An Investigation Of Students’ Reading Ability And Its Influence On Their Academic Performance:Sagure Secondary School In Focus

Abstract

This study was an attempt to investigate secondary school students reading ability and its influence on their academic performance. The study was held in Sagure Secondary School which is found in Oromia regional state Arsi zone. Among the 1100 grade ten students, 10% of them taken as a sample by random sampling method. Twenty teachers from five departments (English, Civics, History, Geography and Biology) were also involved in this study. Students and teachers’ questionnaire, teachers’ interview and reading test for students were used as a data gathering tools. After carefully gathering the appropriate data by using questionnaires, interviews and reading test ,then data was analyzed by using frequency for the data which requires analyzing quantitatively and description for the data which required analyzing qualitatively. The findings of the research showed that students’ awareness and uses of reading strategies is average. There is also reading comprehension problem among students. Students’ level of participation in reading task was average. The number of Students who went to the school library to study and to use reference materials is smaller than the Students who did not go. Most Students read Afan Oromo and Amharic texts than English texts in their leisure time reading. Based on the findings and the conclusions the following recommendations are forwarded: teachers should increase students’ level of participations in reading class by designing and giving emphasis for reading task. The different stake holders of the school should create conducive environment for reading, and parents should encourage students to read different books at home. Students should read more English texts than others texts in their leisure reading.