“Catching reading”: an investigation into the use of an online social book networking platform and its influence on Grade Eight students’ reading habits.

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of an online social book platform on secondary school learners’ reading habits, in order to explore how teachers and librarians can support students in improving their motivation and ‘will’ to read. Research shows that the affective processes of reading powerfully predict a reader’s engagement and success in reading and help to sustain the reader in their long-term reading journey. As students move into adolescence, and start secondary school, their motivation to read books for pleasure appears to decrease. Students appear to lose the ‘will’ to read books for pleasure. This results in less time spent reading books and engaging with written book texts, and thus students do not enjoy the potential benefits that this type of reading offers. The focus of this research has been on book reading. There is a vast amount of research showing the immense benefits that book reading confers on the readers’ current and future lives. Researchers agree on the benefits of book reading but there is limited research investigating the role of the affective processes involved in reading, namely: reader attitude, reader self-concept, a reader’s value of reading and a reader’s motivation for sustained and regular reading. The social nature of technology and its popular status in the life of the adolescent may afford these students’ opportunities that might impact their reading ‘will’, thus positively influencing their reading motivation, resulting in a more positive reader attitude, reader self-concept, as well as improved perceptions of the value of reading. In this exploratory case study in an all-girls’ secondary school in Durban, KZN, South Africa, Grade Eight students were introduced to Goodreads (GR), a social book networking platform specifically aimed at readers and book lovers. The aim of this study was to investigate and explore the use of the online platform GR, and how through its creative and engaging technological interface, it might impact and influence the young adolescent readers’ reading for pleasure. It was thought that GR might afford each reader a differentiated reading experience, a personalised meeting of other book lovers, readers and authors and in doing this connect with these adolescent readers where they were in their reading journey. In this case study I followed the reading journey and reading activity of 170 Grade Eight students. Using mixed methods, quantitative and qualitative data from the student survey responses and written reading reflections, as well as observations of their time spent on the GR intervention, this case study has indicated some change in relation to their reading engagement, reading volume, reading motivation, reader self-concept and perceived value of reading. The findings show that a readers’ motivation varies depending on the individual. Thus, to increase and arouse a student’s reading motivation the interventions sought must be personal and differentiated rather than systemic. Themes identified in this research are: the importance of choice and goal setting in reading; the social capital of reading within the school, home and community as it relates to a student’s value of reading; and the reader’s reading self-concept which is related to their motivation for reading. Implications for parents, teachers of reading and librarians are discussed, and recommendations for further research generated.