Early Grade Reading Study II 2017-2020 Secure Data
Waves 1-5 Merged
South Africa, 2017 - 2020
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Early Grade Reading Study II 2017-2020 Secure Data
Waves 1-5 Merged
EGRSSD 2017-2020
| Name |
|---|
| South Africa |
Education Data
From 2015, the Department of Basic Education, in collaboration with the University of Witwatersrand and other researchers conducted ongoing research on the acquisition of reading in the early grades in the in South Africa. There have been two Early Grade Reading Studies. This is the restricted-access data from the second study (EGRS II). Information on the restricted-access data from the first study (EGRS I), can be found at https://www.datafirst.uct.ac.za/dataportal/index.php/catalog/1020
The Early Grade Reading Study (EGRS) II. EGRS II was a Randomised Controlled Trial that evaluated two early grade reading interventions in 180 primary schools in two districts in the province of Mpumalanga, South Africa. The interventions focused on early learning of English as a second language The study attempted to measure the causal impact on learner reading performance and investigated the change mechanisms of a structured pedagogic programme. Details of the EGRS II restricted-access data are the following:
EGRS II:
Language Focus: English first additional language
Evaluation Focus: An evaluated intervention to improve reading outcomes in English, the learners' first additional language (EFAL). Two coaching models were employed as part of this intervention: in-person coaching and virtual coaching. The evaluation focused on comparing the impact on literacy outcomes (in both the home language and EFAL) and the cost-effectiveness of these two coaching models
Region: Mpumalanga Province (Ehlanzeni District Municipality; Gert Siband District Municipality)
Number of Schools: 180 (80 control + 50 in each of the two treatment arms)
Data Collection Years: 2017 Waves 1 and 2 (Grade 1 learners); 2018 Wave 3 (Grade 2); 2019 Wave 4 (Grade 3); 2020 Wave 5 (Grade 4)
Additional variable available in the restricted-access data: EMIS number of schools in the study
NOTE: Only the user guides are provided with the restricted-access data. Researchers can access the relevant documents from the landing-page of the public access dataset.
Qualitative and quantitative data
Individuals
Version
Version 1.1: Edited, anonymised data available through DataFirst's secure Remote Access Data Enclave
2024-10-05
This is version 1.1 of the merged dataset, which has the 2020 (Wave 5) data added. This restricted-access version has the EMIS number of the schools in the study
Scope
The Early Grade Reading Study focused on the early learning of English as a second language. In the study, learner assessments collected data on the following: English Word Recognition and Oral Reading Fluency; English Oral and Written Reading Comprehension; English Productive Vocabulary and Oral Comprehension; Letter Recognition; Home Language Oral Reading Fluency and comprehension.
The study also collected data from parents, teachers and principals, using a separate questionnaire for each.
The parent questionnaire collected data on parents' highest level of education, home-language, English spoken and read at home, and learners' television viewing, as well as ownership of household goods, and in-country travel. Parents were also asked about learner's school absenteeism.
The teacher questionnaire collected data on teachers' age and sex, qualifications and experience, and reading habits. Teachers were also asked about their class sizes, multi-grade classes, learner absenteeism, and school days missed. Data was also collected on preferred teaching areas, the challenges teachers face in teaching English as a second language, support and development they receive from the school, and their use of technology for teaching. The teacher survey included a short English language test. The enumerator collecting data from teachers also recorded information on classroom facilities and materials.
The school principle questionnaire elicted data on principals' age, and the school's EMIS number, the number of Grade one learners and Grade 1-3 teachers, parents' employment status and attendance at school meetings, and school infrastructure. Data was also elicited on the foundation phase and challenges faced in teaching English as a second language. During the principal's interview enumerators also recorded information on teacher attendance and the condition of the school grounds and buildings.
Additionally, the restricted-access data has an additional variable for the EMIS number of each school in the study.
Producers and sponsors
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Stephen Taylor | Department of Basic Education |
| Brahm Fleisch | University of the Witwatersrand |
| Name | Abbreviation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| US Agency for International Development | USAID | Funding agency |
survey_instrument
Data was collected with the following instruments:
Learner Assessment forms:
A Baseline Learner Assessment form (Grade 1) in Wave 1
A Midline Learner Assessment form (end of Grade 1) in Wave 2
A Grade 2 Learner Assessment form in Wave 3
A Grade 3 Learner Assessment form in Wave 4
A Grade 4 Learner Assessment form in Wave 5
A Parent Questionnaire
A Teacher Questionnaire
A Principal Questionnaire
The instruments were in English, isiZulu and siSwati. The Study used different Learner Assessment forms each year.The principal and teacher questionnaires were also revised each year.
Data Collection
| Start | End | Cycle |
|---|---|---|
| 2017-01-23 | 2017-03-16 | Wave 1 |
| 2017-10-23 | 2017-11-17 | Wave 2 |
| 2018-10-22 | 2018-11-09 | Wave 3 |
| 2019-10-28 | 2019-11-15 | Wave 4 |
| 2020-11-04 | 2020-12-11 | Wave 5 |
- Face-to-face
Ethics approval for the study was granted by the University of the Witwatersrand Human Research Ethics Committee (Non-medical) on 20 May 2016.
Consent: The study provided consent forms for the parents of learners for Wave 1 data collection, and for teachers and principals for data collection in each wave. In Wave 1 an information sheet was also provided to parents to inform them about the study.
The same learners were assessed in each wave to allow for longitudinal tracking of learners during the study. Wave 1 data collection took place at the beginning of the learners' Grade 1 year and Wave 2 at the end of their Grade 1 year in 2017. Wave 3 data was collected at the end of their Grade 2 year (2018), and wave 4 at the end of Grade 3 (2019). Wave 5 data was collected on the learners in 2020 at the end of their Grade 4 year.
Data Access
| Name | Affiliation | URL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DataFirst | University of Cape Town | support.data1st.org | support@data1st.org |
Restricted-access data, available through DataFirst's secure Remote Access Data Enclave
Department of Basic Education and the University of the Witwatersrand. Early Grade Reading Study II 2017-2020 Secure Data, Waves 1-5 Merged [dataset]. Version 1.1. Pretoria: DBE and Wits [producers], 2024. Cape Town: DataFirst [distributor], 2025.
Contacts
| Name | Affiliation | URL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DataFirst Support | University of Cape Town | support@data1st.org | www.support.data1st.org |
Metadata production
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| DataFirst | University of Cape Town | Metadata producer |
2025-02-26
Metadata version
Version 2