EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN READING HABITS AND READING COMPREHENSION AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

Reading is a basic academic skill that has a profound impact on the general learning and understanding levels among students. This research examined a correlation between reading habits and reading comprehension among secondary school students in the District Gujranwala of Pakistan. A correlational research design was implemented and all 9th-grade students of 345 secondary and higher secondary public schools were incorporated as the population. Cluster random sampling was employed where 35 schools were randomly selected with 1,550 students forming part of the area sample. Data were documented using a Reading Habits Questionnaire, and a Reading Comprehension Test, easily analyzed by Pearson correlation. The results found a positive high correlation between reading habit and reading comprehension among students. The correlation was slightly higher in female students and students in urban regions than in male students and students in rural regions. The study concludes that regular and intentional reading behavior greatly contributes to comprehension skills and physical schools should accentuate a reading culture and avail reading resources. It is recommended to implement the systematic reading programs, improve the access to reading materials, and extend special assistance to rural and male students.