The effect of instructional quality on reading achievement: The mediating role of reading engagement in China (B-S-J-Z) and the UK

• Published in: Heliyon 2024-08, Vol.10 (15), p.e34896, Article e34896
• Main Authors: Qiu, Chen, Liu, Xinling
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: China (B–S-J-Z); Instructional quality; PISA 2018; Reading engagement
• ISSN: 2405-8440; 2405-8440
• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34896

The present study aims to explore the mediating role of reading engagement between instructional quality and reading achievement in China (B–S-J-Z) and the UK, and the pedagogical transportation that has been implemented between China and the UK since 2014. Participants in this study were from PISA 2018 where 12,058 students were from China (B–S-J-Z) and 13,818 were from the UK. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to explore the relationships among instructional quality, reading engagement, and reading achievement. The effect of classroom management and cognitive activation on reading achievement was significantly mediated by enjoyment of reading in both China (B–S-J-Z) and the UK. Diversity of reading was found to positively mediate the relationships between classroom management and reading achievement, and between cognitive activation and reading achievement in China (B–S-J-Z), in contrast to the mediating role of reading strategy revealed in the UK. The findings have important implications in that educators from China (B–S-J-Z) and the UK should focus on improving students’ reading interests, UK teachers may incorporate diverse sources in reading, and Chinese educators may try different reading teaching strategies. Meanwhile, educators and policymakers may give full consideration to implications based on the specific cultural background. Finally, the limitations and future directions are provided.