The Impact of Teachers Interpersonal Characteristics on Acquisition of Reading Skills among Grade Three Pupils in Public Primary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya

Abstract

The acquisition of requisite reading skills plays a crucial role in scaffolding learning and
more so when children start their education. These reading skills form an important pivot around
which most learning revolves. Nevertheless, studies globally indicate that majority of school-age
pupils are not being taught the relevant reading skills at an appropriate age and grade hence most of
them attain the age of eleven years before acquiring these skills. The integral role played by the
teacher in enabling learners to acquire reading skills cannot be over-emphasized. They are, in fact, an
important axis around which all educational processes revolve including the success in the
acquisition of the children‟s literacy skills. The purpose of this study was to find out the impact of
teacher interpersonal characteristics on the acquisition of reading skills among grade three pupils in
public primary schools in Bungoma County, Kenya. Vygotsky‟s (1978) theory was fundamental to
this study. A descriptive survey research was adopted in the study focusing on grade three pupils,
their class teacher and the headteachers in Bumula Sub-County. Simple random sampling and
purposive sampling techniques were used to select the study sample of 32%. Data was collected
using questionnaires, interview schedules and reading tests for grade three pupils to determine their
level of reading skills. The researcher designed a pupil test to determine the levels of reading across
the Grade III Learners. The study found out that teachers‟ interpersonal characteristics had an impact
on the acquisition of reading skills among the grade III learners. The study further established that
Grade III pupils in Bungoma County have overall poor reading skills as manifested by their dismal
sound recognition, comprehension, word recognition, and reading fluency. Furthermore, the study
established that Grade III teachers are neither aware nor apply their interpersonal skills, but rely on
their skills to help Grade III learners acquire reading skills. The study recommended that Bungoma
County‟s Ministry of Education should use these findings for policy implementation as a way or
improving teacher interpersonal relationships, through modification of the curriculum of teacher
training colleges