The Perception and Attitudes of Students of St. Ambrose College of Education Towards the Study of English Literature

The study examined the perception and attitudes of students of St. Ambrose College of Education towards the study of English Literature. Data was collected by means of interview from 10 students and 3 Tutors from the study area, and analyzed thematically in relation to the research questions of the study. The study revealed that the majority of the students had little knowledge about the English Literature course on the basis of not offering the course in their pre-tertiary level of education. Hence, it made it difficult for them to understand a particular literary text that was taught. Again, the findings of the study from the Tutors’ perspective revealed that students lacked a well-laid-down foundation for the course, which resulted in their difficulty in developing new vocabulary and making different meanings to life through literary texts. The study further revealed that students had negative perceptions and attitudes towards the study of English Literature due to the following factors; the cultural background of literary books which prevented students from enjoying Literature, non-availability of reading materials and resources at the school library, poor environmental background of students, poor internet connections and lack of conducive learning environment. All these factors prevented students from actively attending and participating in class activities, which ultimately had a negative impact in their learning process, and consequently affecting their academic performance. From the results, it was advocated that students may develop a positive attitude towards the study of English Literature if most of the literary texts they studied were situated within the African or Ghanaian contexts rather than the European (Classical or Shakespearean contexts), and if the school authorities and other stakeholders would provide preventive measures regarding this situation, it would help in preventing further damages in students’ academic performance.