Effectiveness of Storytelling on Reading Comprehension and Written Production of Indigenous Language (Igbo) Learners in Primary Schools in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the effectiveness of storytelling aloud on the reading comprehension and written production of indigenous language (Igbo) learners at the primary schools in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The study adopted a pretest-posttest, control group, quasi-experimental design. Two  research questions guided the study. The sample was 100 primary five (5) pupils selected from the two public primary schools purposively. The two schools were assigned to experimental and control groups respectively and intact classes were used. Each group consisted of fifty (50) pupils in each of the respective schools. The  instrument for data collection was an achievement test, indigenous stories and  reading comprehension. The instrument was validated by three (3) experts in Igbo language and measurement and evaluation  experts from Ebonyi State University. The  reliability  of the test was  determined by pilot testing and it yielded a  reliability coefficient of 0.80. The data analyses were done using mean and standard deviation. The results showed that the experimental group performed better than the control group in both tests of reading comprehension and written production in Igbo language and were improved  by the teacher’s use of storytelling technique. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made; that curriculum planners should include storytelling in the reading and writing components of Igbo curriculum in the primary schools; that Igbo language teachers should be encouraged to use storytelling technique in the teaching of reading comprehension and written production in Igbo language.

Keywords: Storytelling technique, reading comprehension, written production, Igbo language, performance.

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-23-05

Publication date:August 31^st 2021