Exploring Factors that Affect Performance of Grade One Learners in Rural Primary Schools in the Rural Settings of South Africa

This empirical paper discusses challenges that affect grade one learners’ performance in rural schools. These learners in rural schools cannot read and write with comprehension. Despite various interventions, they struggle to read and write concepts in their Language of teaching and learning (LoLT). Consequently, they struggle to write creatively and perform in other subjects. This paper was couched into social learning theory, which argues that learning is a social process that comes out of observation, interaction and modelling with others. In this qualitative paper, focus group interviews were conducted with eight participants, comprising principals and teachers. They responded to two questions, which are: What are the challenges affecting grade one learners, and What can be employed to mitigate poor performance in grade one? The findings revealed that grade one learners’ performance in rural schools is highly affected by their background, their relationship with other people, and the school context. In light of the findings, the study suggests that learners’ backgrounds, relationships and the school context should be considered by the state from policy inception, distribution of resources and establishment of support systems. This paper provides a deeper insight into the unique challenges of rural schools and can inform the educational policies regarding the allocation of resources, teacher training, and support services to be provided to rural primary schools. Keywords: Learners Performance, Rural schools, Reading, Grade one, Teachers