| Anotácia | Sustainable development integrates and harmonizes three foundational pillars: economic growth, social equity, and environmental protection. At the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015, world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, committing to 17 goals, including the provision of inclusive and equitable education, and the creation of inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and human settlements (European Commission, 2015). This research explores the issue of social equity in education in Slovakia and presents findings from the VEGA project 1/0720/22 Family Cultural Capital and Its Influence on Children's Academic Achievement. One of the project’s aims is to examine differences in the acquisition of cultural capital among students from diverse socio-geographical backgrounds. The study is based on a quantitative sociological and pedagogical survey of students' perspectives (N=502), aged 12–15. The paper presents findings on personal and social aspects of students’ reading habits, focusing on schools located in cultural centres and peripheral areas. Data analysis was conducted using contingency tables, with statistical independence tested via Pearson’s chi-square test. Linear relationships between variables were examined using the linear association test. Results indicate that the school's location does not significantly impact the time students dedicate to reading, the frequency of reading books or online texts, or the number of books read within six months. Although no statistically significant differences were found between localities, specific trends suggest fewer daily magazine readers in cultural centres, potentially due to the availability of alternative cultural activities (e.g., libraries, theatres, and cinemas). However, a statistically significant difference was observed in how students from cultural centres and peripheral areas assess their reading abilities compared to their peers. Differences were also identified in social factors related to reading, such as the number of books at home and the presence of reading role models in the form of parents. While disparities exist in the socio-economic conditions influencing students’ reading environments, the locality does not appear to affect reading frequency or duration. A notable decline in reading habits and interest has been recorded among Slovak students, correlating with their low reading literacy levels identified in international assessments (Miklovičová & Galádová, 2023).
|
|---|
