Investigating gender differences in English comprehension skills among South African Sesotho learners

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between reading comprehension (RC) and listening comprehension (LC) among Grade 4 Sesotho home language (HL) learners in South African primary schools, with a specific focus on gender differences across these two skills. As English serves as the Language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT) from Grade 4 in many South African schools, learners face the challenge of acquiring academic content in a second language. Using the Simple View of Reading model as the theoretical framework, the study employed a cross-sectional, quantitative comparative correlational design, analysing data from 84 learners (38 boys and 46 girls) in Gauteng Province. Data were collected using the Annual National Assessments and analysed using Spearman correlations and Mann-Whitney tests. Results revealed a significant positive correlation between RC and LC, but gender differences in these skills were statistically insignificant. These findings fill a gap in the existing literature by examining the comprehension skills of South African Sesotho learners and suggest that while gender does not play a significant role in RC and LC, further research should explore the developmental trajectory of these skills over time. The study recommends longitudinal research to better understand the causal factors influencing comprehension skills in multilingual learning environments.