Understanding Fourth Graders\u27 Decline in Reading Motivation from Students\u27 and Teachers\u27 Perspectives

Previous research by Chall and Jacobs (2003) documented the phenomena of the fourth grade slump, a period in which students switch from learning to read to reading to learn and the subsequent loss of motivation to read. The purpose of this research is to present a phenomenological qualitative study of whether a sample of fourth grade students, low-achieving readers and average achieving readers, exhibited a loss in their motivation to read. Students\u27 responses to a standardized conversational survey and questionnaire, the Motivation to Read Profile (Gambrell, Palmer, Codling & Mazzoni, 2007) and teachers\u27 responses to a researcher-developed questionnaire were examined and coded by themes. Results indicated that there was no difference in motivation to read between low-achieving and average-achieving readers. Students\u27 responses showed positive motivation to read, while teachers\u27 response indicated a negative attitude towards students\u27 motivation to read. Research results were inconclusive concerning students\u27 readiness to switch from learning to read to reading to learn. Implications for future research are discussed. A review of pertinent literature is presented