Teaching Literacy with Simplified Instruction and Evidence-based Pedagogy to Improve Early Childhood Reading

This study aims to enhance the quality of literacy instruction in rural primary schools in Tanzania by promoting early childhood reading through simplified instruction and evidence-based teaching strategies. Many primary school students struggle with reading and writing, leading to a higher likelihood of school dropout and perpetuating the cycle of poverty. To address this issue, a mixed methodology is employed, incorporating both deductive and inductive approaches in data collection and analysis, while linking the respective strands. The research utilizes an Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) to measure reading levels and evidence-based teaching strategies to gain insights into teachers' experiences. The findings indicated an increase in the average mean score for both groups, with significant improvement in mean reading scores across all subtasks for the treatment group. The qualitative method explained the reasoning behind the improved scores for the treatment group. Teachers pointed to specific teaching strategies they found effective, such as structured learning (I Do, We Do, You Do), student-centered teaching approaches emphasizing engagement and personalized learning, play-based learning as a core strategy, and social learning through peer cooperation. The mixed-method analysis leveraged the combined strengths of quantitative and qualitative approaches to offer an in-depth understanding of the impact of simplified, evidence-based teaching strategies on improving early-grade reading. By integrating both strands, this study successfully highlighted the relationship between qualitative and quantitative data, demonstrated the independent influence of each, and illustrated how their combined insights contribute to a richer understanding of early-grade reading. Education and Policy Implications—Ultimately, the findings from this study not only contribute to academic discourse on early childhood reading but also offer practical insights that can inform educational policy and teaching practices, contributing to the foundation for lifelong learning and literacy.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Agricultural and Extension Education

Department dc:contributor.department

Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Mwinyi, Mohamed Juma

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Rudd, Rickie Duane

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Elliot, John F.
• Crowder, Loy Van
• Mukuni, Joseph Siloka

• Early Childhood Reading
• Evidenced-Based Pedagogy
• Simplified Instruction
• Student Centered Learning
• Teachers Experience
• Literacy Development and interactive Learning Strategies

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:42557

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/124673