Professional Documents
Culture Documents
DARLA MAE DIAZ, ANIKA THERESE DOLOR, JEANNE PAULINE DUMAUAL, ANN MARIEL
GARCIA
Previous studies examined the linear correlation of reading attitude and reading
motivation but few studies tried to elaborate on the effect of both components on
reading practices. The study aims to identify the impact of reading attitude and
reading motivation on the reading practices of international students enrolled in a
reputable university in the Philippines. Using the Motivation for Reading
Questionnaire constructed and developed by Guthrie and Wigfield, survey
questionnaires adapted and developed from Adult Survey of Reading Attitudes
(1988) and the Attitudes toward Reading in the Adult Learner Population- Short
Form Reading Attitude Survey (1995), the data were gathered from fifty (50)
international students enrolled in a special Philippine history class and those
members of the International Students Association (ISA). Results indicate that
there is indeed a positive correlation among the three variables such as reading
attitude, reading motivation and reading practices.
INTRODUCTION
Traditionally, the struggling reader has been viewed as a low achiever. This learner is seen as
lacking cognitive competencies, which may include reading comprehension, study skills, word
recognition and reading fluency. These cognitive characteristics have been the defining attributes of a
struggling reader (Vacca & Vacca, 1999). According to a study made by Guthrie and Davis (2003),
struggling readers tend to be notably unmotivated. Komiyama (2013) stated that understanding the nature
of reading motivation is still essential for preparing researchers to investigate the relationships between
students’ motivational tendencies and reading development with both L1 and L2 learners. Her research
with school-age L1 readers indicates that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation both positively relate to
reading amount (e.g., Guthrie, Wigfield, Metsala, & Cox, 1999), strategy use (Lau & Chan, 2003), and
text comprehension (e.g., Lau & Chan, 2003; Unrau & Schlackman, 2006; Wang & Guthrie, 2004).
Intrinsic motivation, however, appears to be a stronger indicator of the students’ greater amount of
reading (e.g., Wang & Guthrie, 2004; Wigfield & Guthrie, 1997), better text comprehension (e.g., Lau &
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Chan, 2003; Wang & Guthrie, 2004), though this trend may be influenced by students’ ethnic
backgrounds (Unrau & Schlackman, 2006) and perhaps age (e.g., Konheim-Kalkstein & Van den Broek,
2008).
Reading
Reading, therefore, involves different extrinsic and intrinsic factors, not just cognitive process.
Reading is the process of constructing meaning from written texts. It is a complex skill requiring the
described as making meaning out of texts and that meaning is triggered by different factors. Such factors
is an interaction among: (1) the reader’s existing knowledge; (2) the information suggested by the text
being read; and (3) the context of the reading situation. (Wixson, Peters, Weber, & Roeber, 1987 cited in
University of Michigan, 2005) Hence, reading involves the activation of relevant prior knowledge
coupled with the present knowledge the text offers and the context of the situation. Evidence from the
National Adult Literacy Survey (Kirsch, Jungeblut, Jenkins, & Kolstad, 1993) suggests that there is a
strong association between wide reading practices and literacy skills. Smith (1996) found, in an analysis
of the National Adult Literacy Survey data, that adults who report reading a greater amount of text
materials (e.g., books, magazines, newspapers) have significantly higher literacy proficiency scores than
Reading Attitude
Reading practices are influenced by attitude. Attitude may affect the level of ability ultimately
attained by a given student through its influence on such factors as engagement and practice. Second,
even for the fluent reader, poor attitude may occasion a choice not to read when other options exist, a
condition now generally known as aliteracy. (McKenna, Kear and Ellsworth, 1995) Attitudes are
relatively stable evaluations of persons, objects, situations, or issues, along a continuum ranging from
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positive to negative (Wood, Wood, & Boyd, 2007). Most attitudes have three components: 1) a cognitive
component, consisting of thoughts and beliefs about the attitudinal object; 2) an emotional component,
made up of feelings toward the attitudinal object; and 3) a behavioral component, composed of
predispositions concerning actions toward the object (Wood, et al., 2007) Reading attitude pertains to a
person’s predisposition towards what one reads. It also speaks of feelings and emotions towards reading
(Subashini and Balakrishnan, 2012; Sarawit, 2008). It is also described as “a system of feelings related to
reading which causes the learner to approach or avoid a reading situation” (Alexander & Filler, 1976,
cited in Yamashita, 2013, p. 9). Reading Attitude affects how a person tends to react towards reading
materials and how one puts the disposition to read. Matthewson (1994, cited in McKenna, 1995) came up
with a model that shows how a set of factors influencing an individual's intention to read and in which the
results of a given reading encounter are fed back to influence attitude (McKenna, Kear, and Ellsworth,
1995). These factors were mainly described as cognitive, affective, and conative. Hence, this model
became a framework on how reading attitude is described. McKenna, Kear, and Ellsworth (1995) later on
came up with a 20-item scale to see if these factors can be determined to check on one’s attitude towards
reading. This paved way for McKenna, Kear, and Ellsworth (1995) to create another model of reading
attitude, which was known as the reading attitude acquisition model, supplementing and affirming what
By increasing reading motivation and reading attitude it can increase reading activity (Guthrie,
Wigfield, Metsala, & Cox, 1999). Reading motivation pertains to the drive set towards reading. It also
encompasses on the interest, dedication, and confidence of a person towards reading. What we mean by
motivation are the values, beliefs, and behaviors surrounding reading for an individual. Some productive
values and beliefs may lead to excitement, yet other values may lead to determined hard work. (Cambria
and Guthrie, 2010). This can be in the form of intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. John Guthrie and Allan
Wigfield (1997) cited in Baker and Wigfield, 1999) conceptualized eleven (11) constructs that show the
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different dimensions affecting reading motivation, namely: self-efficacy, reading challenge, work
avoidance, recognition, reading for grades, competition, curiosity, involvement, importance, social
reasons for reading, and compliance. This shows that reading motivation has several factors to consider
that affects how a person‘s motivation is influenced. In a research done by Linda Baker and Allan
Wigfield, they pointed out that in conceptualizing reading motivation, they adapted constructs defined
and developed by researchers in the achievement motivation field. Currently, many motivation theorists
propose that individuals' competence and efficacy beliefs, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and purposes
for achievement play a crucial role in their decisions about which activities to do, how long to do them,
and how much effort to put into them (Bandura, 1997; Eccles, Wigfield, &Schiefele, 1998; Pintrich &
Schunk, 1996; Wigfield, Eccles & Rodriguez, 1998). Motivated readers thus will engage more in reading
(Guthrie, Van Meter, et al., 1996; Oldfather & Wigfield, 1996) and will have postive attitudes toward
reading (Athey, 1982; Greaney & Hegarty, 1987; Mathewson, 1994; McKenna et al., 1995).
According to a study made by Zeinab, Mihandoost (2011), some attitudes are acquired through
first hand experiences with people, objects, situations, and issues. Others are acquired when children hear
parents, family, friends, and teachers express positive or negative attitudes toward certain issues or people
(Wood, et al., 2007). Students with poor attitude toward reading may not read when other choices such as
video viewing exists (Martin, 1984). The motivational consequences of reading attitudes are that children
with more positive attitudes are more motivated to read. A substantial body of work also exists on reading
interest defined as either a characteristic of the person or text. (Renniger, Hidi, & Krapp, 1992; Schiefele,
1996) Interest relates to text comprehension and other important reading outcomes such as reading
Although there are already various studies made about reading motivation and reading attitude,
there is more to elaborate on reading practices. Despite the results of this collective body of work, Guthrie
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and Greaney (1991) suggested that little is known about what most adults read, how they use reading in
their lives, what social factors motivate them to read, and how reading behaviors contribute to individuals'
social and cognitive development. Also, readers' affective responses to their reading practices are rarely
obtained in survey studies. The purpose of this study is to help understand further the relationship existing
among reading attitude, reading motivation and reading practices. Reading for students can be considered
as a difficult or an unexciting task for them because of typical reasons of laziness, disinterest and lack of
motivation. (Miller & Anderson, 2009). According to a longitudinal investigation made by M. Cecil
Smith, there was continuing decline in positive attitude toward reading throughout school years. Young
adults also possessed the least positive attitudes toward reading among the different age groups examined.
(Smith, 2001) These problems encountered by modern society must be addressed by research. With this
study, we may be able to further contribute to the researches that are unraveling the mystery behind the
declining attitude and motivation in reading, and harnessing the correct reading practices fit, not only for
Filipinos, but also for foreign students in the university. This research will be able to contribute to schools
their aim to provide quality education for the evolving society of learners.
1. What is the highest predictor amongst the reading attitude, reading motivation, and reading practices of
foreign students?
2. Is there a significant relationship between the reading attitude of foreign students and their reading
motivation?
3. Do the reading attitude and the reading motivation of foreign students have an impact on their reading
practices?
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Theoretical Framework
Mathewson (1994) proposed a model of attitude related to reading that explains how attitude
might affect reading (See Figure 1). Mathewson’s model begins with cornerstone concepts. This model
focuses on the role of attitude as a factor during the act of reading and during the period when one learns
to read. His model has implications for attitude acquisition in its identification of four factors that
influence reading behavior, (two major and two minor factors). The major factors, represented by solid
arrows, are "cornerstone concepts," including personal values, goals, and self-concepts, and "persuasive
communications," which can affect the reader through a central route (as when a teacher taught
reading) or peripherally (as when a book has an attractive cover). The minor factors include cognitive
and affective feedback from reading encounters. In Mathewson's tripartite view, attitude comprises
feelings, action readiness, and beliefs. Two other factors are seen as contributors to the decision to
read (or to continue reading): external motivators and the individual's emotional state. (McKenna,
Kear, & Ellsworth, 2009) Individuals’ attitudes for reading influence their intention to read, and intention
to read then influences reading itself. Reading includes text selection, attention, strategy use, and
comprehension. Reading then contributes to ideas, feelings, and internal emotions. Reading is also
influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. (White, 2011) This model emphasizes on the pivotal
role of attitude and motivation in reading. All these components influence the intention to read and in
Figure 1: Mathewson model of attitude influence upon reading and learning to read
Conceptual Framework
Mathewson’s model of reading attitudes features external motivators and internal states as
components that influence one’s intention to read/continue reading. External motivators, comprising
‘incentives, purpose, norms, and settings outside of readers’, form part of the model and, like internal
emotional states, they work on one’s intention to read and/or continue reading, with reading behaviour as
an outcome.
Hence considering the model of Matthewson on reading attitude, the study hypothesized that
there is a significant relationship between reading motivation and reading attitude and that the reading
attitude and reading motivation of the foreign students have an impact on their reading practices.
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METHOD
This study is a descriptive research that used a combination of quantitative and qualitative data
through survey forms and interviews. The goal of the study is to know the impact of reading attitude and
reading motivation of foreign students on their reading practices. This study used surveys, such as a
Reading Attitude Survey, the MRQ survey by Guthrie and Wigfield, and a Reading Practice Survey. The
interview questions were based on the reading practice survey made by the researchers.
Participants
The respondents of this study were foreign students enrolled for the first semester of the current
academic year in a Philippine comprehensive university and were selected by means of simple random
sampling. There were four hundred twenty five (425) international students in the university but only fifty
(50) were taken as the respondents of the study (see Figure 1 below). The team based its selection of
participants from the study on Schwab’s (1987) article, “The Problem of the Advanced Student in
American English”. He stated the needs of foreign students who have reached or passed the operational
level (defined by him “as a person who can converse with natives, order food in a restaurant, purchase a
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railroad of simple structural patterns in his writing and listen with comprehension to informal speech”) (p.
1) . Schwab points out, quite rightly, that this level is insufficient for pursuing academic work (Plaister,
1968). Barnett’s (1989) research showed that literate adolescent and adult second and foreign language
learners bring their reading in a certain level of cognitive skill development, more or less well-formed
schemata about the world and about text structure, and some first language reading skills. However this is
not enough for them to succeed in their academic endeavors. There are other factors such as reading
motivation and attitude that influence reading practices. Hence the goal of this study is to determine their
reading motivation and reading attitude and how these two factors affect their reading behavior.
In choosing the participants of the study, the list of the international college students was
requested from the University’s Registrar’s office. Next, the researchers identified the number of
participants to be chosen for the study, through a simple random sampling taken from a special Philippine
History class and the International Student’s Association. The College of Education held a special
Philippine History class for foreign students under one faculty of the History department every Saturday
for the first semester of AY: 2015-2016 while the ISA holds membership for the international students of
the university. The special Philippine History class consists of thirty (30) international students from the
College of Commerce, College of Science, College of Education, Faculty of Arts and Letters, and
Conservatory of Music, while the special International Student’s Association consists of forty (40)
international students from the different colleges and faculties of the university. The researchers were able
to get twenty-four (24) participants from the special Philippine History class and twenty six (26)
participants from the International Students’ Association. The participant’s ages ranged from eighteen to
twenty-three years old (18-23 years old). 46% or 23 students are males while 54% or 27 students are
females.
Instruments
The Motivation for Reading Questionnaire (MRQ) was used to measure the level of foreign
students’ reading motivation. MRQ was formulated by Dr. Allan Wigfield and Dr. John Guthrie of the
University of Maryland in 1995, later on improved in the year 1997 and further revised in 2003.
Originally, the questionnaire consists of 82 items but was then reduced to 53 items. The questionnaire is
composed of 11 building blocks or constructs that affect reading motivation. These constructs are as
follows: Reading Efficacy, Reading Challenge, Reading Curiosity, Reading Involvement, Importance of
Reading, Reading Work Avoidance, Competition in Reading, Recognition for Reading, Reading for
Grade, Social Reasons for Reading, Compliance. The MRQ is a reliable instrument primarily because of
the multiple research and revision it had undergone through. The MRQ has also been used in various
researches not only by its creators (Dr. Wigfield and Dr. Guthrie), but also by other scholars.
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The second instrument is a reading attitude survey adapted from the Adult Survey of Reading
Attitudes (1988) and the Attitudes toward Reading in the Adult Learner Population- Short Form Reading
Attitude Survey (1995). Both survey forms were based from Mathewson’s Model of Reading Attitude
(1994). While constructing the reading attitude survey, the researchers used the paper on Reading
attitudes in L1 and L2, and their influence on L2 extensive reading by Junko Yamashita (2004) as it
showed a clear division of the building blocks of attitude which are cognitive, affective and conative
aspects of attitude- this research was also based on Mathewson’s Model of Reading Attitude. Most items
from the survey were modified from the ASRA and the Short Form Reading Attitude Survey. The items
of the instruments are divided as follows: Cognitive, Affective, Conative. The instrument has a 4-point
Likert response format to measure on how much the respondents agree or disagree to each statement: (1 =
strongly disagree; 2 = disagree; 3 = agree; 4 = strongly agree). This researcher-made instrument was
validated by two (2) language experts and was pilot tested to fifteen (15) foreign students in the
university. The survey yieleded the Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.791. It indicates that the research
instrument developed were stable in maintaining consistent measurement as measured by the Cronbach’s
alpha. Thus, it can be used as a research instrument for this study since the result was acceptable (George
and Mallery,2003) as indicated by the following rules: if α ≥ 0.9 it means excellent; 0.8 ≤ α < 0.9 it
means good; 0.7 ≤ α < 0.8 it means acceptable; 0.6 ≤ α < 0.7 it means questionable; 0.5 ≤ α < 0.6 it means
The third instrument is a reading practices survey that was also adapted from Attitudes toward
Reading in the Adult Learner Population- Short Form Reading Attitude Survey (1995) (ASRA). Some
items from the ASRA were modified to fit for a reading practices survey. These modifications were based
on how reading practices were described in the two papers titled, “The Real-World Reading Practices of
Adults” (Smith, 2000) and “Reading-Related Literacy Activities of American Adults: Time Spent, Task
Types, and Cognitive Skills Used” (2010). Some items were adapted from the Adult Survey for Reading
Attitude because these items were also applicable to measure reading practices, not just reading attitude.
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The reading practices survey form divided its items the same way as the reading attitude survey by having
specific types or categories for each reading practice. The categories were based on Smith’s (1990)
research and these categories are Reading Purposes, Reading Strategies, Reading Settings and Sources,
Reading Effort and Enjoyment. These categories were used in the research, not in the form of a likert
scale, it was used to categorize student’s entries in their reading diaries. To properly group the items, the
categories were modified and changed adjective phrases. These categories are: Purposeful Reading,
Strategic Reading, Locational Reading, Exertion Reading and Recreational Reading. The instrument has a
4-point Likert response format to measure on how much the respondents agree or disagree to each
The reading practices survey also underwent pilot-testing and were given to fifteen (15)
international students from the International Student’s Association (ISA), a recognized organization in the
university. After pilot-testing, the survey form’s reliability was further validated using Cronbach’s alpha
which assesses the inter-correlations of test items to determine reliability through internal consistency of
test scores.
The Reading Practice of the students obtained the alpha value of =0.820 which is interpreted
The last instrument used is an interview conducted to thirteen(13) or 25% of the total
respondents. The questions of the interview are items of the questionnaires but were converted to their
interrogative form. The researchers also asked the students their overall rating of their reading practices.
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Procedure
Prior to conducting a study, the researchers adapted and modified the survey
questionnaires to measure reading attitude and reading practices from other studies. Then they submitted
the two adapted survey forms to two language experts for content validation. Afterwards, a letter to the
Registrar’s was submitted to request the population count of the international students enrolled in the
university. After obtaining the population count, the researchers proceeded to submit a letter of approval
to the History Department to request to conduct their study during the time of the Special Philippine
History scheduled every Saturday, from 9:00 A.M.-12:00 NN. While waiting for the approval and the
validation of the survey forms, the pilot test was conducted with the assistance of the International
Student’s Association (ISA) of the university. Permission to give the forms to fifteen (15) random foreign
students was sought from the organization. With the president’s approval, the researchers proceeded to
give the survey forms on two consecutive days. On the first day, the survey forms were administered to
the first half of the students and then to the other half on the second day. The research team then
followed-up the request for the approval for data gathering during a Special Philippine History class, and
it was approved. With the approved survey forms and the standardized Motivation for Reading
Questionairre (MRQ), the team proceeded in giving out the forms during the SPHIST Class. For the
remaining number of respondents, the researchers requested from the ISA Executive Board for them to
give out the survey forms to some of them. With the approval of the president, the team gave out twenty
six (26) survey forms to the international students with corresponding interviews.
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The result of the study is reported in three (3) sections. The first section shows primarily the
process that the data underwent before being interpreted. The second section shows the three different
variables and the constructs that contribute to them. The third section shows the correlation of the three
variables and the qualitative data that can supplement the correlated data.
I. Process
Reverse Scoring
Before calculating for the data of the respondents from the different questionnaires, a reverse
coding strategic analysis was performed in order to filter the value of negatively worded questions from
the positively worded questions and to standardize the value used from each questionnaire so as to avoid
II. Data
Reading Efficacy 0 0 8
Reading Challenge 1 2 7
Reading Curiosity 11 22 1
Importance of Reading 0 0 8
Reading Competition 7 14 3
Reading Recognition 0 0 8
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Compliance 2 4 6
Table 1 shows the different constructs that contribute to a reader’s motivation. In the year 1995,
Dr. Allan Wigfield and Dr. John Guthrie of the University of Maryland composed eleven (11) constructs
namely, reading efficacy, reading challenge, reading curiosity, aesthetic enjoyment of reading, importance
of reading, reading work avoidance, reading competition, reading recognition, reading for grades, social
reasons for reading, and compliance, that constitute the reading motivation of a person. It was later on
improved in the year 1997 and further revised in 2003. This researched used the eleven (11) constructs in
order to determine the construct that highly motivates a reader. However, results show that not only one
construct affects a reader because some readers are affected by more. In this study, seven (7) combined
constructs were manifested. The additional constrcuts were a combination of the original determined
constructs namely, Reading Curiosity and Aesthetic Enjoyment of Reading, Reading Curiosity and Social
Reasons for Reading, Aesthetic Enjoymnet for Reading and Reading Competition, Reading Curiosity and
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Compliance, Reading Curiosity, Aesthetic Enjoyment of Reading, and Competition, Reading Curiosity,
Reading Competition, Social Reasons for Reading, and Compliance, and Reading Challenge and Reading
Curiosity. The study shows that Curiosity ranks first in motivation with 22% amongst all the other
constructs. Aesthetic Enjoymnet, does not go far with 20%. The third rank which holds 14% of the total
average belongs to Competition and fourth rank is a combination of Curiosity and Aesthetic Enjoyment.
Next in line woud be Social Reasons which has 8% of the total average. Two constructs share in the sixth
rank. That would be Compliane and a combination of Reading Curiosity and Social Reasons which both
has 4%. Challenge and Work Avoidance both are in the seventh rank which hold 2% of the total average.
Last are Efficacy, Importance of Reading, and Reading for Grades. All these three have 0% of the total
average.
This shows that most readers are motivated if the reading material interests them and if it brings
them enjoyment. These two constructs which hold 22% and 20% of the total average are categorized by
Komiyama (2013) as instrinsc motivation. Intrinsic motivation drives L2 readers. “It reflects students’
desire to read in the L2 because of the enjoybale experiences it provides. Students with high Intrinsic
Motivation read to fulfill their interests in the topic and are willing to engage in L2 reading, even in the
Cognitive 18 36 1
Affective 15 30 2
Conative 8 16 3
Cognitive-Conative 3 6 5
Cognitive-Affective 2 4 6
Affective-Conative 4 8 4
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Cognitive-Affective-Conative 0 0 7
Table 2 shows the factors that affect a reader’s attitude towards reading. This is patterned after
Matthewson’s reading attitude model. Matthewson’s model is divided into three factors: cognitive,
affective, and conative. However, in this study, it revealed that readers’ attitude are affected not only by
one factor. Some readers are affected by a combination of the other factors. Three more factors were
derived by combining the original factors. These factors are: cognitive-conative, cognitive-affective,
it resulted that amongst all, cognitive ranked number one with 36%. It is followed by the affective domain
which has a 30% of the total share. The third factor in rank, conative, is far from the first two which holds
only 16% of the total average. The next in rank would be the affective-conative which is only 8% and the
cognitive-conative which is 6%. The cognitive-affective, on the other hand, has but 4%. There is a 0%
This result displays that the cognitive domain mainly affects the reader’s attitude towards reading.
The cognitive factor as described by (Reeves, 2002) and cited by (Yamashita, 2004) is the personal and
evaluative beliefs of a reader. A reader is more likely to read if he has positive beliefs about reading.
Positive beliefs lead to a positive attitude. The affective domain also holds high value in a reader’s
attitude towards reading. Again, as defined by (Reeves, 2002) and cited by (Yamashita, 2004), the
affective factor is the feelings and emotions that a reader has for reading. If a reader feels like reading, he
will. His emotions dictates his action. The miniscule percentage that the conative factor holds is explained
in a study conducted by (Yamashita, 2004) wherein he said, “The conative component pertains to actions
and behaviors which may promote or hinder reading. For example, ‘going to a library frequently’, which
is one of the possible statements representing the conative component, would represent the L1 conative
component, but it would not represent the L2 component.” In the Philippines, most books are in the
English language, most especially the textbooks, thus, most foreign students would not have positive
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attitude towards reading. A handful of the foreign students interviewed mentioned that they dislike
reading especially in English because they have a hard time deciphering the words. They still have to
convert the words from English to their native language before they can really unedrstand the text. It takes
a long process and they easily get frustrated resulting to them not reading at all. This is why the results
lead to the high percentage for the cognitive factor wherein a reader’s belief affects his attitude towards
reading.
Purposeful Reading 29 58 1
Strategic Reading 0 0 4
Locational Reading 15 30 2
Exertion Reading 0 0 4
Recreational Reading 0 0 4
Purposeful-Locational Reading 6 12 3
Table 3 displays the results of the reading practice survey. Smith, (2000) categorized the reading
practices of adults into five parts and this study added another category which is a result of the answers
given by the foreign students. The six categories are as follows: purposeful reading, strategic reading,
locational reading, exertion reading, recreational reading, and purposeful-recreational reading. (Smith,
2000) defined the five categories in his study titled, “The Real-World Reading Practices of Adults”.
According to him, purposeful reading refers to the purpose why readers engage in reading. Some factors
include reading for leisure, reading to study for exams, reading to obtain new information, and reading to
learn about new skills. Strategic reading deals with the approach a readers does with reading. Example of
strategies would be using schema, taking down notes and outlining, memorizing, using physical
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reminders, organizing informatuions, comparing informations, rereading texts, and discussing texts with
others. Locational reading pertains to the place where a reader prefers to read-whether at home, in a cafe,
the library and so on. Exertion reading is the effort and time put into reading. Recreational reading is “the
extent to which readers report that they enjoy different reading tasks”. Lastly would be purposeful-
recreational reading. This is a combination of the purpose why readers read and the enjoyment they find
in it.
Table 3 shows that puroseful reading ranks first with more than half of the total sum, which is
58%. It is followed by locational reading which holds 30%. Then next in rank would be purposeful-
locational reading which is 12%. The last in rank is shared by strategic, exertion, and recreational reading
The study indicates that most of the international readers practice reading for their purpose-
whether it be for leisure or for academic purposes. Some would read based form their location. One
student from our interviwees said that he reads anywhere-as long as he has his book with him. Others said
their reading purpose depends upon their location. If they will read academic books, they will go to the
library. However, if they will read for pleasure, they will either choose to stay at home or go to a cafe or
park.
III. Correlation
Note: n=50. All corellations are significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
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Table 4 shows the correlation among three different variables, namely reading motivation,
reading attitude, and reading practice. Using the Pearson r correlation, it can be seen that each variable
shows a positive relationship with the other variables. However, it is evident that among the three, reading
motivation and reading attitude obtained the highest coefficient value (r= 0.769). According to (Evans,
1996), it has a strong positive relationship. Reading attitude and reading practice show moderate postive
correlation with a (r=0.548). The last pair, reading motivation and reading practice also exhibit a
Reading motivation and reading attitude definitely go hand-in-hand. If a reader has positive
attitude toward reading, he then is more motivated to engage in reading activities. As Renniger, Hidi, and
Krapp, (1992) and Schiefele, (1996) mentioned, “The motivational consequences of reading attitudes are
that children with more positive attitudes are more motivated to read (p. 1).” However, it would also mean
that if the reader has poor attitude, his motivation also decreases.
Results also show there is a moderate positive relationship between reading attitude and reading
practice. Reading attitude is described as “a system of feelings related to reading which causes the learner
to approach or avoid a reading situation” (Alexander & Filler, 1976, cited in Yamashita, 2013, p. 9).
Therefore, if a reader has high positive attitude towards reading, he would be more engaged in reading.
On the contrary, if his attiude is negative, he would more likely not read. As what Martin (1984),
“Students with poor attitude toward reading may not read when other choices such as video viewing
exists.” (p. 6) Seven (7) out of the fifteen (15) interviewees said that they prefer to read more when their
grades are at stake, but they find difficulty in enjoying the time they spent on reading. Four of them said
the following answers about their purpose for reading practices and three proved Martin’s statement.
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“No man, I don’t read for leisure. I don’t like it.I only read when I need to study or get high grades but I
“Yes, right now the only reason I read is to study for exams; I often read only for school. I don’t like
reading that much because I’m more of a visual person, that’s why I’d watch videos if I have a chance.”
“I do read for exams but I don’t really like reading for exams. I look at videos for lessons most of the
time.”
“I learn better when I watch videos than I read my lessons. I prefer to watch than to read.”
Fourteen out of fifteen students prefer to read at home because they feel more comfortable to read in their
private quarters than in a public place like the library or at school. They also feel more focused because
“Home, because it’s my comfort zone. I don’t like the library because although it’s quiet, it’s boring and I
feel lazy.”
“More on home because I can rest and relax better; I don’t like the library because it’s too quiet and I
“I prefer to read at home but I can also read at the café. I don’t like reading in the library because the
The results also indicate a moderate positive relationship between reading motivation and reading
practices of readers. When a reader is highly motivated to read, he defiitely would read, whereas if his
motivation is low. Similar findings were gathered in Zeinab’s (2011) study as he found that students
without dyslexia read more because they are more motivated. Eight (8) out of the fifteen (15)
international students like reading novels, short stories and/or graphic novels. All eight of them said
reading is something they look forward to. One even mentioned that reading is something he does
everyday for him to fall asleep. These are some of the answers from the interviews:
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“I read the Harry Potter series up to the 5th and last book because the story’s really something I look
forward to.”
“Hell yeah. I read everyday, both in novels and in studies, but more for novels. Reading makes me feel
relaxed. Reading is fundamental for me, I can read everyday. I don’t need to have my studies at stake just
for me to read. I read to fall asleep that’s why I find reading relaxing.”
“Sometimes I think of it [reading] as a hobby. I used to read a lot but then college happened.Although
I’m busy, when I have the time, I look forward to it. [reading]”
The correlation between reading motivation-reading practice and reading attitude-reading practice
weigh almost exactly the same with only a small difference in their value (0.523 and 0.548). This
indicates that the reading attitude and reading motivation both have the same weigh in effecting a reader’s
engagement in reading. They both affect each other, meaning if the reader has a positive attitude toward
reading, he will morel likely be motivated to read, thus influencing the reader’s reading behavior.
Conclusion
The study provides evidence that there is a certain correlation among reading motivation, reading
attitude and reading practices. The data supports previous researches done by Zeinab (2011), Komiyama
(2013), Guthrie and Wigfield (1997) which all stated, suggested and implicated that there is a certain
correlation among the three variables. As also proven by previous researches, there is a strong correlation
between Reading Attitude and Reading Motivation. There is a close inclination between the two
components which is also evident at how the qualitative interviews were answered by the students. Some
of their answers have this clear overlapping statements between motivation and attitude towards reading.
The data presented shows a strong relationship between the two variable proving that the two components
go hand-in-hand in the reading process. (Zeinab, 2011) Reading practices are also affected by the two
Page 23 of 34
variables. The more motivated they are to read, the more they read- may it be for academics or for leisure
as proved by the qualitative data presented. Reading attitude and reading practices also have a
relationship. The qualitative data shows that the more inclination one holds for reading, the more they
practice reading and the more they enjoy reading. With these findings, academic institutions should
consider not only the cognitive processes of reading, but also take into consideration harnessing the
student’s inclination and motivation towards reading to be able to maximize the process of reading.
The following recommendations are offered as possible ways to improve the study further: An
increase in respondents can be done for follow-up researches. More accurate results can be achieved if
there is an increase in the sample size of the international students. Improvement in the sampling method
can also be done for further precision. Further research should also be done conerning reading practices to
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~dwong/CEP991/CEP991Resources/Baker&Wigfield-MotivRdng.pdf.
Cambria, J., & Guthrie, J. (2010). Motivating and engaging students in reading. The NERA Journal,
Motivating-and-engaging-students-in-reading-Cambria-Guthrie.pdf .
Gambrell, L., & Marinak, B. (2009). Reading Motivation: What the Research Says. Retrieved August 16,
Graves, M., Juel, C., Graves, B., & Dewitz, P. (2011). Teaching reading in the 21st century: Motivating
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Guthrie, J. (2001, March 1). Reading Online - Articles: Contexts for Engagement and Motivation in
articles/researchbytopic/4997.
Guthrie, J. (2008). Reading motivation and engagement in middle and high school: Appraisal and
Huang, Q. (2012, August 1). Action Research on Motivation in English Reading. Retrieved August 16,
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dodea/pdfs/SPED_PA_Adolescent.pdf.
McKenna, M. C., Kear, D. J., & Ellsworth, R. A. (2009, May 26). Children's Attitudes toward Reading: A
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McRae, A., & Guthrie, J. (n.d.). Teacher Practices that Impact Reading Motivation. Retrieved August 16,
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Page 26 of 34
COLLEGE/FACULTY: ______________________________
Adapted from: Adult Survey of Reading Attitudes (1988) & Attitudes toward Reading in the Adult Learner
Population- Short Form Reading Attitude Survey (1995)
Based from: Mathewson’s Model of Reading Attitude (1994), Paper on Reading attitudes in L1 and L2, and
their influence on L2 extensive reading by Junko Yamashita (2004)
1 2 3 4
Strongly Disagree Agree Strongly
Disagree Agree
1. Reading is an important part of my life.
3. Reading is enjoyable.
1 2 3 4
Strongly Disagree Undecided Agree
Disagree
25. I try very hard, but I just can’t read very well.
26. Most books in the public library are too difficult for
me.
TEACHER:___________________________
The sentences tell how some students feel about reading. Listen to each sentence
and decide whether it talks about a person who is like you or different from you.
There are no right or wrong answers. We only want to know how you feel about
reading.
For many of the statements, you should think about the kinds of things you read in
your class.
Here are some examples to try before you start on the questionnaire:
Copyright© 2004 by John T. Guthrie. Not for use other than research purposes
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I like spinach.
Very Different A Little Different A Little A Lot Like
From Me From Me Like Me Me
1 2 3 4
If the statement is very different from you, what should you circle?
If the statement is a little different from you, what should you circle?
Okay, we are ready to start on the items about reading. Remember, when you give
your answers you should think about the things you are reading in your class.
There are no right or wrong answers; we just are interested in YOUR ideas about
reading. To give your answer, circle ONE number on each line. The answer lines
are right under each statement.
Let’s turn the page and start. Please follow along with me while I read each of the
statements, and then circle your answer.
Page 30 of 34
Copyright© 2004 by John T. Guthrie. Not for use other than research purposes.
24. I don’t like reading something when the words are too difficult 1 2 3 4
25. I don’t like it when there are too many people in the story 1 2 3 4
COLLEGE/FACULTY: _____________________________________________
Adapted: Attitudes toward Reading in the Adult Learner Population- Short Form Reading Attitude Survey
(1995)
Based on The Real-World Reading Practices of Adults (Smith, 2000) & Reading-Related Literacy Activities of
American Adults: Time Spent, Task Types, and Cognitive Skills Used (2010)
I. This is a survey to measure the reading practices of international college students. Read
each number and put a cross mark (x) on the number that tells how you feel about the
statement.
1 2 3 4
Strongly Disagree Agree Strongly
Disagree Agree
1. I read for leisure.
1 2 3 4
Strongly Disagree Agree Strongly
Disagree Agree
13. It’s more comfortable for me when I read at
home.
14. I read better in the library.