Relationship between the Use of Internet and Reading Culture of Secondary School

Students in Lagos State

Olubukola O. Longe, Samuel O. Adeniyi & Veronica I. Aka-Nwachukwu

Department of Educational Foundations
University of Lagos

Abstract
This research work is on the relationship between of the Use of Internet and Reading Culture of
secondary school students in Lagos state. Purposive random sampling approach was used to
select two hundred (200) students. A researcher-designed questionnaire that reflected the
relationship between the Use of Internet and Reading Culture based on gender and class,
frequency use of the Internet; ease of use; and problems associated with the use of internet were
covered. The instrument had reliability co-efficient of 0.81. Inferential statistics of Pearson
product moment correlational coefficient test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 significant
levels. The results revealed that there was no significant relationship between senior secondary
student’s use of the internet and the student’s reading culture based on gender, and class. The
result also showed that secondary school students use the internet for close to 16 hours daily;
the perceived internet to be easy to use; the effect of the use of the internet on reading culture
was positive; and they face challenges in the use of the internet. Based on these findings it was
recommended among others that students should be encouraged to develop a reading culture
that will impact positively on their academic work; adequate provision should be made for good
internet connectivity within and outside the school.
Keywords: internet usage, reading culture, secondary school, gender, class

Introduction
Reading is the ability to use letters or groups of letters in place of spoken words to absorb ideas
from written words. Reading is a selective process. It involves partial use of available minimal
language Cues selected from perceptual input on the basis of the reader’s expectation. As this
partial information is processed, tentative decisions are made to be confirmed, rejected, or
refined as reading progresses (Sangia R.a 2014). It is a complex interaction between the text and
the reader which is formed by a previous reader knowledge, experience, attitude, and
language community which is culturally and Socially situated. Reading process requires
continuous training, development, creativity, improvement and critical analysis. Reading
comprehension is an important foundation of a child's academic performance. Reading is a
complex skill requiring the coordination of several interrelated sources of information (Nnadozie
and Egwim (2010)). It is the art of interpreting printed and written words, and the most effective
process of conscious learning, which influences the extent and accuracy of information as well as
the attitudes, morals, beliefs, judgment and action of individuals (Edeole & Adejoke, 2016).
However, due to the attitude of individuals who rarely pick a book or magazine to read, there is a
serious decline in reading culture. The same applies to the school child for whom reading has
come to mean a thing of spare time. Considering the place of creative thinking in reading, it
becomes very important for one to develop the rudiments of reading and the culture of reading
always (Akidi .J.O, Oyije- Agbese F.A,& Chukwueke. C 2021) Reading culture is a complex
activity that involves a variety of factors that come from within the reader and external factors.
In addition, reading culture can also be regarded as a product of human kind's ability to learn

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 Olubukola O. Longe, Samuel O. Adeniyi & Veronica I. Aka-Nwachukwu

Olubukola O. Longe, Samuel O. Adeniyi & Veronica I. Aka-Nwachukwu

from the environment, and not a capability that is Instinctive or inborn instinct.(Rohib A.S
2014). According to (Onifade 2012), the studying tradition among Nigerians, in particular
college students, has declined significantly, elevating worries that many college students will
now no longer read books from the library at college. Reading is a globally identified highbrow
and cultural pastime that makes the mind wholesome and alive, unfortunately, the tradition of
studying books is sort of non-existent in our society.
The importance of reading culture cannot be overstressed because it is crucial for both personal
and academic success. Furthermore, it is an aid to language development, socialization and
civilization. The development of good reading culture is important because society has realized
the importance of information and effective communication for the survival and exploitation of
their environment. Moreover, the development of reading and reading culture are basic skills,
which society must confer on its students as part of their childhood education. Unfortunately,
there are problems inherent in the development of proper reading culture among students as a
result of some technological innovations (Akidi ,J. O, Oyije-Agbese, F. A & Chukwueke, C.
2021).
One of the technological innovations is the Internet. The Internet can be broadly defined as a
worldwide network of computers communicating through an approved protocol. The Internet
according to Kumar and Kaur in Jibrin, Musa & Shittu (2017), has an unlimited wealth of
information resources that are readily available and easily accessible for people to use worldwide
and simultaneously. According to Musa and Shittu (2017), the Internet has a vast wealth of
information sources that are effortlessly reachable and accessible to human beings all around the
world at the same time. The Internet has brought reading to the front door of secondary school
students. This is a development that cannot be comparable to the formal form of reading from the
text books or through the library. The internet transforms reading materials into a readable
virtual book, broadens educational possibilities and studies perspectives (Houghton, 2020). It
provides study environment that conducts studies, gives assignments, prepares students for
examination, and gets them connected with friends across the globe. The Internet is a real device
in learning, education, and research when used effectively. The studying culture in the
educational system has significantly changed due to internet exposure.
It is unfortunate that with this innovation, reading culture is being threatened, amongst teens,
secondary school and higher institution students in Nigeria society today. Students have little
interest in reading just for passing the exam only. Instead of studying using the internet the
students enjoy free time watching movies, browsing the internet, chatting and visiting friends
online. The era of technology is slowly taking a consistent control over person lives, the reading
culture amongst college students is rapid vanishing especially among boys. Rahib2020) observed
that male adolescents are more glued to internet than girls. It gives them a great privilege to meet
with friends globally and interact.
Children live in a communication-rich environment today and the models of communication they
encounter in their everyday life include a whole range of electronic and digital methods of
communication. Thus, in order to empower and assist them in becoming competent and relevant
in the digital age, they need to be given opportunities to develop technological literacy which is
considered necessary for them to be able to survive in this 21st century. (Okeke, N U& Anierobi,
E I, 2021). Almasi, Machumu & Zhu, (2017) reported a growing increase in the use of the
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 Relationship between the Use of Internet and Reading Culture of Secondary School Students in Lagos State

Internet, which is gradually eroding reading culture among secondary school students. The
authors, however, observed that the students use the Internet also for activities related to
schoolwork as well as more general activities, believing that Internet-based activities in schools
may have several impacts on students` life at schools and thereafter. In the same vein, the studies
of Adedotun (as cited in Yebowaah, 2018); Akande and Bamise (2017) reported that access to
information brought about by the use of the Internet can influence the academic performance of
the secondary school students. Sahin, Balta and Ercan (2010) and Yebowaah (2018) believed
that the use of credible Internet resources is of greater importance for academic activity,
especially in high-class courses which require an academic review of the literature. This is not
different from the belief of Kim as cited in Yebowaah, (2018) who asserted that Internet use for
educational purpose is the heart of adolescent academic achievement, as it helps students to
broaden their academic knowledge, research and assignments by accessing information
worldwide as well as enhances easy communication to the academic community.
Chen et al as cited in Almasi, Machumu m& Zhu (2017) noted that Internet usage is of benefit to
students but believed that its negative use involves pornography addiction, excessive games and
excessive chat among secondary students, which have relatively negative effects on their
academic success and life after school. Rahib, (2020) stated that the Internet has brought
unparalleled opportunities to students on one hand and a major concern for parents on the other
hand. This is because while online searching for information helps to boost examination scores
and performances in assignments given to students, using the internet mainly for socializing and
gaming results in poor reading habit and poor performance in examinations, general academic
achievements as well as poor personal development. Since some internet use may seriously
distract students, affect their reading habit and generally distort their academic achievements.
Akidi, Agbese, Oyije and Chukwueke, C (2021) pointed out that inculcating a reading culture
with the use of internet should be introduced at an early age among children. This is because
reading and reading culture develop over a prolonged period and an early promotion will be able
to mould them into lifelong readers. The challenge is therefore to ingrain the culture of reading
in children so that it is as important as sports and other hobbies. Perhaps then, the impact of
negative media will be directly reduced. It then imply that for effective use of the Internet, early
introduction of students into the use of technology in reading and studying will be of immense
benefit and help them not to lose focus while using the internet.
Based on the information listed above, it is clear that the Internet has serious effects on students
and their reading culture. Students are so vulnerable to becoming addicted to the Internet to the
extent that they do their homework not with their efforts but with complete dependence on
Internet resources. This is to say that the influence of the Internet is in two faces, either negative
or positive.
In response to this problem, this study examines the relationship between the Internet and the
reading culture of senior secondary school students in Lagos.

Statement of the Problem

Reading is a very powerful and essential tool for learning and mastering the diverse skills and
experiences that humans need to lead a satisfying and personal life. Improving access to relevant
information and promoting reading culture are prerequisites for strengthening reading literacy,

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expanding educational and learning opportunities, and helping people address the root causes of
poverty. Today's lack of youth reading culture has a negative effect on the quality of graduates
produced by higher educational institutions in Nigeria. As a lifelong learning experience, it is
important for students to develop a positive habit of reading books early.
It is unfortunate that emergence of the Internet with its innovation, threatened the reading culture
amongst teen, secondary school and higher institution students in Nigeria society today. Students
have little interest in reading just for passing the exam only. Instead of studying using the
internet the students enjoy free time watching movies, browsing the internet, chatting and
visiting friends online. The era of technology is slowly taking a consistent control over person
lifes, the reading culture amongst college students is rapid vanishing.
The diminished interest in reading among the secondary school students is a source of concern
and challenge for everyone, and we need to do something to address this issue. This study seeks
to investigate the influence of the Internet on the reading culture of senior secondary school
students in the Lagos metropolitan area.

Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study is to examine the correlational effect of the use of internet and secondary
school students reading culture in Lagos State.
In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
 To find out the effect of the use of internet on students reading habits
 To examine the effect of the use of internet on student’s reading culture based on gender.
 To examine the relationship between the use of internet and students’ academic
performance.
 To find out if there is any significant relationship between the early introduction of
students to the use of internet and their reading culture.

Research Questions
1. What is the effect of the use of internet on the student reading habit?
2. What is the effect of the use of the internet on student’s reading culture based on gender?
3. Is there any significant relationship between the use of internet and students’ academic
performance?
4. Is there any significant relationship between the early introduction of students to the use
of internet and their reading culture?

Research Hypothesis
1. There is no significant effect of the use of internet on the students reading habit
2. There is no significant relationship between student’s use of the internet and the student’s
reading culture based on gender.
3. There is no significant relationship between the use of internet and students’ academic
performance.
4. There no significant relationship between the early introduction of students to the use of
internet and their reading culture.

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 Relationship between the Use of Internet and Reading Culture of Secondary School Students in Lagos State

Research Methodology
Research Design
The research design used for this project is the descriptive survey research design. The choice of
this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying
attributes of a large population from a group of individuals.

Population of the Study

The target population of the study was all senior secondary school I & II students in the six
Educational Districts (Agege, Maryland, Lagos Island, Mainland, Festac and Ikeja) in Lagos
State.

Sampling and Sampling Technique

A multistage sampling technique was adopted to select the respondents for this study. The
Sample-space was derived through the following approach: The first phase simple random
sampling procedure through hat and draw method was used to select two Educational District
from six Educational District, At the second phase, one Educational District was selected from
the two Districts using hat and draw method. At the third phase, three secondary schools was
selected using simple random sampling, while the fourth phase will be the selection of JSS one
and two classes from three public secondary schools, using purpose sampling technique. A total
of two hundred (200) students were randomly selected for the study.

Research Instruments
The instruments used for data collection was a self-constructed instrument titled: The internet
and reading culture (TIARC). The instrument was designed to reflect the relationship between
the internet and students reading culture. The questionnaire contained 20 items. The choice of
questionnaire for the collection of data in this study was considered appropriate because most of
the related studies reviewed adopted the use of questionnaire for the collection of data. The
instrument comprised of sections A and B. Section A contains students ‘demographic variables
with items for eliciting the bio-data of the response while Section B contained items on the
hypotheses variables in order elicit information from the respondents.. The questionnaire consists
of Likert-type of measuring scales which has four (4) response key ranges from Strongly Agree
(SA): 4, Agree (A): 3, Disagree (SD): 2 and Strongly Disagree (SD): 1.The scoring template for
the study was scored 4,3,2,1 respectively for positive items, while negative items was scored in
the reverse order 1,2,3,4. It has a maximum obtainable score of 40 and a minimum of 10. The
higher the score, the brighter the evidence of relationship.

Validation of Research Instrument

To ensure the validity of the questionnaire used in this study, the researcher’s supervisor and
other expert in the Department of Educational foundation were consulted. The advice and
suggestions given by the lecturers led to the modification of the items in the questionnaire. All
the items in the instrument were judged to be relevant to what is being measured thereby
ensuring that both the content and face validity of the instrument were in order. The reliability of
the questionnaire used in this study was achieved by administering the questionnaire on
secondary school students that were not part of the study. Cronbach Alpha was adopted to
determine a reliability coefficient of 0.81 for the instrument. This value was ad-judge high and
therefore, the instrument was considered reliable and appropriate for this study.

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Data Analysis
The four hypotheses were tested using Pearson product moment correlation co-efficient at 0.05
level of significance.
Research Hypotheses
H01: There is no significant relationship between student’s use of the internet and the
student’s reading culture.

Table1
Variables N Mean Std df r-cal r-cri Remark
Use of 92 179 0.64 0.195 Reject
2..770 .61723
internet H0
Reading 92
2..616 0.9669
culture

r- Test value =0.007, P=0.010 which higher than @0.05.

Table 1: Indicates that r -cal= 0.64, r-cri = 0.195. That is, the result of the r- value of 0.007
lesser than 0.010 p-value @ significance value 0.05 alpha level. This means that the stated null
hypothesis, there is no significant relationship between senior secondary student’s use of the
internet and the student’s reading culture is rejected.

H02: There is no significant relationship between senior secondary student’s use of the
internet and the student’s reading culture based on gender
Table 2.
Variables N Mean Std Df r-crit P Remark
Male 92 179 0.117 .019 Reject
2..770 .81723
H0
Female 88 2..616 1.9669
r- Test value =0.117, P=0.009 which less than @0.05.
Table 2. Indicates that r-cal = 0.117, r-cri = 0.019. That is, the result of the r-cal- value of 0.117
is greater than r-cri of 0.019 at significance value of 0.05 alpha level. This means that the stated
null hypothesis, there is no significant relationship between senior secondary students’ use of
the internet and the student’s reading culture based on gender is thereby rejected
H03: There is no significant relationship between secondary school student’s use of the
internet and student’s academic performance.
Table 3
Variable N Mean Std Std Df r-cal r-cri Remark
Error
The use of internet 85 2..659 .68030 1.4827 179 0.019 .01237 AcceptH0
Academic 95 0.8604
2..750 1.09476
performance

R-test value =0. 1237, P=0.009 which less than 0.05, Hence,
Table 3: Indicates that r = 0.1237, P = 0.00. That is, the result of the r- crit value of 0.1237, is
greater than r-cal 0.019 at significance of 0.05 alpha levels. This means that the stated null
hypothesis, there is no significant relationship between secondary school student’s use of the
internet and students’ academic performance is there by accepted.

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 Relationship between the Use of Internet and Reading Culture of Secondary School Students in Lagos State

H04: There no significant relationship between early introduction to the use of internet and
the student’s reading culture.
Table 4.
Variable N Mean Std Std Df r-cal r- Remark
Error crit
Early introduction to 88 1.5827 179 0.124 .008 Reject
2.65900 .68030
the use of internet H0
Student reading
culture 92 2.75000 1.09476 0.7604

r- Test value =0.0.124, P=0.008 which less than 0.05, Hence,

Table 4: Indicates that r - cal= 0.124, r-cri = 0.008. That is, the result of the r-cal value of 0.124
is greater than r-cri of 0.08 at significance value of 0.05 alpha level. This means that the stated
null hypothesis, that there no significant difference between the senior secondary student’s use
of internet and the student’s reading culture based on the problem the face is rejected

Discussion of findings
The first hypothesis which state there is no significant relationship between senior secondary
student’s use of the internet and the student’s reading culture is thereby rejected while the
alternate hypothesis state there is significant relationship between senior secondary student’s use
of the internet and the student’s reading culture was accepted. This implies that the use of
internet affects reading culture. This is in agreement with Houghton, 2020. The Internet has
brought reading to the front door of secondary school students. This is a development that
cannot be comparable to the formal form of reading from the text books or through the library.
The internet transforms reading materials into a readable virtual book and this has significantly
affects the student reading culture.
The second hypothesis which states that there is no significant relationship between senior
secondary student’s use of the internet and the student’s reading culture based on gender is
rejected while the alternate hypothesis which states that there is significant relationship between
secondary school student’s use of the internet and reading culture based on gender. This is in
agreement with .Rahib (2020) who observed that male adolescents are more glued to internet
than girls. It gives them a great privilege to meet with friends globally and interact.
The third hypothesis which states that there is no significant relationship between secondary
school student’s use of the internet and their academic performance was accepted. This implies
that use of internet in reading affects student’s academic performance.
The fourth hypothesis which states that there no significant relationship between the early
introduction of student’s into use of internet and the student’s effective reading culture is
rejected while the alternate hypothesis which states that there significant relationship between the
student’s use of internet and the student’s effective reading culture is accepted.
Conclusion
Reading is the ability to use letters or groups of letters instead of spoken words to absorb ideas
from written words. Reading skills are an important foundation for a child's academic success.
Children who read often will read more and acquire more knowledge in many areas. In addition,

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 Olubukola O. Longe, Samuel O. Adeniyi & Veronica I. Aka-Nwachukwu

poor readers lag behind more educated peers in reading and other disciplines. Inability to read is
one of the main obstacles for many Nigerian children to realize their dreams of a decent life and
a college degree. Reading is seen not only as a practice at school and college, but also as an
entertainment for home enjoyment. Recently, the Internet has brought readings to the front door
of secondary school students. Internet has become a way of life for the majority of higher
education students around the world. One of the improvements in studying is the Internet. The
Internet has a vast wealth of information sources that are effortlessly reachable and accessible to
human beings all around the world at the same time.

Recommendations
 Students should be encouraged to be motivated, attentive, active and independent, in
their learning process by developing a reading culture that will impact positively on their
academic working this era of technology
 Adequate provision should be made for good internet connectivity and it should be
easily accessible to the students
 Educational resources (ICT laboratory, audiovisual materials) should be provided by the
government and even the alumni of the school in order to maintain high standard of
academic attainment

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