Scientific strengths and reported effectiveness: a systematic review of multiliteracies studies

ABSTRACT

This systematic review is built on the seminal work by the New London Group in 1996. Few endeavours have synthesized findings of empirical studies pertaining to the effects and challenges of multiliteracies practices in various schooling and geographical contexts. Through a five-point Likert scale and a deductive and inductive thematic analysis, we conducted a systematic review of 66 multiliteracies articles from the ProQuest® database. These studies were empirical, qualitative/mixed-method, and ranged from 2006 to 2015. Findings show a burgeoning number of multiliteracies studies occurring in 15 countries, with Canada being the most prominently involved. Our evaluation of the reviewed studies was generally favourable with strengths identified in researchers’ articulation of pertinent theoretical frameworks and connections to existent literature. Our findings refer to insufficient information of data collection and data analysis in a certain number of papers. We also elaborate on major affordances, challenges, and oversights of the multiliteracies practices as reported by the reviewed studies and discuss implications for future multiliteracies research, policies on literacy education, and teacher education in diverse contexts.

KEYWORDS:

• Multiliteracies
• systematic review
• conceptual synthesis
• effectiveness review

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Features of participatory culture include: (1) increased civic engagement in democratic spaces; low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement, (2) strong support or informal mentorship for sharing new creative forms, (3) collaborative problem-solving to complete tasks and develop new knowledge, (4) strong member belief in the value of their contributions, and (5) strong sense of membership or social connections among members (Jenkins, 2009).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Faculty of Education, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada, for its generous support for this systematic review project through its Internal Research Grant.

Notes on contributors

Zheng Zhang

Zheng Zhang, PhD, is an assistant professor, Faculty of Education, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada ([email protected]). Her research interests include curriculum studies of transnational education, literacy and biliteracy curriculum, internationalization of curriculum, multimodal literacy, cross-border teacher education undergirded by new media literacies, and multiliteracies pedagogy in culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. These primary research areas have addressed pertinent educational challenges in the era of changes with increasing cultural and linguistic diversity, rapid global connectivity, and fast-paced technological changes.

Joelle Nagle

Joelle Nagle, is a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Education, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. Her research is situated within multiliteracies pedagogies, multimodality and digital literacies, and teacher professional development and learning in language and literacy education.

Bethany McKishnie

Bethany McKishnie, MA, was an MA student at the Faculty of Education, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; e-mail: [email protected]. Through a multiliteracies lens, her research focus pertains to transnational students’ literacy and identity options, transnational curricular studies, transnational literacy pedagogy, and transnational teacher development.

Zhen Lin

Zhen Lin, MA, is a research assistant at the Faculty of Education, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; contact information: [email protected]. Her research interests include multimodality, digital literacy, resources for literacy learning (especially with a focus on new technologies for literacy learning) and multimodal literacy, multiliteracies pedagogies, early literacy, and second language acquisition and teaching.

Wanjing Li

Wanjing Li is a PhD student at the Faculty of Education, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; e-mail: [email protected]. Her research interests span curriculum studies, literacies, and international and transnational education undergirded by multiliteracies, particularly transnational curricula in culturally and linguistically diverse school settings.