Notwithstanding the substantial transformation of education in South Africa in the last 20 years, specifically to redress the past inequalities, the challenges are ongoing. These challenges include tertiary institutions having to accommodate a culturally and linguistically diverse group of students, often second-language (L2) English speakers, in an English
Education in South Africa, and more specifically tertiary education, continues to face challenges. Sutherland (
Many researchers have highlighted the importance of reading in an academic context. Palani (
Sutherland (
According to Sutherland (
This study aims to evaluate the students’ attitudes towards the reading module of the language literacy course of the intermediary programme and their perceptions of the benefits in the enhancement of reading skills. It is conducted to answer the research question: Do the students who are enrolled in the intermediary programme at VUT perceive the reading module as promoting reading skills or wasting time.
The activity of reading is demanding for the reader, and in the last 20 years, researchers have investigated the motivations for reading (Seitz
It is important not to underestimate the role of reading in academics and its influence on learning. Researchers have highlighted the value of developing reading skills and the benefits of reading, but the studies have moved towards stressing students’ positive attitudes and motivations towards reading (Tien
Reading is one of the most important academic tasks for any student. In fact, it can be argued that reading is the essence of all formal education as ‘literacy in academic settings exists within the content of a massive amount of print information’ (Grabe
In HE institutions, students are exposed to a number of texts and textbooks that require independent reading. Students are expected to comprehend what they read in order for them to successfully analyse, evaluate, synthesise and critique on the information from various sources (Bharuthram
The ability to read is acknowledged as the most stable and durable of the second-language (L2) modalities (Bernhardt
One of the key benefits of reading lies in its power to impart new vocabulary to students. This is evident in the numerous studies conducted over the years in schools and universities (Pitts, White, & Krashen
Reading builds knowledge of various kinds (
Pretorius (
Linguists and language educators recognise the four basic literacy skills as listening, speaking, reading and writing (Kolawole
Robatjazi (
Pretorius (
In a study of Turkish students in the Netherlands, Droop and Verhoeven (
Difficulties with reading comprehension could significantly impact the dropout rate of students in schools and universities. In the USA and Europe, there is a higher rate of dropout for L2 learners than for their monolingual first-language counterparts, and a study in 2009 indicated that the United States had a 21% dropout rate for foreign-born students (Melby-Lervåg & Lervåg
There can never be enough emphasis placed on the role and importance of the English reading in the attainment of education through communication abilities, specifically in South African HE institutions and the English
Pretorius (
This study takes cognisance that there are immeasurable benefits to reading, specifically academically. There are problems associated with reading skills, and the ones addressed in this research relate to the use of English
A positive attitude towards reading has been identified as motivation for students to continue reading, and reading has been identified as a tool for academic success. Academic success for students should be the foundation of any programme or curriculum development, and this study investigates the impact of the reading module on the students’ attitudes towards reading. This is performed to identify whether there has been a change in the attitudes of students towards reading, their perceptions of the change in reading attitudes and whether they intend to continue reading (see illustration in following paragraph).
A reading module leads to positive attitude → Increase in reading and improved reading skills → Academic success.
The purpose of the study was to investigate the perceptions of students, attending the VUT intermediary programme, towards the reading module of the programme. This was carried out to determine whether there was a change in their attitudes towards reading. The data were then compared to the results achieved by students for their entrance into the first-year English distance learning (EDL) subject to validate the findings.
A literature review on the influence of attitudes towards reading, the advantages of reading, life skills, L2 acquisition and academic achievement was conducted. In addition, both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to collect data. Walliman (
There is a dearth of research on the perception of the student on the benefits of reading (Dreyer & Kopper
The intermediary programme at VUT continuously addresses problems associated with poor student performance by researching the issues, formulating possible solutions and striving to overcome adversities experienced by the students. The programme aims to:
identify academically talented, but under prepared post-secondary domestic and foreign students from educationally and economically disadvantaged communities … develop the skills and resources required to obtain a tertiary qualification necessary to pursue a specific career. (Sutherland & Brits
The programme is open to all students with a grade 12 National Senior Certificate or an equivalent qualification and applicants are required to meet the predetermined entrance requirements. The programme is interventionary by nature and provides academic support to prospective students to enable them to meet the admission requirements of the university. One of the problems identified by the programme is that students lack adequate reading skills to achieve academic success, and in addition, there is a lack of positive attitude towards reading. The specific reading module referred to in this study is designed to change the reading attitudes of students by motivating and encouraging them to read, which could lead to the achievement of academic success. Students are required to read two novels prescribed by the programme curriculum with the purpose of achieving an in-depth understanding of the novels.
According to Wiid and Diggines (
According to Denscombe (
Section A of the questionnaire dealt with biographical details of the participants (four items), Section B explored the personal reading habits of participants before attending the intermediary programme at VUT (11 items), and Section C questioned the participants’ participation in the reading module (11 items). Section D delved into the future reading intentions of participants (12 items). Lastly, Section E required participants to indicate their opinion on a dichotomous scale (1 = yes and 2 = no) on whether they believed the intermediary programme developed their reading skills, and they were then required to follow-up stating why it did or did not play a role (two items). This final open-ended question was designed to provide insight into the opinions of participants regarding the development of reading skills by the intermediary programme. The comments made by the participants were examined for similarities and linked in themes for reporting.
The participants were requested to voluntarily stay behind at the end of one of their classes to participate in the study. The researchers handed out the questionnaires to the participants and these questionnaires were handed back to the researchers once completed. A sample size of 565 students was registered for the intermediary programme in various disciplines including information technology, humanities, engineering and management. Of the questionnaires that were distributed, 502 questionnaires were returned, of which 33 were deemed unusable because of missing information and 469 were considered suitable for data analysis.
Ethics in research guide the process of research and refer to the norms or standards (Gupta
The researchers implemented the following ethical procedures during the data collection process:
participation was voluntary
confidentiality and anonymity of participants was assured
all participants were requested to sign consent forms agreeing to participate in the study
participants could withdraw from the study at any time without any repercussions (Denscombe
The data were reported using descriptive statistics for analysis, with frequencies and percentages. Data were uploaded to the Statistical Programme for Social Studies (SPSS), version 15.0, for Windows for analysis.
Walliman (
The reliability assessment for the study was ascertained by computing the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient values, which is known as an internal consistency estimate of the reliability of test scores. According to Nunnally (
Demographic profile of participants.
Variable | % | Valid % | Cumulative % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valid | Male | 252 | 53.7 | 53.7 | 53.7 |
Female | 217 | 46.3 | 46.3 | 100 | |
Valid | 17 | 1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
18 | 36 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.9 | |
19 | 134 | 28.6 | 28.6 | 36.5 | |
20 | 144 | 30.7 | 30.7 | 67.2 | |
21+ | 154 | 32.8 | 32.8 | 100 | |
Language profiles of participants.
Understanding the importance of reading.
Before enrolling at VUT, I | % Strongly disagree | % Disagree | % Agree | % Strongly agree |
---|---|---|---|---|
Believed that reading is important for academic achievement | 4.3 | 2.6 | 25.4 | 67.7 |
Understood that if I did not have good reading skills I would not be a good student | 6.6 | 9.6 | 40.5 | 43.3 |
VUT, Vaal University of Technology.
Questions from Section B regarding the personal reading habits of participants including the participants’ reading habits from their school attendance rendered the results in
Personal reading habits.
Before enrolling at VUT, I | % Strongly disagree | % Disagree | % Agree | % Strongly agree |
---|---|---|---|---|
Considered reading to be a hobby | 7.5 | 26.4 | 49.5 | 16.6 |
Was a member of the local library or school library and regularly borrowed books | 24.7 | 32.6 | 32.4 | 10.2 |
Had read more than 10 books | 15.6 | 32.2 | 32.6 | 19.6 |
Often read for pleasure | 8.7 | 21.5 | 51.6 | 18.1 |
Read every book prescribed at my high school | 5.3 | 20.9 | 38.4 | 35.4 |
Had never read a book | 74.8 | 15.6 | 5.1 | 4.3 |
VUT, Vaal University of Technology.
It is deduced that the majority of participants, before enrolling in the intermediary programme, considered reading as a hobby, were members of the local or school library and regularly borrowed books, often read for pleasure and read every book prescribed at their high school. Only 32.6 agreed to having read more than 10 books, whilst 19.6% strongly agreed, 32.2% disagreed and 15.6% strongly disagreed, and only a small number of students (5.1% agreed and 4.3% strongly agreed) had never read a book before attending the intermediary programme.
Section C of the questionnaire measured the participants’ behaviour during the reading module of the programme.
Participants’ actions regarding reading.
With reference to the two prescribed novels, … | % Strongly disagree | % Disagree | % Agree | % Strongly agree |
---|---|---|---|---|
I read both the books that were assigned | 3.6 | 10.4 | 43.3 | 42.6 |
I only read one of the books that were assigned | 49.9 | 30.7 | 12.4 | 7 |
I did not enjoy reading the books | 50.7 | 35.6 | 8.5 | 5.1 |
It can be observed that the majority of the students read both the novels and only a small percentage did not read both novels. Similarly, only a small percentage said they only read one of the novels. Regarding their enjoyment of the novels, the majority of the participants agreed that they had enjoyed the novels and only a small percentage disagreed.
Therefore, it is evident that more participants read the books prescribed in the intermediary programme than those who read their books at school, as depicted in
Read every book at school.
Read both books at Vaal University of Technology (VUT).
Section D of the questionnaire was designed to discover whether the reading patterns and skills of participants had in fact been altered since attending the intermediary programme in order to confirm that skills development occurred. The results are indicated in
Future intentions (
Since attending, I … | % Strongly disagree | % Disagree | % Agree | % Strongly agree | M | SD |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Have discovered genres that I enjoy | 5.5 | 19.2 | 46.3 | 29 | 2.98 | 0.842 |
Intend to ensure that reading becomes my hobby | 6.4 | 17.5 | 47.5 | 28.4 | 2.98 | 0.846 |
Understand that good reading skills will improve my academic performance and make me a better student | 2.13 | 1.71 | 27.72 | 68.44 | 1.53 | 0.833 |
Intend to continue reading on a regular basis | 4.7 | 11.3 | 48.4 | 35.6 | 3.14 | 0.798 |
Want to explore different genres | 5.5 | 9.6 | 52.5 | 32.4 | 3.12 | 0.787 |
SD, standard deviation; M, mean.
The questions in Section D attempted to discover the future intentions of participants regarding reading, in order to establish whether a change in behaviour had occurred. When answering whether they have discovered new genres, the majority agreed on this.
As indicated in
Participants who considered reading a hobby before attending the intermediary programme.
Participants who consider reading a hobby subsequent to attending the intermediate programme.
Once the students complete the intermediary programme, they register for first-year courses, one of which is the EDL course, which is compulsory for all students. The aims, amongst others, are to assist students in overcoming English language and communication barriers and equip them with writing and communication skills. At the end of the year, one of the prerequisites for completion is a minimum speed of 300 words per minute. After registration, students are required to take a placement test. According to Walliman (
Placement test results for intermediary programme students.
Placement test results for direct English distance learning (EDL) students.
When the overall averages of these groups are compared, it is evident that the students who participated in the intermediary programme performed much better (77% mean) than those who did not attend the intermediary programme, but applied directly to the EDL programme (66% mean).
Comparative results of placement test results for EDL.
Section E of the questionnaire was designed to ascertain whether the participants believed that the intermediary programme had developed their reading skills and they were required to answer on a dichotomous scale (1 = yes and 2 = no) followed by the reason for their answer. Walliman (
The development of reading skills as perceived by participants.
Variable | % | Valid % | Cumulative % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valid | Yes | 398 | 84.9 | 85 | 85 |
No | 70 | 14.9 | 15 | 100 | |
Total | 468 | 99.8 | 100 | - | |
Missing | System | 1 | 0.2 | - | - |
Owing to the size of the study, it is not possible to include all the reasons supplied by the participants for their belief in the development of readings skills. However, some of the reasons and emerging themes are included in the next section.
A number of participants indicated that they believed their vocabulary and/or reading speed had increased and that they had gained an understanding of the benefits of reading whilst attending the programme:
‘I have developed a good reading skills and it also improved my vocabulary’.
‘It taught me to use a dictionary regularly’.
‘It does not only improve our reading skill but also teaches us new words and vocabulary’.
‘Because for the first time in my life I managed to finish a whole book and learned new words out of the 2 books’.
‘I was slow when it came to reading but after reading every day my speed of reading improved and my vocabulary is expanding’.
‘Because it improved my reading skills which means my studying also improved and my marks changed for the better’.
‘It helped me cope with the workload so reading was an escape route for me’.
‘By first forcing me to read it gradually introduced me to a state where I wanted to read more’.
‘The language programme “forced” me to read two books, which I really didn’t believe I’d enjoy but found out that reading is fun and enjoyable’.
‘Because I used to read only when told to do so by my lecture or teacher, but this days I even read on my own for fun’.
‘I never used to read before, but realised how much I have learned, even when I thought I wouldn’t’.
‘Because I can now sit and read books in a library’.
‘Because I have improved on reading skills and gaining confidence and I enjoyed each and every moment’.
‘I would usually skip chapters of a book to get to know the end of it, but not anymore’.
‘It increased my reading ability, concentration span, improved my vocabulary and I also learned real life lesson’.
‘Because having finished the two books in under a month made me realise that finishing a book is possible’.
‘The programme has helped me a lot because reading is the key to success for me to succeed I must read’.
These comments generally indicate that the programme fostered a change in the attitude towards reading of many students and that they were motivated to continue reading in the future.
The participants who disagreed with whether the intermediary language programme developed their reading skills stated that they either did not fully participate in the programme or believed that their skills did not need improvement, as indicated by the following comments:
‘I personally did not do much reading but I think it helped some people’.
‘I was taught how to read from a young age. Reading at varsity was a waste of time’.
‘Because I’ve been reading books from high school and I was always motivated to read more. It is not anything new that I’ve been taught before’.
‘I am a fluent reader’.
‘Because before I joined this programme I was always a good reader’.
Through the research article, the results indicate that of the 469 participants in this study, the majority (84.9%) perceived there had been a change in their reading skills and only a small number (14.9%) believed that there had not been a change in their reading skills. Furthermore, many participants plan to make reading their hobby (75.9%) and when asked if they understand that good reading skills will improve their academic performance and make them better students, 96.1% agreed, whilst only 6.4% disagreed. These figures are a clear indication of the substantial benefits from the programme, with students developing an enjoyment and enthusiasm about the reading. This leads to an improved attitude in students towards reading and a change in reading behaviour.
Lewin (
As stated by Bamford and Day (
A limitation to the study is that within a diverse South African context the results from this study cannot be generalised to other universities, as there may be immense differences such as socio-economic status and cultural demographics of students. The male to female ratio in this study was fairly balanced but this study did not examine the differences between male and female perceptions or attitudes towards reading; this could be investigated further. It is also recommended that future studies include a benchmark test before the commencement of the programme and a test after completion of the programme. This would be beneficial for future studies because the statistical evidence of a before and after test could be used to compare participants’ perceptions about actual achievements.
The researchers recommend the continuation of the reading module in the intermediary programme at the VUT. This recommendation is supported by the positive feedback received from the students and motivated by a review of reading research (Pretorius
It is hoped that the research article will serve as a catalyst for institutions to seriously consider initiating similar programmes (Pretorius
The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships which may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.
L.S. and E.S. contributed equally to the writing of this article.