Raising the literacy bar for economically disadvantaged students (ARC Discovery Project administered by the Australian Catholic University) (2018-2024)

This project promotes the higher order literacy skills of economically-disadvantaged students. Higher order literacy is critical for productive engagement in academic, economic and personal spheres of life in literacy-rich knowledge economies. Opportunities for disadvantaged students to develop advanced literacy skills are limited as schools serving these students focus predominantly on basic skills training. The project investigates contradictions in policies and practices in Australia and Hong Kong to understand why and how disadvantaged students are supported or unsupported to learn higher-order literacy skills. It also explores successful practices that promote such learning, alongside basic skills, for disadvantaged students.