Smart devices use and reading habits of private secondary school students in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The advent of digital media and the growing collection of digital documents have had a profound impact on reading. This study was carried out to investigate the influence of smart devices utilisation on the reading habits of students in selected private secondary schools in Ibadan, Oyo
State, Nigeria. The study adopted the survey research design with a study population of 408 secondary school students in five private secondary schools in Akinyele LGA of Oyo State. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 50% of the population while questionnaire was the main instrument for data collection. Data was analysed using frequency distribution, mean and standard deviation for the research questions. Findings revealed that that Android (Techno, Samsung, Gionee, Infinix) 60.7% and Blackberry 12.6% were the mostly used mobile smart devices
by the secondary school students. These devices were mostly used on daily basis. Some of the purpose of use of mobile smart devices by secondary school students in Akinyele LGA were for communication (e.g., calls, texting, e-mails); completing assignments; and for social networking. Results further revealed that concerning reading habits of students, 96.2% of the students read to acquire knowledge; 91.2% like reading always; and 61.2% students like reading on smart devices. Distraction from the use of mobile devices, high cost of textbooks and other reading materials, as well as inadequate time to read were some of the major challenges to reading habits of students in the selected secondary schools. Many students now prefer to read on smart devices rather than the printed texts. Apart from this, reading class notes and subject related textbooks have become their
usual habits. This can be attributed to the availability and the handy nature of the mobile smart devices which offer the students opportunity of accessing information on the go. Therefore, parents should monitor the use of smart phones by their children to prevent the distractions. Also, School authorities should also formulate rules and policies guiding the use of mobile smart devices among students while in school.

Key Words: Devices, Smart, Reading, Habit, Students, Schools.