A Literate Future: Practices, Challenges, and Institutional Supports of Students’ Reading Culture at Silenat School, Fitche, Ethiopia

The study analyzed the reading practices, purposes, challenges, and institutional support of students’ reading culture at Silenat School, Fitche, Ethiopia. The research employed a descriptive survey research design. 112 grade seven students were comprehensively selected for this study. Two English language teachers and one librarian also participated in the study. A questionnaire, interview, and observation were used to collect data. Quantitative data gained by questionnaire and observation were organized and analyzed statistically using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the mean score and standard deviation. Qualitative data collected by interviews were narrated and interpreted to support the findings. The finding indicated that students read most types of materials ‘rarely’ as indicated by the grand mean of (M=3.70; SD=.673). Students showed an overall low reported frequency of reading culture across all purposes. Their preferences for play, lack of interesting books, and a generally distracting or unsupportive reading environment, and lack of institutional resources and activities that would support reading, such as book clubs, competitions, and adequate library facilities, were found to be big challenges. There is a widespread absence of extracurricular and incentive-based supports for students’ reading culture.