Event date and time: Friday 10 July 2026, 12.00 – 13.00
Abstract:
Despite widespread recognition that reading serves as a cornerstone of academic study -enabling both knowledge acquisition and comprehension – educational research consistently demonstrates that university students struggle with the volume, complexity, and independent reading demands of higher education (Ryan, 2006; Bharuthram, 2012; Jamieson, 2013; St. Clair-Thompson et al., 2018; Gorzycki et al., 2020; Bergman, 2024). Increasingly, research into academic reading has taken a more qualitative view, aiming to understand why some students do not engage in academic reading and has begun to consider the emotional and psychological aspects of academic reading (Gorzycki et al., 2020; Kimberley and Thursby, 2020; Soares and Badcock, 2020; Huda, 2022; Bergman, 2024; Mason and Warmington, 2024).
In 2025 a cross-discipline study took place to examine the emotional labour and cognitive burden that academic reading places on individual students in one UK HEI. Through qualitative research, three key themes were identified: a reading culture characterised by complex terminology, assumed literacies, and individualised struggle. The research used Habermasian theory to reveal the significant invisible work students undertake during academic reading, such as emotional regulation, meaning-making, and identity negotiation. The findings demonstrated that academic reading is not simply a cognitive task but also one which involves significant individual emotional labour, which often goes unrecognised and unsupported. The issue of how students today conduct their academic reading also intersects with three key concerns in UK higher education: the growing influence of AI tools, increasing awareness of neurodiversity, and commitments to widening participation.
Early analysis was presented at ALDCon25 and this presentation will outline the key findings from the complete thematic analysis, along with conclusions which I hope will be of interest to the LD community. There will also be time for questions and discussion.
Presenter: Tasha Cooper, Senior Lecturer in Information Science, University of the West of England, Bristol.
References:
- Bergman, L. (2024) Students’ reading in higher education: Challenges and ways forward. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 67 (6), pp. 335-246. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.1346
- Bharuthram, S. (2012). Making a case for the teaching of reading across the curriculum in higher education. South African Journal of Education, 32 (2), pp. 205–214. https://doi.org/10.4314/saje.v32i2
- Gorzycki, M., Desa, G., Howard, PJ., Allen, DD. (2020). “Reading is important,” but “I don’t read”: Undergraduates’ experiences with academic reading. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. 63 (5), pp. 499–508. https://doi-org.uwe.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/jaal.1020
- Huda, N. (2022). Towards the setting up and evaluation of academic reading circles: a critical commentary on academic reading practices in Higher Education institutions. Investigations into University Learning and Teaching. 13. https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/7754/
- Jamieson, S. (2013). Reading and Engaging Sources: What students’ use of sources reveals about advanced reading skills. Across the Disciplines, 10 (4), pp. 1–20. https://doi.org/10.37514/ATD-J.2013.10.4.15
- Kimberley, E., Thursby, M. (2020). Framing the text: understanding emotional barriers to academic reading. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice. 17 (2), pp. 1-14. https://doi.org/10.53761/1.17.2.2
- Mason, W., Warmington, M. (2024). Academic reading as a grudging act: how do Higher Education students experience academic reading and what can educators do about it? Higher Education. 88, pp. 839-856. https://doi-org.uwe.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s10734-023-01145-2
- Ryan, T.E. (2006). Motivating novice students to read their textbooks. Journal of Instructional Psychology. 33 (2), pp. 135-140.
- Soares, S., Badcock, N. (2020). Does reading anxiety impact on academic achievement at university? Learning Difficulties Australia Bulletin, 52 (2), pp. 31-33. https://doi.org/10.1002/dys.1738
- St. Clair-Thompson, H., Graham, A., Marsham, S. (2018). Exploring the reading practices of undergraduate students. Education Inquiry, 9 (3), pp. 284-298. https://doi.org/10.1080/20004508.2017.1380487