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The British journal of educational psychology
Mar 04, 2025;

Academic self-concept and reading comprehension among students with learning disabilities: Serial mediating effect of reading anxiety and reading motivation.

Halime Miray Sümer Dodur, Mustafa Ceylan
Author Information
  1. Halime Miray Sümer Dodur: Department of Social Work, Çankırı Karatekin University, Çankırı, Turkey. ORCID
  2. Mustafa Ceylan: Department of Special Education, Artvin Çoruh University, Artvin, Turkey. ORCID
PMID: 40040277 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12763

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Students with learning disabilities often struggle to achieve expected academic performance despite average or above-average intelligence. Reading comprehension, a cognitive process involving multiple mental skills, is particularly challenging for these students, with approximately 80% experiencing difficulties.
AIMS: This study investigates the relationship between academic self-concept and reading comprehension among middle school students with learning disabilities, focusing on the serial mediating roles of reading anxiety and reading motivation.
SAMPLE(S): The sample consists of 302 middle school students (165 males, 137 females) diagnosed with learning disabilities. The participants included 77 fifth graders, 80 sixth graders, 75 seventh graders and 70 eighth graders.
METHODS: Structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to analyse the data, with reading anxiety and reading motivation considered as mediators.
RESULTS: The SEM results indicated that reading motivation partially mediated the relationship between academic self-concept and reading comprehension, while reading anxiety and reading motivation together fully mediated this relationship.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the importance of addressing both reading anxiety and motivation to improve reading comprehension in students with learning disabilities. Enhancing academic self-concept and reducing reading anxiety can significantly boost reading motivation and comprehension skills.

Keywords

academic self‐concept learning disabilities reading anxiety reading comprehension reading motivation serial mediation analysis

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Journal Article

Word Cloud

Created with Highcharts 10.0.0readingmotivationcomprehensionanxietylearningdisabilitiesacademicstudentsself-conceptgradersrelationshipskillsamongmiddleschoolserialmediatingSEMmediatedBACKGROUND:Studentsoftenstruggleachieveexpectedperformancedespiteaverageabove-averageintelligenceReadingcognitiveprocessinvolvingmultiplementalparticularlychallengingapproximately80%experiencingdifficultiesAIMS:studyinvestigatesfocusingrolesSAMPLES:sampleconsists302165males137femalesdiagnosedparticipantsincluded77fifth80sixth75seventh70eighthMETHODS:StructuralequationmodellingemployedanalysedataconsideredmediatorsRESULTS:resultsindicatedpartiallytogetherfullyCONCLUSIONS:findingshighlightimportanceaddressingimproveEnhancingreducingcansignificantlyboostAcademicdisabilities:Serialeffectself‐conceptmediationanalysis

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