Upper elementary students’ self-efficacy, affect, and avoidance associated with multisyllabic words: an exploratory study

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire that addressed reading and spelling of big words to understand upper elementary learners’ perceptions of their abilities and challenges in relation to multisyllabic words.MethodsThe development of this questionnaire wa...

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Main Authors: Zoi A. Traga Philippakos, Margaret Quinn, Adalea Davis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1562958/full
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author Zoi A. Traga Philippakos
Margaret Quinn
Adalea Davis
author_facet Zoi A. Traga Philippakos
Margaret Quinn
Adalea Davis
author_sort Zoi A. Traga Philippakos
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire that addressed reading and spelling of big words to understand upper elementary learners’ perceptions of their abilities and challenges in relation to multisyllabic words.MethodsThe development of this questionnaire was part of a larger research project that aimed to develop instructional resources for upper elementary learners. Participants were 108 students across grades 3 to 5.ResultsThe results of an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) found three factors that addressed self-efficacy for processes and tasks, affect, and avoidance. All factors correlated with reading measures with the exception of avoidance. Further, differences on self-efficacy and affect were found between the lower and low-average reading group. Finally, growth was found on self-efficacy and affect toward reading of big words as a result of instruction. Limitations and implications are discussed.
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spelling doaj-art-3c91f42a5bd14f0798b13b04c1d2efdb2025-08-20T04:02:01ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-08-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.15629581562958Upper elementary students’ self-efficacy, affect, and avoidance associated with multisyllabic words: an exploratory studyZoi A. Traga Philippakos0Margaret Quinn1Adalea Davis2Theory and Practice in Teacher Education, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United StatesTeaching, Learning, and Culture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United StatesTheory and Practice in Teacher Education, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United StatesIntroductionThe purpose of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire that addressed reading and spelling of big words to understand upper elementary learners’ perceptions of their abilities and challenges in relation to multisyllabic words.MethodsThe development of this questionnaire was part of a larger research project that aimed to develop instructional resources for upper elementary learners. Participants were 108 students across grades 3 to 5.ResultsThe results of an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) found three factors that addressed self-efficacy for processes and tasks, affect, and avoidance. All factors correlated with reading measures with the exception of avoidance. Further, differences on self-efficacy and affect were found between the lower and low-average reading group. Finally, growth was found on self-efficacy and affect toward reading of big words as a result of instruction. Limitations and implications are discussed.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1562958/fullan exploratory study self-efficacyAffectavoidancereadingbig wordsmultisyllabic
spellingShingle Zoi A. Traga Philippakos
Margaret Quinn
Adalea Davis
Upper elementary students’ self-efficacy, affect, and avoidance associated with multisyllabic words: an exploratory study
Frontiers in Psychology
an exploratory study self-efficacy
Affect
avoidance
reading
big words
multisyllabic
title Upper elementary students’ self-efficacy, affect, and avoidance associated with multisyllabic words: an exploratory study
title_full Upper elementary students’ self-efficacy, affect, and avoidance associated with multisyllabic words: an exploratory study
title_fullStr Upper elementary students’ self-efficacy, affect, and avoidance associated with multisyllabic words: an exploratory study
title_full_unstemmed Upper elementary students’ self-efficacy, affect, and avoidance associated with multisyllabic words: an exploratory study
title_short Upper elementary students’ self-efficacy, affect, and avoidance associated with multisyllabic words: an exploratory study
title_sort upper elementary students self efficacy affect and avoidance associated with multisyllabic words an exploratory study
topic an exploratory study self-efficacy
Affect
avoidance
reading
big words
multisyllabic
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1562958/full
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