Abstract:
The main purpose of the study was to assess gender difference in reading habit and reading strategy
use: the case of grade eleven students at Adu Sigmo Higher Secondary School.
To conduct the study, descriptive design with a mixed research method was used. Questionnaire and
interview for both male and female students were the instruments used to collect data for the study.
The sample of the study consisted of two classrooms, which contains102 students among these sixty
two male and forty female students were selected randomly for the study using simple random sampling
technique. Data were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis.
The closed-ended data were analyzed by frequency counting and percentage quantitatively, whereas,
qualitative data analysis was used to analyze structured interview in words. At the end, both data forms
were organized and presented thematically.The findings of the study revealed that there was no
adequate practice of reading habit and reading strategy use especially female students in EFL classes
to develop their reading habit in Adu Sigmo Higher Secondary School. The finding of the study
suggested that male students practiced reading habit in integrating reading strategy use in Adu Sigmo
Higher secondary School. The findings of the study also showed that female students did not have good
reading habit and different strategies use to improve their reading problems in relation to participating
reading task as the content of the reading activities are assimilated in the reading text to develop their
reading habit in EFL classes. Therefore, it was recommended that both male and female students
should have good reading habit in integrating reading strategy use in all aspect.
