Recreational reading as a leisure activity: Perspectives from Georgian and Finnish hearing and deaf students

The benefits of recreational reading for academic success are clear. However, the full potential of recreational reading for socialisation and well-being remains untapped by young readers. Studies of young readers' recreational reading intentions and perceived barriers to translating intentions into reading are scarce. Deaf and hard-of-hearing students have been particularly excluded from research on leisure reading. Using a mixed methods approach, this study investigates Finnish and Georgian students' attitudes towards leisure reading and the relationship between their reading intentions and actual reading. Students' engagement in recreational reading is assessed through a quantitative survey, while their attitudes and intentions towards reading are revealed through focus group interviews. The results of this study suggest that students generally have positive attitudes towards reading, regardless of their country of origin and degree of hearing loss. Furthermore, the analysis reveals a wide range of barriers to reading, the most common of which are long school days, large amounts of homework, limited free time and preferences for other leisure activities. Some speculative findings from this study will be used as a basis for further research, focusing on reading during COVID-19.