Reading Self‐Concept as a Mediator Between Early Literacy and Numeracy Activities, Students' Reading Motivation and Engagement: A Comparative Study of PIRLS 2021 Data

This study examined the relationship between early literacy and numeracy activities and children's motivation to read and engage with reading in school settings, as well as the mediating role of children's reading self‐concepts in this relationship. By using the Home Learning Ecosystem as a framework, the analysis was based on PIRLS 2021 data from 20,502 fourth‐ and fifth‐grade elementary school students from ex‐Yugoslav countries (Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia). A structural equation model (SEM) indicated that reading self‐concept based on perceived competence provided an important link between early literacy and numeracy activities and reading motivational constructs in the classroom context. Furthermore, the results suggest that the nature of early activities determines whether the reading self‐concept mediates fully or partially the trajectories towards reading motivational variables. Finally, this research shows that the relationship is sensitive to contextual differences across countries.