Morphological Awareness And Vocabulary Knowledge Of Preservice Teachers Of The English Language At The University Of Cape Coast

Abstract

This study examined the morphological awareness and vocabulary knowledge of preservice teachers of the English language at the University of Cape Coast (UCC). The embedded mixed methods design underpinned by pragmatism was utilised for the study. Diagnostic and proficiency tests were administered using the census approach to elicit quantitative data from 152 B. Ed Arts (English) students from the Department of Arts Education, UCC. The datasets were analysed using descriptive (frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviation) and inferential (Pearson Product Moment Correlation, t-statistic, ANOVA and Chi-square) statistics. Overall, findings from the Morphological Awareness Test, Vocabulary Size Test and TOEFL Writing Test revealed that the preservice teachers: (1) possessed medium morphological awareness levels, with lower morphological structure awareness, (2) had low receptive vocabulary repertoire and (3) possessed inadequate productive vocabulary knowledge levels. Again, the study confirmed a linear relationship between morphological awareness and vocabulary knowledge. As part of the study, qualitative data was gathered from the English language curriculum implemented to train preservice teachers of the English language at UCC. For triangulation purposes, the secondary data was to ascertain the comprehensiveness (or otherwise) of provisions made in the existing curriculum to foster English language learning. The outcome of the curriculum evaluation revealed a bias that validated the quantitative findings and provided a more holistic understanding of the observed trends. The input evaluation results showed an imbalance in the pedagogical content knowledge provisions in the existing B. Ed Arts (English) curriculum. The study, thus, recommended that the curriculum be revised to ensure an equal prioritisation of the morpho-phonetics, morpho-syntax and morpho-semantics interface. Again, it suggested the adoption of Ed-tech morphological awareness implementations and vocabulary adjustment pedagogies to scaffold the literacy development and career preparedness of preservice ESL teachers with morphologically related vocabulary deficiencies.