CHAPTER SIX
SUMMARY,
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The
summary and conclusion of the findings are discussed in this chapter. It is
also in this chapter that the recommendations are made. Educational
implications and the limitations of the study are equally discussed here. In
addition, suggestions for further studies are presented here.
Summary of the
Study
The purpose of this study was to
establish the relationship between the reading interest and students'
achievement in reading comprehension in Afikpo Education Zone of Ebonyi State,
Nigeria. A comprehensive Literature review was done not only to serve as a
guide but also to keep the researcher properly informed on what other scholars
have done in the area.
Five research questions as well as
three research hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The design for
the study was a correlation survey design. A total of 769 SS2 students were
used to provide data necessary for answering the research questions and testing
the hypotheses guiding the study.
The questionnaires which contained
the reading interest inventory and two reading comprehension achievement tests
were the main instrument used for the collection of data. Equally, the mean and
standard deviation were used to analyze the research questions while the
Pearson’s, Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to analyze the
hypotheses formulated to guide the study. The study revealed among other
things, that the students have interest in reading, the achievement of the
students in reading comprehension is poor, the reading interest of male and
female students are the same, the achievement of the male and female students
in reading comprehension differ and above all, there is no significant
relationship between the reading interest and reading comprehension achievement
of senior secondary school students in Afikpo Education Zone of Ebonyi State.
Conclusion
Based on the findings of the study,
it is concluded that there is a significant difference between the students'
reading interest and the students’
reading comprehension achievement. The reading interest of the students does
not necessarily determine their achievement in reading comprehension.
The findings also indicate that there is
no significant difference between the reading interest rates of the male and
female students. The reading interest of the students are the same.
In this study, there is a significant
difference between the reading comprehension achievement of the male and female
students. The analysis of the results got indicate that gender has influence on
the students achievement. The male and female students are exposed to the same
learning processes and they have equal opportunity to compete favourably with
each other; it was thus expected that their achievements should be the same but
it was not. However, many factors like the physiological, psychological,
social, as well as the emotional makeup of the male and female students (among
other factors) may have played a determinant role in the difference in
achievement.
Recommendations
The findings of this study lead to
the following recommendations.
•
Ample
time should be created to allow the students engage in meaningful reading
activities both at home and in the school.
•
The
home, school and state libraries should be properly equipped with current
books, newspapers and magazines to strengthen and sustain students’ interest in
reading.
•
conduceive
reading environment should be created for the students both at home and in the
school.
•
Gender
differences should not be emphasized to encourage the students to explore their
world through reading no matter the subject or discipline.
•
Reading
should be well accommodated in the school timetable by allowing it to be
treated separately from the English language.
•
Reading
instruction teachers should be properly trained for it not merely using English
language teachers as reading instruction experts.
•
The
right teaching methods should be employed by teachers of reading to boost
students’ interest in reading.
•
Students
should be provided with the necessary reading texts for proper participation in
reading classes.
•
Unqualified teachers should not be allowed to
handle reading instruction.
•
In-service
training and workshops should be encouraged by the Ministry of Education and
schools to update teacher’s qualifications in teaching reading.
Educational
Implications of the Study
The
findings of this study have some educational implications for the curriculum
planners, ministry of education, schools, school heads, teachers, students and
the general public.
This study has proved that students
have interest in reading contrary to some researcher’s findings and popular belief
that students of these days no longer have interest in reading. It is one thing
to have interest in reading and it is another to actually have the time to
read, the materials to read and the conducive place to do the reading.
Governments and parents should equip both the home school and state libraries
with current and interesting books, magazines and newspapers to accommodate the
various reading interests of students. Adequate time should also be created in
the school time table to allow reasonable time for students’ free reading.
Gender disparity in the students
reading interest is in the mind of the people not actually what is obtained.
The cultural belief that certain roles are for men and some for women has led
to the erroneous assumption that certain subjects are for boys and some others
for girls. This cultural belief, perhaps, may have led to the assumption that
the male students’ interest in reading is different from the females. This
study has clearly established that there are no such differences in the
students reading interest. Thus, the general public should stop enforcing
gender differences on the minds of the students and allow them to explore their
world through reading, irrespective of their gender.
This study has also proved that there
is no relationship between the students’ reading interest and their achievement
in reading comprehension. The implication of this finding is that students
interest in reading does not necessarily determinge their performance in
reading comprehension achievement tests while those who do not read as a result
of no reading interest, would as a result record poor performances in reading
comprehension tests. Girls are known to be doing the home chores. This may have
also accounted for the difference in their reading comprehension achievement.
Limitations of
the Study
Some obvious problems were encountered by
the researcher in the process of carrying out the study.
•
Some schools found it difficult to
release their students for the research as it was around the time they were
about having their termly examinations.
Suggestions for
Further Studies
Based on the findings got in this study,
further studies are suggested in the following areas:
•
Strategies
for enhancing students’ interest in reading.
•
Psychological,
physiological and social factors in the differences in comprehension.
•
Effects
of text characteristics and readability levels to students achievement in
reading comprehension.
•
Causes
of students’ poor performances in reading comprehension in external examinations.
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APPENDIX A
QUESTIONNAIRE
Department of
Arts and Social Science,
Dear
Respondent,
I am a Postgraduate Student in the
Department of Arts/Social Science Education majoring in English Language
Teaching.
I am carrying out a dissertation on the
topic, "Relationship between Reading Interest and Reading Comprehension
Achievement of Senior Secondary School Students in Afikpo Education zone of
Ebonyi State." I will require honest answers to the questions attached to
this letter. This is purely an intellectual exercise which entails that your
answers to these questions ought to be as sincere as possible while I, the
questionnaire/interviewer, shall treat your responses with utmost
confidentiality.
Thanks
for your anticipated cooperation.
Yours
faithfully,
APPENDIX B
READING INTEREST
INVENTORY
Section A: Bio-Data
Please
tick () as appropriate and fill the space where necessary.
School:______________________________________________________
Class:_______________________________________________________
Age:_________________________________________________________
Sex:_________________________________________________________
Hobbies:_____________________________________________________
Section B
Please
tick (√) for the option that best fit your interest.
SA
= Strongly Agree, A = Agree, D = Disagree, SD = Strongly Disagree
|
S/N
|
|
SA(4)
|
A3
|
D2
|
SD1
|
|
1
|
I
like reading always.
|
|
|
|
|
|
2
|
I
prefer computer games to reading.
|
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
I
seldom make use of the public library.
|
|
|
|
|
|
4
|
My
school has a functional library.
|
|
|
|
|
|
5
|
My
parents have a home library.
|
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
I
do not get bored reading beyond half an hour.
|
|
|
|
|
|
7
|
Reading
is boring to me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
8
|
My
parents compel me to read sometimes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
9
|
I
have all the textbooks I need for reading.
|
|
|
|
|
|
10
|
I
prefer photography to reading.
|
|
|
|
|
|
11
|
I
like assignments that compel me to read different books.
|
|
|
|
|
|
12
|
I
usually find it difficult to read any novel to the end no matter how
interesting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
13
|
I
do not have a study time table.
|
|
|
|
|
|
14
|
I
cannot read with understanding in the class when it is noisy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
15
|
I
always read silently.
|
|
|
|
|
|
16
|
I
grew up in a print-rich environment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
17
|
I
read less after school.
|
|
|
|
|
|
18
|
I
enjoy reading in my spare time during holidays.
|
|
|
|
|
|
19
|
I
rarely use the school library.
|
|
|
|
|
|
20
|
I
read educational magazines only.
|
|
|
|
|
|
21
|
I
read newspaper when it is available only.
|
|
|
|
|
|
22
|
I
read to pass exams only.
|
|
|
|
|
|
23
|
I
am interested in reading to impress my parents.
|
|
|
|
|
|
24
|
I
prefer the computer to reading.
|
|
|
|
|
|
25
|
I
prefer someone to tell me the story in a novel than reading it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
26
|
I
prefer reading in the school only.
|
|
|
|
|
|
27
|
I
prefer reading alone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
28
|
I
like to read silently.
|
|
|
|
|
|
29
|
Reading
is my hobby.
|
|
|
|
|
Reading Comprehension
Passage 1
Read the
following passage carefully and answer the questions after it.
Malnutrition has been described as a
tragedy of great magnitude. WHO
declares that it is an accomplice in at least half of the 10.4 million child
deaths each year. Malnutrition covers a wide range of illness from
undernourishment due to a lack of one of more nutrients such as vitamin and
mineral deficiencies to obesity and other diet-related chronic diseases.
However, Protein-Energy Malnutrition
(PEM) is by far the most lethal form
of malnutrition. Malnutrition is restricted
to children. It casts long shadows in the developing world according to WHO.
Industrialized
countries are not free from the scourge of malnutrition as about 11 million
people suffer from it.
Malnutrition is caused by inadequate
intake of nutrient in the body triggered
by a combination of factors, an insufficient intake of proteins, calories,
vitamins and minerals.
Illnesses such as diarrhea, measles,
malaria and respiratory disease tax the body heavily and cause loss of
nutrients. They reduce appetite and food intake thus contributing to
malnutrition. Children are at a greater risk
of suffering malnutrition. This is because they are in a period of rapid growth
that increases the demand for calories and proteins. For similar reasons
pregnant and nursing women are easily prone to malnutrition. Frequently, the
baby’s problem begins even before birth. If a mother is undernourished or
malnourished before and during pregnancy, the baby will have low weight. Then
early weaning, poor feeding habits and lack of hygiene can bring on malnutrition.
Malnutrition wreaks havoc on the body particularly that of a
child and various studies have shown that poor growth in a child is associated
with impaired mental development and poor scholastic and intellectual
performance. A report from the United Nations calls these effects the most
serious long term results of malnutrition. For children who survive
malnutrition, the aftermath can linger on into adulthood.
Questions
1. Why is malnutrition described as a
tragedy of great magnitude? (a) It is an accomplice (b) it causes illnesses and
diseases (c) it leads to mineral deficiencies (d) it leads to large number of
child death yearly.
2. What according to the passage are the
immediate causes of malnutrition? (a) lethal form of malnutrition (b)
inadequate intake of nutrients in the body (c) insufficient intake of proteins,
calories, vitamin (d) diseases that tax the body.
3. Why are pregnant women and nursing
women easily vulnerable to malnutrition? (a) their babies require more calories
and proteins for development (b) children suffer malnutrition the most (c)
breast milk needs to develop (d) they may suffer infections.
4. How can a child’s problem begin before
birth? (a) Early weaning and poor feeding habit is a problem. (b) The baby will
have low weight (c) when a mother is malnourished during pregnancy; (d) when a
mother eats little food before and after pregnancy.
5. What according to the passage are the
long term results of malnutrition? (a) It wreaks havoc to the child (b) It hinders
growth and mental development. (c) It results to illiteracy (d) the child is
always sick.
6.
‘…The scourge of malnutrition’ is
(a) Apostrophe (b) oxymoron(c) personification D simile.
7. What is the grammatical name of ‘...who
survive malnutrition?’ (a) Adverbial phrase (b) adverbial clause (c) adjectival
clause (d) adjectival phrase.
8.
The function of the grammatical
expression in number ‘7’ above is (a) it qualifies the noun ‘ children’ (b)
modifies ‘ malnutrition (c) qualifies the verb ‘ can linger’ (d) objective of
the verb ‘survive’
For
each of the following words, choose from the options given another word or
phrase which means the same and can replace it as used in the passage.
9.
magnitude (a) attraction (b) tolerance (c) degree (d) devastation
10.
Lethal (a) great (b) unfortunate (c)
inexplicable (d) destructive
Reading Comprehension
Passage 2
Read the
following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
It was a sunny day in the month of May
the sun took its rightful position very early, lending credence to the general
feeling that Andrew’s birthday was going to be greeted with the blessing of a pleasant weather. The sky looked so
bright that Andrew insisted on having an open-air party. Andrew had gone to great lengths to ensure a hitch-free party; a
party which would remain the talk of the town. Although it was not intended to
be free for all, a lot had been done to the occasion on the memories of many people
long afterwards.
The bright sun continued to smile.
Andrew’s face beamed with pleasure
with every passing moment. Very few of his contemporaries
have so far succeeded in reaching the top of the ladder. Andrew in particular
had been an orphan of storm. His father’s death during his third year in the
secondary school and that of his mother two years later were only two of this
orphan’s storms. He suffered a physical misfortune
when a stockfish machine severed his
left middle finger. But Andrew did not despair.
The courage to fail is very cheap. Every
fool can afford to fail. But it raises one the herds of cowards and
never-do-wells to be up and struggling. The reward of forbearance in the end is resounding success.
And so it was for Andrew. Ever since
he finished his university education, it had been success galore. He had got a
good job in one of the country’s insurance companies. His pay was good; his
promotion had been steady and his prospects
bright. At forty, he had a good car and had already bought a house of his own. The world was at his feet!
Questions
1. At what age was Andrew celebrating his
birthday party? (a) Forty years ago (b) After his university (c) when he became
rich (d) at forty
2. What was an indication that the
birthday was to be a sucessful one? (a) the brightness of the sky (b) the sun
went down very early (c) doubting Thomases (d) gloomy weather
3. What two hardships had Andrew gone
through in life? (a) He was an orphan and he passed through a storm (b) he was
an orphan and he suffered a machine accident (c) his little finger was cut off
and he was not discouraged (d) he had no helper and he struggled alone.
4. Why do you think Andrew was able to
succeed brilliantly? (a) encouragement of friends and well wishers (b) he went
through a lot in life (c) patience (d) faith in God.
5. ‘The world was at his feet’, what is
implied by the expression? (a) He had confidence (b) people always stood up for
him in occasions (c) he could buy anything he wanted (d) he was a success.
6. The
bright sun continued to smile’
What figure of
speech is this? (a) Personification (b) simile (c) metaphor (d) paradox
7.
What grammatical name is given to
‘The courage to fail?’ (a) noun phrase (b) noun clause (c) adverbial clause (d)
adjectival phrase.
8.
What is the function of the
statement in question 7? (a) modifies the verb ‘is’ (b) object of the sentence
(c) subject of the sentence (d) a complement.
For each of the following words, find
another word or phrase from the options given, which means the same and can
replace it as is it used in the passage.
9. pleasant (a) rainy (b) gloomy (c) tremendous (d) friendly
10.
beamed (a) light (b) shined (c)
smiled (d) wrinkled
Adopted from New Oxford Secondary School
English Course for Senior Secondary Schools
APPENDIX D
READING INTEREST
INVENTORY
Section A: Bio-Data
Please
tick () as appropriate and fill the space where necessary.
School:___________________________________________________
Class:____________________________________________________
Age:_____________________________________________________
Sex:_____________________________________________________
Hobbies:__________________________________________________
Section B
Please
tick (√) for the option that best fit your interest.
SA
= Strongly Agree, D = Disagree, A= Agree, SD= Strongly Disagree
|
S/N
|
|
SA4
|
A3
|
D2
|
SD1
|
|
1
|
I
prefer computer games to reading.
|
|
|
|
|
|
2
|
I
seldom make use of the public library.
|
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
My
parents have a home library.
|
|
|
|
|
|
4
|
I
do not get bored reading beyond half an hour.
|
|
|
|
|
|
5
|
Reading
is boring to me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
My
parents compel me to read sometimes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
7
|
I
prefer photography to reading.
|
|
|
|
|
|
8
|
I
usually find it difficult to read any novel to the end no matter how
interesting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
9
|
I
do not have a study time table.
|
|
|
|
|
|
10
|
I
cannot read with understanding in the class when it is noisy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
11
|
I
always read silently.
|
|
|
|
|
|
12
|
I
read less after school.
|
|
|
|
|
|
13
|
I
enjoy reading in my spare time during holidays.
|
|
|
|
|
|
14
|
I
rarely use the school library.
|
|
|
|
|
|
15
|
I
read newspaper when it is available only.
|
|
|
|
|
|
16
|
I
read to pass exams only.
|
|
|
|
|
|
17
|
I
prefer the computer to reading.
|
|
|
|
|
|
18
|
I
prefer someone to tell me the story in a novel than reading it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
19
|
I
prefer reading alone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
20
|
Reading
is my hobby.
|
|
|
|
|
RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN READING INTEREST AND STUDENTS ACHIEVEMENT IN READING COMPREHENSION
IN AFIKPO
EDUCATION ZONE OF
EBONYI STATE,
NIGERIA
DEPARTMENT OF
ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCE,
FACULTY OF
EDUCATION
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