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Reading is a most important skill - critical to both the academic and professional progression of an individual. However, in Zambia learning to read still remains a nightmare to majority of the learners. Reading unlike other language skills cannot be acquired naturally but through a well-structured process. Teachers play a critical role in helping learners to learn to read and must therefore possess both subject and pedagogical skills to instruct reading effectively. In transparent orthographies, such as Zambian Bantu languages, teachers who instruct learners how to read need to possess vowel letter-sound knowledge.

This knowledge is critical in helping learners to acquire basic reading skills. However, many teachers in Zambia are experiencing challenges providing quality reading instruction to learners because they learnt to read English as their first written language. Today’s teachers are inclined to follow the instructional habits which they learned at school and during teacher training when instructing learners to read English. The typical error has been caused by using letter-names of English, which fail to cue the sounds of the letters of Zambian Bantu languages .This results in learners experiencing difficulties in mapping letters to sounds in their fully consistently written Bantu languages such as CiNyanja and consequently fail to acquire the basic reading skills during the first grades when it is in the focus of reading acquisition in school.

The goals of this study were twofold; (1) Firstly, to observe the situation of knowledge early grade teachers have concerning efficient instruction of the basic reading skills of Bantu languages in Zambian primary schools in selected provinces, and (2) document how intervention based on GraphoLearn (GL) technology can help teachers acquire the core knowledge i.e. the sounds of letters; especially vowels sounds – needed for efficient instruction of the basic reading skill of Zambian Bantu languages.

Based on these findings, the present PhD defendant recommends that teaching in early grades should focus on building the core knowledge of letter-sound relationships, to ensure effective instruction of local transparent Zambian languages. The Ministry of General Education (MoGE) should also incorporate new computer-based technology, such as the Finnish developed digital-based learning environment, GraphoGame (GG) in the school literacy framework and teacher training curriculum to support teacher training in the core knowledge of reading instruction. To ensure quality instruction of reading, the MoGE should subject early grade teachers to a licentiate examination to qualify to instruct reading. This assessment can be done successfully via GG after making appropriate updates.

The MoGE could also develop a new in-service training programme focused on reading instruction based on GG online learning to support the training of letter-sound knowledge. The MoGE should also establish language laboratories in teacher resource centres and colleges of education installed with GG platforms to promote online training. To continue improving learners’ and teachers’ performance in literacy acquisition and literacy instructions, GG can be used as a dynamic assessment tool (to learn who needs help) as well as for monitoring the learning of individual pupils at the same time it works as a training tool.

MA (Educ.) Christopher Kyakukaisha Yalukanda (Faculty of Education and Psychology, Psychology) defends his doctoral dissertation in subject "Assessing and Validating Early Grade Teachers’ Knowledge of Vowel Letter Sounds of Transparent Zambian Bantu Languages Using Computer Based GraphoLearn" 17.9.2020 17:00. Opponent Professor Malt Joshi (Texas A & M University) and Custos Professor Heikki Lyytinen (University of ´³²â±¹Ã¤²õ°ì²â±ôä). The public defense is held in English.

Online:

If a member of the audience wants to ask questions at the end of the public examination, it is possible to call the Custos. The phone number of the Custos is +358505524892.

Publication: JYU Dissertations number 209, ISBN 978-951-39-8129-7,

Further information

Christopher Kyakukaisha Yalukanda (MA) completed his primary education at Broadway schools. He did his secondary education at Mumbwa Secondary school. He holds a certificate in primary school teaching (ZPC) from Solwezi College of Education, a diploma in secondary school teaching (Dip. Ed) from Nkwame Nkrumah University College and a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Education (B.A Ed.) from The University of Zambia. He graduated with a Master of Arts Degree in development and international cooperation programme at the University of ´³²â±¹Ã¤²õ°ì²â±ôä in Finland. He began his teaching career at Mukinge Primary School in Kasempa in 1987. He also taught History and Zambian Languages at Kasempa Boys Boarding Secondary school. He later worked as a teacher trainer and rose to the position of Head of Literacy and Languages Section at Solwezi College of Education. He also served as the first Chairperson of the Teaching Council of Zambia. He is currently working as Director for Research and Education Development at the Zambia National Union of Teachers in Lusaka, Zambia. His current PhD studies are anchored on the Finland based computer-based learning platform - Grapho-learn technology as it is called during its research phase after which is name used in the distribution stage is GraphoGame - to support early grade teacher’s knowledge of vowel- letter-sounds, critical for instructing reading in transparent orthographies, conducted in another joint degree programme between the University of Zambia and ´³²â±¹Ã¤²õ°ì²â±ôä University in Finland.

More information

Christopher Kyakukaisha Yalukanda cyalukanda@yahoo.co.uk

Communications Specialist Anitta Kananen anitta.kananen@jyu.fi 040 846 1395