Reading among grade six learners in Namibia and Norway : an investigation of reading habits and attitudes of learners in the Khomas and Oshana regions of Namibia and the Hedmark region in Norway

English: A joint research project was conducted by Hedmark University College in Norway and the University of Namibia and Ongwediva College of Education in Namibia. The project was considered as a pilot for a possible larger survey later. The aim of the research was to investigate reading habits, preferences and attitudes of Namibian and Norwegian learners, teachers and student teachers. The data were gathered during October and November of 2006. Although data was collected for learners, teachers and student teachers, this report focuses mainly on the research results as obtained from the learners. The research project was part of the SIU/NORAD financed project: Teacher Education, South-North of which the overall aim was to enhance the quality of teacher education, mainly in the South. However, it was anticipated that insight into the Namibian context could also improve the quality of Norwegian teacher education. Against this background the joint research project was meant to give valuable information and experience to all parties involved. The variables that seemed to have the greatest impact on reading habits and attitudes in this study was gender, availability of reading materials at home, the telling of stories and reading by parents, primary home language. Girls show a more positive attitude than boys, the same is the case with learners which came from homes with good access to reading material and with parents that read to them. Learners with English or Oshiwambo as their primary home language display more positive reading attitude than other learners. In addition, the study reveals substantial differences between the three study regions. In general the Namibian learners have more positive reading habits and attitudes than the Norwegian learners