Ruth Boyask

Ruth Boyask is a Senior Lecturer at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) School of Education and serves as Director of LitPlus research group. She has been with AUT since 2017 and has previously worked in universities in England, Wales, and New Zealand.

Her educational background includes a PhD in Education from the University of Canterbury, completed in 2004.

Dr. Boyask's research focuses on the changing nature of public education, with particular attention to how educational changes impact policy and practice, especially concerning equality and social justice. She recently served as principal investigator for a research program on children and tamariki's reading for pleasure in Aotearoa New Zealand. Her interests span systems of schooling, school governance, educational decision-making, and the utilization of educational research. She publishes widely on methodological issues and findings from critically informed empirical research.

Her publications demonstrate a strong focus on reading education and literacy curriculum development, particularly examining the importance of reading for pleasure alongside technical reading skills. Her work connects reading enjoyment with broader social and educational outcomes, advocating for holistic literacy education that values both skill development and intrinsic reading joy.

Dr. Boyask has led significant research projects including the Pūtoi Rito Communities of Readers initiative commissioned by the National Library of New Zealand. Her research on reading for pleasure has been funded by the Ministry of Social Development and National Library, highlighting its importance for children's development, wellbeing, and community engagement.

As Director of LitPlus, she leads research initiatives focused on literacy education and reading practices, connecting academic research with practical applications through collaborations with libraries and community organizations to promote reading for pleasure among children and young people.