Abstract

               This is a survey research which was conducted with the following objectives             1) To study opinions of students about the factor affecting the reading behavior of students of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Phrae Campus.  2) To compare the opinions of students about the factors affecting reading behavior of students of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University Phrae Campus.

Sample used in this research were 371 of students Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Phrae Campus who were studying in the academic year 2011. The research to was the constructed questionnaire. The statistics used to analyze the data were Percentage ( % ), Mean  (  ), Standard  Deviation  (S.D.)  and  by  F – test.

               The results of research can be summariged ad follows: 

   1. Most of the respondents were more males  than the femals, and most of them were the first year students followed by the third, the second and the fourth year students and most of them studied the field of Political Science followed by  Buddhism field, social studies field, and teaching English field. most of them were  20-30  years old followed by the  age of 31-40 years, 41 years up, and lower 20 years.  The period of time in reading was mostly 1-2 hour, followed by 30 minutes and more than 2 hours respectively.  For the frequency in reading, it was found that most of the students read 3 times a week, followed by 1 time a week, 5 times a week 2 times a week, 4 times a week and 5 times a week.

   2. As a whole, students opinions regarding the cause of reading behavior were in a high level.  For the types of books, it was found that student read books, newspapers and books of general knowledge in a moderate level, and they read Sanskrit and Pali English books in a low level.  Most of them had the purposes of reading in the high level which included searching for knowledge, use from reading, relaxation, enjoyment and entertainment. They were found with knowledge and language in the high level that is they utilized gained knowledge from reading in the real life.  They were also found with reading skills in the high with the level of learning by underlining for memory and developing their reading skills.

   3. Students opinions about the factors that support reading behavior, as a whole, were in a high level. For environment it was found that reading room is cool and appropriate. In addition, the family environment is important to encourage reading. For the academic achievement, it affected reading behavior in a high level: The reading resulted in better academic achievements and enthusiasm in search of knowledge. For motivation, it affected reading behavior in a high level. That is there is a need of knowledge from the topics read and the follow up of up-to-date information with the reward and praise as motivation.

   4. The students with different ages had different opinions about the factors that were the causes of reading, as a whole and for each aspect, which was statically significant at .05 level.

   5. The students with different ages, as a whole and for each aspect, had different opinions about the factors supporting reading behaviors that was statically significant at .05 level.

   6. The students who had a different period of time in reading expressed, as a whole and for each aspect, different opinions about the factors that were the causes of reading behaviors that was statically significant at .05 level.

   7. The student who had a different period of time in reading, as a whole and for each aspect, expressed different opinions about the factors supporting reading behaviors that was statically significant at .05 level.