Using Stories to Improve Pupils’ Listening Skills Among Kindergartens Two Pupils
Chapter One
Objective of the study
the main objective of this study is to examine the use of Stories To Improve Pupils Listening Skills Among Kindergartens Two Pupils At Zawse Basic School, Bawku, Ghana. Specifically, The objectives of the study are;
- To ascertain whether stories improve pupils’ listening skills among kindergarten two (K G 2) pupils at Zawse Basic School, Bawku, Ghana.
- To examine the effect of gender on the listening skills of kindergartens two (K G 2) pupils at Zawse Basic School, Bawku, Ghana.
- To ascertain the impact of stories on pupil and their academic performance
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW AND PREVIOUS STUDIES
What is a story?
Most dictionaries define a story as a narrative account of a real or imagine deventor events within the storytelling community, a story is more generally agreed to be specific structure of narrative with specific style and set of characters and which includes a sense of completeness. Through this sharing of experience we use stories to pass on accumulated wisdom, beliefs, and values. Through stories we explain how things are, why they are and our role and purpose.
Stories are building blocks of knowledge, the foundation of memory and learning. Stories connect us with our humanness and link past, present and future by teaching us to anticipate the possible consequences of our actions.
Storytelling
Storytelling is a mystical and magical art form with a powerful communicative ability. It is an ancient legacy that dates back ever since humans existed (Atta-Alla, 2012). It is one of the oldest forms of entertainment. It is a useful communication tool that provides a method to transfer knowledge/rituals and cultural folklore and practices (Sorensen, 2004). Storytelling is an art and a strategy for teaching foreign languages if it is utilized wisely. According to Roney (1996) storytelling is co-creative and interactive. It is one of the most magnificent forms of art/communication known to humans. It holds the potential of being a highly effective educational tool. According to Miller and Pennycuff (2008), using storytelling in the classroom is a way of addressing literacy deficiency by developing oral language, reading comprehension and writing. Owing to the fact of the interconnected nature of the processes involved in reading and writing, storytelling is a primary pedagogical strategy that can be woven into instruction to increase students‟ competencies in all areas. Besides developing the academic performance of the students in the areas of reading and writing, storytelling also has the ability to introduce arts in education and motivate students to relate it to learning. As Roney (1996) claims, storytelling should not be seen as a cure–all solution for what deforms literacy programs in school. Indeed, it is only one of many strategies that can be utilized to help students become proficient and confident readers and writers. Yet it is an incredibly powerful tool. Its impact emerges from its deep-rooted nature as an interactive, instant, co- creative, personal and a whole means of communication. Storytelling has stood the test of time and up to this date stories still charm and inspire humanity. All that and more inspired the researcher to carry on with this enriching experiment.
Definitions of Storytelling
Storytelling or “oral literature” is artlessly defined as a story narration which means “the act or the process of telling or writing a story.” (Oxford advanced Learner‟s Dictionary,2016). It is also defined as telling a story publicly without the help of a written text, exclusively from the memory (Sorensen, 2004). In the opinion of Dujmovic, (2006) storytelling is the art of narrating a story from memory rather than reading it. As Gallets (2005) believes, storytelling is the oral presentation of a story from memory by an individual to a person or group of people. Sound effects, motions and props can also be used to enhance the delivery of the oral story presentation.
Roney (1996) defines storytelling as the process when people use speech, story structure and mental imagery to communicate with the audience who also use mental imagery to communicate back with the teller mainly through body language and facial expression in a continuous communication cycle. Storytelling also defined as an oral activity where language and gestures are used colorfully to extemporize scenes in a sequence.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried out to examine the Using Of Stories To Improve Pupils’ Listening Skills Among Kindergartens Two Pupils At Anglican Primary School. Selected primary schools across Bawku, Ghana form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of hundred and twenty (120) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which 100 were returned. The analysis of this study is based on the number returned.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
Introduction
This chapter summarizes the findings on the Using Stories To Improve Pupils’ Listening Skills Among Kindergartens Two Pupils , Zawse Basic School, Bawku, Ghana as case study. The chapter consists of summary of the study, conclusions, and recommendations.
Summary of the Study
In this study, our focus was on the Using Stories To Improve Pupils’ Listening Skills Among Kindergartens Two Pupils , Zawse Basic School, Bawku, Ghana as case study. The study is was specifically focused on ascertaining whether stories improve pupils’ listening skills among kindergartens two (K G 2) pupils at Zawse Basic School, Bawku, Ghana; examining the effect of gender on the listening skills of kindergartens two (K G 2) pupils at Zawse Basic School, Bawku, Ghana and ascertaining the impact of stories on pupil and their academic performance.
The study adopted the survey research design and randomly enrolled participants in the study. A total of 100 responses were validated from the enrolled participants where all respondent are pupils at Zawse Basic School, Bawku, Ghana.
Conclusions
With respect to the analysis and the findings of this study, the following conclusions emerged;
There is the need for the Ghanaian government to provide picture books, other visuals and instructional materials in other to encourage active listening in primary schools. To do this, the government should encourage Ghanaian local illustrators, authors, storytellers and publishers to produce picture storybooks for primary school pupils in indigenous languages. Apart from this, seminars and workshops should also be organized for the teachers during the holidays to expose them to how to make simple picture storybooks themselves and how to teach storytelling with illustrations. Lots of brightly coloured visuals and other teaching aids should be provided in all primary classrooms and this should be available for all subjects. Primary school teachers in Nigeria should use the mother tongue or language of immediate environment to teach pupils in primary one. Teachers can deliberately bridge the gap in listening between girls and boys by giving the boys more opportunities to engage activities to build their listening skills. This can be achieved during activities such as listening games, songs, stories, discussions and interviews. Ghanaian parents should communicate with their children in their indigenous languages more than the English Language. They should also tell their children their indigenous stories regularly. This should begin even before they start school. Due to the language policy on pre-primary and lower primary classes, all pre-service teachers of early childhood education and primary education studies should be proficient in at least one Ghanaian language, since they will be teaching at the preschool and lower primary classes.
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