South Africa participated in the electronic version of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (ePIRLS) in 2016 but faced many challenges during implementation. Accurate databases on information and communication technologies (ICT) capacity of schools were not available for sampling in Gauteng, many schools had old and/or non-functional hardware and half of the schools had not used their computer laboratories in the last 3 years. Consequently, South Africa was excluded from the international report as the study requirements could not be met. In this paper we examine the implications of the problems experienced in the ePIRLS multiple case study, conducted in 9 schools (n = 277) in Gauteng. Multilevel models were built using data from the nationally representative Grade 4 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) data from 2011 (n = 15,744) and 2016 (n = 12,810). In the 2016 national study, principals and teachers reported fewer computers and libraries being available for learners than were reported in 2011. Computers and paper-based libraries being available were not significant predictors of reading literacy. Instead, the medium of instruction in the Foundation Phase, school location, gender, and socioeconomic composition of the school predicted reading literacy achievement. The ePIRLS results show no significant difference between paper-based and online reading. While issues of poverty, gender inequality, and historical disadvantage persist, Grade 4 learners may lack adequate opportunities to acquire paper and digital reading skills. We conclude that the most disadvantaged learners have increasingly insufficient opportunities and resources available to attain basic reading skills and this will have negative long-term consequences for South Africa’s educational sector and economy.Keywords: digital and online reading literacy; ePIRLS; ICT; multilevel modelling; PIRLS; reading comprehension; South African primary schools

中文翻译：

---

纸质阅读还是数字阅读？ePIRLS 2016 在南非的反思和影响

南非于 2016 年参与了电子版国际阅读素养研究进展 (ePIRLS)，但在实施过程中面临诸多挑战。在豪登，没有关于学校信息和通信技术 (ICT) 能力的准确数据库可供抽样，许多学校的硬件陈旧和/或无法使用，一半的学校在过去 3 年中没有使用过计算机实验室。因此，由于无法满足研究要求，南非被排除在国际报告之外。在本文中，我们研究了在豪登省 9 所学校（n = 277）进行的 ePIRLS 多案例研究中遇到的问题的影响。多层次模型是使用 2011 年（n = 15,744）和 2016 年（n = 12,810）的具有全国代表性的 4 年级国际阅读素养研究进展 (PIRLS) 数据构建的。在 2016 年的全国研究中，校长和教师报告说，可供学习者使用的计算机和图书馆比 2011 年报告的要少。可用的计算机和纸质图书馆并不是阅读素养的重要预测因素。相反，基础阶段的教学媒介、学校位置、性别和学校的社会经济构成预测了阅读素养成就。ePIRLS 结果显示纸质阅读和在线阅读之间没有显着差异。虽然贫困、性别不平等和历史劣势等问题依然存在，4 年级学习者可能缺乏获得纸质和数字阅读技能的足够机会。我们得出的结论是，最弱势的学习者获得基本阅读技能的机会和资源越来越不足，这将对南非的教育部门和经济产生长期的负面影响。ePIRLS；信息通信技术；多层次建模；皮尔斯；阅读理解；南非小学 阅读理解；南非小学 阅读理解；南非小学