STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF READING HABITS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS (A CASE STUDY OF FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC NEDKEDE, OWERRI)

ABSTRACT

       This study is aimed at determine the statistical Analysis of reading habits and academic performance of polytechnic students, Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri that was used as a case study. Questionnaire were administered to the students in all the text conducted, using chi-square test of independence which shows that the performance of students is dependent on their reading habits and also that the sex of student is independent of their performance. Recommendation however were made based on these findings some of them were that lecture rooms should be provided and libraries developed to enhance effective reading. Specially in chapter four it analysis the information of reading habit of students in relation to their performance. Meanwhile, the last chapter reveals some factors, which led to the inability of students to comprehend easily.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page————————————————-      i

Approval Page ——————————————-       ii

Dedication ———————————————–      iii

Acknowledgment —————————————-      iv

Abstract ————————————————-       v

Table of Contents————————————— vi

CHAPTER ONE

1. Introduction and General Background ———–  1
   1. Statement of the Problem————————- 4
   1. Scope of the study———————————       5
   1. Aims and objective of the study —————— 5
   1. Significant of the study ————————— 6
   1. Problems encountered during the study———   7
   1. Statement of the hypothesis ——————–   7
   1. Limitation of the study—————————  8
   1. Definition of terms——————————-   9

CHAPTER TWO

• Literature review ——————————–   11  
  • Definition of reading —————————-    11
  • Conceptual modern of the reading process—-     12
  • Reading habit————————————    15
  • Causes of reading habit ————————-   16
  • Relationship between reading and

       academic performance————————–           20

• Comprehension and academic performance —    21

CHAPTER THREE

• Research methodology————————–    23
  • Data source————————————-           23
  • Sampling procedure—————————-            23
  • Method of data collection———————–           24
  • Method of data analysis————————            24
  • Chi – square test of independence ———–             25
  • Characteristics of chi-square test ————              26

CHAPTER FOUR

• Data presentation and analysis—————–    28
  • Testing the reading habit of students in

       relation to the performance———————    30

• Testing the sex of student and their

performance————————————-    35

• Performance of female students and place

        of residence————————————-          39

CHAPTER FIVE

• Summary and findings ————————             47
  • Conclusion ————————————-            48
  • Recommendation——————————             49
  • Suggestions for further study —————        50

Bibliography———————————–              51

Questionnaire ———————————             54

CHAPTER ONE

1. INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL BACKGROUND

Attention has been given to the reading problems of students in Nigeria. One major reason for this is that there has been a lot of misconception and lack of understanding and agreement about what reading is and how it should be done.

In Nigeria, reading is perceived as verbalization of the written symbols. This perception of reading underscores the belief that whoever can read is acquiring knowledge. it is assumed that skills for activity has been learnt during the primary education when people were taught alphabets and how to read word recognition. This category of people have failed to realize that reading is more than mere reading of printed words on a page of paper.

Thus narrow perception of what reading is does not give direction to the appreciation of reading as response orientated.

English language is the official language of Nigeria and Nigerians learnt it, as a second language. This, no doubts has affected many individuals capacities for reading and performance in academic studies. Students are faced with volume of work that should be read with comprehension and speed if they have to pass well in their examination but quiet often students in most schools bring with them reading habits/skills which have hardly been develop and some with bad reading habits which have not been corrected. This problem is compounded by the fact that after the secondary education most people never again have a formal reading lesson even though the ability to learn a clearly significant factor of developing reading increase with maturity.

A person proficiency in reading to generally judge by the fluency, speeding word recognition and the ability to comprehend the reading materials.

The need for a proper guidance becomes necessary for lecturers to help their student develop those skills that could be for them such skills include:

1. Ability to identify main ideas
2. The ability to identify the topic sentence
3. The ability to follow verbal direction links between words and ideas
4. The ability to follow organizational pattern for the students to attain these skills. They need to develop the right attribute towards reading.

A lot of scholars have emphasized the importance of reading.

       Reading is a part of everyday living that one can hardly imagine modern life without it. The recognition of this fact was ascertained by Thomas Jefferson, one time president of America who writes in one of this letters that people who read can be free because reading banishes ignorance and superstition. He went further to say where the press is free and every man is able to read, then all is safe.

       Reading is the care of language learning. It is the central able to read printed materials, he or she begins to communicate with deals of information. However depends greatly on his reading skill which needs to develop since it is not natural.