Education Commons^™

Learning Through Play At School Ukraine: Final Research Report, Rachel Parker, Amy Berry, Kellie Picker, David Jeffries, Prue Anderson, Oksana Zabolotna

Student learning processes

The Learning Through Play (LTP) at School Research Study Ukraine was a four-year intervention study funded by the LEGO Foundation and implemented by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the Ukrainian Educational Research Association (UERA). The intervention was a two-year professional learning program that blended online, and face-to-face learning called the Teacher Innovative Play Program (TIPP). The TIPP was designed based on documented evidence that reports that teachers need opportunities to experiment and reflect to change practice. The study was guided by three research questions which were revised following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian armed forces …

Learning Through Play At School: Ukraine, 2019-2024, Rachel Parker, Amy Berry, Kellie Picker, David Jeffries, Prue Anderson, Oksana Zabolotna

Student learning processes

The Learning Through Play at School Research Study Ukraine was a four-year longitudinal intervention study funded by the LEGO Foundation and implemented by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the Ukrainian Educational Research Association (UERA). The study was implemented between 2019 and 2024, during COVID-19 and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian armed forces. Despite, at times, insurmountable challenges, the professional learning intervention was successful in supporting most teachers to progress from a surface level understanding of learning through play to a deep level. In addition, almost all children’s literacy and social-emotional skills grew significantly from start …

Understanding The Virginia Literacy Act, Candace Bechtold, Kimberly Bridges, David Naff, Joan A. Rhodes, Valerie Robnolt, Tara Davison, Suzanne Alexandre, Michael Crusco, Karli Johansen, Amber Butler, Allison Yandle, Jennifer Askue-Collins, Jean Samuel, Sharrie Merritte, Regina Frazier

MERC Publications

This research and policy brief from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) offers an overview of the Virginia Literacy Act. It is structured to explore the following questions: 1) What are the recent trends in reading achievement in Virginia? 2) What are the policy implications of the VLA for Virginia school divisions? 3) What does the research say about Science of Reading (SoR)? 4) What core instructional programs are approved to meet the VLA? It concludes with a series of key takeaways and recommendations.

Narrowing The Achievement Gap: Culturally Responsive Teaching For African American Students, Haylee Batzer

Culminating Experience Projects

It is no surprise to educators that classrooms are filled with children of all different backgrounds. Most teacher preparation programs try their best to prepare educators to teach students of diversity and support inclusion in the classroom. However, educators are still finding themselves lacking the skills needed to incorporate culturally responsive teaching (CRT) into their classrooms. Students of all backgrounds need inclusive practices to be successful. It is important to all students that they feel supported and seen in the classroom, without these practices schools start to see a decline in graduation rates and an increase in dropout rates. Many …

The Overcoming Disadvantage In Early Childhood Study: Evaluation Of The Australian Literacy And Numeracy Foundation’S Early Language And Literacy Program. Summary Report, Dan Cloney, Kellie Picker, David Jeffries, Prue Anderson

Early Childhood Education

This report provides a summary of the completed Overcoming Disadvantage in Early Childhood (ODEC) longitudinal research study. The study was designed to evaluate the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation’s (ALNF) Early Language and Literacy (EL&L) program by answering the research question: What is the effect of the EL&L program on the development of language and literacy skills in preschool aged children? An integral component of this study was the development of the Early Language and Literacy Developmental Index (ELLDI), a new tool to measure oral language and literacy learning. The development of the ELLDI was based on the recognised need …

Toward A Theory Of An Integrated Theoretical Approach Of Literacy For Black Boys, Aaron M. Johnson

Michigan Reading Journal

In the education landscape the literacy of Black boys is viewed from deficit framing. Often, educators, politicians, and laypeople point to scores on standardized assessments such as the MSTEP, NAEP, ACT, SAT, and NWEA, these tests only tell a part of the story. The part of the story that those assessments do tell is the abject failure of schools’ ability to engage Black boys in school-based literacy and catapult them into proficient and advanced proficient reading levels. The part of the story that those assessments do not tell is the literate lives that Black boys lead. Furthermore, schools do a …

Infographic: Australia’S Reading Results Within The International Context, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Teacher infographics

The new report, Progress in International Reading Literacy Study: Australia’s results from PIRLS 2021, reveals how the average reading performance of year 4 students in Australia compares to other countries. Find out more in today’s infographic.

Pirls 2021 Australian Year 4 Data [Sas], Kylie Hillman, Elizabeth O'Grady, Sima Rodrigues, Marina Schmid, Sue Thomson

Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)

This dataset (SAS zipped) is a data source for the report Progress in International Reading Literacy Study: Australia’s results from PIRLS 2021. Refer to the readme.txt file for details.

Pirls 2021 Australian Year 4 Data [Spss], Kylie Hillman, Elizabeth O'Grady, Sima Rodrigues, Marina Schmid, Sue Thomson

Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)

This dataset (SPSS zipped) is a data source for the report Progress in International Reading Literacy Study: Australia’s results from PIRLS 2021. Refer to the readme.txt file for details.

Pirls 2021 Australian Year 4 Data Readme [Text], Kylie Hillman, Elizabeth O'Grady, Sima Rodrigues, Marina Schmid, Sue Thomson

Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)

This readme file contains information on use of the datasets that form the data source for the report Progress in International Reading Literacy Study: Australia’s results from PIRLS 2021.

Progress In International Reading Literacy Study: Australia’S Results From Pirls 2021, Kylie Hillman, Elizabeth O'Grady, Sima Rodrigues, Marina Schmid, Sue Thomson

Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)

Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is a large-scale assessment that measures how effective countries are in teaching reading literacy. Conducted every five years since 2001 (with Australia participating since 2011), PIRLS provides information about how to improve teaching and learning so that young students become accomplished and self-sufficient readers. In Australia, almost 5,500 Year 4 students participated in PIRLS 2021. These students completed tests in reading comprehension and answered questionnaires on their background and experiences in learning reading at school. To inform educational policy in the participating countries, alongside the assessment of reading literacy, PIRLS also routinely collects …

Infographic: Basic Literacy Skills And The Gap Between Male And Female Students, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

NAPLAN’s National Minimum Standard is the ‘agreed minimum acceptable standard of knowledge and skills without which a student will have difficulty making sufficient progress at school’. Ahead of the 2023 tests, we compare the percentage of male and female students in year 9 achieving at or above the standard in Literacy, over time.

Infographic: Basic Skills And The Gap Between Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Students, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

In the National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests, the national minimum standard (NMS) is the ‘agreed minimum acceptable standard of knowledge and skills without which a student will have difficulty making sufficient progress at school’. This infographic looks at the performance of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in Year 9, over time.

Pirls 2021 Australian Year 4 Data Tables [Excel], Kylie Hillman, Elizabeth O'Grady, Sima Rodrigues, Marina Schmid, Sue Thomson

Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)

No abstract provided.

Caregivers' Perceptions Of Covid-19 Educational Disruptions On Children With Developmental Language Disorder And Typically Developing Peers, Katherine Radville, Danika Pfeiffer, Karynn Sheranian, Julie Wolter, Jessie Ricketts, Tiffany L. Hogan

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Purpose: Understanding the experiences of families of children with developmental language disorder (DLD) during COVID-19 educational disruptions is essential for designing responsive supports during pandemic recovery efforts and beyond. This qualitative study describes the experiences of families of first-and second-grade children with DLD during the pandemic as compared to the experiences of families of typically developing (TD) peers.

Method: A conventional content analysis approach was used to analyze caregivers’ written responses to open-ended questions regarding their perceptions of COVID-19 educational disruptions. Responses were analyzed separately by group: caregivers of children with DLD (n= 23) and caregivers of TD children (n= …

Equity And Equality In Learning In Asia-Pacific: What Do Results From Large-Scale Assessments Tell Us? Gender In Focus Policy Brief, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Anna Dabrowski, Jacqueline Cheng, Victoria Klimova, Isabella Mccallum

Global education monitoring

This policy brief investigates gender disparities in learning outcomes and the factors contributing to these disparities as identified in large-scale assessment data in Southeast Asia. It additionally provides a set of recommendations aimed at enhancing equitable student learning outcomes while advocating for comprehensive support of gender-based interventions within educational quality initiatives, spanning both systemic and school-level support. The findings presented in this brief are drawn from large-scale assessment (LSA) datasets and secondary analysis of these sources. For more detailed information regarding the large-scale assessments in Southeast Asia, please refer to the appendix section.

Review Of The Australian Core Skills Framework And Digital Literacy Skills Framework And Relevant Assessment Tools. Final Report, Louise Wignall, Anita Roberts, Jana Scomazzon

Transition and Post-School Education and Training

This is the final report of a project commissioned in 2020 by the then Department of Education, Skills and Employment to review the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) and Digital Literacy Skills Framework (DLSF) and tools available to support assessment using these frameworks. The review explored the development and history of the ACSF and DLSF, their use and application in the Australian context and examined features of selected international adult skills frameworks and curriculum. Through this desktop research and range of consultation activities with stakeholders, the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) has investigated current use of the ACSF and …

Exploring Ungrading In An Elementary Writing Methods Course, Jen Mcconnel

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

In this reflective piece, I discuss what I learned when I began to implement ungrading practices in my institution's elementary writing methods course. Based on this ongoing experiment, I offer three suggestions for other teacher educators who are intrigued by ungrading but not sure where to start.

7 Hands-On Strategies For Struggling Readers, Elise Murray, Stacey Murray

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Struggling readers are found in almost every classroom across the world. With differing learning styles and abilities, teachers are encouraged now, more than ever, to be innovative when teaching foundational reading strategies. Within this article, readers are provided with a literature review of research and educational literature that discusses how multisensory, hands-on activities promote engagement and active learning for all students. The recommended seven hands-on learning strategies that can promote learning and support for struggling readers during literacy instruction include Build the Words, Feel the Words, Whole Body Letters, Five Finger Retell, Sight Word BINGO, …

Student Centered Language Teaching: A Focus On Student Identity, Rachel Mano

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio is a compilation of essays that describe what the writer has come to see as essential topics in second language acquisition. It begins with a professional environment piece, and then a teaching philosophy statement focused on student identity and interaction in the classroom. This is followed by an essay on observations of teaching. The next two sections focus on pragmatic resistance among advanced learners and the importance of preparing learners for peer interaction. The portfolio concludes with an annotated bibliography outlining the main concepts associated with Communicative Language Teaching, a method that is commonly employed in second language …

Optimalisation Of E-Resources From National Library And Online Information Of Covid-19 To Develop Literacy And Numeracy Test Like Pisa, Nadi Suprapto, Binar K. Prahani, Utama A. Deta

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

By utilising the online information of Covid-19 from e-resources including the national library and online information, the development of literacy and numeracy item test called PISA-Cosains (science context of Covid-19) was carried out. The process was oriented to the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) science framework that has been carried out to produce an instrument product that is valid and practical. The method used in this study is the Research and Development method. The analysis in this study uses Rasch's Item Response Theory (IRT) model. The development process utilises e-resources from national library and online portal of Indonesian …

The Overcoming Disadvantage In Early Childhood Study: Evaluation Of The Australian Literacy And Numeracy Foundation’S Early Language And Literacy Program. Final Report, Dan Cloney, Kellie Picker, David Jeffries, Prue Anderson

Early Childhood Education

The Overcoming Disadvantage in Early Childhood (ODEC) study is a longitudinal evaluation of the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation’s (ALNF) Early Language and Literacy (EL&L) program. The study was designed to answer the research question: What is the effect of the EL&L program on the development of language and literacy skills in preschool aged children? An integral component of this study was to develop a new measure of oral language and literacy - the Early Language and Literacy Developmental Index (ELLDI). The ELLDI was developed in recognition of the need for a best practice measure of oral language and literacy …

Culturally Relevant Teaching For The 21st Century: The Success And Challenges Of Pre-Service Teachers When Using Technology In Critical Ways, Virginie Jackson, Stacy Delacruz, Dominique Harry

Georgia Journal of Literacy

This case study examined pre-service teachers' use of technology as they implemented culturally relevant literacy lessons while tutoring elementary students in their field placement sites. As we enter a new decade, we want our students to be future-ready with technology skills. Here, we present an examination of how pre-service teachers integrated culturally relevant teaching with technology along with a discussion of the tools and devices their students used. Findings provided evidence that as pre-service teachers experienced authentic and engaging learning experiences within a supportive space, they emerged equipped to teach in culturally responsive ways that supported student learning and deeper …

Online Training On Formative Assessment For Early Language, Literacy, And Numeracy (Elln) In The Philippines: Final Report, Rti International

Teacher education

This report describes findings and lessons learned from an online teacher training course in the Philippines. "Becoming a Learning Detective" is a 5-day online course that focuses on the design and use of formative assessment to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes in Kindergarten to Grade 3 (K–3) classrooms. The emphasis is on classroom-based assessment strategies that are embedded within daily teaching and learning experiences, involving an active partnership between teacher and students. The course brings together asynchronous and synchronous elements, as well as whole group, small group, and individual learning experiences. The course was implemented for the first time among …

Using Generalizability And Rasch Measurement Theory To Ensure Rigorous Measurement In An International Development Education Evaluation, Louise Bahry

Doctoral Dissertations

Between the United States and Great Britain, over 30 billion USD was spent in 2018 on international aid, over a billion of which is dedicated to education programs alone. Recently, there has been increased attention on the rigorous evaluation of aid-funded programs, moving beyond counting outputs to the measurement of educational impact. The current study uses two methodological approaches (Generalizability (Brennan, 1992, 2001) and Rasch Measurement Theory (Andrich, 1978; Rasch, 1980; Wright & Masters, 1982) to analyze data from math and literacy assessments, and self-report surveys used in an international evaluation of an educational initiative in the Democratic Republic of …

Research Snapshot: Unicef Philippines Early Childhood Education Kindergarten To Grade 4 Longitudinal Study, Rachel Parker, Jacqueline H. S. Cheng, Prue Anderson, Dan Cloney, Adeola Monty

Early Childhood Education

The Philippines Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Longitudinal Study was a major research investment by UNICEF, the Philippines Department of Education, and the Australian Government. It was designed to investigate the impact of one of the most significant education reforms in Philippines history: the introduction of the Kindergarten year as part of the K-12 Basic Education System. It offers useful insights into the impact of Philippines Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) and key language transition points for students from Kindergarten to Grade 4. This longitudinal study measured not only the impact of Kindergarten, but also the contribution that preschool …

Exploring The Experiences And Effectiveness Of Student Loan Entrance Counseling, Manoj Thekkadathu Oommen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student loan debt is one of the most pressing issues in the United States today. The rate of student loan debt in the United States continues to rise year after year, and the country is experiencing a crisis of increased student loan debt. A program that started with a budget of $15 million in 1965 to expand access to higher education has increased exponentially to over $1.5 trillion in student loan debt today. Students are ushered into the college experience often without possessing a firm grasp of basic financial literacy skills. Federal legislation mandates borrowers to take a 30-minute counseling …

Developing An Assessment Of Oral Language And Literacy: Measuring Growth In The Early Years, Dan Cloney, Kellie Picker

2021-2030 ACER Research Conferences

Children develop rapidly in their early years. A crucial component of this development is a child’s ability to learn and use language. Even before they enter formal education, children have learned much about oral language and literacy through meaningful interactions with others, and from their life experiences. Children, however, do not develop at the same pace – some children arrive in early childhood education and care (ECEC) programs more advanced while others require additional support. Recent reviews of the assessment tools available to ECEC educators show a lack of good quality measurement and a reliance on checklist style inventories or …

Infographic: School Librarian Recruitment – Valuing Reading For Pleasure, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

A new study has explored job titles and descriptions for school librarian jobs advertised in the United States and Australia to assess the emphasis placed on a school librarian’s role in promoting reading for pleasure. Researchers found ‘Australian school librarians are far more likely to be expected to foster reading for pleasure’.

Infographic: Student Enjoyment Of Reading, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

The most recent Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey measured the attitudes held by 15-year-olds on reading. An Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) Snapshot report has analysed these attitudes, and looked at how they differ between girls and boys, Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, and most disadvantaged and least disadvantaged students.