Promoting reading for pleasure among Junior High School Students: a case study of the Saint Andrew`s Anglican Complex Junior High School, Sekondi

Abstract

Reading is a crucial part of our daily life. It will be very difficult for students to succeed and achieve their fullest potential if they do not enjoy reading. This study focused on investigating the promotion of reading for pleasure among Junior high school students. The research methodology adopted for the study was the case study approach. A total number of 93 respondents comprising 87 Students, 5 Teachers and 1 Headteacher participated in the study. Questionnaires were administered to solicit information from the respondents, whilst an interview schedule was used for the Teachers and Headteacher of the school. The findings suggested that majority of the respondents do not read for pleasure, they only engage in reading primarily to pass their examinations and not so much for their personal development, fun, or to be well informed. It was also found that the total time spent on reading daily by most of the respondents was between 1-2 hours. The research findings also showed that majority of the respondents consider television viewing as a serious drawback to their engagement in leisure reading. Some of the suggestions that the study offered for promoting reading for pleasure among students were that the schools need to implement reading promotion programmes that will make reading an experience that is actively sought out by students. The researcher also suggested that a functional school library should be set up within the basic educational system; that should be well-equipped with the necessary resources to serve the reading needs of the children. The school library should create a conducive environment for reading that can make the children feel at home to engage in reading for pleasure activities