Relationship between students’ morphological awareness and their reading comprehension in english language at selected basic schools in the mfantseman municipality, ghana

Abstract

There have been grievances by educational stakeholders that the standard of English in Ghana is falling at all levels of education in the country. Studies conducted to assess the link between morphological awareness and reading comprehension among students in Ghana are scanty; especially, among basic school students. The present study examined the relationship between morphological awareness and reading comprehension among basic school students in the Mfantseman Municipality of Ghana. The study was quantitative in nature, and employed the correlational research design. The proportional random sampling technique was used to select 317 participants from 14 basic schools in the Mfantseman Municipality. The Comprehension Achievement Test (RCAT) and the Morphological Awareness Test were used to collect data from the participants. Two-independent sample t-test, and the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient were used to analyse the data. No statistically significant difference in morphological awareness of male and female students was found. Also, no statistically significant difference between male and female students, with respect to reading comprehension, was revealed. Finally, a statistically significant positive relationship was found between morphological awareness and reading comprehension. It was concluded that male and female students were not diffirent relative to competence in morphology and reading comprehension. It was then recommended that teachers should give equal attention to both genders. Suggestions were made for further studies.