A Suggested Program for Tackling Low English Achievement Level among Sixth Graders in Gaza City UNRWA Schools

Abstract

This study aims at investigating the reasons for the English low achievement level among the sixth graders in Gaza City and north Gaza UNRWA schools, and suggesting a program for tackling this weakness. The questions of the research are: -What are the reasons for English low achievement level among the sixth graders in Gaza UNRWA schools? - Are there statistically significant differences among the estimates of the respondents to the current study tool due to personal variables (gender, age, years of experience, and district)? - What is the suggested program for tackling low English achievement level among the sixth graders in Gaza UNRWA schools? In order to fulfill the objectives of this study, the researcher followed descriptive analytical and constructive methods. She prepared a 60 item questionnaire in addition to one open question which aims at identifying the reasons for the low English achievement level among the sixth graders. The questionnaire included five domains; English language textbook, English language teacher, English Teaching Strategies, Learning Environment, and unified English achievement tests. The results of the questionnaire showed that : - These reasons are mainly related to the English textbook and reasons related to the English teacher and teaching strategies. - There is no statistically significant difference among the estimates of the respondents to the current study tool due to gender and age - There is a significant difference among the estimates of the respondents to the current study tool due to the years of experience and district. The researcher suggests an instructional program for tackling this weakness and gives relevant recommendations. The most significant are: - English language teachers should have training courses before entering the class for the first time. - It is strongly recommended that the low achievers should attend the classes away from the others with different content material. - Schools should be fixed to suit the curriculum demands and the age challenges. - It is necessary to add two English periods to the weekly English periods