Abstract

This paper investigated the influence of school ownership variable on the reading difficulties of undergraduates in southwest Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey design in which questionnaires were administered on 834 students drawn from seven universities in southwest Nigeria. The data were analysed using ANOVA, multichoice Analysis, and t-Test. The students' response provided an insight into students reading difficulties on the basis of school ownership. It was revealed that students from federal university are mostly affected with reading difficulties with a mean score of 42.83 and standard deviation of 10.23, followed by state owned school with a mean score of 42.68 and standard deviation of 8.24, students from private school experienced the least difficulty with mean score of 40.39 and standard deviation of 9.09. The result also shows the significant difference of reading difficulties of undergraduates (F = 3,974; P, L (2832) 0.005), and this implies that school type has effect on reading difficulties of undergraduates. However, a post hoc test was carried out to ascertain the source of the difference. The Scheffe post-hoc test revealed significant difference between state and private owned school (P2027), with a mean difference of 2.28. However, there were no difference between federal and state-owned schools. In conclusion, both undergraduates from federal and state-owned schools are affected with reading difficulties, while those in private school have least reading difficulties. It is recommended that undergraduates in federal and stateowned schools should be encouraged to read extensively, specifically literary works of all genres. Both conventional and e-library should be adequately provided and stocked with relevant and adequate books, where students should access easily on internet at any location. Every university should endeavor to establish reading clinic where undergraduates with reading difficulties can be diagnosed and remediated.