Investigating Online Reading Habits and Attitudes among ESL Tertiary Students

Abstract

Online reading has become increasingly important in the digital age, transforming how people access and engage with information. Moreover, online reading can significantly improve students' reading habits and attitudes by providing a more accessible, engaging, and interactive experience. The study investigates online reading habits and attitudes among ESL students from a local university in Malaysia. This research is a descriptive study in which the sample students were chosen by a purposive sampling. The population of the study is 115 undergraduate students taking an ESL language course. A 4-point Likert scale survey was used as the method for collecting the data. The survey consists of two main parts; the first relates to students' online reading habits and the second on their online reading attitudes. The major findings reveal that the tertiary students have a favorable attitude towards online reading. They find online reading to be more engaging than traditional print reading. Moreover, they frequently read educational materials online for their studies, use online reading tools to enhance their reading experience and believe that online reading improves their critical and analytical thinking as well as academic performance.