Factors Affecting English Reading Problems of Students in Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep

Abstract

The research of Factors Affecting English Reading Problems of Students in Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep was aimed to 1) survey English reading abilities and study problems and factors affecting English reading problems of students in Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep. The samples were 350 undergraduate students from 7 faculties in Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep: Engineering, Technical education, Home economics technology, Liberal arts, Textile industries, Business administration, and Science. Stratified random sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used to select the samples of the study. The research instruments were an English reading test and a set of questionnaires. The results showed that the students in Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep have poor English reading abilities. The average score was 1.94 or 38.8%. They got the highest scores in making inferences whereas the lowest scores were in finding topic. Moreover, students in each faculty have different levels of reading problems and factors affecting English reading problems. Their major problem was vocabulary, followed by understanding, grammar, and background knowledge respectively. Regarding factors, the most affecting factor was educational factor, followed by individual factor, and socioeconomic factor respectively