A SCHOOL LIBRARY COLLECTIONS, PROGRAMMES AND FREE VOLUNTARY READING OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN IMO STATE

ABSTRACT
Free voluntary reading has the potential for increased self concept, reading ability, academic success, social, physical, mental, vocabulary and grammatical growth of secondary school students. The school library with its collections and reading programmes has the responsibility for the inculcation and promotion of free voluntary reading in secondary school students. Despite all these, literature and observation have shown that secondary school students in Nigeria including Imo State are not reading as they should. Students spent more time in viewing television and video programmes rather than on literacy activities. The purpose of this study therefore is to investigate the influence school library collection programmes and free voluntary reading of students in Imo State. The study specifically intended to: determine the level of students free voluntary reading; determine the school library collection available for free voluntary reading; ascertain the reading programmes employed to promote free voluntary reading, establish the influence of school library collection and reading programmes on free voluntary reading; identify constraints to free voluntary reading and identify steps for improving free voluntary reading of students. Seven research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The study is based on two theories, the constructionist theory and the reading hypothesis model theory. The study employed descritive design. The population of the study comprised 36 secondary schools in Imo State that have libraries. Multi stage sampling technique was employed in this study. The first stage was the purposive sampling of the schools that had functional libraries in the state. A total of 29 schools that had functional libraries were selected. The second stage was the proportionate stratified random sampling of students from JSS 1, SS 1 and SS 2. Applying this technique, a total of 1, 473 school students were randomly selected from the 29 schools. All the 29 teacher librarians in the 29 schools were also selected for this study. Questionnaire, interview and observation were used to collect data from respondents. The data was analyzed using frequency tables, percentage, average, mean, standard deviations pie chart, bar chart and regression analysis. The study revealed that students do not read in great quantity, non-fiction books are more in the collection (93.43%), fiction books and periodicals are grossly inadequate, access to reading materials, debate, lending of books and assistance in book selection were the major programmes employed (2.65). There is positive relationship between school library collections and free voluntary reading; there is strong relationship between school library reading programmes and free voluntary reading. There is significant relationship (p < 0.5) between fiction books and free voluntary reading. These are significant relationship (p < 0.05) between reading programmes and free voluntary reading of students. Also distraction from television programmes (2.85 ± 0.89) and none teaching of reading in the schools (2.73 ± 0.90) were major factors affecting free voluntary reading. Lending of books (3.32 ± 0.67) and provision of newspaper and magazines (3.32 ± 0.68) were steps for improving free voluntary reading.
Table of Contents
Title Page i
Approval page iii
Certification iv
Table of Contents v
Abstract xi
CHAPTER ONE: Introduction 1
Background of the Study 1
Statement of the Problem 7
Objective of the study 8
Research questions 9
Hypotheses 9
Significance of the study 9
Scope of the Study 10
CHAPTER TWO: Review of Related Literature
Conceptualframework 12
Concept of reading 12
Concept of free voluntary reading 15School library collection for free voluntary reading 20
Programmes for developing free voluntary reading 22
Influence of school library collection, programmes on free
voluntaryreading 26
Constraints to free voluntary reading 27
Steps school library will take for improvement of free voluntary reading 30
Theoretical Framework
Constructionist theory 34
Reading hypothesis model theory 37 Review of related empirical studies 37
Summary of literature review 44
CHAPTER THREE:
Research Method 47
Design of the study 47
Area of the study 47
Population of the study 47
Sample and sampling techniques 48
Instruments for data collection 48
Validation of the instrument 49
Reliability of the instruments 50
Methods of data collection 51
Methods of data analysis 51
CHAPTER FOUR: Presentation and Analysis of Data
Research question 1 52
Research question 2 53
Research question 3 56
Research question 4 60Research question 5 62
Research question 6 64
Research question 7 65
Hypotheses 1 67Hypotheses 2 68Summary of the findings 69
CHAPTERFIVE: Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendations
Discussion of the findings 71
Implications 76
Recommendations 78
Suggestions for further studies 78
Limitations of the study 79
Conclusions 79
REFERENCES 80
APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Distribution of population to their school 93
Appendix 2: Questionnaire for students 94
Appendix 3: Interview schedule for teacher librarian 98
Appendix 4: Observation checklist 99
Appendix 5: Crombach Alpha formula 100
Appendix6: Formular for calculating the mean 100
Appendix 7: Formular for calculating standard deviation 100
Appendix 8: formular for calculating regression analysis 101
LIST OF TABLES
Table
1. Frequency and mean ratingof the respondents at each level of free voluntary
reading 52
2. Frequencies and percentage of respondents on the availability of school
library collectionfor free voluntary reading 54
3. Frequencies and percentages of readingprogrammes employed
to promote free voluntary reading 57
4. Analysis of reading progrmmes employed by libraries to promote reading 58 5. Summary of analysis influence of school library collection on free
voluntary reading 61
6. Summary of analysis of influence of reading programmes on free voluntary
Reading 63
7. Mean rating and standard deviations of respondents on the constraints
to their free voluntary reading 64
8. Mean rating and standard deviations of respondents on the steps that should be
taken by the school library to improve free voluntary reading among students 66
9. Summary of student’s t-statistics on the influenceof school library
collections on free voluntary reading 67
10. Summary of students’t-statistics on the influence of school library
Programmes on students free voluntary reading 68