Education Commons^™

Acer’S Mathematics Anxiety And Engagement Strategy (Maes): A Framework, Sarah Buckley, Kate Reid, Catherine Pearn, Shani Sniedze

Student learning processes

The Mathematics Anxiety and Engagement Strategy (MAES) was established by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in 2018 in response to declining mathematics achievement and participation among Australian students. Findings from the 2022 cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show that 15-year-old students in Australia had significantly lower levels of mathematical literacy than students in 2003 (De Bortoli et al, 2023). The 2022 results also showed that male students outperformed female students and only 30 percent of students from more disadvantaged backgrounds achieved the National Proficient Standard in mathematics compared to 72 percent of students from …

School Improvement Tool Elaborations: Student Engagement And Wellbeing. Background Report And Literature Review, Fabienne Van Der Kleij, Pauline Taylor-Guy, Tanya Vaughan, Marijne Medhurst, Christina Rogers

School and system improvement

This literature review outlines the evidence that underpins the development of a set of evidence-informed elaborations, or specific practices, that support student engagement and wellbeing across the 9 domains of the National School Improvement Tool (NSIT). These observable, measurable practices to support student engagement and wellbeing have been developed from a review of relevant literature in the areas of socio-emotional learning (SEL), health and wellbeing, student engagement and a sense of belonging, and motivations for engagement. They also take account of commissioned research reports by the Queensland Department of Education and the Department's (2018) approach to student learning and wellbeing …

Spotlight On Student Engagement. Evaluation Of Australia’S Investment In Teacher Development In Lao Pdr, Australian Council For Educational Research

Education Analytics Service

The Australian Government is supporting the Government of Lao PDR to undertake significant primary education reforms through its flagship Basic Education Quality and Access in Lao PDR program (BEQUAL), including the roll-out of a new primary curriculum. Phase 1 of BEQUAL (2015-22) supported the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) to roll out the new primary curriculum in schools. BEQUAL support included teaching and learning materials, orientation training on the new curriculum, and education support grants. Phase 2 (2022-26) is focused on inclusive teaching practices, student engagement and improved learning outcomes. To understand progress and to make necessary adjustments, the …

Teacher Development Multi-Year Study Series. Report Highlights. Timor-Leste: Final Report, Elizabeth Cassity, Jennie Chainey, Debbie Wong

Education Analytics Service

The Australian Government is supporting the Government of Timor-Leste to undertake educational reforms through the Partnership for Human Development (PHD) and Apoiu Lideransa liuhosi Mentoria no Apredizajen (ALMA). ALMA enables the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) to develop teacher professional learning to support the implementation of its National Basic Education Curriculum. Under the Teacher Development Multi-Year Study for Timor-Leste, the Education Analytics Service (EAS) is investigating how ALMA is making a difference to teaching and learning outcomes. The new curriculum was developed in 2013 as a staged approach for pre-school to grade 6, with a focus on improving …

Spotlight On Student Engagement. Evaluation Of Australia’S Investment In Teacher Development In Lao Pdr (Lao Version), Australian Council For Educational Research

Education Analytics Service

The Australian Government is supporting the Government of Lao PDR to undertake significant primary education reforms through its flagship Basic Education Quality and Access in Lao PDR program (BEQUAL), including the roll-out of a new primary curriculum. Phase 1 of BEQUAL (2015-22) supported the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) to roll out the new primary curriculum in schools. BEQUAL support included teaching and learning materials, orientation training on the new curriculum, and education support grants. Phase 2 (2022-26) is focused on inclusive teaching practices, student engagement and improved learning outcomes. To understand progress and to make necessary adjustments, the …

Teacher Development Multi-Year Study Series. Timor-Leste: Final Report, Elizabeth Cassity, Jennie Chainey, Debbie Wong

Education Analytics Service

The Australian Government is supporting the Government of Timor-Leste in education through the Partnership for Human Development (PHD) and Apoiu Lideransa liuhosi Mentoria no Apredizajen (ALMA). ALMA supports the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) to develop teacher professional learning, particularly in support of its major reform of rolling out and implementing the National Basic Education Curriculum (new curriculum) across schools in Timor-Leste. Under the Teacher Development Multi-Year Study for Timor-Leste (the Study), the Education Analytics Service (EAS) is investigating how ALMA is making a difference to these teaching and learning outcomes. The new curriculum was developed in 2013 …

School Improvement Tool Elaborations: Student Engagement And Wellbeing, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer), Queensland Department Of Education

School and system improvement

What happens in schools can have a great and lasting impact on the future wellbeing and outcomes for young people. Schools therefore play an important role in supporting students’ engagement and wellbeing. These elaborations are intended to support the work of schools by providing further specificity about the practices in each of the nine domains of the School Improvement Tool (previously National School Improvement Tool) that optimise student engagement and wellbeing and, in turn, impact on achievement. Commissioned by the Queensland Department of Education, the elaborations provide an evidence-based framework to guide practice by teachers, school leaders and education systems …

International Civic And Citizenship Education Study, Australian Council For Educational Research

Assessment GEMS

The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) identifies and monitors students’ knowledge, attitudes and activities related to civic and citizenship education. The study is grounded in core themes in civic and citizenship education such as young people’s understanding of civic principles and institutions, their knowledge of how to engage in civil society, exercise critical judgment, and their understanding and appreciation of the rights and responsibilities of a citizen. In addition, ICCS embraces concrete themes that have become of increasing importance in the twenty-first century, such as global citizenship, environmental sustainability, the use of new social media for civic engagement, …

Teacher Development Multi-Year Study Series: Timor-Leste: Interim Report 2, Elizabeth Cassity, Jennie Chainey

Teacher education

The interim reports present the findings from the first and second years of a multi-year study on Timor-Leste's Apoiu Lideransa liuhosi Mentoria no Aprendizajen (ALMA). The study focuses on understanding the extent to which education stakeholders, including school leaders and teachers, develop teaching knowledge and change teaching practice over time. It also explores the extent to which participation in the program leads to improvements in learning outcomes for students. This study is framed within the context of Timor-Leste's introduction of a new National Basic Education Curriculum.

Effectiveness Of School-Based Wellbeing Interventions For Improving Academic Outcomes In Children And Young People: A Systematic Review Protocol, Katherine Dix, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Shani Sniedze, Toby Carslake, Jenny Trevitt

Wellbeing

This systematic review protocol outlines the background, methodology and inclusion and exclusion criteria for a systematic review of how effective are school-based wellbeing interventions for improving the academic and non-academic outcomes of children and young people in mainstream schools? The proposed systematic review will be conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for systematic reviews of effectiveness evidence. It will complement system-wide strategic imperatives for health and wellbeing promotion by providing robust evidence to inform policy and practice supporting student wellbeing. The review will only involve interventions that report impact on academic achievement for a population of students …

Learning Practice Guide, Jen Jackson, Kate Noble, Jeanne Marie Iorio, Dan Cloney, Pru Mitchell

Early Childhood Education

The first section of this Learning Practice Guide reminds early childhood professionals of the theory and pedagogy that underpins day-to-day practice, and helps them find ways to recognise children’s confidence and involvement in learning as a key component of their professional practice. The second section describes eight scenarios to prompt professional reflection, and illustrate ways in which early childhood professionals can improve their practice in relation to the VEYLDF Learning and Development Outcome: Children are confident and involved learners.

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'.

Young People’S Trust In Institutions And Their Dispositions Toward Civic Engagement Since 2009, Wolfram Schulz

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

This paper discusses ICCS results regarding students’ dispositions toward civic engagement and changes in their perceptions of traditional vs. alternative forms of political participation since 2009 as well as factors explaining their variations. It focuses on the role of two important variables that potentially influence students' expectations: trust in civic institutions and political. ICCS 2016 results confirm earlier observations that trust and civic knowledge tend to be either more negatively or positively related depending on general perceptions of corruption, and multivariate also show how expectations to engage in politics in later life are associated in different with these two variables …

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 …

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 …

Pirls 2016: Reporting Australia's Results, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman, Marina Schmid, Sima Rodrigues, Jessica Fullarton

Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is an international comparative study of student achievement directed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). PIRLS 2016 represents the fourth such study since PIRLS was first conducted in 2001. Australia has participated in the two most recent cycles – PIRLS 2011 and 2016. In Australia, PIRLS is managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and is jointly funded by the Australian Government and the state and territory governments. The goal of PIRLS is to provide the best policy-relevant information about how to improve teaching and …

Highlights From Pirls 2016: Australia's Perspective, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman, Marina Schmid, Sima Rodrigues, Jessica Fullarton

Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is an international study of reading literacy directed by the IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement). In Australia, PIRLS is implemented by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), which is Australia’s representative to the IEA. In Australia, PIRLS is part of the National Assessment Program. PIRLS has been conducted internationally at Year 4 on a five-year cycle since 2001, however, Australia participated for the first time in 2011. The main goal of PIRLS is to assist countries to monitor and evaluate their teaching of reading across time. Year …

Final Report: Development Of An Online Engagement Scale, Darren Matthews, Ling Tan, Daniel Edwards

Higher education research

The Commonwealth Department of Education and Training commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to review the Learner Engagement Scale (LES), a key measure of student experience. It is administered as part of the Student Experience Survey, an annual survey of a sample of the 400 000 first and final year undergraduates studying at Australian Higher Education institutions – 80 per cent on-campus and around 8 per cent off-campus. Over the years, LES results have consistently shown substantially lower engagement levels in off-campus students – far in excess of the variation between teaching modes that might be expected – …

Timss 2015: Reporting Australia’S Results, Sue Thomson, Nicole Wernert, Elizabeth O'Grady, Sima Rodrigues

TIMSS 2015

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is an international comparative study of student achievement directed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). TIMSS 2015 represents the sixth such study since TIMSS was first conducted in 1995. Forty-nine education systems were tested at Year 4 level and 39 tested at Year 8 level. In Australia, TIMSS is managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and is jointly funded by the Australian Government and the state and territory governments. The goal of TIMSS is to provide comparative information about educational achievement across countries …

Evaluation Of The In2science Peer Mentoring Program: Final Report, Julie Kos, Jacynta Krakouer, Sheldon Rothman

Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation

Large-scale studies of 15-year-old school students show associations between students’ attitudes toward science learning and their levels of achievement (Ainley, Kos, & Nicholas, 2008). One model for improving students’ attitudes towards science and mathematics learning has been the provision of peer mentoring. The In2science program uses a peer mentoring approach to engage secondary school students in science and mathematics study. Working with the classroom teacher, university students serve as mentors and help students with their learning and build relationships in a small group or a whole class. Mentors talk to students about studying science (or another STEM area) at university …

National Assessment Program: Sample Assessment: Civics And Citizenship Report: Years 6 And 10: 2016, Julian Fraillon, Eveline Gebhardt, Judy Nixon, Louise Ockwell, Tim Friedman, Michelle Robins, Mark Mcandrew

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Under the National Assessment Program, the Civics and Citizenship sample assessment is administered to a representative sample of Year 6 and Year 10 students every three years. It is conducted under the auspices of the Education Council. The National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship assesses students’ skills, knowledge and understandings of Australia’s system of government, civic institutions and the values which underpin Australia’s democracy. It also provides an indication of student attitudes and their engagement in civic-related activities at school and in the community. This report presents the findings of the fifth National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship …

Student Participation At School And Future Civic Engagement: Results From Iccs 2009, Wolfram Schulz, John Ainley, Julian Fraillon

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Civic and citizenship education aims to prepare young people for their roles as citizens in society. Potential learning outcomes include enhanced knowledge and understanding of civic-related issues as well as student attitudes and behaviours. This paper focuses on the importance of civic participation at school as part of this learning process. Civic participation at school has been emphasized increasingly in the literature in studies of the associations between student participation at school and their expected future engagement in society. The data presented in this paper were collected as part of the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS 2009), which …

Attitudes Towards Political Engagement Among Lower Secondary Students In East Asian Countries: Results From Iccs 2009, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Based on student survey data from five East Asian countries, the paper contains an analysis of attitudes towards the use of personal connections in politics and towards personal morality among politicians. The first part of the analysis describes the extent and variations of these attitudes which are viewed as of particular relevance within the East Asian context. The second part of the analysis investigates the relationship of these attitudes with student background and school-related variables such as civic knowledge as well as uncovering to what extent these attitudes are related to indicators of future civic engagement among students.

Civic Knowledge And Engagement Among Students From Immigrant And Non-Immigrant Backgrounds, Tim Friedman, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon, John Ainley

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Civic and citizenship education has the goal of preparing young people for their role as citizens in society through the acquisition of civic knowledge and development of positive attitudes toward engagement. However, globalization and higher levels of migration have led to a re-thinking of the way education should be prepared young people for citizenship in an increasingly globalized world which is no longer only defined by notions of nation states. This paper focuses on the relationship between immigrant background and indicators for civic knowledge and engagement. The data used were collected as part of the IEA International Civic and Citizenship …

Partnering For School Improvement : Case Studies Of School-Community Partnerships In Australia, Sharon Clerke

Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation

The case studies in this booklet illustrate the creative ways in which Australian schools are responding to local needs by establishing and building partnerships with community organisations and businesses. These partnerships have been formed to share resources, both human and material. They are providing students with access to breakfast clubs, homework and tutoring programs, after-school fitness and sporting activities, and other programs designed to re-engage students. Local businesses that want students to know more about employer expectations and the realities of the workplace are providing work placements and work experience, traineeships and apprenticeships. Some schools are partnering with other educational …

Student Engagement At New Zealand Private Training Establishments (Ptes): Key Results From The 2011 Pilot Of The Ausse, Ali Radloff

Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE)

In 2011, a pilot of the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE) was conducted with Private Training Establishments (PTEs) in New Zealand where funding was provided for the project by Ako Aotearoa and support also given by New Zealand Association of Private Education Providers (NZAPEP). This report focuses on the results from this pilot. Close to 1,000 responses were collected from students as part of the pilot at ten PTEs and included students undertaking qualifications from New Zealand Qualifications Authority levels three through seven – certificate level to bachelor degree level study. While much is known about the rates of …

Students' Participation In And Valuing Of Civic Engagement At School, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study studied the ways in which young people in lower secondary schools are prepared to undertake their roles as citizens in a wide range of countries including Europe, Latin America, and the Asian-Pacific region. ICCS was the third IEA study designed to measure contexts and outcomes of civic and citizenship education and was linked to the 1999 IEA Civic Education Study (CIVED). A central aspect of the study was the assessment of student knowledge about a wide range of civic-related issues. ICCS gathered data from more than 140,000 Grade 8 (or equivalent) students …

Social Origin And Citizenship Participation In Latin American Schools, Juan Castillo

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Empirical research in political participation has consistently shown that participation is characteristic of those with higher socio-economic status and formal education (Brady, Verba, & Schlozman, 1995; Lijphart, 1997; Dalton, 1988; Han, 2009; Marien, Hooghe, & Quintelier, 2010). Socio-economic status differences among citizens are accentuated in societies with high economic inequality as the Latin American ones (De Ferranti et al., 2003; Deininger & Squire, 1996; Dion, 2007; Hoffman & Centeno, 2003; Korzeniewicz & Smith, 2000), and therefore it would be expected to find political inequality in terms of participation in this region (Côrtes & Dubrow, 2011). Such a link is not …

Evaluation Of The Sporting Chance Program, Michele Lonsdale, Jenny Wilkinson, Stephanie Armstrong, David Mcclay, Sharon Clerke, Jocelyn Cook, Kanat Wano, Robert Simons, Gina C. Milgate, Meredith Bramich, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation

The objective of the Sporting Chance Program is to encourage improved educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (boys and girls) using sport and recreation. Such outcomes may include an increase in school attendance, strengthened engagement with school and improved attitudes to schooling, improved achievement in learning, increased retention to Year 12 or its vocational equivalent and greater parental and community involvement with the school and students’ schooling. The program comprises two elements:

• School-based Sports Academies (Academies) for secondary school students; and

• Education Engagement Strategies (EES) for both primary and secondary school students.

The purpose of …

National Assessment Program : Civics And Citizenship Education 2010 : Year 6 And Year 10 : Technical Report, Eveline Gebhardt, Julian Fraillon, Nicole Wernert, Wolfram Schulz

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The first cycle of the National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship (NAP – CC) was held in 2004 and provided the baseline against which future performance would be compared. The second cycle of the program was conducted in 2007 and was the first cycle where trends in performance were able to be examined. The most recent assessment was undertaken in 2010. This report describes the procedures and processes involved in the conduct of the third cycle of the NAP – CC. This report describes the technical aspects of NAP – CC 2010 and summarises the main activities involved in …