Disputas: Berit-Ellen Juuso forsvarer sin doktogradsavhandling i samisk språk og litteratur

Summary of the thesis/Abstract

From letters to sound and sounds to letter: Technical literacy of Sámi elementary school pupils

Doctoral thesis provides insights into the reading skills of primary school children in North Sámi-speaking education, and in particular delves into the Sámi reading skills of 8-year-old pupils in North Sámi-speaking education. The study will survey pupils’ reading skills in the spring when, according to the curriculum, the goals of learning to read should have been achieved. The pupils are in the second grade of Sámi language education in Norway and the first grade of Sámi language education in Finland. The pupils are in different grades due to the different school systems in the countries. Delving deeper into the two school systems increases the awareness of Sámi-speaking pupils’learning to read.

The aim of the research is to assess the pupils’learning of reading skills by sub-area. The reading skills test consists of four areas: managing letter-sound correspondence, managing phonological awareness skills, reading syllables and words, and finally examining memory capacity. The research material consists of survey material measuring the reading skills of 8-year-old Sámi-speaking pupils (N=36). The assessing was carried out in the administrative region of the Sámi language in Norway and the Sámi homeland region of Finland.

The empirical research material will be analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. The quantitative analysis compares the reading skills of 8-year-old pupils in relation to gender and dialects. The analysis examines the averages, standard deviations, and minimum and maximum values of the tasks of the reading ability test. In the qualitative analysis, the pupils’reading skills are examined on the basis of morphological and phonological characteristics of the Sámi language.

The research shows that, on average, pupils have achieved technical literacy in the Sámi language in the spring of the year they turn eight years old. This means that, on average, the pupils have learned the letter-sound correspondence of the Sámi language and are therefore successful in decoding. There are differences between individuals and some pupils show challenges in learning to read. Mastery of letter-sound correspondence predicts fluent technical reading skills better than tasks measuring phonological awareness.

The research provides information on the influence of the linguistic features of the Sámi language on the reading skills of pupils taught in the Sámi language. Dialect as a phonological feature does not affect the development of technical literacy. It can be interpreted that reading with a particular dialect only occurs at a later stage in the process in conjunction with an increased level of reading comprehension. It was possible to detect the effect of transfer from the majority national language on Sámi language reading acquisition. The characteristic features of the Sámi language can be seen in the pupils’learning to read as a challenge to recognize the special letters and sounds of the Sámi language. In the recognition of voices, a statistically significant difference between girls and boys can be observed in favor of girls. There is no significant difference between the sexes in the ability to read whole words. The prevalence and visibility of the special letters and sounds of the Sámi language affects pupils’decoding skills. Based on the research, it can be seen as necessary to take into account the special characteristics of the Sámi language when organizing reading instruction.

There are still research and development needs in the reading skills of the pupils of Sámi language education. Research data is needed for this reason, because supporting pupils’reading skills plays a central role, so that the pupil’s learning problems are detected in time and the necessary support measures are targeted in a timely manner. Supporting the reading skills of pupils in the endangered Sámi language and Sámi language education requires language-aware practices in teaching, so that all pupils have the opportunity to progress according to their own conditions.

Keywords: technical literacy, phonological awareness, decoding, memory, assessment of learning to read, Northern Sámi language

Bagadallit/Supervisors:
Váldobagadalli/Main supervisor:
Professor emeritus, PhD Nils Øivind Helander, Sámi allaskuvla
Mielbagadalli/Supervisor:
Professor, PhD Pigga Keskitalo, Lappi universitehta

Árvvoštallankomitea/Assessment commitee:
Professor, PhD Trond Trosterud, UiT – Norgga árkttalaš universitehta
Universitehtalektor emerita, PhD Marjatta Jomppanen, Oulu universitehta
Vuosttašamanueansa, PhD Rauna Rahko-Ravantti, Sámi allaskuvla – komitea jođiheaddji

Nákkáhallanjođiheaddji/Leader of defense:
Vuosttašamanueansa, PhD Johanna Ijäs Gaup, Sámi allaskuvla