Publication: Gender Difference in Reading Attitudes of Primary School Students: From the Lenses of Language Teachers
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Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Fakulti Pengajian Bahasa Utama, USIM
Abstract
Introduction - Literature reveals that attitude is a crucial factor in reading. Having positive
reading attitudes can influence students’ academic achievement. Research in this field has
increasingly investigated the nature and role of positive attitudes in language learning, and
also its variations between boys and girls. However, in Malaysia, there has only been a
small number of researches that investigate teachers’ perceptions on reading attitudes of
students especially those in primary schools. It is of great significance to explore the
reading attitudes of these groups of students as the Malaysian Government calls for every
student to be able to function in Bahasa Malaysia and also English language settings.
Purpose – This paper documents teachers' personal perceptions regarding students' reading
attitudes, ways of dealing with them, and their suggestions on teaching the different gender.
Methodology – This is a qualitative study which employs focus group interviews and
journal entries to gain an in-depth understanding of the reading attitudes of boys and girls
from teachers’ perspective. It involves interviews with six Bahasa Malaysia teachers and
six English teachers from six primary schools chosen randomly in Selangor. The focus
group interview sessions took approximately one hour and thirty minutes each. Data are
also obtained from journal entries to further elicit the teachers’ ideas and thoughts
regarding the issue. The results of the interviews are transcribed by the researchers, and
both the interviews and journal entries are analysed using thematic analysis.
Findings – In sum, teachers feel that girls have more positive attitudes toward reading in
comparison to boys. Data from the interviews and journal entries reveal rather similar and
parallel themes in relation to boys’ and girls’ reading attitudes in L1 and L2. Several themes
have emerged from the interviews with the teachers, which include the gendered preference
of reading materials, teaching strategies, school, family, peer, and student factors, which
all play a part in students’ literacy achievement. Although teachers are aware of the
differences between boys and girls in literacy, especially in reading, not many employ
different strategies in teaching reading to boys and girls.
Significance – Conceivably the Teacher Education Division could incorporate relevant
courses to deal with specific literacy teaching strategies regarding different gender.
Description
Prosiding Seminar Kebangsaan Majlis Dekan Pendidikan Universiti Awam Malaysia (MEDC 2020): “Ke Arah Menginsankan Pendidikan di Malaysia / Penyunting Hishomudin Ahmad, Noor Saazai Mat Saad, Rahimah Saimin, Kirembwe Rashid Abdul Hamed, Noorhayati Hashim, Sarifah Nurhanum Syed Sahuri, Zarina Ashikin Zakaria, Nur Shahadah Mohd Surbani
11-12 November 2020 (Seminar Dalam Talian)
Anjuran : Fakulti Pengajian Bahasa Utama, USIM & Majlis Dekan Pendidikan Universiti Awam Malaysia
Keywords
gender difference, reading attitudes, teachers’ perceptions