To read or not to read

Do students really have the option?

Abstract

Reading continues to be a critical skill for success in university studies. However, students have competing interests and activities which make academic reading less of a priority. The aim of the study is to explore the reasons why students do or do not engage with set reading tasks using an extant survey instrument. The literature highlights several factors, including a lack of interest in the academic subject, family duties and work obligations, which contribute to this behaviour and indicates how it might possibly be addressed. The theoretical foundations of this work stem from areas such as strategic learning, reading non-compliance, curriculum structure, and student engagement. The aim of the study is to explore the reasons why students do or do not engage with set reading tasks using an extant survey instrument. Building on the literature which discusses why students do not read, the pilot study presented in this paper examines the reading behaviours amongst a group of first year business students studying in block mode at Victoria University (Australia). The paper explores the implications for teaching practice and the potential for further research.