Integrated Strategies Approach
This study integrated the approaches and methods of the studies described above, but included
research on changes in general (overall) literacy exhibited by children participating in the
process. The general literacy apect measured the reading, writing, talking and listening skills
of learners before and after the implementation of the science literacy strategy over six
months. The sample comprised of five grades six and seven (multigrade) classes in seven primary
schools situated in the rural foothills of the Hogsback Mountains in the Eastern Cape.
Learners ranged between 11 and 14 years of age and both the learners and teachers were isiXhosa
first language speakers. Five schools were randomly chosen to represent the experimental
group which participated in the strategy while the remaining two schools constituted the control
group.