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Do girls read differently from boys? Adolescents and their gendered reading habits and preferences
Citation
Loh, C. E., Sun, B., & Shaheen Majid. (2020). Do girls read differently from boys? Adolescents and their gendered reading habits and preferences. English in Education, 54(2), 174-190. https://doi.org/10.1080/04250494.2019.1610328
Abstract
Research on the gendered reading habits and preferences of boys and girls presents them as very different. This study focuses on the gendered reading habits and preferences of Singapore adolescent students (aged 12 to 17) to examine if such polarity exists in their reading habits. Drawing on survey data from 4830 adolescents in five secondary schools, the findings show that, while more girls enjoyed reading compared to boys, both boys and girls preferred to read for pleasure. Although there are some gendered differences in reading preferences, adolescents’ preferred reading materials differ less than often portrayed, with convergence in areas such as Adventure and Science Fiction and Fantasy. In the area of reading and technology, the findings suggest that girls read more online, reflecting their tendency to read more in print. More complex understanding of contemporary adolescent reading will allow educators, librarians and parents to better address adolescent reading needs.
Date Issued
2020
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Journal
English in Education
Dataset
https://doi.org/10.25340/R4/7OFVWB
Project
OER 05/16 LCE
Funding Agency
Ministry of Education, Singapore