This mixed methods research study examined the reading motivation and retrieval practice ability of U. S. undergraduates aged 18 to 23, as well as the correlations between the two variables, with a focus on gender, year as an undergraduate, and race/ethnicity. A random national sample of 90 undergraduates and an additional minority sample of 17…

Readers read for different purposes and the texts they read vary in topic and difficulty. These situational factors influence standards of coherence--how much understanding a reader aims to have for a given text. Three studies examined whether individual differences in reader-based standards of coherence influenced off-line and on-line…

In order to succeed in college, students need to be able to read closely, critically, and independently. Unfortunately, large scale studies of graduating high school students in the United States have indicated that many are underprepared for college and career reading. When these students enter college, they often find themselves in a space that…

This dissertation investigated how various features of scenario-based assessments (SBAs) affect reading comprehension and measures of engagement (e.g., situational interest and motivation) with a sample of college students. SBAs are assessments that contain several features not traditionally found in reading assessments. These features include an…

This three-paper dissertation was conducted to explore how motivation and engagement, in addition to cognitive aspects, should be considered in disciplinary literacy instruction and assessment in high school classrooms. The studies, which were based on a five-year collaborative school-university partnership, were conducted to explore the relation…

Technology has shown promise to aid struggling readers in higher education, particularly through new and emerging technologies. Augmented reality (AR) has been used successfully in the classroom to motivate and engage struggling learners, yet little research exists on how augmented print might help struggling readers. This study explores this gap,…

Through qualitative coding and analysis of 121 literacy narratives, this study examines first-year college students' references to former reading sponsors, defined as the people, institutions, and entities that played a role in their reading development. The study was designed to locate the sponsors present in the narratives, to determine patterns…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine relationships among teacher candidates' academic and recreational reading motivation. This study utilized a previously designed, reliable, and valid instrument called the Adult Reading Motivation Scale with permission from Schutte and Malouff (2007). The instrument included a pool of 50…

This study examined how graduate students in humanities disciplines guide students' reading during their work as teaching assistants (TAs) in first-year (FYC) composition courses. Situated within an independent writing program, the "genre studies" approach to this FYC course is informed by the threshold concepts of the composition…

The purpose of this phenomenological case study is to explore the reading attitudes and decision-making skills of college freshmen enrolled in remedial language arts courses. The theoretical framework guiding this study is qualitative phenomenology explained by Baxter and Jack (2008). This specific type of research "provides tools for…

This quasi-experimental pretest, posttest nonequivalent control group study investigated the comprehension scores and motivation levels of post-secondary remedial reading students in a two-year technical college in Northwest Georgia using an eBook, an eBook with audio, and a print book. After reading a module on Purpose and Tone in the three book…

Teacher enthusiasm for reading has considerable influence on students' reading interest and reading ability. The purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between reading ability and reading interest among adults who plan to become teachers. This study tested whether there is a relationship between reading ability as measured…

Traditionally, English reading has been thought of as an approach used to acquire language proficiency rather than as a way to understand information and elicit thoughtfulness. Although a positive correlation has been found between motivation and engagement, no study has yet been undertaken to discover the relationship between motivation and…