A National Survey of Teachers on Early Literacy: Assessing Nigerian Reading Teachers' Knowledge, Perception and Practices on Reading Instruction

The reading skills of Nigerian primary school students from recent assessments have been shown to be very low. This is a cause of concern because of the many studies documenting the relationship between early foundational reading skills and future success in school and life. There are currently gaps in the existing body of studies regarding teacher knowledge, perception, self-efficacy and practices of early literacy instruction in Nigeria. The previous studies conducted around these components were either very limited in sample size or not representative of the entire country. To bridge the existing gap in the literature, the present study sought to answer six research questions through a national survey relating to teacher knowledge, perception, self-efficacy and practices as well as investigating the impact of school type and other professional characteristics on teacher knowledge. The result of the survey reveals that (N = 190) Nigerian reading teachers' knowledge of literacy instruction is low (M = 9.89 out of 20 possible scores, SD = 3.46). Teachers have lower knowledge of phonemic awareness (PA) and phonics compared to other reading skills. Nigerian reading teachers have similar beliefs on explicit and implicit instruction. There are effects of years of experience on teacher knowledge. Teachers in the study with at least 6 years of service or those who hold a bachelor's or master's degree have significantly higher teacher knowledge. Recommendations for future research and implications for practice are discussed.