Using student voice to promote reading engagement for economically disadvantaged students

Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in Australia have persistently performed at relatively low levels in national and international tests of reading literacy. Research attention is required to look for new models to promote reading and reading engagement for disadvantaged students. The current study discussed a case study derived from a practice‐based research project that aims to develop reformative practices to engage disadvantaged students to read. A special feature of this practice‐based research is the promotion of student voice to inform the development of engaging reading practices through partnerships between teachers and students and the endorsement of student input. Based on a rich data set, including teacher interviews, a series of classroom observations, meeting records and student interviews, a case study of one teacher and her class was developed to illustrate how student voice has been used to promote reading engagement through a practice‐based reform process.