General Reading Interest and Interest in Reading in the Science Classroom Kate Chall

Purpose for the Study: Politicians and educators have presented a decline in our nations reading achievement levels. T eachers are being asked how you will motivate the 21st century learner? The No Child Left Behind Act has left educators scrambling to find any methods by which to increase scores.

Research on reading motivation has blossomed over the past 25 years. Researchers have found that beliefs, values and goals are key aspects to motivation. Yet little information exists on motivation to read in specific content areas. Purpose for the Study: cont.

Background to the Problem Politicians and educators have presented a decline in our nations reading achievement levels. In 2005, 66% of students in Virginia scored at or below the basic level in science literacy in the eighth grade. Research says 75% of students who were behind in reading in 3rd grade were also behind in high school by as much as four years or more.

In 2002, the National Center for Educational Statistics reported only 36% of 12th grade students were proficient readers and 26 % were sent into the workforce without basic reading skills. These statistics are only taken from the students who remained in school many more dropped out before making it to the 12th grade. Background to the Problem cont.

These staggering statistics make the need apparently clear. Teachers in all content areas need to engage students in teaching basic reading and comprehension skills. Background to the Problem cont.

Statement of the Problem The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of general student interest in reading on reading interest in seventh grade science classroom. This study is aimed specifically at examining the current status of students’ interest in reading textbooks in a seventh grade science classroom.

Need for the Study It has been reported that entry level jobs in the United States have higher reading requirements than required to graduate from high school The demands of the 21st century workforce are requiring workers who can read well. “Ensuring advanced literacy achievement for all students is no longer a luxury but an economic necessity”

Data Collection Data was obtained by surveys issued to the students. Information regarding SOL test scores were gathered eSIS. The researcher looked under each individual student to obtain the data needed for the study.

Results

Results cont. There was a positive correlation between motivation to learn and general reading interest. There was a negative correlation between age and general reading interest. There was a negative correlation between race and general reading interest. There was a positive correlation between gender and general reading interest.

Results cont.

There was a significant positive correlation between motivation to learn and non-fiction reading interest. There was a positive correlation between age and non-fiction reading interest. There was a positive correlation between sex and non-fiction reading interest. There was a significant negative correlation between age and non-fiction reading interest.

Results cont.

There was a positive correlation between pass/fail rate of 5th grade science SOL test and 6th grade reading SOL test. There was a positive correlation between reading science textbook when directed and reading general books in free time. There was a significant positive correlation between reading general books in free time and reading science textbook independently.

Results cont. There was a significant positive correlation between reading general books in free time and reading science textbook independently. There was a positive correlation between a student’s motivation to learn and reading for enjoyment in free time.

Conclusion This study has revealed what most would already expect. Students who are generally interested in reading will also be interested in reading in science classrooms. Although the majority of students are not generally interested in reading and fall in between. There is an obvious disinterest in reading science material by the majority of students demonstrated by this study

The need is for more research on how to engage students and get them excited about reading in science. The clear message from this research is the textbook is not the answer. There is very little research to support teachers in this area. Plenty of advice exists on how to help students read and interpret textbooks. Textbooks are dry and hard to understand. Conclusion cont.

Perhaps a future study could investigate reading sources such as magazines, tradebooks, and other such text and their effects on student interest in science classrooms. The issue facing this study is finding those sources for use in the classroom. Money tends to be a barrier for teachers when they are provide with little to no budget and bookshelves full of expensive textbooks which most students cringe when the binding cracks open. Conclusion cont.

The End By: Kate Chall