Bong Gee Jang is an associate professor in the School of Education. Bong Gee received his Ph.D. in Reading Education from University of Virginia in 2013. His main areas of research include literacy motivation and engagement in digital settings and literacy across the disciplines. His research has appeared in Reading Research Quarterly, Journal of Literacy Research, Educational Psychology Review, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, The Reading Teacher, Literacy Research: Theory, Method, and Practice, and Assessment for Effective Intervention. Bong Gee teaches courses related to literacy across the disciplines and language arts for both pre-service and in-service teachers. He also teaches literacy assessment and quantitative research methods courses to graduate students. In his free time, Bong Gee enjoys playing tennis, jogging, and watching movies.
Literacy assessment, literacy motivation and engagement, literacy across the disciplines, literacy education in global contexts
Bong Gee’s primary research interests involve understanding the interplay of students’ motivation, engagement, and achievement in both print and digital literacy environments. As a language arts teacher in Korea, he gained experience in that country’s competitive, test-driven culture, which convinced him that—although federal standards and curricula might contribute to improving students’ test scores—the notion of proficiency and achievement in literacy needs to be reconceptualized and expanded to place greater value on developing students’ literacy practices. This may ultimately lead to better social policies and help to empower the marginalized learners, who are often labeled as struggling or disabled. This belief has led him to investigate how best to motivate and engage students—in multiple literacy practices and in both print and digital environments—using sociocultural and global perspectives on literacy policy and education.