Can the reading load be engaging? Connecting the instrumental, critical and aesthetic in academic reading for student learning

Abstract

Learning an academic discipline requires at a fundamental level reading of knowledge that has been recorded, debated and developed in writing over time. Given the essential role of reading in shaping knowledge, there needs to be more emphasis on approaches that nurture an engaged reading practice. This article explores the role of instrumental, critical and aesthetic reading stances in engaging students in academic reading at university and the extent to which connecting these reading stances can enhance student learning through academic reading. Using this dynamic view of reading, the article examines insights and evidence from recent research to investigate the connection between these reading stances and student learning. The studies analysed indicate elements of instrumental, critical and aesthetic reading in approaches that effectively engage learners in academic reading. These ways of reading are linked to enhanced learning in terms of individual reflexivity, disciplinary participation, social perspective and global awareness. An analysis of the studies investigated advocates for using a variety of text types, giving students choice of texts, explicitly teaching dynamic reading skills, providing opportunities for social reading practices and implementing process-based assessments for learning. These practices can lighten the academic reading load by enhancing engagement and learning of disciplinary knowledge.

The Implementation of Genre Based Approach and Using Read-Examine-Decide-Write Strategy (REDW) on Students’ Reading Comprehension of Report Text

“…3. Enhanced Text Understanding: By combining GBA and REDW, students develop a holistic understanding of report texts, from recognizing genre-specific features to applying effective reading strategies (Nguyen & Henderson, 2020). 4.…”

Academic reading as a social practice in higher education

“…When we provided the students with collaborative work in social space, they exhibited a developmental sequence of learning (c.f. Cowley-Haselden, 2020;Nguyen & Henderson, 2020), as well as extended confidence in academic reading (c.f. Kimberley & Thursby, 2020).…”

“…They recommend increased support for reading through an organized framing of students' encounters with challenging texts. The second strand of research concerns practices and approaches to teaching and learning academic reading, exploring various creative and collaborative activities and practices (Cowley-Haselden, 2020;Nguyen & Henderson, 2020). Studies from both strands show a developmental embodied sequence of learning occurs via collaborative work in social space where dialogic and multimodal interaction with texts is fostered.…”

Teacher Instructional Scaffolding Improves Psychological Capital of Learners and Boosts their Self-Regulated Learning Capacities

“…While some studies in this area examined the relationship between instructional scaffolding and student engagement (e.g. Nguyen et al, 2020), others have investigated the impact of psychological capital on academic performance (Appiah-Kubi, 2020; Ortega-Maldonado & Salanova, 2017). There is a paucity of studies that examined the direct and indirect roles of both instructional scaffolding and psychological capital in promoting self-regulated learning among senior high school students in Ghana.…”