Education Commons^™

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 …

Research Conference 2023: Becoming Lifelong Learners. Proceedings And Program, Kylie Burns (Ed.)

2021-2030 ACER Research Conferences

We know learning in the early years sets the foundations for people’s ongoing academic, cognitive and socio-emotional development. Education across those formative first 12 years is currently segmented, with children often starting fresh in new systems. How can each of us make learning in the early childhood and primary years more effective? Research Conference 2023 will examine research around how we can improve the continuity of learning from birth to 12 years. It will bring together leading international and Australian researchers to provide insights into the best ways to identify, conceptualise, develop and assess these new linkages for learning.

Reviewing Professional Development Programs On Inclusive Teaching And Learning

International Developments

The Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Centre is conducting a review of in-service professional development programs that help teachers in low- and middle-income countries in the Asia-Pacific region build their competencies in inclusive education of children with disabilities. A scoping review aims to identify in-service professional learning programs assisting already practising teachers with the inclusion of students with disabilities in low- and middle income countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Assessment Of Children As Connected With And Contributing To Their World In Early Childhood Education And Care: Literature Review, Kate Noble, Jen Jackson, Pru Mitchell

Early Childhood Education

This literature review unpacks the concept of connection and contribution from the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF), which includes developing a sense of belonging to groups and communities, and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active civic participation; responding to diversity with respect; becoming aware of fairness; and becoming socially responsible and showing respect for the environment.

Peer Review Of Teaching Benchmark Portfolio - Nres/Wats/Bio 459/859: Limnology, Jessica Corman

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Limnology (NRES/BIO/WATS 459/859) is an upper-division course taken primarily by Fisheries and Wildlife and Water Science majors in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Although the course enrollment is open to graduate students, none were enrolled in the year in which this portfolio was written. Learning outcomes focus on understanding the interdisciplinarity of limnological sciences, assessing anthropogenic impacts on lake ecosystems, learning basic limnological field techniques, and investigating and critically evaluating relevant, publicly available datasets. The course satisfies the “ACE 10” requirement for undergraduate students; students meet this requirement by completing a …

Assessment Of Children As Confident And Involved Learners In Early Childhood Education And Care: Literature Review, Dan Cloney, Jen Jackson, Pru Mitchell

Early Childhood Education

This literature review is one of a series of reviews to support Victorian early childhood professionals to assess children’s learning and development in relation to the five Learning and Development Outcomes in the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF). This literature review documents the research that underpins and defines learning for children from birth to eight years, and outlines children’s trajectory as confident and involved learners. The resource aims to equip early childhood professionals with the knowledge to identify and assess children’s progress towards the VEYLDF Outcome: 'Children are confident and involved learners'.

Designing Rubrics For Authentic Assessment, Kathryn Richardson, Anne-Marie Chase

Dr Anne-Marie Chase

This presentation looks at the steps in developing authentic rubrics, from determining the constructs that will be assessed; breaking down the constructs into a set of broad capabilities that need to be observed; transferring capabilities into indicative behaviours (indicators or criteria); and determining the different levels of proficiency.

Designing Rubrics For Authentic Assessment, Kathryn Richardson, Anne-Marie Chase

Teacher education

This presentation looks at the steps in developing authentic rubrics, from determining the constructs that will be assessed; breaking down the constructs into a set of broad capabilities that need to be observed; transferring capabilities into indicative behaviours (indicators or criteria); and determining the different levels of proficiency.

Iowa Agricultural Educators’ Current And Perceived Grading Practices, Jenny Ann Lichty, Michael S. Retallick

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

Literature on grading reveals that grading practices have not changed much since they were first introduced. However, with alternative approaches, such as standards-based grading, being introduced, it is important to look at how agricultural educators are using grades to evaluate student learning. The purpose of this study was to determine the grading practices of Iowa high school agricultural educators. The accessible population consisted of 236 high school agricultural educators. Findings were based on responses of 157 (69.8%) educators who responded to the study via an online questionnaire. These agricultural educators used a variety of learning approaches, and their beliefs aligned …

Improving Consistency In Teacher Judgements : An Investigation For The Department Of Education, Victoria, Marion Meiers, Clare Ozolins, Phillip Mckenzie

Dr Phillip McKenzie (retired)

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) was commissioned by the Department of Education in Victoria to undertake an investigation of current best-practice approaches to ensuring consistency of teacher judgements against P-10 state-wide standards.

The investigation encompassed national and international approaches that had been implemented or were under development. A key objective of the investigation was that the approaches identified should be based on current information, research and best practice, and that they should be supportive of the continued development of a learning and assessment culture in Victorian schools. The report of the investigation was required to provide key baseline …

Improving Consistency In Teacher Judgements : An Investigation For The Department Of Education, Victoria, Marion Meiers, Clare Ozolins, Phillip Mckenzie

Marion Meiers (1941-2018)

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) was commissioned by the Department of Education in Victoria to undertake an investigation of current best-practice approaches to ensuring consistency of teacher judgements against P-10 state-wide standards. The investigation encompassed national and international approaches that had been implemented or were under development. A key objective of the investigation was that the approaches identified should be based on current information, research and best practice, and that they should be supportive of the continued development of a learning and assessment culture in Victorian schools. The report of the investigation was required to provide key baseline …

Discovering And Developing Diverse Stem Talent: Enabling Academically Talented Urban Youth To Flourish, Stephanie Pace Marshall, Glenn W. "Max" Mcgee, Eric Mclaren, Catherine C. Veal

Stephanie Pace Marshall, Ph.D.

The Growing Excellence Gap in K-12 Education, Plucker, Burroughs, and Song (2010) provided compelling evidence that "the presence of an excellence gap is demonstrated on both national and state assessments of student performance," with "economically disadvantaged, English Language Learners, and historically underprivileged minorities representing a smaller proportion of students scoring at the highest levels of achievement" (p. 28). Three "case stories" of students from IMSA illuminate some of the (a) challenges and opportunities inherent in igniting STEM talent in urban youth and ensuring their success; (b) principles for designing and creating learning experiences and environments that ignite and nurture the …

Discovering And Developing Diverse Stem Talent: Enabling Academically Talented Urban Youth To Flourish, Stephanie Pace Marshall, Glenn W. "Max" Mcgee, Eric Mclaren, Catherine C. Veal

Eric McLaren

The Growing Excellence Gap in K-12 Education, Plucker, Burroughs, and Song (2010) provided compelling evidence that "the presence of an excellence gap is demonstrated on both national and state assessments of student performance," with "economically disadvantaged, English Language Learners, and historically underprivileged minorities representing a smaller proportion of students scoring at the highest levels of achievement" (p. 28). Three "case stories" of students from IMSA illuminate some of the (a) challenges and opportunities inherent in igniting STEM talent in urban youth and ensuring their success; (b) principles for designing and creating learning experiences and environments that ignite and nurture the …

Discovering And Developing Diverse Stem Talent: Enabling Academically Talented Urban Youth To Flourish, Stephanie Pace Marshall, Glenn W. "Max" Mcgee, Eric Mclaren, Catherine C. Veal

Glenn W. "Max" McGee

The Growing Excellence Gap in K-12 Education, Plucker, Burroughs, and Song (2010) provided compelling evidence that "the presence of an excellence gap is demonstrated on both national and state assessments of student performance," with "economically disadvantaged, English Language Learners, and historically underprivileged minorities representing a smaller proportion of students scoring at the highest levels of achievement" (p. 28). Three "case stories" of students from IMSA illuminate some of the (a) challenges and opportunities inherent in igniting STEM talent in urban youth and ensuring their success; (b) principles for designing and creating learning experiences and environments that ignite and nurture the …

Discovering And Developing Diverse Stem Talent: Enabling Academically Talented Urban Youth To Flourish, Stephanie Pace Marshall, Glenn W. "Max" Mcgee, Eric Mclaren, Catherine C. Veal

Publications & Research

The Growing Excellence Gap in K-12 Education, Plucker, Burroughs, and Song (2010) provided compelling evidence that "the presence of an excellence gap is demonstrated on both national and state assessments of student performance," with "economically disadvantaged, English Language Learners, and historically underprivileged minorities representing a smaller proportion of students scoring at the highest levels of achievement" (p. 28). Three "case stories" of students from IMSA illuminate some of the (a) challenges and opportunities inherent in igniting STEM talent in urban youth and ensuring their success; (b) principles for designing and creating learning experiences and environments that ignite and nurture the …

Mega Champs Field Trip: A Lesson In Character Development, Kim Akinyanju, Korrie Allen, Edward Lorek

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

The existence of a policy does not necessarily mean that a school will ‘enact’ it (Fulcher, 1997). Queensland Government’s current P-12 Curriculum Framework provides schools with a direction to achieve “a curriculum for all”. However, experience with working with secondary school staff is that they are commonly unaware of the implications of this policy to their everyday work. In fact, they usually respond to any references by the writer to a “curriculum for all” (meaning providing a curriculum for all students in their class, including those with disabilities) with “Where does it say I have to do that?” Meaning, “…where …

Assessment Practices In English Language At The Nigerian Secondary School Level: A Psycholinguistic Issue, Oluwole Akinbode, Anthony Dairo

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

The major purposes to which the results of assessment could be put were diagnosis, evaluation, guidance, grading prediction, and selection. In Nigeria, it is unfortunate that the results of many examinations have been used almost exclusively for grading and promotion exercises and inevitably there has been a neglect of diagnosis, guidance and evaluation although considerable informal use of assessment for these purposes are made by teachers in the classroom.

Outcomes Assessment, Michele Langbein

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Outcomes assessment is an intense topic that has been debated and discussed on university campuses around the world. Educational accountability is a very important topic. There is tremendous pressure from accreditation agencies to comply with outcomes assessment requirements to maintain accreditation. In addition, to be competitive in a market of many choices, students, employers, and legislators are seeking trustworthy programs. This has raised many questions for Provosts, Deans, and Department Chairs. What are the purposes of outcomes assessment? What should we assess? What methods should we use? How do we overcome faculty objections? Do we need to hire additional administrators …

Fundamental Issues In L2 Classroom Assessment Practices, Esmael Hamidi

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

The purpose of this paper is to provide L2 teachers with a succinct, conceptual framework of implementing the assessment forms to facilitate the relevant practical issues in L2 classrooms while focusing the current theories and views of assessment issues in L2 classrooms. I begin with giving a good rinse-out to assessment by distinguishing it from testing and evaluation. Then, following a brief account of the pedagogical history of assessment with a major focus on its ‘authentic’ aspect as the current concern to the educators of the field, I will discuss four criteria regarding the quality of assessment. The paper will …

Predicting Adequate Yearly Progress: Leaving Explanation Behind, Jenifer Moore

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

The purpose of this research was to determine if the variables included in the Mississippi Report Card utilized for the calculation of AYP can be used to predict whether or not Mississippi LEAs will attain adequate yearly progress in reading and math using the logistic regression technique. This study demonstrated that using the variables utilized for the calculation of AYP, a predictive model can be successfully utilized to classify Mississippi LEAs that will and will not attain AYP in reading and math with an accuracy greater than that which can be attributed to chance.

Implementing An Assessment Program: A Faculty Member’S Perspective, Robert Becker

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

In 1999, after several exploratory meetings, the college administration established an ad-hoc interdisciplinary assessment committee to begin a conversation about what students were taught and how faculty knew what was learned and what was not. At the first meeting of this committee, composed of representatives of the college’s seventeen teaching departments, the library, student affairs, institutional planning, research, and assessment, and academic affairs, several impediments to a formalized college-wide assessment initiative immediately became apparent. While a culture of informal assessment already existed as instructors daily grappled with effectively teaching their students, the notion of a widespread institutionalized plan was alien. …

A Pilot Study: The Relationship Of Hope And Anxiety In Graduate-Level Counseling Students Anticipating Taking A Tests And Measurements Course., Sandeep Kaur

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

The ability of comprehend test-based assessments implies careful training and the question arises of the dynamics of the tests and measurements course which are required for masters level counseling students. Research has focused thoroughly on education and training in psychological assessments addressing issues such as how students ought to be trained in the area (Childs & Eyde, 1990), however little investigation has been done on how students perceive the tests and measurements course. While studies have shed light on the fact that often students themselves tend to question the adequacy of their training (Dempster, 1990; Hilsenroth & Handler, 1995), there …

Why Are Faculty Wary Of Assessment?, D. Haviland

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Explanations for faculty hesitancy may be practical or principled, based on experience or hearsay, emerge from more general concerns about change, or be related to assessment in particular. Ultimately the reasons fall into four main categories: worries about the new work assessment presents, a “culture gap” in the way assessment is presented, poor word of mouth about assessment systems, and concerns about academic freedom.

Y Cant They Rite?: Integrating Writing Assessment Across The Undergraduate Political Science Major, Shala Mills, Bryan Bennett

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Historically, student assessment in the Political Science Department at Fort Hays State University was left to the individual faculty member to embed into his or her courses via exams and writing assignments. Our curriculum and learning objectives were based largely on faculty interest in particular courses and on broad perspectives of what substantive knowledge a political science major should demonstrate. Over the years, writing courses such as advanced research methods and upper division theory courses served as unofficial capstone experiences. As such, approaches and expectations varied depending upon who was delivering the course.

Implementing An Assessment Program: A Faculty Member’S Perspective, Robert Becker

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

In 1999, after several exploratory meetings, the college administration established an ad-hoc interdisciplinary assessment committee to begin a conversation about what students were taught and how faculty knew what was learned and what was not. At the first meeting of this committee, composed of representatives of the college’s seventeen teaching departments, the library, student affairs, institutional planning, research, and assessment, and academic affairs, several impediments to a formalized college-wide assessment initiative immediately became apparent. While a culture of informal assessment already existed as instructors daily grappled with effectively teaching their students, the notion of a widespread institutionalized plan was alien. …

Leading Assessment: From Faculty Reluctance To Faculty Engagement, Don Haviland

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Assessing college student learning consumes substantial energy, driven or encouraged by accrediting bodies, the Federal and state governments, and other stakeholders. One might think, for these reasons as well as the longevity assessment has displayed as a movement, that it would be celebrating its many successes in transforming higher education.

Master Teachers’ Critical Practice And Student Learning Strategies: A Case Study In An Urban School District, Greg G. Paulmann

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Job embedded professional development in the K-12 education setting has long been discussed and debated. This study builds on standards of critical reflection and thinking using the National Institute for Excellence in Education’s Teacher Advancement Program’s master teacher model as a conduit between theory and practice. A study of professional development design based on student learning strategies became worthy of review. The master teacher, through field testing and critical reflection, isolates critical elements necessary to transform teaching practice around student learning strategies. The work of the master teacher is situated as a leader of change within a professional learning community. …

An Investigation Of Assessment Practices By Teachers Business Education Subjects, Janet Adetayo

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Assessment is the process of gathering information about a student in order to make decisions about his or her education. Assessment is used for different purposes within different levels of the educational system, for example external assessment in most cases serve as accountability measures and as a result they induce teachers to devote significant amounts of instructional time to preparing students to excel in these examinations even when those examinations do not match the curricula.

Improving Consistency In Teacher Judgements : An Investigation For The Department Of Education, Victoria, Marion Meiers, Clare Ozolins, Phillip Mckenzie

School and system improvement

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) was commissioned by the Department of Education in Victoria to undertake an investigation of current best-practice approaches to ensuring consistency of teacher judgements against P-10 state-wide standards.

The investigation encompassed national and international approaches that had been implemented or were under development. A key objective of the investigation was that the approaches identified should be based on current information, research and best practice, and that they should be supportive of the continued development of a learning and assessment culture in Victorian schools. The report of the investigation was required to provide key baseline …

Investigating The Links Between Teacher Professional Development And Student Learning Outcomes, Marion Meiers, Lawrence Ingvarson

Professional learning for teachers and school leaders

This report, in two volumes, describes an investigation of the links between teacher professional development and student learning outcomes. The study, funded by the Australian Government, provides a review of the research literature and of national and international initiatives linking professional development with student outcomes. It provides detailed case studies of the school-based trials of ten professional development programs in a number of different sites. It examines the repeated measures of student achievement from students in the classes of teachers in the school-based trials. Analysis and discussion of a common questionnaire completed by teachers in the school-based trials is provided. …