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Narrowing the Achievement Gap: Motivation, Engagement, and Self-Efficacy Matter

This paper reports some of the findings of a two-year mixed methods longitudinal study in a high-poverty junior school in Dublin, Ireland, which was successful in significantly raising children's literacy achievement in reading, writing, and spelling and in enhancing their motivation, engagement, ability to self-regulate learning, and sense of self-efficacy. Critical factors in the success of the intervention were the dual emphasis on both the cognitive and affective dimensions of literacy developed through a meaning-oriented approach to instruction and the multifaceted professional development programme provided to teachers. Changes made to the instructional programme are described with reference to the research on motivation, engagement, and self-efficacy in literacy.