Libraries and reading motivation A review of the Programme for International Student Assessment reading results

• Published in: IFLA Journal Vol. 41; no. 2; pp. 129 - 139
• Main Authors: Adkins, Denice, Brendler, Beth M.
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.06.2015
• Subjects: information needs/behaviors of specific groups; services to user populations; Young adult services; public libraries; types of libraries and information providers; reading and literacy; school media centers/libraries
• ISSN: 0340-0352; 1745-2651
• DOI: 10.1177/0340035215578868

Teenagers do better at reading when they are motivated to read. The Programme for International Student Assessment assesses reading literacy for 15-year-olds in over 70 countries worldwide, and also includes questions that explore the relationships between motivation and reading. Country-level results indicate that developing countries have lower reading scores than developed countries. However, they also indicate that students in many developing countries are more motivated to read and spend more time reading than students in developed countries. These results suggest that the ideal role for libraries is to ensure students’ motivation to read through the provision of a variety of materials, a supportive environment for literacy and reading conversations, and encouraging student autonomy in making their reading choices.