Examining how undergraduate students view reading and its significance

Reading & Writing

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Examining how undergraduate students view reading and its significance
 
Creator Cekiso, Madoda P.
 
Subject Education reading; reading attitude; academic performance; correlation; reading interest
Description Background: Low literacy levels have been demonstrated by several university students, which has impacted their academic achievement. To solve this issue, prior research indicates that a positive attitude typically translates into better academic performance, whereas a negative attitude towards reading will have the opposite effect. Research shows that low reading proficiency from school, a lack of intrinsic motivation, restricted access to reading resources, and a lack of a reading culture at home are the root causes of South African university students’ negative attitudes towards reading.Objectives: Thus, the goal of the current study was to determine how students felt about reading and its importance in their academic lives.Method: The study used a case study design and was qualitative in nature. Twenty-four students who were conveniently chosen were given an open-ended questionnaire. The data were analysed using content analysis.Results: Depending on whether the reading material was relevant to their interests, students’ responses varied. The reading material’s cognitive demands had an impact on students’ attitudes towards reading as well. The findings also demonstrated that all students believed that reading was an essential component of their academic careers and a life skill.Conclusion: Literacy practitioners must create inclusive learning environments and select a range of resources to fit their students’ interests, to foster a positive attitude and enhance academic performance.Contribution: The study contributes to the body of research on how one’s attitude towards reading affects behaviours such as reading intention and determination.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor Tshwane University of Technology
Date 2025-11-20
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Interview
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/rw.v16i1.593
 
Source Reading & Writing; Vol 16, No 1 (2025); 10 pages 2308-1422 2079-8245
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://rw.org.za/index.php/rw/article/view/593/1513 https://rw.org.za/index.php/rw/article/view/593/1514 https://rw.org.za/index.php/rw/article/view/593/1515 https://rw.org.za/index.php/rw/article/view/593/1516
 
Coverage — — Male and female university students
Rights Copyright (c) 2025 Madoda P. Cekiso https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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