Relationships among Fourth Graders’ Reading Anxiety, Reading Fluency, Reading Motivation, and Reading Comprehension

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to examine the interrelations among reading anxiety, reading comprehension, reading fluency and reading motivation. In this study that is based on a predictive correlational design, the participants were made up of 128 fourth grade students. Structural equation modeling was performed to test our hypotheses regarding the direct and indirect relationships among intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, reading anxiety, reading fluency, and reading comprehension. The results showed that internal motivation has a substantial and positive effect on reading comprehension. Extrinsic motivation has a substantial positive effect on reading fluency. On the other hand, while extrinsic motivation is not a direct substantial predictor of reading comprehension, it has an indirect positive effect on reading comprehension. This relationship is mediated by reading fluency. Furthermore, reading fluency has a substantial and positive effect on reading comprehension and has a substantial and negative effect on reading anxiety. Finally, reading anxiety has a substantial and adverse effect on reading comprehension.