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Journal Article Review: Social Factors and Student Behavior
Olivia Jeffery
Liberty University
EDU 624: Instructional Methods for Behavior and Learning
Dr. Dilling
July 29, 2025
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Journal Article Review: Social Factors and Student Behavior
Summary of the Author’s Main Points
Nitza Davidovitch and Alexandra Gerkerova (2023) speak to the social determinants of
university students' reading behavior and their contribution to academic performance in the
article "Social Factors Influencing Students’ Reading Habits." The study, conducted with 147
Ukrainian students, investigates variables such as parental education, family size, discipline of
study, status of work, and social role influence by close relationships (parents, teachers, peers).
The authors find that there is formation of reading behavior in early childhood with the
influence of parents and teachers and that parental levels of education play an important role.
Students of small-sized families and unemployed students have more resilient reading behavior
since they have larger amounts of free time for activities like reading. The research indicates a
clear relationship between regular reading behavior and study performance since it shows that
students with regular reading behavior achieve higher results in studies. But according to the
research, most of the respondents read due to external motivation. Crises like pandemics and
war significantly increased book reading and computer literacy but only moderately affected
learning outcomes, an idea supported by Ludewig et al. (2022).
Personal Response
I am particularly fascinated with the focus of the study on the developmentally shaping
contribution of factors in childhood because it brings to the fore the developmentally important
responsibility of parents and teachers in providing lifelong reading habits. The connection
between reading habits and academic performance resonates with my own learning experience
as a student, in which students who regularly read perform better in analysis and academics.
But of concern to me is that most students are not intrinsically motivated to read. They read out
of pressure from external forces. This indicates that there is a requirement for learning
strategies that render reading more engaging and relevant to individuals. The small role played
by university lecturers in imparting reading habits caught me off guard, given that higher
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education should play a larger role in reinforcing the same. The emphasis on the crises, such as
war and epidemics, of the study gives a timely flavor, which shows how outside interruptions
can actually increase reading and digital literacy, ironically. This leads me to reflect on my
reading habit and consider how I can cultivate a more consistent and autonomous approach to
reading.
Scriptural Integration
The worth of learning and reading coincides with Proverbs 4:7 (ESV): “The beginning of
wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.” The verse addresses the
importance of acquiring knowledge, which reading enables, as an underpinning of wisdom and
personal enrichment. Davidovitch and Gerkerova’s research shows that reading behavior,
developed in childhood, results in intellectual and educational development, mirroring the
biblical encouragement to pursue wisdom enthusiastically. Teachers and parents can apply this
lesson by instructing students to understand that reading is a way of knowing and discrimination
and instilling a passion for knowledge that is in accordance with biblical teaching.
References
Ludewig, U., Kleinkorres, R., Schaufelberger, R., Schlitter, T., Lorenz, R., König, C., Frey, A.,
& McElvany, N. (2022). COVID-19 pandemic and student reading achievement:
Findings from a school panel study. Frontiers in Psychology, 13.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.876485
Nitza Davidovitch. (2023). Social factors influencing students’ reading habits. African
Educational Research Journal, 11(3), 351–359. https://doi.org/10.30918/aerj.113.23.057
