Students’ Perceptions on Reading Habits in The Extensive Reading Course: A Study at Fkip University of Mataram

Titin, Ni Nengah
Wardana, Lalu Ali
Hijriati, Sartika

Journal of Authentic Research
Vol. 5 No. 4 (2026): November

This study explores students’ perceptions of reading habits and the challenges they face in maintaining those habits in the Extensive Reading (ER) course at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP), University of Mataram. Although ER is widely claimed to support reading habits, previous studies have mainly examined reading strategies, reading journals, or single ER activities and have not sufficiently explained how students themselves view the formation of their reading habits and the challenges they face. This qualitative descriptive study addresses that gap by foregrounding students’ perceptions and experiences. Data were collected through an open-ended questionnaire completed by 50 students who had taken the course and through semi-structured interviews with eight purposively selected participants. The questionnaire was developed from Day and Bamford’s ER principles, and the data were analyzed thematically and triangulated. The findings indicate that students perceive reading habits as shaped by the amount and regularity of reading, learner autonomy, reading for pleasure, and teacher facilitation. Twenty-eight participants (56%) reported reading more frequently after taking the course; 45 (90%) selected texts based on personal interest; 45 (90%) read voluntarily beyond course requirements; and 32 (64%) reported that regular assignments and reminders encouraged them to read. Challenges included low motivation, boredom, and mood dependence (66%); time constraints and academic workload (64%); digital distractions (64%); and language and text difficulty (50%). Students responded with time management, rescheduling, choosing easier or more interesting texts, and taking short breaks. The novelty of this study lies in integrating students’ perceptions of habit formation with the challenges and self-initiated strategies they use in one ER context. ER provides a supportive context for reading habits, but habit formation does not occur automatically; it depends on interest, autonomy, consistency, and support.