Eighth graders’ expository text comprehension

Camille Welie,Rob Schoonen,Folkert Kuiken

doi:10.1075/dujal.17020.wel

Abstract

Abstract The present study examined whether ten motivations to read expository texts moderated the effects of cognitive skills on eighth graders’ expository text comprehension, while accounting for the main effects of cognitive skills. Furthermore, it was examined whether the effect of motivational dimensions on expository text comprehension differed between monolingual and bilingual Dutch students, and between poor and good readers. Hundred fifty-two eighth graders took tests measuring their expository text comprehension, sentence reading fluency, linguistic knowledge, metacognitive knowledge and motivations to read expository texts. None of ten motivational aspects did moderate the effect of cognitive skills on expository text comprehension. Furthermore, there were no differences between monolingual and bilingual Dutch students, or between poor and good readers, in terms of the relationship between motivational dimensions and expository text comprehension. Differences between our findings and results from other studies are interpreted in the context of measurement specificity and the school system.

Highlights

In trying to understand individual differences in text comprehension, most researchers have focused either on cognitive predictors (e.g., Trapman, Van Gelderen, Van Steensel, Van Schooten, & Hulstijn, 2014; Van Gelderen, Schoonen, Stoel, De Glopper, & Hulstijn, 2007) or on motivational predictors (e.g., Ho & Guthrie, 2013; Wigfield, Cambria, & Ho, 2012)
A second aim of the present study is to examine whether the contribution of motivational dimensions to expository text comprehension differs between poor and good readers, and between Dutch monolingual and bilingual readers with a language minority background
In comparison to a one- or two factor model, a three factor model was the best solution for the 27 items representing the motivational aspects preference for challenge, mastery goal and intrinsic motivation (χ2(321) = 535.85, p = .001, RMSEA .067)

Summary

Introduction

In trying to understand individual differences in text comprehension, most researchers have focused either on cognitive predictors (e.g., Trapman, Van Gelderen, Van Steensel, Van Schooten, & Hulstijn, 2014; Van Gelderen, Schoonen, Stoel, De Glopper, & Hulstijn, 2007) or on motivational predictors (e.g., Ho & Guthrie, 2013; Wigfield, Cambria, & Ho, 2012). It is important to take cognitive skills into account when studying the effects of motivations on text comprehension, because we assume that the cognitive skills underlying text comprehension fully mediate the influence of motivational factors In this context, we consider two non-competing models. According to this model, motivations to read affect behavioral engagement (time, effort and persistence in reading), cognitive engagement (willingness to exert mental effort) and emotional engagement in reading (positive or negative affective reactions). Motivations to read affect behavioral engagement (time, effort and persistence in reading), cognitive engagement (willingness to exert mental effort) and emotional engagement in reading (positive or negative affective reactions) These factors, in turn, influence the development of the cognitive subskills required for reading comprehension. The background questionnaire requested the following information: gender, country of birth, mother tongue, language(s) the parents/care-takers speak to participants (and percentages of the time they speak these languages to them), country of birth of parents/caretakers, the highest completed educational level of parents/caretakers and jobs of parents/caretakers

Methods

Results

Conclusion