Unraveling the Relationships of Self-Efficacy, Motivation, and Reading Comprehension Achievement: A Network Psychometric Analysis
Submitted by:
Hung Wai NG
Abstract:
Reading proficiency is a fundamental skill with far-reaching implications for academic success and personal development (Mullis & Martin, 2019). Previous research has highlighted the significance of self-efficacy and motivational factors as having influences on reading abilities (e.g., Lee & Jonson-Reid, 2016; Stutz, Schaffner & Schiefele, 2017). However, their level of closeness or distance in a relationship with reading performance remains largely unknown. Moreover, a notable dearth of scholarly investigations is evident in the domain of large-scale assessment, specifically concerning Chinese language.
Contextualised in Hong Kong, this study aims to address these gaps by employing network psychometric analysis approach to unravel the complex relationships among self-efficacy, interest and reading comprehension achievement. This study will rely on data obtained from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) in 2021 to investigate the various aspects related to reading performance among fourth grade students from Hong Kong. The assessment framework utilized in this study will be derived from the two reading purposes and four reading comprehension processes outlined in PILRS (Mullis & Martin, 2019). 3830 students from 144 elementary schools participated in this study. They took a reading comprehension test comprised of a literary text and an informational text, and completed a questionnaire regarding self-efficacy, interest and habits of reading. The network psychometric analysis shows that self-efficacy has a close, positive and large effect on reading performance. The motivational factors that promote self-efficacy are interest and need for cognition, while other extrinsic motivations such as competition with peers negatively impacted on self-efficacy. The study sheds light on teaching and learning, especially on the design of learning activities that will encourage reading engagement, which is an aspect that needs to be enhanced in Hong Kong.
Key words: self-efficacy, motivation, reading comprehension, Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), network psychometric analysis
Reference
Lee, Y. S., & Jonson-Reid, M. (2016). The role of self-efficacy in reading achievement of young children in urban schools. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 33(1), 79-89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-015-0404-6
Mullis, I. V., & Martin, M. O. (2019). PIRLS 2021 Assessment Frameworks. International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. Herengracht 487, Amsterdam, 1017 BT, The Netherlands.
Stutz, F., Schaffner, E., & Schiefele, U. (2017). Reading motivation questionnaire for elementary students. PsycTESTS Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1037/t67694-000