syllable and word cards for reading, using manila sheets, molding of toys, using clay soil in and outside classrooms, drawings of different pictures, collection of tools like wooden and plastic sticks from pupil’s home environment made better sustenance of the literacy rich classroom environment.

In a nutshell, the government, MOEVT, teachers, community members and various education stakeholders are urged to promote LRCE programmes to build best literacy foundation for pupils in pre and lower primary school which can boost literacy competence and performance levels to young children in Tanzania.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to The AKU, EA for their decision to plant this best university in Tanzania that gave me a golden chance to study this course here in Dar Es Salaam. Second grateful thanks should be directed to AKU faculty members under leadership of the AKU, IED Director Prof. Lugala, while special thanks to my mother, Dr. Vikiru who played a great deal making sure that this work is meeting the international standard and be accepted by the dissertation evaluation committee. Third thanks should be forwarded to Professor Anjum Halai, Dr Geoff Tenant and Dr. Marriotte for their direct supervision on the part of research and academic paper writing that added value to my work as Masters Student. 

Fourth, thanks is directed to Dr. Wachira, and Madam Veronika, the ICT faculty members for making clear instruction that made me a computer literate person and work out until the production of this work. It is not easy to mention one by one at the moment but all AKU, IED members, their contribution are valued. I would like also to thank my Med sponsors (SESEA project) who made extraordinary funding on fees, accommodation and research fund. Again, I would like to thank the ERC AKU for research clearance and permit, MOEVT, RAS in Lindi Region, DAS, and DEO in Nachingwea district, all teachers, parents and pupils who permitted me to conduct a research in their area. Their participation and collaboration are of highest value and appreciation.

Particular thanks to my beloved mother, Biasha Juma Mtwiche, Piku family in general at Namikango and Ntila villages in Nachingwea District in Lindi region.

All mistakes and shortcoming which may appear in this work should be admitted being fully of my own.

DECLARATION AND COPYRIGHT

I, Mustafa Hamisi Malibiche hereby declare that the originality of this dissertation is a result of my own work and hasn’t been submitted in any education institution for a similar award.

SIGNATURE                           ______________________________                                                        MUSTAFA H.MALIBICHE

DATE                                     _______________________________

This research dissertation is a copyrighted material protected under the AKU policy, Institute for Educational Development, Eastern Africa. It is an intellectual property and therefore, it should not reproduced by any means EXCEPT for short extracts in fair dealing with an acknowledgment, without written permission of Coordinator for studies on behalf of both author and the AKU, IED EA.

LIST OF ABBREVIATION

AKU……………….Aga Khan University

AKU, IED, EA….....Aga Khan, Institute for Educational Development, Eastern Africa

BRN……………….Big Result Now Policy

DAS……………….District Administrative Secretary

DEO……………….District Education Officer

EMIS……………....Education Management Information System

ERC………………..Ethical Review Committee

ETP………………...Education and Training Policy

FGD……………......Focus Group Discussion

F &M………………Female and Male

HT…………………Head Teacher

ICT………………...Information Communication Technology

LRCEP…………….Literacy Rich Classroom Environment

LTs………………...Language Teachers

LTM……………….Long Term Memory

MED……………… Masters of Education Degree

MOEVT……………Ministry of Education and Vocational Training

P 1………………….Pupil class one

P 2………………….Pupil class two

PCR………………..Pupil’s Classroom Ratio

PSLE………………Primary School Leaving Examination

RtL…………………Reading to Learn Methodology

SAQMEC………….Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality

SESEA…………….Strengthening Education System in Eastern Africa

SMC……………….School Management Committee

STM……………….Short Term Memory

TTC………………..Teachers Training College

UNESCO…………..United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organizational

WBB………………Word Building Blocks

WWA……………...Whole Word Approach

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

This research study was designed to investigate the influence of literacy rich classroom environment on learning; a case study of learning that focused in Daweni (pseudonym) pre and lower primary school in Nachingwea District-Lindi region, Southern Tanzania. This chapter presents the background information about the investigation, statement of the study, purpose and significance of the study, and research questions and an overview of the rest of dissertation.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Tanzania has, for many years, been committed to revolutionizing its economy in order to change the status of the country by 2025. In the education sector for example, it has integrated the 2025 National Development Plan to bring about fast increase of human resource that will raise the number of elites in the country for quick National progress by 2025 (MOEVT, 2014).

In the light of the above view, the central government has, continuously, formulated various education policies to contribute to quality education of Tanzanians. The Education and Training Policies of 1995, for example, has contributed to various improvements in the education sub sector. Some of the improvements are infrastructure, increase in number of teachers at all levels including primary, secondary and higher learning institutions.

 The policy is, currently,  recognizing the need to build the best foundation for children at lower primary school level that is crucial in the development of cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains such as, the introduction of pre- primary program in TTC’s, and putting rich teaching and learning materials for literacy for learners . In the light of this, the United Republic of Tanzania has included pre-school education, in all its primary schools, and the Education and Training Policy of 2014 has declared preschool as a mandatory section. In this regard, many supportive efforts such as recruitment of pre-school teachers, development of pre-school curriculum, and transforming the language of instruction from English and Kiswahili to Kiswahili only as medium of instruction from lower classes to higher levels of education institutions have been introduced.

Despite the successes of ETP of 1995, there are many challenges that need to be addressed. Weakness in education and training system, scarcity of teachers, learning and teaching  resources, as well as lack of control over quality of schools, colleges, universities and their environments within (input and process) and outside the institution (output) are some of the challenges that need to be addressed.

Literacy rich classroom environment in learning, especially in lower primary and pre-schools, may add value to the quality of education provided to our children (Kimberly, 2013). Programs, such as SESEA projects in Nachingwea district, are making classes rich enough with literacy teaching and learning materials that support the development of learners.

Although some classes are literacy and environmentally made rich in most of the government schools, standards of pupils who finish lower primary and pre- primary schools, such as standard one and two, are low in quality. For this reason, various education stakeholders, such as Aga Khan Foundation, through its SESEA project, has joined hands with other stakeholders to support literacy development to lower classes using Read to Learn (RtL) methodology in teaching children in class I,II and III, especially in some of the coastal and peripheral areas of East Africa. Although this particular project has done a lot to make these classrooms rich in prints, pictures, short story books, drawings and the like for quality education in the area, yet the influence of this particular initiative on learning is yet to be widely recognized. This study, therefore, investigated the influence of literacy –rich environment on children learning in pre and lower primary classes, especially class I &II in Southern Tanzania.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Research done by Dynia (2012) indicated that, the quality of classroom literacy environment in early childhood education has direct impacts on the relationship between the classroom literacy and learning of children, and that, teachers benefit most from programs that focus on increasing instructional support to help them use literacy materials that make literacy rich classroom environment for learning. Without literacy rich classroom environment in learning, children face various problems such as mastering the subject matter of a lesson, memory defect, de-motivation, lack of interaction, engagement and enjoyment causing poor mastery of skills to  other subjects resulting to children drop out from schools.

Although some research has highlighted the importance of high standard preschool programs (Mashburn et al., 2008; Mashburn, 2008) kirp), literacy rich environments are yet to be acclaimed (Justice, Mashburn, Hamre, & Pianta, 2008; LoCasale-Crouch et al., 2007). However, the presence of literacy enriched environment in some government pre and primary schools, especially in Nachingwea District, is very significant, and that, their usefulness on learning, in literature, needs to be recognized. It was therefore crucial for researchers to visit whatever small number of pre and lower primary school classes, to investigate, through key educational stakeholders such as teachers and parents, the influence of literacy rich environment on learning of children in Nachingwea District- Southern Tanzania.

1.3 RATIONALE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The rationale for this study is for the researcher to get insight on influences of literacy rich classroom environment on children learning especially in schools with such programs. The significance of this study is that it may build children’s foundation towards academic achievement not only in Nachingwea District but also in Tanzania. The study also may inform initiatives to improve quality inputs, exposure, adult responsiveness, deliberateness as well as recurrence in classrooms.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This investigation was guided by one main research question and four subsidiary questions.

1.4.1 The main question

1.      What is the influence of literacy rich classroom environment on learning in pre and lower primary schools?

1.4.2 Subsidiary questions

1.      What are the available resources in the literacy rich classroom environment for learning of children in pre- and lower primary schools?

2.      What are the contributions of literacy rich classroom environment on learning of children in pre- and lower primary schools?

3.      What are the teacher’s and pupil’s views about literacy rich classroom environment?

4.      What can be done to sustain the literacy rich environment in classrooms?

1.5 DEFINITION OF TERMS

1.5.1 Literacy

The traditional view of literacy refers to the ability to and the functionality of reading, writing, and numerical competences for different activities at school, home and in the real world. It’s about understanding words, texts, numerals and the World.

1.5.2 New literacies

New Literacy refers to a broader technologically enriched meaning to read and write multimodal texts that are collectively bonded through different manifestations such as computer graphics, video clips, and digital photos. These helps pupils to learn various reading and writing competences in modern way of embracing words, images and sounds which offer opportunities for both children and adults to create novel spaces for meaning making, world exploration and expressing their human, socio-cultural, and economic well being (Karchmer, Mallette, Kara-Soteriou, & Leu Jr, 2005; Kist 2005)

Again, new literacies encompasses ICT skills and approaches which enables us to adapt current transformation in ICT technology and the prevailing environment for manipulating our social and technical well being including the internet ( Lynde and Libo, 2009; cited in Leu et al., 2007), Kinzer, Coiro, and Cammack ;2004, pp. 1572, (Cope & Kalantzis, 2009)

1.5.3 Literacy rich classroom environment

Refers to a context in which the availability of complete space of resources such as visual, audios, videos, cartoons, real objects and subject tools are guaranteed and support literacy skills development. These skills are the ability to read, write and understand of texts and multimodalities rather than denial of other competences through learning process to children.

1.5.4 Learning

Refer to qualified everlasting modification of pupil’s performance as an outcome of emphasized actions and experience (Feldman, 1999).

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study was conducted in Daweni pre and lower primary school in Nachingwea rural area in Lindi Region situated in Southern Tanzania. The study was undertaken in one government school in SESEA project area. Therefore the result obtained in this study is limited the study school, but the information could be relevant to schools in a similar context characterized by literacy rich classroom environment only.

1.7 ASSUMPTIONS

Literacy rich classroom environment may support literacy development to pupils in pre and lower primary and add value to the quality of education provided to our children.

1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This study has been organized into five chapters namely; chapter one which presents the introduction, statement of the problem, rationale, research questions, definition of terms and organization of the study. Chapter two which dealt with literature review related to this study about “the influence of literacy rich classroom environment on learning of pupils”, chapter three dealt with research methodology, instruments, data gathering techniques and procedures of the study while chapter four dealt with presentation, and discussion of findings obtained from the area of study and lastly chapter five dealt with summary of finding, suggestion, recommendation as well as conclusion of the study.

1.9 CHAPTER SUMMARY

T he above chapter has given with you the introduction and background statement of the problem under study, rationale, research questions, and definition of terms and organization of the study about investigating the influence of literacy rich classroom environment on learning of pupils in one pre and lower primary school in Nachingwea district in Lindi Region, southern Tanzania

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction        

This chapter has carefully reviewed various literatures related to literacy rich classroom environment. In this discussion, various issues relating to (a) availability of resources, (b) contributions, (c) teachers and (d) pupil’s views, and (d) factors to sustain literacy rich environment in classroom have been covered.

2.1 Literacy rich classroom environment

Justice (2004) pointed out that rich classroom environment refer to the setting that expose children intentionally and repeatedly to premium spoken input among them and in which adult-child verbal interactions are distinguished by superior levels of adult openness. In other way, other literature indicates that a literacy rich environment refers to the context in which children engage in interest-based everyday literacy activities, with responsive adults. These environments are interesting and offer a variety of literacy materials, inviting and comfortable and that are easily accessible for all children (Kimberly, 2013).

The New London Group (1996) points out that rich classroom environment is about creating learning environment that can engage children in a broad range of literacy practices that are creative and cognitively challenging and that bring together text-based and multimedia forms of meaning making.

These explanations have given five elements of which the rich classroom environment need to reference and which is very important namely high-quality input (Hart & Risley, 1995), Exposure (Bunce,1995), Adult responsiveness (Girolametto & Weitzman, 2002), Deliberateness ( Van Kleeck, Gillan, Hamilton,& McGrath, 1997), and Recurrence (Robinson, 2002)Robbins and Ehri,1994).

2.2 Resources available in literacy rich classroom environment

Justice et al., (2008) and Justice & Kaderavek, (2004 )pointed out that in pre-school classrooms resources are very essential and therefore must be made accessible in order to promote inventiveness and problem solving skills among children. In this regard, it’s important for pre and lower level classrooms to have literacy associated artifacts (pencils, pens, crayons); printed media papers, and envelops, signs, story books, recipes, maps, newspapers, drawings-cartoons, pictures, card boards. In addition to that, different multimedia forms including audio, videos and digital media are resources that are necessary to attract learners’ attention in listening, watching and engaging learners throughout lessons.

Real World materials also have to be made available together with models as tools that can children utilize in their play as exposure that can symbolize the bona fide outside the classroom. These may assist learning of children as they may be capable of learning new vocabulary whether independently in classroom or under adult guidance or with interaction among other learners. This practice has proven to enhance long term memory storage as pupils were reflecting community activities through the background knowledge to new learning situations. This has shown the power of exposing children to new world of learning that may benefit most children especially in maximizing their subject content vocabulary.

2.3 Contributions of literacy rich classroom environment

A research study done by Justice & Kaderavek (2004) indicated that, there were an increased awareness on the part of children about literacy rich classroom environment that can also be noticed to both teachers and parents. The improved later reading achievement was one of the basic evidence noticed by teachers and parents in preschools where there was a literacy rich classroom environment in the United States of America. In addition to that, the literacy rich environment had the strong power of dealing with academic problems that hindered children’s achievement and participation was increased also, the interaction, engagement, motivation and enjoyment in general pre-school and lower primary school was noticed.

2.4 Teacher’s and pupil’s views about literacy rich classroom environment

CEA (2012, p 15) pointed out that there were various factors that influenced the improvement of children in their academic achievement. In this view, learning environment still, has the power to make children perform better in schools. Literature indicates that school learning environment including rich classroom environment increases children performance in various subjects as it contribute to learning by focusing on essential elements including the strong relationship between teaching and learning. A school that has mutual trust and respect to children also made them to participate and be supported by relationship between teaching and learning.

2.5 Factors to sustain literacy rich classroom environment

According to Justice & Kaderavek, (2004) the making of literacy rich classroom environment need a team that collaborate in creating physical space, collective energy of people in making physical activities such as building partitions, painting the rooms and general decorations. The team engages in the creative and functional contribution and designing of things such as objects, identifying resources and possible Samaritan organizations that may donate materials to support the community contributions in the area towards making literacy rich environment that better contribute to cognitive aspect of children’s learning. The maximization of these possibilities ensures support for children’s literacy skills development and literacy rich classroom environment sustainability.

Much of studies carried out in Tanzania about literacy since 1990 were concerned with adult literacy or functional literacy where the investigation about effects of literacy programme was done (UNESCO, 1990; TenMet, 2009; Bhalalusesa). Other studies associated with literacy assessment was done by Haki Elimu,(2008) which revealed that one out of four students failed to read paragraph of Kiswahili words in secondary school, study by UWEZO, (2010) much of pupils leave primary school with inadequate literacy skills and one of five pupils at grade 7 leave primary level with inadequate reading skills. However, the URT, (2009) has shown that, there was a decrease in number of repeaters in schools from 439,307 (2005) to 198,812 in (2009) and that, Tanzania was the lowest literacy level in primary school among SAQMEC nations (Mrutu, Ponera, & Nkumbi, 2005).

Current researches started to indicate literacy skills as their concern (Ngorosho, 2011; & UWEZO, 2012 ).  The role of environment and the quality of learning was discussed, but failed to recognize the influence of school environment in supporting literacy development. Morrow (1990); Lybolt & Gottfried, (2003) recognized home learning environment in supporting literacy development to many children. Moreover, UNESCO, (2005); Abagi & Sifuna, 2006) recognizes the contribution of formal learning environment to students at upper level but failed to recognize the influence of literacy rich classroom environment on learning of pupils at pre-and lower primary school especially in rural areas. The only literature which dealt with literacy skills in rural Tanzania was that of Kumburu & others, (2011) but none of literatures above came out with literacy rich classroom environment in classroom setting.  It is therefore my insight as a researcher to investigate the influence of literacy rich environment by focusing literacy skills at foundational level in pre and lower primary class I&II. 

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

3.0 INTRODUCTION

This research was conducted using case study approach. In this respect, the study employed qualitative research design because it was seeking to explore the influence of literacy rich classroom environment on children learning. It was necessary to carry out qualitative research due to the fact that the qualitative research allowed multiple methods of gathering of data during the research process from many different sources. The extension of methods allowed the relevance of data collected for triangulation purposes that ensures the trustworthiness of collected data and its verification. According to Kothari (2010) one among other factors that forces a researcher to use such kind of design is the flexibility of the design to allow the contemplation of numerous phenomenon. Wiersma & Jurs (2005, p. 201), insisted also that qualitative research is a suitable design because it gives insights of those who have rich information about the issue being investigated. Those insights are to be confirmed so as to acquire accurate information about the case study. This is achieved through multiple methods. It was a case study because would present insights which may not be provided by other designs, to get what takes place in literacy rich classroom environment as a small piece of study that may maintain worthiness (Yin, 1994, Hamel et al., 1993, Eaton, 1992, Gomm, 2000, Perry, 1998, and Saunders et al., 2000).The case study involved one school because of limited time to undertake the study, and it was one of the school with literacy rich environment allocated in rural area with students who comes from low economic status compared to sub urban schools with the same characteristics. 

3.1 DATA COLLECTION METHODS

The study was done using multiple methods when collecting data because it was vital step in deciding what needs to be taken (Eileen, 2000, p 9).It was significant to use multiple methods or triangulation for validity of information.

(i)                 General Observation

This study employed general observation from the field as it is planned. The observation was done to cover various elements such as resources, organization of environment, children involvement in learning, and teacher’s engagement in literacy rich classroom environment during the teaching period. However, observation technique was not limited to formal setting only but also in an informal setting outside the classroom. This tool mainly allowed the researcher to gather evidence on the natural setting of literacy classroom, easy collection of information and verifying the truths of various issues relating to the study (Kothari, 2010, p 97).

(ii)               Photographs

With the participant’s permission, photographs were taken from the field during the observation of literacy classroom environment; evidence from classroom activities done by both teachers and children inside and outside the classroom environment was taken. The photographs was to be used by the research for a detailed study of the environment and activities but are not used in the presentation of findings.

(iii)             Semi-structured interview

Semi-structured interview was used to collect information from literacy teachers and school management committee (SMC) who were involved in the study because it gave a great freedom of expression among participants and allow asking of question interaction, participation and collaboration process throughout the study (Kothari, 2004).

(iv)             Focus Group Discussion

The approach was used by the researcher to collect further information from children during formal session in pre classroom were twelve pupils participated likewise in class I&II.

3.2 DATA ANALYSIS METHODS

Data from presented from the finding across chapters are both in quantitative and qualitative descriptions. In this regard, they have been analyzed, interpreted and presented descriptively without the use of statistical package. Other information is presented in chapter four in the form of tables, pictures, n drawings and later described in a narrative form (Eileen, 2000).

3.3 RESEARCH SITE

In this section, I have discussed the following issues:     

3.3.1 Research site

This research was carried out in Nachingwea district council, southern part of Tanzania as I am under SESEA sponsorship; I conducted my research in peripheral and coastal regions of Tanzania where there are projects under the sponsorship of SESEA. The location of the school under investigation is a rural area which is about eight kilometers long from Nachingwea sub urban authority westward. The people living in the area are peasants growing Sesame and Cashew nuts as their cash crop while also cultivating maize, cassava, millet and rice for subsistence. The area is sparsely populated. The villagers face many challenges including lack of safe and sufficient water, lack of electricity and poor infrastructure, dusty roads with no reliable transport to district headquarters. This kind of context is similar to many other areas in Tanzania and East Africa at large. It was therefore of interest to investigate the influence of literacy rich classroom environment in this context by focusing rural primary school as the information may be useful to other similar contexts.

In addition, I was personally interested because I am a ward education coordinator in Nachingwea sub urban ward, and had the opportunity to see few rich classroom environments with SESEA coordinators whom I worked with. This inspired me to acknowledge the roles of LTs, SMC, and pupil’s in supporting early literacy.

          3.3.2 School profile

Daweni primary is a mixed government school located in Nachingwea rural wards. It offers primary school certificate on the completion of students after sitting PSLE. The school has 200 boys and 164 girls making the total number of 364 pupils from pre classroom to class seven in 2015.

(i)                 Teachers

The school has six teachers. One female teacher and five male teachers with teaching certificate qualification. All literacy teachers had their necessary pre teaching qualification required in government school.

(ii)               Classroom and teacher’s office.

The school has seven classrooms: pre class and class one was a shared classroom meaning that there was a shortage of one classroom. On the side of teachers, there were scarcity of teacher’s office and a room for storage.

(iii)             School Library

There was no school library, books were stored in boxes and in a single shelf allocated in the classroom which was used as teacher’s office.

(iv)             Pupil’s and school toilets.

There were four latrines for male pupils and four latrines for female pupils while there was no even a single latrine for teachers. This was a hard situation facing teachers in the area.

3.3.3 Number of streams vs. class size.

There was an average of about 52 pupils when divided by number of available classrooms. This implies that the number of pupils exceeded the required amount of 40 pupils per room by ETP of 1995.

3.4 SAMPLE AND SAMPLING PROCEDURES

3.4.1 Purposeful selection

This technique was employed to select participants (teachers, parents and children) who were included in the study due to the following reasons; the area of the study was under Aga Khan –SESEA project implementation where pre and lower primary classrooms were under a literacy enrichment project with materials aimed at improving literacy in lower level classes using new approaches to literacy teaching such as Read to learn (RtL). The selection of teachers, parents and children from pre and lower primary school classes was influenced by the pre selection of pre and lower school classes. Two literacy classroom teachers were selected as participants in the research (Maxwell, 2005, p 88).Two parents from the school management committee working in academic committee and four children from each of three classes( pre-classroom, class I, and II) were involved making a total of 18 participants.

3.4.2 Size of Participants

S/N	PARTICIPANTS	NO	UNIT
01	Literacy teachers and head teacher	04	SCHOOL
02	Parents (f & m)	02	SMC members
03	Children	12	Pre & lower primary
04	TOTAL PARTICIPANTS	18

The total number of participants was 18. There was no non participant in the area. All participants participated fully by 100%.                                                                                                                     

3.5 ETHICAL ISSUES

3.5.1 Informed consent

Before conducting the research, permission was obtained from Aga Khan University, IED, EA ethical review committee. Furthermore, the permission was obtained from the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MOEVT) before requesting permission from Regional Administrative Secretary(RAS) office in Lindi region and finally at District Administrative Secretary and District Education Officer in Nachingwea district where the permission letter was directed to the researcher to go to the field and collect data. The school head, LTs, pupils and parents were contacted and asked for consent through each group consent forms. During data collection, consent to take photographs was obtained from participants and school authority. These were included in later chapters in the report of the research where needed. Participants were assured of protection against any harm and confidentiality of the information provided to the researcher will be used for study reports and within ethical boundaries (Miles & Huberman, 1994, p 289).

3.5.2 Confidentiality

During the research finding, all the information obtained from the field was kept secretly. Under no circumstances the information obtained is exposed to other people except for the purpose of the research. In the observation schedule and the semi structured interview sheets, no names of participants or school was displayed. However, the participants agreed to be photographed so long as the photographs would be used ethically for report and related needs without undue repercussion.

 3.5.3 Anonymity

The school included in the study was given pseudonym (Daweni primary school) however, the participants agreed to be photographed during various activities but these photographs are only for the researcher and not for public display.

3.5.3 Reciprocity

 This research report will be given to Daweni School. Teachers, parents and pupils can be beneficiaries of this report about the influence of literacy rich classroom environment to assist them understand the contribution, and the ways to sustain the rich environment while using the conclusion and recommendations made by the researcher after the completion of the study.

3.5.4 No harm to participants

The research results and recommendation will be disseminated with careful ethical and logical presentation in the sense that there will be no harm on the part of the researcher to participants. 

   3.5.5 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Due to limited time only four teachers in one school were included in the study. These were three literacy teachers and a head teacher. This number was accurate and adequate on the part of literacy teachers. There was no scarcity of resources during data collection. The collection of data was not affected so the validity and rigor of the research