Measuring the Reader Self-Perceptions of Adolescents: Introducing the RSPS2

This paper introduces a new affective instrument for assessing the reader self-perceptions of students in grades seven through ten. The Reader Self-Perception Scale 2 (RSPS2) builds upon its predecessor, the RSPS, a tool that measures the reading efficacy beliefs of children in grades four through six. New items were created for the RSPS2 to reflect differences in the expectations for adolescent reading. The instrument was piloted on 488 students, revised, and then validates with an additional 2,542 students in the target grades. Factor analytic procedures revealed four factors emerging on the RSPS2. Items for Progress, Observational Comparison, Social Feedback, and Physiological States clustered as expected into scales with reliabilities ranging from .87 to .95. The article includes a description of the instrument, an explanation of its possible uses in assessment, instruction, and research, as well as directions for administration, scoring, and interpretation

The Professional Learning Motivation Profile (PLMP): A Tool for Assessing Instructional Motivation

This article chronicles the collaboration of administrators from six districts and three college professors as they assessed professional learning during the first year of teaching. The examination led to the development of a Professional Learning Motivation Profile. Results from the profile indicated a traditional model of professional development was not effective in growing the professional learning motivation of beginning teachers. Anecdotal data shared includes how administrators used the data to inform conversations designed to support teachers in their journey toward courageous, effective instruction

THE EFFECTS OF REWARD PROXIMITY AND CHOICE OF REWARD ON THE READING MOTIVATION OF THIRD-GRADE STUDENTS.

ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: THE EFFECTS OF REWARD PROXIMITY AND CHOICE OF REWARD ON THE READING MOTIVATION OF THIRD-GRADE STUDENTS. Barbara Ann Marinak, 2004 Directed by: Linda Gambrell, Professor Clemson University This study investigated the effects of reward proximity and choice of reward on the reading motivation of third-grade average readers. Seventy-five students participated in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups (book/choice, book/no choice, token/choice, token/no choice) and a control group that received no reward. All students who participated in this study were invited to read from one of six trade books that were being considered for purchase in the school library. After making his or her recommendation about the book, each student received a reward or no reward based on treatment condition. The student was then invited to remain in the experimental room and was observed during a 10-minute free-choice period. During the free-choice period, the child could choose to continue reading from the library book array or choose a jigsaw puzzle or a math game. The effect of the independent variables, proximity of reward and choice of reward, on intrinsic motivation to read was measured with three indicators of task persistence and a question of self-reported enjoyment. The indices of persistence were first activity selected, time spent reading, and number of words read. The self-report measure was the response to a question regarding the "most fun activity" in the experimental room. The present study indicated that the students given a book (proximal reward) and the students who received no reward were more motivated to engage in subsequent reading than the students that received a token (less proximal reward). The findings from the present study indicate that the proximity of the reward to the desired behavior is a particularly salient factor in enhancing motivation. In addition, the findings from the study suggest that less proximal rewards, such as tokens, undermine intrinsic motivation. Finally, although choice has been demonstrated to be a powerful aspect of intrinsic motivation (Deci, 2000; Rigby et al., 1992; Gottfried, 1985; Guthrie & Wigfield, 1997), the choice of reward was not found to be a salient factor in this study. The type of reward (book or token) was a significant factor, while choice of reward had no apparent effect on the intrinsic motivation to read

The Writing Observation Framework: A Guide for Refining and Validating Writing Instruction

The Writing Observation Framework (WOF) is a new tool for enhancing writing instruction in schools. The WOF organizes principles of writing instruction In a way that improves the evaluation of teachers\u27 writing practices, encourages a shared philosophy of the writing process and its instruction, and assists schools in demonstrating the integrity of their writing programs

A Reading Lesson Observation Framework for Elementary Teachers, Principals, and Literacy Supervisors

Henk et al present a framework which will provide reference points for assessment and help refine instructional practices in reading

The Motivation to Write Profile-College: A Tool to Assess the Writing Motivation of Teacher Candidates

Writing is an important aspect of literacy regardless of the grade or discipline. State standards have defined the writing genres, crafts, and skills that are to be taught by teachers in PK-12 classrooms. However, in addition to standards, research indicates that a teacher’s own conception of writing is crucial to establishing classroom conditions necessary for young writers to grow, explore and take risks. If this is the job of PK-12 educators, then it is essential for higher education instructors to understand and explore the writing conceptions of teacher candidates. One of these critical conceptions is the motivation to write. The Motivation to Write Profile-College (MWP-C) was designed and validated to assess the writing motivation of teacher candidates. The profile can inform the important conversations necessary to ensure that teacher candidates are fully prepared to teach writing as motivated writers themselves

Pedagogical Practices and Collaborative Conversations: Teacher Candidates’ Approaches for Supporting Students’ Motivation in Writing

Writing is a multi-layered endeavor that calls on the writer to use their technical skills and rely on their emotional investment to realize a desired outcome. New practitioners need approaches for supporting students’ motivation and as well as skill development in writing. However, explicit attention to supporting students’ motivation to write has not been largely addressed in teacher preparation programs. The Motivation to Write Profile – College (MWP-C) instrument was developed to assess teacher candidates’ self-concept as a writer and value of writing. This qualitative study analyzed the open-ended responses of 96 teacher candidates to prompts related to self-concept as a writer and value in writing. The findings indicate that teacher candidates were more likely to use pedagogical practices to support students’ self-concept as a writer. Conversely, they expressed a greater reliance on collaborative conversations as a means of developing students’ value in writing. Based on the distinct approaches revealed in the findings, teacher preparation programs need to provide modeling, guidance, and encouragement in writing that will foster their teacher candidates’ understanding of motivation in writing. Furthermore, methods courses need to guide teacher candidates in their exploration of approaches for factors of motivation, value of writing and self-concept as a writer

Specialized Literacy Professionals as Literacy Leaders: Results of a National Survey

This large-scale national survey of specialized literacy professionals was designed to answer questions about responsibilities, including leadership, and preparation for these roles. Questionnaires, completed by over 2,500 respondents, indicated that respondents had multiple responsibilities that included both instruction of struggling readers and support for teachers. Four distinct role-groups were identified: instructional/literacy coaches, reading/literacy specialists, reading teachers/interventionists, and supervisors. The findings indicated a need for more precise definitions of the roles of these professionals and for preparation programs to include experiences that address the tasks required. Themes discussed included: roles have changed and require more focus on leadership, specialists must be nimble, and they require more in-depth preparation to handle the leadership demands of their positions

Validation of a Reader Self Perception Scale (RSPS2) for Use in Grades 7 and Above

Clearly, the attitudes, values, expectations, and beliefs that individuals possess about literacy will play a vital role in shaping their engagement with reading, writing, and other language processes. Students who report positive associations with literacy will tend to read and write more often, for greater periods of time, and with heightened intensity. The past decade or so has witnessed some noteworthy progress in assessing these aspects of literacy (e.g., McKenna & Kear, 1990; Henk & Melnick, 1992, 1995, 1998; Kear, Coffman, McKenna & Ambrosio, 2000). To date, however, no reader selfperception instrument exists for grades 7 and above despite the fact that such a tool would have considerable utility for both practitioners and researchers. The present study represents a significant effort toward remedying this important gap. Grounded in Self- Efficacy Theory (Bandura, 1977, 1982; Schunk, 1984), the instrument predicts that students take four basic factors into account when forming literacy self-perceptions: Progress, Observational Comparisons, Social Feedback, and Physiological States. Student response data (n=3,031) to the pilot instrument provides evidence of construct validity through a principal components analysis of the factor structure. Alpha reliabilities by factor are reported

Validation of a Reader Self Perception Scale (RSPS2) for Use in Grades 7 and Above

Clearly, the attitudes, values, expectations, and beliefs that individuals possess about literacy will play a vital role in shaping their engagement with reading, writing, and other language processes. Grounded in Self-Efficacy Theory (Bandura, 1977, 1982; Schunk, 1984), the Reader Self Perception Scale Version 2 predicts that students take four basic factors into account when forming literacy self-perceptions: Progress, Observational Comparisons, Social Feedback, and Physiological States. Student response data (n=3,031 in grades 7-10) provides evidence of construct validity through a principal components analysis of the factor structure. Alpha reliabilities by factor are reported