RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN READING STYLES ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTION: A CASE STUDY OF STATISTICS DEPARTMENT, THE FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC OFFA

This study investigates the relationship between reading styles and academic performance among students in the Statistics Department at The Federal Polytechnic Offa. The primary aim is to find out the relationship between different reading styles and academic performance of students in Federal Polytechnic Offa. The specific objectives are: to identify reading styles among the students of tertiary institution; and to assess the impact of different reading styles on academic performance. A quantitative research design was employed, targeting students in the department. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire distributed electronically, yielding responses from 126 students. The study identified three reading styles: deep reading, surface reading, and strategic reading, with surface reading being the most commonly adopted. Academic performance was measured using students’ grades in the EED course. Data analysis involved frequency distribution and chi-square tests to evaluate the research hypotheses. The findings revealed that the majority of respondents (68.3%) were between 21-25 years old, with a higher proportion of female students (69%). Most respondents indicated they read assigned textbooks occasionally, and a significant percentage (80.2%) spent 1-3 hours reading weekly. Notably, 95.2% reported not taking notes while reading, yet a majority summarized and reviewed their readings regularly. Result showed that surface reading is the most used reading style among the students followed by deep reading and strategic reading. The reading style was also found to impact the academic performance The results of hypothesis indicated that frequency of students using each reading style is significantly different (〖χ^2〗_cal=20.333>〖χ^2〗_0.05,2=5.99) and also revealed that academic performance is dependent on reading style (〖χ^2〗_cal=39.791>〖χ^2〗_0.05,16=26.30). Consequently, the study concludes that reading styles, particularly surface reading, are prevalent among students and significantly affect their academic success, underscoring the need for targeted reading strategies to enhance learning outcomes.