Dr Peter Grainger is a core member of the Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre (ITRC) at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC). In his role as Senior Lecturer in Education (specialising in Educational Assessment, Applied Linguistics, Second Language Acquisition and TESOL) and he brings deep expertise in assessment literacies, language education, and intercultural pedagogy.

Research Focus

Dr Grainger’s research centres on:

• Educational assessment and feedback literacy, including development and evaluation of rubrics, peer review processes, and quality assessment practices in higher education.
• Second-language acquisition, TESOL, and multilingual / intercultural language teaching, with a special interest in Japanese language pedagogy and Auslan/sign-language instruction.
• Intercultural competency and language teaching for diverse student populations, contributing to teacher education as well as language-learning research in multilingual contexts.

He also plays a significant role in UniSC’s Assessment, Testing and Evaluation research cluster, helping lead work on fair, valid and inclusive assessment strategies across university programs.

Key Research Impact

Dr Grainger’s work advances how assessment and language education are conceptualised and implemented:

• His research on assessment rubrics, peer review and feedback literacy has contributed to improving assessment quality, promoting student agency and enhancing transparency in higher education grading and evaluation. This supports more equitable, rigorous teaching and learning outcomes.
• Through his second-language acquisition and TESOL research covering languages such as Japanese and Auslan he supports intercultural and multilingual education, strengthening capacity for language teaching in multicultural Australian contexts.
• His involvement in teacher-education and language-education pedagogy helps shape future educators who are culturally aware, linguistically competent, and better equipped to teach in diverse, multilingual classrooms.

Collectively, his contributions support more inclusive, equitable, and culturally responsive education aligning with ITRC’s mission to foster transcultural and socially relevant research.

Recent Grants and Projects

Dr Grainger has been actively involved in externally and internally funded research and pedagogical innovation, including:

• 2022 – “Auslan for preservice teachers”: A UniSC-funded project aimed at equipping preservice teachers with sign-language skills to promote inclusive education.
• 2021 – New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant: Participation in an international mobility grant supporting overseas field-experience for language teachers / learners (funding value A$132,000).
• Ongoing work under the Assessment, Testing & Evaluation research theme including a project on “Improving assessment literacies through development of quality assessment rubrics and enhanced student outcomes via peer review processes” (previous rounds 2018–2020), contributing to structural improvements in assessment methodology at UniSC.

These funding and project engagements demonstrate his long-term commitment to improving assessment, language teaching and educational equity in diverse learning contexts.

Translation to Practice and Policy

Dr Grainger’s work delivers practical impact across educational settings by:

• Informing assessment design and evaluation practices to support fairness, clarity and student learning beneficial for both domestic and international students, including those from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
• Enhancing language-teacher education and second-language pedagogy, which contributes to improved language learning outcomes, intercultural understanding, and educational access for multilingual communities.
• Supporting inclusive education by equipping future teachers with skills in sign language (Auslan) and intercultural competency expanding access and equity for students from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
• Contributing to institutional capacity-building in assessment literacy, test design, and evaluation strengthening teaching quality at UniSC and beyond.

Recognition and Significance

Dr Grainger’s dual expertise in assessment methodology and second-language education, combined with his leadership roles (HDR Coordinator, research-cluster lead), mark him as a high-value contributor to UniSC’s academic ecosystem. As a core member of the ITRC, his work advances the Centre’s values of transcultural scholarship, educational equity, and culturally responsive pedagogy. His sustained funding record and ongoing research impact underscore his significance for both university teaching/research and broader language and educational policy practice.