Home and school factors as determinants of achievements in reading comprehehension among senior secondary school students in Ogun State Nigeria

Abstract

Basic to performance in all other subjects is the ability of learners to read and understand in the language of instruction. The deterioration in the performance of secondary school learners in Ogun State of Nigeria in reading comprehension is a problem that bothers parents, teachers, administrators and government. This problem prompts this study designed to identify and analyse home and school factors that influence achievement in reading comprehension among senior secondary school students in Ogun State, Nigeria to determine and analyse factors that underlie achievement in reading comprehension. These fators were identified and the level to which they influence reading comprehension of learners tested for significance. Using a mixed-method study design, qualitative data were collected from teachers through interview and classroom observation to determine the extent to which they use seven strategies for teaching reading. Responses to 66 Likert - type questionnaire items as well as performance on an English language comprehension test were generated for a random sample of 600 learners from 20 senior secondary schools from Ogun State. Qualitative data were collected from four teachers through interview and classroom observation conducted to ascertain the strategies they use in teaching reading comprehension. Using narrative and discourse analysis, four research questions were answered. The resulting quantitative data from students‟ data were analysed using population test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson product correlation method, and multiple regressions analysis using Version 21 of SPSS to test 13 hypotheses. The results of the analyses showed that home and school factors significantly predict achievement in reading comprehension. There were also significant relationships between the extent to which teachers used seven strategies to teach and achievement in reading comprehension. Recommendations were made to parents, school administrators, government and other relevant stakeholders on the need to revitalise the dwindling education system orchestrated by underachievement in reading comprehension.