The Attributes of First Year University Students’ Reading Proficiency in relation to their reading success or Failure: Selected Campuses of Hawassa University Technology Village (Main campus, Awada and Wondo Genet) in Focus

Abstract

The main purpose of this co-relational study was to find out the relationship between the reading proficiency and attributes that first year university student’s associate with their reading success or failure. Towards that end, a total population of three-hundred and fifteen (315) students was randomly selected from Hawassa University main campus,  Awada and Wondogenet; purposive and random sampling techniques were employed to determine the setting and   the subjects of the study. Then, data gathering tools like  reading proficiency Test, reading attribute survey questionnaire and interview were  employed to find out the students’ reading proficiency  and reading success/ failure attributes. The subjects were randomly selected from the three campuses of Hawassa University by drawing lots. The methods of data collection mainly focused on surveying the relationship between students’ reading proficiency and attributive behaviors they associate with their reading success and failure. After the data were gathered,  the quantitative data were analyzed employing the techniques of comparing means, and correlating the relationships while the qualitative data were thematically analyzed; the findings showed that the students’ reading proficiency is far below the level expected of them; the result obtained through the three instruments of data gathering confirmed that.  Based on this finding, the researcher  recommends that students’ internal and external attributive behaviors of reading success/failure need to be given due attention in reading classes to improve the apparently low reading proficiency level   of  first year university students.