The relationship between 9th grade students' reading motivation, reading behavior and reading comprehension

Research indicates that reading motivation is a central aspect in fostering reading comprehension. The relationship between reading comprehension and reading motivation can have important implications, especially during the adolescence, where the reading motivation of students tends to decline. The present study aims to analyze the relation among 9th grade students’ reading motivation (i.e., both in the recreational and academic context), reading self-concept, reading behavior (i.e. engagement and frequency), and reading performance (i.e. comprehension). Participants included 2494 9th grade students from 195 classes in Flanders (Belgium). Both direct and indirect relations are taken into account, using structural equation modeling to analyze the relations. The model has been tested in a previous study among a group of 5th and 6th grade students. According to the results, student’s reading motivation and their reading self-concept are independently related to their reading behavior and reading comprehension. Comparing the model analyzed among the group of 5th and 6th graders and the group of 9th graders, most results remain stable. However, there are some disparities