Promoting Reading Habits and Literary Culture Among Youth: Strategies for Cultivating A Book-Reading Generation

Аннотация

This article explores the effectiveness of a peer-led reading circle program in promoting reading COPYRIGHT habits among secondary school students in Uzbekistan. © 2025 Original content from this work may be used under the terms of the creative commons attributes 4.0 License. The study highlights the challenges faced by Uzbek youth, including digital distractions and limited access to quality reading materials, which contribute to a decline in reading practices. The results suggest that the peer- led program significantly enhanced students' reading engagement, motivation, and comprehension, emphasizing the importance of socially interactive reading models and the integration of culturally relevant literature in the curriculum to foster lasting reading habits among young people. Keywords: Reading habits, peer-led reading circles, youth literacy, Uzbekistan, educational reforms, reading engagement, motivation, comprehension, culturally relevant literature, reading promotion strategies. Introduction: In today’s rapidly evolving global landscape, where digital technologies and social media platforms increasingly dominate young people’s lives, the value of reading and literary engagement has become both more critical and more endangered. Reading is not merely a cognitive skill; it is a multidimensional cultural practice that fosters intellectual development, critical thinking, empathy, and socio-emotional growth. Yet, despite the profound benefits of regular reading, a growing body of research highlights a steady decline in reading habits among youth worldwide (OECD, 2021; UNESCO, 2020). This phenomenon is especially pronounced in post-Soviet contexts, including Uzbekistan, where shifting educational policies, economic transitions, and digital European International Journal of Pedagogics 171 https://eipublication.com/index.php/eijp European International Journal of Pedagogics disruptions have significantly impacted young people’s a national priority. Additionally, initiatives such as book engagement with books and literary culture. fairs, reading competitions, and mobile library projects have gained traction in urban centers. However, the The Republic of Uzbekistan, a Central Asian nation with effectiveness and sustainability of these initiatives a rich literary and cultural heritage, has undergone remain underexplored in academic literature. significant political and socio-economic reforms over the past three decades. As part of its broader nation- Literature Review building efforts, the promotion of national identity Reading is widely recognized as a foundational through language, literature, and education has component of individual development and societal remained a key priority. However, despite these progress. Across multiple disciplines, including efforts, the reading culture among youth remains pedagogy, psychology, and sociolinguistics, reading is relatively underdeveloped. Surveys and field viewed not only as a technical skill but as a complex observations conducted in recent years reveal that cultural and communicative practice. Street (2003) while young people have access to various forms of distinguishes between “autonomous” and “ideological” information, their active participation in meaningful models of literacy, emphasizing that reading practices reading activities—particularly those involving books, are deeply embedded in social contexts and power fiction, and classical literature—has declined (Tashkent relations. Similarly, Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural Institute of Education, 2023). Several interrelated theory posits that cognitive development, including factors contribute to this decline. Firstly, the reading, occurs through mediated interaction within a educational system in Uzbekistan has traditionally cultural environment. These frameworks highlight that prioritized rote memorization and examination reading is not simply a matter of decoding texts, but performance over inquiry-based and interpretative involves participation in a broader cultural and learning methods. This pedagogical orientation has educational ecology. International comparative studies, often reduced reading to a utilitarian task rather than such as the Programme for International Student fostering a love for reading as an enriching and Assessment (PISA), have demonstrated strong autonomous activity. Secondly, the widespread correlations between reading engagement and availability of mobile phones and social media has academic performance (OECD, 2018). Students who significantly altered the attention spans and read regularly for pleasure tend to perform better in all information consumption habits of young people, academic domains and exhibit higher levels of civic making sustained literary engagement less appealing. knowledge and empathy. Importantly, reading Thirdly, economic disparities and limited access to frequency and motivation are influenced more by socio- well-stocked libraries—especially in rural and cultura