| Abstract: | Reading strategies are essential for readers to comprehend academic
materials. Mature readers are distinguished from struggling readers by the
types of reading strategies they apply while reading both printed and online
materials. Besides, the application of online reading strategies requires
additional skills and strategies from readers. Without appropriate training and
experience, it is difficult for students to apply both the offline and online
strategies effectively. However, there is no available research on the reading
strategies uses of higher learning students in Ethiopia for both types of
reading strategies. This study, therefore tried to inspect the level of reading
strategies uses and the existence of differences or similarities of online and
printed reading strategies uses of ASTU and Saint Mary‘s University
students in both printed and online forms. It also tried to examine whether
there was a difference in terms of gender and departments regarding online
and printed reading strategies uses. Additionally, the study attempted to look
into the existence of similarities or differences between the uses of online
and printed reading strategies uses. To answer the above questions, 400
students were selected randomly from the two universities (200 from each
university), applying simple random sampling. The study applied a
quantitative method. It used closed ended questionnaires as data gathering
tools. T-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation were used to analyze the data.
And the study revealed that the level of the two universities students‘ online
and printed reading strategies uses were medium, and the finding revealed
that there was no statistically significant differences in the uses of online and
printed reading strategies between the two universities students. Besides, the
relationship of online and printed materials uses of the two university
students was found to be significantly and positively correlated. There was
statistically significant difference in the uses of printed reading strategy and
online reading strategy uses as a result of department but not gender. Hence
there is a need to raise the level of online and printed reading strategies uses
from medium to high. There is also a need to narrow the gap regarding onlineand printed reading strategies uses observed among departments through
training and reading strategies teaching.
Key Words: Printed Reading Strategies; Online Reading Strategies, and
Academic Texts |
