Students’ Attitudes towards Extensive and Intensive Reading and Instructors’ Motivational Strategies

Abstract:

This paper analyses Kuwaiti undergraduate students’ attitudes towards extensive and intensive reading, and the strategies instructors employ to motivate their students to do the required reading. Reading is the principal method of acquiring knowledge which enables students to learn about themselves and the world around them. Unfortunately literature and teachers’ accounts illustrate a lack of habitual reading in Gulf Arab society (Shannon, 2003). The study used qualitative research methods to assess students’ and instructors’ perspectives; the student participants completed questionnaires and the instructors were interviewed. Findings of this research suggest that college students in Kuwait do intensive reading when reading is a compulsory component of the course, but not necessarily enjoy doing it. Instructors all agree that Kuwaiti students read less than an average college student and have almost no interest in reading for pleasure. The study is expected to help practitioners to have a better understanding of their students’ strengths and weaknesses in reading and make the necessary changes in the curriculum to create more opportunities and instil a greater interest in reading.