Assessment of Students Use of Library and Reading Comprehension Performance among Selected Colleges in Kaduna Metropolis
Assessment of Students Use of Library and Reading Comprehension Performance among Selected Colleges in Kaduna Metropolis.
ABSTRACT
This study assesses students’ use of library and reading comprehension performance among selected colleges in Kaduna metropolis. The population for the study from the two colleges slated in respect of the study was 1,304.
A total proportional sample of 391 was used for the study. The instruments adopted for this study included questionnaires, observations and a reading profile register.
The hypotheses of the research were tested via well-structured questionnaires that were served on the students and a reading profile register to determine the frequency of their visits to the library, to observe the type of materials or text they read and how such impacted on their performance.
The instruments of this study were assessed on their face validity under the strict guidance of an expert.
To determine the reliability, KR2 formula was used to calculate the reliability estimate, which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.72. The data collected were analyzed in relation to their performance in a recent examination under reading comprehension.
Two hypotheses were accepted, which implied that frequent, as well as occasional visits to the library for free extensive reading enhance reading comprehension performance.
The third hypothesis showed that non-visit to the library for free extensive reading had a negative effect on the students’ comprehension performance. This hypothesis was therefore rejected.
The major findings in this study showed that non-visits to the library for free extensive reading had a negative effect on the students’ comprehension performance. This hypothesis was therefore rejected.
The major findings in this study showed that, effective patronage of the library for extensive reading had the potential of developing and enhancing comprehension performance of students.
Negative attitudes towards use of library, on the other hand, inhabited performance. There was therefore a dire need to re-equip, enrich and improve college libraries with modern facilities for better service delivery.
Orientation campaign effort should also be mounted for the benefit of the students toward the value and importance of the use of the college libraries.
Teachers should as well encourage students through assignments to patronize such libraries so as to derive maximum benefit from them which could enrich their schemata to confront varied reading comprehension texts with ease.
INTRODUCTION
Academic libraries are essential to the educational process because they serve as the heart of the learning centre of any given educational institution.
They also provide support services for educational programmes, facilities for research and for generation of new knowledge. At the tertiary level of the educational system, students largely depend on books to supplement the knowledge gained from lecture sessions.
However, the present trend indicates that most students patronize the library only to seek specific information, carry out specific assignments or read for examinations.
The trend is rightly observed by Todd (2001 .118 – 124), as follows: Perhaps the most significant factor affecting the role of school libraries and librarians in relation to student’s achievement is the explosion of information particularly the digital resources.
Given the vast volumes of information, the rapidly obsolete nature of much of it on the internet and the questionable quality of much that is available, the role of school libraries has arguably become important than in the past.
This view reiterates the over – dependence on digital resources, especially the internet to the detriment of traditional use of school libraries.
School libraries still remain the best place where students can enjoy a quiet and calm reading of varied materials that can enrich their background knowledge and experience in tackling varied reading comprehension texts.
This study seeks to investigate whether extensive reading of varied materials from the school library has any significant relationship with students‟ comprehension level.
Some 2 scholars, teachers and experts in the field hold the view that background knowledge and experience greatly facilitate students reading comprehension performance in a given text.
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