Power

The study investigated the effects of the Study Skill Training and Multiple Intelligence Intervention on reading habit of junior secondary school students in Ibadan. To this effect, data collected were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The results are discussed below hypothesis by hypothesis

Hypothesis One was rejected as the results in the Table 4.5a indicated that there was a significant main effect of treatments on reading habit of junior secondary school students in Ibadan. This implies that both the Study Skill Training and Multiple Intelligence Intervention were effective in improving reading habit of junior secondary school students in Ibadan.

Although both interventions were effective, Table 4.5b clearly showed the marginal difference between the interventions. It was revealed that MII was more effective in improving reading habit of junior secondary school students than SST.

This finding is consistent with the findings of (Omer, 2010) that students who were educated by multiple intelligence supported project-based learning method were more successful and has a higher motivation level than the students who were educated by the traditional instructional methods. This implies that students who were exposed with a variety of instructional materials assimilate and comprehend the content of subject imparted on them without much ado. Similarly, this finding corroborated with Christison (1996), who observed that, if students are given more choices to learn and demonstrate their learning through the multiple intelligence based, which transfer control from teachers to learners. The students may maximize their learning to higher academic achievement and enhance their motivation when taking responsibility for their own learning. This finding is aligned with Mojid, Mohammed and

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Khairul (2006), who suggested that in a learning environment where multiple intelligence may not be actively used, there is tendency to have weak and negative correlation between multiple intelligence and English Language achievement.

Furthermore, the result of this study affirms that in improving reading habit of junior secondary school students, study skill is effective. This finding substantiates the study of Shawana etal, (2010), they confirmed that there is a significant relationship of time management skill, reading and note taking skill with academic achievement while students with higher academic achievement use a wide range of study skill as compared to students with lower academic achievement Mace,(2002), pointed out that study is a systematic acquisition of knowledge and an understanding of fact and principles that calls for retention and application.

This finding aligns with Oluwatimehin and Owoyele (2002) who found that study skill habit is effective. From the finding above, the students should cultivate the study skill culture and fashion out permanent time-table for effective study in order to excel in their studies endeavours. Also, the finding of this study supported the assertion of Crow and Crow in Okorodudu, (2002), who explained that study is a programme of subject matter mastery. It involves hard work. This finding lends credence to Okorodudu, (1995), sought that study involves the total of all behavioural patterns (addition, verbal, psychomotor, emotional) determined purpose and enforced practices that the individual adapts in order to learn and achieve competence.

Hypothesis Two was rejected because the result in Table 4.5a showed that there was significant main effect of gender on students‟ reading habit. This denotes that there is significant difference in the reading habit of male and female students. Table 4.5c further revealed that female students have higher reading habit compared to their male counterpart. This result was in line with (Ann& More, 2012), who identified that there are differences between boys and girls in many aspects of reading and preferences. It has been found out that boys named themselves mostly as average or poor readers, they read less classical literature voluntarily, they spend less time with reading, they don‟t like to read long books with small letters unlike the girls who loved and found adequate time to read with great interest. Similarly, this finding also in support of (Ross, 2002), that females are more heavy readers than males. This implies that girls had been fascinated to read different types of books consistently due to their nature and have less interest in sporting activities most especially football.

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This finding also corroborated with (Abram, 2007; Sternberg, 2001), who found that women are more avid readers than men. In line with this finding, Clark and Foster (2005), reported that girls enjoy reading greater than boys and boys tend to hold more negative attitudes towards reading than girls, while this finding is in affirmation of Mckenna, Kearn and Ellsworth, (1995), who revealed that girls have more favourable attitudes than boys for both recreational and academic reading. Also, this finding was in support of ( Hassel & Rodge, 2007; Moye, 2002), who identified that females are more likely read for pleasure than males and boys were less reading than girls as they spend their leisure time doing things such as sports.

Hypothesis Three was accepted because the result in Table 4.5a showed that there was no significant main effect of academic self efficacy on students‟ reading habit. Also, Table 4.5c further indicated that students with high academic self efficacy have high reading habit more than their counterparts with moderate and low academic self efficacy and students with moderate academic self efficacy have high reading habit more than their counterpart with low academic self efficacy but their differences is not statistically significant. This finding was in line with (Sarah, 2009), who revealed that students‟ self efficacy beliefs did not significantly contribute to their reading comprehension performance. The researcher found out that students‟ capability towards reading slightly differ but the participants showed readiness to reading comprehension.

In contrast to this finding, Ahmed (2002), found out that the total estimation of academic self efficacy in reading text was higher among students while Tella and Akande (2007), indicated that there was significant relationship between self efficacy, locus of control and academic achievement. In their submission, Mustafa and Sajjad (2011), revealed that reading self efficacy and overall reading strategies use and subcategories of reading strategies were significantly positive correlated.

Hypothesis Four was accepted as the result in Table 4.5a showed that there was no significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on reading habit of the participants. This denotes that the interaction of treatment (SST and MII) and gender (male and female) have no significant effect in improving reading habit of the participants. This finding confirmed that the females tend to be avid reader than their male counterpart; other researchers have proven the same (Moyes, 2000; Hopper, 2005; Hassell & Rodge, 2007). Most studies showed that on average, girls do better in school than boys that girls get higher grades and complete high school on higher rate compared to boys ( Jacobs, 2002). This study however discovered no significant

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effect of gender in moderating the effect of the treatment in improving reading habit of junior secondary school students. It showed that the reading habit depend on individual interest but not on the gender basis.

Hypothesis Five was accepted as the result in Table 4.5a indicated that there was no significant interaction effect of treatment and academic self-efficacy on reading habit of the participants. This denotes that the interaction of treatment ( SST and MII) and academic self efficacy ( high, moderate and low ) have no significant effect in improving reading habit of the participants. This finding was in line with (Sarah, 2009) who sought that students‟ self-efficacy belief did not significantly contribute to their reading comprehension performance. Also, this finding contradicts Tella and Akande (2007), they indicated that a significant relationship exist between self efficacy, locus of control and academic achievement. This finding showed that students with high academic self-efficacy have higher reading habit more than their counterpart with moderate and low academic self-efficacy. Also, students with moderate academic-self efficacy have higher reading habit more than their counterpart with low academic self-efficacy and their differences is not statistically significant.

Hypothesis Six was accepted because the finding of this study revealed that there was no significant interactive effect of gender and academic self-efficacy on reading habit of the participants. This means that there was no significant interactive effect of gender and academic self-efficacy on reading habit of the participants. This finding contradicts with Ann and More (2002); Cark and Foster (2005) and Kendrick (1999) whose report showed that female students reported higher reading habit than their male counterpart. This was due to the fact that girls enjoy reading greater than boys and boys tend to hold more negative attitudes towards reading than girls. The result also proved that there was strong evidence that the perception of reading habit between gender was slightly different.

Hypothesis Seven was accepted because t he result of this study indicated that there was no significant interactive effect of treatment, gender and academic self efficacy on reading habit of the participants. Therefore, the null hypothesis was accepted. In other words, the combination of treatment (that is, study skill training and multiple intelligence intervention), gender and academic self efficacy did not significantly improving reading habit capability among junior secondary school students. This means that the improvement in the post test reading habit scores of the participants is so high that the current study could not infer that gender, academic self

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efficacy and treatments are more important than other in that combinatorial effects on reading habit of the participants. More specifically, the finding indicated that treatment (SST & MII), gender (male & female) and academic self efficacy (high, moderate and low) has no combined effect on the improved reading habit of the participants.