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Running Head: AN EXPLORATION OF INTRISIC MOTIVATION INTERVENTIONS 1

An exploration of intrinsic motivation interventions on struggling readers

Farrah McNeill

READ 6407

East Carolina University


Abstract

This action research project was conducted to investigate how intrinsic motivation interventions

will affect the reading attitude of fourth grade students who struggle with reading. This single

pre-/post-test design study involved sixteen fourth grade students from two classrooms. For

twenty days, students received interventions, including choice of texts and assignments, and

opportunities for structured collaboration. Data gathered by the researcher suggest that these

interventions were successful in increasing intrinsic motivation to read for most students.

Keywords: intrinsic motivation, reading, struggling readers, fourth grade


An exploration of intrinsic motivation interventions on struggling readers

The purpose of this action research project was to explore how intrinsic motivation

interventions can change the reading attitude of struggling readers in fourth grade. As a reading

specialist, I work with a large number of elementary aged students in grades one through four

who are below grade level in reading every day. My students often have a lack of interest in

reading, but I have noticed that my older students, in particular, are reluctant to participate in

guided reading groups and rarely do their reading homework. This lack of motivation can cause

them to fall even further behind. This concerned me because students who are more motivated

readers will read more, reach higher achievement levels in reading, perform better on

standardized tests, and get higher grades in school. Researchers have suggested that a decline in

reading motivation may begin as early as the fourth-grade year (McKenna, Kear, & Ellsworth,

1995). This is why I chose to provide intrinsic motivation interventions to my fourth grade

students. In the remainder of this paper, I will outline the research in the field around motivation

and share the results of a research study that examined the following question: Can intrinsic

motivation interventions increase reading motivation for struggling readers in fourth grade?

Literature Review

Reading has two sides, according to Cambria and Guthrie (2010). A good reader must

have both the skill and the will, or motivation, to read. A student who has the skill to read is

capable, but without the motivation to read, that child will not become a reader who benefits

from and enjoys literacy. They define motivation as “the values, beliefs, and behaviors

surrounding reading for an individual” (p. 16). It is possible for motivation to be stimulated by a

child’s home life or influenced by their peers, but the main factor that influences motivation is a

child’s teacher (Cambria & Guthrie, 2010).


Aliteracy is the lack of habitual reading, especially among capable readers that choose

not to read (Scott, 1996). Many children today are actively aliterate, even though their teachers

have an extensive knowledge of reading strategies, programs, and activities to use within their

classroom. Even with all of these resources, however, something is still missing for many

students. Teachers must have a clear understanding not just of how to develop skills, but also

how to develop will, or motivation in order to help their students to develop a positive attitude

towards reading.

Self-efficacy is an important aspect of reading motivation. According to Scott (1996),

students with a positive self-efficacy are “in control of their learning situation and believe they

have the capabilities necessary to succeed” (p. 197). A student that has a poor self-efficacy does

not feel in control or capable of success. Someone with a low self-efficacy often views goals as

too difficult. They are less likely to take chances at school or in life, and are rarely motivated. A

student with a high self-efficacy is confident and highly motivated to work towards their learning

goals. They are willing to take chances and are more social learners. A child’s self-efficacy

beliefs have a strong influence on their reading motivation.

Researchers have found that reading motivation begins to decline in fourth grade

(Applegate & Applegate, 2011). Motivation to read is one of the most important factors that

contributes to a student’s success or failure in elementary school and beyond. With so many

children being disengaged from literacy, it creates a crisis for our schools and our country. When

a student retreats from reading, their reading comprehension becomes mediocre, preventing them

from learning word knowledge and subject matter, and keeping them from becoming literate

adults (Guthrie, 2004).


From the 1950s to the end of the 20th century, most children only needed enough literacy

skills to help them learn a technical trade after high school (Guthrie, 2004). Today, in the 21st

century, high school and college graduates in America are competing at a global level with

citizens from other highly affluent nations for jobs at multinational corporations. To be

competitive, these young adults must be able to read well. Reading is a messaging skill, and

according to Guthrie (2004), “At the level of the nation, state, community, or individual, the

ability to manage information determines the quality of our travel, health, eating, access to

government, and recreational pursuits” (p. 7). Children must be motivated in order to obtain

these necessary skills that will prepare them for 21st century jobs. This is why motivation is so

important.

Engagement and Its Relation to Motivation

There are many differences between engaged and disengaged readers (Guthrie, 2004). An

observer, like a teacher or researcher, can easily tell the difference in the two. Engaged readers

value learning and desire to acquire knowledge through literacy involvement. Disengaged

readers find texts unappealing and attempt to avoid reading altogether (Brozo & Flynt, 2008).

Students who are engaged readers exhibit specific behaviors, like using cognitive

strategies (such as questioning and monitoring for meaning) to enable them to process

information. These children participate in social discourse involving literacy. They are able to

exchange their reactions to a text and have an in-depth conversation about the textual content.

Engaged readers enjoy reading and gain meaning from what they read. Readers who are engaged

think about what they read and monitor for comprehension, rereading when necessary (Guthrie,

2004).


An engaged reader can sustain their attention on a text for 10-15 minutes without

becoming distracted by others around them. During free time at school and at home, they choose

to read for enjoyment. Engaged readers spend enough time reading on a daily basis that they are

able to gain on or above grade level proficiency in reading comprehension. They ask questions to

clarify their understanding. These readers are able to recall details and give the gist of what they

read about (Guthrie, 2004).

Disengaged readers, on the other hand, avoid reading and writing tasks until the teacher

compels them to begin (Brozo & Flynt, 2008). They have little desire to read, but will do so

when asked. Children who are disengaged are easily distracted. They often sit in their desk and

look around the room, talk to others close by, play with objects in their desk, and get up

frequently to sharpen their pencil.

Students who are disengaged are not self-aware readers (Guthrie, 2004). They do not

think about what they read, and don’t realize that they have difficulty with comprehension. These

readers cannot recall enough information to summarize what they read. Disengaged readers

choose not to read during their free time. All of these factors cause these students to remain one

or more grade levels below in reading proficiency. When this happens, they also began to

struggle in other areas, including math, science, and social studies.

Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation

Finding the right ways to motivate students to read is of the upmost importance

(McGeown, Norgate, & Warhurst, 2012). Motivation is considered to be multi-dimensional.

These contrasting dimensions offer different explanations about why a child chooses to read or

continue with a reading task that they perceive as demanding. Two particular kinds of reading

motivation are extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation.


Extrinsic motivation is behavior driven by external rewards. A child who is extrinsically

motivated will choose to read for prizes, praise, or to make a better grade. Extrinsic motivations

work in the short term, but in order for a child to persevere with a difficult reading task, they

need to be intrinsically motivated.

Intrinsic motivation is behavior driven by internal rewards. A child who is intrinsically

motivated will choose to read because they find reading to be interesting and enjoyable

(McGeown et al., 2012). When a child is intrinsically motivated to read, they start to become

independent readers that take ownership of their actions. Intrinsically motivated readers willingly

participate in group discussions, often making connections to their own lives and sharing

background knowledge. They approach literacy tasks with a higher self-efficacy than students

who are not intrinsically motivated (Marinak, 2013).

Instructional Practices to Motivate Students

In order to help students become intrinsically motivated to read, research suggests a

variety of instructional practices that teachers can use. Teachers must know their students well if

they want to initiate engagement and reading motivation within their classroom. It is necessary to

know what each student likes and dislikes to read. Teachers should also observe students when

they are working independently to see what conditions work best for every child. Spending time

with students individually and being attentive to their thoughts of the reading process can

provide teachers with powerful instructional guidance (Padak & Potenza-Radis, 2010).

An unmotivated reader may struggle when trying to read an academic text, such as a

textbook or leveled text, at school. As early as the fourth grade year, many students have become

disinterested in reading books at home and have instead become engaged in other media. One

way to help these students become highly engaged readers is to incorporate interesting texts that


they recognize from their everyday lives. This includes graphic novels and magazines, as well as

technology like email, instant messaging, and participating in chat rooms and blogs. Using these

multiliteracy practices can help students make realistic connections to their everyday reading

practices and become more motivated to read in the classroom setting (Brozo & Flynt, 2008).

One very critical element of motivation is choice. As students advance into higher grade

levels, they are afforded more choices outside of school, yet have limited choices given to them

at school (Brozo & Flynt, 2008). It is vital to give students the opportunity to be self-directed in

some aspects of their learning. Teachers often pick the books that will be read during guided

reading groups and require students to respond by answering rote questions. Allowing students to

have input into the texts that they will read will increase their reading motivation (Guthrie,

2004).

Students will place a higher value on reading if they are given a choice. When students

are given a choice of texts to read, they will place a higher value on reading. Yet, there are other

ways to provide choice to students in literature (Cambria & Guthrie, 2010). Another approach to

providing students with a choice is to let them choose how they will respond to a text. This

makes it possible for children to bring their personal insight and experiences into their literary

interpretations (Tyson, 1999).

Tasks must be authentic and purposeful in order to intrinsically motivate and engage

readers. Many struggling readers are passive participants in the classroom. They would rather go

through the motions than to take initiative to read. However, if students have an authentic

purpose to read (such as solving a problem that they have or to find the answer to an “I wonder”

question), they will begin to enjoy reading and it will satisfy their hunger for learning (Padak &

Potenza-Radis, 2010).


Working quietly and independently can be difficult for many students. Collaboration is a

critical social network that can support student learning. Students need a chance to work with

each other in order to attain new knowledge. Collaborative engagement helps to increase a

students’ sense of belonging. Social activities also help students to become more intrinsically

motivated readers and can lead to increased reading achievement (Brozo & Flynt, 2008).

Giving students the opportunity to respond orally to issues that are raised in texts helps to

create a bridge between what they read and their own lives. Students will begin to make crucial

connections. They will have to analyze what was read and organize their thoughts in order to

clearly share their understandings with others. As children collaborate more, they will find their

own voice and move to a higher level of understanding (Tyson, 1999).

Research-Based Measures for Reading Motivation

Several different research-based measures exist to gauge student motivation to read. The

Motivation to Read Profile is one measure. Another measure is the Elementary Reading

Attitudes Survey. Both of these measures can be used as pre-test and post-test data collection

methods.

The Motivation to Read Profile was created by Gambrell, Palmer, Codling, and Mazzoni

in 1996. It was designed to help teachers determine how much students value reading and gain a

deeper understanding of their self-concept as readers. It is intended for use in second through

sixth grades. The MRP contains survey items and a conversational interview. It can be

administered either to a whole class or in a small group setting. This assessment is widely used to

measure student reading motivation and can aid teachers in designing instruction that meets the

motivational needs of their students (Malloy, Marinak, Gambrell, & Mazzoni, 2013).


The Elementary Reading Attitudes Survey examines the reading attitudes of elementary

students and can provide insight about their reading motivation (Marinak, 2013). It was created

by McKenna and Kear. One strength of this instrument is that it is highly reliable. There are

twenty questions on this survey, ten that measure student attitudes about recreational reading and

ten that measure student attitudes about academic reading. After each question, there are four

pictures of Garfield ranging from 1 (angry Garfield) to a 4 (very happy Garfield). Garfield was

chosen because he is an easily recognizable character for young children. The teacher giving this

survey would read each question aloud and prompt students to mark their response by circling

the Garfield that matches their feelings. Results are then tallied up for a score that can be used

immediately for instruction. A low score on this assessment shows that a student has a poor

attitude towards reading and is unmotivated to read. Higher scores show that a child has a more

positive reading attitude and is more motivated to read (McKenna, Kear, & Ellsworth, 1995).

The research literature strongly supports the relationship between motivation and

achievement in reading. As a reading specialist, my job is to provide support for struggling

readers and help them make progress in reading. If I teach my students the necessary skills to

become a better reader, those skills will not help them if they aren’t motivated to read. Therefore,

in this study, I wanted to find out if intrinsic motivation interventions can increase reading

motivation for struggling readers in fourth grade.


Methodology

This action research project had a single group pre-/post-test design.

Independent Variable: Intrinsic Motivation Interventions Choice of high interest reading material Build relevance Opportunities for structured collaboration

Intervention Students: Sixteen struggling readers in fourth grade.

Dependent Variable:Intrinsic reading motivation

1. Teacher journal to collect observations and reflections2. Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (pre and post)3. Reading logs4. Reading Motivation Survey that will be completed weekly by students.

Description of Research Context: Participants and Setting

I am a reading specialist at Southmont Elementary School, located in Asheboro, North

Carolina. Southmont Elementary is part of the Randolph County School System. It is a K-5

school in a middle class metropolitan area. As a reading specialist, I work with a total of forty-

one regular education students in first through fourth grades who need extra reading support. Out

of those forty-one students, fourteen (thirty-one percent) are English Language Learners. I have

eight years of teaching experience as a reading specialist.

Research Procedures

My research study was a one group pre-/post-test design. Seventeen fourth grade students

began this study, but only sixteen were a part of the entire study, because one moved after only

six days of interventions. Five out of sixteen students that completed this study are bilingual,

speaking English at school and Spanish at home. The students are spread out among two

different classrooms. I push into both classrooms and work with four small guided reading

groups every day. Each group lasts twenty minutes. One group has three students, two groups


have four students each, and one group has five students. Students are split up into these different

reading groups based on their reading levels and needs. All of the students are below grade level

in reading, with reading levels ranging from H to N (expected beginning of year reading level for

fourth grade is P). Seven students are considered transitional according to the North Carolina

Read to Achieve law.

The intrinsic motivation interventions that were used in this study included providing

students with a choice of interesting texts to read, building relevance for each text, allowing

opportunities for structured collaboration during group reading time, and providing a choice of

writing assignments after reading. Interventions lasted twenty days, from Friday, January 13

until Thursday, February 16th. The Elementary Reading Attitude Survey pre-test was given on

Thursday, January 12. The post-test was given on Friday, February 17.

Giving students the opportunity to make more choices at school is a powerful motivation

booster (Brozo & Flynt, 2008). During our normal guided reading lessons, students are asked to

independently read a text that I have chosen for them. At the beginning of this study, students

will be able to pick a reading partner to work with over the next five weeks. At the end of each

week, they will be provided with a choice of texts to read that match the specific reading skill we

will be working on the next week. With their reading partner, students will choose the text they

want to read. This means that in a group of four, it will be possible that one partner group may be

reading one text while the other partner group reads a different text.

Every night, Monday through Thursday, students are required to take a text home, read it,

and answer a question about it in their reading log. In the past, I have always chosen a book to

send home with each group based on their reading level and the skill that is being addressed that

week during guided reading. During this study, students were able to choose a text to take home


with them each night that interested them (including all of text choices provided during intrinsic

motivation interventions, so that if there is a text they chose not to read at school, they will still

have the opportunity to take it home to read).

At the beginning of this school year, my students took a reading interest survey. The

majority chose non-fiction as their favorite genre. They also selected magazines as a text that

they commonly read at home. This is why I decided to pull in text choices such as Time For Kids

and National Geographic magazines, as well as other high-interest non-fiction books.

Readers must understand how tasks relate to their lives and have an authentic purpose for

reading in order to be intrinsically motivated (Padak & Potenza-Radis, 2010). This is why I

worked to build relevance to all texts that students read. I located texts on topics that students

could easily make connections to. Another way that I built relevance was to show a video clip to

help students gain background knowledge before reading.

Working quietly and independently can be difficult for many students. Collaboration is

necessary for learning, so students need a chance to work together in order to attain new

knowledge. Students had an opportunity to work together with a partner during this study, while

reading and completing assignments. Collaborating with one another can also increase a

students’ sense of belonging (Brozo & Flynt, 2008). After reading each text, students had

meaningful discussions about the text and were provided with a choice of authentic writing

assignments. Together with their partner, students chose their assignment and jointly work

together to complete it. Some assignment options included: write a letter to someone in the

community or government to address a problem that you read about in the text (Tyson, 1999),

create an advertisement or newspaper article about the topic to summarize what was learned

from reading, share it with the group, and allow them to respond to or critique it (Cambria &


Guthrie, 2010), create a commercial for this text (by summarizing main events or highlighting

important details) that will make other students want to read it (Padak & Potenza-Radis, 2010).

Intrinsic motivation interventions were provided for twenty days over the course of six weeks.

Data Collection

(See Appendix for sample data collection sources)

I collected data using four different sources. One source was the Elementary Reading

Attitude Survey that students took as their pre- and post-test. This assessment measures student

attitude towards both recreational reading (at-home) and academic reading (at school). The pre-

test was given on Thursday, January 12, 2017. The post-test was given on Friday, February 17,

after students had been provided with 20 days of interventions.

Another source of data was a teacher researcher journal, which I used to record detailed

observations and reflections throughout the entire study. Data collection in the teacher journal

took place from the first day of interventions until the last. In this journal, I specifically noted

daily student participation. For the purpose of this study, participation is defined as students

actively reading the text with their partner(s), actively contributing to the discussion after

reading, and actively working on the written assignment with their partner(s).

Student reading logs were an additional data measure. They were sent home on a daily

basis for reading homework (Monday-Thursday). Students chose an interesting text to take home

each night. This is a slight change from our normal routine because I normally give them a book

to read based on their reading level and the skill that is being addressed for the week. Their

homework each night was to read the text and choose one question to answer on their reading log

(out of five available questions). I kept notes in the teacher researcher journal about the number

of students who did their reading homework each night.


Finally, students completed a reading motivation survey at the end of each weekly lesson

during which intrinsic motivation interventions took place. Due to circumstances such as

benchmark testing, special assemblies, and workdays, some lessons were slightly longer than or

shorter than one week. So, students took the first survey after 7 total days, the second survey

after 13 days of interventions, the third survey after 16 total days of interventions, and the fourth

survey after 20 total days of interventions. There were three questions on the first two surveys,

including “How did you feel about the book we read this week?”, “How did you feel about the

activities we did after reading?”, and “How did you feel about reading?”. Each question had

three multiple choice answers (ranging from bad to great). For the third and fourth surveys, I

decided to add an open-ended question: “What have we done this week that helped you to like

reading better?”. This short check-in helped me to gage whether or not my students’ reading

motivation and self-efficacy improved over time.

Data Analysis

Since my goal was to see if student reading motivation improved with intrinsic

motivation interventions, I collected both qualitative and quantitative data. The qualitative data

collection includes researcher observations (such as daily student participation and a record of

the number of students who completed their reading logs each night) that were recorded in a

teacher researcher journal. Quantitative data that was collected includes a reading attitude scale,

a reading motivation survey with three closed-ended questions and one open-ended question that

were given at the end of each full lesson, and student reading logs. The data that was collected

proves that intrinsic reading interventions can increase student reading motivation, as explained

below. See Appendix B for samples of data collection instruments.


The first quantitative measure, the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey, was analyzed

using a bar graph to show student growth between the post-test and the pre-test. This survey

measured student attitude towards two types of reading: academic and recreational. Academic

scale scores show how students’ reading attitudes improved towards reading at school.

Recreational reading scale scores measured students’ reading attitudes outside of school. Since

interventions only took place at school, I chose to look specifically at academic scale scores.

Ten students’ reading attitudes improved towards academic reading, for a total of sixty-

three percent. Four students’ reading attitudes remained the same, for a total of twenty-five

percent. Two student’s reading attitudes went down, for a total of twelve percent. Two of the

students, Derek and Gus, whose reading attitudes remained the same were absent at least one day

during the time interventions were provided. The outliers in this data collection were the two

students, Rianna and Laura, whose reading attitudes dropped. I strongly believe that this was due

to student absences. Rianna was absent for two days (ten percent) of the time that interventions

took place. Laura was absent for five days (twenty-five percent) of the time that interventions

took place. These results may be seen in Figure 1 of the Findings and Results section below.

The researcher observations, recorded in the teacher researcher log, are a qualitative data

measure used to prove that the intrinsic motivation interventions were successful. In order to

analyze this data source, I printed the entire log and read it, looking for any patterns that might

emerge. Once trends were noticed, I went back and highlighted any that were related to the

research question. Student participation was the trend that stood out the most. Participation was

written about on a daily basis. By participation, I mean that students were thoroughly engaged

each day- actively reading the text with their partner, being active members in the group

discussion, and actively contributing to the assignment that they chose to do with their partner


after reading. During the first five days, the mean participation score was eighty-one percent.

Between days six and ten, the mean participation went to eighty-six percent. Throughout days

eleven to fifteen, the mean participation score grew to ninety-eight percent. During the last five

days, the mean participation score increased to ninety-nine percent. So, this shows that over time,

student participation greatly increased. In the reflection section of this journal, it was noted on

Tuesday, January 17, that two students, Adeline and Earl, did not participate, both prior to this

study and at the very beginning of the study. By the end of the study, however, they were

actively participating on a daily basis. Throughout the course of this study, during which intrinsic

reading interventions were taking place, both Adeline’s and Earl’s daily participation began to

increase. On Thursday, January 19, I noted that “I can see the interventions (especially text

choice) beginning to work for Earl. He is so much more engaged and interested in what we are

doing! I am so proud of him!”. On Thursday, February 2, I wrote in the observation section

“Adeline volunteered to share it (her group’s project) with us.”. In the reflections section, I

noted that “It is awesome that Adeline volunteered to share! She is coming out of her shell!”.

The participation results from the teacher researcher log can be viewed in Figure 2 in the

Findings and Review section.

Another quantitative measure used was student reading logs. Students were required to

do reading homework on a daily basis throughout this study (Monday through Thursday nights),

just like they are during the entire school year. There were two ways that this reading homework

was different than normal. Prior to interventions, I would give students a text to take home.

During the twenty days of interventions, students had a choice of text to take home and they

were not told which text they had to read. Additionally, students were allowed to choose which


written question they did after reading. Previously, I always told students which question to

answer after reading.

However, after collecting the data, I realized that the interventions we did at school did

not translate to home, even though students were provided with choices. The first day students

had reading homework (day three of interventions), only sixty-three percent of students read the

text they chose and answered a question on their reading log. During the next two nights, the

number of students completing their homework continued to drop, all the way down to fifty-

three percent. More students did their homework over the next two nights. The number of

students that completed their homework on day eight of the interventions jumped all the way up

to seventy-five percent before dropping again. This data source was very inconsistent. These

results may be seen in Figure 3 in the Findings and Results section.

The final source of quantitative data collected was the reading motivation survey. This

data source was also strong proof that intrinsic motivation interventions did improve intrinsic

reading motivation for students. Throughout all four surveys, three closed-ended questions were

posed to students. These questions asked students about their feelings towards the text they read,

the activity they completed after reading, and how they felt about reading in general. Three

answer choices were provided to students: boring, ok, and awesome. In the first three reading

motivation surveys, one or more students said that they felt the text they read, the activity they

completed, or reading, in general, was “boring”. By the fourth reading motivation survey, no one

circled “boring” as their choice. More and more students moved towards “awesome”.

While analyzing and reflecting upon the data after the first two surveys, I decided to add

an additional question to the third and fourth surveys. This question was open-ended and asked

students to share what we had done that week to help them like reading more. In the third survey,


thirty-eight percent of students noted that choosing an assignment helped them to like reading

better, thirty-eight percent stated choosing a text helped them to like reading better, thirteen

percent said reading articles instead of a book helped them to like reading better, and six percent

stated that nothing we did helped them to like reading better. In the fourth survey, thirty-eight

percent of students reported that choosing their own assignment was helpful, thirty-one percent

said that choosing a text was helpful, twenty-five percent stated that working with a partner was

helpful, and six percent said that reading a non-fiction text was helpful. The results from each

survey can be viewed in Figures 4- 4.d.2 in the Findings and Results section below.

Validity and Reliability

One threat to validity is improper data collection. I recorded data as accurately as

possible, using sufficient detail in the teacher researcher journal. When an important event

occurred, I documented as much information as possible in the journal (including daily anecdotal

notes and reflections). Another threat to validity is not collecting enough data to analyze.

Gathering multiple sources of data can increase the credibility of the findings. I triangulated my

data sources by collecting four types of data (Elementary Reading Attitude Survey, the teacher

researcher journal, reading logs, and a reading motivation survey).

This study is not generalizable. The results are not generalized beyond the participants of

this study because I am not applying them to a larger population of people. The results only

represent the sixteen participants who took place in this study.


Findings/Results

Figure 1Elementary Reading Attitude Survey

This chart shows the results of the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey for the Academic Scale Score (measuring at-school reading attitudes). This was used as a pre-test and post-test. The results of this survey show that intrinsic motivation interventions helped sixty-three percent of students to become more intrinsically motivated to read.

Figure 2 Daily Student Participation

Daily student participation data was taken from the teacher researcher journal, completed throughout the twenty days of interventions. This bar graph shows how participation continued to increase with more interventions.


Figure 3.Reading Log Data

Reading log data was collected from student reading logs that were completed nightly, Monday through Thursday. This data proved to be inconsistent, showing that intrinsic motivations done at school did not transfer to students’ home lives.

Figure 4. Reading Motivation Survey

Figure 4.a. - Question 1 – How did you feel about the text we read?

Survey 1 Survey 2 Survey 3 Survey 40

3

6

9

12Boring Ok Awesome


Figure 4.b. - Question 2- How did you feel about the activity we did after reading?


3

6

9

12

Boring Ok Awesome

Figure 4.c. - Question 3 – Right now, I …


3

6

9

12

Don't like reading Like reading ok Love reading

These bar graphs display data from the reading motivation surveys taken periodically throughout this study. The bar graphs show how students’ feelings changed over time about the texts they read and the activities they completed after reading, as well as their feelings towards reading.


Figure 4.d. - Question 4 - What have we done this week to help you to like reading more? (This open-ended question was added onto surveys 3 and 4)

Figure 4.d.1 - Survey 3

Figure 4.d.2 - Survey 4

31%

25%

38% 6%

Nothing Choosing a textReading articles instead of books Working with a partnerChoosing my own assignment Reading a non-fiction text

These pie charts display data from the reading motivation surveys taken periodically throughout this study. The pie charts show which interventions that were implemented actually helped students to like reading more.


Conclusion

As a reading specialist, my job is to support students who struggle with reading and help

them become more proficient readers. I can teach students the necessary skills they need to

become better readers, but if they aren’t motivated to read, those skills will not be helpful.

Before beginning this action research study, I noticed that my fourth grade students have the

least amount of reading motivation out of all the students I work with. That is the reason I chose

to research reading motivation and create an action research study that aimed to help my students

become more intrinsically motivated readers. The interventions used included giving students a

choice of texts to read and a choice of written assignments to complete after reading. I also

allowed more collaboration time during small groups by letting students work with a partner and

having group discussions after reading. Finally, students were given more of a choice in their

reading homework (text and question on reading log).

There were four different sources used for data collection. One source was the

Elementary Reading Attitude Survey that students took as their pre- and post-test. This was used

to measure growth of students’ attitudes toward academic reading. Another source of data was a

teacher researcher journal, which was used to record detailed observations and reflections

throughout the entire study. Student reading logs were an additional data measure. Finally,

students completed a periodic reading motivation survey at the end of each weekly lesson. Note

that some lessons were longer or shorter than a week due to special school events and teacher

work days.

By completing this action research study and collecting the data synthesized above, I can

conclude that the intrinsic motivation interventions provided were successful in helping the

students who participated to become more intrinsically motivated to read at school. I can also


conclude that the interventions we did at school did not carry over to students’ home lives,

because there was not an improvement in the number of students who completed their homework

each night.

The research on reading motivation that I completed before beginning this research

proved to be true. Students will place a higher value on reading if they are given a choice. I

learned that when students are given a choice of texts to read, they do place a higher value on

reading (Cambria & Guthrie, 2010). Providing students with a choice of how they will respond

to a text is also powerful. This makes it possible for children to bring their personal insight and

experiences into their literary interpretations (Tyson, 1999). I also discovered that students really

do need a chance to work with each other in order to attain new knowledge. Collaborative

engagement helps to increase a students’ sense of belonging. As Brozo and Flynt described,

social activities can help students to become more intrinsically motivated readers and can lead to

increased reading achievement (Brozo & Flynt, 2008). Another important factor is that giving

students the opportunity to respond orally to issues that are raised in texts helps to create a bridge

between what they read and their own lives. Students will begin to make crucial connections.

They will have to analyze what was read and organize their thoughts in order to clearly share

their understandings with others. As children collaborate more, they will find their own voice

and move to a higher level of understanding (Tyson, 1999).

This study is helpful for educators because it provides them with research-based

interventions that have been tested and proven numerous times, that can be done at school during

guided reading groups to increase a student’s intrinsic reading motivation. It also shows the

importance of students being present at school. The data shows that many students who were


absent of students one or more days during interventions actually had a decrease in intrinsic

reading motivation.

One additional question that has been raised by this study is: How can a teacher help to

improve a student’s reading motivation outside of school? All of the data collected at school

showed that most students became more motivated to read when they were at school. The

reading log data that was collected during this study was inconclusive and did not show steady

growth of students becoming more motivated to read at home. In fact, it showed the

interventions provided did not carry over to students’ home lives.

Reflection

Becoming a teacher researcher has helped me to grow tremendously as an educator. I

have become a more reflective practitioner throughout this process. I find myself observing

students more carefully each day during our guided reading groups, looking for signs of

participation and motivation. Taking detailed anecdotal notes and reflecting on them each day

really got me back into this routine.

This action research process was valuable because it greatly helped my students. My

students are more reflective themselves. They can tell me whether or not they enjoyed reading a

text and explain why. They speak up more during group discussions and are more willing to

work with other students.

The content knowledge that I gained throughout completing this action research study has

also helped me to become a stronger teacher. I realize now how important it is for students to be

active participants in their own learning. It is necessary to give them choices; including a choice

of texts and assignments. Collaboration is definitely a crucial part of the student learning process.


Students should be allowed to collaborate frequently, as this can help them to become critical

thinkers and to gain a deeper understanding of what they read.


References

Applegate, A. J., & Applegate, M. D. (2011). A study of thoughtful literacy and the motivation

to read. The Reading Teacher, 64(4), 226-234. Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com.jproxy.lib.ecu.edu/docview/817785519?accountid=10639

Brozo, W. G., & Flynt, E. S. (2008). Motivating students to read in the content classroom: Six

evidence-based principles. The Reading Teacher, 62(2), 172-174. doi:10.1598/RT.62.2.9

Cambria, J., & Guthrie, J. T. (2010). Motivating and engaging students in reading. New England

Reading Association Journal, 46(1), 16-29,109-110. Retrieved from


Guthrie, J.T. (2004). Teaching for literacy engagement. Journal of Literacy Research, 36(1), 1-

30. doi: 10.1207/s15548430jlr3601_2

Malloy, J.A., Marinak, B.A., Gambrell, L.B. & Mazzoni, S.A. (2013). Assessing motivation to

read. The Reading Teacher, 67(4), 273–282. doi: 10.1002/trtr.1215

Marinak, B.A. (2013). Courageous reading instruction: The effects of an elementary motivation

intervention. The Journal of Educational Research, 106:1, 39-48.

doi:10.1080/00220671.2012.658455

McGeown, S.P., Norgate, R., & Warhurst, A. (2012). Exploring intrinsic and extrinsic reading

motivation among very good and very poor readers. Educational Research, 54(3), 309-

322, doi: 10.1080/00131881.2012.710089

McKenna, M.C., Kear, D.J., & Ellsworth, R.A. (1995).Children’s attitudes toward reading: A

national survey. Reading Research Quarterly, 30(4) , 934-956. doi: 10.2307/748205

Padak, N., & Potenza-Radis, C. (2010). Motivating struggling readers: Three keys to success.

New England Reading Association Journal, 45(2), 1-7,103. Retrieved from


Scott, J.E. (1996). Self-efficacy: A key to literacy learning. Reading Horizons, 36(3), 195-213.





Retrieved from http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/reading_horizons

Tyson, C.A. (1999). “Shut my mouth wide open”: Realistic fiction and social action. Theory Into

Practice, 38(3), 155-159. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1477306

http://www.jstor.org/stable/1477306

http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/reading_horizons


Appendix A

Forms Completed Prior to Research Study

IRB Approval

EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITYUniversity & Medical Center Institutional Review Board Office 4N-70 Brody Medical Sciences Building· Mail Stop 682600 Moye Boulevard · Greenville, NC 27834Office 252-744-2914 · Fax 252-744-2284 · www.ecu.edu/irbNotification of Exempt Certification

From: Social/Behavioral IRB

To: Farrah McNeill

CC: Caitlin Ryan

Date: 12/20/2016

Re: UMCIRB 16-002235 McNeill: Impact of internal motivation intervention on struggling readers in fourth grade

I am pleased to inform you that your research submission has been certified as exempt on 12/20/2016. This study is eligible for Exempt Certification under category #1.

It is your responsibility to ensure that this research is conducted in the manner reported in your application and/or protocol, as well as being consistent with the ethical principles of the Belmont Report and your profession.

This research study does not require any additional interaction with the UMCIRB unless there are proposed changes to this study. Any change, prior to implementing that change, must be submitted to the UMCIRB for review and approval. The UMCIRB will determine if the change impacts the eligibility of the research for exempt status. If more substantive review is required, you will be notified within five business days.

The UMCIRB office will hold your exemption application for a period of five years from the date of this letter. If you wish to continue this protocol beyond this period, you will need to submit an Exemption Certification request at least 30 days before the end of the five year period.

The Chairperson (or designee) does not have a potential for conflict of interest on this study.

Informed Consent Letter(Randolph County School System Research Application Summary Form)


Authorization for a Minor to Serve as a Research ParticipantDear parents and guardians,

My name is Farrah McNeill. I am a reading specialist at Southmont Elementary. I work with your child in a guided reading group every day. I am working on my Master of Arts degree in Reading Education at East Carolina University. As a requirement for this program, I will be conducting a study with fourth grade students to determine the impact of intrinsic motivation interventions on struggling readers. Participation in this study involves only regular classroom activities. You may contact me at any time regarding your child’s participation. My phone number is (336) 625-1558. Mrs. Baber, Southmont’s principal, has approved this study. This study has also been approved by my instructor at ECU, Dr. Caitlin Ryan, and the ECU Instructional Review Board.

The purpose of the study is to motivate students to read using interventions such as providing them with a choice of interesting texts, building relevance to each text, and giving students the opportunity for structured collaboration during group reading time. Interventions will last for five weeks (twenty days), beginning on Monday, January 9th, 2017 and ending on Thursday, February 9th, 2017. During the study, I will collect data to determine if the intrinsic motivation interventions were successful. Types of data that I will collect include a teacher journal to record daily observations, an Elementary Reading Attitude Survey, reading logs that are done as homework, and a weekly motivation survey. Only I, Mrs. Hunt and Ms. Taylor (fourth grade teachers at Southmont), Mrs. Baber (Southmont’s principal), staff from the RCSS county office, and Ms. Caitlin Ryan (supervising professor at East Carolina University) will have access to your child’s data. Your child’s participation in this study is strictly confidential. In the data that is reported to East Carolina University, pseudonyms will be used so that your child’s data will not be personally identifiable.

Benefits of participating in this study include use of high-interest reading materials, such as Time For Kids and National Geographic magazines, the opportunity to make connections to the texts that are read, and extra collaboration time with peers in order to complete assignments.

Use of data from your child is optional. There will be no adverse consequences for students or parents/guardians for not participating in this study. You may contact me at any time if you do not wish to have your child’s data included in this study.

The Randolph County School System is not conducting or sponsoring this research project.

Please see the attached Randolph County School System Guardian/Parent Research Consent Form. Make your choice on the form (as to whether or not your child can participate in this study). At the bottom of the form, please sign your name.

Sincerely,

Farrah McNeill Reading SpecialistSouthmont [email protected]

RANDOLPH COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM GUARDIAN/PARENT RESEARCH CONSENT FORM B

*To be completed by the parent/legal guardian of school-aged participants under 18 years.


Project Name: An exploration of intrinsic motivation intervention on struggling readers in fourth grade

Sponsoring Organization: East Carolina University

Principal Researcher: Farrah McNeill Telephone: (336) 625-1558

Project Location: Southmont Elementary School

Student's Name________________________________________________________

Home Address___________________________________ Telephone_____________

Student's School: Southmont Elementary Grade: 4 Age: _______

Participants/Parental Rights and Assurances I have received a copy of the approved Randolph County School System Research

Application Summary Form for the aforementioned research project. Having read the

application, I am familiar with the purpose, methods, scope, and intent of the research

project.

Please check the appropriate response below:

_____ I will allow my child to participate in this research study. _____ I will not allow my child to participate in this research study.

I understand that during the course of this project my child's responses will be kept strictly

confidential and that none of the data released in this study will identify my child by name

or any other identifiable data, descriptions, or characterizations. Furthermore I

understand that my child may discontinue his/her participation in this project at any time

or refuse to respond to any questions to which he/she chooses not to answer.

My child is a voluntary participant and has no liability or responsibility for the

implementation, methodology, claims, substance, or outcomes resulting from this research

project. I also am aware that my child's decision not to participate will not result in any

adverse consequences or affect my child’s grade in any way.

Parent's Signature _____________________________________ Date ______________

Student Assent FormTo be read by investigator to students who have turned in parent consent forms.


You are sitting here because your parent/guardian provided permission for you to participate in a study related to reading motivation. Now, I am wondering if you want to help me learn about how you can improve your reading motivation. Reading motivation is defined as the beliefs, values, and behaviors that make you want to read.

As part of our guided reading instruction, you will participate in an intervention that involves reading motivation. You will do this beginning in January of 2015 after the holiday break for 5 weeks during our regular guided reading group time.

If you decide to take part in the research study, you can help me learn about your reading motivation by letting me collect data.

Your decision to take part or not take part in the study won’t impact your grades at all. This project won’t require any “extra work” for you. Results of the project will be shared with other teachers so they can get better at motivating students to read. I won’t use your real name when I talk about the results of the project.

If, after we begin the project, you change your mind and decide you don’t want to take part, you can tell me and I will not use your data but you will still take part in the instruction. I think this project will be fun and might help you be a better reader. If you have any questions, please ask me. Since your parents have already agreed to let you participate, I just need your permission to participate now. If you agree, please tell me, yes.

Thanks!

Appendix B


Data Collection Tools

Sample of Elementary Reading Attitude Survey Questions (page 1 of 5)


Reading Motivation Survey

Reading Motivation Survey – Week ___1. How did you feel about the text we read? a. It was BORING! I did not like it. b. It was OK. c. It was AWESOME! I loved it!

2. How did you feel about the activity we did after reading? a. It was BORING! I did not like it. b. It was OK. c. It was AWESOME! I loved it!

3. Right now, I …a. don’t like reading very much. b. like reading ok. c. LOVE reading!

4. What have we done this week that helps you to like reading better? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Reading Log


Table created using data from reading motivation survey

Survey Questions

Survey #1 Results(after 7 total days of

interventions)

Survey # 2 Results(after 13 total days of

interventions)


interventions)


interventions)How did you feel about the text we read?

Boring- 1Ok- 9Awesome- 6




How did you feel about the activity you did after reading?





Right now, I…

Don’t like reading- 6Like reading ok- 4Love reading- 6


Don’t like reading- 2 Like reading ok- 6 Love reading- 8


What have we done this week that helped you to like reading better?

N/A N/A NEW Open-Ended Question: Nothing- 1Choosing a text- 1Reading articles instead of books- 2Working with a partner- 6Choosing my own assignment-6

Choosing a text-5Working with a partner- 4Picking my own assignment-6Reading a Nonfiction Text- 1

Documents

motivatethemtoread.weebly.commotivatethemtoread.weebly.com/.../5/5/1/...study.docx · Web viewmotivation, reading, struggling readers, fourth grade. An exploration of intrinsic