Reading Motivation of Young ESL Learners in Brunei Darussalam
Abstract
In recent years, a large number of nations across the globe have shown an increasing focus on developing lifelong readers within their education system. To cultivate lifelong readers, research has found the importance of engaged reading. To encourage engaged reading, studies have found that apart from instructional practices that focus on cognitive competency (skills to read), a child’s motivation to read (will to read) too plays a pivotal role in this area. However, little attention has been given to ESL learners’ motivation to read, especially that of young ESL learners. To explore this, this study looks into the motivation to read of 13 young ESL learners from 3 government schools in Brunei. The students in Year 4, aged between 9 to 10 years old, were interviewed on their habits and motivations to read in English to provide an insight into the factors influencing their reading motivation. The questions posed to students were adapted from the conversational interview questions of Gambrell et. al .’s (2013) Motivation to Read Profile-Revised Questionnaire. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. The transcriptions were analysed and coded using the principles of the Constant Comparative Method, where eventually themes and sub-themes were derived. From the analysis, findings suggest that young ESL learners’ motivation depends on the following: self-competency beliefs, reasons for reading, environment, and access to engaging reading resources. The study gives an understanding of factors influencing young learners’ reading motivation, which in turn can inform stakeholders on the choice of reading pedagogy to help young learners become better and engaged readers.
References
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Haji Bolhassan, R. (2012). Reading across the curriculum in a bilingual context: reading strategy use in three upper secondary schools in Brunei. Unpublished Doctoral thesis. University of Southampton.
Bartel, V. B. (2010). Home and school factors impacting parental involvement in a title I elementary school. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 24(3), 209- 228.
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Cambria, J., & Guthrie, J. T. (2010). Motivating and engaging students in reading. New England Reading Association Journal, 46(1), 16-29.
Cantrell, S. C., Almasi, J. F., Rintamaa, M., Carter, J. C., Pennington, J., & Buckman, D. M. (2014). The impact of supplemental instruction on low-achieving adolescents’ reading engagement. The Journal of Educational Research, 107(1), 36-58.
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Cheung, C. S. S., & Pomerantz, E. M. (2012). Why does parents’ involvement enhance children’s achievement? The role of parent-oriented motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(3), 820
Day, R. R., & Bamford, J. (1998). Extensive reading in the second language classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Gambrell, L. B. (1996). Creating classroom cultures that foster reading motivation. Reading Teacher, 50, 14-25
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Gambrell, L. B., Palmer, B. M., Codling, R. M., & Mazzoni, S. A. (1996). Assessing motivation to read. The Reading teacher, 49(7), 518-533.
Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: strategies for qualitative theory. New Brunswick: Aldine Transaction
Guthrie, J. T. (2004). Teaching for literacy engagement. Journal of Literacy Research, 36(1), 1-30.
Guthrie, J. T., & Klauda, S. L. (2014). Effects of classroom practices on reading comprehension, engagement, and motivations for adolescents. Reading Research Quarterly, 49(4), 387-416.
Guthrie, J. T., Meter, P., McCann, A. D., Wigfield, A., Bennett, L., Poundstone, C. C., & Mitchell, A. M. (1996). Growth of literacy engagement: Changes in motivations and strategies during concept‐oriented reading instruction. Reading Research Quarterly, 31(3), 306-332.
Guthrie, J. T., Schafer, W. D., & Huang, C. W. (2001). Benefits of opportunity to read and balanced instruction on the NAEP. The Journal of Educational Research, 94(3), 145-162
Guthrie, J. T., Wigfield, A., Humenick, N. M., Perencevich, K. C., Taboada, A., & Barbosa, P. (2006). Influences of stimulating tasks on reading motivation and comprehension. The Journal of Educational Research, 99(4), 232-246.
Judge, P. B. (2011). Driven to Read: Enthusiastic Readers in a Japanese High School's Extensive Reading Program. Reading in a Foreign Language, 23(2), 161-186.
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Komiyama, R. (2013). Factors underlying second language reading motivation of adult EAP students. Reading in a Foreign Language, 25(2), 149-169.
Logan, S., & Medford, E. (2011). Gender differences in the strength of association between motivation, competency beliefs and reading skill. Educational Research, 53(1), 85-94.
Malloy, J. A., Marinak, B. A., Gambrell, L. B., & Mazzoni, S. A. (2013). Assessing motivation to read. The Reading Teacher, 67(4), 273-282.
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Mohamad Noor, N. (2016). Second language reading comprehension strategies in Brunei Darussalam’s primary schools. Unpublished Ph.D Thesis. The University of Queensland.
Nicol, M.F. (2004). Some problems experienced by Bruneian Students with the Cambridge O Level English Language Reading Comprehension Paper. SOUTHEAST ASIA: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 5 (1&2), 2004/2005, pp 47-70
Pieronek F. (1995) Inservice project: upper primary Brunei Darussalam teachers’ responses to using four specific reading strategies. The Reading Teacher 54(5): 522-32
Pressley, M., & Afflerbach, P. (1995). Verbal protocols of reading: The nature of constructively responsive reading. Hillsdale, NJ, US: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Pretorius, E. J., & Machet, M. P. (2004). The socio-educational context of literacy accomplishment in disadvantaged schools: Lessons for reading in the early primary school years. Journal for Language Teaching, 38(1), 45-62
Protacio, M. S. (2012). Reading motivation: A focus on English learners. The Reading Teacher, 66(1), 69-77.
Rueda, R., MacGillivary, L., Monzo, L., & Arzubiaga, A. (2001). Engaged Reading: A multilevel approach to considering sociocultural factors with diverse learners (CIERA Report 1-012). MI: Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement, University of Michigan.
Rowe, K. J. (1991). The influence of reading activity at home on students’ attitudes towards reading, classroom attentiveness and reading achievement: An application of structural equation modelling. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 61(1), 19-35
Sharbawi, S., & Jaidin, J. H. (2020). Brunei’s SPN21 English Language-in-education policy: A macro-to-micro evaluation. Current Issues in Language Planning, 21(2), 175-201
Trabasso, T., & Bouchard, E. (2002). Teaching readers how to comprehend text strategically. Comprehension instruction: Research-based best practices, 176- 200.
Unicef, (2022, January 24). COVID:19 Scale of education loss ‘nearly insurmountable’, warns UNICEF. UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/covid19-scale-education-loss-nearly-insurmountable-warns unicef#:~:text=%E2%80%9CIn%20March%2C%20we%20will%20mark,reopening%20schools%20is%20not%20enough
Vellymalay, S. K. N. (2012). Parental involvement at home: Analyzing the influence of parents’ socioeconomic status. Studies in Sociology of Science, 3(1), 1-6.
Wigfield, A., Gladstone, J. R., & Turci, L. (2016). Beyond cognition: Reading motivation and reading comprehension. Child development perspectives, 10(3), 190-195.
Wigfield, A., & Guthrie, J. T. (1997). Relations of children's motivation for reading to the amount and breadth or their reading. Journal of educational psychology, 89(3), 420.
Wigfield, A., & Guthrie, J. T. (2000). Engagement and motivation in reading. Handbook of reading research, 3, 403-422.
Yin, R. K. (1984). Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Beverly Hills, Calif: Sage Publishing
Yin, R. K. (2011). Applications of case study research. London: Sage.
Haji Bolhassan, R. (2012). Reading across the curriculum in a bilingual context: reading strategy use in three upper secondary schools in Brunei. Unpublished Doctoral thesis. University of Southampton.
Bartel, V. B. (2010). Home and school factors impacting parental involvement in a title I elementary school. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 24(3), 209- 228.
Burns, R., & Charleston, R. (1997). The readability of English medium curriculum texts in Brunei primary schools. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 20(4), 290.
Cambria, J., & Guthrie, J. T. (2010). Motivating and engaging students in reading. New England Reading Association Journal, 46(1), 16-29.
Cantrell, S. C., Almasi, J. F., Rintamaa, M., Carter, J. C., Pennington, J., & Buckman, D. M. (2014). The impact of supplemental instruction on low-achieving adolescents’ reading engagement. The Journal of Educational Research, 107(1), 36-58.
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2000). Action research. Research methods in education, 5, 226-244.
Cheung, C. S. S., & Pomerantz, E. M. (2012). Why does parents’ involvement enhance children’s achievement? The role of parent-oriented motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(3), 820
Day, R. R., & Bamford, J. (1998). Extensive reading in the second language classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Gambrell, L. B. (1996). Creating classroom cultures that foster reading motivation. Reading Teacher, 50, 14-25
Gambrell, L. B. (2011). Seven rules of engagement: What's most important to know about motivation to read. The Reading Teacher, 65(3), 172-178
Gambrell, L. B., Palmer, B. M., Codling, R. M., & Mazzoni, S. A. (1996). Assessing motivation to read. The Reading teacher, 49(7), 518-533.
Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: strategies for qualitative theory. New Brunswick: Aldine Transaction
Guthrie, J. T. (2004). Teaching for literacy engagement. Journal of Literacy Research, 36(1), 1-30.
Guthrie, J. T., & Klauda, S. L. (2014). Effects of classroom practices on reading comprehension, engagement, and motivations for adolescents. Reading Research Quarterly, 49(4), 387-416.
Guthrie, J. T., Meter, P., McCann, A. D., Wigfield, A., Bennett, L., Poundstone, C. C., & Mitchell, A. M. (1996). Growth of literacy engagement: Changes in motivations and strategies during concept‐oriented reading instruction. Reading Research Quarterly, 31(3), 306-332.
Guthrie, J. T., Schafer, W. D., & Huang, C. W. (2001). Benefits of opportunity to read and balanced instruction on the NAEP. The Journal of Educational Research, 94(3), 145-162
Guthrie, J. T., Wigfield, A., Humenick, N. M., Perencevich, K. C., Taboada, A., & Barbosa, P. (2006). Influences of stimulating tasks on reading motivation and comprehension. The Journal of Educational Research, 99(4), 232-246.
Judge, P. B. (2011). Driven to Read: Enthusiastic Readers in a Japanese High School's Extensive Reading Program. Reading in a Foreign Language, 23(2), 161-186.
Kamil, M. L. (2003). Adolescents and literacy: Reading for the 21st century. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.
Komiyama, R. (2013). Factors underlying second language reading motivation of adult EAP students. Reading in a Foreign Language, 25(2), 149-169.
Logan, S., & Medford, E. (2011). Gender differences in the strength of association between motivation, competency beliefs and reading skill. Educational Research, 53(1), 85-94.
Malloy, J. A., Marinak, B. A., Gambrell, L. B., & Mazzoni, S. A. (2013). Assessing motivation to read. The Reading Teacher, 67(4), 273-282.
McArthur, G., & Castles, A. (2017). Helping children with reading difficulties: Some things we have learned so far. Science of Learning, 2(1), 7
Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education. Revised and Expanded from" Case Study Research in Education.". San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers,
Ministry of Education Brunei. (2013). The national education system for the 21st century. Ministry of Education, Brunei Darussalam.
Mohamad Noor, N. (2016). Second language reading comprehension strategies in Brunei Darussalam’s primary schools. Unpublished Ph.D Thesis. The University of Queensland.
Nicol, M.F. (2004). Some problems experienced by Bruneian Students with the Cambridge O Level English Language Reading Comprehension Paper. SOUTHEAST ASIA: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 5 (1&2), 2004/2005, pp 47-70
Pieronek F. (1995) Inservice project: upper primary Brunei Darussalam teachers’ responses to using four specific reading strategies. The Reading Teacher 54(5): 522-32
Pressley, M., & Afflerbach, P. (1995). Verbal protocols of reading: The nature of constructively responsive reading. Hillsdale, NJ, US: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Pretorius, E. J., & Machet, M. P. (2004). The socio-educational context of literacy accomplishment in disadvantaged schools: Lessons for reading in the early primary school years. Journal for Language Teaching, 38(1), 45-62
Protacio, M. S. (2012). Reading motivation: A focus on English learners. The Reading Teacher, 66(1), 69-77.
Rueda, R., MacGillivary, L., Monzo, L., & Arzubiaga, A. (2001). Engaged Reading: A multilevel approach to considering sociocultural factors with diverse learners (CIERA Report 1-012). MI: Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement, University of Michigan.
Rowe, K. J. (1991). The influence of reading activity at home on students’ attitudes towards reading, classroom attentiveness and reading achievement: An application of structural equation modelling. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 61(1), 19-35
Sharbawi, S., & Jaidin, J. H. (2020). Brunei’s SPN21 English Language-in-education policy: A macro-to-micro evaluation. Current Issues in Language Planning, 21(2), 175-201
Trabasso, T., & Bouchard, E. (2002). Teaching readers how to comprehend text strategically. Comprehension instruction: Research-based best practices, 176- 200.
Unicef, (2022, January 24). COVID:19 Scale of education loss ‘nearly insurmountable’, warns UNICEF. UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/covid19-scale-education-loss-nearly-insurmountable-warns unicef#:~:text=%E2%80%9CIn%20March%2C%20we%20will%20mark,reopening%20schools%20is%20not%20enough
Vellymalay, S. K. N. (2012). Parental involvement at home: Analyzing the influence of parents’ socioeconomic status. Studies in Sociology of Science, 3(1), 1-6.
Wigfield, A., Gladstone, J. R., & Turci, L. (2016). Beyond cognition: Reading motivation and reading comprehension. Child development perspectives, 10(3), 190-195.
Wigfield, A., & Guthrie, J. T. (1997). Relations of children's motivation for reading to the amount and breadth or their reading. Journal of educational psychology, 89(3), 420.
Wigfield, A., & Guthrie, J. T. (2000). Engagement and motivation in reading. Handbook of reading research, 3, 403-422.
Yin, R. K. (1984). Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Beverly Hills, Calif: Sage Publishing
Yin, R. K. (2011). Applications of case study research. London: Sage.
Published
2022-06-30
How to Cite
MOHAMAD YUSOP, Ewana.
Reading Motivation of Young ESL Learners in Brunei Darussalam.
International Journal of Advanced Research in Education and Society, [S.l.], v. 4, n. 2, p. 40-49, june 2022.
ISSN 2682-8138.
Available at: <https://myjms.mohe.gov.my/index.php/ijares/article/view/18610>. Date accessed: 02 dec. 2023.
Section
Articles
