Teachers’ Perceptions of Students’ Will to Read : A qualitative study on promoting reading motivation in L2 English

Sammanfattning

Reading motivation and reading ability among adolescents is decreasing. This essay examines L2 teachers of English’s perception of students’ reading motivation and what they believe promotes reading fiction in school, using self-determination theory as a theoretical framework. The research questions addressed are “What do teachers of L2 English believe promotes students’ motivation for reading fiction?” and “What strategies do they perceive as useful to achieve higher reading motivation?” We answer these questions through a study based on five semi-structured interviews with teachers of L2 English. The data is analyzed using a qualitative content analysis. The results of the study reveal that teachers are aware of the decrease in reading motivation, and the interviews give various descriptions of what can be helpful to achieve higher reading motivation in school. The findings suggest that teachers mostly use activities aligning with autonomy to promote reading motivation and that they believe that a frequently allocated reading time in class has a positive impact on students’ reading motivation. It is hoped that this essay will provide insights for teachers of L2 English who want to promote reading fiction in school and create a supportive reading environment.