Effects of DynEd Reading Course on Students’ Reading Proficiency and Reading Motivation

Dynamic Education (DynEd) International Inc. is a leading provider of Interactive Language Program designed to enhance learners’ English communication skills. This study aimed to determine the effect of the DynEd’s Reading course on reading proficiency and reading motivation of the students in Mindanao State University-Maguindanao during 2nd Semester of A.Y. 2017-2018. The study was conducted with the college students taking Job Enabling English Proficiency (JEEP) Start 2 courses. Sixty students were randomly selected among the eligible students to take Reading for Success course of the DynEd courseware. In this study, single group experimental with pretest and posttest design was used. The reading section of a TOEFL and Motivation for Reading Questionnaire (MRQ) by Wang and Guthrie (2004) were used as research instruments. The results showed that before DynEd Reading course was introduced, the students’ reading proficiency level was described as low. However, after the 8-week long intervention using courseware, the students’ reading proficiency level increased to intermediate level. Moreover, the students’ intrinsic and extrinsic reading motivation level before and after the intervention were all found out to be in “motivated” level. It was also found out that comparison between the pretest and posttest in reading proficiency and intrinsic reading motivation were significant. It was then concluded that the DynEd Reading course is effective in improving the reading proficiency level and intrinsic reading motivation of the college students. The result implies that DynEd courseware is an effective tool to enhance the reading skills of the students.

Predictors and outcomes of behavioral engagement in the context of text comprehension: when quantity means quality

Using a path analytic approach with a sample of Norwegian undergraduate readers, we investigated the effects of behavioral engagement on text comprehension as reflected in students’ post-reading written reports on the topic in question. Results indicated that the behavioral engagement components of writing time and the length of the written responses had distinctive, unique effects on comprehension performance, and that behavioral engagement also mediated the effects of cognitive (prior knowledge, working memory) and motivational (intrinsic reading motivation) individual differences on comprehension performance. Prior knowledge about the topic affected comprehension performance directly as well as indirectly through behavioral engagement. The results highlight the importance of behavioral engagement in the context of written comprehension assessment, and both theoretical and educational implications of these results are discussed.

Beyond the Educational Context: Relevance of Intrinsic Reading Motivation During COVID-19 Confinement in Spain

What role could have intrinsic motivation toward reading in an extraordinary situation like the recent confinement? This research examines the relationship between intrinsic reading motivation (IRM) and reading habits in an adult population considering types of reading (for leisure, work/study, social networks, and news), gender, and distress generated by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Participants were 3,849 adults from Spain who were surveyed about their reading practices: before, during the first weeks, and after several weeks of confinement. Linear mixed effects models (LMMs) were used to analyze data. Results showed a three-way interaction between reading frequency, IRM, and type of reading. Also, distress seems to pose a differential impact depending on the type of reading. The higher the IRM, the lesser the time devoted to study/work reading and the more to social and news reading (at the beginning of confinement). In this sense, IRM can function as a protective factor of reading behavior but only for leisure reading. Results support previous findings of the importance of consciously promoting this type of motivation in all individuals beyond educational contexts, since it seems to be positively related to well-being. Other results and implications are discussed.

Do Books Make a Difference? The Effects of an Indigo Love of Reading Foundation Grant and Teacher Professional Learning on Motivation for Reading in a Middle School

This study documents, over a three-year period, the effects of an Indigo Love of Reading Foundation grant and teacher professional learning in literacy on the motivation for reading in a large urban middle school. The school-wide focus on literacy included: 1) the development of a Literacy Exploratory, a 50-minute daily period set aside for teachers to help students develop as readers, choose books to read, and have time to be involved in a reading community, 2) ongoing teacher professional learning, and 3) a $125,000.00 Indigo Love of Reading Foundation grant. The grant was provided to support the school’s literacy initiatives through purchasing new books for the library and for the development of classroom libraries for every teacher. Using the Motivation for Reading Questionnaire (MRQ) (Wigfield and Guthrie, 1997), students’ favourable ratings of four aspects of intrinsic reading motivation – efficacy, importance, challenge, and social – increased significantly over the course of the study. Teachers’ perceptions indicate they have valued the school-wide focus on literacy, their principal’s support, and the professional learning opportunities that were offered; they pointed to the effect of the grant on helping them create and use classroom libraries in their instructional practice. Students, too, indicated that their motivation for reading has been positively influenced by the school’s focus on literacy, with the suggestion that teachers continue to offer greater choice in their reading material. The findings of this study do not contradict previous research that shows, overall, motivation for reading declines over the middle school years.

The Relation Between Students’ Intrinsic Reading Motivation and Book Reading in Recreational and School Contexts

In comparison with younger children, older students tend to be less motivated to read. A literature class that fails to motivate students is one aspect that has often been discussed in this regard. Using data from 405 German ninth graders, we examined how students’ book reading is related to intrinsic situational and intrinsic habitual reading motivation in and out of school. The books that students reported to have read were characterized by LIX readability and text type. Our results first showed that recreational reading motivation exceeded school reading motivation. Second, the reading of classic literature was a negative predictor of intrinsic situational reading motivation. Third, in the school context, students who read more difficult books were less motivated to read them. Fourth, analyses showed that individual book-reading experiences were linked to intrinsic habitual reading motivation. We discuss practical implications for book reading in and out of the literature class.