Vocational students: Strategy use and motivation for reading in English - A quantitative study of self-reported comprehension strategy use and interest for reading
Year: 2018
Type: dissertation
Abstract: study investigates the following research question: How important is it for vocational students to be good readers of English compared to Norwegian, and to what extent do they report using reading comprehension strategies when reading in the two languages?To investigate this question, I have used a quantitative approach based on secondary survey data collected among students in upper secondary school across Norway, immediately after participating in national mapping tests in English and Norwegian.Specifically, from a nationwide population of 5,347 vocational students, I have included all who answered the questionnaire about reading in English (N=1,185).Additionally, I have zoomed in on a subgroup, who also answered the questionnaire about Norwegian reading (n=471).These questionnaire data have enabled me to identify their self-reported motivation/interest for reading, and their strategy use when reading factual texts in either language.The results indicate that the vocational students overall are motivated for reading in both English and Norwegian, and they report regular use of reading comprehension strategies.In addition, they seem to have a repertoire of four main strategies, consisting of a combination of deeper-level and surface-level strategies.The results indicate a conscious awareness of their strategy use, regardless of gender or language of reading (English or Norwegian).However, the vocational students' strategy repertoire appears to change based on their motivation/interest for reading in English, and the frequency of their strategy use. An implication of my MA study is that reading comprehension instruction mightprofit from building on vocational students' motivation and interest for reading, and what they find to be of relevance.Similarly, reading theory (e.g.Bernhardt, 2011; RAND, 2002) implies that students' motivation/interest and use of strategies can compensate for a certain lack of reading proficiency.Another implication involves the importance of instructing and scaffolding deeper-level strategies, particularly to focus on students' development of a conscious awareness in strategy use.Finally, the results in this MA study indicate a positive attitude towards reading among vocational students.They report that it is important to them to be good readers of both English and Norwegian, and they report using reading comprehension strategies quite frequently, despite the fact that vocational students are commonly considered poor readers who are theory weak and lack motivation for reading (e.g., Brevik, 2016b; OECD, 2016).Five years at Blindern have come to an end.It has been five educational, tough, but most of all amazing years.Student associations have been a big part of my student life, and I am grateful for all the experiences, and the people I have gotten to know.First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to my excellent supervisor, Lisbeth M. Brevik.Thank you for inviting me to participate in the VOGUE project, for always providing me with valuable and constructive feedback, and your rapid response.Thank you for letting me spend hours in your office talking about my MA, and other related topics.Your support and
Author: Anja Ramfjord Isaksen
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2901322491