Chapter one - OER - Unn

ASSESSING THE READABILITY OF ON Y VA! FOR JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL (JSS) IN
NSUKKA EDUCATION ZONE OF ENUGU STATE








BY





EZE, KENNETH OMA
PG/M.ED/07/42631





DEPARTMENT OF ARTS EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA





AUGUST, 2010

TITLE PAGE



ASSESSING THE READABILITY OF ON Y VA! FOR JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL (JSS) IN
NSUKKA EDUCATION ZONE OF ENUGU STATE





A PROJECT REPORT PRESENTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY
OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD
OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF EDUCATION IN CURRICULUM STUDIES





BY




EZE, KENNETH OMA
PG/M. ED/07/42631




AUGUST, 2010
CERTIFICATION
Eze, Kenneth Oma, a postgraduate student of the Department of Arts
Education, with registration number PG/M.ED/07/42631 has satisfactorily
completed the requirements for course work and research for the award of
the degree of Master of Education in Curriculum Studies. The work embodied
in this project is original and has not been submitted in part or full for
another diploma or degree of this or any other university.


------------------------------ -------------
-----------------
Eze, Kenneth Oma Prof. G. C. Offorma PG/M.ED/ 07/
42631 Supervisor
APPROVAL PAGE


This project report has been approved for the Department of Arts Education,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka.







By



------------------------------ ----------
---------------------
Prof. G. C. Offorma Internal Examiner
Supervisor






------------------------------- ------------------------
-------
External Examiner Dr. U. C. Umo
Head of Department





------------------------------------
Prof. S. A. Ezeudu
Dean of Faculty
DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to Mrs. Bridget Oyibo Eze, my beloved mother.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to express my profound gratitude to all those who made it
possible for me to complete and produce this work. My most sincere
appreciation goes to my supervisor, Prof. G. C. Offorma, for her
constructive and scholarly corrections and suggestions, expert advice and
thoroughness which made this study a success. My sincere gratitude
also goes to Mr. Cajetan Egbe of the Department of Arts Education,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka for his moral and intellectual support. His
assistance in reading through the draft and offering useful advice saw this
research project to its logical conclusion.
I am equally indepted to Dr. J. U. Akabogu, Dr. J. J. O. Ezugwu, Dr.
M. O. Iwuchukwu, Dr. Uche Igbokwe and Prof. F. A. Okwo for validating my
instrument. I thank Dr. Uchenna Eze in a special way for handling the data
analysis free of charge and turning out the results in good time and with
precision.
Also to be deeply appreciated are Mrs. Felicia Ogbu, Mrs. Martina
Odo, Miss. Joy Ezugwu, Miss. Benardine Ezugwu and Mrs. Philomena Egwu.
They are the secondary school teachers that helped me in getting to the
students for the study. Also worthy of my deep appreciation is Miss.
Juliana Ukwuaba, who handled my typesetting needs with great dexterity.
Finally, I most humbly acknowledge the Almighty God, who gave me the
life, the health and the inspiration to bring this work to a successful
end. To Him be the glory.

August, 2010


Eze, Kenneth Oma,
Department of Arts Education,
University of Nigeria,
Nsukka
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page - - - -- - - - - - - i
Certification - - - - - - - - - ii
Approval page - - - - - - - - - iii
Dedication - - - - - - - - - - iv
Acknowledgements - - - - - - - - v
Table of contents - - - - - - - - -
vi
Abstract - - - - - - - - - - ix

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study - - - - - - - - 1

Statement of the Problem - - - - - - - 7
Purpose of the Study - - - - - - - - 8
Significance of the Study - - - - - - - - 8
Scope of the Study - - - - - - - - 10
Research Questions - - - - - - - - 11
Hypotheses - - - - - - - - - - 11

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE


Conceptual Framework - - - - - - - - 12

. Concept of Reading - - - - - - - 12
. Importance of Reading - - - - - - - 13
. Types of Reading - - - - - - - - 15


. Concept of Readability - - - - - - - 17
. French Teaching Methods - - - - - - 22
. Qualities of Good French Textbooks - - -- - - 24


. Problems of French Teaching and Learning in Nigeria - - 27



Theoretical Framework - - - - - - - 30

. Text-Centred Theory - - - - - - - 30

Schema Theory - - - - - - - - 31


Empirical Studies - - - - - - - - -
33

. Studies on Text Readability - - - - - - 33


. Studies on Gender and Reading Competence - - - 35
. Studies on Location and Reading Competence - - - 37

Summary of Literature Review - - - - - - 39


CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD

Design of the Study - - - - - - - - 41
Area of the Study - - - - - - - - -
41
Population of the Study - - - - - - - -
42
Sample and Sampling Techniques - - - - - 42
Instrument for Data Collection - - - - - -
43
Validation of the Instrument - - - - - - -
44
Reliability of the Instrument - - - - - - -
45
Method of Data Collection - - - - - - - - 45
Method of Data Analysis - - - - - - - -
45
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS
Research Question 1 - - - - - - - - 46
Research Question 2 - - - - - - - - 47
Research Question 3 - - - - - - - - 48
Research Question 4 - - - - - - - - 49
Research Question 5 - - - - - - - 50
Hypothesis 1 - - - - - - - - - 51
Hypothesis 2 - - - - - - - - 51
Hypothesis 3 - - - - - - - - - 52
Summary of the Major Findings - - - - - - 53

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS,
IMPLICATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, LIMITATIONS, SUGGESTIONS FOR
FURTHER RESEARCH AND SUMMARY OF THE STUDY
Discussion of Results - - - - - - - - 54
Conclusions - - - - - - - - - 60
Educational Implications - - - - - - - -
61
Recommendations - - - - - - - - - 62
Limitations of the Study - - - - - - - -
63
Suggestions for Further Research - - - - - - 64
Summary of the Study - - - - - - - - -
64


REFERENCES - - - - - - - - - 67


APPENDICES:
A: French Textbook Readability Questionnaire (FTRQ) - - -
73
B (1, 2 and 3): Validator's Comments on French Textbook
Readability Questionnaire (FTRQ) Instrument - - - -
78
C: Calculation of Readability Index using Cronbach's Alpha Method -
81
D: Population of JSS 3 Students that registered French Language
for the 2009/2010 JSCE in Nsukka Education Zone - - -
90
E: Names of the Schools that were used as Sample for the Study -
91
F: Calculation of the Reading Age of On y va! for JSS 3

Using the Gunning "FOG" Readability Test - - - -
92


G: SPSS Analysis of Data - - - - - - - 93



ABSTRACT
This study was undertaken to assess the readability of On y va! (French
textbook) for Junior Secondary School (JSS) in Nsukka Education Zone of
Enugu State. It also sought to determine the readability of the text by
male and female students as well as by urban and rural students. The
determination of the interaction effect of gender and location on stud