Reading Habits and Literacy : A Qualitative Study of Upper Secondary Students' Reading Habits, Their Home-Environment, and the Perceived Literary Practices of the School

Abstract: The purpose of this essay is to explore the relationship between students’ reading habits, the reading habits of their home-environment, and how these are perceived to relate to the literary practices of the school. This study examines the reading habits of 14 students at an upper secondary school in Stockholm, Sweden, and Skolverket’s proposed methods of developing reading-skills among students. The data was empirically gathered through qualitative interviews with students enrolled in the course English 7. The results show that while the students do read frequently, and a variety of different text-types, they do not perceive their reading habits to be beneficial to their schoolwork. There is a clear disassociation in students’ minds in regards to the reading that they undertake as part of their daily routine and that which they engage in at school. The results indicate a need for further studies on the subject due to the small scope of the gathered data.