Brief Description

The RAS-33 is a self-report questionnaire consisting of 33 items designed to assess students’ attitudes toward reading. It includes three distinct factors: enjoyment of reading, perceived usefulness of reading, and personal growth through reading. Responses are provided using a 4-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree).

Purpose

To evaluate children’s and adolescents’ attitudes toward reading.

Scoring Method

The total score is derived by summing all item responses. Fifteen of the items require reverse scoring. The score ranges from 33 to 132, with higher scores indicating a more positive reading attitude.

Validity

Exploratory factor analysis demonstrated good construct validity, confirming the three-factor structure. Factor loadings ranged from 0.40 to 0.72 across items.

Reliability

Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) for the three subscales is as follows:
(a) Enjoyment: α = 0.88
(b) Usefulness: α = 0.78
(c) Personal Growth: α = 0.72

Data Analysis and Use

A positive attitude toward reading is associated with higher academic performance, particularly in language-related subjects. The three-factor structure provides a nuanced profile of students’ reading attitudes and their relevance to academic achievement.

References

Lewis, R., & Teale, W. H. (1980). Another look at secondary students’ attitudes toward reading. Journal of Reading Behavior, 12, 187–201.
Lewis, R., & Teale, W. H. (1982). Primary school students’ attitudes towards reading. Journal of Research in Reading, 5, 112–125.
Malafantis, K., & Felouka, V. (forthcoming). Enjoyment, usefulness, personal development: Children’s attitudes toward reading.
Malafantis, K. (2003). Reading and attitudes: Utilization and interpretation of data from elementary school students.