Diverse Literacy Research Articles

Responsive feeding practices among Arabic and Mongolian speaking migrant mothers in Australia: A qualitative study.

Establishing healthy feeding habits during infancy is crucial for optimal growth. However, certain parental feeding and cultural practices might hinder the development of children's healthy eating behaviours. This research explored responsive feeding practices among migrant mothers in Australia. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted in their native language with 20 Arabic and 20 Mongolian-speaking migrant mothers with children under 2 years old or currently pregnant. Thematic analysis was conducted using the framework method. Both cultural groups followed a variety of feeding practices, including on demand responsive feeding or structured schedules. Arabic-speaking mothers tended to demonstrate responsive feeding practices more frequently than Mongolian-speaking mothers, except for those using formula feeding, who consistently followed a fixed feeding routine. When introducing solid foods, mothers from both groups often overlooked their babies' hunger and satiety cues, frequently pressuring their children to finish their entire plate. One cited reason for this was the challenge parents faced in identifying such cues. Arabic-speaking mothers often supplemented with formula top-ups after introducing solid foods, due to the belief that breast milk or solid foods alone might not sufficiently nourish their infants. Additionally, some Arabic-speaking mothers used food-based rewards to encourage eating. Mongolian mothers expressed a cultural preference for chubby babies, a potential reason why they may have been inclined to pressure-feed their children. Moreover, both groups reported using digital devices to distract their children during meals. This study highlights the necessity of tailoring future resources and services related to responsive feeding practices to accommodate diverse literacy levels and cultural backgrounds.

Language, disciplinarity and identity: an autoethnography of an international interdisciplinary doctoral student

PurposeWhile higher education has been encouraging interdisciplinary research, few studies have been conducted to understand how interdisciplinarity shapes the identity construction of scholars, especially doctoral students who may already strive to socialize into academia.Design/methodology/approachTherefore, this study adopts the approach of autoethnography to analyze my lived experience of developing disciplinary literacy and constructing interdisciplinary identity as a Chinese international doctoral student at a North American university. Communication theory of identity (CTI) is the theoretical framework through which I understand the negotiation among my personal, enacted, relational and communal identities while communicating my research through diverse literacy practices.FindingsThis autoethnography reveals that interdisciplinary doctoral students can flexibly use discursive resources from different disciplines and literacy practices in both English and their first language to dynamically create interdisciplinary identities communicable to different discourse communities. Their identities in different disciplines can develop simultaneously, rather than suppressing one for the development of the other as they do interdisciplinary research.Originality/valueThis study first extends current scholarly discussion of disciplinary literacy to a less-investigated setting, i.e. doctoral education in higher education. Second, it adds an additive and current layer of interdisciplinarity to the existing understanding of international doctoral students’ identity construction. Third, it helps to understand how the development of disciplinary literacy can facilitate disciplinary identity construction and how disciplinary identity construction can facilitate the development of disciplinary literacy.

Exploring One Colombian Adolescent’s Diverse Literacies in his Rural Community

A deficit view of rural language learners’ out-of-school literacy practices has permeated formal educational and language policy globally. Intergovernmental organizations like the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, for instance, have often portrayed rural learners in Global South countries as having literacy deficits if their language skills are not in alignment with the practices valued in school contexts. These deficit representations are often instrumentalized as a tactic to oppress and exclude rural students’ literacies and language traditions from educational policy and curricula. Throughout this article, the authors – both language educators researching young people’s diverse literacy practices – aim to address and combat such problematic omissions. Following a sociocultural, multiliteracies framework, we analyzed two semi-structured interviews and accompanying artifacts to feature the literacies that a 14-year-old rural Colombian youth engages with daily. Results illuminate the myriad language practices honed outside of formal learning contexts, including family-based literacies, oral and embodied forms of communication, analyzing and composing with multimodal texts, and developing critical skills with digital texts to question national power relations and forge activist identities. The authors discussed the benefits of an expanded view of literacy – particularly for educators – in hopes of contributing to equity-based research advocating the recognition and inclusion of rural students’ vernacular literacies across formal learning spaces.

Development and evaluation of the Indian Sleepiness Scale to assess excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

BackgroundExcessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), a cardinal symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is assessed using Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Some limitations of ESS include graded responses, inapplicable situations and equal scores for active and passive situations. To overcome these limitations, we developed a novel sleepiness scale and evaluated its performance in patients with OSA. MethodsThe study was executed in multiple phases. After determining applicability of items in the ESS, a 6-item questionnaire was developed comprising OSA symptoms and self-reported ‘sleepy’ situations, dichotomized responses and weighted scoring. After content and face validation by experts, the scale was tested for applicability and its performance was compared with ESS in patients with suspected OSA. ResultsIn phase I, applicability of ESS was tested in 189 participants, of whom 98 (51.8 %) participants found multiple items inapplicable.In phase II, 34 self-reported sleepy situations from 200 participants were narrowed down to a 6-item questionnaire, based on expert validation. This scale was named the Indian Sleepiness Scale (ISS) and was tested for applicability in phase III in 226 participants from diverse literacy backgrounds, who found all situations applicable.In phase IV, ISS and ESS were administered to 335 patients with suspected OSA. OSA was confirmed on polysomnography in 294 (87.7 %) patients. A cut-off score of ≥6 was derived for ISS; at this cut-off score, the ISS which was more sensitive than ESS (71.1 % vs 43.2 %). ConclusionsThe Indian Sleepiness Scale was found to be widely applicable and more sensitive than ESS for sleepiness evaluation in patients with OSA.

PERCEPTIONS, PRACTICES, AND ASSESSMENT LITERACY NEEDS OF EFL TEACHERS: ENHANCING READING LITERACY INSTRUCTION UNDER AKM POLICY

Since the discontinuation of national examinations (UN) in 2020, the Indonesian Government introduced the Minimum Competency Assessment (Asesmen Kompetensi Minimum-AKM) to assess students' fundamental abilities. Consequently, teachers are pivotal in integrating AKM-based reading literacy questions to enhance students' reading skills. This study aims to explore teachers' perceptions, practices, and assessment literacy needs concerning teaching and assessing students' reading literacy based on AKM. Ten EFL junior high school teachers participated in interviews. Findings revealed varying perceptions among teachers regarding AKM. While some supported the policy for its positive impact on students and learning, others doubted its effectiveness for certain reasons. In terms of teaching and assessment practices, most teachers partially integrate the three components of AKM reading literacy into their classrooms. They also utilize various stimuli and question types similar to those in AKM, yet complex multiple-choice assessments are underutilized. Lastly, teachers expressed diverse literacy assessment needs, including strategies for teaching reading, designing critical reading questions, creating stimulus materials, gaining AKM knowledge, enhancing student interest in reading, and identifying intended learning outcomes to improve their teaching and evaluation of students' literacy.

Challenging the Myth of the Traditional Grad Student: A Case Study about Academic Enculturation and Resistance

Drawing from a qualitative study, this article advocates for challenging myths about the traditional graduate student. We discuss how these myths create a sense of unbelonging for graduate students, and we call attention to the exigency for transforming graduate programs to validate and sustain students’ diverse literacies and linguistic resources.

This Land is My Land: Teachers' integration of game and novel in English instruction

AbstractBackgroundThe most recent Norwegian educational reform, in force from 2020, was the first to include games alongside more traditional language learning resources (e.g., novels, films, music) in the English curriculum for secondary school. This educational emphasis on games provided a unique opportunity to examine how games are actually used in secondary English instruction in combination with other resources.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate how the digital commercial game This Land is My Land was used alongside a printed novel in naturally occurring English instruction in two lower secondary classes during a two‐week project labelled ‘The Native American Experience’.MethodsParticipants involved one teacher, nine student teachers and 52 students (aged 13–14). Using a mixed methods design, we integrated quantitative and qualitative analyses of classroom video recordings (N = 20), screen recordings during gameplay (N = 32), student texts (N = 32) and retrospective student interviews (N = 7). We used the validated Protocol for Language Arts Teaching Observation (PLATO; Grossman, 2015) for analyses of video and screen recordings and reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2022) of student texts and interviews.Results and ConclusionsThe combination of digital game and printed novel during English instruction provided a dual perspective on the Native American experience. While the novel provided a window for observing the topic historically, the game provided a playground to experience the topic interactively. Although the combination of game and novel offered students different perspectives on the Native American experience, we identified missed opportunities for those who gamed before reading, whereas students who read before gameplay used their knowledge from the novel when they engaged with the game content. In the broader context of educational technology and language instruction, this study identified how to combine digital and traditional literacies that acknowledge students' prior knowledge with diverse literacies.

The rise of virtual yarning: An Indigenist research method

Social media is of growing interest as a platform for post-COVID research, providing ungated platforms for minority groups and activists that may struggle to have their messages and voices heard in other media. In First Nations communities around Australia there is a higher-than-average uptake of social media platforms, particularly Facebook. Based on a qualitative research project with a First Nations group in Southeast Queensland targeting knowledges, experiences and perspectives to decolonise disability and caring knowledges this case study explores the use of social media, specifically Facebook, as a platform for virtual yarning focusing on the experiences of First Nations peoples with disability. The study acknowledges the limitations and challenges associated with social media platforms, such as the potential for over-sharing, privacy concerns and the risk of bullying. It emphasises the need for researchers, especially those considered outsiders, to carefully consider the ethical implications and potential exposure to lateral violence. The research highlights the advantages of virtual yarning on Facebook, including increased access to culture and belonging, reduced participant burden and cost-effectiveness. It recognises the value of multimedia platforms in promoting culturally appropriate and accessible communication, particularly for communities with diverse literacy levels. However, the study acknowledges the trade-off between breadth and depth of data quality inherent in social media research and recommends virtual yarning as a supplementary method alongside focus groups and yarning interviews or as a platform to recruit participants for research. Ethical considerations are crucial in this context, particularly regarding privacy, data sovereignty and intellectual property.

Data Analysis Method for Book Reading Preference-North Eastern Zone of India

This study explores the book reading preferences of individuals in the Northeastern zone of India, aiming to shed light on the literacy landscape and cultural inclinations of this unique region. Through surveys, interviews and data analysis, the research investigates the genres, themes and language preferred by readers in the northeastern zone of India. It also examines the impact of cultural diversity, local traditions, and historical influences on the reading choices of the populace. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the reading habits in the northeastern zone and offer insights for publishers, educators and policymakers seeking to promote literacy and diverse literacy experiences in the region.

Efforts to Improve Literacy at MTs N 6 Sleman

MTs N 6 Sleman has a strong background in efforts to improve literacy in the madrasah. With a high commitment, structured curriculum, good library, parental involvement, and diverse literacy activities, the madrasah aims to create literate and competitive students in meeting the challenges of the future. The uniqueness of MTs N 6 Sleman has intrigued researchers to study the comprehensive and structured efforts undertaken by the madrasah to instill a spirit for literacy growth in the madrasah community. This research will employ a qualitative descriptive research design. Descriptive research is conducted to depict the actual conditions of a variable that is not clearly understood, using collected data and making systematic and accurate analytical conclusions. The efforts made by MTs N 6 Sleman to enhance literacy go through three stages: (1) Familiarization stage through enjoyable reading activities in the madrasah, (2) Development stage of reading interest, and (3) Implementation stage of literacy-based learning.

Teachers’ Perspectives on Supportive and Inclusive Practices: A Study of Four Schools With Diverse Literacy Practices

Previous research states that accessibility and participation are prerequisites for students, regardless of ability, to be able to develop in school. The point of accessibility and participation is that everyone should be able to feel included and have access to learning. From an inclusive education perspective, the interest of this study is how teachers work in diverse literacy practices to address a variety of student conditions and needs. By studying how some primary education teachers describe how they design and stage learning environments, we want to contribute new knowledge about inclusive literacy practices. The data collection was carried out through focus group discussions. We analysed the data with Critical Literacy (CL) as a theoretical framework, and the related concepts of domination, access, diversity, and design were used. The general impression that emerges from our study is that teachers design literacy activities based on both supportive and inclusive aspects and with a focus on variation and diversity. In the study, more similarities than differences emerged, for instance a focus on multimodal methods and the importance of didactic flexibility. The teachers also highlighted the importance of producing text, not just consuming and processing existing texts. Sometimes the analysis reveals differences. Even so, the teachers’ intentions to include all students in the classroom education remain significant.

Information literacy, data literacy, privacy literacy, and ChatGPT

This research delves into the interplay between three pivotal literacies in the digital age–information literacy, data literacy, and privacy literacy—and the receptivity towards the adoption of emerging technology within communities, with a specific focus on the chatbot ChatGPT. Data was gathered through online surveys conducted among adults residing in a four-county region in northern Texas during a two-week period in late 2022, yielding 130 valid responses. The results of regression analysis indicate a positive association between the inclination to utilize ChatGPT for enhancing one's community and proficiency in information literacy and privacy literacy. However, an unexpected observation emerges as data literacy skills do not exhibit a significant relationship with this inclination, despite ChatGPT's standing as a data science innovation. Moreover, age, gender, educational attainment, and internet usage patterns are identified as influential factors in these associations. These findings hold substantial importance in comprehending the intricate dynamics of how diverse literacies and individual and community-related variables mutually shape each other's development.

Indigenous and intergenerational learning in families and communities in Ethiopia: what can adult literacy programmes learn from the traditional Orthodox church education?

ABSTRACT Although Traditional Ethiopian Orthodox Church Education (TCE) has been involved in literacy teaching for over two millennia, its potential as a model and an asset for adult literacy programmes has not been recognised by literacy providers. This paper examines how people of different generations acquire and practise literacy within TCE, including issues around gender equality, and explores the implications for revitalising adult literacy programmes in Ethiopia. Informed by an ‘ideological model’ of literacy, this ethnographic-style research included in-depth interviews with TCE students, graduates and teachers. The study revealed that diverse literacies were being learnt and practised, embedded in both the spiritual and physical aspects of TCE, although women had extremely limited participation. The paper points to ways in which intergenerational learning within the TCE could provide a model for adult literacy and education programmes in Ethiopia.

Providing Alternative Understandings of School Equivalency Trough Literacy and Storytelling

Omah Dongeng Marwah, a library community and school equivalency organizer, distinguishes itself from typical school equivalency institutions, which are often seen as mere diploma publishers. Through storytelling, book discussions, and nurturing students' talents, ODM offers an innovative outlook on literacy practices. This research explores the profound impact of ODM's immersive storytelling along with diverse literacy practices to give alternative understandings of school equivalency.
 Using qualitative research, I investigated why and how Omah Dongeng Marwah Kudus challenges the stigma associated with school equivalency through storytelling and literacy practices. Critical Discourse Analysis was employed to understand the social dimensions influencing ODM's implementation of these practices, challenging the dominant discourse in similar institutions.
 The findings of this research demonstrate that the utilization of storytelling and literacy practices at Omah Dongeng Marwah stems from the social and educational conditions in Indonesia, where the behind-the-scenes aspects of theoretical discoveries are often neglected. The effects observed include increased expressiveness among students, enhanced motivation for learning, and the exploration of their talents and interests. Furthermore, through their literacy practices, Omah Dongeng Marwah presents an alternative understanding of school equivalency, asserting that with the flexibility of curriculum development, educational institutions should prioritize meeting the individual needs of students.

DEVELOPING WRITING SKILLS THROUGH EFFECTIVE WRITING APPROACHES

The purpose of the article is to discuss writing as an effective and productive skill while proposing six different approaches that successfully marry both the linguistic dimension and the task-related awareness students need to acquire in order to successfully express themselves in written forms. Grasping proficient levels of literacy is a universal goal for all children in the elementary classroom. This objective is especially challenging for English language learners particularly in the domain of writing. Writing has been identified as one of the most essential skills because the world has become so text oriented. Due to this change, mainstream teachers as well as ESOL instructors, are in great demand of effective techniques to improve writing skills of this particular population. The purpose of this project is to provide research-based techniques successful in improving the writing skills of ESL students. The findings suggest that through the use of technology, pre-taught vocabulary, various teacher influences and the implementation of positive diverse literacy practices, this goal can be attained. This article aims to discuss writing as a productive skill while proposing six different approaches that successfully marry both the linguistic dimension and the task-related awareness students need to acquire in order to successfully express themselves in written forms.

Balanced Literacy Approach-Based Learning Model Containing Thai Core Values for Basic Literacy Learning in Early Grades

This article presents the findings of research and the development of a learning model based on a balanced literacy approach for early elementary school students' basic literacy instruction. Research and development (R&D) research that has been implemented adopts the Borg and Gall version of the development model. The research has been carried out through a preliminary study stage carried out by applying a qualitative descriptive approach; developing prototype learning models, followed by validation of material and learning experts; the evaluation was carried out by testing the implementation of the model in class I, II, and III. Data collection techniques are questionnaires, observation, interviews. Data analysis with quantitative and qualitative descriptive. The developed learning model consists of 4 stages of learning activities, namely stage I exploring sources of information, stage II implementing a balanced strategy, stage III presenting information, and stage IV reflection. The results of the model validation developed from material experts show an average score of 3.6 (very good category) and an average score of learning expert validation of 3.6 (very good category). The results of the trial implementation of the model show that the average learning achievement in class I is 91 out of an average initial ability of 84. The results of the student response questionnaire to the implementation of the learning model in class I showed an average score of 3.3 (very good category), class II showed an average score of 3.7 (very good category), and class III showed an average score of 3.5 (very good category). Overall, pupils are highly engaged in learning since this learning gives a variety of inventive and diverse literacy exercises.

The Impact of a Comprehensive, Evidence-Based Approach to Summer Literacy Intervention on the K-3 Reading Skills of Economically and Culturally Diverse Students

Although research related to the Science of Reading has documented the positive effects of explicit, systematic reading instruction for all students, students from historically marginalized groups often experience differential opportunities to learn and are likely to perform lower than their peers on large scale measures of reading achievement. These differences may be further exacerbated by summer learning loss (SLL), in which student academic progress stagnates or declines during the summer months. Providing summertime academic interventions, specifically in reading, has been one proposed solution for mitigating SLL. The present exploratory study examined the impact of a comprehensive approach to summer literacy intervention that included evidence-based reading instruction in foundational reading skills (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency) and more advanced disciplinary literacy skills on student reading-related outcomes for rising 1st-3rd grade students. on student reading-related outcomes for rising first, second, and third graders from an under-resourced, urban school. The majority of students who participated in the programming were from historically marginalized populations and low-income families and included students with diverse literacy needs. with 70% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and included students with diverse literacy skills, students with developmental disabilities, and emergent bilingual learners. Students were assessed pre-post using norm-referenced assessments of phonemic segmentation, nonsense word reading, and oral reading fluency as well as curriculum embedded Mastery Tests. Results indicated that students made significant growth or maintained measured reading skills. Results indicated that rising first grade students made significant growth pre-post on measures of phonemic segmentation fluency, nonsense word reading, and Mastery Tests. Rising 2nd grade students demonstrated significant growth on Mastery Tests measures and maintained on other measures. Rising 3rd grade students demonstrated significant growth on aspects of nonsense word reading and maintained on other measures. Findings from this study indicate that a summer literacy intervention designed to address both foundational and disciplinary literacy skills may improve reading-related outcomes for students from economically and culturally diverse backgrounds.

Communicating Personal Melanoma Polygenic Risk Information: Participants' Experiences of Genetic Counseling in a Community-Based Study.

Personalized polygenic risk information may be used to guide risk-based melanoma prevention and early detection at a population scale, but research on communicating this information is limited. This mixed-methods study aimed to assess the acceptability of a genetic counselor (GC) phone call in communicating polygenic risk information in the Melanoma Genomics Managing Your Risk randomized controlled trial. Participants (n = 509) received personalized melanoma polygenic risk information, an educational booklet on melanoma prevention, and a GC phone call, which was audio-recorded. Participants completed the Genetic Counseling Satisfaction Survey 1-month after receiving their risk information (n = 346). A subgroup took part in a qualitative interview post-study completion (n = 20). Survey data were analyzed descriptively using SPSS, and thematic analysis of the qualitative data was conducted using NVivo 12.0 software. The survey showed a high level of acceptability for the GC phone call (mean satisfaction score overall: 4.3 out of 5, standard deviation (SD): 0.6) with differences according to gender (mean score for women: 4.4, SD: 0.6 vs. men: 4.2, SD: 0.7; p = 0.005), health literacy (lower literacy: 4.1, SD: 0.8; average: 4.3, SD: 0.6; higher: 4.4, SD: 0.6: p = 0.02) and polygenic risk group (low risk: 4.5, SD: 0.5, SD: average: 4.3, SD: 0.7, high: 4.3, SD: 0.7; p = 0.03). During the GC phone calls, the discussion predominately related to the impact of past sun exposure on personal melanoma risk. Together our findings point to the importance of further exploring educational and support needs and preferences for communicating personalized melanoma risk among population subgroups, including diverse literacy levels.

Exploring the Use of Teacher Third-Position Support of Multilingual and Monolingual Children: A Multiple Case Study in Kindergarten Classrooms

ABSTRACT With a growing number of multilingual children entering early childhood education, teachers are challenged to create appropriate learning opportunities for all children. Given diverse literacy skills and cultural backgrounds, early childhood educators might provide different support to children after an inappropriate child response depending on the child’s language background. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify different types of teacher third-position support (i.e., support provided after not being satisfied with the child response or nonresponse) in interaction with multilingual and monolingual kindergartners. We conducted a multiple case study in which three kindergarten teachers and seven multilingual and five monolingual children were observed in the classroom during one school year. Support sequences were analyzed using content analysis. We identified six different types of teacher third-position support in educational interactions with multilingual children: allocate turn to another child, provision of hints, reduction of choice, establishing common ground, modeling, and using the home language. Teachers tended to use reduction of choice more with multilingual children, whereas provision of hints was used more with monolingual children. Overall, the presented study enabled us to obtain an in-depth view of how teachers differentially adopt types of third-position support in interaction with multilingual and monolingual kindergartners.

The literacies of a competitive esports team

This article explores a variety of literacy practices that exist with competitive esports, namely livestreaming, moderating/Mods, and VODs/VODcasting. Nearly two decades of research have indicated that videogaming provides rich experiences for developing multifarious and diverse literacy practices, but, to-date, little research examines the literacies born out of the rapidly growing and evolving videogaming market of esports. This study provides insight into the way a team functions to provide meaning-making experiences surrounding livestreaming, moderating, and VODcasting within the burgeoning esports culture. Drawing from a two-year snapshot of a larger five-year ethnographic examination of a competitive collegiate esports team, this study is guided by the theoretical perspective of distributed cognition. Data that inform this study stem from interviews, observations, and artifacts in both face-to-face and digital spaces. Findings indicate that the esports-related literacies of livestreaming, moderating, and VODs/VODcasting, transcend and overlap meaning-making experiences—in-the-moment and in reflectivity—suggesting that the role of the team is vital to the literacies found within the esports ecosystem.