Assessment of EFL Students’ Perception and Habits of Reading Resources Written in English: Grade 10 Students of Kedida Gamela Woreda Secondary Schools in Focus.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess English as foreign language (EFL) students’ perception and their reading habit in the sampled secondary schools of Kadida Gamela Woreda. The subjects of the study were grade 10 EFL students in the stated district. Descriptive-co relational research design was employed and accordingly mixed approach was used to analyze the data. In order to pick the teachers, Librarians and school principals, purposive sampling technique was deployed and the students were selected by using stratified random sampling technique. Questionnaire, interview and observation were used as data gathering instruments. Quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics whereas the qualitative data were analyzed using words. The findings indicated that grade 10 EFL students in the sampled secondary school read by giving more emphasis for academic reading materials and with less weight on nonacademic reading materials. The regularity of students’ reading was limited because students read only when they had assignments and exams. The result of the study pointed that there was strong positive relation between EFL students’ perception and their reading habit. Moreover the finding indicted teachers, family, environment, students and school administrative related factors affected students’ reading habit. Therefore, it was concluded that students’ reading perception was confined to academic reading and their reading perceptions of the students was distorted due to the above mentioned factors that contributed to limited reading habit development of students. Recommendations forwarded were: stakeholders like teachers, parents, librarians, school directors should work to develop students’ reading. Students should upgrade their reading habit instead of seldomely reading for examination and to do assignments.