Date of Award
5-2017
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
Educational Studies
First Advisor
Susan Schramm-Pate
Abstract
The Use of E-Readers for Secondary Literacy and Reading Motivation is an Action Research study that describes one predominantly white, southern, rural working-class English Language Arts class of 11th grade student-participants (n=44) of below average reading ability who experienced reading The Great Gatsby on e-readers (i.e., electronic books with dictionaries and visual texts in the form of illustrations to supplement written text). The students’ motivation to read was compared and contrasted with an 11th grade class of student-participants who read The Great Gatsby via a traditional print book (i.e., written text with no visual text). Quantitative data included a pre and post-test survey designed to compare reading motivation levels and comprehension skills in reading and qualitative data included informal interviews with the student-participants to determine perceptions and feelings about the experiences. Quantitative data was analyzed with a simple t-test and qualitative data was analyzed using the constant comparative method of analysis. Reflections of the data with the student-participants are included.
Based on the results of the action research study, students who read The Great Gatsby using e-readers had, on average, slightly higher reading comprehension scores and showed increases in their reading motivation. According to the data analysis, e-readers benefited 11th grade students of average or below average reading levels at West High School by boosting reading comprehension as well as increasing students’ motivation to complete the reading of their required texts.
Rights
© 2017, Graham Parker
Recommended Citation
Parker, G.(2017). The Use of E-Readers for Secondary Literacy and Reading Motivation. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/4027