Access Profiles and Motivational Predictors of Online Reading Performance
A Study of Digital Equity in Taiwan
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22006241 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Pei-Ching Chao (0000-0002-5696-9916, Fu Jen Catholic University), Jin-Chang Hsieh (0000-0002-1964-9569, National Academy for Educational Research, New Taipei City, Taiwan), Gregory S Ching (0000-0001-9148-0019, National Chengchi University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | SAGE Open (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2158-2440 • E-ISSN: 2158-2440 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/21582440251391242 |
| OpenAlex | W7121192891 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 73 |
The growth of the digital economy has reshaped educational opportunities worldwide, but it has also widened gaps in access, digital skills, and learning outcomes. This study investigates how digital device access profiles and psychological factors influence online reading performance among secondary school students in Taiwan. Drawing on data from a large-scale computer-based assessment, two complementary analyses were conducted. Objective 1 ( n = 1,169) used latent class analysis to identify students’ digital device access profiles and examined their relationship to online reading outcomes across regions with differing levels of digital development. Findings show that students with “Basic” access (Profile 3: smartphone + computer) and those from digitally mature regions performed significantly better. Objective 2 ( n = 2,246) focused on two key psychological factors: intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy, which were selected for their well-established roles in promoting reading engagement and self-regulated learning, particularly in digital environments. Multi-group structural equation modeling was then employed to explore how these factors predict the use of online reading strategies and, in turn, influence reading performance. Results showed that strategy use mediated the effects of motivation and self-efficacy in all regions, but intrinsic motivation had a direct impact on performance only in digitally mature areas. These findings reveal the complex interplay between access, learner psychology, and strategy use in shaping online reading outcomes. The study highlights the need for equity-focused investments in infrastructure, as well as pedagogical interventions that promote digital agency. Implications are offered for education policy, teacher practice, and digital governance aligned with SDGs 4 (quality education) and 10 (reduced inequalities)
Digital divide · Digital Learning · Intrinsic motivation · Psychological intervention · Reading motivation · Structural equation modeling · Educational Strategies and Epistemologies · Gender and Technology in Education · Impact of Technology on Adolescents
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Reading on Paper and Digitally
Comparison of reading performance on screen and on paper
The instruction of reading comprehension
Reading from paper compared to screens
The Multidimensional Random Coefficients Multinomial Logit Model
Relations of children's motivation for reading to the amount and breadth or their reading.
Beyond Cognition
Weighted Likelihood Estimation of Ability in Item Response Theory
Teacher Technology Change
The role of ICT self-efficacy for students' ICT use and their achievement in a computer and information literacy test
Evaluating Goodness-of-Fit Indexes for Testing Measurement Invariance
On the evaluation of structural equation models
Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis
Reporting Structural Equation Modeling and Confirmatory Factor Analysis Results
Deciding on the Number of Classes in Latent Class Analysis and Growth Mixture Modeling
Decoding, Reading, and Reading Disability
Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models
Structural Equations with Latent Variables
Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior
The influence of age at first regular digital device access on digital reading performance
Sustainability in Digital Education
Student access to technology at home and learning hours during Covid-19 in the U.S
Pathways to digital reading literacy among secondary school students
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Structural relationship among academic motivation, academic self‐efficacy, problem solving skills, creative thinking skills, and critical thinking skills
The different effects of the ideal L2 self and intrinsic motivation on reading performance via engagement among young Chinese second-language learners
Students’ ICT self-efficacy and computer and information literacy
Multilevel Latent Profile Analysis of Global Competence in Pisa 2018
Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being
The Dual Role of Digital Self-Efficacy in Reading Engagement from a Nonlinear Dynamics Perspective
Effect of digital gap on virtual care in the time of Covid-19 pandemic
Measurement invariance conventions and reporting
Exploring the online reading comprehension strategies used by sixth‐grade skilled readers to search for and locate information on the Internet
Building Academic Resilience in Literacy
Characteristics and Validity of an Instrument for Assessing Motivations for Online Reading to Learn
Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests
| Highly cited | No |
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