Motivation to read and new reading format: a case study

Abstract

The aim of this exploratory research is to examine the introduction of high quality
illustrated and interactive e-books in the school context, designed to be read on a
tablet, in relation to students’ motivation to read and to some creativity factors.
This research interest emerged due to the new ways of reading developed in the last decades and to the necessity to think about the competences required to successfully face the challenges of the technological innovations of the coming years.
The research has been carried out, as a case study, in a 4th grade class in a primary school in Frascati (Rm). This school is involved and committed with a reading incentive program. The tools used to collect qualitative and quantitative data were: the Motivation to Read Profile, (Gambrell, Palmer, Codling, & Mazzoni, 1996), translated and adapted; the Test of creativity thinking, (Williams, 1994); direct observation of participants supported by a check list and a questionnaire, in order to have a framework of the children’s reading experience. Early findings suggest the convenience of introducing high quality e-book integrated with the use of paper books into a school context.