Reading Motivation in Bi/Multilingual Latinx Adolescents: An Exploratory Structural Equation Model

Abstract

This study investigated reading motivation among high school bi/multilingual students whose first language was Spanish. Latinx English Learners (N = 171) from four southeastern, suburban high schools completed the Adolescent Motivation to Read Profile (AMRP; Pitcher et al., 2007), a survey that proposes to measure two dimensions of reading motivation. Using exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), the researchers sought to determine the factors that underlie the data and the relationship between reading motivation latent and observed variables. Results revealed that the two latent variables, namely reading self-concept (RSC) and reading attitude (RA), have a small but significant relationship with each other. Moreover, variables such as the length of time students spent in the U.S. and gender were significantly related to both RSC and RA. Specifically, the longer participants had resided in the U.S., the less they were motivated to read. When examining the role of gender in reading motivation, females demonstrated higher RSC and more positive RA compared to their male counterparts. Findings are interpreted in light of the expectancy-value theory (Atkinson, 1957). Implications for reading research and teaching are presented.