Digital reading and reading interest among polytechnic students in Oyo State: A quasi-experiment

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study studied the influence of digital reading on the reading interest of polytechnic students in Oyo State, Nigeria, and explored the moderating effects of gender and study level. A sample of 61 polytechnic students was selected using a multi-stage sampling approach and allocated to either an experimental group (digital reading intervention) or a control group (conventional print reading). The Reading Interest Test (RIT), a 20-item questionnaire, was employed for pre- and post-testing. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was utilized to test the hypotheses. The data demonstrated a highly significant main impact of the digital reading treatment on reading interest, with an F-value of 281.394 (p < 0.001) accounting for 83.2% of the variance (Partial Eta Squared = 0.832). Both gender (F = 4.486, p = 0.039) and study level (F = 16.246, p < 0.001) also exhibited significant main effects. Furthermore, the interaction effect between the digital reading treatment and study level was shown to be extremely significant (F = 176.947, p < 0.001), explaining 90.3% of the variance. The study indicated that while digital reading can be a useful tool for improving reading enthusiasm, its influence is complex and varies based on gender and academic level.