Enhancing students’ reading literacy as the learning of a complex learning object will be studied in two different cultural contexts. As previous studies were carried out either in Sweden or Hong Kong, it is not sure if the findings are valid in other cultural contexts. This raises the need to:
1. discern critical features of enhancing reading literacy in Sweden and Hong Kong
2. develop theoretical tools of enhancing reading in Chinese and Swedish Language teaching in the learning studies
3. explore ways participating teachers handle the lessons to foster students’ reading literacy, and
4. describe similarities and differences in enhancing reading in Sweden and Hong Kong
The project also evaluates the effectiveness of the implementation of the variation theory in improving students’ reading literacy. We study learning both in short- and long-term perspectives in line with our findings on generative learning (Holmqvist et al., 2007) and Vygotskij’s findings (2001) on the same topic. Vygotskij’s claim parallels our findings that more complex or higher functions require a more general understanding which seems to develop learning behind the learning situation (generative learning).
This is the first major in-depth study looking into the impact of both school-level or classroom-level elements on reading achievement of primary students in Sweden and HK. The findings will help authorities and schools develop reading policies and curricula, and help teachers improve teaching pedagogies (especially the use of teaching resources in reading, types and organizations of classroom reading activities, teaching of reading skills and strategies and so on).