Courageous Reading Instruction: The Effects of an Elementary Motivation Intervention

ABSTRACT In an attempt to more clearly understand the erosion of engagement in some readers, a number of researchers (J. Brophy, 2008 Brophy, J. 2008. Developing students appreciation for what is taught in school. Educational Psychologist, 43: 132–141. Taylor J. Guthrie, 2010 Guthrie, J. 2010. Contexts for engagement and motivation in reading. Reading Online, 4(8) Retrieved from http://www.readingonline.org/articles/handbook/guthrie/ [Google Scholar; K. Mohr, 2006 Mohr, K. 2006. Children's choices for recreational reading: A three-part investigation of selection, preferences, rationales, and processes. Journal of Literacy Research, 38: 181–104. Crossref, Web of Science ® , Google Scholar) and organizations (Education Alliance, 2010 Education Alliance. 2010. Gender differences in reading achievement: Policy implications and best practices, Charleston, WV: Author. Google Scholar) have called for the investigation of strategies to improve elementary reading motivation. Consequently this mixed-methods investigation focused on a motivation intervention for fifth-grade readers. Two constructs consistent with expectancy-value theory (J. Eccles, 1983 Eccles, J. 1983. “Expectancies, value, and academic Behaviors”. In Achievement and achievement motives, Edited by: Spence, J. T. 75–146. San Francisco: Freeman. Google Scholar), self-concept as a reader and value of reading, were examined. A pretest–posttest design was utilized following a motivation intervention arranged during participatory action research. The results suggest that a curricular considerate intervention comprised 3 practices had a significant impact on the reading motivation of 5th-grade students.