Date of Award

Spring 2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education Policy, Planning, and Administration

Committee Chairperson

Merry Staulters, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Diane Santori, Ed.D.

Committee Member

Tara Guerriero, Ph.D.

Abstract

Reading instruction is consistently controversial in education, whether it be the Reading Wars, a debate over the Science of Reading, or issues surrounding standardized reading testing. An often overlooked component in reading instruction is motivation. Why do some students struggle to learn to read while others sail seemingly effortlessly through reading benchmarks? How do some students overcome early reading difficulty while others struggle throughout their education? Students who have a difficult time reading in elementary school often lack motivation to read and continue to have low achievement on reading tests throughout schooling (Becker et al., 2010; Mcgeown et al., 2012). This study aimed to fill a gap in the research evaluating classroom routines and teacher behaviors that contribute to reading motivation and, ultimately, the success of students who experience reading difficulty early in their education. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design (quan → QUAL), 28 individuals who overcame early reading difficulty completed a researcher-created, Likert-type online questionnaire. This questionnaire focused on people’s perceptions of classroom routines and teacher behaviors that impacted them while they were experiencing reading difficulty in elementary school. Seven of the questionnaire participants then completed a semi-structured interview. The researcher analyzed the responses and coded responses into themes showing motivation-enhancing and motivation-impeding factors through the lens of Self-Determination Theory. Implications from this study could help examine classroom practices and teacher behaviors that influence struggling readers’ motivation.

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