Assessing Reading Competence Between Sexes Using a Literature Teaching Approach

The study aimed to address the prevailing reading poverty crisis in Sierra Leone, with a focus on gender and reading and comprehension competence. Several teaching methods have been employed as intervention strategies to address the existing reading gaps; however, the reading crisis remains unresolved. The study, therefore, compared two literature-based independent reading methods: (I) the Traditional Literature Circle and (II) the Comprehensive Reading Tracking Approach. Literature teaching methods were used to assess reading competence between male and female readers in Junior secondary schools. This research employed a quantitative research approach, which involves the random selection of participants and assigning them to control and experimental groups. The study was conducted in the Kono district, and a sample size of 375 participants was obtained from the study population of 17,821 JSS1 pupils. The study employed a multistage sampling technique, randomly selecting six cluster chiefdoms — Tankoro, Gbense, Fiama, Nimikoro, Kamara, and Lei — along with 16 schools in the district. Comprehension Test Questions were answered to compare the learners’ comprehension abilities based on sex. The findings showed that the Comprehensive Reading Tracking Approach was more appropriate for teaching reading than the Traditional Literature Circles. The study’s findings showed no significant difference in the mean scores between male and female readers. The findings also showed that neither sex reads and comprehends better than the other when following the Comprehensive Reading Tracking Approach model.