Home scholarly culture, book selection reason, and academic performance: pathways to book reading interest among secondary school students

Abstract

Although studies have explored the predictors of book reading interest among children, little is known about the underlying mechanism that helps children become interested in reading books. This study attempt to demonstrate: (1) how book-reading interest is driven by reasons for choosing books (recommendation or personal preference), (2) how students with high and low academic achievements are motivated by different thinking pathways, and (3) how home scholarly culture improves book-reading interest through such pathways. Using Bayesian analysis on a dataset of survey responses from 4966 Vietnamese secondary students (11–15 years old, sixth to ninth grade), we found: (i) Reading interest is positively associated with a book recommendation and parental book reading activities (parents read books to children); (ii) High-achieving students are more interested in reading books if they can choose those books according to personal preferences; (iii) Parental book reading activities can promote book reading interest through recommendations and also by understanding children’s personal preferences. We advocate a more personalized approach in educational policymaking, curriculum design, and home scholarly culture based on students’ abilities and perceptions.