Article Summary and Analysis 3

Article Title: The effects of incentives on reading

Author: Jeff McQuillan

Journal: Reading Research and Instruction Vol. 36, Winter 1997, pgs. 111-125

Summary

            This article did not provide any new research, but merely looked into other studies in which incentives were used to determine if they had any effect on reading performance and/or motivation of students.  In the literature review, McQuillan references numerous studies comparing the effectiveness of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations on any task, not just reading.  He finds that the research states that incentives not only do not help the performance, but that they can ultimately have negative effects on certain tasks.

            McQuillan then looks at ten studies on the usage of incentives in reading and found that half of them found positive effects, while the other half found no effect or negative effects.  McQuillan analyzes the studies which showed positive effects and points out areas in which the results seem faulty or questionable.  He often uses the word “confounding” to describe the conditions of the studies.  McQuillan then analyzes the studies which showed either negative or no effects of incentives.  He concludes by stating that external incentives or rewards do not have a positive effect on reading and future studies looking into the matter need “more rigorous experimental design” (1997, p. 119).

Analysis

            This article echoes other research I have read about how extrinsic motivation is not a positive determinant in motivating students to read; however, I am curious about the potential bias in McQuillan’s research.  He seemed to go into his research with the belief that external incentives do not make good motivators, and dismissed five studies that found otherwise.  The use of the word “confounding” in an academic journal is a bit over the top to describe the research of others, and leads me to question his research.  One difference between the studies McQuillan investigated and my research study is that I am not interested in increasing student’s test scores or reading scores.  I am merely looking at motivation.  Another difference is that the external rewards will only be one part of my study.  Sustained silent reading will be another aspect of the study.

References

McQuillan, J. (1997). The effects of incentives on reading. Reading Research and Instruction, 36.2, 111-125. Retrieved from www.ebscohost.com.

Problem Statement and Research Question

I should have posted this first, but I suppose it is better late than never.

The problem statement and research question I am currently working off of are as follows:


Problem Statement: The problem is that middle and high school students have little motivation and time to engage in reading outside of the classroom.

Research Question: How can a school create an effective reading program for secondary students who lack motivation and time for reading?

Article Summary and Analysis 2

Article Title: The status of reading habit and interests among secondary school children in Sri Lanka

Author: P.H.A.S. Abeyrathna and A.N. Zainab

Journal: Malaysian Journal of Library and Information Science Vol. 9 (2), 2004, pgs. 109-123

Summary

            The research in this article took the form of a reading and school library survey given to 300 secondary students in ten different schools in Sri Lanka.  The survey asked questions regarding the genres and types of materials read by students; time spent reading; the reading environment at home; students’ attitudes and purposes for reading; and students’ attitudes, use, and awareness of how to use the school library.  The paper then broke down the answers along the lines of gender and academic stream (arts or science).  A brief summary of some of the results are as follows:

• the material most read by students was textbooks for classes
• there was a high relationship between the amount of time students read and the amount of time their parents’ read
• girls read slightly more than boys
• both genders read more fiction than nonfiction, but boys read more nonfiction than girls
• students in the arts stream read more for knowledge, while students in the sciences stream read more for leisure
• students primarily used the school libraries for reference materials or a place to study
• less than half of the students borrowed books from the library, but girls were twice as more likely to borrow books than boys
• the majority of students responded that they did not know how to use the school library to locate materials nor had they ever received any instruction

Analysis:

            This survey and research closely matches what I have seen in my school among secondary students regarding types of material read and use of the school library. The areas in which I see correspondence with my school are: the materials read are mostly for classwork, fiction is read more than nonfiction, boys read more nonfiction than girls, less than half of the students use the library to check out books, and, while I have no proof of this, I would imagine the majority of secondary students do not know how to locate books in the library.  While this survey didn’t touch on areas of intrinsic or extrinsic motivation for reading, it did provide helpful information regarding the relationship between parents who read and children who read, which will be an area I will want to look at in my research and any surveys I may give to students later in the year. Finally, the information regarding the school library was very helpful because it helps to paint a picture of what students envision the library to be: a place to study that just so happens to contain a lot of books. The librarian(s) and teachers need to promote the library as a place to check out and read books for enjoyment in addition to just being necessary for studying.

References

Abeyrathna, P.H.A.S, & Zainab, A.N. (2004). The status of reading habit and interests among secondary school children in Sri Lanka. Malaysian Journal of Library & Information Science, 9(2), 109-123. Retrieved from http://repository.um.edu/1316/1/299.edu

Article Summary and Analysis 1

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 7^th to 9^th grades in America) and senior secondary students (equivalent of 10^th to 12^th 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