As part of a partnership between the Queen Rania Foundation (QRF) and the Ministry of Education (MoE), and with support from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and BHP Foundation, a new scale has been developed to measure reading motivation and the environmental support for reading among students in Grades 3 to 5 in Jordan.

Why was this tool developed?

While efforts to improve foundational literacy in Jordan have expanded, there remains a clear gap in tools that assess why students read and the conditions that support their engagement—especially in Arabic-speaking contexts. Most existing assessments focus on cognitive outcomes, overlooking important factors such as motivation, confidence, and support from home and school.

This tool was developed to fill that gap. Drawing on international research and designed through a culturally grounded process, it provides a scientifically robust and practically usable way to capture the emotional and contextual factors that shape reading habits—critical for long-term reading engagement.

Suitable for Grades 3–5, and potentially adaptable for higher grades.

What the Scale Measures

• Number of items: 16 sub-indicators merged into one composite measure aggregated into a single composite score that reflects overall reading motivation and support
• Areas covered: Reading enjoyment, intrinsic motivation, confidence in reading skills, and support from family and school. Additional questions can be included in the questionnaire to address other research or evaluation objectives, depending on the intended use.

Development and Testing

The tool was adapted from international instruments—primarily the PIRLS Student Context Questionnaire—and refined for the Jordanian context using psychometric methods.

It was initially developed using data from 1,100 students in 30 schools, and validated through a second national pilot with 435 students in 28 randomly selected public schools across Jordan’s three regions (Central, North, South).

Two administration modes were tested:

• Individual facilitation, recommended for Grade 3
• Whole-class facilitation, more suitable for Grades 4 and 5

Further testing is advised to confirm the most effective and feasible approach.
 

Key Findings from the Pilot

• Reliability: The scale achieved a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.897, indicating a high level of internal consistency. This means the 16 items reliably measure a single underlying construct—students’ reading motivation and support—and the tool can be considered statistically robust for use in evaluations and research.
• School-level variation (ICC = 42%): A significant share of score differences was attributable to school context. This suggests that access to libraries, teacher encouragement, and peer influence play an important role in shaping reading motivation. Individual-level factors, such as home environment, also remain critical.
• Strong alignment with student behavior: Higher scores were associated with self-reported reading for pleasure, reading at home, and currently reading a book—providing evidence of internal validity.

Jointly Designed with the Ministry of Education

The scale was developed in close coordination with the following MoE departments:

• Examinations Department
• Research & Development Unit
• Curriculum Department (including the Libraries Team)
• Supervision and Training Directorate

The process included technical workshops, literature reviews, iterative revisions, and support from an academic advisory group of subject experts: Prof. Rob Coe, Dr Fabian Schmidt,  Rawan Awwad, Haneen AlAbed and Dr Matteo Rava.

Potential Future Use

This tool represents a pioneering step in integrating attitudinal and behavioral metrics into the 
evaluation of reading programs. It is now ready for broader application in Jordan, fully aligned with the National Literacy Strategy, and adaptable for use in reading programme evaluations across the Arab region

• For programme evaluations: To assess non-cognitive outcomes in QRF initiatives, including Iqra!
• To inform national strategies: The tool may support broader reading promotion efforts aligned with Jordan’s National Literacy Strategy
• As a research and monitoring instrument: Flexible enough to be used in different Arabic-speaking education settings

Access and Feedback

The tool is now available for broader use, with administration guides for both classroom and individual settings. Feedback from practitioners and researchers is welcome to inform continued refinement and adaptation.