KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGE OF ART AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY AND SOCIAL WORK.
AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE READING HABITS OF STUDENTS IN
AYEDUASE.
BY
EMMANUEL YAMOAH
MAY 2015
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STUDENTS DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this dissertation is the result of my own original work and that no part of
it has been presented for another degree in this university or elsewhere.
Candidate‟s Name: EMMANUEL YAMOAH
Candidate‟s Signature:……………………………………………………………………
Date:…………………………..
SUPERVISOR’S DECLARATION
I declare that I have supervised the student in undertaking the study submitted herein and I
confirm that the student has the permission to present this dissertation for assessment.
Supervisor‟s Name: MR. EDWARD ASAMOAH
Supervisor‟s Signature:……………………………………………………………………..
Date:…………………………………..
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My greatest appreciation goes to the almighty God. To all the individuals and organizations
that have contributed and supported my educational endeavors, I am very grateful and I thank
you. To Mr. Edward Asamoah, thank you so much for your feedback and support. Your
answers, suggestions and wealth of knowledge that you provided throughout my dissertation
have been invaluable. I have learned so much from you, and I have enjoyed your being part
of this process. Thank you for all the time you spent supporting me through this process,
making constructive corrections and having the patience to ensure my dissertation was
exceptional. To my amazing parents Mr. Isaac Yamoah and Mrs. Rita Yamoah, I appreciate
the unending support, love, encouragement and providing for my educational needs up to this
level. I cannot imagine my life without the two of you. To my siblings, Rachel and Deborah,
thank you so much for helping me make the right educational choices and being the best elder
sisters anyone can ask for. Thank you also for the prayers and financial support to complete
this research and finish my first degree. Thank you to Mr. Prince Adjei Frimpong of
University of Erfurt, Germany for providing relevant information. My appreciation also goes
to Avery Kadas (RN-BSN) and Elana Desrivieres (MSc) for the academic support.
Special thank you, to Diana Mihaila, and all the African Youth Ambassadors of Africa
Online Volunteering Service (AOVS) and members of Patriots Ghana KNUST. Thank you
for your patience and understanding during my period of inactivity as I worked on my
dissertation.
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ABSTRACT
Reading is undeniably a very important part of the educational structure of Ghana.
Unfortunately, trends have proven that there is a decline in the reading habit and interest of
students in reading, at all levels of the educational system of Ghana. (Acheaw, 2014). Various
researches have proven that that the frequency of reading, reading attitudes, reading interests
and the environment of students play a vital role in academic growth. The objective of this
study was to investigate the influence of stakeholders, the materials students like to read, and
the reasons why students have read. The study was conducted in Ayeduase which is in the
Ashanti Region of Ghana. A comprehensive questionnaire was used for the data collection
from primary and Junior High School students. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS)
version 20 was used to analyze the data collected quantitatively. Graphs, charts and tables
were used to present the results of findings. The study identified that the reading habits and
interests of students at the basic level is different from the tertiary level and majority of the
students regarded reading as an academic activity. It is recommended that the government
and other stakeholders consider establishing fully stocked community libraries, to facilitate
improvement in the reading habits of students in Ayeduase.
Keywords: Reading Habits, Academic Performance, Influence, Libraries, Reading materials.
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TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE ......................................................................................................................... 10
BACKGROUND OF STUDY .................................................................................................... 10
1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 10
1.2 Statement of Problem .................................................................................................................. 11
1.3 Significance of the Study ............................................................................................................ 11
1.4 Research Objectives .............................................................................................................. 12
1.5 Research Questions ..................................................................................................................... 12
1.6 Scope of Study ............................................................................................................................ 12
1.7 Organization of the study ............................................................................................................ 12
CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................ 14
LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................................... 14
2.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 14
Definition of Key Terms ................................................................................................................... 14
2.4 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................................................ 16
2.1 Reasons for Reading. .................................................................................................................. 16
2.1.1 Leisure Reading. ...................................................................................................................... 18
2.2.0 The influence of parents, teachers and the environment. ......................................................... 20
2.2.1 Teachers ................................................................................................................................... 20
2.2.1.1 English Teachers ................................................................................................................... 23
2.2.2 Parents ...................................................................................................................................... 24
2.2.3 Environment ............................................................................................................................. 25
2.3 Material ....................................................................................................................................... 25
2.5 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 29
CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................................... 30
METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................................... 30
3.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 30
3.1 Research Design.......................................................................................................................... 30
3.2 Population ................................................................................................................................... 30
3.3 Sampling Technique ................................................................................................................... 30
3.4 Sample......................................................................................................................................... 31
3.5 Instruments.................................................................................................................................. 31
3.6 Data Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 32
3.7 Limitations .................................................................................................................................. 32
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CHAPTER FOUR ....................................................................................................................... 33
DATE ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS ......................................................... 33
4.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 33
4.1 Biographic Data .......................................................................................................................... 33
4.2 Student‟s Interests and Activities ................................................................................................ 37
4.3 Reasons Why Students Read....................................................................................................... 43
4.4 Influence of Parents, Teachers, and The Environment ............................................................... 46
4.5 Reading Materials ....................................................................................................................... 47
CHAPTER FIVE ........................................................................................................................ 50
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................... 50
5.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 50
5.1 Summary of Findings and discussion ......................................................................................... 50
5.2 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 54
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................ 57
APPENDIX A .............................................................................................................................. 60
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS/ACRONYMS
SHS
Senior High School
GES
Ghana Education Service
WAEC
West African Examination Council
BECE
Basic Education Certificate Examination
ELA
English Language Arts
SPSS
Statistical Package for Social Sciences
KNUST
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
JHS
Junior High School
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1: gender of respondents in private school……………………………..…………....24
Table 4.2: gender of respondents in government school………………………...…………..24
Table 4.3: Ages in private school………………………………………………...…………..26
Table 4.4: Ages in government school…………………………………………...…………..26
Table 4.5: 1st activity in both schools…………………………………………...…………...30
Table 4.6: 2nd choice activity in both schools…………………………………..…………...30
Table 4.7: 3rd choice in both schools……………………………………………...…………31
Table 4.8: reading habits as a hindrance in government school…………………...…………35
Table 4.9: reading habits as a hindrance in private school………………………...………....35
Table 4.10: People who encourage you to read-First Choice …………………...…………...37
Table 4.11: Last time reading materials were read…………………………..………………38
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.0: Conceptual Framework…………………………………………………...………9
Figure 4.1: gender of respondents in both schools…………………………………...……....25
Figure 4.2: ages in both schools... ………………………………………………….....…..…26
Figure 4.3: ethnicity in private school……………………………………………....……......27
Figure 4.4: ethnicity in government school………………………………………………..…27
Figure 4.5: ethnicity of respondents in both schools…………………………………...…….28
Figure 4.6: private school Student‟s first choice Interests and Activities……….……...……29
Figure 4.7: government school Student‟s first choice Interests and Activities………...…….29
Figure 4.8: interest in reading…………………………………………………....……...……32
Figure 4.9: source of their reading materials…………………………………………………33
Figure 4.10: purchase of any non- academic material…………………….…………...…….34
Figure 4.11: regard for reading habits as a hindrance to academic performance………...…..36
Figure 4.12: time spent reading academic material……………………………………......…39
Figure 4.13: time spent reading non-academic material……………………………….....….39
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CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND OF STUDY
1.1 Introduction
Academic achievement means how much knowledge the individual has acquired from the
school is directly linked to reading habits. Various studies have proven that reading habits,
whether academic or non-academic, have an effect on academic performance of students
regardless of their level. (Bashir & Mattoo, 2012) A good number of children in Ghana are
quite privileged to have access to the internet, television, and other electronic devices and
thus, most children would prefer to watch or listen rather than read. Many of today‟s children
have little or no interest in reading especially non-academic materials as they may refer to it
as boring or time wasting. It is for this reason that majority of the youth would rarely
purchase a newspaper, journal or novel, and would prefer to watch the content of the material
in books as a film or listen to it. Some academic authors have published audio formats of
their manuscripts and textbooks to assist student especially in the Senior High School (SHS)
but even this also has been ineffective. Students with poor reading habits in the SHS face a
lot of challenges if they make it to the tertiary institutions, mostly because they are compelled
to read huge volumes of academic books. They may find it even more challenging because
they are required to do their own research at the library or online in order to fully understand
and succeed in their coursework. The poor reading attitude follows individuals from SHS to
the Tertiary level and to the professional world, creating a workforce that can hardly read
manuals for devices, medication instructions and public notices. Reading habits can be
described as a socialization process and needs to be encouraged at all levels and all contexts.
So e progress is ei g
ade as see i the Gha a Edu atio Servi e’s a
ou e e t that a
„reading hour‟ will be added to the education curriculum of all schools beginning this
2014/2015 academic year. The Acting Director of the GES, Charles Aheto Tsegah told Citi
10
News, the addition has become necessary due to the falling standards of education in the
country; a situation he attributed to the bad reading habits of children.
1.2 Statement of Problem
A report from the West African Examination Council (WAEC 2008) indicates a decrease in
the academic performance of students at all levels. Over the past decade 1,562,270 students
have failed their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) out of a total of 3,669,138
representing almost 50%. The problem is the increased interest in movies, the internet, social
media, outdoor games, and television, and therefore the decreased interest in reading in
general whether academic or non-academic. Many researchers such as Ogbodo (2002), Bhan
& Gupta (2010), and Singh (2011) have done work on reading, especially how it affects the
academic performance of students. However, most of these works pertain to the international
community and cannot be applied directly in Ghana due to cultural differences. Unfortunately,
research conducted in Ghana like that of Owusu (2014) is limited to tertiary levels of education and
no study has been conducted on the basic schools in Ayeduase.
1.3 Significance of the Study
This research identified the various structures in society that help promote good reading
habits. This information would provide knowledge that would enable the shaping of policies
and amending of present systems that would fuel increase in reading and improvement of
reading habits in children. This is why it became necessary to conduct a study in Ayeduase to
examine the effect of reading habits on the academic performance of students in the basic
level in the community‟s schools.
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1.4 Research Objectives
The objectives of this study are:
1. To determine the different reasons for reading that motivates students to engage or not
to engage in reading.
2. To access the influence of parents, teachers and the environment on reading habit.
3. To ascertain the different reading materials students enjoy reading.
4. To identify the different interests of students other than reading.
1.5 Research Questions
1. What are the reasons for reading for school children in Ayeduase?
2. What reading materials are students interested in reading?
3. How do parents, teachers and the environment influence reading habits?
4. What are the different interests of students other than reading?
5. What initiatives can be put in place to increase reading habits in children?
1.6 Scope of Study
The study was conducted in schools in Ayeduase, in the Ashanti Region of Ghana; Ayeduase
is a community in the capital of the region Kumasi. The study focused on both government
and private schools in the community, targeting children, teachers and head teachers in these
schools.
1.7 Organization of the study
The study consisted of five chapters. Chapter one comprised background of reading habits in
Ghana and a general introduction to the work. It included statement of problem of the study,
highlighted the objectives of the study, the scope within which the research was conducted is
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also highlighted. An outline of how the work is organized is also detailed in the chapter one.
The chapter two of the study reviewed works of literature relevant to the study. The chapter
three laid down the various methods that were employed for the purposes of the study.
Chapter four discussed the findings from the data collected and the chapter five is a summary
of the major findings with recommendations and conclusion to the study.
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CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction
Reading habits are a composition of different approaches in which any person applies for
acquiring knowledge, skills and improving intellectual capacities (Acheaw, 2014). Numerous
academic studies have established that good reading habits improve academic performance
(Acheaw, 2014). In reviewing various literature on reading habits and academic performance,
it was easy to identify that many studies and publications in both the natural and social
sciences have noted the value of every student spending quality time reading either academic
or non- academic material. I came across different themes such as theories of reading, reading
frequency, socio-economic implications, cultural factors etc. All these themes were used by
these researchers to comprehend the actual reading habits, the causes or motivation behind
the habits, the effects (negative or positive), and suggested solutions to poor reading habits.
For the purpose of this study, the themes that would be used are the reasons for reading, the
influence of parents, teachers and the environment, and lastly the materials that students are
interested in.
Definition of Key Terms
 Adolescents and Teens are young people between childhood and adulthood.
Therefore in this study students between the ages of 11 and 14. (Donaldson, 013)


Gender is defined as male or female.
Leisure Reading is defined as time spent reading materials which were not assigned
by parents, teachers, or anyone else. Therefore voluntary reading for the purpose of
pleasure. (Covert, 2009)
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
Non-readers is defined as students that did not actively engage in leisure reading and
did not consider themselves as people who like reading. (Covert, 2009)

Readers- those who identify themselves to leisure read consistently (a minimum of
three hours per week) and also consider themselves as someone who likes to read.
(Covert, 2009)

Reading , was defined by the position statement of the National Council of
Teachers of English Commission on Reading, is the “complex, purposeful, social,
and cognitive process in which readers simultaneously use their knowledge of the
topic of the text, and their knowledge of their culture to construct meaning
(Smith, 2009).

Students’ reading habits were defined by how often students read, enjoy reading,
would read more if they had more time, were read to when they were young, read at
the same time as their family now, buy books and magazines, are encouraged to read,
visited the library with their parents when they were young and now, and their parents
read. Reading habits are well-planned and deliberate pattern of study which has
attained a form of consistency on the part of students toward understanding academic
subjects and passing at examinations (Acheaw, 2014)

Students’ reading interests were defined by how often students read about things
they are passionate about; spend their free time, and what they are interested in. Why
and what they read or do not read were also considered when examining their reading
interests. (Smith, 2009).

Students’ reading success was defined by the students‟ perception of how their
parents‟ or teachers feel they are, as a reader.
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2.4 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Figure 1.0
Household
environment
Attitude towards
reading
School
environment
Reading
habits of
students
Type of book read
(academic or nonacademic)
Frequency of
reading
Time spent on
reading
Source:
Julio Cesar Galicia (2010)
A child‟s reading habits varies from other children even when they are being taught
by the same teacher and under the same environment. Attitude towards reading, Type
of book read (academic or non-academic), Time spent on reading, Frequency of
reading, School environment, and Household environment are among the various
factors that can contribute to a child‟s reading habit. Other factors may include
learning disabilities, interest etc. An alteration in these factors may lead to a positive
or negative change in the attitude of the child towards reading. Thus the six variables
above determine a child's reading habit.
2.1 Reasons for Reading.
Individuals at different levels of education have varying reasons for reading. A study by
Wigfield and Eccles (1992), as cited in Covert (2009), propose a theory of motivation called
subjective task values. According to the theory there are varying factors that induce students
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to do different tasks. The reasons they give has been grouped into the three main values
(interest, utility, and attainment). The utility value is the practicality and helpfulness of the
activity. How important an activity is to a student is termed as the attainment value. The
interest value provides encouragement based on how much the student likes or prefers that
activity. According to Karissa Alice Covert (2009), Wigfield (1997) there are two types of
motivation, which are intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is the driving
force that comes from within the individual serving as a stimulus and propelling a student to
want to complete an activity. Oldfather (1992) as cited in Covert (2009) theorized that the
unending instinct to acquire knowledge and skills is the explanation for some students'
intrinsic motivation to read. The continuing impulse to learn is the "intense involvement,
curiosity, and search for understanding" (p. 9). Extrinsic motivation on the other hand, is
external to the individual, thus comes from others sometimes in the form of different
reinforcements.
According to Biancarosa and Snow (2004), approximately 32 percent of tertiary-bound high
school students will likely be successful in English courses at the tertiary level. Schoenbach
and Greenleaf (2009) also confirm that a good number of young people are not ready for
intellectual requirements at the tertiary level, especially in the areas of comprehension of
tertiary-level text, reading, writing, and speaking skills. Lesesne (2006) reported an
interesting statistic that “more than 75 percent of teens graduating from high school indicated
that they will never read another book again (p. 17).” In Ghana, this kind of attitude can be
identified in the act of students selling their books, intentionally and joyously burning
academic materials, and in some cases destroying school facilities after graduating. The study
found that reading dropped among young people in relation to age. In 2005, it was realized
that the number of 17-year-olds leisure reading was lower than it was about two decades ago.
Among 13-year-olds, less than one-third was reading daily. The reading interests of students
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decreased by 50 percent from age nine to age 17, with only 22 percent of 17-year-olds
reading almost every day voluntarily. Over the period of 3 decades of research, 17-year-olds
have not improved their reading test scores.
2.1.1 Leisure Reading.
The act of leisure reading has a good tendency to result in learning and is a good motivation
if it is the reason for reading. It is quite alarming that children have little or no interest in
finding good books and engaging in reading. This situation can be found in all the regions of
Ghana. It is worthy of note that in Ghana people hardly read essential reading materials
provided in drugs, gadgets, machines and others, but prefer to do trial and error with them.
Time spent leisure reading drops dramatically as children enter adolescence. A national study
by the Endowment for the Arts (2007) found that fifteen through twenty-four year olds are
only reading an average of eight or nine minutes per day. Engaging in reading for eight or
nine minutes each day is inadequate for intellectual development and enhancing literacy.
It is a widely known fact that leisure reading increases fluency, comprehension, vocabulary,
cognitive development, verbal skills, content knowledge, and much more (Shelfebine, 2000;
Worthy, 2002). Nonetheless, it has been identified that, time devoted to leisure reading
declines vividly when children reach the ages between 10 and 20. As children enter these
ages, most of them make the choice consciously or unconsciously not to engage in voluntary
reading causing general reading failures. Students engage in leisure reading voluntary, and
not due to assignments given to them by teachers, parents and guardians. Leisure reading has
been referred by different researchers as voluntary reading, spare time reading, recreational
reading, extracurricular reading, independent reading, self-selected reading, and free reading
(Cope, J 997; Cullinan, 2004; Hughes-Hassell & Rodge, 2007; Watkins & Edwards, 1992).
18
McKool‟s (2007) research as cited by Covert (2009) found that there is a “strong relationship
between the amount of out-of-school reading a student engages in and his or her success in
school” (p. 111). Morrow and Young (1997) included in their study Teale's (1984) theory of
natural literacy development. The theory suggests that reading in totality, is mediated by
others, and this leads to literacy development. Every reader needs to read different materials
in order to improve and become a literate person.
This theory proposes leisure reading as one of the key habits necessary for growth and
development. According to the theory if a child decides to engage in reading a variety of
materials voluntarily for pleasure, the child is taking part in one of the most relevant aspects
of the whole reading process. Studies have proven that children‟s overall understanding of all
curricula is negatively affected by a difficulty to read or a decision not to engage in leisure
reading (Hughes-Hassell & Rodge, 2007). The negative impacts of not engaging in leisure
reading tend to appear at different times, all the way to adulthood. In Ghana, this is evident in
students having problems coping with reading voluminous academic material at the tertiary
level. Currently, there are different sources of academic and non- academic material in print
format and also on the internet. Leisure reading has the capacity to provide students and
society a wide range of benefits. As cited by Covert (2009), in the Hughes-Hassell and Rodge
(2007) survey, comprising of 583 students, the outcome was that 29% of students categorized
as non-readers reported themselves as struggling with reading.
According to a study conducted by Prince Adjei Frimpong (2014) in the Cape Coast
metropolis, the most common reasons suggested as the cause of poor reading habits among
school children were challenges and distractions at home, lack of access to reading materials,
and time demands. An observation made by the researcher was that there was no or little
collaboration between parents and teachers or school administration, and it seems both
parents and teachers are acting in isolation for the development of children. Many
19
communities do not have libraries, and this does not encourage children to cultivate the habit
of leisure reading or out of school reading.
However, many students do engage in out of school reading because they take their
homework and assignments seriously and are willing to submit them promptly. To do this,
they tend to read mostly academic materials related to the assignment to be able to give
appropriate answers to the questions. Carrying out homework and school assignments has
many benefits such as giving the students a level of self-assurance during examinations.
2.2.0 The influence of parents, teachers and the environment.
In reviewing literature on reading habits, one is likely to come across the influences of other
factors on the interests and enthusiasm of children when it comes to reading. Various factors
have varying degrees of influence on people and in some cases these factors are also
interlinked. For the purpose of this study, parents, teachers and the environment are going to
be considered the major sources of influence on children‟s reading habits.
2.2.1 Teachers
As cited by Donaldson (2013) a study by Nathanson, Pruslow, and Levitt (2008) with 747
students, provides a good report on the influence of teachers on their students. In the study,
the graduate students were examined using seven questions relating to their reading habits
and behaviors in the recent past. From the study they proposed a relevant relationship
between the influence of teachers and good reading habits of students. The students that were
categorized as having high motivation or interest in reading were identified as influenced by
their teachers who discussed their individual reading habits, shared their ideas about different
literature, and recommended good reading materials for their students.
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Nathanson, Pruslow, and Levitt (2008) reported that the early reading experiences of the most
motivated readers were positive and could be related to an enabling environment,
reinforcement, and availability of reading materials. According to the study, the
recommendations made were that teachers should be “reading role models,” they should
involve in private reading regularly and share what they read with their students in order to
enthuse their students to have a love for reading. This would also encourage students to
choose efficient reading strategies, and improve reading instruction in the classroom. Over
the years, many studies in the field of education, have made it clear and confirmed that
teachers are very likely to influence the personal lives of children especially at the early
stages. (Applegate & Applegate, 2004; Daisey, 2010; Gambrell, 1996; Ruddell, 1995).
Tammy Cene Francis Donaldson proposed that on the average, children spend one-third (or
more) of the day with their teachers; and as they enter into adolescence, they spend even
more time with their teachers during the day. The influence teachers have on their students
can either be positive or negative and has varying consequences (Applegate & Applegate,
2004; Ruddell, 1995). The teacher cannot be exempted in any process of improving
children‟s interest in reading, improve literacy and increase academic performance.
“Teachers are often well positioned to do so” (Applegate & Applegate, 2004, p.555).
Through various activities in and out of the classroom, they influence students to value
reading everywhere they go and at all levels of their lives. Gambrell (1996) confirmed that
“teachers who love reading and are avid readers themselves have students who have higher
reading achievement than do the teachers who rarely read” (p. 20). It is an undeniable fact,
regardless of findings of studies on the topic that teachers to some degree influence the
reading habits of students and this enhances general literacy and success in the classroom.
Zancanella (1991) studied five junior high school English teachers, and reported a tension
between teaching “reading” and “teaching” literature.
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After conducting interviews with teachers and students, and observing activities in the
classroom, Zancanella concluded that the teacher‟s private attitudes towards reading and
literature directly or indirectly affected their performance in teaching literature in the
classroom.
Therefore this, in the long run influenced the enthusiasm and interests of students and
consequently could lead to poor reading habits.
McKool and Gespass (2009) studied the relationship between teachers‟ personal reading
habits and their teaching practices. Their survey comprised of 65 elementary school teachers
in three states in the United States of America. An important outcome was that teachers who
had good reading habits were more likely to use literacy instructional strategies such as
continued quiet reading, discussions on materials read, and literature circles. The study
confirmed through their findings that it was important the teacher had good reading habits at
every level of education. As model readers teachers should read different texts and materials
and not restrict themselves to only what is in the curriculum. Leisure reading and the
enthusiasm of teachers prompted them to utilize literary strategies and activities in the
classroom, made it convenient for their students to discuss materials their reading and their
reading habits. In order for teachers to be good reading models, they have to be mindful of
the cognitive processes they go through while reading challenging material and be prepared
to discuss these challenges with their students.
If teachers are able to do this, their students can then be mindful of their mental processes and
would be able to use the awareness and knowledge in dealing with difficult materials and
challenging texts. These discussions and inspiration for the teacher is also empowering
(Donaldson 2013). As cited by Donaldson good reading habits of students are encouraged
when someone reads out aloud to them, whether the whole material or a passage.
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2.2.1.1 English Teachers
There is a general assumption that English teachers at different levels of education are
enthusiastic readers, conversant with good literature, and recognizable experts in the area of
reading. Zancanella (1991) conducted a study of junior high English teachers in Missouri that
volunteered for five case studies. The volunteer teachers participated in eight 50-minute
interviews and eight classroom observations. Zancanella also interviewed two to three
students in small groups from each of the teachers‟ classes as a source of triangulation. The
objective was to ascertain the means and the extent to which the English teachers‟ personal
reading of different materials acted as a source of their expertise in the teaching of literature.
The teachers‟ personal attitudes towards reading and teaching reading and literature
influenced their style of teaching in the classroom. After the study, the teachers that
volunteered acknowledged that partaking in Zancanella‟s study enlightened them on how
their personal reading habits influenced their teaching of literature. The teachers‟ factors of
initial certification, graduate hours in reading, grade levels taught, age, highest degree
attained, and teaching experience showed no connection to the secondary English language
arts (ELA) teachers‟ reading habits. However, the number of graduate hours in English was
notably connected to their reading habits. Graduate hours in English also had a relevant
association with the classroom modeling practices. Two possible related explanations could
justify this finding. (Donaldson 2013) The first is that in Texas, graduate degrees for public
school teachers are noncompulsory. The second justification is that since graduate work is
optional in Texas, those teachers who were more enthusiastic about being English teachers
voluntarily go in for graduate education. Authors from various relevant disciplines (Lesesne,
2006 &, Schoenbach & Greenleaf, 2009) have confirmed that sharing and modeling reading
experiences and one‟s interest in reading can be motivating and empowering.
23
2.2.2 Parents
Parents serve as the primary contact for many children and in most cases the source of their
attitudes and habits. As cited by Nichole Lynnette Smith, educational institutions are
concerned about the educational levels of parents because lower income communities have
lower reading scores on average than higher income communities (DeBruin-Parecki & KrolSinclair, 2003). Alternatively, those students with parents regarded as middle class are likely
to have school based literacy skills through their educational engagements at home, before
and throughout their entire educational encounters (Compton- Lilly, 2003). Leisure reading
takes place most often when children receive encouragement from their parents, when parents
read to them, and when parents act as reading models. Reading habits are likely to improve if
parents make recommendations and discuss with their children. Even though reading to
children as they are growing up is very important, other approaches should also be adopted
by parents. Parents should strive to be in touch with the material the child is reading and
communicate with their children. Smith (2009) noted that, the sharing of the reading
experience in and out school is relevant and furthermore creates an opportunity to learn.
To the same extent, reading is a social act as well as an academic action. It is a social act in
the sense that reading can be shared and enjoyed with others. Either reading a text oneself or
being read to, is capable of inducing both positive and negative emotions. When people
engage in reading experiences together, there is a high tendency of it influencing their
individual reading habits.
Generally, people can be motivated to read if they notice that it is important to significant
others in their lives and this in turn leads to them enjoying reading and having good reading
habits. (Smith 2009). This idea can be applied appropriately for the development of young
readers.
24
2.2.3 Environment
Many studies have proven that an enabling environment is vital to the development of
children socially, cognitively and academically. The studies have suggested that this
influence of the environment on children occurs over a long period of time, from early grades
through high school. Reading habits for students develop in social contexts where they share
their reading experience and interact with others such as family members, friends, and peers.
Developing readers undergo various activities and experiences in home environment, and
these contribute significantly to the child's language and literacy development, especially if
parents are involved in these activities and experiences. Recently, it is common to identify
literate Ghanaian parents communicating with their children in English instead of the local
dialects. These parents are of the view that by doing so their children would have an enabling
environment both at home and in the school to facilitate literary development. Smith (2009)
cited that, Children from a home with a high degree of literacy and parents who engaged in
intentional oral and literate acts (i.e., speaking to the child, playing word games with the
child, reading, writing, and purposefully engaging the child in those acts) developed higher
levels of both oral language and literacy. Purcell-Gates (1996) conducted a descriptive study
of the learning practices of 20 lower socio income families. With this study, she evaluated the
literacy knowledge of 24 children, between four to six years. The outcome of the study
confirmed that there was a connection between home literacy practices and a child‟s
emergent literacy knowledge. This suggested that children with parents that deliberately
engaged in reading had higher measures of literacy both at home and in school.
2.3 Material
Children have a lot of different interests when it comes to out of school activities, depending
on the age, socio-economic status of parents, cognitive developments and many other factors.
Covert (2009) made reference to a study by Moyer, J.E in which readers interviewed and the
25
findings of the study suggested that most good readers do not engage in a lot of television
watching. Hence there was a conclusion that people spend a reasonable amount of time
watching television are less likely to engage in leisure reading. Covert (2009) cited a good
example of such studies as that of Strommen and Mates (2004) who found that people with
good or poor reading habits spent about the same time watching television or part taking in
any other fun activity during their leisure time. This implies that there is no real connection
between the times spent engaging in extracurricular activities and the reading habits of
people.
People have various reasons why they decide to read a particular material and there is a high
probability of someone reading a material to the end if they are interested in the text.
Covert (2009) cited various examples from different studies (Lesesne (2006), Snowball,
(2008), Hughes-Hassell & Lutz, 2006, Cullinan 2000) (Lesesne, 2006), Strommen & Mates,
2004) that supported this claim. The students in these studies stated that, they have high
motivation to read a particular material if it was their choice. A good number of teenagers are
likely to read a material if they were attracted to the content. The studies suggested that
young people were attracted to read magazines, biographies, newspapers, and novels and
online material (Similarity, Snowball (2008). The findings of Snowball's study suggested that
there was a connection between gender and the choice of material to read, especially for
leisure. The study testified that most boys were interested in reading materials related to
sports, and the majority of girls were attracted to fashion/ beauty magazines. Gender
differences are reported to be a major reason for reading differences. For instance Cullinan
2000) reported that girls read for personal reasons. Ownership of any category of books is
noted to create enthusiasm to read.
People who are interested in reading or have good reading habits enjoy visiting libraries and
booksellers. The choice of reading material can also be connected to the tendency of it
26
stimulating the reader‟s self-assurance. This is due to the fact that for leisure reading children
preferably would read easier material such as magazines and comics. This is an alternative to
reading materials that are assigned to them at school, which they may consider to be boring.
According to a report by the National Endowment for the Arts, (2004) the recent decrease in
the interest in reading any kind of book can be linked to unhealthy attraction to electronic
media such as internet, video games, and portable digital devices . Online reading materials
are increasingly becoming the preferred alternative or a supplementary source of text. Some
researchers have studied this phenomenon and it is relevant when analyzing reading habits.
There is a growing number of children after age eight, that go online to read different texts,
and, continuous engagement in online reading causes 17% decrease in reading in15-17 year
olds, nonetheless there is a 58% increase in online reading (Scholastic & Yankelovich,
2008). Hughes-Hassell and Rodge (2007) reported likely sources of reading material for
children such as their homes, school and public libraries. The study also found that by choice
students preferred reading periodicals and stories about “people like them;” The choice of
reading material should be encouraged since periodicals like magazines are legitimate
reading materials. These materials are easy to read and provide motivation to finish reading
because they contain pictures and other illustrations. Moreover, students easily have access to
such materials and share them among their peers. Magazines are also relevant in reading
development because normally they are written with basic grammar and easy to understand.
This promotes the fluency and comprehension levels of adolescents, and periodicals such as
magazines are mostly preferred by majority of their peers and enjoyed compared to the other
conventional materials (Hughes-Hassell & Lutz, 2006; Hughes-Hassell & Rodge, 2007).
Aside these socially accepted materials, newspapers, online materials, websites and other
sources of good literature are also very beneficial to children that engage in voluntary reading
for pleasure. Different online materials either short or long are progressively becoming the
27
preferred source of valid information. Due to the increase in the number of people utilizing
and relying on texts on the internet, some people that may consider themselves as non-readers
may not be considering the materials they read through “electronic media e-mails, social
media platforms, blogs, online articles, and so forth” (Creel, 2007, p. 48). It is not surprising
that such people are likely to refer to books as unexciting, but are interested in contents on the
internet and would not consider that as tiresome but spend a reasonable amount of time using
internet resources (Ross, 2000). The internet provides a wide range of different materials that
meet the interests of every individual, based on varying cultures, gender, race, religion,
political ideologies. Through the internet people can read eBooks, and engage in chats and
discussion boards. All these activities involving electronic media consist of some level of
reading (Hughes-Hassell &Rodge, 2007). It has become a recent concern for many stake
holders of education, to motivate children and young adults to have an enthusiasm to read not
only academic material but non-academic material outside of the typical classroom context.
Many students have been identified as finding it relatively easy to read materials outside of
school but have different levels of difficulties when it comes to assigned literature given to
them majorly by their teachers.
Another important factor leading to the increase in
preference for online materials as cited by Covert (2009) is the lack of good reading (print)
materials that they have interest in. Most children are reluctant to search for such materials at
the book shops or libraries, even when these facilities are available. Compared to online
material sources it is quite easy to find the preferred material one is searching for and these
sources provide a wide range of other good materials to read from. This is confirmed in the
2008 Kids & Family Reading Report, which stated that 55% of adolescents indicated that
there are not sufficient good reading materials available, there was a restriction on time
available for leisure reading, and there was difficulty to finding interesting books (Scholastic
& Yankelovich, 2008). Even though there are few studies on the impact of socio-economic
28
problems on choice of reading materials, it is a very important factor that affects reading
habits of children. Lukhele (2010) identified how due to such factors, leisure reading is an
activity for the fortunate. According to B.S.B. Lukhele, poverty is a major factor that causing
a hindrance to good reading habits especially among Black African families and also
contributed to the lack of good reading materials for children in Africa. Leisure reading and
choice of reading materials is in most cases influenced by lack of electricity, a lot of
household chores, among many other economic related factors. Lukhele‟s study cited Machet
(2002), confirming that, on the whole; South Africans hardly buy books either for personal
reading or for their children or peers. Reasons for this attitude were due to low or no spending
incomes, and the fact that majority of South Africans and black people in general regarded
reading as an activity related only to education. For this reason, most children basically rely
on the academic materials made available in their respective schools. In most cases, these
materials are not necessarily in the category of material they have interest in and would
hardly read them for pleasure.
2.5 Conclusion
From the literature reviewed for this study, it is clear that reading habits of children is an
important issue in many countries. I identified that no research has been done on the reading
habits of children in the Ashanti Region of Ghana and a few studies have been conducted on
how the reading habits of children in Africa affects their academic performance.
The education system in Ghana has various challenges and one major issue that needs to be
resolved is improving the reading habits of children.
29
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction
This chapter discusses the methodology of the study and outlines the various research
instruments and methods that were used to collect data for the study. This is categorized into
various key parts, which are: the research design of the study, sample and population,
instruments, data analysis, and limitations.
3.1 Research Design
The study used both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The study was of a nonexperimental nature, exploring various questions and hypotheses regarding reading habits of
students. The design, therefore, was descriptive, with data collected from a naturally
occurring group of participants without experimental manipulation through the use of
questionnaires.
3.2 Population
There is an estimated population of 700 students in the 2 schools that were used for the study.
Out of this number 400 of them are male and 300 are female. The population was made up of
300 children from a private school and 400 children from a government school. In the schools
visited, it was identified that none of them had libraries.
3.3 Sampling Technique
The sampling technique to be used is simple random sampling. Simple random sampling will
be used to decide which students to fill out the questionnaire. Students would be given
30
numbers from 1 (one) to two (two) and those with the number two (2) would be asked to
participate in the survey. This would ensure that every sampling unit of the population has an
equal chance of being included in the sample regardless of academic performance or other
individual attributes.
3.4 Sample
A sample of 70 upper primary and junior high school students would be asked to participate
in this survey and they would be made up of students from both government and private
schools.
3.5 Instruments
The questionnaire used in the study was self-created so the questionnaire will be tailored based
on the themes of the research study. The research objectives were used as a guide in creating
the questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of yes/no questions, multiple choice questions,
and short answer questions. Various variables were addressed by structuring the
questionnaire of the survey to inquire about the influence of stakeholders, the reading
materials students like to read, and the attitudes of students. The first session of the
questionnaire enquired about biographic characteristics such as age, gender, and other
characteristics. Prior to administering the questionnaire, permission was gotten from the head
teacher by explaining my dissertation and the role of the students. In some instances,
interviews were used in order to get relevant information about the students and the school.
This would allow the data collection process to be one that gathers all relevant information.
31
3.6 Data Analysis
Once all the questionnaires are collected and checked for errors, they would be filed for
comprehensive analyses. After, the questions in the survey would be coded based on the four
sections, addressing biographic characteristics, reasons for reading, stake holders and the
environments influence, and reading materials preferred.
This would enable me to identify the various patterns which would be summarized, charted,
and used to construct excerpts, tables, and graphs that would be categorized into significant
groups. The data collected from the various sessions would be compared using cross
comparison to check for reliability and uniformity. Statistical Package for Social Sciences
(SPSS) version 20 would be used to analyze the data that would be collected from the
schools. The data collected would be analyzed properly to ensure that it answers the research
questions.
3.7 Limitations
It is anticipated that the most prevalent limitation would be with regards to the questionnaire
design. Even though the questionnaire would be structured to suit the level of the students it
would be administered to, it is anticipated that it would not be fully efficient. The data
collected in the study would be dependent on the answers of the students and they cannot be
totally trusted or relied on. Some of the students are also not fully aware or may not give a
good account of their reading habits.
32
CHAPTER FOUR
DATE ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
4.0 Introduction
This chapter reports the results of the study of the reading habits of children in schools in
Ayeduase. The quantitative data collected through questionnaires was analyzed using the
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 from 70 observations, made up of
35 students from the Ayeduase R/C Cluster of Schools and 35 from Shining Star Preparatory
School. The analysis was done around the research objectives.
4.1 Biographic Data
This section obtained various basic data on the background of student such as Gender, Age,
Ethnicity, and class level. The information obtained from the respondents in the private
school on gender, is presented in Table 4.1 and information obtained from the respondents in
the government school on gender, is presented in Table 4.2 below.
Gender
Male
Frequency Percent
Valid
Percent
Cumulative
Percent
22
62.9
62.9
62.9
Female 13
37.1
37.1
Total
35
100.0
100.0
Table 4.1: gender of respondents in private school
100.0
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
Gender
Male
Frequency
Percent
Valid
Percent
Cumulative
Percent
15
42.9
42.9
42.9
Female
20
57.1
57.1
100.0
Total
35
100.0
100.0
Table 4.2: gender of respondents in government school
33
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
From Table 4.1 above, the majority of the respondents from the private school were female
representing 57.1% and there was a minority of 42.9% being males. This makes frequencies
of 20 females and 15 males. Also, from the government school, 22 (62.9%) were male and
13 (37.1%) were female. Summing up all the respondents from both schools, 37 were male
(52.9%) and 33 were female (47.1%). This is presented in figure 4.1 below.
Figure 4.1: gender in both schools
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
In the questionnaire, the respondents were provided with the options of choosing one age
range. The ranges were Below 10, 10-12, 13-15, and 16.
In Tables 4.3 and 4.4, the ages of the respondents in the private school and government
school are presented in a table with their corresponding percentages. For the private school, 8
of them were between 10-12, and 27 of them were between 13-15, representing 22.9% and
77.1% respectively. Out of the 35 respondents of the private school none of them were
Below 10, or 16+. For the government school 8 of them were between 10-12, and 24 of them
were between 13-15, and 3 of them were 16 and above representing 22.9%, 68.6% and
8.6% respectively. In total, 16 were between 10-12, 51 were between 13-15 and 3 were 16
and above. This is presented in a bar chart and tables below.
34
Ages of Respondents
Frequency Percent
Valid
Percent
Cumulative
Percent
10-12
8
22.9
22.9
13-15
Total
27
77.1
77.1
35
100.0
100.0
Table 4.3: Ages in private school
22.9
100.0
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
Ages of Respondents
Frequency Percent
10-12
13-15
16+
Total
Valid
Percent
Cumulative
Percent
8
22.9
22.9
22.9
24
68.6
68.6
91.4
3
8.6
8.6
100.0
35
100.0
100.0
Table 4.4: Ages in government school
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
Figure 4.2: ages in both schools
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
35
Another biographical data that was collected was the ethnicity of the students. For the private
school, the majority of the respondents were Akan that is 80%, followed by 5.71%
Dagbane, 2.86% Ga, 8.57% Ewe, and 2.86% Other. For the government school, there
were 68.6%, 5.7% Nzima, 5.7% Dagbane, 2.9% Ga, 5.7% Ewe and 11.4% other.
Putting all the data together, the highest was 74.3% being Akan and lowest Nzima and
Ga at 2.9%.
Since the study was carried out in the Ashanti region, it is probably the reason why most of
the respondents were Akans. One the students, representing the other, however stated to be
Nigerian but could not provide the specific tribe in Nigeria. Figure 4.3 Figure 4.4 and Figure
4.5 provide the findings in this area.
Figure 4.3: ethnicity in private school
Figure 4.4: ethnicity in government school
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
36
Figure 4.5: ethnicity in both schools
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
4.2 Student’s Interests and Activities
The next section of questionnaire was about the student‟s interests and activities and data was
collected using questions 5-8. From a list of 11 (eleven) activities the respondents were asked
to mark those that they do every day. The 11 (eleven) activities were sports, reading,
television/movie viewing, listening to music, spending time with friends / family, using the
computer, video games, talking/texting on phone, chores /jobs, homework, and religious
activities. In a follow up question, the respondents stated their top three activities they prefer
to do in a day, in order of preference from most preferred to least preferred.( First, second and
third choice).
37
Missing
Figure 4.6: private school Student’s 1st choice Figure 4.7: government school Student’s
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
In figure 4.6 and figure 4.7 it is presented that the private school respondents had 45.7%
choosing reading as their first choice activity and for the government school 40.0% of them
selected reading as their first choice. In both schools reading was the most chosen activity
among the 11 they could choose from. In total 42.9% chose reading and the least chosen
activity was spending time with family and friends. This is presented in a table and pie chart
below with all the entries. The second most selected activity was sports with a percentage of
20%. However, none of the respondents selected listening to music, talking/texting on phone
or video games as a first choice activity.
38
First choice activity of the day
Sports
Homework
Religious Activities
Reading
Television/Movie
Viewing
Frequency Percent
Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
1
14
9
4
30
1.4
20.0
12.9
5.7
42.9
1.4
20.0
12.9
5.7
42.9
1.4
21.4
34.3
40.0
82.9
2
2.9
2.9
85.7
Spending time with
1
1.4
1.4
Friends/Family
Using the computer
3
4.3
4.3
Chores/Jobs
6
8.6
8.6
Total
70
100.0
100.0
Table 4.5: 1st choice activity in both schools.
87.1
91.4
100.0
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
The students also chose varying activities for their third and second choses and this is
presented in table 4.6 and table 4.7 below.
Second choice activity of the day
Frequency Percent
Missing
Sports
Homework
Religious Activities
Reading
Television/Movie Viewing
1
9
11
3
13
7
1.4
12.9
15.7
4.3
18.6
10.0
Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
1.4
1.4
12.9
14.3
15.7
30.0
4.3
34.3
18.6
52.9
10.0
62.9
Listening to music
Spending
time
Friends/Family
Using the computer
Video Games
Chores/Jobs
Total
4
5.7
5.7
68.6
2
2.9
2.9
71.4
6
4
10
70
8.6
5.7
14.3
100.0
8.6
5.7
14.3
100.0
80.0
85.7
100.0
with
Table 4.6: 2nd choice activity in both schools
39
Third choice of activity of the day
Frequency Percent
1
Sports
8
Homework
14
Religious Activities
2
Reading
7
Television/Movie Viewing 14
Spending
time
with
2
Friends/Family
Missing
Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
1.4
11.4
20.0
2.9
10.0
20.0
1.4
11.4
20.0
2.9
10.0
20.0
1.4
12.9
32.9
35.7
45.7
65.7
2.9
2.9
68.6
Using the computer
6
8.6
8.6
Video Games
6
8.6
8.6
Chores/Jobs
10
14.3
14.3
Total
70
100.0
100.0
Table 4.7: 3rd choice in both schools.
77.1
85.7
100.0
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
From the tables above, it was identified that reading was still the most selected activity with a
percentage of 18.8% for second choice and the second most selected activity was homework
with a percentage of 16.7%. In this category also all the other activities were selected except
texting/talking on the phone. For their third choice, reading was 10% representing the fifth
highest percentage and the highest selected activity was a draw at 20% each being homework
and television viewing. The second most selected activity was chores/jobs with a percentage
of 14.3%.
In question 7, the students were asked to select whether or not they were interested in
reading. Out of the 70 total respondents, 66 selected yes and 4 selected no, representing
94.3% and 5.7% respectively. This suggests that overall students from both private school
and government school are interested in reading.
40
Figure 4.8: interest in reading
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
There was a follow up question that requested students to state the source of their reading
materials if they selected yes in the previous question, suggesting that they were interested in
reading. For this open ended question, the responses that were stated ranged between library,
school, family members and friends. In figure 4.9 below, a pie chart presents the percentages
for each of the possible sources of reading materials. There were three missing values and out
of the 67 responses 32 stated library/ bookshop, 21 stated school, 10 stated family members,
and 4 stated friends, representing percentages of 4.3%, 45.7%, 30%, 14.3%, and 5.7%
respectively.
41
Missing
Figure 4.9: source of their reading material
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
In question 8 of the questionnaire, the respondents were asked to select whether or not they
had ever used some of their money meant for food to purchase any non- academic material.
This was an enquiry to know if the students were interested in reading enough to make
sacrifices to have access to reading materials. 61 of the students selected yes and 8 selected
no, making 87.1% and 11.4% respectively. This suggests that a greater proportion of
students had interest in reading and would be willing to read if reading materials are made
available. This is illustrated in figure 4.10 below.
42
Missing
Figure 4.10: purchase of any non- academic material
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
4.3 Reasons Why Students Read
In the subsequent session tackling the objective of the reasons why students read. They were
given the multiple choices to choose from and also an option to specify other reasons why
they read. The options were, because my parents encourage me to read, just for fun, and
because I have to read for school. For the government school, 23 selected reading because of
their parents, 29 selected reading because of school and 4 selected reading just for fun. One
respondent selected other, and stated that because reading would help in schooling, which can
be related to the third option. For the private school however, 11 selected reading because of
their parents, 12 selected reading because of school and 11 selected reading just for fun.
Aside selecting from the 3 major options, some selected the other option and the reasons for
reading were mostly because they wanted to speak better English and get more information.
43
In question 10 of the questionnaire, the students were asked to specify whether or not they
regarded their reading habits is a hindrance to academic performance.
Is your reading a hindrance to academic performance
Frequency
Yes
27
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
77.1
77.1
77.1
No
8
22.9
22.9
100.0
Total
35
100.0
100.0
Table 4.8: reading habits as a hindrance in government school
Is your reading a hindrance to academic performance
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
40.0
100.0
Yes
14
40.0
40.0
No
21
60.0
60.0
Total
35
100.0
100.0
Table 4.9: reading habits as a hindrance private school
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
27 agreed and 8 disagreed reading was a hindrance to academic performance for the
government school. Meanwhile for the private school, 14 agreed and 21 disagreed reading
was a hindrance to academic performance. Cumulatively, 41 agreed and 29 disagreed reading
was a hindrance to academic performance. This is presented in a bar graph in figure 4.11
below.
44
Figure 4.11: reading habits as a hindrance to academic performance
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
Those that selected were asked a follow up question on how reading is a hindrance to
academic performance. Majority of the respondents, especially those that selected the yes
option in government school, were unable to specify the reason why or how they regarded
their reading habits as being a hindrance to their academic performance. Nonetheless, some
of them stated that, inability to read often prevents them from remembering what they taught
in class. Others stated that, reading affects their ability to learn new words and also constant
reading enables them to learn new words and good English. Some were also of the view that
reading helps them to understand what was thought in class on their own.
45
4.4 Influence of Parents, Teachers, and The Environment
The next section, asked questions about the influence of parents, teachers, and the
environment on reading habits of the respondents. In the first part, they were to arrange in
descending order, the people that seems to encourage them when it comes to reading in
general. Analyzing the first choice, in total teachers were regarded as the most influencing on
students when it comes to reading with 50%, closely followed by parents or guardian at
44.3% and only one student stated friends as the most influential.
However, friends were chosen most as a third choice category of people that influence
students with a percentage of 77.1% and 11.4% for parents and 7.1% for teachers.
People who encourage you to read-First Choice
Frequency Percent
Missing
3
4.3
Valid
Percent
4.3
Cumulative
Percent
4.3
Parents
or
31
44.3
44.3
48.6
guardian
Friends
1
1.4
1.4
50.0
Teachers
35
50.0
50.0
100.0
Total
70
100.0
100.0
Table 4.10: People who encourage students to read-1st Choice
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
Questions 12- 15 sort to find out the reading habits of people that the students were most
likely to interact with and other significant others such as parents, family members, friends
and classmates. The first question asked if any of their family members read often, and
87.1% selected yes whiles 12.9% selected no. In the next question, 94.3% agreed that their
classmates read often and 5.7% disagreed to this. Out of this was 88.6% choosing yes and
46
11.4% choosing no in the government school. For the private school, all the respondents
selected yes, meaning they all had friends or classmates that read often.
48.6% stated that they were frequently read to when they were children and 20% selected the
option no, meaning they were not read to as a child. 31.4% however stated that they were
read to once in a while. In the last part of this section the respondents were asked to select
how often their parents or guardians commented on their reading. Half of the students that
answered the questionnaire selected every day, 25.7% selected a few times a week, and
14.3% selected never and 10% were not sure how often their parents commented on their
reading.
4.5 Reading Materials
Another set of questions were asked to inquire about reading materials read by the
respondents. One question asked about the last time each student read a non- academic
material such as newspapers, novels, story books and others. From the data obtained, 45.7%
of the students selected about a week ago, thus these students had read in the past 7(seven)
days. 14.4% however had read about a month ago, 38.6 selected once in a while and 2.9%
selected a year ago. This is presented a table below containing the frequencies and the
percentages.
Last time reading materials were read
Frequency Percent
Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
1
1.4
1.4
V
Week ago
32
45.7
45.7
a
Month ago
8
11.4
11.4
l
Once in a while
27
38.6
38.6
i
2
2.9
2.9
dYear ago
Total
70
100.0
100.0
Table 4.11: Last time reading materials were read
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
47
1.4
47.1
58.6
97.1
100.0
Students were asked how much time they spent engaged in reading both academic and nonacademic material and had the option of choosing between 1-2, 3-5, 6-10, and 10+ (in hours).
For academic materials, 35.7% spent 1-2 hours reading and for the others, 32.9% spent3-5
hours, 24.3% spent 6-10 hours and 4.3% spent more than 10 hours reading academic
material. For non-academic materials, 55.7% spent 1-2 hours, 21.4% spent 3-5 hours, and
15.7% spent between 6-10 hours. There were 5 missing values and none of the respondents
selected spending more than 10 hours reading non-academic material. This is presented in pie
charts below.
Figure 4.12: time spent reading academic material
Figure 4.13: time spent reading non-academic
material
Source: Field Survey, April 2015.
In question 19 and 20 the respondents were asked to list the tittle of three books they had read
before and also comment on the reading habits of students in their school. From the books
listed, most of them had tittles resembling fictitious story books or novels. Some of the tittles
were “the dog and the hen”, “The tiger and the kid”, “In Ananse Krom”, among others.
Others also listed their subjects they studied in class such as “ICT”, “Science” and
48
“citizenship”. Some were also unable to list three tittles of books they had read. Some listed
one or two and others could not provide any.
Most students commented on the reading habits of students stating that there was no library
in their school. Majority of them cited that they did not have access to reading materials they
wanted to read and also that books they were interested in reading were expensive. Others in
their opinion stated that most students felt reluctant to read within the term but read before
and during their examination. Some also were of the view that reading is good and that it was
relevant in expanding vocabulary and expression of oneself in English.
49
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.0 Introduction
In this final chapter of my dissertation, the results of the study are discussed.
Recommendations are also made based on the findings to suggest how to increase the reading
habits of students in Ayeduase. The main objective of this research was to investigate reading
habits of students at Ayeduase.
5.1 Summary of Findings and discussion
From the findings in the previous chapter, an analysis is done below based on the objectives
of the study. With regards to the biographical data, the analysis showed that there were more
girls in the private school compared to the government school. In general, from both schools
the difference between the number of boys and girls was 4(four) and this can be related to the
recent encouragement of girl child education. More than half of the correspondents were
between 13-15 years old and this suggests that most of them started school at the correct age
given that the average student is 6 years old at basic stage one. Three students were 16+ and
all three were from the government school. 74.3% of the students that took part in the study
were Akans and this shows that the ethnicity of the students is not normally distributed but
skewed. Also, this suggests that the findings from the study would be good for making an
inference on the reading habits of Akans.
In question 5-8 of the questionnaire, the students were required to select from 11 (eleven)
different activities, those that they performed every day. The activities were sports, reading,
television/movie viewing, listening to music, spending time with friends/family, using the
computer, video games, talking/texting on phone, chores/jobs, homework, and religious
activities. There was a follow up question to write in order of preference, their top three. Out
50
of the eleven activities, close to half selected reading as their top activity or first choice. The
data suggests that more students that participated in the research prefer, or are made to
engage in other activities, rather than reading for leisure. Students‟ engagement in activities
other than reading can be associated with the fact that most children do not have access to
reading books at home or perform chores that take away most of their time. After school,
some of these children prefer to engage in sporting activities such as soccer and other child
friendly games. Others also have to care for younger siblings, help their parents at their work
places, or assist with other household duties that take away from reading time. This confirms
Lesesne‟s (2006) report as cited in my literature review that “more than 75 percent of teens
graduating from high school indicated that they will never read another book again.
Adolescents prefer to engage in activities other reading when they get to this stage of
development. Covert (2009) made reference to a study by Moyer, J.E in which readers were
interviewed and the findings of the study suggested that most good readers do not engage in a
lot of television watching. Hence there was a conclusion that people who spend a reasonable
amount of time watching television are less likely to engage in leisure reading.
However, 94.3% of students stated that they were interested in reading. From the data
collected, students that were interested in reading stated that they got their reading materials
from parents, the school, family members; teachers etc. Also 87.1% of the students stated that
they had once used some of their money meant for food to buy non-academic reading
material to read. This suggests a good number of the students had a keen interest in getting
access to reading materials and may be prepared to make sacrifices to get them. This
confirms Covert‟s (2009) theory that the unending instinct to acquire knowledge and skills is
the explanation for some students' intrinsic motivation to read. The continuing impulse to
learn is due to the "intense involvement, curiosity, and search for understanding" (p. 9).
51
One objective of the study was to investigate the reasons why students engaged in reading.
The next section asked questions based on this objective, and the options were, because my
parents encourage me to read, just for fun, and because I have to read for school. Aside
selecting from the 3 major options, some selected the other option and the reasons for reading
were mostly because they wanted to speak better English and get more information. Majority
of the students saw reading as an academic activity and only a small number read for fun.
Reading habits and interests are increased if it becomes part of the individual and not viewed
as an academic burden. It is not surprising that a good number of the students did not
recognize reading habits as capable of becoming a hindrance to their academic performance.
Also, a majority of those that acknowledged reading could be a hindrance to their academic
performance could not express how it affected them. As cited by Covert (2009) if a child
decides to engage in reading a variety of materials voluntarily for pleasure, the child is taking
part in one of the most relevant aspects of the whole reading process. Studies have proven
that children‟s overall understanding of all curricula is negatively affected by a difficulty to
read or a decision not to engage in leisure reading or reading for fun (Hughes-Hassell &
Rodge, 2007).
The study also sorts to investigate the influence of parents, teachers and friends on the
reading habits of students. A majority of the students stated that their teachers were the most
influential when it came to reading. This may be because the students spend many hours
every year in school with their teachers. Mostly, the English teachers are noted to engage
their students in reading exercises and comment on their performance with relation to
reading. This also suggests that, in case where by the teacher has a poor reading habit; it is
likely it would affect the reading habits of their students. Donaldson (2013) proposed that on
the average children spend one-third (or more) of the day with their teachers; and as they
enter into adolescence, they spend even more time with their teachers during the day. The
52
influence teachers have on their students can either be positive or negative and has varying
consequences. The teacher cannot be exempted in any process of improving children‟s
interest in reading, improve literacy and increase academic performance. “Teachers are often
well positioned to do so”.
With regards to the reading materials students were interested in reading, the data suggested
that students enjoyed reading all manner of reading materials ranging from novels, story
books, newspapers and online materials. However, they spent more time reading academic
books compared to non- academic material. This may be because their academic materials are
supposed to be read in order to perform well in class and unconsciously it may be viewed as a
mandatory activity. Limited access to non-academic materials in their schools and their
homes could also be a reason why they spend less time reading them. This is in line with
Hughes-Hassell and Rodge (2007) report on likely sources of reading material for children
such as their homes, school and public libraries. That study also found that by choice students
preferred reading periodicals and stories about “people like them. Data from this study
suggests otherwise. Students in Ayeduase preferred to read their academic books and stories
about animals etc… From the books listed, most of them had titles resembling fictitious story
books or novels. Some of the titles were “the dog and the hen”, “The tiger and the kid”, and
“In Ananse Krom”, among others.
The data collected shows that the students in Ayeduase have moderately good reading habits.
They enjoy reading but spend less time reading for leisure. This can be attributed to the fact
that neither school has a library, nor is there a community library. From the comments of the
students, this is can be demotivating the students to read non- academic materials that could
contribute immensely to academic performance and personal development. Unlike tertiary
students who spend a greater proportion of their time on online material and talking or texting
on phone, (Acheaw,2014 ),
basic school students engage in sports, chores, and other
53
activities that prevent them from spending quality time reading. Reading habits of these
students would likely improve if they had access to more reading materials and were
sensitized on effective reading methods and the implications of not reading.
5.2 Recommendations
Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations are made:
In the future, more studies about the reading habits of school children at the elementary level
in Ayeduase should be carried out. It would be very beneficial, if a follow up investigation is
done to inquire if there is any alteration in the reading habits of the students that participated
in this research, when they get to the Senior High School level. In reviewing related literature
I noticed that little research has been done on the influence of parents or guardians‟
educational level and reading habits, and reading histories of children. It would also be
valuable to complete surveys investigating the relationship between parents and the reading
habits of their children.
It is also recommended that more qualitative researches are conducted on the topic, possibly
with the same students in Ayeduase. This would be helpful in getting a more detailed
response from the students about their reading habits and the challenges they face. For
example, future studies should use more interviews as a source of data collection. This allow
students to be more open and express themselves, providing relevant information about their
reading interests, the materials they enjoy reading, the influence of significant others, and
likely effects it has on their academic performance.
Furthermore, it would be useful to focus future research on how teachers and schools
encourage good reading habits of their students. Children of school going age spend a lot of
time in school, and the dynamics of the school environment are likely to influence the child's
54
interests. Some schools may have adopted various classroom mechanisms that ensure that the
teacher facilitates reading both in the school and at home. Findings from such studies would
inform policies on education and classroom management. Educators would be more effective
if they were aware of the issues relating to the reading interests of their students. It is would
be important for them to understand where their students come from, what they have access
to, and the influence of activities in the classroom.
In general, research on the reading habits of students should be shifted from the high school
and tertiary levels to the basic level. This would provide relevant information on the topic at
an early stage of the life of the individual and can be used to make the necessary adjustments.
Educators would be able to adopt the right measures to change the current mindset that
reading is strictly a school activity. They can then encourage reading to be an integral part of
our daily lives and an activity that can be beneficial for intellectual growth and personal
pleasure, regardless of the chosen format and regardless of age, race, gender, or
socioeconomic status (Smith 2009).
For policy makers, the findings of this study confirms that gender, ethnicity, religion and
academic success, at varying levels affect school children‟s reading habits. Educational
policy makers such as the Ghana Educational Service or the Ministry of Education can take
into account this information when implementing educational initiatives and programs. These
stake holders should also make the effort to commence comprehensive programs that will
educate parents, teachers and school children about the importance of reading. It is further
recommended that a mandatory time is allocated within the academic calendar to enable all
students to read at least three non- academic materials by the end of each term. This can be a
non-scoring course for all Junior High School students for a term but teachers must ensure
that students complete their reading assignment through various monitoring and evaluation
strategies.
55
Where available, teachers and parents should encourage their students to visit the library
regularly, and further borrow some from the library. The students should be motivated to not
only read their academic materials at the library but read other relevant materials. The
problem nonetheless is the non- existence of libraries at the schools and their communities. In
some cases, these libraries do not have stock of other relevant non-academic materials such
as novels and fiction. It is recommended that the government consider establishing fully
stocked community libraries, to facilitate improvement in the reading habits of students at
Ayeduase.
56
REFERENCES
Agbezree, L.(2001) Library Facilities and their use in Ghanaian Secondary School. Case
study of St. Peters. Unpublished MA dissertation, University of Ghana: Legon. pp 70
Applegate, A. J., & Applegate, M. D. (2004). The Peter effect: Reading habits and attitudes
of Pre-service teachers. The Reading Teacher, 57 (6), 554-563
Babbie, E. (2005) The Basics of Social Research. 3rd ed, Belmont: Thomson Wadswort
pp 265, 274.
Bashir, I. & Mattoo, N. H. (2012)
A Study on Study Habits and Academic Performance
Among Adolescents (14-19) years. International Journal of Social Science Tomorrow.
Vol.1, No. 5, pp. 1-5.
Benwari, N.N, & Nemine, B.E (2014), Intensive Reading As a Study Habit and Students‟
Academic Achievement in Economics in Selected Secondary Schools in Bayelsa
State, Nigeria. http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/jct.v3n2p94 Retrieved October 3, 2014.
Bhan, K. S., & Gupta, R. (2010) Study Habits and Academic Achievement among the
students belonging to scheduled caste and nonscheduled caste group. Journal of
Applied Research in Education 15(1) pp. 1-9
Biancasrosa, G., & Snow, C.E. (2004). Reading Next—A vision for action and research in
middle and high school literacy: A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.
Covert, K.A (2009) An Exploration of the Leisure Reading Habits and Attitudes of EighthGrade Students.
Donaldson, T.C.F (2013) An Investigation into Reading Habits Of Texas Middle And High
School English Language Arts Teacher.
57
Efua Idan Osam /citifmonline.com/Ghana (2014) GES to Introduce Compulsory Reading In
Basic Schools http://www.citifmonline.com/2014/09/07/ges-to-introduce-compulsoryreading-in-basic-schools/#sthash.qhC0S7hb.dpuf- Retrieved October 10, 2014
Galicia, J.C (2010) Relationship between Reading Habits, University Library and Academic
Performance
in
a
Sample
of
Psychology
Students
http://publicaciones.anuies.mx/pdfs/revista/Revista157_S1A3EN.pdf&sa=U&ei=w45
kVP70HJfxatzUgOgB&ved=0CBAQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNGsqbHnch3gp_WOhOR23
rElt3R54g Retrieved October 3, 2014.
Ghana News Agency, (2008) Help Arrest Dwindling Reading Habit - GES Director:
http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php/information/speeches/9-uncategorised/3021-helparrest-dwindling-reading-habit-ges-director Retrieved October 3.
Guthrie J.T. Benneth, L & McGough, K (2007), Concept-oriented Reading Instruction: An
Integrated
Curriculum
to
Develop
Motivations
and
Readinghttp://curry.virginia.edu/go/clic/nrrc/corri_rlo.html
Strategies
for
Retrieved October 1,
2014.
Lesesne, T. S. (2006). Naked reading: Uncovering what tweens need to become lifelong
readers. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers.
Lukhele, B.S.B (2006) Exploring Relationships between Reading Attitudes, Reading Ability
and Academic Performance among Teacher Trainees in Swaziland.
Ogbodo, R.O. (2010) Effective Study Habits in Educational Sector: Counseling Implications.
Edo Journal of Counseling , Vol. 3, No.2. pp. 1-11
Owusu-Acheaw, M. (2014), Reading Habits among Students and its Effect on Academic
Performance:
A
Study
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Students
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Koforidua
Polytechnic.
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/1130 Retrieved October 3, 2014.
Singh, Y. G. (2011) Academic Achievement and Study Habits of Higher Secondary Students.
International Referred Research Journal 3 (27) pp. 2
58
Smith, N.L (2009) A Study of Middle Grades Students‟ Reading Interests, Habits, and
Achievement.
Zancanella, D. (1991). Teachers reading/readers teaching: Five teachers‟ personal approaches
to literature and their teaching of literature. Research in the Teaching of English, 25
(1), 5-32.
59
APPENDIX A
Survey
This is a survey carried out by a student of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and
Technology (KNUST), about the reading habits of students in Ayeduase. All of your
answers will remain anonymous and there is no right or wrong answer.
BIOGRAPHIC DATA
1. Gender
Male
Female
2. Age
Below 10
3. Ethnicity
Akan
Nzima
10-12
Dagbane
4. What class are you in?
1-3
4-6
13-15
Ga
Ewe
16+
Other (please write in)…………...
JHS 1-3
Student’s Interests and Activities
5. From the activities below, mark those that you do every day
฀ Sports
฀ Reading
฀ Television/Movie Viewing
฀ Listening to music
฀ Spending Time with Friends / Family
฀ Using the Computer
฀ Video Games
฀ Talking/Texting on Phone
฀ Chores /Jobs
฀ Homework
฀ Religious Activities
6. Select your top three favorite activities from the list in the previous question and indicate
how much time (Hours) you spend on each of those activities daily.
I.
First choice………………………
time spent
0-1
2-4
5+
II.
Second choice………......................
time spent
0-1
2-4
5+
III.
Third Choice ……………………...
time spent
0-1
2-4
5+
7. a. Are you interested in reading?
Yes
No
60
b.
If
Yes,
How
do
you
get
your
reading
materials?..............................................................................................................................
8. Have you ever used some of your money meant for food to buy any non-academic
reading material?
Yes
No
Reasons for Reading
9. When you read, why do you read? (Check all that apply).
฀ Because my parents encourage me to read.
฀ Just for the fun.
฀ Because I have to read for school
฀ Other (please write in)………………………………………………………………….....
10. Is your reading a hindrance to your academic performance?
Yes
No
12b. if yes, how?................................................................................................................................
The Influence of Parents, Teachers And The Environment
11. Which of the following people seems to encourage you when it comes to reading in
general?
Parents or guardian, friends and teachers, arrange them in descending order. (Highest to lowest)
i.
………………………………………….
ii.
………………………………………….
iii.
………………………………………….
12. Does any family member of yours read often?
Yes
No
13. Do any of your friends or classmates read often?
Yes
No
14. When you were a child did your parents read to you?
Yes
No
Once in a while
15. How often does your parents or guardian comment about your reading?
฀ Everyday
฀ A few times a week
฀ Never
฀ Not Sure
61
Reading Material Student Enjoy Reading.
16. What do you like to read? (Check all that apply)
฀ Novels/Story books
฀ Newspapers
฀ Magazines
฀ Online Material
฀ Academic books
฀ Other (please write in) …………………………………………………………….
17. When was the last time you read any of the following materials? Newspapers, Novels,
Articles, Magazines, Story books etc?
Academic
Non- Academic
฀
Week ago
฀
Week ago
฀
Month ago
฀
Month ago
฀
Once a while
฀
Once a while
฀
Year ago
฀
Year ago
18. About how many hours per week do you spend reading academic and non- academic
material apart from reading assignments given by teachers? (Hours)
Academic
Non- Academic
฀ 1-2
฀ 1-2
฀ 3-5
฀ 3-5
฀ 6-1 0
฀ 6-1 0
฀ 10+
฀ 10+
19. List the tittles of 3 books you have read.
………………………………………
………………………………………
………………………………………
20. Do you have any opinion with regards to students getting access to reading materials and
their reading habits?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
☺ Thank you for your time ☺
62