Education Commons^™

Survey And Focus Groups Of Students Enrolled In Australian Vocational Education And Training (Vet) Offshore: Final Report, Justin Brown, Wei Buttress, Darren Matthews

Transition and Post-School Education and Training

As part of the Australian Government’s National Strategy for International Education 2025, the Department of Education and Training commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to provide an overview of the demographics and experiences of students enrolled in Australian vocational education and training (VET) offshore. The research findings are based on: (1) analysis of quantitative data collected through the first ever global survey of students enrolled in Australian VET courses overseas; and (2) analysis of qualitative data collected through a series of focus groups with students located in two Chinese provinces.

Buk Bilong Pikinini Literacy Program Evaluation 2018: Evaluation Report, Dan Cloney, Prue Anderson

Early Childhood Education

Buk bilong Pikinini (BbP) provides access to early childhood education and care (ECEC) programs with a specific focus on English language literacy for children from vulnerable communities in Papua New Guinea. This is highly relevant, given the fact that there is likely an over-representation of illiteracy in disadvantaged households and few opportunities for children within those households to be ready for a school system with English as the language of instruction. Established in 2007, BbP has been in operation for more than 10 years and has opened 17 library sites in that time. This evaluation provides evidence about the likely …

Pisa Australia In Focus Number 4: Anxiety, Marina Schmid

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

The pressure to get good grades is one of the most frequently cited sources of stress for school age children and adolescents (OECD, 2017). Both schoolwork-related anxiety and test anxiety have been shown to have a negative impact on student academic performance and general well-being. As students move into the later years of schooling, the academic demand on them increases and they are expected to manage this along with their emotional responses to it. Alongside the assessments of students’ performance in reading, mathematics and scientific literacy, PISA also collects information about their experiences of schooling – their worries, their interests …

Pisa Australia In Focus Number 3: Motivation, Catherine Underwood

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has collected information about student motivation in each cycle, but the types of motivation focused on has varied over the cycles in line with the major domain (or the main focus) of the assessment for that cycle – reading, mathematical or scientific literacy. The focus of PISA 2015 is on science learning. It collected data about students’ achievement motivation in relation to science learning using their responses to the following five items measured on a four-point Likert scale (strongly agree; agree; disagree; and strongly disagree): I want top grades in most or all …

Lower-Secondary Students’ Civic Engagement At School: Results From Iccs 2016, Wolfram Schulz

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Based on survey data from the latest implementation of the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS 2016), this paper explores the extent of students’ civic engagement at school, their beliefs about their own ability to engage and their perceptions of the value of student participation, as well as their willingness to engage in future civic activities at school. Where possible, it compares results with those from the previous ICCS survey in 2009, and it also analyses which factors related to home background, school context and students’ beliefs about engagement explain variation in their willingness to participate at school in …

Young People’S Attitudes Towards Freedom Of Movement And Immigration In Europe. Results From Iccs 2016, Wolfram Schulz, Sladana Krstic

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

This paper will describe in a comparative perspective the extent to which young people endorse freedom of movement and equal rights and opportunities for immigrants, both across countries as well as with results from the previous ICCS survey in 2009 (Kerr, Sturman, Schulz, & Burge, 2010). The analyses presented in this paper will be based on surveys of lower-secondary students (13-15 years of age) across 14 European countries participating in ICCS 2016. They will be conducted in two stages. In a first step, descriptive results will be presented in comparative perspective across countries as well as with the previous survey …

Pisa Australia In Focus Number 2: Educational Expectations, Kylie Hillman

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

PISA has established a profile of what 15-year-old students can do and what they are like as learners. Gaining an understanding about other aspects, including what they want to do in the future is another important goal of PISA. This report seeks to explore how students’ expectations for further education are measured in PISA 2015. It addresses educational expectations across countries and across Australian jurisdictions, as well as educational expectations for different demographic groups in Australia. It also considers changes in educational expectations for Australian students over time, and for different demographic groups in Australia.

Class 3 Proficiency In Afghanistan 2015-16 : Outcomes Of A Learning Assessment Of Mathematical And Reading Literacy, Danielle Anzai, Pam Munro-Smith, Sally Robertson, Maurice Walker, Alexander Daraganov

Monitoring Trends in Educational Growth (MTEG)

This report presents the results of an assessment of mathematical and reading literacy of Class 3 students in 15 provinces in Afghanistan. The data were collected between late 2015 and mid-2016. The report also describes the growth in mathematical and reading literacy between Class 3 and Class 6. The Class 6 data were collected from the 2013 assessment in 13 provinces in Afghanistan.

Pisa Australia In Focus Number 1: Sense Of Belonging At School, Lisa De Bortoli

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

PISA has established a profile of what 15-year-old students can do and what they are like as learners. Gaining an understanding about the non-cognitive aspects, including students’ motivation, engagement and beliefs, for achieving success in school and in the future is another important goal of PISA. This report seeks to explore an aspect of students’ more general attitudes towards school, specifically their sense of belonging at school.

The Unesco Institute For Statistics Reporting Scales: Concept Note, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Monitoring Learning

Measurement of learning achievement is essential to monitor how well education systems are delivering on the promise of universal quality education. This promise is reflected in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Number 4 (Target 4.1): By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes. Goal 4 can only be meaningful if there is a shared global understanding of quality education, and relevant and effective learning. The various indicators associated with SDG Target 4.1 attempt to translate its key constructs into measurable outcomes against …

Learning Progressions As An Inclusive Solution To Global Education Monitoring, Ray J. Adams, Jen Jackson, Ross Turner

Monitoring Learning

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mark a welcome shift in global discussion of education, because now we are talking not only about getting children into school, but also about making sure that they are learning. At the same time, the SDGs introduce a new layer of complexity, because we need to define what quality education means in a way that is meaningful across international contexts.

This short paper describes how the development of global learning progressions provides an innovative solution, to balance the need for flexibility and consistency in global monitoring of learning.

Development Of Reporting Scales For Reading And Mathematics: A Report Describing The Process For Building The Uis Reporting Scales, Ross Turner, Ray Adams, Ursula Schwantner, Dan Cloney, Claire Scoular, Prue Anderson, Alexander Daraganov, Jen Jackson, Sandra Knowles, Gayl O'Connor, Pam Munro-Smith, Stavroula Zoumboulis, Pauline Rogers

Monitoring Learning

As a technical partner of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, ACER-GEM has created reporting scales for reading and maths, with the intention of enabling countries to examine and report the outcomes of their assessment activities using a common framework. This report gives the theoretical and contextual background to the scales, and describes the steps in the drafting process.

Indicators Of Civic Engagement Among Lower Secondary Students, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz, Eveline Gebhardt

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Educational systems, school and teachers seek to prepare young people to understand the society they live in, to engage with its political and social issues and become actively involved as citizens in later adult life. There is a consensus that formal education influences the extent of adult civic engagement (Pancer, 2015). This is reflected in the fact that many countries include civic learning as a goal of school education either as a distinct subject or through several subjects (Ainley et al., 2013). More broadly, civic engagement of citizens is seen as a central characteristic of a democratic society and refers …

The International Civic And Citizenship Education Study: Extent And Variation Of Lower-Secondary Students’ Civic Knowledge, And Changes Since 2009, Julian Fraillon, Wolfram Schulz, Eveline Gebhardt

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) investigated the preparedness and preparation of young people to ‘undertake their roles as citizens in a range of countries’ (Schulz et al., 2017, p xv). ICCS 2016 is the second cycle of ICCS with the first cycle of ICCS having been completed in 2009. In ICCS, the preparedness of young people to participate is operationalized through measures of ‘students’ knowledge and understanding of civics and citizenship as well as students’ attitudes, perceptions, and activities related to civics and citizenship (Schulz et al., 2017 p 1). Students’ knowledge and understanding of civics …

Students’ Attitudes Toward Equality Opportunities, Trust In Civic Institutions And Endorsement Of Religious Influence, Wolfram Schulz, John Ainley

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

This paper will discuss ICCS 2016 results regarding students’ beliefs about issues of relevance in society. This paper focuses on four attitudinal constructs: students’ endorsement of gender equality, students’ endorsement of equal rights for all ethnic and racial groups, students’ trust in civic institutions, and students’ endorsement of the influence of religion in society (which was measured as part of an international option in which most countries participated). It describes the extent of these beliefs, changes since 2009, and its associations with student characteristics, home background and engagement variables, and factors related to civic learning at school and social interactions …

Education In Emergencies: Practitioner Level, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Education Analytics Service

This Practitioner level module is designed to ensure staff members are informed about issues to consider when engaging with international and domestic partners on education in emergencies. It is recommended that staff complete the Education in Emergencies: Foundation level module as background information to this Practitioner level module. Topics covered in this module include: education in emergencies in context; refugees; conflict; responding; gender; actors and coordination issues; and planning and financing.

Higher Education: Practitioner Level, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Education Analytics Service

This Practitioner level module is designed to ensure staff members who engage with and lead policy dialogue with international and domestic partners are informed about pathways through higher education and strategies for investing in and ensuring the quality of higher education. It is recommended that staff complete the Higher Education: Foundation level module as background information to this Practitioner level module. Topics covered in this module include how higher education links with technical and vocational education and training (TVET), secondary education, workforce planning and lifelong learning; investment options for higher education; how higher education is financed, how it is quality …

Learning Assessment: Practitioner Level, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Education Analytics Service

This Practitioner level module is designed to ensure that all staff members who engage with and lead policy dialogue with international and domestic partners are informed about the benefits and risks of participating in learning assessments and the key design and implementation issues. It is recommended that staff complete the Learning Assessment: Foundation level module as background information to this Practitioner level module. Topics covered in this module include the development of learning assessments; the benefits and risks of participating in international or regional assessments; the key design and implementation issues of national assessments; measuring and reporting results; costs; assessment …

Education Sector Interconnections: Practitioner Level, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Education Analytics Service

The purpose of this module is to enhance the understanding of education sector staff on the structure of education systems in developing countries, the interconnections within the education sector, and the wider implications of policy reforms across education systems. It is recommended that staff complete the Education Sector Interconnections: Foundation level module as background information to this Practitioner level module. Topics covered in this module include: why it is important to understand how a country’s education systems are structured; policy decisions in one sub-sector have implications for the others; the implications of policy reforms; how development partners can engage effectively …

Country Or Region Specific Analysis: Practitioner Level, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Education Analytics Service

This Practitioner level module is designed to ensure staff members are informed about how to engage in education sector prioritisation processes, including drawing on sources of evidence and data. It is recommended that staff complete the Country of Region Specific Analysis: Foundation level module as background information to this Practitioner level module.

The Role Of Key Stakeholders In Education And Aid Effectiveness Principles: Practitioner Level, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Education Analytics Service

The purpose of this module is to enhance the understanding of staff members who engage with international and domestic stakeholders and partners on aid effectiveness in education. It is recommended that staff complete the Foundation level of the module 'The Role of Key Stakeholders in Education and Aid Effectiveness Principles' as background information to this Practitioner level module.

The Australian Education System: Practitioner Level, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Education Analytics Service

This Practitioner level module is designed to ensure that Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) staff members who engage with and lead policy dialogue with international and domestic partners are informed about Australia's education and training system. It is recommended that staff complete the Australian Education System: Foundation level module as background information to this Practitioner level module. Topics covered include an overview of the structure of the Australian education system, how the system is financed, how Australian education compares with other countries, and Australian education tools and data sources.

Education Pathways: Practitioner Level, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Education Analytics Service

This Practitioner level module is designed to ensure that all staff members who engage with and lead policy dialogue with international and domestic partners are informed about strategies to promote flexible, equitable and appropriate learning pathways and investment options to strengthen learning pathways. It is recommended that staff complete the Education Pathways: Foundation level module as background information to this Practitioner level module. Topics covered in this module cover: promoting flexible, equitable and appropriate learning pathways; the range of data that can be used to strengthen policy on education pathways; and how data can inform investment decisions.

Monitoring And Evaluation: Practitioner Level, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Education Analytics Service

This Practitioner level module is designed to ensure staff members who manage education investments, can understand the concepts and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices needed for designing and supervising education investments. It is recommended that staff complete the Monitoring and Evaluation: Foundation level module as background information to this Practitioner level module. Topics covered in this module include: monitoring versus evaluation; monitoring and evaluation standards; monitoring and evaluation in practice; evaluation considerations; education indicators; monitoring and evaluation reporting; and gender and social inclusion considerations.

Higher Education: Foundation Level, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Education Analytics Service

The purpose of this module is to provide introductory information about the importance, structure, purpose, key issues and outcomes of higher education. It provides a foundation to engage in this topic and apply advice from staff with operational or expert levels of knowledge in education. On successful completion you will be able to be an informed participant in forums related to higher education.

Basic Education: Foundation Level, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Education Analytics Service

The purpose of this module is to provide introductory information about the importance, structure, purpose, key issues and outcomes of basic education. It provides a foundation to engage in this topic and apply advice from staff with operational or expert levels of knowledge in education. On successful completion you will be able to be an informed participant in forums related to basic education.

The Australian Education System: Foundation Level, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Education Analytics Service

The purpose of this module is to provide an overview of the Australian education system. It provides a foundation to engage in this topic and apply advice from staff with operational or expert levels of knowledge in education. On successful completion you will be able to be an informed participant in multi-stakeholder forums related to Australian education.

Education Financing: Practitioner Level, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Education Analytics Service

This Practitioner level module is designed to ensure that Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) staff members who engage with and lead policy dialogue with international and domestic partners are informed about key aspects of education financing, including public financial management, expenditure accountability, and gender-responsive budgeting. It is recommended that staff complete the Education Finance: Foundation Level module as background information to this Practitioner level module.

The Role Of Key Stakeholders In Education And Aid Effectiveness Principles: Foundation Level, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Education Analytics Service

The purpose of this module is to provide introductory information on identifying key stakeholders in education, the importance of engaging with these stakeholders, and relevant international agreements that guide effective partner interaction. It provides a foundation to engage in this topic and apply advice from staff with operational or expert levels of knowledge in education. On successful completion you will be an informed participant in forums related to engaging with key stakeholders and partners in education and aid effectiveness principles.

Monitoring And Evaluation: Foundation Level, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Education Analytics Service

The purpose of this module is to provide introductory information about monitoring and evaluation (M&E), including the purpose, application of M&E frameworks, and key issues in education M&E. It provides a foundation to engage in this topic and apply advice from staff with operational or expert levels of knowledge in education M&E.