SCALE: School-wide Coherent Approaches to Literacy Education

In Flanders, secondary school students’ literacy levels have declined significantly, with widening disparities across groups and tracks. Literacy - covering both reading and writing - is vital for learning and civic participation, yet instruction often remains fragmented: reading and writing are taught separately, confined to language subjects. Research shows that integrated literacy instruction across disciplines, combined with strong professional development (PD), can improve outcomes, but
translating evidence into daily practice remains challenging.
This project investigates a dual innovation: (1) a school-wide PD initiative that builds collective teacher capacity across subjects, and (2) purposeful integration of reading and writing instruction.
Focusing on the first two years of secondary education as a strategic entry point, the project aims to embed coherent, sustainable literacy practices in school-wide policies.
Three research objectives guide the work: examining the effects of PD on school leadership, school culture, language education policy, and collective teacher efficacy (RO1); on changes in language and non-language teachers’ quality and teaching behavior (RO2); and on the role of process coaches in
supporting sustainable, school-wide integrated reading and writing instruction across disciplines (RO3).
The research design combines systematic reviews, cross-sectional, and Q-methodology studies, and iterative intervention studies, including pilot and quasi-experimental phases. By linking theory, practice, and implementation, the project will provide scientific insights and actionable frameworks
for valorization to strengthen literacy education across Flemish secondary schools.