The Effect of Choice in Reading on Students' Intrinsic Motivation

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: Parental Factors and Students' Reading Attitude

Abstract

Lack of motivation to read is the culprit of many students’ struggles in literacy achievement, resulting in wider gaps in reading achievement and resulting inequities in schools across America. When students are provided with the ability to choose the text they read for English class, they have an increase in interest and commitment to read, which can contribute to increased reading motivation. This study aimed to examine the relationship between a student’s ability to choose a novel and the resulting effect on their intrinsic motivation. Key findings indicate that when provided with choice in text, students’ intrinsic motivation increases which contributes to overall reading motivation via students self-reported measures on the Adolescent Situational Reading Motivation Questionnaire (ASRMQ), an adapted survey.

Author

• Abbey Bachmann, Texas A&M University