Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) as an Intervention to Improve the Reading Skills of Pupils in Public Primary Schools in the Southeast Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria

The primary aim of this study was to examine if the Peer Assisted Learning Strategy (PALS) programme as an intervention would improve the reading skills of pupils in Nigerian public primary schools. Secondary aims were to examine if there was an impact of the PALS programme based on gender, to explore if the PALS programme was implemented in the classroom as intended, to explore teachers’ perceptions of the usefulness, implementation, and impact of the PALS programme, and to investigate the impact of the PALS programme on children’s attitude towards reading. This study used a process-outcome evaluation framework which effectively combined a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) research design with a process evaluation. Ten primary 4 classes in five schools in the Southeast zone of Nigeria and 182 students participated in this study. Participants were randomly allocated to either the control group or the intervention group. Students in the intervention group were taught using PALS as a supplementary reading programme to assess whether this would improve their reading skills (accuracy, rate, and comprehension) compared to those students in the control group who were taught using their teachers’ regular reading instruction. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis comprising pre-test and post-test assessments, a standardised survey, a standardised fidelity checklist for observation, and a structured interview. The findings of the ANCOVA analysis using SPSS showed that the intervention group improved their reading skills compared to the control group (p < .001). There were no significant differences based on gender. Analysis of the pupil attitudes towards reading survey found that pupils’ attitudes towards academic reading had become more positive. Thematic analysis of the interview data found teachers perceived the programme to be useful and effective intervention. Descriptive statistics of the observations showed high levels of implementation. The policy implications of this study and future directions have been highlighted.