Pre-service teachers' apathy to extensive reading: Imperatives for best practices in Nigerian universities

This article presents the result of two case studies undertaken to look in-depth at the contributory factors to the first-year university pre-service teachers' apathy towards extensive reading. The investigation involved two case studies in the Faculties of Education at the University of Lagos and Lagos State University. With a stratified randomized sampling technique, a survey was conducted on 240 teacher trainees selected from different departmental grouping in the two Nigerian Universities. A questionnaire and focused interview schedule were used as research instruments. Data were gathered with the research instruments and were duly analyzed using percentages, t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results of the study as attested by the statistical analysis carried out showed that the pre-service teachers' apathy to extensive reading is as a result of a complex interplay of several factors, among which are: general lackadaisical attitude to academic work, distractions in the form of surfing the Internet, watching films and videos, economic considerations, emphasis on passing examination, lack of intrinsic motivation, the get-rich-quick syndrome, tight academic schedules, lack of defined priority on the part of students, out-dated libraries and difficulty in evaluating meaning. Based on the major findings, the study recommended amongst others, the establishment of Extensive Reading Programme in all Teacher Education Institutions and the use of mass media in launching advertisement campaigns needed to promote extensive reading awareness, not only as a Nigerian issue but a global one.