Fourth graders' literacy among cities in the Greater Bay Area : an investigation of literacy attainment, socio-emotions and strategy use

Abstract

The Greater Bay Area (GBA) is emerging as a dynamic international hub, encompassing nine southern Chinese cities in Guangdong and two special administrative regions - Hong Kong and Macao. Given its unprecedented political and economic significance, fostering educational collaboration within the GBA is imperative. However, the educational landscape, as reflected by the Chinese curriculum guidelines, varies significantly between mainland China and Hong Kong in terms of learning objectives, instructional methods, and assessment practices. This divergence might impede meaningful discussions about education and literacy attainment across GBA cities. Theoretically, according to Chall’s Stages of Reading Development (1983), the fourth-grade marks a pivotal juncture in literacy development, transitioning from decoding and influence (“learning to read”) to use reading for gaining information and understanding (“reading to learn”). Research suggests that literacy achievement correlates with social-cognitive factors including socio-emotional factors like growth mindset and cognitive factors such as the application of metacognitive strategies; both of which can enhance reading and writing performance.

The major impetus of this study is to undertake one of the first documentation efforts regarding the classroom-based literacy performance of fourth graders across GBA cities. Additionally, the study seeks to enhance comprehension of students’ literacy achievement by examining the relationship between curriculum guidelines and literacy outcomes, specifically focusing on reading comprehension levels and writing proficiency dimensions.

The study includes 783 fourth-grade students from the GBA region, comprising 597 students (mean age = 10.37, 50.20% female) from three cities in Guangdong (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhuhai) and 186 students (mean age = 10.07, 69.59% female) from Hong Kong. Literacy attainment is assessed through two reading comprehension tasks adopted from PIRLS and a continuation writing task developed by the researcher. Student questionnaires capture demographic information and socio-cognitive factors regarding reading and writing.

Results from mixed-effects linear regression models revealed differences in literacy performance between Hong Kong and Guangdong students. Regrading reading genre, Hong Kong students demonstrated superior skills in informational reading, while vice versa, Guangdong students excelled in literary reading. In terms of reading comprehension level, Guangdong students were more advanced in higher-order processes involving integration and evaluation, featured by comparing and contrasting information. Concerning writing performance, although the two regions’ students performed comparably overall when all control factors were accounted for, Guangdong students exhibited strengths in organization and linguistic expression. With respect to socio-cognitive factors, regression analyses showed intrinsic motivation was a significant predictor of Guangdong students’ reading performance, while extrinsic motivation was the significant predictor of Hong Kong students’ reading performance. Writing strategy use significantly predicted Guangdong students’ writing performance, but not Hong Kong.

Regarding curriculum analysis, both Hong Kong and mainland Chinese curriculum guidelines emphasize comprehensive language education and critical thinking skills. However, they differ in focus areas: the mainland Chinese curriculum prioritizes cultural confidence and specific language requirements, while the Hong Kong Chinese curriculum adopts a more holistic approach to language literacy, integrating broader educational goals and critical thinking development for a well-rounded education. The findings from the quantitative (statistical analyses) and qualitative data (curriculum analysis) triangulate and corroborate each other.

These findings underscore the importance of understanding literacy attainment dynamics to inform curriculum implementation and instructional strategies. Moreover, they highlight the potential for enhancing educational communication and exchanges within the GBA, offering insights into Chinese literacy learning and instructional practices.