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Article
Publication date: 5 April 2019

Ashfaque Hussain Soomro, Imran Khan and Muhammad Younus

The purpose of this paper is to explore EFL reading anxiety of first-year undergraduate engineering students and its effect on their reading performance in a public sector…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore EFL reading anxiety of first-year undergraduate engineering students and its effect on their reading performance in a public sector engineering university in Pakistan. It specifically aims to explore their top-down, bottom-up and classroom EFL reading anxiety.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for the present study were collected from 200 first-year engineering students to explore their reading anxiety. A 20-item questionnaire developed by Zoghi and Alivandivafa (2014) was used to measure students’ EFL reading anxiety, while an IELTS academic reading test was used to measure their reading performance. The data were analyzed through exploratory factorial analysis and multiple regression analysis to determine which type of reading anxiety has a significant effect on students’ reading performance.

Findings

It was found that the bottom-up reading anxiety and the classroom reading anxiety have a significant negative impact on the reading performance of the first-year undergraduate engineering students of a Pakistani university. However, top-down reading anxiety has an insignificant negative impact on the reading performance of university students.

Research limitations/implications

The data for the current study were drawn from one Pakistani public sector engineering university, and all the students were first-year undergraduates. The data were collected through a self-reported questionnaire and IELTS (academic) reading test. Some of the students may be unfamiliar with the IELTS test pattern, so their reading performance might have been affected.

Practical implications

Teachers should adopt such a methodology in their EFL classrooms which helps students reduce their reading anxiety. Reading texts must be selected considering the proficiency level of students, and reading strategies must be explicitly taught to reduce bottom-up and top-down reading anxieties. Teachers should create a positive learning environment in their classroom by encouraging students to make an effort to improve their reading skills in order to deal with classroom reading anxiety. Students must be explained that they should help one another rather than ridiculing each other’s reading mistakes. Differentiated instruction can also be adopted to facilitate weak readers. The teachers can provide additional/out of the class support to weak readers in order to help them deal with reading anxiety.

Originality/value

The EFL reading anxiety among university students in the Pakistani context has received little attention from the researchers. Furthermore, although the impact of EFL reading anxiety on EFL students’ reading performance has been explored previously, the impact of three types of EFL reading anxiety on EFL learners’ reading performance has not been adequately investigated.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 11 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 November 2022

Said Ihbour, Oumaima Essaidi, Meriem Laaroussi, Mohamed Najimi and Fatiha Chigr

This study aims to examine the associations between reading difficulties, anxiety and depressive symptoms, self-esteem status and academic achievement among children of school age…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the associations between reading difficulties, anxiety and depressive symptoms, self-esteem status and academic achievement among children of school age in the Moroccan context.

Design/methodology/approach

This cross-sectional study was carried out on 302 Moroccan students aged 9 to 16 years, the latter having voluntarily participated in the different stages of the proposed assessments. Standardized reading tests administered individually allowed us to classify participants into three groups (good readers, intermediate level and weak readers). The subjects completed the measurements of three self-evaluative scales: the Beck depression inventory, the Coopersmith scale of self-esteem and the Taylor questionnaire of manifest anxiety. The variable of academic achievement is constituted by calculating the grade point averages of the last three semesters.

Findings

Emotional disturbances are more frequent in the “weak readers” and the “intermediate level” group when compared to the good readers. Academic achievement and reading level are negatively correlated with anxious-depressive symptoms and positively with self-esteem at each reading level; the analysis of the results does not show any relevant difference in terms of the psychopathological disorder intensity between girls and boys.

Research limitations/implications

This study emphasizes improving education and psychological support for learners. It also encourages the strengthening of strategies for dealing with learning disabilities and the emotional distress associated with them.

Practical implications

The trend toward an inclusive school and the recruitment of school psychologists is advantages to be considered in the Moroccan educational system.

Originality/value

In addition to psychopathological vulnerability and academic failure, the social and family dimensions of self-esteem are impaired in weak readers.

Details

The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, vol. 18 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-6228

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 November 2019

Samsul Farid Samsuddin, Hayrol Azril Mohamed Shaffril, Jusang Bolong and Nor Aini Mohamed

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the reading habit and attitude among rural communities in the low literacy rate areas in Malaysia.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the reading habit and attitude among rural communities in the low literacy rate areas in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

Multi-stage cluster and simple random sampling were employed and 400 respondents who live nearby the rural library were selected.

Findings

Moderate levels of reading attitude were obtained from the result of the study, in which several variables produced a significant relationship in the reading attitude (education level, household income and time spent in reading).

Practical implications

Better understanding on the reading habit and attitude among rural communities could produce better information on the service provision towards the establishment of rural libraries in low literacy rate areas in Malaysia. This would also increase the utilisation of reading sources and services provided.

Originality/value

The paper provides better understanding on the reading habit and attitude among the rural communities in the low literacy rate areas in using the facilities provided by the rural libraries. The findings may be useful to the rural literacy and library development community in the developing countries.

Details

Library Management, vol. 41 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-5124

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 December 2023

Lan Thi Nguyen

The development of digital technology and digital resources have influenced one’s reading habits. This paper aimed to study undergraduate students' reading in digital sphere at…

Abstract

Purpose

The development of digital technology and digital resources have influenced one’s reading habits. This paper aimed to study undergraduate students' reading in digital sphere at universities in Vietnam.

Design/methodology/approach

A focus group study with 31 undergraduate students of six groups at six public universities was conducted to get their perspectives on reading preference, strategies, effectiveness and psychological factors influencing reading ability.

Findings

The results confirmed that bachelor students' reading preference for document formats depended on their reading purposes. They used different reading strategies for digital and traditional reading, for instance, keyword searching, taking note, skimming, scanning, need-based reading, selective reading, comparison, evaluation and criticism. Students had faster reading speed for digital texts; however, they had better concentration and memorization in printed documents. When students have motivation, good attitudes and emotion, they could be motivated to read more.

Originality/value

These findings were useful in enhancing the understanding of digital reading competence and help stakeholders find out solutions to improve reading capacity of Vietnamese students in digital space.

Details

Library Management, vol. 45 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-5124

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 October 2015

David Tawei Ku and Nancy Lanhui Chen

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the Wiki and its influence on the anxiety produced during cross-cultural web-based collaborative learning sessions.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the Wiki and its influence on the anxiety produced during cross-cultural web-based collaborative learning sessions.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 49 high school students participated in transnational collaborative learning and engaged in a one-month Google Wiki activity. A transnational collaborative learning anxiety inventory was used to measure the anxiety of the participants, which included the dimensions of social anxiety, foreign language anxiety, and computer anxiety. In addition, platform usage records were compiled using Google Wiki user records and participation process checklists. Relative data derived from these two items were compared with the questionnaire data.

Findings

The results indicated that participants who had experience with Wiki transnational collaborative learning exhibited significantly reduced SA and FLA. Participation process and user records revealed that embedding videos; responding to content created by others; proofreading and editing the content of others; updating layouts; underlining text, changing the font, and color coding; and increasing the number of edits reduced FLA. The number of times edits and responses were produced was correlated with decreases in SA.

Originality/value

The causes and effects of transnational collaborative learning have concurrently received attention. However, studies on Wiks and their impact on the anxiety produced during cross-cultural Web-based collaborative learning are limited. Therefore, Google Wiki was used in this study as the medium through which the effects of Wiki participation on anxiety resulting from transnational collaborative learning were explored.

Details

Internet Research, vol. 25 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1066-2243

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 17 September 2012

Naomi Murakawa

This chapter evaluates the allure and the danger of attributing race-laden crime politics to displaced anxiety. Stuart Scheingold's “myth of crime and punishment” was a…

Abstract

This chapter evaluates the allure and the danger of attributing race-laden crime politics to displaced anxiety. Stuart Scheingold's “myth of crime and punishment” was a path-setting theory of redirected fear, arguing that socioeconomic “fear of falling” is displaced onto street crime, where the simple morality tale of lawbreaker-versus-state offers the illusion of control. The danger of this theory, I argue, is that it purports to analyze post-1960s’ structural inequality, but it replicates the post-civil rights logic and language of racism as nonstructural – an irrationality, a misplaced emotion, a mere epiphenomenon of class. As a theory that hinges on the malfunction of redirecting structural anxieties onto symbols and scapegoats, the vocabulary of displaced anxieties links punitive (white) subjects to punished (black and Latino) objects through a diagnosis that is, by definition, beyond rationality. The vocabulary of displaced anxiety categorizes the racial politics of law and order as an emotional misfire, thereby occluding the ways in which racial interests are at stake in crime policy and carceral state development.

Details

Special Issue: The Legacy of Stuart Scheingold
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78190-344-5

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2003

Qun G. Jiao and Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie

Because the main purpose of libraries is to serve as an avenue for obtaining a multitude of text in various forms, and reading is the key activity undertaken by library users, it…

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Abstract

Because the main purpose of libraries is to serve as an avenue for obtaining a multitude of text in various forms, and reading is the key activity undertaken by library users, it is likely that students with the poorest reading skills are the most uncomfortable in a library research setting. Yet, surprisingly, no research exists investigating the relationship between levels of reading ability and library anxiety. This was the purpose of the present inquiry. Specifically, the current study examined the relationship between reading comprehension and reading vocabulary and five dimensions of library anxiety (namely, barriers with staff, affective barriers, comfort with the library, knowledge of the library, and mechanical barriers). Participants were 45 African‐American graduate students from various disciplines. They were administered the Library Anxiety Scale and the Nelson‐Denny Reading Test. A canonical correlation analysis (Rc=0.39) revealed that reading comprehension and reading vocabulary were related statistically significant to barriers with staff, comfort with the library, and knowledge of the library. Implications are discussed.

Details

Library Review, vol. 52 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0024-2535

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 November 2023

Yubing Sui, Adeel Luqman, Manish Unhale, Francesco Schiavone and Maria Teresa Cuomo

This study develops and validates a theoretical model of real-time mobile connectivity, examining how employees' perceptions of their relationship with supervisors influence their…

Abstract

Purpose

This study develops and validates a theoretical model of real-time mobile connectivity, examining how employees' perceptions of their relationship with supervisors influence their emotional experiences. Through quasi-experiments, the authors investigate the behavioral patterns and emotional responses associated with real-time mobile connectivity in organizations, with a focus on messaging apps that indicate message read status. Specifically, they explore how supervisors' attentiveness or inattentiveness in mobile connectivity impacts emotional ambivalence (anxiety and pride) among subordinates. Additionally, they examine the downstream effects of this emotional ambivalence on employees' workplace thriving and job performance across various dimensions.

Design/methodology/approach

To address the paradox of real-time mobile connectivity, a quasi-experimental design involving 320 team members from 46 teams was implemented. Multi-level structural equation modeling was employed to analyze within-person variance and evaluate the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The findings indicate that employees who do not receive timely indications from their supervisors are more likely to experience elevated levels of anxiety, while those who receive prompt indications experience a sense of pride. Moreover, the indirect effects of the real-time mobile connectivity paradox on employee performance, mediated by anxiety (negatively) and pride (positively), are fully explained through workplace thriving.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides insights into the emotional ambivalence experienced in the workplace due to real-time mobile connectivity, highlighting its implications for organizational competitiveness. Integrating resource conservation theory and cognitive appraisal theory of emotion, the study explores the mediating role of workplace thriving and the impact on employee performance through pride and anxiety. Generalizability requires considering organizational settings and cultural contexts while acknowledging limitations such as a focus on messaging apps and specific samples. Future research should explore these dynamics in diverse contexts and identify additional factors influencing the relationship between real-time mobile connectivity and employee outcomes.

Practical implications

This study provides valuable insights for managers regarding the significance of message indications, as their attentiveness can elicit emotional reactions from employees that subsequently impact workplace thriving and job performance.

Originality/value

This study pioneers the exploration of the paradox of real-time mobile connectivity in the workplace, uncovering the discrete emotions experienced by employees. Furthermore, it elucidates the subsequent opposing effects on workplace thriving and job performance, contributing to the existing literature and knowledge in this area.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 January 2023

Yuanyuan Cai, Mengmeng Wang, Haiyang Huang and Quanyu Jiang

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically disrupted everyday life, leading to a cascade of negative emotional responses such as death anxiety. Against this backdrop, the purpose of…

Abstract

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically disrupted everyday life, leading to a cascade of negative emotional responses such as death anxiety. Against this backdrop, the purpose of this paper is to focus on the buffering effect of brand attachment on death anxiety by exploring the roles of brand concepts and brand positioning on psychological compensation for security.

Design/methodology/approach

This multi-method paper features four studies and shows how brands can offer emotional support under high-risk circumstances.

Findings

Study 1 includes two surveys which offer preliminary evidence that death anxiety can enhance consumers’ brand attachment. Study 2 reveals a causal effect wherein consumers experiencing death anxiety are more likely to attach to brands with a self-transcendence (vs self-enhancement) concept. Study 3 examines the mediating role of need for security in the relationship between death anxiety and attachment to brands with a self-transcendence concept. Further, Study 4 indicates the moderating role of brand positioning: self-transcendence brands adopting local (vs global) positioning strategies are more likely to satisfy consumers’ need for security, thereby leading to strong brand attachment.

Originality/value

The findings of this paper contribute to the brand attachment literature and to the global branding literature regarding consumers’ emotional responses in the context of COVID-19. This paper innovatively frames brand concepts and brand positioning and provides actionable guidelines to help brands satisfy consumers’ needs amid a worldwide crisis.

Details

Journal of Product & Brand Management, vol. 32 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1061-0421

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 June 2007

Nor Shahriza Abdul Karim and Amelia Hasan

This study aims to attempt to understand the reading habits and attitudes of the Bachelor of IT students and the Bachelor of Arts students from the International Islamic…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to attempt to understand the reading habits and attitudes of the Bachelor of IT students and the Bachelor of Arts students from the International Islamic University Malaysia. The study also aims to explore these differences in terms of gender.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a survey approach in collecting the data. The population of the study was the undergraduate students from two academic faculties at the university. The faculties were Kulliyyah of Information and Communication Technology (KICT) (IT‐based) and Kuliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Science (KIRKH) (arts‐based). Based on the 400 sample drawn, 127 responses were received from the survey.

Findings

The study finds that the web site is seen as an increasingly important reading source. Significant differences exist between academic programs and types of reading materials and reading resources particularly use the web sites. Some differences in reading habits and attitudes were also observed between male and female participants.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations in this study are related to the small sample size, the inclusion of only two academic faculties, and the limited amount of variables studied.

Practical implications

In general, the findings of the study should assist the University authority, especially the library and the computing department, to look into service matters pertaining to accommodating the reading as well as the studying habits of the student.

Originality/value

The pattern of reading, as is known from the past, may not be the same as reading as it is known today or in the future. Research in reading habits needs to be further updated by including current advancement in ICT, where the technology has enabled reading to be more timely and somewhat non‐linear by using devices such as computers, PDAs and wireless phones without the presence of any printed document.

Details

The Electronic Library, vol. 25 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-0473

Keywords

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