Views on Reading and Research Habits of Veterinary Medicine Students in Turkey
Publication: Journal of Veterinary Medical Education
Volume 49, Number 4
Abstract
Reading and research habits, together with individual and social development, some of the most important criteria of a qualified life in our age, are among the characteristics university students are expected to have. As in every profession, veterinary professional development is possible with individual development by continuous studying and researching professional topics starting in students’ graduate years. This research provides perspectives from the veterinary students of six faculties in Turkey on reading and research interests. The researchers developed a 39-item questionnaire-type instrument, which was given to 1,359 students studying at Ankara, Aydın, Burdur, Samsun, Erzurum, and Bursa in Turkey; data were analyzed using statistical tests. The number of books veterinary students read in a year did not exceed five by 34% of respondents. Only 22.3% read more than 11 books. Students were most likely to read novels (26.1%) and least likely to read religious books (0.5%). We also found that more than half the students were willing to join the scientific research community (56.3%) and become research assistants (57.8%). The researchers found a positive increase in students’ views on reading and research interests as grade level increased, in favor of female and urban-based participants. In conclusion, the authors recommend that students be encouraged to do research, given assignments for researching various scientific topics, and provided environments to gain lifelong learning skills. Individuals who prefer reading and research will likely contribute to their personal and professional development and to their country in general.
Introduction
Developments in the information explosion era require people to obtain new perspectives; have new value judgments, habits, and understandings; adapt quickly to changes; and use information effectively.1 Individuals who want to use information effectively should be flexible, creative, and curious. Questioning, researching, analyzing, evaluating events, making choices, being open to innovations, and knowing oneself well are important factors in critical thinking.1,2 For this reason, raising individuals who can adapt to the rapidly developing and changing world of today is among the primary objectives of education systems. The basic skill that makes it easy for individuals to adapt to this rapid change is reading.
Reading is an important skill in providing mental and academic development—it is one of the basic skills to be acquired in ensuring socialization, lifelong learning, and self-realization.3 Reading also positively affects personal development.4 Books are placed among the things (genetics, relationships, feelings, music, discipline, etc.) that develop character.5 To be a lifelong learning individual, a person must perform the reading action regularly and make it a habit.6 A reading habit, which shows a learned behavior and is a versatile cognitive activity, is also one of the development indicators of societies. Reading skill is seen as very important in the human model formed by the modern world; the education systems of developed countries pay special attention to this issue.7 According to a study conducted by Kakırman Yıldız,8 children who are introduced to books in preschool are able to use spoken language 12% better than children who are not introduced to books in the preschool period, and these skills persist at 13% in primary school, 19% in middle school, 30% in high school, and 34% in university.
The university period, in which reading is intense and mostly compulsory, is advantageous for students to obtain reading pleasure, sensitivity, and awareness in terms of the possibilities it creates.9 Ensuring that young people in the university period are equipped with high qualifications as they research, discuss, teach, and produce ideas in universities is necessary.9 Turkey, as a developing country, lags behind other industrialized countries in reading. However, reading rates have been increasing regularly every year since the 1990s.10 According to Turkey reading culture research from 2019, the country’s reading rate is 42.3%.11 Several studies report that university students in Turkey, where the reading level is quite low in general, are not reading enough books.12,13 When the results of these studies1,9,14–19 were evaluated, although differences were found in the level of reading between universities and professional groups, it was observed that the majority of students do not read enough books. Gür et al.13 report that reading habits in Turkey are not adequate, and the vast majority of readers read articles about their profession. According to the statistics, Turkish people spend 4–6 hours a day on average watching television and only 6 hours a year reading books.12 Arslan et al.15 have emphasized that negative results related to reading habits were obtained by various researches in universities where all kinds of professional competencies are taught. In this regard, continuous research and development activities should be done to reach the most up-to-date information. Yılmaz et al.9 report that university students generally have poor reading habits, and this fact should be taken seriously to develop the reading habits of university students who are intellectual candidates. İbrahim et al.20 state that an adequate reading habit is important in developing professional expertise, and ability to appraise is essential for practical application.
In addition to individual and social development, another criterion required for a qualified life is research culture, which can be fostered via research knowledge and skills that can be gained through education.21 According to a study cited by Aydın,22 research skills are among the 3S (searching, sharing, simulating) skills in education, and the information age requires qualified individuals who know how to reach information to prosper. Filiz16 reports that university students do not go to the library for research unless they have to, do not put forth enough effort to obtain professional knowledge, and are not directed sufficiently to do research. Several studies address the attitudes of veterinary students toward research.23–25 However, no research has been carried out on this subject for veterinary students in Turkey. As mentioned, Turkish people spend 4–6 hours a day on average watching television and only 6 hours a year reading books. This study was carried out to determine this negative picture’s level of reflection in undergraduate students of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and to determine students’ reading and research habits and attitudes toward the profession.
This study was carried out to determine views about reading habits and research interests of veterinary students in Turkey. In line with this general goal, our basic hypotheses and related questions in the research were as follows:
1.
Turkish veterinary students’ reading habits are not at the expected level. What are veterinary students’ views toward reading? Do veterinary students’ views on reading show a statistically significant difference in terms of gender, settlement, grade, and university variable?
2.
In Turkey, veterinary students’ general views toward research are negative. What are veterinary students’ views toward research? Do veterinary students’ views on research show a statistically significant difference in terms of gender, settlement, grade, and university variable?
Materials and Method
Research Model
Study Participants
Participants were volunteer students of faculties of veterinary medicine at Ankara University, Adnan Menderes University, Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Atatürk University, and Uludağ University. All participants gave their informed consent. A social sciences ethics committee approval from Dicle University was obtained regarding ethical appropriateness and official permits.
Universe and Sample
The questionnaires were given to students for data collection in February 2019. At the time of the study, 28 veterinary faculties were actively continuing education in Turkey.28 The cluster sampling method was used as one of the probabilistic sampling methods. In this sampling type, a sample group is created by randomly choosing from the groups in the total population, because the total population is very large, and the groups are spread over a wide geographical area.29 Each university was randomly selected from six geographic regions and sampled as a cluster. Years 1–5 in the veterinary faculties of the six universities included in the sample were taken as subclusters. Accordingly, 1,359 students constituted the sample group; the distribution of the sampled students by the university was as follows: Ankara University/Ankara, 277 students; Adnan Menderes University/Aydın, 216 students; Mehmet Akif Ersoy University/Burdur, 219 students; Ondokuz Mayıs University/Samsun, 199 students; Atatürk University/Erzurum, 200 students; and Uludağ University/Bursa, 248 students.
Development of the Data Collection Tool
The data collection tool used in the research was developed by the researchers. The first data collection tool prepared as a draft consisted of three sections: in the first section, 6 questions ask about the demographics of the students participating in the research; in the second section, 48 items determine students’ reading habits; and in the third section, 20 items determine students’ research habits. For the close-ended items in the second and third sections of the data collection tool, a 5-point Likert-type rating scale was used: strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree, and strongly disagree. The content validity of the draft data collection tool was evaluated in line with the opinions and suggestions of the Ziya Gökalp Education Faculty and Veterinary Faculty members, which made the tool suitable for preliminary assessment. The questionnaire was given to 246 students in years 1–5 of the Veterinary Faculty of Dicle University/Diyarbakır for validity and reliability analyses. According to the preliminary analysis results of this pilot study, the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) coefficient of the data collection tool was found to be .80, and Bartlett’s test value was 3,168.904 (p < .001). Büyüköztürk30 states that the KMO coefficient must be higher than .60 to factor data. Accordingly, the data were suitable for factor analysis. As a result of the factor analysis, 39 items with a factor load value of .30 and higher were found to be functional. As a result of the data collection tool’s factor analysis, two factors were determined. Accordingly, 28 items were collected in the first factor and 11 items were collected in the second factor (see Appendix 1). The first factor was named the Reading Habits Scale (RHS) and the second factor was named the Research-Doing Scale (RDS) by the researchers. Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient of the data collection tool was found to be .76.
The data collection tool was distributed by hand to veterinary faculty students during class hours and collected again in the same way after they were given time to answer.
Data Analysis
The data obtained from the students were analyzed using SPSS Statistics (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) for Windows.a
Frequency and percentage values were used to analyze the students’ personal information. The analysis sought to determine the veterinary faculty students’ RHS and RDS as perceived by the variables of gender, settlement, grade, and university. To see if RHS and RDS responses were normally distributed, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov Z (KSZ) test was applied to the findings. The results of this test are shown in Table 1.
The results of the KSZ test (Table 1) show that the RHS and RDS scores were not normally distributed (p < .05). According to Büyüköztürk30 and Corder and Foreman,31 if the variant is constant but does not have a standard distribution, the Spearman– Brown prediction formula for reliability coefficient can be used to determine the relationship between two variables. Thus, this study used non-parametric Mann–Whitney U (MWU) and Kruskal–Wallis H (KWH) tests as well as the Spearman–Brown prediction formula reliability coefficient. The significance level was set at .05. According to Cohen,32(p.25–7) d = 0.2 is considered a small effect size, 0.5 represents a medium effect size, and 0.8 a large effect size. This means that if two groups’ means do not differ by 0.2 standard deviations or more, the difference is unimportant even if it is statistically significant.
In the interpretation of arithmetic averages, ratings were made as following: average values between 1.00 and 1.79, strongly disagree; those between 1.80 and 2.59, disagree; those between 2.60 and 3.39, undecided; those between 3.40 and 4.19, agree; and between 4.20 and 5.00, strongly agree.
Results
Findings on Students’ Views about Reading Habits
Findings regarding the number of books that students read in a year are presented in Table 2. We determined that 34% of students read no more than 5 books a year, 33.5% of them read 6–11 books, and 22.3% read more than 11 books.
| Total number of books you read in a year | f | % |
|---|---|---|
| No more than 5 | 459 | 34 |
| 6–11 | 452 | 33.5 |
| > 11 | 301 | 22.3 |
| I don’t remember | 138 | 10.2 |
Table 3 presents findings regarding how often the students in veterinary faculties read books. Accordingly, 9.9% of the students stated that they always read books, while 4.1% stated that they never read books. Also, 34.6% of students reported that they sometimes read, 30.4% of them generally read, and 21% of them rarely read books.
| How often do you read books? | f | % |
|---|---|---|
| Always | 134 | 9.9 |
| Generally | 410 | 30.4 |
| Sometimes | 466 | 34.6 |
| Rarely | 283 | 21.0 |
| Never | 55 | 4.1 |
Findings regarding what kind of books students read are shown in Table 4. Students read religious books the least (13%) and novel-type books the most (64.2%). It was determined that 43.4% of the students read textbooks, 37.2% of them read scientific books, 36.9% read science fiction, 25.7% read research, and 25.2% of them read literary books.
| What kind of books do you usually read? | f | % |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific | 506 | 37.2 |
| Research | 349 | 25.7 |
| Textbooks | 590 | 43.4 |
| Science fiction | 502 | 36.9 |
| Religious | 176 | 13.0 |
| Literary | 342 | 25.2 |
| Novels | 871 | 64.2 |
Findings on Students’ Views about the RHS
Table 5 shows veterinary medicine students’ views on the RHS. We determined that the veterinary faculty students strongly agreed with nine items (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, 13, 16, and 18) in the questionnaire (see Table 5). Overall, veterinary medicine students strongly agreed that a reading habit has an effect on personal traits, multi-dimensional thinking, professional awareness, cognitive characteristics, recognition of the affective characteristics, and communication skills. Additionally, they indicate that reading books makes them realize their deficiencies in many areas, and studying professional topics contributes to their professional development; they find reading professional books unnecessary.
| Statement | X̄ | SD |
|---|---|---|
| 1. I think that reading habits have a significant effect on personality traits. | 4.42 | 0.880 |
| 2. A reading habit develops awareness of responsibility in individuals. | 4.15 | 0.983 |
| 3. A reading habit improves multi-dimensional thinking in individuals. | 4.50 | 0.766 |
| 4. A reading habit increases professional awareness. | 4.22 | 0.909 |
| 5. A reading habit increases professional sensitivity. | 4.10 | 0.980 |
| 6. A reading habit develops the cognitive characteristics of individuals (understanding, interpretation, comprehension, reasoning, etc.). | 4.65 | 0.652 |
| 7. A reading habit contributes to the recognition of the affective characteristics (interest, attitude, academic self) of individuals. | 4.32 | 0.853 |
| 8. A reading habit contributes to the recognition of individuals’ psychomotor characteristics (coordination, attention, balance, flexibility etc.). | 3.99 | 1.052 |
| 9. A reading habit improves the quality of life. | 3.99 | 1.069 |
| 10. A reading habit connects people to life. | 3.58 | 1.146 |
| 11. A reading habit improves communication skills. | 4.40 | 0.839 |
| 12. Books are the most effective way of learning. | 3.29 | 1.179 |
| 13. As I read books, I realize that I have many deficiencies. | 4.21 | 0.911 |
| 14. I share what I learn by reading to my friends. | 3.92 | 0.960 |
| 15. I like reading books about my profession. | 4.09 | 0.946 |
| 16. Studying on professional topics contributes to my professional development. | 4.51 | 0.716 |
| 17. I read professional books to make use of my free time. | 3.10 | 1.147 |
| 18. I find it unnecessary to read professional books. | 4.37 | 0.966 |
| 19. Professional books do not interest me. | 3.98 | 1.202 |
| 20. I prefer short, summarized notes instead of books to study for exams. | 3.35 | 1.349 |
| 21. When I study for exams, I prefer to study from ready-made notes instead of books. | 3.19 | 1.344 |
| 22. It is better for the lecturer to give his/her slides than to read his/her suggested book. | 2.78 | 1.294 |
| 23. I only wish to learn professional topics by listening. | 2.36 | 1.092 |
| 24. I feel bored when I read books. | 3.68 | 1.250 |
| 25. I can be a good veterinarian without reading professional scientific books. | 3.74 | 1.257 |
| 26. I don’t have any time to read professional books. | 3.71 | 1.131 |
| 27. I don’t have time to read professional journals. | 3.64 | 1.182 |
| 28. I don’t have time to follow my job on Internet. | 3.89 | 1.085 |
X̄ = arithmetic mean
The students agreed with 13 items (2, 5, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 19, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28) in the questionnaire (see Table 5). Overall, they agreed that a reading habit increases professional awareness, increases professional sensitivity, contributes to the recognition of psychomotor characteristics, improves quality of life, and helps to connect with other people.
Table 5 also shows that veterinary faculty students did not agree with five items (12, 17, 20, 21, and 22) in the questionnaire. We also found that students disagreed with the statement “I only wish to learn professional topics by listening.”
Additionally, most students were undecided about the effectiveness of books on learning. Some read professional books in their free time and others just during exam periods. In studying for exams, students preferred short, summarized notes and presentations instead of books. Additionally, veterinary medicine students disagreed that they learn professional topics by listening only.
Table 6 shows the results of the MWU test in terms of the gender variable on students’ opinions about the RHS. Students’ opinions about the RHS differ significantly in terms of the gender variable (U = 176,727.500, p < .05). The effect size of this significant difference (r = 0.08) was seen at the low level. Besides, when the groups’ rank averages are taken into consideration, female students’ opinions on the RHS were more positive than male students’ opinions.
Table 7 shows the results of the KWH test in terms of the settlement variable on students’ opinions about the RHS. A significant difference was found between students’ opinions about reading habits and the settlement variable (KWH(2) = 10.770, p < .05). However, the effect size of this significant difference (r = 0.09) was determined to be low.
| Settlement | n | M rank | SD | KWH | p | Significant difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Village | 131 | 587.00 | 2.000 | 10.770 | .005* | 1–3 |
| District | 282 | 652.80 | ||||
| City | 942 | 698.20 |
KWH = Kruskal–Wallis H
* p < .05
In looking for the cause of the difference, it was found that the RHS was in favor of the participants living in the city as a result of the MWU test conducted on the binary combinations of the groups. When groups’ rank averages are taken into account, we see that the lowest rank average score of a book-reading habit belongs to students living in a village, and the highest rank average score belongs to students living in the city.
According to results of the KWH test, students’ opinions about reading habits did not change significantly (KWH(4) = 6.607, p > .05). We found that fifth-year students had the highest rank average in terms of reading habits, and first-year students had the lowest rank average. A positive increase was found in the students’ reading habits as year level increased.
According to the results of the KWH test, students’ opinions about reading habits did not differ significantly in terms of the university variable (KWH(5) = 9.031, p > .05). Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Veterinary Faculty students had the highest average in terms of reading habits, and Ankara University Veterinary Faculty students had the lowest-ranking average.
Findings on Students’ Views about Research
Students’ willingness to join the scientific research community and become research assistants is shown in Table 8. More than half of the students stated they were willing to join the scientific research community (56.3%) and become research assistants (57.8%).
| Question | Yes | No | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| f | % | f | % | |
| Would you like to join the student scientific research community at your university? | 763 | 56.3 | 593 | 43.7 |
| Would you like to be a research assistant? | 780 | 57.8 | 569 | 42.2 |
Findings on Students’ Views about the RDS
Table 9 shows students’ views on research. Students strongly agreed with six statements (31, 32, 35, 36, 37, and 38) and agreed with five statements (29, 30, 33, 34, and 39).
| Statement | X̄ | SD |
|---|---|---|
| 29. I am interested in research. | 4.13 | 0.818 |
| 30. I am eager to learn the knowledge and skills required by the profession. | 4.19 | 0.789 |
| 31. I do not research the issues related to my profession. | 4.24 | 0.957 |
| 32. What is taught in the course is sufficient; more information is not necessary. | 4.35 | 0.956 |
| 33. I learn by doing research via books and journals. | 3.48 | 0.952 |
| 34. I search current events related to my profession on the Internet. | 3.85 | 0.932 |
| 35. Reaching new information excites me. | 4.34 | 0.789 |
| 36. Doing research on professional topics contributes to my professional development. | 4.54 | 0.682 |
| 37. I would like to take scientific research education in my faculty. | 4.32 | 0.874 |
| 38. Research-based education contributes greatly to my professional development. | 4.43 | 0.766 |
| 39. I don’t do research unless I have to. | 3.89 | 1.151 |
X̄ = arithmetic mean
According to the results of the MWU test, students’ opinions about doing research differed significantly in terms of the gender variable (U = 202,689.000, p < .05). The effect size of this significant difference (r = 0.19) was seen at a low level. Gender therefore has an impact on students’ views about doing research. When the average ranks of the groups are considered, we see that female students have higher opinions of doing research than male students.
According to the results of the KWH test, no significant differences existed between students’ views about research and the settlement variable (KWH(2) = 3.332, p > .05). The lowest rank average score for the research belonged to the students living in a village, and the highest rank average score belonged to students living in the city.
According to the KWH test results, students’ views about the RDS did not differ significantly in terms of the grade variable (KWH(4) = 7.738, p > .05). In other words, the grade variable had no effect on the students’ views about the RDS. We found that fifth-year students were willing to do research more than students in other years.
According to the results of the KWH test, students’ views about the RDS not change significantly in terms of the university variable (KWH(5) = 2.348, p > .05). Thus, we determined that the university variable did not affect the students’ views regarding research. However, considering the rank averages of the groups, we determined that Uludağ University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine students were willing to do more research than other veterinary faculty students.
Limitations
The number of faculties included in the sample was limited based on conditions and the resources available to the researchers. The research is limited also by the items included in the attitude scale developed to measure students’ thoughts about reading and research habits.
Discussion
This is the first study to provide data on the reading and research views of veterinary students in Turkey. With this research, the attitudes of these veterinary medicine students toward reading and research habits were determined.
Accordingly, veterinary faculty students’ views on reading habits were found to be remarkable: 9.9% of veterinary candidates always, 30.4% generally, 34.6% sometimes, 21% rarely, and 4.1% never read books. According to Odabaş et al.,6 reading can be classified under two types: continuous reading, in the context of a basic vital necessity, and noncontinuous reading, performed only to meet the information need arising over time. For example, reading performed at a certain time every day expresses continuous reading, whereas noncontinuous reading consists of periodic reading prompted by an environmental impulse. Our data suggest that veterinary students need to spend more time reading. Based on the findings regarding daily reading, more than half the students in the study did not have a continuous and regular reading habit, and they did not allocate time for reading.
On the other hand, types of readers is an important issue to be addressed. The American Library Association’s (ALA) indicators are considered decisive in terms of reader types. Yılmaz33 defines types of readers according to the ALA data, classified according to the number of books they read: a low-level reader reads 1–5 books per year; a medium-level reader, 6–11 books per year; and a high-level reader, more than 12 books per year. Our research shows that 34% of veterinary candidates in Turkey read 5 books at most, 33.5% of them read 6–11 books, and 22.3% read more than 11 books; 10.2% of students stated that they did not remember the number of books they read. Mavi and Çetin17 report that those who read more books have a higher level of love for books and more of a reading habit. According to the ALA’s standards, 34% of veterinary candidates in Turkey are low-level readers, 33.5% of them are medium-level readers, and 22.3% are high-level readers. These results show that more than half of the veterinary candidates in Turkey have reading habits at the low and medium levels. Our findings are similar to those by researchers who have studied a variety of university students in Turkey.9,14–18,34 The reasons university students are not reading enough books are related to many factors, such as family, environment, and school.17 Students should gain book-reading habits in childhood, and the family is a very important factor in whether a student becomes a reader.35 Another factor at play is the family’s economic situation. Other studies36,37 report that students’ reading habits decrease as the families’ income levels decrease due to difficulty accessing reading materials with a lower income.
On the other hand, some studies state that an interest in reading does not change according to economic situation and that resources can be allocated on this subject at any time.17,38,39 According to research by Özen and Ateş40 and Küçükaslan and Bulut41 about the profile of veterinary students in Turkey, many veterinary medicine students have low income levels. It is normal that students cannot find time for reading because they must instead meet their vital needs and also make a living for their families. However, students who are not responsible for their living expenses are thought to be able to create opportunities to read if they wish. Batur et al.42 state that an individual with a reading habit continues to read regardless of conditions. In addition to books that can be borrowed from libraries, books can be accessed in different ways due to today’s technology, such as digitally and by using e-book applications.
Fitriyani et al.43 state that people with reading habits have knowledge in many fields such as education, politics, religion, and economy, and this habit contributes to developing personality skills and understanding of written materials. Research indicates that an individual’s reading habit helps in career opportunities. Although the rate we found in our research is low, the fact that 9.9% of veterinary students stated that they always read books is of value in terms of having the characteristics specified by Fitriyani et al.43
Ortaş12 states that the most important obstacle in terms of reading books is time management issues. Students are found to have a shortage of time; one reason for this is veterinary faculties’ heavy course loads. In Erdem’s research on the subject,34 university students could not read enough books due to Internet use, exams, social activities, and course hours. Another reason for a low- or medium-level book-reading habit may be related to the students’ leisure preferences. Also, in their studies with medical students, Hodgson and Thomson44 state that an excessive number of courses decreases the appeal of reading in leisure time.
Type of books that veterinary faculty students read is a matter of curiosity, as this is thought to provide important information about their professional and personal development. When book types were analyzed in our research, we found that novel-type books are mostly read (64.2%). This result is in line with study results from Ayyıldız et al.,45 Yılmaz et al.,9 and Akçakaya et al.14 Indeed, fiction books are found to be generally preferred by all Turkish readers. Data from a 2019 Turkish reading culture survey also support this finding.11 According to Ortaş,12 knowledge and consciousness cannot be achieved by reading textbooks alone; it is necessary to read extracurricular works, and there is a relationship between the culture level of a society and extracurricular literacy. Balan et al.46 report that students with sturdy reading habits can increase their critical reasoning skills, and as a result, they have better academic results. Additionally, reading non-academic books also benefits personal development.
Our study revealed that, following novels, textbooks were read by 43.4% of participants and scientific books by 37.2%. These rates are very low for students in veterinary medicine, a scientific pursuit that follows innovations in the scientific field, based on lifelong learning and constantly updating itself. It is thought-provoking that students who continue to study in veterinary profession faculties are reluctant to read professional and scientific topics.
Veterinary faculty students’ opinions about item 25 on the reading habits questionnaire are remarkable. Veterinary faculty students express, “I can be a good veterinarian without reading professional scientific books”; this is considered to be extremely negative. An individual who has not acquired a reading habit and finds reading professional books unnecessary will not have the skills of understanding, learning, research, analysis, discussion, critical thinking, and sufficient professional competence. As a result, these students will not likely find success in educational and professional life. Considering that those who make and develop a profession are members of that profession, it can be predicted that the veterinary profession in Turkey will experience great difficulties in the medium and long terms.
We found in our research that students of veterinary faculties, who are expected to be intellectual individuals of the society, state that they find professional books unnecessary, that they are not interested in them, and that they are bored when reading books. This once again reveals the need for future veterinarians to consider their characteristics and interests while making their professional choices. Özen et al.,47 in their study on factors that affect one’s decision to become a veterinarian, report that students largely did not follow a healthy and conscious decision-making process.
Items 21 and 22 of the reading habits questionnaire show veterinary faculty students’ preferences for accessing information. Students in this study were found to prefer ready-made notes and teacher slides instead of textbooks while preparing for exams. They were not active in accessing information and preferred an education where they could be passive recipients of information, rote memorizers, and exam-oriented. Kösterelioğlu and Bayar48 report that a main problem with the Turkish education system is exam-orientation and memorization-based education. Veterinary students also seem to approach their education in this way. Ortaş12 emphasizes that in a world where millions of pieces of information are produced daily, the individual does not have to memorize all the information, and the important thing is to know where the information is and how to reach it. From this point of view, it is important to teach students how to access information rather than forcing them to memorize it.
The veterinary faculty that students study with gives important clues about their views on reading habits and their professional and personal development. According to research results, veterinary faculty students think that a habit of reading books affects personality traits; enables multi-dimensional thinking; increases professional awareness; improves cognitive characteristics, recognition of affective characteristics, and communication skills; and contributes to professional development. In general, students have a positive attitude toward reading books. Our research reveals that a reading habit helps a student develop a sense of responsibility, contributes to the recognition of psychomotor features, and improves professional sensitivity, quality of life, and willingness to live. Another finding is that veterinary faculty students share their knowledge with their friends. Their agreement with these statements show that they are conscious about reading.
In 18 participating countries, including Mexico, Chile, and Turkey, the highest reading proficiency level achieved by most students was level 2. Level 2 is considered a baseline level of proficiency, at which students begin to demonstrate reading skills that will enable them to participate effectively and productively in life.49 Because reading habits are important in enhancing students’ success in school and in other areas of life, students should have a high interest in reading.50
Throughout much of the twentieth century, concerns about gender differences in education focused on girls’ failures. More recently, however, the scrutiny has shifted to boys’ failure in reading.49 In one study, female students were found to develop a more positive opinion toward reading books. However, when effect size is examined, the difference between male and female students is seen to be very low. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reports that compared with boys, girls have higher mean reading performance, enjoy reading more, and are more aware of effective strategies to summarize information.49 Numerous other studies have reported that female students’ attitudes about reading books are more positive than male students’ attitudes.6,14,15,17,50 Arslan et al.15 has evaluated these findings as the difference between emotional and developmental needs between girls and boys. Keleş36 and Can et al.38 have reported that female students’ reading frequency in primary and secondary school is higher than in male students. Starting in primary school, female students read more books than male students; therefore, they have made this a habit and continue to read in university. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) concludes that while factors such as predisposition, temperament, peer pressure, and socialization may contribute to boys having less interest in reading than girls, parents’ engagement with their children’s reading lives can have a positive impact on children’s reading performance, regardless of gender.49
When we examined students’ opinions toward doing research in terms of the gender variable, we determined that female students had more positive opinions than male students about the RDS. Although the difference’s effect size is low, female students may value reading and research more than male students and tend to have better cultural growth than males.
When the RHS and the RDS were examined in terms of the settlement variable, we found that the lowest rank average score belonged to the students living in a village, and the highest rank average score belonged to students living in a city. However, the effect size of this significant difference is low. Research in Turkey has reported that reading rates in rural areas are lower than those reported in cities.11 The results of our study are compatible with these research findings. Keleş36 reports that students’ reading habits decrease as their settlements become smaller, and this is attributed to differences in families’ income and education levels. Bircan and Tekin51 state that the feudal culture is oral-based and the industrial society is based on writing; thus, society’s rural population causes reading habits not to be settled. Research results show that this view is still valid today.
When we examined students’ opinions about the RHS in terms of the grade variable, we observed that as grade level increases, students’ opinions on reading habits also increase positively; fifth-year students are more willing to read and do research than students in other year levels. This finding is similar to those of Odabaş et al.6 and Akçakaya et al.14 It is gratifying that as grade level increases, the desire to read and research increase together with level of consciousness. In a sense, an increase occurs in students’ desire to read and reach information through research because their graduation is approaching, and they are starting to encounter more clinical cases.
According to Ortaş,12 Toffler52(p.329) makes an important determination: “Tomorrow’s illiterate will not be the man who can’t read; he will be the man who has not learned how to learn.” To access information, it is necessary to read and research. Our research reveals that more than half of the students in the study were willing to join the scientific research community (56.3%) and become research assistants (57.8%). Hunter et al.4 reach similar conclusions. In our study, undergraduate students had developed a positive attitude toward becoming scientists. They reported shifts in attitudes toward learning and working as a researcher, such as taking greater responsibility for their work, increasing willingness to propose next steps, acquiring tolerance for the frustrations and reversals inherent in authentic research, and developing greater intrinsic interest in science.
Gilmore and Feldon53 state that doing research is important in the development of research skills. According to Brew,54 research skills improve students’ research-mindedness, communication, teamwork, lifelong learning, investigation, emotional and cultural awareness, and analytical thinking. The process of doing research can also contribute to students’ understanding of issues and increase learning outcomes, as well as enabling better decision making.54 The process of training research skills in students emphasizes, as a strategy for future professional and scientific work, the reality of what will happen in their professional performance; this experience contributes to improving educational practice, teaching, and acquiring learning, in the search for answers to real and concrete problems, corresponding to the professional context.55 We conclude that students are interested in research and eager to learn the knowledge and skills required by the profession. They were found to learn by researching books and journals as well as searching the Internet for current events related to their profession. We found that access to new information excites students, that their research on professional topics contributes to their professional development, that they want scientific research education to be included in their faculties, and that they understand the importance of conducting research. In a study conducted by Ward et al.56 on the subject, undergraduate students stated that getting involved in research projects facilitated their learning: “They reported increased technical skill, ability to act independently, insight into graduate study and career possibilities, understanding of the value of team work, ability to work with setbacks and/or ambiguity, desire to learn, ability to think creatively and/or synthetically, self confidence, communication skills, and understanding of where ‘knowledge’ comes from.”56(p.1) Additionally, in a study by Zhang and Swaid,57 research experience for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) undergraduates has been viewed as a positive experience that has several benefits for students, such as developing intellectual mentality, enhancing teamwork skills, and improving preparation for graduate study. Our results are compatible with these.
Although the students stated that doing research would contribute to their professional development, their expressions such as “I do not research topics related to my profession,” “I do not do research unless I have to,” and “I am content with what is taught in the course, more information is not necessary” show a contradiction. In a study with clinician veterinarians, Özen et al.58 reports that in their research for clinician veterinarians in Turkey, veterinarians were insufficient in their use of the Internet and other information technology tools and information resources, and they did not show a positive attitude in meeting the requirements of living in the information age. Our research shows that students exhibit similar attitudes during their university years.
Onwuegbuzie and Wilson59 report that many students have a high level of anxiety during research courses; Büyüköztürk21 reports that university students have shown negative attitudes toward doing research and that this attitude might be due to fear of research. Likewise, veterinary faculty students might be concerned about their own fear of research. However, this can be argued to stem from veterinary faculties’ heavy curriculums and from students not wanting more added to their course load due to the already-difficult lessons. Additionally, in their research about veterinary students’ opinions about anatomy courses, Küçükaslan et al.41 have stated that students research the topics that they find interesting and can find time for these. To minimize students’ anxiety about conducting research, including courses for research education in veterinary curriculums is recommended. Çokluk Bökeoğlu and Yılmaz1 state that individuals receiving research education will have low research anxiety and that their role in designing research projects or taking part in different research activities will also contribute to their critical thinking. Faculty members play an important role in directing students to research. İbrahim et al.20 note that educators should use examinations and presentations to foster the appeal of reading as they are highly effective. Şen60 states only 15% of students responded positively to the question of whether lecturers directed them to research and a love of science. In addition, regular attendance to students’ clubs improves students’ general knowledge, appeal of reading, scientific awareness, assertiveness, and social skills.61–63
We have found that the reading culture of veterinary students in Turkey is not at the desired level, and this coincides with Turkey’s overall reading scores. Ensuring social development depends only on training individuals with strong reading habits. It is expected that veterinarians, who should be contemporary, free-thinking, productive, questioning, and aware individuals, have strong reading habits to achieve these qualities. To gain these, the basics of reading habits should be laid during the preschool period, and a love of books should be instilled in young students because, as Bircan and Tekin15 and Arslan et al.48 state, reading skills not acquired during childhood are very difficult to acquire during adulthood. Within the framework of qualified national cultural policies, we should aim to instill reading habits in children’s early years, and the reading level of society should be increased. Students should be encouraged to read and research at all educational levels, both for educational and personal development. To support university students in this regard, university authorities must meet students’ requests for reading and research. Functional libraries that provide silent reading environments should be established in veterinary faculties. Lecturers should give recommendations to students on both curricular and extracurricular resources. On the subject, Clark and Rumbold state the following: “The national school curriculum includes a focus on the reading of a range of texts to encourage reading and discussion. This not only leads to engagement in reading but also facilitates drawing on the interests that pupils bring to reading. We know that certain elements promote a love of reading, which include freedom to choose reading materials; a print-rich environment; access to a variety of texts; time for reading in school; encouragement to readers; and quiet, comfortable places to read.”64(p.26) We also recommend that students be encouraged to do research, given assignments for researching various scientific topics, and provided environments to gain lifelong learning skills. Students can be encouraged to participate in reading and research communities established within the universities. We conclude that individuals who prefer reading and research will contribute to their personal and professional development and to their country in general.
Acknowledgment
There are no potential conflicts of interest related to the research. This study was supported by Research Fund of the Dicle University in Turkey (Project No: Veteriner.17.022). Abstracts of two reports from this research have been published in Proceedings of the Second International European Conference on Interdisciplinary Scientific Researches, Ankara, Turkey, July 4–5, 2020 (Abstract Book pp. 167, 168).
Footnote
a
a SPSS Statistics for Windows (v. 21.0), SPSS Inc., 2012, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Appendix 1: Questionnaire Form
Dear Students,
This questionnaire form is for research prepared to determine students’ reading and research interests. Information collected from students who want to participate in the study voluntarily will be used only for research purposes; it will not be shared with third persons or institutions. Since the data will be analyzed by statistical methods, please do not write your name on the form. The accuracy of the evaluation depends on your sincere and complete answers. Thanks in advance for your contributions.
I. Background Information
1.
Your gender:
I.
Female [ ]
II.
Male [ ]
2.
Settlement where you live:
I.
Village [ ]
II.
District [ ]
III.
City [ ]
3.
Class:
4.
Veterinary faculty:
I.
Adnan Menderes UVF [ ]
II.
Mehmet Akif Ersoy UVF [ ]
III.
Ankara UVF [ ]
IV.
Ondokuz Mayıs UVF [ ]
V.
Atatürk UVF [ ]
VI.
Uludağ UVF [ ]
VII.
Dicle UVF [ ]
5.
The total number of books you read in a year:
I.
No more than 5 [ ]
II.
Between 6-11 [ ]
III.
More than 11 [ ] IV. I don’t remember [ ]
6.
How often do you read books?
I.
Always [ ]
II.
Generally [ ]
III.
Sometimes [ ]
IV.
Rarely [ ]
V.
Never [ ]
7.
What kind of books do you usually read?
I.
Scientific books [ ]
II.
Research books [ ] III. Textbooks [ ]
III.
Science fiction books [ ]
IV.
Religious books [ ]
V.
Literary books [ ]
VI.
Novels [ ]
VII.
Other [ ]
8.
Would you like to join the Student Scientific Research Community at your university?
I.
Yes [ ]
II.
No [ ]
9.
Would you like to be a research assistant?
I.
Yes [ ]
II.
No [ ]
II. Views on Reading Behaviors
Place an (X) to declare your preference.
| Statement | Strongly agree | Agree | Undecided | Disagree | Strongly disagree | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | I think that a reading habit has a significant effect on personality traits. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2. | A reading habit develops awareness of responsibility in individuals. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 3. | A reading habit improves multi-dimensional thinking in individuals. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4. | A reading habit increases professional awareness. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 5. | A reading habit increases professional sensitivity. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 6. | A reading habit develops the cognitive characteristics of individuals (understanding, interpretation, comprehension, reasoning, etc.). | – | – | – | – | – |
| 7. | A reading habit contributes to the recognition of the affective characteristics (interest, attitude, academic self) of individuals. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 8. | A reading habit contributes to the recognition of individuals’ psychomotor characteristics (coordination, attention, balance, flexibility, etc.). | – | – | – | – | – |
| 9. | A reading habit improves quality of life. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 10. | A reading habit connects people to life. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 11. | A reading habit improves communication skills. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 12. | The most effective way to learn is from a book. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 13. | As I read books, I realize that I have many deficiencies. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 14. | I share what I learn by reading to my friends. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 15. | I like reading books about my profession. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 16. | Studying on professional topics contributes to my professional development. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 17. | I read professional books to make use of my free time. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 18. | I find it unnecessary to read professional books. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 19. | Professional books do not interest me. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 20. | I only read a textbook during exam times. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 21. | When I study for exams, I prefer to study from ready-made notes instead of books. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 22. | It is better for the lecturer to give his/her slides than to read his/her suggested book. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 23. | I would like to learn about my profession only by listening. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 24. | I am bored when I’m reading a book. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 25. | I can be a good veterinarian without reading professional scientific books. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 26. | I don’t have any time to read professional books. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 27. | I don’t have any time to read professional journals. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 28. | I don’t have any time to follow my job on the Internet. | – | – | – | – | – |
III. Views on Doing Research
Place an (X) to declare your preference.
| Statement | Strongly agree | Agree | Undecided | Disagree | Strongly disagree | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29. | I am interested in research. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 30. | I am eager to learn the knowledge and skills required by the profession. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 31. | I do not research the issues related to my profession. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 32. | What is taught in the course is sufficient; more information is not necessary. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 33. | I learn by doing research via books and journals. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 34. | I search current events related to my profession on the Internet. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 35. | Reaching new information excites me. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 36. | Doing research on professional topics contributes to my professional development. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 37. | I would like to take scientific research education in my faculty. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 38. | Research-based education contributes greatly to my professional development. | – | – | – | – | – |
| 39. | I don’t do research unless I have to. | – | – | – | – | – |
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Veterinary Medical Education
Volume 49 • Number 4 • August 2022
Pages: 462 - 472
PubMed: 34033740
Copyright
© 2022 AAVMC.
History
Received: 23 July 2020
Submitted: 1 January 2021
Revision received: 1 January 2021
Accepted: 2 March 2021
Published ahead of print: 25 May 2021
Published in print: August 2022
Published online: 10 August 2022
Key Words:
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Metrics & Citations
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Journal of Veterinary Medical Education 2022 49:4, 462-472
Journal of Veterinary Medical Education 2022 49:4, 462-472