Writing Motivation Profiles Among Diverse Adolescents: A Mixed Methods Study
Cruz Cordero, T., & Wilson, J. (2026). Writing motivation profiles among diverse adolescents: A mixed methods study. Scientific Studies of Reading. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2026.2618098
This mixed methods study in Scientific Studies of Reading used latent profile analysis with 2,534 middle school students and interviews with 27 students to identify distinct writing motivation profiles. The article reports four profiles-personal interest, self-expression, performance, and non-specific-and shows that these groups differ in demographic composition and writing performance.
Key takeaways
- Writing motivation in early adolescence is not uniform; distinct profiles can be identified among middle school students.
- Four motivation profiles emerged: personal interest, self-expression, performance, and non-specific writers.
- The profiles varied in demographic composition and in writing performance.
- Qualitative interviews helped explain how students interpreted and valued different motives for writing.
Why it matters
The article advances research on writing motivation by combining person-centered quantitative analysis with qualitative interviews to clarify how diverse adolescents approach writing. It offers a more nuanced framework for understanding motivational heterogeneity and its relation to writing achievement.
Coauthors
Tania Cruz Cordero, Joshua Wilson
Topic tags
External links