Effects of ‘Engagement in Reading’ and ‘Instructional Efforts in Reading at School’ on ‘Reading Proficiency’ Mediated by ‘Reading Self-Concept’ Using PISA 2018 Data: Emphasis on the Differences among South Korea, the USA, the UK

The effects of ‘engagement in reading’ and ‘instructional efforts in reading at school’ on ‘reading proficiency’ mediated by ‘reading self-concept’ were investigated comparatively among South Korea (KOR), the USA, and the UK. The data was drawn from PISA 2018. 6,650 cases from KOR, 4,838 cases from the USA, and 13,818 cases from the UK were used to test a hypothesized structural equation model. As a result, the model fitted the data of each country satisfactorily, and there were statistical differences in the coefficients of direct and indirect effects among the three countries. The results are expected to provide significant implications for the development of educational programs and related education policymaking to improve students reading proficiency via promoting engagement in reading, instructional efforts in reading at school, and reading self-concept in South Korea, the USA, and the UK.