POVERTY AND PEER PRESSURE AS PREDICTORS OF READING CULTURE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN IBADAN, NIGERIA

Abstract

Research evidence signals that students’ reading culture is declining on daily 
basis; hence, this study sampled 250 students across secondary schools to 
investigate poverty and peer pressure as predictors of reading culture among 
secondary school students in Ibadan, Nigeria. One research question and four 
hypotheses guided the research. Researchers self-designed Instrument tagged 
Poverty and Peer Pressure as Predictors of Reading Culture Scale (PPPRCS, 
R=.70) was used for data collection.  Data were analysed using frequency counts, 
percentage, mean and standard deviation, Pearson Product Moment Correlation 
and multiple regression analysis. The adolescents have moderately high levels of 
poverty (mean= 29.38, SD=5.82), peer pressure (mean=27.00, SD=8.16) but low 
reading culture level (mean=16.94, SD=11.07), a weak, negative and significant 
correlation between adolescents’ poverty level and  reading culture (r=-0.42; 
n=250, p<.05)., high, negative and significant relationship between adolescents 
peer pressure and  reading culture  (r=-0.629, n=250, p<.05) Furthermore, results 
indicate that the relative contributions of adolescents’ poverty level (β=.310; t=
8.201p<.05) and peer pressure (β=.295; t=-5.947, p<.05) to adolescents’ reading 
culture are significant. Lastly, there is a significant composite contribution of 
adolescents’ poverty level and peer pressure to adolescents’ reading culture. 
(R=.309; R2 =.095; F (2,247) = 13.716). Based on these findings, it was 
recommended that educational stakeholders should endeavour to provide basic 
needs for students’ educational materials to boost their reading culture, 
motivation in form of scholarship and gainful employment opportunities should 
be made available to the graduating students and obviously this may encourage 
their reading culture and enhance their learning outcomes in schools.