Article
Title: Reading motivation, perceptions of reading
instruction and reading amount: a comparison of junior and senior secondary
students in Hong Kong
Author:
Kit-Ling Lau
Journal:
Journal of Research in Reading Vol. 32 (4), 2009, pgs. 366-382
Summary
One
of the intended purposes for this research was to identify if, due to a more
competitive educational system, Chinese secondary students were more likely to be
extrinsically and socially motivated when it came to reading than their Western
peers. The research also looked at the differences in reading motivation and
reading amount between junior secondary students (equivalent of 7th
to 9th grades in America) and senior secondary students (equivalent
of 10th to 12th grades in America). While the research
did not find any noticeable correlation between extrinsic and social motivation
and reading amount, the study did find marked differences between the amount of
reading in junior and senior secondary students. The research analyzed four
types of motivation: self-efficacy, intrinsic, extrinsic, and social motivation
along with the students’ perceptions of their reading instruction. The junior
secondary students were found to be comparatively better than the senior
secondary students in all four areas of motivation plus their perception of
their reading classes. Overall, self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation rated
the highest above extrinsic and social motivation. When it came to predicting
the amount read by a student, intrinsic motivation was the greatest predictor.
Analysis
This
study matches what I have seen in my school: as a student gets older, he or she
reads less. A conclusion drawn by the
author of this study was that motivation for reading decreases as the
perception of a student’s reading instruction decreases. This is good information
for later secondary teachers to take into account as they plan for and teach their
classes. Because intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy rated the highest of
the forms of reading motivation, teachers should look at building up a student’s
confidence and enjoyment in the pursuit of reading if they want to see results
in the amount a student reads. Teachers
and librarians alike should also take these motivational constructs into
account when creating reading programs. If the program consists solely of
external rewards or group interactions, the program is less likely to spark any
real change in a student’s desire to read.
References
Lau,
K. (2009). Reading motivation, perceptions of reading instruction and reading
amount: a comparison of junior and secondary students in Hong Kong. Journal of Research in Reading, 32(4),
366-382. doi:10.1111/j.467-9817.2009.01400.x
