The relationship between recreational and academic reading motivation, reading frequency and comprehension in late primary school

Given the importance of reading motivation for reading frequency and academic reading performance, an in-depth understanding of reading motivation is essential to keep children motivated and encourage them to read. The first aim of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire measuring recreational and academic reading motivation (SRQ-Reading Motivation), based on self-determination theory, and to explore fifth graders’ reasons for reading. Second, the relationship between reading motivation, reading engagement, reading frequency, and reading comprehension was studied to deepen our understanding of reading motivation. 1260 fifth graders completed the SRQ-Reading Motivation, 8 subscales of the Motivation for Reading Questionnaire (MRQ), a standardized reading comprehension test, a scale concerning reading frequency, and reading self-concept. Teachers also rated their students’ reading engagement. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicate that both recreational and academic reading motivation comprise two factors: autonomous and controlled reading motivation. Comparisons of the SRQ-Reading Motivation with the MRQ, reading behavior, and performance confirm the construct validity of the instrument. Participants mainly report autonomous reading motivation in both contexts (recreational and academic). Structural equation models (SEM) highlight the importance of the quality of reading motivation (i.e., autonomous versus controlled motivation) in both the recreational and academic context, since autonomous reading motivation is associated with more positive reading behavior and better performance, and matters on top of students’ quantity of motivation, as indexed by a positive reading self-concept. Finally, SEM indicates that reading engagement, rather than reading frequency, functions as a behavioral pathway between autonomous reading motivation and reading comprehension