To What Extent do Reading Strategies have an Impact on Students’ Reading Motivations?

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between employing extrinsic reading motivations and the impact they have on students’ intrinsic reading motivations. Within this study, two rewarding motivations were introduced in a secondary school over a period of three months where in the final month there were no rewards implemented. This study particularly focused on Year Seven students and how their motivations to read have been influenced by the set rewards or motivations employed. Evidently, through the student questionnaires and teacher interviews, these motivations may not have the same effect on students’ motivations to read on a long-term basis as when the motivations were taken away, some students were de-motivated. Interestingly, both teachers and students seem to play a role in reading for pleasure. Using teachers to support reading through promoting and encouraging it in their classroom had its benefits, yet it is down to the individual student to choose to work towards the rewards in place by reading. There is evidence that employing these motivations does play a part in motivating students intrinsically to read, however only to a short-term degree as when the motivations had been removed, the students’ intrinsic motivation to read declined slightly. Throughout this study, it was clear that these motivations had some impact on encouraging students to read even when these motivations were taken away. This study also provides scope for further, long-term study.