The Predictive Role of Reading Level and Motivation In Middle and High School Students' Mos Certification Performance
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Authors
Harkins, Amy
Issue Date
2020-07
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Dissertations, Academic--United States , Examinations , Georgia , High school students , Microsoft software--Examinations , Microsoft software , Middle school students , Motivation (Psychology) , Reading comprehension , Reading--Ability testing , Teachers--Certification
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Abstract
The purpose of this dissertation is to determine if student performance on MOS certification exams is affected by other factors, specifically motivation based on expectancy, value, and cost factors, and reading comprehension, based on the Lexile level. The study examined if there is a relationship between the motivation level of students and their performance on the MOS certification exams, focusing on the MOS Word, MOS Excel, and MOS PowerPoint certification exams. The study also examined if there is a relationship between the reading comprehension levels of students and their performance on the MOS certification exams. The literature indicates researchers have examined the existence of a relationship between motivation and reading comprehension in other areas in school, but have not researched these factors on the MOS Certification exams or any other industry credential exam.
The present study investigated all three variables in the expectancy-value-cost theory of motivation model (expectancy, value, and cost) to determine if differences in student motivation towards each of the MOS program areas and how these differences relate to performance on the MOS certification exams. The present study also investigated how the reading comprehension level of students (determined by the Lexile level) related to performance on each of the MOS Certification Exams. The sample of this study came from three diverse public high schools and one public middle school in Northeast Georgia (N = 258). Analyses included preliminary demographics analysis, inferential statistics including Pearson’s Correlation, a sig. (2-tailed value) or p-value, and a multiple linear regression model (ANOVA) after testing all assumptions of homoscedasticity, multicollinearity, and linearity.
Results of this study suggest that expectancy-value-cost factors, particularly expectancy and cost impacted student performance on the MOS certification exams. Furthermore, the results of this study suggest that reading comprehension impacted student performance on the MOS certification exams. This study may prompt further research on the impact of the expectancy-value-cost factors of motivation and reading comprehension to focus on performance on industry certification credentialing exams.
Keywords: certification exams; middle and high school students; MOS certification; motivation; reading level; testing;
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This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.