Choice Matters: A Secondary Analysis of PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study)

• In Event: 31.091 - Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: 31.091-8 - The Role of Choice, Stereotype Threat, and Identity in Reading and Literacy Contexts

Abstract

Research suggests that offering students choice increases motivation to read (e.g., Guthrie, 2006); however, less is known about the link between choice and reading achievement, or how choice varies across different socioeconomic contexts, especially in younger children. We examined data from 9,177 fourth-grade students in the United States who took part in the 2011 Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study. Results from hierarchical linear regression analyses indicated that choice plays a consistent role in fourth-grade student reading achievement, even when accounting for other motivational factors (i.e., self-efficacy, goal orientation, and interest). Furthermore, low-achieving students from low-SES backgrounds had the fewest reading choices. Findings suggest that students may benefit when teachers incorporate more autonomous reading selection.

Authors

• Elaine R. Barry, University of San Francisco

• Rajeev Virmani, University of Saint Joseph

• Denae Nurnberg, Fremont Union High School District

• Yvette Mere-Cook, University of San Francisco