Assessment of first-grade students' literacy and numeracy levels and the influence of key factors

Abstract

The acquisition of literacy and numeracy in early years education provides children with an essential skill for learning and life. This study aims to assess the literacy and numeracy skills of first-graders in Qatari governmental schools. It also determines whether there is a relationship between numeracy skills and literacy skills and whether these are influenced by such factors as parents' educational level, students' prior knowledge, and gender. Study participants included 80 students (21 male, 59 female). The study used a quantitative research approach, and descriptive statistics were determined using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS). The researchers used two research instruments: a numeracy survey and a literacy survey. The results demonstrated that participants attained a high level of oral language, phonological awareness, print awareness, knowledge of letters, and basic addition and subtraction facts with numbers 0-10. The results of the study also revealed that students possessed a medium level of writing development, place value, and adding and subtracting two-digit numbers and a low level of numeracy skills related to basic word problems, patterns, clocks, geometry, measuring, and money. In addition, the results demonstrated significant differences between male and female first-grade students, with male students having better literacy and numeracy skills than female students. The results s revealed no statistically significant differences in both literacy and numeracy related to pre-school knowledge, while there were significant differences in children's literacy and numeracy related to parents' educational level. These results were discussed and recommendations for practice and research were presented accordingly.