Understanding multiple reading attitude profiles of Chinese adolescents and how they relate to reading outcomes

Abstract

BackgroundWhile many researchers studying reading motivation and attitudes have taken a variable‐centred approach, few have employed a person‐centred analysis to examine profiles of reading attitudes and how they relate to reading outcomes.MethodsAs a person‐centred approach, cluster analysis was used to examine the multiple reading attitude profiles of 499 seventh‐grade to ninth‐grade Chinese adolescents. The effects of each attitude profile on reading outcomes, which include strategy use and language arts grades, were tested using a multivariate analysis of covariance.ResultsCluster analysis identified four profiles: engaged digital readers (positive attitudes towards both academic and recreational reading in digital medium), avid readers (positive attitudes towards all dimensions), engaged print readers (positive attitudes towards both academic and recreational reading in print medium) and recreational digital‐only readers (relatively average attitudes towards recreational digital reading but substantially lower attitudes towards the other three dimensions). Avid readers outperformed all other profiles regarding strategy use but were equally successful with engaged print readers in terms of language arts. Recreational digital‐only readers scored the lowest in both reading outcomes.ConclusionsChinese adolescents have multiple reading attitude profiles distinct in nature and in their relation to reading outcomes.