Teenagers’ Motivation for Reading: A Study with a Person-Oriented Aproach

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating adolescents’ motivation for reading through motivational profiles and their relationship with support by their parents.A sample of 520 students from primary and high schools answered to a Likert-type questionnaire containing items that mirrored self-regulation continuum, as proposed by Self-Determination Theory, and about parents’ perceptions. A person-centered approach was used and two contrasting clusters were identified based on autonomous and controlled motivation scores. About half of students were included in the first group, characterized as high in autonomous motivation and moderate in controlled motivation. Remaining students composed a second group with moderate scores in both autonomous and controlled motivation. Girls were twice more represented in the first group than boys. At the same time all students with this profile perceived more their parents as supportive of reading. Results were discussed in the light of Self-Determination Theory and new studies on the construct were proposed.