Effects of Reading Habits and Reading Level Proficiency on Essay Writing Performance in Senior Secondary School in Ondo State

Abstract

This study evaluated the reading habits and reading proficiency of SSS II students in Ondo State and determined whether their reading proficiency influences their essay writing proficiency. It also analysed the relationship between the reading proficiency and essay writing proficiency of the students. A descriptive survey-type design was employed in this study. The population for this study comprised all the public Senior Secondary School II (SSS II) students in Ondo State. Using a multi-stage sampling technique. The instruments used for this study are: The Macmillan (2012) “Straightforward Quick Placement and Diagnostic test” for assessing students’ reading level was deployed to assess the reading level (proficiency in independent reading and comprehension); The instrument used to determine the English Language essay writing proficiency consists of five different essay questions drawn from past questions of the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE); A concise, structured Questionnaire was developed and administered on the students to capture their reading habits. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the reading habits and proficiency level in reading and essay writing. Cross tabulation, chi square, and correlation coefficient were deployed to analyse the relationship between reading proficiency and essay writing proficiency. The findings of this study revealed that the number of students who engaged in reading habitually was very low, even though about 70.1 % of the students indicated an interest in reading. The results also revealed that the pre-intermediate level of reading proficiency was dominant among the SSS II students, with 37.0 %. Only 1.0 % of the students were at the Advanced level of reading. The mean proficiency score for the reading level test was 31.4. The study results indicate that there was a significant relationship between the reading level proficiency and the essay writing proficiency of the SSS II students.