Impact of COVID-19 on reading behaviors and preferences: investigating high school students and parents with the 5E instructional model

PurposeThis research explored how COVID-19 affects Shenzhen high school students' reading behavior and preference and their parents' attitudes toward reading during the lockdown.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopted a qualitative approach to conduct one-on-one semi-structured interviews with parents of a boarding high school in Shenzhen, China. Thirteen parents were recruited through a purposeful sampling method, and NVivo12 software was used to analyze the results with a theme-based approach guided by the 5E instructional model.FindingsThe results revealed the effectiveness and problems of high school students' use of electronic resources and discovered changes in the reading behavior of high school students and their parents' attitudes during COVID-19.Originality/valueThere are few studies specifically on the reading behavior of boarding students from a parental view, especially in Asia. This research can fill the gaps in related research during COVID-19.