The difficulties experienced by teachers in the process of primary reading and writing instruction and their solution offers for eliminating these difficulties

Abstract

The purpose of the current research is to identify the difficulties that primary school teachers experience in the primary reading and writing instruction, and to find out their solution offers for eliminating these difficulties. The study group of the research is composed of 51 primary school teachers selected by criterion sampling as a type of purposive sampling. The qualitative method was used for the research. Semi-structured interviews were made with teachers to ask them three questions. Teacher opinions were taken in writing in order to identify the difficulties which they experienced in the process of primary reading and writing instruction, and thoroughly analyze their opinions about how those difficulties can be solved. The data obtained from these interviews were analysed by the content analysis method. The research revealed that out of the 51 primary school teachers, 37 were happy and 14 were unhappy; the difficulties they described about the process included parental indifference, unreadiness of students, teaching of cursive italic handwriting, lack of professional experience, student absenteeism, lack of interest by students, and physical inadequacies; and their solution offers for eliminating these difficulties included education of parents, carrying out activities suitable for students, change of handwriting type, cooperation with parents, consideration of readiness level, and improvement of physical conditions.