Role of parents in literature education among secondary school students: Poetic appreciation as focus

• Main Author: Daniel, I.O.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Society for Development and Sustainability (ISDS) 2013-03-01
• Series: International Journal of Development and Sustainability
• Subjects: Poetry appreciation; Linguistic problems; Parents’ role; Book scarcity; L1; ESL; Literature education
• Online Access: http://isdsnet.com/ijds-v2n1-9.pdf

This study set out to investigate what makes poetic appreciation an unpopular task among students of secondary school, with particular reference to the role of parents and the home. A questionnaire was administered and data collected from two secondary schools in Ibadan. The result was analysed using mean, frequency count, and rank scale. It was found that linguistic difficulties and book scarcity are the major factors the students identified as hindrances to their positive development of poetic appreciation skills. The source of these two problems was traced to the home background of the students. It was therefore suggested that students could be helped to improve on their literary appreciation skills through the right linguistic exposure at home by giving students good grounding in their L1. This would facilitate rather than hinder their proper development of poetic appreciation skills, if properly handled. Moreover, improving the economic condition of Nigerian homes would enable students afford the needed books to be better literary scholars. All which should eventually lead to the production of better citizens, who would positively impact the attainment of the national agenda.