Educational Statistics

Current Status of Adolescent Reading Based on National Reading Survey

Author: Kim Na-young (Researcher, KEDI)

 

In the 2018 OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the overall reading achievement level of Korean students was relatively high, but in items that required distinguishing between fact and opinion or evaluating the reliability of digital information, they showed lower achievement than the OECD average (OECD, 2021). These results raised concerns about declining literacy in the digital environment, and since then, a sense of crisis regarding the weakening adolescents’ reading ability has been continuously raised. In particular, as digital-based learning environments have become normalized, concerns are growing that adolescents accustomed to fragmented information are gradually losing the capacity for deep reading and critical thinking. In this context, the importance of reading education in the digital educational environment is being emphasized more than ever, and interest in strengthening reading education is increasing in schools as well. Accordingly, this paper comprehensively analyzes reading-related conditions, such as the frequency of reading, purposes of reading, and school reading guidance activities of adolescents, based on the results of the “National Reading Survey” of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and aims to derive directions and tasks for reading education suitable for the digital age.

 

■ Reading Frequency of Adolescents

The comparison of the reading frequency of adolescents in Korea between 2021 and 2023 is shown in [Figure 1]. In all school levels, the proportion of responses of ‘reading every day’ showed a decreasing tendency, and in particular, for middle school students, it decreased from 22.4% to 11.6%, a drop of 10.8%p, indicating that regular habits were greatly weakened. On the other hand, the proportion of responses of “not reading any books” decreased at all school levels. For elementary school students, it decreased from 5.6% to 0.2%, for middle school students from 7.9% to 5.3%, and for high school students, from 12.8% to 7.2%. These results show a dual phenomenon in which regular habits have weakened, but the proportion of adolescents who do not read at all has decreased, meaning that at least a minimum level of reading activity has been maintained or even expanded.

 

 

■ Purposes of Reading of Adolescents

The analysis of the main purposes of reading among adolescents by school level in 2023 is shown in [Figure 2]. For elementary school students, the highest proportion was reading for ‘fun,’ whereas for middle and high school students, purpose-oriented reading, such as for ‘academic study,’ ‘self-development,’ and ‘enjoyment of original work-based content,’ appeared relatively higher. These results show that reading motivation differs clearly according to school level, suggesting a need for tailored reading support policies that take this into account.

 

■ Reading Guidance Activities in Schools

The examination of reading guidance activities in schools in 2023 shows that the proportion of responses of ‘receiving reading guidance’ was the highest across all school levels, appearing as 97.1% in elementary school, 94.4% in middle school, and 92.7% in high school. ‘Writing activities, such as book reports and reviews,’ were also most actively conducted in elementary school at 77.7%. On the other hand, activities requiring autonomy and critical thinking, such as ‘reading discussions and presentations’ (elementary: 45.6%, middle: 24.4%, high: 32.2%) and ‘guidance on book selection and how to read’ (elementary: 47.1%, middle 28.7%, high: 26.0%) showed lower participation rates as school level increased. In addition, the proportion of experience with ‘copyright education’ was generally low, appearing as 22.5% in middle school and 16.5% in high school, suggesting that education on information ethics, essential in the digital environment, remains insufficient.

 

 

■ Students’ Demands for Improvement of the School Reading Environment

The examination of students’ demands for improvement of the school reading environment in 2023 is shown in [Figure 4]. At all school levels, the highest demand was for ‘introducing books suitable for level’ (elementary 73.1%, middle: 69.4%, high: 69.7%), which reflects the importance of providing books appropriate to students’ interests and levels. Following this, there was also high demand for ‘convenience in using the school library’ and ‘expansion of the number of books,’ highlighting accessibility improvement in terms of space and resources as a major task. On the other hand, items, such as ‘holding various reading events,’ ‘expansion of reading time,’ and ‘guidance on reading methods and activities’ showed relatively lower response rates. In particular, ‘guidance on reading methods and post-reading activities’ appeared at a similar level of 56~58% across all school levels, showing that systematic support for reading methods is a common demand.

 

 

 

To summarize the above analysis results, adolescents’ reading habits showed distinct differences according to school level. While regular reading has decreased, a dual pattern appeared in which at least minimal participation in reading has expanded. To respond to these changes, customized reading education strategies and systematic policy support that reflect developmental characteristics and reading motivations by school level are required, so that adolescents can continue sustained and substantive reading activities even in the digital environment.

 

                                                                

[References]

· OECD. (2021). 21st-Century Readers: Developing Literacy Skills in a Digital World. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/a83d84cb-en

· National Reading Survey. National Statistics Portal. https://kosis.kr/search/search.do?query=%EB%8F%85%EC%84%9C%EC%9C%A8 (Extracted on June 30, 2025)