Lessons Learned about Engagement in Reading from the Program for International Student Assessment...

Lessons Learned about Engagement in Reading from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)

William G. BrozoGeorge Mason University

[email protected] on Assessment: Research and Practice from IRA Publications, International Reading Association Annual Convention, Atlanta, GA, May 2008

1Brozo08

2

BRIEF BACKGROUND ON PISA

Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)

PISA is organized under the auspices of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and is directed in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Brozo08

3


The OECD is an intergovernmental organization of industrialized countries based in Paris that serves as a forum for member countries to cooperate in research and policy development on social and economic topics of common interest

Brozo08

4


First implemented in 2000 and given every three years, most recently in 2006

A system of international assessments that measure fifteen-year-olds' capabilities in reading literacy, mathematics literacy, and science literacy

Brozo08

5


While each of the three areas is studied every three years, one area receives greater attention, involving more items and more detailed results

In 2000, reading literacy was the “major domain”; in 2003, mathematics literacy was the major domain; 2006, the focus was on science literacy; 2009 the focus returns to reading literacy

Brozo08

6

BRIEF BACKGROUND ON PISA The number of 15-year-olds assessed in the United

States in 2000 totaled nearly 4,000 students from both public and nonpublic schools, spanning grades 9 through 12

Overall, approximately 265,000 students took part in PISA 2000 assessments in participating countries

Because it is an OECD study, the participating countries include the major industrialized countries of the world, those that are similar to the United States in economic and often in demographic terms

Thirty-two (32) countries participated in PISA 2000,

including 28 OECD countries and 4 non-OECD countries.

Brozo08

7

BRIEF BACKGROUND ON PISA Provides participating nations with important trend

information on learning outcomes for the three major subject areas (reading, mathematics, and science literacy)

Allows countries to measure outcomes of learning that reflect both societal and education system influences, and measure students' preparedness for adult life beyond compulsory schooling

Measures the cumulative educational experiences of 15-year-olds at a time when students will soon begin to make decisions that will shape their futures

Brozo08

8

BRIEF BACKGROUND ON PISA:

LITERACY DEFINED The focus on “literacy” in PISA makes it unique among

current national and international studies, such as the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), that have a strong link to curriculum frameworks and seek to measure students’ mastery of specific knowledge, skills, and concepts

PISA is designed to measure “literacy” more broadly, to include learning that takes place both in and out of school, and learning as it is applied in the context of everyday situations

PISA defines reading literacy as “The ability to understand, reflect on and use written texts, in order to achieve one's goals and participate effectively in society“

Brozo08

Why should teachers in the United States care about the results of PISA?

American teachers can gain much from becoming knowledgeable about its key findings, and even more from the lessons learned by educators from other nations who have turned that knowledge into policy initiatives and practical reforms.

We hear much in the rhetoric of leaders from each of our countries that raising reading achievement of youth will better prepare them for the new global economy. If this assumption is correct, it would be prudent to learn from each other about how best to prepare youth for these new global challenges.

The findings of PISA in the area of reading engagement provide a common focus for curricular and policy reform that could lead to increases in student achievement.

9Brozo08

What is Reading Engagement? In general it’s the extent to which one has a

positive regard toward reading, seeks out texts, and makes time to read

Comprised of many variables including: * interest * choice * self-efficacy

Engagement has consistently been found to be a critical variable in reading achievement

10Brozo08

Reading Engagement Over the past two decades, there have been volumes

written about reading motivation and engagement and countless workshops and conference presentations devoted to the topic.

Yet, teachers feel they need more information and strategies to motivate students to read (Gambrell, 1996; O’Flahavan, Gambrell, Guthrie, Stahl, & Alvermann, 1992).

There is evidence that justifies this need. A well-documented slump in achievement and motivation occurs during the upper-elementary and middle school years (Anderman, Maehr, & Midgley, 1999; Cummins, 2001; Snow, 2002).

This phenomenon may not be restricted to a particular country or region of the world. Evidence suggests that youth from across the globe exhibit a similar decline in performance and interest as they move from primary to secondary school (Brozo, 2005; Brozo & Simpson, 2007).

11Brozo08

Reading Engagement Motivation cannot be detached from social

contexts, such as classrooms, families, and communities. An individual youth’s motivation to read and learn is linked closely to the social worlds that are part of that youth’s daily life.

Not only should youth engage in interesting experiences related to what they read but, more important, why the content is being read and studied.

By linking the reading to students’ own needs, issues, concerns, and interests inside and outside of school, we increase engagement while helping them discover real-world purposes for reading

12Brozo08

Reading Engagement

Greenleaf, Jimenez, and Roller (2002) put it this way, “Only when adolescents read material that is important to them will they understand why one uses…reading strategies and skills, [and] only if adolescents understand why they might want to use these skills will they master them and use them”

13Brozo08

Reading Engagement Evidence for the benefits of engaged

reading is quite compelling. Correlational data derived from the

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in the United States show that adolescents who identified themselves as being interested in reading not only achieved better scores on the NAEP but had better high school grade point averages than their less interested peers (Donahue, Daane, & Grigg, 2003).

14Brozo08

Reading Engagement Reading engagement is also important to

the maintenance and further development of reading skills beyond the age of 15.

The International Adult Literacy Survey found that reading skills can deteriorate after the completion of initial education if they are not used (OECD and Statistics Canada, 1995).

Engagement in reading is a predictor of learning success throughout life.

15Brozo08

Reading Engagement

Guthrie and Wigfield (2000) assert that:

As students become engaged readers, they provide themselves with self generated learning opportunities that are equivalent to several years of education.

16Brozo08

PISA Indicators of Reading Engagement Diversity of reading – the frequency with which

students reported reading six types of text (magazines, comics, fiction books, non-fiction books, e-mails, and web-pages)

Frequency of leisure reading – the frequency with which students reported that they engaged in leisure reading on a daily basis

Attitude toward reading – the extent to which

students’ agreed with statements such as: I read only if I have to; Reading is one of my favorite hobbies; and I cannot sit still and read for more than a few minutes.

17Brozo08

Assessing Reading Engagement on PISA

Students’ responses on a questionnaire related to each component of engagement were combined to create an index that could be statistically correlated to PISA achievement scores and other scaled PISA findings

18Brozo08

Reading Engagement: Overall Findings

Engagement with reading correlated highly with achievement

However, many students reported

low levels of engagement

19Brozo08


Engagement was a greater influence on achievement than socio-economic status or parental occupation

20Brozo08


Motivation to read and amount of time spent reading contributed significantly to the achievement gap between good and poor readers.

21Brozo08


High interest in computer-based learning

More for males than females This interest correlated with higher

reading performance

22Brozo08


Those whose parents had the lowest occupational status but who were highly engaged in reading outperformed students whose parents had high or medium occupational status but who were poorly engaged in reading.

23Brozo08

Reading Performance and Socio-Economic Background by Level of Reading Engagementon PISA

400

420

440

460

480

500

520

540

560

580

600

Low Medium High

Low SES Med. SES High SES

24Brozo08


PISA also confirmed the gendered relationship between reading engagement and achievement. In all countries females viewed reading more positively, read more often, and outperformed males in reading.

Similarly, across countries, females tended to

read long texts (e.g., novels) for enjoyment, while males preferred to read shorter texts that were more likely to provide information (e.g., newspapers, comics, email and web pages).

25Brozo08


Reading engagement levels for

boys from the U.S. were well below the PISA average, while girls’ were slightly above the average for participating countries.

26Brozo08

Implications for practice

Increasing time spent reading Increasing engagement for

boys Increasing the diversity of texts

that students read Capturing and sustaining

reading engagement for high poverty students

27Brozo08

Increasing time spent reading

There are few contexts for sustained reading in secondary schools

There needs to be an increase in time allocated to personalized reading

The goal should be to develop students’ literacy abilities that lead to independence and competence with activities and tasks in everyday life

28Brozo08

Increasing engagement for boys

Boys were more motivated to read and achieved higher scores with non-continuous text

Boys need opportunities to use alternative texts as sources of information and pleasure that sustain their interests, build knowledge, and lead to exploring more traditional print materials once their imaginations have been captured

29Brozo08

Increasing the diversity of texts that students read

Efforts should also be made to ensure that all students have access to a range of different text types, at appropriate levels of difficulty, both at home and at school

Instruction in school settings should involve a broad variety of texts

30Brozo08

Capturing and sustaining reading engagement for high poverty students

Increasing reading engagement should be the highest priority for these students

Ensure a full and varied range of reading materials are available to students, including short and longer texts in both paper and electronic forms

School library programs that build on students’ motivation and interest, and that support their learning across the curriculum should be implemented

31Brozo08

Remember,

Youth are our hope for the future,You are their hope today.

Thank You

32Brozo08

Other Implications for Practice

Elevate Self-Efficacy Engender Interest in New Reading Connect Outside with Inside School

Literacies Make an Abundance of Interesting

Texts Available Expand Student Choices and

Options33Brozo08

Elevate Self-Efficacy Students with high, school-related self-efficacy

—the belief and confidence that they have the capacity to accomplish meaningful tasks and produce a desired result in academic settings—are more engaged and motivated than students with low self-efficacy (Pajares, 1996).

Reading that helps students make effort-outcome connection

Reading that heightens positive cultural identities

34Brozo08

Engender interest in new reading

A self-evident and empirically grounded truth about reading is that students will expend the energy necessary to read if they are interested in the material (Eccles, Wigfield, Schiefele, 1998; Guthrie & Humenick, 2004; Mosenthal, 1999).

Analogous experiences Simulations & role plays Guest speakers & performers Debates & discussions

35Brozo08

Connect Outside with Inside School Literacies

The same students who may be disconnected from academic life and are aliterate within the domain of school-related reading may also be active readers and users of new media at home and in their communities (Alvermann, 2003)

Take advantage of youths’ relative strengths with language and literacy outside of school as source material for or segue to academic text/learning

• Listening to and writing song lyrics• Reading teen, fanclub, auto, motorcycle magazines,

and maintenance manuals• Finding and reading “cheat sheets” for computer

games• Reading comic books and graphic novels

36Brozo08

Make an Abundance of Interesting Texts Available

In separate U.S.-based studies (Worthy, Moorman, & Turner, 1999; Ivey & Broaddus, 2001) it was discovered that the books youth would prefer to read are often scarce to non-existent in school.

It’s critical, therefore, that teachers get students interested in topics (Sadoski, Goetz, & Rodriguez, 2000; Schiefele, 1999; Wade, Schraw, Buxton, & Hayes, 1993) through the use of alternative texts, such as graphic novels and multimedia.

37Brozo08

Alternative texts in the secondary classroom

Use Information Books to Research Class Topics

Make Available Less Difficult/Modified Texts www.chem4kids.com

Read Novels-Traditional and Graphic-Related to Class Topics

Sustained Silent Reading of Self-Selected Material Over AnyTopic and Materials Related to the Class

Read Articles From Popular Magazines, Newspapers,

Read Primary Documents from Websites

Read Realworld Texts

38Brozo08

Expand Student Choice and Options

Choice may be one of the most critical elements of motivation (Guthrie & Davis, 2003; Turner, 1995)

Allowing youth more input into curricular decision making could help increase their sense of autonomy and agency, while building academic competence and identities (Williams, 2003)

39Brozo08

Expand Student Choice and Options

Jesús: “Keep it real.” Benita: “Don’t embarrass us.” Corey: “Let us use our hands and

stuff.” Said: “What can we do with it?” My Bag Interest inventories Alternative response options

40Brozo08

• IRA Publications Series• Spotlight on Assessment: Research and Practice From IRA Publications• • What are the purposes of assessment? What do we assess? How do we assess reading and writing? Which

assessments should we use? What is our role in assessment? How can we use current technology to aid assessment? Educators must consider these questions now more than ever to assist students in reaching high levels of literacy achievement. This session will summarize research on reading and writing assessment and provide ideas for classroom practice, with each presenter highlighting a recent IRA publication.

• • Presenters:• Peter Afflerbach, author, Understanding and Using Reading Assessment, K–12, University of Maryland, College

Park; William G. Brozo, author, “Engagement in Reading: Lessons Learned From Three PISA Countries,” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia; Karen Bromley, author, “What Can We Learn From the Word Writing CAFÉ?,” The Reading Teacher, Binghamton University, New York; Ernest Balajthy, author, “Technology and Current Reading/Literacy Assessment Strategies,” The Reading Teacher, State University of New York at Geneseo

• ********************• • We hope you’ll be able to highlight your IRA publications (we’ll provide copies of articles/chapters as handouts),

and also describe any recent work you’ve been doing in this area, taking a practical or research-to-practice approach. We should be able to allot 25 minutes or so for each presenter, and still have time for questions at the end.

•

41Brozo08

Lessons Learned about Engagement in Reading from the Program for International Student Assessment...

Documents

Transcript of Lessons Learned about Engagement in Reading from the Program for International Student Assessment...