UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS’ READING EXPERIENCE: FROM TRADITIONAL TO DIGITAL SPACES

Authors

  • Sheila I. Njemanze Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejel.v11i5.7013

Keywords:

undergraduates, comprehension, academic reading, grudging act, pleasure reading

Abstract

This is an empirical study designed to shed some light on the reading experience of undergraduate students from analog to virtual spaces. Reading is not just a language skill; it is a life skill that continues to impact an individual beyond schooling. However, casual commentaries from teachers in higher education suggest that students generally fall behind in assigned reading tasks. This is perceived as a problem since academic success in tertiary education is inextricably tied to reading performance. The focus group consists of twenty-four participants selected from 200-level Education English students using snowball sampling. To gain deeper insight into undergraduate reading experience, the researcher adopted a dual approach – a questionnaire and a follow-up oral interview. The affect theory and thematic analytic framework were adopted for the data analyses. The concluding section recommends practicable ways students could be best supported in their reading journey extrinsically and through self-determination.

Author Biography

  • Sheila I. Njemanze, Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
    Sheila I. Njemanze is a teacher educator and a member of different associations for teachers of English. Apart from her research-based journal publications, she is keen on materials writing. Speaking Skills: A Self-Study Guide and Phonetics and English Phonology: Concepts and Applications are her most recent books written for the undergraduate level. She also speaks at training workshops and non-academic events.

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Published

2026-09-14

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