Students’ reading self-concepts at an institution of higher learning in South Africa

Background: South Africa’s reading problems are evident in tertiary education, particularly among students studying in a foreign language. Therefore, many reading researchers in South Africa have argued that poor reading skills among tertiary students are a direct result of poor reading skills at school. Some research has found that psychological factors such as test anxiety, self-concept, and attitude have a negative and significant impact on student academic performance. Objectives: Therefore, the current study focuses on self-concept as it specifically explores university students’ self-perceptions as readers. Method: The study followed a qualitative research approach, and a case study design was deemed relevant for the study. A targeted sample of 65 respondents was selected to answer the open-ended questionnaire. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the collected data. Results: The findings showed that university students defined themselves as readers in different ways and their reading self-concepts were based on their reading behaviour. The students specifically described themselves as readers who enjoy reading, analytic readers, or reluctant readers with poor and slow reading abilities displaying inconsistent reading habits; they admitted that they only read for academic purposes including tests and exams. Conclusion: Students’ reading self-concept has implications for reading instruction, student support, choice of reading material, reading motivation, and syllabus design. Contribution: The findings of the study provide data that could create English lecturers’ awareness of their students’ reading self-concepts so that they could change their students’ reading culture.