Latent motivational-emotional profiles and their effects on strategy use and performance in online multimodal reading tasks: A mixed-methods investigation

Background
Online multimodal reading (OMR) is now essential but cognitively and emotionally challenging for students. As large-scale assessments (e.g., PIRLS) are moving toward full digital administration, primary students worldwide, including Hong Kong fourth graders, are increasingly required to navigate OMR texts in both learning and testing. However, the relationships between motivational-emotional factors, OMR strategies, and performance remain unclear.

Aims
Guided by the Cognitive Affective Engagement Model, this study explores how motivational-emotional factors affect the use of OMR strategies and performance from a person-centered perspective.

Samples
280 fourth-grade students in Hong Kong.

Methods
This study used an explanatory mixed-method design: quantitative analysis of questionnaire data and OMR scores, followed by selective sampling for interviews based on quantitative results.

Results
Latent profile analysis revealed three distinct motivational-emotional profiles based on students' self-efficacy and emotional responses: positive, moderate, and ambivalent. Wald chi-square tests identified group differences, showing that while the ambivalent group reported the highest strategy use, their OMR performance was the lowest. Multigroup path analysis further revealed that strategy effectiveness varied across groups. Interviews complemented these findings, revealing how students with different motivational-emotional profiles navigate the nonlinear, multimodal nature of digital texts.

Conclusions
This research enhances theoretical understanding of OMR and provides concrete guidance for differentiated instruction based on motivational-emotional profiles. Educators should provide autonomy-supportive practices for positive students to maintain their positive profile and performance, personally relevant texts and growth mindset training for moderate students to enhance their tolerance for trial-and-error and task persistence, and specific multimodal strategy instruction with emotional regulation support for ambivalent students.