Pleasure Reading Research

​

Exploring the Reading Habits and

Characteristics of High School Students

​

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Dr. Judy A. Henning & Dr. Sherry R. Crow

​

Research Presentation for International Association

of School Librarianship (IASL) 51st Annual IASL 2023 Conference &

the 26th International Forum on Research in School Librarianship

​

Rome, Italy; Tuesday, July 18, 2023; 11 a.m. Room 5-8588

Link to slideshow: https://bit.ly/3K1b2lF

​

​

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Dr. Judy A. Henning

Judy A. Henning received her EdD in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in effective schools from Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, Arizona. Her undergraduate and master’s degrees were from the University of Nebraska Kearney, where she is currently assistant professor in the school library graduate program. She has over 35 years of public school teaching experience as a language arts educator and school librarian. Dr. Henning co-authored Information Literacy and Information Skills Instruction: New Directions for School Libraries (May 2020). Her research interests are adolescent reading and project-based learning.

​

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Dr. Sherry R. Crow

Sherry R. Crow received her PhD in Library and Information Management from Emporia State University. She is currently professor and chair of the Advanced Education Programs at Ft. Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. Dr. Crow was a featured researcher in New Frontiers Magazine in 2014 and received the Pratt-Heins Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2015. She is a coauthor of Information Literacy and Information Skills Instruction: New Directions for School Libraries (2020). Her research interest is in the area of children’s intrinsic motivation for information seeking and reading for pleasure.

​

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Submit Questions to Padlet to be Addressed at the End of the Presentation

Padlet URL https://bit.ly/3CSi6wN

​

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Research Question and Purpose

“What are the experiences in the lives of juniors (aged 16-18) in high school that foster intrinsic motivation to read for pleasure?”

​

An examination of these experiences can lead to an understanding of how juniors in high school are able to maintain their intrinsic motivation to read for pleasure to reap the academic benefits afforded to avid readers. It was the purpose of this study to provide educators and librarians with insight into high school students’ needs to facilitate reading for pleasure.

​

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Review of Literature:

Decline in Students’ Reading for Pleasure

• A 2019 study explains elementary students' positive attitudes toward reading declined significantly at the beginning of adolescence, between 10 and 14 years of age (Nootens et al., 2019).

​

• A 2021 study indicates that excessive use of mobile devices, television, and electronic games is the greatest reason for the decline in reading for pleasure in adolescence (Ahmad et al., 2021).

​

• Kavi et al. (2015) found that junior high school readers in their study did not read for “personal development, fun, or to be well informed” (p. 11).

​

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Review of Literature:

The Importance of Reading for Pleasure

• A 2013 study (Chidiebrere et al.) found that students who do not enjoy reading are likely to be less motivated, watch more television, be poor decision-makers, and perform low in their studies.

​

• Elementary students who read in their leisure time have larger vocabularies and better reading comprehension skills, as well as better spelling and technical reading skills than children who read less (Krashen, 2005; Mol & Bus, 2011).

​

• A study by Sandell (2022) shows that students who read for pleasure during the pandemic “learned to relate to others and deepen understanding of the text, but also their social and emotional skills” (p. 23).

​

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Theoretical Framework

• Framed in Self-determination Theory (SDT, Ryan & Deci, 2017).

​

• SDT’s Cognitive Evaluation sub-theory explains the psychological reasons behind an individual’s desire to do a task.

​

• SDT posits that social contexts that support the individual’s psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness will result in increased intrinsic motivation toward a given task.

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Methodology

• Mixed Methods Study administered in two phases.
• Phase 1: Identified students intrinsically motivated to read for pleasure through use of the Self-Regulated Questionnaire-Reading (SRQ-R) created for this study.

​

• Phase 2: Fourteen students completed a Zoom interview designed to examine the experiences and social contexts of these students.

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Population

• 4 central Nebraska high schools within 55 miles of each other.
• 11th grade English classes
• 943 students were asked to participate in the study.
• 102 students decided to take the assessment to determine if they were intrinsically motivated to read for pleasure and returned signed permission slips.
• 24 students were identified as highly intrinsically motivated to read.
• 14 of the 24 participated in the Zoom interviews.

​

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Themes from Findings

• Students’ high academic achievement and career goals
• People who influenced informants’ desire to read for pleasure
• Students’ reading choices
• Students’ response to reading programs and other incentives
• Students described two specific reading episodes: 1) where they read, 2) why they wanted to read, 3) how reading felt, 4) books and genres read.

​

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Findings. . .

Students’ high academic achievement and career goals

​

• Informants were outstanding students involved in academically rigorous high school courses. (AP & honors courses)
• Felt reading for pleasure influenced their career choices
• “Want to make an impression or leave a legacy” at high school and in turn pursue career goals that require a high degree of competence

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Findings. . .

People who influenced informants’ desire to read for pleasure

​

​

• Family
• Librarians
• Friends

​

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Findings. . .

Students’ reading choices

​

• Majority preferred print over digital
• Digital reading felt like homework.
• Sometimes if forgot book liked the ease of access to digital.
• “I would rather have a book in my hands.”

​

​

​

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Findings. . .

Students’ response to reading programs and other incentives

​

• “I would have read either way, but I think it did make other kids have to read.”
• The reading programs made them realize they were better readers than their peers.
• Loved the extrinsic motivators. “I remember getting pizza coupons over and over and my friends were jealous.”
• Some felt the reading program helped them with comprehension, retention and vocabulary.

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Findings. . .

Student describe reading episodes–where they wanted to read. 1) why they wanted to read, 2) how reading made them feel, 3) books and genres they like to read

​

​

• Location
• Car
• Work
• Home
• Outside
• Waiting for an appointment
• Used riding and waiting time to read

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Findings. . .

How Students Felt During Reading Episodes

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Findings. . .

Reasons Students wanted to Read

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Findings. . .

Students describe reading episodes–the books and genres read

​

​

Specific Titles:

• Typical J.K.Rowling and Stephen King authors
• Unexpected title–The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (Kondo, 2014)
• Opportunities to learn more about possible careers

Genres:

• Fantasy, science fiction, dystopian

Nonfiction:

• Memoir/biography

​

The students read widely and they moved from one genre to another based on their interests and referrals from others at the time.

​

SLIDESMANIA.COM

How Social Contexts Fostered Intrinsic Motivation

Autonomy

• Choice of books
• Choice of book format
• Choice of when/where to read
• Choice of career

​

Competence

• Realized their reading prowess at an early age
• Showed competence by taking honors classes
• Were pursuing high-level careers

​

Relatedness

• Reading experiences with family
• Reading experiences with friends
• Relationships with librarians

​

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Discussion & Recommendations

• Some students experienced bullying from peers when reading. Teachers and librarians should be aware of this type of behavior and be ready to intervene. Families were an important support.

​

• Informants expressed appreciation for book recommendations and other interactions with librarians. Librarians need to be aware of the rapport building that takes place when they take the time to help youth.

​

• Reading provided an escape and helped with the social emotional issues students experienced during and after the COVID Pandemic. Encouraging students to read for pleasure can help them with social emotional issues.

​

• The students in the study were ALL high achievers. If school administrators understood the impact pleasure reading has on academic achievement as well as the emotional well being of students, they might be more likely to allow more time for reading for pleasure during the school day (even in secondary).

​

​

• ​

​

​

• ​

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Questions

Address the Padlet posts

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Researchers’ Contact Information

Judy A. Henning, Ed.D.

University of Nebraska at Kearney

Library Program Coordinator

Email: henningja@unk.edu

Sherry R. Crow, Ph.D.

Fort Hays State University; Hays, KS

Chair Advanced Education Programs

Email: srcrow@fhsu.edu

SLIDESMANIA.COM

References

Ahmad, Z., Tariq, M., Iqbal, Q., & Sial, T. A. (2021). Exploring the factors affecting the

development of reading habits among children. Library Philosophy and Practice, 1-20.

Chidiebere, I. G., Nosike, O. O., Nkechi, I., & Magnus, A. C. (2013). Bring back the book:

The roles of libraries and librarians in promotion of reading and literacy in Nigeria. Library Philosophy & Practice, 8.

Kondo, M. (2014). The life-changing magic of tidying up: The Japanese art of decluttering and

organizing. Daily Books.

Nootens, P., Morin, M., Alamargot, D., Goncalves, C., Venet, M., & Labrecque, A.

(2019). Differences in attitudes toward reading: A survey of pupils in grades 5 to 8.

Frontiers in Psychology 9.

Kavi, R. K., Tackie, S.N.B., Bugyei, K.A. (2015). Reading for pleasure among junior high

school students: Case study of the Saint Andrew’s Anglican Complex Junior High

School, Sekondi. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-Journal). 1234.

​

​

SLIDESMANIA.COM

References (2)

Krashen, S. (2005). Is in-school free reading good for children? Why the National Reading Panel

Report is (still) wrong. Phi Delta Kappan, 86(6), 444–447.

Mol, S. E., & Bus, A. G. (2011). To read or not to read: A meta-analysis of print exposure

from infancy to early adulthood. Psychological Bulletin, 137(2), 267–296.

Ryan, R.M. & Deci, E.L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in

motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford.

Sandell, M. (2020). Teaching social emotional skills through literacy. Digital

Commons@Hamline. Hamline University.

Schaeffer, K. (2021, November 12). Among many U.S. children, reading for fun has

become less common, federal data shows. Pew Research Center.

​

​

SLIDESMANIA.COM

Free themes and templates for Google Slides or PowerPoint

​

​

NOT to be sold as is or modified!

Read FAQ on slidesmania.com

Do not remove the slidesmania.com text on the sides.

Sharing is caring!

SLIDESMANIA.COM