Pressured or Pleasure Reading: A Survey of Reading Preferences of Secondary School Students during COVID-19 lockdown

1. Introduction

On January 30, 2020, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2020). As at July 9, 2020, about 12,231,637 people have been infected with the virus while more than 7 million have recovered and more than 553,571 mortalities (WHO, 2020). In a bid to curtail the continuous spread of the disease, governments of the affected countries in the world put in place what is referred to as lock down. This is a term used to describe the procedures put in place to control movement and services to the basics and this is usually done to flatten the curve of the speed at which the disease is spreading (FutureLearn, 2020). The lock down entails restriction of movement, social and physical distancing, restrictions on large gatherings including religious gatherings and school attendance.

From the time when the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Nigeria on Thursday February 27, 2020, the number of cases has risen to 30,249 with 12,373 recoveries and 684 deaths as at July 9, 2020 (NCDC, 2020). In an attempt to curb the widespread of the disease, the government of Nigeria ordered the closure of all schools (primary & secondary), colleges and universities in the country which is part of what lock down entails. Consequently, students in all secondary schools in the country could no longer attend classes. To mitigate the effect of lock down, remote learning through h online classes, media houses including television and radio were also involved in keeping the students busy during the lockdown period. However, for learning to be effective and fulfilling during this lock down period, secondary school students should engage in profitable reading.

Reading plays an indispensable role in the acquisition of knowledge by secondary school students. According to Garo (2014), secondary school students who read more possess the ability to comprehend more complex texts, are more knowledgeable, and acquire a wider range of vocabulary than those who read less. Imbibing a good reading culture by secondary school students ignites positive thoughts and emotions, a desire to learn new skills and become more knowledgeable about the immediate environment and the whole world. In order to hone their reading skills, secondary school students should engage in reading a wide range of books in both electronic and print format, periodicals such as newspapers and magazines, fiction, non-fiction and comics among others.

The extent of reading secondary school students engage in for relaxation and academic purposes will go a long way in determining academic achievement and personal enrichment. Thus, engaging in intensive and extensive reading by secondary school students enhances their chances of better performance at school and beyond school thereby facilitating intellectual development (Fosudo, 2010). Secondary school students are expected to engage in reading during this period of lock down to complement online learning and make profitable use of this critical period. This study sought to examine the reading preferences of secondary school students during this period and to determine if the students enjoy reading or are being pressured to read with the intent of fostering reading culture during the lock down period.

2. Literature Review

Reading preference refers to the choice of materials favored by students as they engage in voluntary reading. The reading preferences of secondary school students are depicted by what students would desire to read if given the opportunity, what they would freely select to read if given a choice. Previous studies (Shafi & Loan 2010; Loan, 2011) on reading preferences of students confirmed that many secondary school students read for different purposes. Reading material was determined by purpose of reading. While some read for academic purpose, others read to obtain information, a few read for recreation and others read for religious reasons. Majid and Tan (2007), reported that in a study carried out in Singapore, most students basically read for academic purposes in order to attain better scores in examinations.

Reading preferences of secondary school students could be affected by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors include: yearning for self-development; feeling of enjoyment in carrying out a task and the consciousness of obtaining some benefits from the task. On the other hand, extrinsic factors have to do with fulfilling the expectations of the family, school, and the society as well as preparing for the future (Aydin & Ayranci, 2018). A study of Indian adolescents revealed that while both gender preferred reading fiction, various genre of fiction such as realistic, crime, mystery and horror top the list of books preferred by boys while girls indicated a preference for reading romance and poetry (Loan & Shah, 2017).

Majid, Ng, and Ying (2017) found that in a study of students in Singapore, majority of the female students preferred reading romance, fantasy and adventure with only minority indicating a preference for biography, sports, arts and crafts. Another recent study in Singapore revealed that adolescents were fond of reading adventure, science fiction and fantasies with girls being more interested in reading digital than print materials (Loh, Sun, & Majid, 2019).

Similarly, Hussain, and Munshi (2011), reported that secondary school students in Pakistan preferred reading books on religion, poetry, drama, literature, novels, travelling stories, autobiographies, newspapers, magazines and romance for pleasure. Nagaraya and Manalan (2016) affirmed the reading preferences of Indian secondary school students to include fiction books on and adventure and horror with magazines and newspapers with the preferred language of books being English. Students in Thalassery, India were found to prefer novels, stories, comics, and books related to sports, games and cinema. However, most of the Indian students were averse to reading biographies, autobiographies, poetry, religion and inspirational books.

In Nigeria, et al. (2012) reported that stories related to humans, religion and comics were the most preferred reading materials among secondary school students. The reading preferences of Nigerian secondary school students are being affected by factors such as the system of assessing student performance, availability of books at home, in school and public libraries as well as choice of books by the students (Todd, 2003; Hussain & Munshi, 2011). Due to the current lock down situation imposed by the Nigerian government in order to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, secondary school students engage actively in reading hence the accessibility of books, particularly in electronic format cannot be underestimated. Again, the public library has an important role to play in ensuring that books are available for students in communities. Ejembi and Habibu (2011), noted that schools and public libraries have a crucial role to play in the development of good reading habits by Nigerian adolescents. Inculcating in students the habit of reading for the intrinsic value otherwise known as pleasure reading should be the ultimate goal of school and public libraries.

Pleasure reading is the reading that is done for pleasure, at one’s leisure and not only for the purpose of passing examinations but rather to obtain information on different subject matters and sometimes for entertainment. It encompasses reading of fictions books such as prose, drama, poetry, newspapers, magazines, comics and non-fiction such as biographies, inspirational such as religious and motivational books. Students who read for pleasure read more and are better developed cognitively which invariably encourages better grades than those who do less reading for pleasure (Sullivan & Brown, 2013). Clark (2011) carried out an extensive survey of over 18,000 adolescents in the United Kingdom and reported that respondents who affirmed that they derived pleasure in reading were six times more likely to read beyond the predicted cognitive level of their age than those who are pressured to read. Similarly, adolescents who are forced to read are 11 times less likely to read than those who read for the pleasure of reading. Little wonder Howard (2011) stated that teenagers who enjoy reading gain significant perceptions into mature associations, good values, cultural uniqueness, physical safety and security, artistic preferences, and understanding of the corporate world, all of which aid the transition from childhood to adulthood.

Pleasure reading has been linked to academic reading in the sense that secondary school students who detest reading for pleasure or the intrinsic value, may also find it difficult to read recommended textbooks for academic purposes. Reading for pleasure could be encouraged by exposing secondary school students to electronic books, many of which are freely available on the Internet. Meanwhile, Ihejika (2014) asserted that most secondary school students in Nigeria do not read for pleasure which has contributed to poor communicative competences and poor academic performance. Kavi, Tackie, and Bugyei (2015) reported a similar scenario among secondary school students in Ghana. Cognisant of the fact that reading is changing and reading materials are evolving into new format with new means of access, secondary school students should not be limited to printed materials but should be encouraged to access electronic materials, especially e-books (Dorion, 2011). Electronic books could be valuable in promoting literacy skills and other essential skills which could be valuable to students in the current technology era (Melinis, 2011).

Although there some literature exists on the reading habits of secondary school students in Nigeria (Ilori & Abdullahi, 2016; Akande & Oyedapo, 2018; Babarinde & Dike, 2018), there is paucity of literature on the reading preference and pleasure reading habits of Nigerian secondary school students. The need to provide empirical information on the reading preferences of secondary school students during the COVID-19 lockdown provided the basis for this study.

3. Objectives of the Study

The aim of this study was to investigate the reading preference of secondary school students during the COVID-19 lockdown. The following specific objectives guided the study:

• ∙ To find out the purpose for which secondary school students read during the COVID-19 lockdown.
• ∙ To determine the reading preferences of secondary school students during the COVID-19 lockdown.
• ∙ To ascertain the determinants of the reading preference of secondary school students during lockdown.
• ∙ To identify the source of materials secondary school students read for pleasure during the COVID-19 lockdown.

4. Methodology

The study was conducted in two local government areas in Osun State. The Local Government areas involved in this study were Ilesa west and Ife Central Local Government Areas. Hundred 100 secondary school students from Junior Secondary two (JS2) to Senior Secondary two (SS2) were recruited for the study using purposive sampling. Interested secondary school students who were within the adolescent age range (11- 19 years) and whose parents gave consent in the houses visited by the researchers during the lock down period were included in the study. Students who were not interested, were above 19 years and whose parents did not give consent were excluded from the study. Descriptive survey method was adopted for the study.

The instrument used for the study was a self-administered questionnaire designed by the researchers tagged, “Survey of Pressured or pleasure reading and adolescent reading preferences during COVID–19 lock down”. The instrument was divided into five sections: section A described the respondents’ socio- demographics; section B elicited responses on the purpose of reading; section C elicited responses on the reading preferences of the students, section D assessed the determinants of reading preferences while section E elicited information on the sources pleasure reading materials during the lockdown. To ascertain reliability, the survey instrument was trial tested and a reliability coefficient of 0.84 was obtained.

Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. Of the 100 questionnaire which were applied, 93 were properly filled and found to be analyzable giving a response rate of 93%.

5. Results

Table 1 presents the demographic profile of respondents. The mean age of the respondents is 15.68 ± 2.9. More than half of the respondents were male 48 (51.7%). The study respondents were all within the adolescent age range (11-19) with nearly forty percent 37 (39.8%) being in the mid-adolescent stage. A greater preponderance of the respondents 62 (66.7%) were from private schools giving a public to private school ratio of 1:2.

Table 1.

Computer to Staff Ratio in the Research Institutes

Table 2 presents the response of the participants on the purpose of reading during the lockdown. Most of the respondents 75 (80.6%) read to recall what they had learnt earlier, another 73 (78.5%) read to gain more knowledge while 71 (76.3%) read simply because they enjoy reading (intrinsic value). Over half of the respondents 52 (55.9 %) indicated that they felt relaxed when reading for pleasure (intrinsic value). Some respondents also indicated reading under compulsion. In this category, about one third of respondents 31 (33.3%) were forced by their parents to read (pressured), another 27 (29%) felt pressured to read while only 9 (9.7%) indicated reading in order to avoid doing domestic work during the lockdown period.

Table 2.

Respondents Purpose of Reading

Table 3 presents the details of the reading preferences of study respondents during COVID-19 lockdown. In the fiction genre the reading preference of more than half the respondents 52 (55.9%) was books on science fiction, mystery was indicated by 51 (54.8%) while 46 (49.5%) preferred fantasy. Least preferred genres in fiction were suspense 33 (35.5%), magic realism 26 (28.0%) and thriller 25 (26.9%).

Table 3.

Reading preference of Respondents

In the non-fiction category, three out of four respondents 70 (75.3%) showed a preference for motivational books. This was followed by mathematics-based texts 60 (64.5%) and biographies/autobiographies 58 (62.4%). Handbooks 48 (51.6%), book reviews 46 (49.5%) and religious commentaries 42 (45.2%) were the least preferred non-fiction books by respondents. Books by Nigerian writers 68 (73.1%) were more favored by respondents than those by foreign authors.

Table 4 showed the determinants of the reading preferences of the study respondents based on the availability of books. An overwhelming majority 75 (80.6%) of the respondents indicated a preference for reading recommended texts from school, 57 (61.3%) read books borrowed from friends and classmates. Only 48 (51.6%) read books which were borrowed from the library. The least preferred were fee-based electronic books (e - books) 32 (34.4%) followed by free e - books 45 (48.4 %) downloaded from the Internet.

Table 4.

Determinants of Respondents Reading Preference

Table 5 showed the sources of electronic books (e-Books) for pleasure reading by the secondary school students during lockdown. Findings indicate that majority of the respondents do not read e-books. More three quarter 71 (76.3%) of respondents had never accessed free e-books from scribd, 68 (73.1%) had never read e-books from Bambooks for pleasure and another 67 (72.0%) had never been to okada books. On the other hand, in rank order, a little over half of respondents 52 (56.0%) had accessed e-books on Watt pad, 48 (51.6%) read e-books on Readers while only 43 (46.2%) downloaded e-books from Any books for reading pleasure.

Table 5.

Sources of e - books for Pleasure Reading by Respondents

6. Discussion of findings

7. Implication of the Study

This study has implications for the encouragement of reading by secondary school students during lockdown occasioned by pandemic. The implication of reading for pleasure in the improvement of reading habits of secondary school students cannot be over- emphasized. School librarians should make both print and electronic books available and at the disposal of students when it is practically impossible to access physical libraries. The study also has practical implication for parents to encourage pleasure reading during lockdown.

8. Conclusion

Evidently, like adolescents elsewhere in the world, secondary school students in Osun State read for diverse purposes during the COVID-19 lockdown imposed by the government of Nigeria. Some read for relaxation and the pleasure of reading (intrinsic value), others read for academic purposes, knowledge, self-enrichment, etc., (extrinsic value) while very few were forced to read by their parents. Generally, secondary school students in Osun state have developed good reading habits which could still be built upon. Reading preference was determined by the availability of books at home, libraries and those borrowed from friends. Books in print format were preferred as majority of the students did not engage with electronic books (e-books) as sources of pleasure reading materials during lockdown which is suggestive of poor digital literacy skills.

9. Recommendations

In the light of the findings of this study, the following recommendations are made:

• ∙ Reading materials mainly in print format should be provided for secondary school students during lockdown by donor agencies, government and other stakeholders in the educational sector.
• ∙ Parents and guardians should not force but rather encourage pleasure reading by reading and sharing the benefits of reading with adolescents during lockdown instead of watching television.
• ∙ The reading preferences of students such as genre and books by Nigerian writers should be taken into consideration during the provision of reading materials during and after the lockdown.
• ∙ The public library should render skeletal book loan services based on the COVID-19 guidelines of appropriate health authorities where the students could not access the school libraries.
• ∙ As part of the lockdown welfare/relief plans, government and other funding agencies should equip school libraries with Internet facilities and enough bandwidth to enable practical digital literacy training and virtual library services to the students after the lockdown.
• ∙ Secondary school students should be exposed to the use of e- books during digital literacy instruction by school librarians during the lockdown.
• ∙ School librarians and public libraries in Osun state should make a wide range of books available through mobile library services in the communities during the lockdown.

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