Effects of Teacher Scaffolding on Students’ Oral Reading Fluency

Abstract

This study examined the effects of an English teacher’s scaffolding on students’ passage reading fluency in Dona Berber Primary School, Ethiopia. Thirty Grade 4 students participated in a quasi-experimental pre-and post-test research design to examine changes in their reading strategies and fluency as a result of teacher scaffolding. Oral reading fluency tests, two structured classroom observation checklists, and interview were used as data collecting instruments. The quantitative data were analyzed using t-test and percentages whereas the qualitative ones were meta-explained. Both the quantitative and qualitative data indicated improvements in students’ reading and strategy use. The findings suggest that scaffolding reading strategy instruction is effective in enhancing students’ oral reading fluency of grade 4 students. Therefore, it is recommended that scaffolding reading strategy training be given to English language teachers and students to make the reading lesson engaging and student-friendly. Besides, it is recommended that a detailed future investigation and intervention be made in the area.