Despite an intense focus on improving Australian students' writing performance in recent years, and comprehensive instructional advice to English teachers, researchers have noted a lack of gains in standardised writing tests and negative effects on student engagement and learning. In this paper we claim that these outcomes are partly attributable…

Over a period of five weeks the author and her Grade 8 students immersed themselves in reading about human rights issues as they pertained to refugees. As part of the inquiry they read newspaper articles, explored website resources and the author read aloud to students, sharing vivid chapters of the wonderful book--"The Rugmaker of…

Discusses accounts of classroom practices which draw on socially critical literacy approaches. Outlines how the author was able to work in partnership with an academic mentor in the implementation of a unit of work on Advertising. Notes that what made this unit distinctively English was that a "culture of critique" was established which…