Rachel Barber

This research project investigates how embedded academic literacy curricula support the learning and teaching of disciplinary literacy and contribute to student's academic progression and acquisition of graduate communication skills congruent with their professional standards. The research questions pursued in this study are: • What are the discipline-specific academic discourses and practices that students are required to learn? • What are the disciplinary threshold standards for academic communication that students are expected to meet? • Which academic literacy development practices support students to 'decode' the disciplines and achieve disciplinary threshold standards for academic communication?

This research project will contribute to the academic literacies knowledge base by progressing frameworks for embedding academic literacies into disciplinary curricula; learning, and teaching practice in higher education to be inclusive of students' academic literacy development, and the evidence base for embedded academic literacy programs to inform the development of broader success and retention initiatives. Sharing research outputs with the more comprehensive learning and teaching community will contribute to the continuity and sustainability of embedded academic literacy programs. The application of findings from this research will have a positive impact on student success, retention and academic progression.