From Interest to Understanding: The Connection between Reading Interest and Reading Comprehension among Elementary Students
Keywords:
reading interest, reading comprehension, literacy development, elementary school students, correlational studyAbstract
Reading is a fundamental skill that plays a crucial role in students’ academic success and language development. Students with a strong interest in reading are more likely to engage in reading activities, which may contribute to better reading comprehension. This study aimed to explore the relationship between reading interest and reading comprehension among elementary school students. The study employed a quantitative correlational research design. Data were collected using two research instruments: a reading interest questionnaire to measure students’ levels of reading interest and a reading comprehension test to assess their comprehension ability. The participants of the study were fifth-grade elementary school students selected through a random sampling technique. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Spearman Rank correlation analysis after meeting the necessary statistical assumptions. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between reading interest and reading comprehension. Students with higher levels of reading interest tended to demonstrate better reading comprehension performance. These findings suggest that fostering students’ interest in reading may contribute to the improvement of their reading comprehension skills and support literacy development at the elementary school level.
References
Dewani, H. W., Sukartiningsih, W., Hendratno, H., & Suryanti, S. (2024). Exploring reading interest and reading literacy of Indonesian language in elementary school students: A correlation study. International Journal of Language Education, 8(4), 633–647.
Guthrie, J. T., & Wigfield, A. (2000). Engagement and motivation in reading. In M. L. Kamil, P. B. Mosenthal, P. D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.), Handbook of Reading Research (Vol. 3, pp. 403–422). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Kintsch, W. (1998). Comprehension: A paradigm for cognition. Cambridge University Press.
Maryatiningsih, R. R., & Abduh, M. (2024). Reading interest and teachers’ efforts in increasing reading interest for elementary school students. Lectura: Jurnal Pendidikan, 15(1), 39–50.
Mufidah, N. L., & Wachidah, K. (2023). The relationship of interest in reading to the comprehension reading ability of grade V students in elementary school. Indonesian Journal of Education Methods Development, 21(3), 10–18.
Stanovich, K. E. (1986). Matthew effects in reading: Some consequences of individual differences in the acquisition of literacy. Reading Research Quarterly, 21(4), 360–407.
Van der Sande, L., Van Steensel, R., Fikrat-Wevers, S., & Arends, L. (2023). Effectiveness of interventions that foster reading motivation: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 35(21), 1–33.
Wang, J. H. Y., & Guthrie, J. T. (2021). Modeling the effects of intrinsic motivation, reading amount, and past reading achievement on text comprehension between U.S. and Chinese students. Reading Research Quarterly, 56(2), 245–266.
Schiefele, U., Schaffner, E., Möller, J., & Wigfield, A. (2022). Dimensions of reading motivation and their relation to reading behavior and competence: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 34(1), 1–34.
Toste, J. R., Didion, L., Peng, P., Filderman, M. J., & McClelland, A. M. (2023). A meta-analytic review of the relations among motivation, engagement, and reading outcomes in elementary education. Review of Educational Research, 93(4), 567–602.
