Study of Reading and Writing Habits within the Academic Context in La Salle University’s Zootechnics Program

Abstract

A descriptive-transversal study was carried out in order to determine the reading and writing habits among students from La Salle University’s Zootechnics Program during the first cycle of 2010. A sample of 221 students was selected, to whom a questionnaire was applied. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of the students were seventeen to twenty-two years old, and the observed frequencies method was chosen to analyze the qualitative variables. The chi2 (c2) and the Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to see the differences between the answers in regards to study level (one to ten). Fifty-nine point four percent (59.4%) of the students said that they used the Internet as a primary source, and 96.6% frequently uses the library. For academic consults, they preferred reading books or thesis and non-scientific websites to technical or scientific magazines (39.1%, 32.3% and 29.1%, respectively). Sixty-one point eight percent (61.8%) shows a good reading comprehension and 49.9% has no problems writing academic papers. Forty-two point two percent (47.2%) mentioned that they would rather read about matters related to their career, and 70% said that they read the newspaper or agricultural journals. The average number of hours dedicated to reading placed within the range of two to four hours a week (57.8%). Thirty-seven point four percent (37.4%) of the students frequently read academic papers in English. Eighty-two point three percent (82.3%) said that they wrote more than two academic papers a month. Despite the reading and writing practices in the academic context being acceptable, it is recommended to promote more reading and writing habits among the students of the program