Reading motivation of a group of eighth-grade students: analysis from their perspectives

Abstract

Motivation is a fundamental driver that every teacher of Language and Literature must take into account for the development of the reading comprehension process. This article describes the perception that students at an educational institution in the city of Machala have about their own reading motivation and shows how they evaluate some of the socio-academic factors that may be mediating its development. The methodology used is based on a quantitative, exploratory, descriptive, cross-sectional approach, with a population composed of Upper Basic Education students, and the purposive sample considered eighth-grade students. The research technique was the survey and the instrument, the questionnaire. The results were tabulated, analyzed, and interpreted using central tendency statistics. It was concluded that students recognize the importance of reading but show little initiative to read on their own, reflecting their low family and school motivation. Another important element is the lack of availability of books at home and at school, which influences their poor reading development. It is recommended to encourage engaging classroom activities that foster a love of reading and exchange of reading material.