The Mediating Role of Reading Attitude in the Relationship between Elementary School Students' Reading Engagement and Reading Comprehension Skills

Overview of the Study

  • Title: The Mediating Role of Reading Attitude in the Relationship between Elementary School Students’ Reading Engagement and Reading Comprehension Skills

  • Authors: Emine SUR, Emre ÜNAL

  • Journal: Journal of Theoretical Educational Science

  • Published: April 2024

  • Objective: To examine the effect of reading attitude and reading engagement on reading skills success, and the mediating role of reading attitude between reading engagement and reading comprehension.

  • Data Collection: Conducted in Spring 2021 on 491 elementary students from the Central Anatolia region, Turkey.

Methodology

Research Design

  • Type: Descriptive survey model aimed at quantifying relationships between reading engagement, reading attitude, and reading comprehension.

  • Data Analysis Tools: TAP and IBM SPSS 24 for statistical analysis; macro mediation test Process 3.5.3 (Hayes, 2018) for mediation evaluation.

Participants

  • Sample Size: 491 students across 9 elementary schools.

  • Demographics:

    • Total Students: 491 (247 females, 244 males).

    • Distribution: Varied by school, with the highest participation from the 8th school (102 students).

Key Findings

Main Results

  • Reading Engagement:

    • Significantly and positively affects reading comprehension (p<0.001).

    • Accounts for approximately 21% of variance in reading attitude (R² = 0.2095).

  • Reading Attitude:

    • Does not show a significant effect on reading comprehension (p>0.05).

    • Has a positive and significant relationship with reading engagement.

  • Mediation Analysis:

    • Reading attitude mediates the relationship between reading engagement and reading comprehension (b=-0.905, %95 CI [-2.52, 0.6490]).

Theoretical Background

Importance of Reading Skills

  • Reading is vital for educational success and personal development; yet, many students lack interest in reading (OECD, 2017).

  • Engagement in reading activities is crucial for comprehension and developing reading habits.

Concepts Defined

  • Reading Engagement: Time spent and effort put into reading, influenced by motivational factors and behavioral actions.

  • Reading Attitude: A mental disposition involving emotional reactions towards reading, affecting engagement levels.

Discussion

  • Reading engagement significantly contributes to reading comprehension skills, contrasting findings in existing literature regarding the direct effect of reading attitude on comprehension.

  • The study emphasizes the role of reading engagement over attitude in successful reading outcomes.

  • Encourages future research to explore further variables that may mediate relationships between commitment, attitude, and comprehension skills.

Practical Implications

  • The findings support the need for educational strategies focused on enhancing reading engagement to improve comprehension skills among elementary students.

  • Suggests fostering positive reading attitudes to indirectly influence comprehension skills via increased engagement.

Conclusion

  • Highlights the intricate relationships among reading engagement, attitude, and comprehension, providing evidence for reading engagement being the more significant predictor of comprehension success.

Further Research

  • Exploring diverse student populations and the integration of different methodologies in assessing reading behaviors and attitudes is suggested for future studies.