Award Date
8-1-2022
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education
First Committee Member
Jonathan Hilpert
Second Committee Member
E. Michael Nussbaum
Third Committee Member
Lisa Bendixen
Fourth Committee Member
Alain Bengochea
Number of Pages
72
Abstract
This study was designed to examine differences in students’ reading motivation based on the frequencies with which they choose to read over other options. A modified version of the Motivation for Reading Questionnaire (MRQ; Wigfield & Guthrie, 1997), using four of the eleven categories it was designed to assess including Challenge, Self- Efficacy, Reading Importance and Reading Curiosity. The students were also observed inside the classroom by their teaching staff and their choices were recorded on a Behavioral Analysis Checklist during a structured silent break in their day. The students also indicated whether they felt more confident in reading activities or to engage in others such as math or art. Exploratory factor analysis will demonstrate reliability of the four factors under examination. Students who chose to read over other activities compared to children who did not report minimally statistically significant differences in their perceptions of reading importance or their curiosity to the task of reading. Students who chose to read over other activities did report moderately statistically significant higher perception of their own efficacy and in their desire to pursue reading challenges. These results suggest that teachers can maximize motivation to pursue reading activity by selecting passages that will challenge the readers skills and put less emphasis on the topic as students report no distinction in their curiosity levels based on subject. Classroom instruction can be tailored to identify the skills that students do not feel effective in, and teachers can use those tools to further encourage motivation to pursue challenging reading tasks.
Keywords
Achievement; Choice; Elementary; Expectancy Value; Motivation; Self Determination
Disciplines
Educational Psychology
File Format
File Size
1032 KB
Degree Grantor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Language
English
Repository Citation
White, Elizabeth A., "Student Choice During Silent Solitude: An Examination of Reading Motivation in an Urban Elementary School" (2022). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 4542.
http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/33690321
Rights
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