Understanding Learner Errors in Reading Comprehension: A Schema-Theoretic and Task-Based Perspective from Kenyan CBE Classrooms

Abstract

This paper re-examines data from a broader doctoral study to provide a focused linguistic analysis of lexical and morpho-syntactic error patterns in Grade 6 reading comprehension under Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). Specifically, the study identifies dominant error types and examines how these errors relate to learners’ overall comprehension performance. Drawing exclusively on pre-test data, the analysis is limited to errors that compromise clarity and meaning in learner responses. Guided by Schema Theory, Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), and Error Analysis, the study analyses scripts from 611 learners across six public primary schools in Athi River Sub-County, Kenya. Findings reveal that errors are largely intralingual, with lexical errors accounting for 58% and morpho-syntactic errors 42% of the total identified. Frequent issues include incorrect collocations, morphological overgeneralization, and grammatical inaccuracies, all of which significantly obscure meaning and contribute to reduced comprehension scores. The study argues that learner errors in reading comprehension are systematic and closely linked to cognitive processing demands, underscoring the need for instructional approaches that integrate attention to linguistic form within comprehension tasks. The findings offer important implications for both pedagogy and assessment in upper primary English classrooms.