The Perception and Attitudes of Students of St. Ambrose College of Education Towards the Study of English Literature
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajet.v3i2.2891Keywords:
English Language, Perception, Literature, Attitudes, Learning Environment, Positive Attitude, Negative Perception, PerformanceAbstract
The study examined the perception and attitudes of students of St. Ambrose College of Education towards the study of English Literature. Data was collected by means of interview from 10 students and 3 Tutors from the study area, and analyzed thematically in relation to the research questions of the study. The study revealed that the majority of the students had little knowledge about the English Literature course on the basis of not offering the course in their pre-tertiary level of education. Hence, it made it difficult for them to understand a particular literary text that was taught. Again, the findings of the study from the Tutors’ perspective revealed that students lacked a well-laid-down foundation for the course, which resulted in their difficulty in developing new vocabulary and making different meanings to life through literary texts. The study further revealed that students had negative perceptions and attitudes towards the study of English Literature due to the following factors; the cultural background of literary books which prevented students from enjoying Literature, non-availability of reading materials and resources at the school library, poor environmental background of students, poor internet connections and lack of conducive learning environment. All these factors prevented students from actively attending and participating in class activities, which ultimately had a negative impact in their learning process, and consequently affecting their academic performance. From the results, it was advocated that students may develop a positive attitude towards the study of English Literature if most of the literary texts they studied were situated within the African or Ghanaian contexts rather than the European (Classical or Shakespearean contexts), and if the school authorities and other stakeholders would provide preventive measures regarding this situation, it would help in preventing further damages in students’ academic performance.
Downloads
References
Akey, T. M. (2006). School context, student attitudes and, behavior and academic achievement: An exploratory analysis. MDCR.
Alptekin, C. (2006). Cultural familiarity in inferential and literal comprehension in L2 reading. System, 34(4), 494-508.
Applegate, A. & Applegate M. (2004). The Peter Effect: Reading habits and attitudes of pre-service teachers. The reading teacher.
Ariffin, K. (2007). The relationship between learning styles and academic achievements in the subject of Electromagnetic among first degree students in UTHM. PSP’s Research Digest.
Chaiken, S. (2001). Heuristic versus systematic information processing and the use of source versus message cues in persuasion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39.
Clark, C & Poulton, L. (2011). Book ownership and its relation to reading enjoyment, attitudes, behaviour and attainment. National Literacy Trust. London.
Collie, J., & Slater, S. (1990). Literature in the Language Classroom: A Resource Book of Ideas and Activities. Cambridge: CUP.
Cremin, T., Mottram, M., Bearne, E. & Goodwin, P. (2008). Exploring teachers’ knowledge of children’s Literature. Cambridge Journal of Education, 38(4).
Davis, J. N., Kline, R. R., Gorell, L. C. and Hsieh, G. (1992). Readers and foreign languages: a survey of undergraduates’ attitudes towards the study of Literature. Modern Language Journal, 76(3).
Eagly, A. H., & Chaiken, S. (1993). The psychology of attitudes. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers.
Floris, F. D. (2004). The power of Literature in EFL classrooms. K@ta, 6.
International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (2008). Self- Perception Theory. Retrieved November 3, 2020, from http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3045302392.html.
Karakaya, E., & Kahraman, A. (2013). Students’ attitudes towards Literature use and its effects on vocabulary learning. International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature.
Larsen-Freeman, D. (1987). From Unity to Diversity: Twenty Years of Language-Teaching Methodology. E. T. Forum.
Lazar, G. (1993). Literature and Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Lundberg, I. & Linnakyla, P. (1993). Teaching reading around the World. IEA Study of Reading Literacy.
Norton, D., & Norton, S. (2010). Through the eyes of a child: An introduction to children’s Literature (8th Ed.). Boston, MA: Prentice-Hall.
Oppenheim, A. (1992). Questionnaire Design, Interviewing and Attitude Measurement, London, Pinter.
Pearce, D. L. (2015). Prediction of preservice teachers’ knowledge and reading of children’s Literature within a teacher preparation program. Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
Popham, W. J. (2005). Students’ Attitudes Count. Educational Leadership. Educational Leadership.
Rhoda D. B., Muhammad Imran, Y., Mohd. Mahzan, A., & Asif, N. R. (2011). The effect of prior knowledge in understanding chemistry concepts by senior secondary school students. International Journal of Academic Research, 3(2).
Shukor (2001). Task type and task processing conditions as influences on foreign language performance. Language Teaching Research, 1(3).
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Agbevenu Judith Sena, Konadu Adam, Agyemfra Jonas
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
