Journal Screenshot

International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

Open Access Journal

ISSN: 2222-6990

A Study on Students’ Activity Preferences and their Implications for Extensive Reading Programmes in Rural Sarawak

Vimala Davy G. Ramiah, Mahendran Maniam

http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v16-i3/27981

Open access

Understanding students’ preferences for daily activities plays a crucial role in designing effective educational interventions. This study explores the favorite activities of students in rural Sarawak and examines how these preferences relate to reading habits and the implementation of an Extensive Reading Programme. Using quantitative survey data, the study identifies trends in leisure and academic choices among students. The findings reveal that while entertainment-based activities such as watching television and listening to music dominate a notable proportion of students show interest in reading English storybooks. The study highlights the importance of aligning educational strategies with students’ interests to improve engagement and learning outcomes.

Bamford, J. (1984). Extensive reading by means of graded readers. Reading in a Foreign Language, 2, 218–260.
Bell, T. (2001). Extensive reading: Speed and comprehension. The Reading Matrix, 1(1), 1–13.
Camiciottoli, B. C. (2001). Extensive reading in English: Habits and attitudes of a group of Italian university EFL students. Journal of Research in Reading, 24(2), 135–153.
Chall, J. S., & Conard, S. S. (1991). Should textbooks challenge students? The case for easier or harder books. Teachers College Press.
Day, R. R., & Bamford, J. (1998). Extensive reading in the second language classroom. Cambridge University Press.
Day, R. R., & Bamford, J. (2002). Top ten principles for teaching extensive reading. Reading in a Foreign Language, 14, 136–141.
Dörnyei, Z. (1996). Motivation in second and foreign language learning. Language Teaching, 31(3), 117–135.
Elley, W. B. (1991). Acquiring literacy in a second language: The effect of book-based programmes. Language Learning, 41(3), 375–411.
Elley, W. B., & Mangubhai, F. (1981). The impact of a book flood in Fiji primary schools. New Zealand Council for Educational Research.
Fujita, K., & Noro, T. (2009). The effects of extensive reading on reading speed and motivation. Annual Review of English Language Education in Japan, 20, 21–30.
Gardner, R. C. (1985). Social psychology and second language learning. Edward Arnold.
Grabe, W. (1991). Current developments in second language reading research. TESOL Quarterly, 25(3), 375–406.
Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. L. (1997). Reading and vocabulary development in a second language. In J. Coady & T. Huckin (Eds.), Second language vocabulary acquisition (pp. 98–122). Cambridge University Press.
Krashen, S. D. (1982). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Pergamon Press.
Krashen, S. D. (2004). The power of reading: Insights from the research (2nd ed.). Libraries Unlimited.
Nation, I. S. P. (2005). Teaching vocabulary. Asian EFL Journal, 7(3), 47–54.
Pandian, A. (2000). A study on readership behaviour among Malaysian students. Reading in a Foreign Language, 13(1), 1–15.
Rideout, V. (2015). The Common Sense census: Media use by tweens and teens. Common Sense Media.
Wigfield, A., & Guthrie, J. T. (1997). Relations of children’s motivation for reading to the amount and breadth of their reading. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89(3), 420–432.
Yang, Y.-H., Chu, H.-C., & Tseng, W.-T. (2021). Text difficulty in extensive reading: Effects on reading comprehension and motivation. Reading in a Foreign Language, 33(2), 78–102.

Ramiah, V. D. G., & Maniam, M. (2026). A Study on Students’ Activity Preferences and their Implications for Extensive Reading Programmes in Rural Sarawak. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 16(3), 1380–1388.