Socio-self Construction of Knowledge and Acquisition of Cognitive Competencies in Reading: Case of Learners of Class 5 of Maroua Primary Schools, Far-North Region of Cameroon

Abstract

The present article enrols in the debate on the autonomisation of the learner as base of the learning of reading. We have gone from the observation that a good number of pupils leave the primary school without having acquired the basics of reading. They are estimated at about 65% of the school population (Minedub, 2016). This situation has lead us to question ourselves on the influence of socio-self construction of knowledge on the acquisition of cognitive competencies in reading. The methodology used is that of hypothetico-deductive coupled with quantitative data analysis, those data that had been collected with the help of an experimental device bearing a pre-test, a test and a post-test besides two groups (experimental and control) of 60 pupils each of class 5 of two primary schools of the town of Maroua. The experiment was supplemented by an observation and evaluation chart (checklist) of reading administered to learners in each group. The analysis of the data collected on the field was done using a Z test and content analysis of observation checklists. Results have shown that the practice of socio-self construction of knowledge favours the acquisition of cognitive competencies in reading.

Keywords: Socio-self construction, acquisition of cognitive competencies, learning.