Reading among grade six learners in Namibia and Norway : an investigation of reading habits and attitudes of learners in the Khomas and Oshana regions of Namibia and the Hedmark region in Norway

Abstract

English: A joint research project was conducted by Hedmark University College in Norway and the University of Namibia and Ongwediva College of Education in Namibia. The project was considered as a pilot for a possible larger survey later. The aim of the research was to investigate reading habits, preferences and attitudes of Namibian and Norwegian learners, teachers and student teachers. The data were gathered during October and November of 2006. Although data was collected for learners, teachers and student teachers, this report focuses mainly on the research results as obtained from the learners. The research project was part of the SIU/NORAD financed project: Teacher Education, South-North of which the overall aim was to enhance the quality of teacher education, mainly in the South. However, it was anticipated that insight into the Namibian context could also improve the quality of Norwegian teacher education. Against this background the joint research project was meant to give valuable information and experience to all parties involved. The variables that seemed to have the greatest impact on reading habits and attitudes in this study was gender, availability of reading materials at home, the telling of stories and reading by parents, primary home language. Girls show a more positive attitude than boys, the same is the case with learners which came from homes with good access to reading material and with parents that read to them. Learners with English or Oshiwambo as their primary home language display more positive reading attitude than other learners. In addition, the study reveals substantial differences between the three study regions. In general the Namibian learners have more positive reading habits and attitudes than the Norwegian learners.

Norsk: Høgskolen i Hedmark, Ongwediva College of Education og Universitetet i Namibia har gjennomført et forskningsprosjekt. Prosjektet er del av et større prosjekt Teacher Education South North. Målsettingen med forskningsprosjektet er å undersøke lesevaner, preferanser og holdninger til namibiske og norske 6. klassinger. Dataene ble samlet inn i oktober og november 2006. Dette er en pilot som skal følges opp med en større undersøkelse senere og res-ultatene må derfor leses med forsiktighet. De variablene som synes å ha størst innvirkning på lesevaner og leseholdninger er kjønn, tilgang på litteratur i hjem-met, i hvilken grad foreldrene fortalte historier og leste for barna da de var små og morsmål. Jenter er mer positive til å lese enn gutter det samme gjelder elever som kommer fra hjem med god tilgang på litteratur. At foreldrene leser for barna og fortelle dem historier mens de er små viser seg også å ha en positiv innflytelse på holdinger til å lese hos 6.klassinger. Det viser seg også at elever fra Namibia har mer positive holdninger til å leser enn elever fra Norge.