Impediments in Teaching Kiswahili Phonemic Awareness and Alphabet Knowledge in Grade One in Tanzania

Abstract

Research has consistently pointed out the important role played by phonemic awareness and alphabet knowledge in development of reading skills among pupils. Phonemic awareness and alphabet knowledge are good predictors in reading competencies in early grades and higher levels of primary education. This study aims at exploring the constraints facing teaching of Kiswahili phonemic awareness and alphabet knowledge in grade one. The study was qualitative in nature in which phenomenology design was employed. The purposive sampling technique was used to recruit ten grade one teachers and ten head teachers from ten public primary schools in Chemba district. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The collected data from teachers and head teachers were thematically analyzed. The research findings indicated that there were variations of the views among teachers and head teachers on the impediments in teaching phonemic awareness and alphabet knowledge in grade one. The prominent mentioned challenges were truancy, mother tongue effect, parents’ limited knowledge. It was recommended that teachers should collaboratively work with parents; revisiting of language policies to incorporate mother tongue in early grades is crucial; and attendance to PPE should be taken into account by the educational stakeholders.