Impact of Structured Debates on Nigerian Secondary School Students’ Reading Outcomes and Reading Anxiety

Abstract

Background: Reading proficiency is crucial for academic success, yet many students struggle with comprehension, do not engage in independent, self-motivated reading, and lack confidence in their reading abilities. The absence of a reading culture in Nigeria threatens the knowledge economy, as those who lack reading proficiency are incapable of producing, accessing, or transmitting knowledge.

Purpose of the study: This study examined the potential of structured debate as an instructional strategy to address the reading outcomes of secondary school students in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.

Methodology: A quasi-experimental design was employed with two groups: an experimental group engaged in structured debate activities and a control group following traditional reading instruction. Data on reading proficiency, reading anxiety, and reading autonomy was collected through standardized tests and surveys before and after the intervention. Three hypotheses were tested using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), while the pre-test scores were used as covariates.

Results: The findings revealed that structured debate significantly improved students' reading proficiency and autonomy compared to the control group. However, no significant impact on reading anxiety was observed.

Unique contributions to knowledge: The study offers a new perspective on improving reading skills in a context where traditional methods have shown limitations. The study addresses a significant issue of poor reading proficiency in Nigeria, a context where reading culture is lacking, and offers structured debate as an innovative instructional strategy. The study provides empirical evidence that structured debates could be effective at enhancing reading skills, especially in the Nigerian context with implications for policy and practice.

Recommendations: Integrating structured debate into reading instruction is recommended as a promising approach to improving reading outcomes among secondary school students. In addition, teacher training institutions are advised to train pre-service teachers on deploying structured debates in reading instruction.