Analysis of Factors Influencing Ugandan Teachers’ Expectations of Learners’ Reading Habits

Abstract

Teacher expectations can be understood as a teacher's belief in the ability of their learners to achieve. The importance lies in the fact that they can determine both the level of educational content and how it is delivered. Although teacher expectations have been studied for decades in the developed countries, little research has been done in developing countries like Uganda. Subsequently, the current study’s goal is to examine how teachers form expectations about the reading habits of their learners in three schools in Uganda. The study was qualitative in nature and a case study design was followed. A purposively selected sample of 17 teachers was selected based on their expertise as teachers of English. An open-ended questionnaire was administered to the teachers to collect data and thematic analysis was used to analyse data. The results of the study revealed that teachers’ expectations concerning their learners’ reading habits were low and determined by several factors like learners’ frequency of reading prescribed material, learners’ frequency of reading material that is not prescribed, socioeconomic status of learners and lack of resources and influence of parents’ level of education. The authors recommended that teachers' knowledge of the significance of their expectations in determining their learners' reading practices is significant. This is because teachers are more likely to adjust their expectations on their learners' prospective reading habits if they have this knowledge and awareness.