Guidelines for Building Classroom Library to Instill Substantial Reading Culture of Students: A Case Study of Primary Schools in South Isan

Abstract

This survey research was conducted to develop guidelines for establishing classroom libraries to instill the sustainable reading culture into primary school students in Southern Isan. The questionnaires were sent to 395 primary school teachers in 3 provinces: Burirum, Surin, and Srisaket. In addition, the researcher interviewed 24 school teachers and administrators. The findings concluded that:-

The majority of schools supported the establishment of library corners or libraries within each classroom by acquiring bookshelves, reading tables and chairs.  Most of the classrooms housed more than 300 books, including story tales, textbooks, cartoons, and children fiction books. Since most of the schools did not
have annual budgets for purchasing books or reading media, the teachers asked for donations from general public, organizations, community members, parents, and teachers. The teachers let all the students read together, gave reading advice, told stories and asked questions to encourage students to search for answers from the books in the classroom libraries.

The teachers’ viewpoints or opinions about setting up classroom libraries, library operations and physical facilities were found at a moderate level. On average, their opinions about new books and good readable books displays, acquisition and organization of various types of books, such as story books, fiction and non-fiction books, magazines, booklets, poems and cartoons, which children could select to read based on their interests were reported at a high level. The book corners where natural or electrical lights should be adequately equipped, the students should have free time for reading, and they should be encouraged by teachers to read books at the classroom book corners. The analysis of the study hypothesis showed that the teachers of the Southern Isan schools of various sizes expressed different viewpoints about establishing classroom libraries to instill sustainable reading culture in children statistically significantly at 0.05.