Reading Preferences of Graduating High School Students of Liceo De Cagayan University

The study sought to determine the reading preferences of the graduating high school students of Liceo de Cagayan University. It focused on three major points: (1) the profile of the respondents in terms of gender, section, and parent’s educational attainment, (2) the reading preferences of the students in terms of fiction books, non-fiction books and non-book materials, and (3) the significant difference on the respondents’ reading preferences when they are grouped according to gender, section, and parents’ educational attainment. There were more female respondents than male respondents; the difference in percentages by gender was very slight. There were seven sections with more or less the same number of students. The respondents’ parents were generally degree holders, thus highly educated. As to reading preferences, the most preferred materials were adventure for fiction books; music, nature and animals, art crafts and hobbies, and travel, among others, for non-fiction books; and comic and Internet articles for non-book materials. The respondents’ reading preferences for non-fiction books and non-book materials were significantly influenced by their class section. Also, their preference for fiction books was influenced by their mother’s educational attainment. Gender and father’s educational attainment had no significant bearing on the respondents’ reading preferences. The top most reason of the respondents for their reading preferences were as follow: vocabulary enhancement for fiction books, getting new ideas for non-fiction books, and getting news updates for non-book materials.

Keywords: Reading, Reading preferences, Fiction books, Non-fiction books,  Non-book materials, Liceo de Cagayan University