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Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)

2019

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Full-Text Articles in Education

Performance In First Year Mathematics And Science Subjects In Australian Universities: Does Senior Secondary Mathematics Background Matter? Final Report, Julie Mcmillan, Daniel Edwards Dec 2019

Performance In First Year Mathematics And Science Subjects In Australian Universities: Does Senior Secondary Mathematics Background Matter? Final Report, Julie Mcmillan, Daniel Edwards

Higher education research

This study explores the extent to which study of mathematics in senior secondary school is a predictor of success in core mathematics and science subjects in the first year of university. The study looked at 16,436 first year students in biology chemistry mathematics and physics from twelve universities covering a range of types. It looked at their pass rates against the level of mathematics that they studied in year 12, including whether they had studied any mathematics of significance to a science degree. The study findings show that, in general, those who study higher levels of mathematics at year 12 …


Infographic: Pisa 2018 – Australian Trends And Comparison, Jo Earp Dec 2019

Infographic: Pisa 2018 – Australian Trends And Comparison, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

Results from the OECD's 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) have been released. The data show Australian student performance is in long-term decline. This infographic looks at Australia’s PISA performance over time, and how the 2018 results compare internationally.


Infographic: Pisa 2018 – Australian Results By State And Territory, Jo Earp Dec 2019

Infographic: Pisa 2018 – Australian Results By State And Territory, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

The OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) measures how well 15-year-olds are prepared to use their skills and knowledge to meet real-life challenges. The 2018 data show Australian student performance in all three assessment domains is in long-term decline. This infographic looks at the low and high performers by jurisdiction.


Connect 240 - December 2019 Dec 2019

Connect 240 - December 2019

Connect

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Pisa 2018: Reporting Australia’S Results. Volume I Student Performance, Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Catherine Underwood, Marina Schmid Dec 2019

Pisa 2018: Reporting Australia’S Results. Volume I Student Performance, Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Catherine Underwood, Marina Schmid

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international comparative study of student performance directed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). PISA measures the cumulative outcomes of education by assessing how well 15-year-olds, who are nearing the end of their compulsory schooling in most participating educational systems, are prepared to use the knowledge and skills in particular areas to meet real-life opportunities and challenges. The term literacy is attached to the assessment domains of reading, mathematics and science to reflect the focus on these broader skills and as a concept it is used in a much …


Pisa 2018 In Brief I. Student Performance, Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Catherine Underwood, Marina Schmid Dec 2019

Pisa 2018 In Brief I. Student Performance, Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Catherine Underwood, Marina Schmid

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

This document provides a summary of student performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 assessment and tells us about their capacities to apply knowledge and skills in the domains of reading, mathematical, and scientific literacy. In 2018, 79 countries and economies including Australia participated in PISA. The focus of this report is Australia’s performance results in an international context. It covers Australia’s performance over time, results for the Australian states and territories, school sectors, female and male students, the geographic location of schools, socioeconomic background, Indigenous background, immigrant background and language spoken at home.


School Resourcing: What Hinders Quality Instruction?, Sue Thomson Dec 2019

School Resourcing: What Hinders Quality Instruction?, Sue Thomson

Teacher columnist - Sue Thomson

It was recently reported in the media that, in a survey of about 1000 parents, 88 per cent rated the level of resources available at their children’s school as at least adequate. Of course, parents’ views are only one perspective.


Reporting Student Learning, Hilary Hollingsworth, Jonathan Heard Dec 2019

Reporting Student Learning, Hilary Hollingsworth, Jonathan Heard

NSW Curriculum Review

This paper is one of six research ‘backgrounders’ to support the 2018–20 review of the New South Wales (NSW) curriculum. It focuses on reporting student learning, which has been identified as an area of interest in the review. This paper seeks to present an evidence base, based on a rapid review of relevant research literature, to inform considerations related to student reporting practice reform.


Infographic: Students With Disability, Jo Earp Nov 2019

Infographic: Students With Disability, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

Advocacy group Children and Young People with Disability Australia sought the views of almost 500 parents and carers of primary and secondary students with disability for its 2019 National Education Survey. Today’s infographic looks at some of the main findings.


Communicating Student Learning Progress: A Review Of Student Reporting In Australia, Hilary Hollingsworth, Jonathan Heard, Paul R. Weldon Nov 2019

Communicating Student Learning Progress: A Review Of Student Reporting In Australia, Hilary Hollingsworth, Jonathan Heard, Paul R. Weldon

Assessment and Reporting

The Communicating Student Learning Progress project was initiated to investigate questions relating to the effectiveness of current methods of communicating student progress, the extent to which they are valued by stakeholders, whether they are considered to provide quality information about student learning, and whether there are alternative designs for these activities that might be more effective. The project took place over a three-year period from July 2016 to June 2019.


Communicating Student Learning Progress: A Review Of Student Reporting In Australia. Findings In Brief, Hilary Hollingsworth, Jonathan Heard, Paul R. Weldon Nov 2019

Communicating Student Learning Progress: A Review Of Student Reporting In Australia. Findings In Brief, Hilary Hollingsworth, Jonathan Heard, Paul R. Weldon

Assessment and Reporting

The Communicating Student Learning Progress project was initiated to investigate questions relating to the effectiveness of current methods of communicating student progress, the extent to which they are valued by stakeholders, whether they are considered to provide quality information about student learning, and whether there are alternative designs for these activities that might be more effective. The project took place over a three-year period from July 2016 to June 2019.


The Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics Program: Thinking Globally In A Regional Context, Unicef, Southeast Asian Ministers Of Education Organization (Seameo) Nov 2019

The Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics Program: Thinking Globally In A Regional Context, Unicef, Southeast Asian Ministers Of Education Organization (Seameo)

Assessment and Reporting

The Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) program is a regional assessment that aims to set a common approach to assessing the learning outcomes of students at Grade 5. As an alternative to international large-scale assessments and national assessments, SEA-PLM has developed a set of assessment and survey instruments for the Southeast Asian region. Designed to be a system-level monitoring tool of educational quality and equity, SEA-PLM covers four domains: mathematics, reading, writing and global citizenship. The assessment also includes questionnaires that gather important contextual information from students, parents, teachers and school principals. A key feature of the SEA-PLM assessment …


What Do Schools Want From Engagement With Business?, Sheldon Rothman Nov 2019

What Do Schools Want From Engagement With Business?, Sheldon Rothman

Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation

In recent years there have been policy discussions of the potential value of businesses engaging in the school education sector. However, the voice of educators is rarely heard and teachers’ perspective is vital to understanding what would ensure positive outcomes from such engagement. This research addresses this by engaging directly with school leaders and teachers around what they want from engagement with business, including reflections on experiences to date.


The Science Of Social And Emotional Learning, Anantha Kumar Duraiappah, Nandini Chatterjee Singh Nov 2019

The Science Of Social And Emotional Learning, Anantha Kumar Duraiappah, Nandini Chatterjee Singh

Teacher India

Integration of social and emotional learning promises to be a win-win for education. This article discusses the importance of adopting a whole-brain approach to learning.


Infographic: Students, Teachers And Private Tutoring, Jo Earp Nov 2019

Infographic: Students, Teachers And Private Tutoring, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

Two new UK surveys shine a light on how many secondary school students have used a private tutor outside school, and how many primary and secondary teachers have carried out tutoring in their own time.


Preparing For Life In A Digital World: The Iea International Computer And Information Literacy Study 2018 International Report, Julian Fraillon, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz, Tim Friedman, Daniel Duckworth Nov 2019

Preparing For Life In A Digital World: The Iea International Computer And Information Literacy Study 2018 International Report, Julian Fraillon, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz, Tim Friedman, Daniel Duckworth

ICT - Digital Literacy

The second cycle of ICILS in 2018 (ICILS 2018) continued to investigate students’ computer and information literacy (CIL) and also investigated students’ computational thinking (CT). This dimension involves conceptualising problems (through algorithmic or systems thinking) and operationalising solutions (creating, implementing, and evaluating computer-based responses to problems). The inclusion of CT as an option in ICILS 2018 reflects recent interest by educators, researchers, and policymakers in the value of CT in schooling. ICILS 2018 studied how these components of digital competence related to each other and to the school and out-of-school contexts that support learning with and about computer technology. This …


Volunteerism - Sowing Seeds Early, Geeta S. Shetty Nov 2019

Volunteerism - Sowing Seeds Early, Geeta S. Shetty

Teacher India

Volunteerism is a concept of social activity that is based on the philosophy of free will. The seeds of volunteerism need to be sown early in life to ensure that the future generations are empowered for social advocacy. This article throws light on the concept of volunteerism and its implications for social accountability of learners.


Critical Thinking And Problem-Solving, Amy Lightfoot Nov 2019

Critical Thinking And Problem-Solving, Amy Lightfoot

Teacher India

How can teachers help learners become critical thinkers and problem solvers while ensuring that they acquire the necessary knowledge for each subject?


The Politics Of Gender, Caste, And Education In India, Vimala Ramachandran Nov 2019

The Politics Of Gender, Caste, And Education In India, Vimala Ramachandran

Teacher India

India has a long history of gender and caste-based discrimination and subordination that influences access to education. The country has made significant advances but a lot more needs to be done.


The Teaching And Learning International Survey 2018. Australian Report Volume 1: Teachers And School Leaders As Lifelong Learners, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman Nov 2019

The Teaching And Learning International Survey 2018. Australian Report Volume 1: Teachers And School Leaders As Lifelong Learners, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman

OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)

The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) collects internationally comparable data on the learning environment and the working conditions of teachers and principals in schools across the world. The results of the survey continue to provide valid, timely and comparable information from the perspective of school practitioners to help countries review and define policies for developing a high-quality teaching profession. Australia’s participation in TALIS 2018 was managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). A total of 6603 teachers and 453 principals from a representative sample of primary and secondary schools across Australia participated in TALIS 2018. This …


Quality-Focused Interventions In Early Childhood Education And Care (Ecec) In Economically Developing Countries, Jen Jackson, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Toby Carslake, Petra Lietz Nov 2019

Quality-Focused Interventions In Early Childhood Education And Care (Ecec) In Economically Developing Countries, Jen Jackson, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Toby Carslake, Petra Lietz

Monitoring Learning

Quality-focused early childhood education and care (ECEC) interventions are aimed at improving the quality of an existing intervention, service or program. These studies are of particular interest in the current global ECEC context as the emphasis on early childhood services shifts from access and participation to quality. Quality encompasses many aspects of an ECEC program, including structural dimensions and process dimensions. Structural dimensions cover infrastructure and resources, training for personnel and adult-child ratios. Process dimensions cover adult-child interactions, and opportunities for play and exploration. The 20 quality-focused interventions in ECEC identified for this review (of a total of 109 studies; …


Integrated Interventions In Early Childhood Education And Care (Ecec) In Economically Developing Countries, Jen Jackson, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Toby Carslake, Petra Lietz Nov 2019

Integrated Interventions In Early Childhood Education And Care (Ecec) In Economically Developing Countries, Jen Jackson, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Toby Carslake, Petra Lietz

Monitoring Learning

Integrated interventions combine multiple services or supports across different agencies in health, social welfare, employment services and education. Such interventions are typically larger in scale than those in other categories (e.g. parent- or child focused ECEC interventions), requiring collaboration or coordination of multiple service providers within the community. Integrated interventions are regarded as the most effective way to address young children’s learning and development and break inter-generational cycles of poverty. Four integrated interventions in ECEC were identified for this review (of a total of 109 studies) which required studies to examine links to children’s development outcomes, resulting in available evidence …


Infographic: Wise Words On Lifelong Learning, Dominique Russell Oct 2019

Infographic: Wise Words On Lifelong Learning, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

Each year in our reader survey, we ask you: ‘looking back on your experience as an educator, if you could share one piece of advice with your peers, what would it be?’ In this infographic, we take a look at some of your responses on the topic of lifelong learning.


Learning Practice Guide, Jen Jackson, Kate Noble, Jeanne Marie Iorio, Dan Cloney, Pru Mitchell Oct 2019

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.


Developing Creativity And Imagination Skills, Amy Lightfoot Oct 2019

Developing Creativity And Imagination Skills, Amy Lightfoot

Teacher India

Cultivating creativity among students is widely acknowledged as an essential prerequisite for 21st century success. In this article, the author discusses how teachers can help foster creativity in the classroom.


Connect 239 - October 2019 Oct 2019

Connect 239 - October 2019

Connect

Click on the DOWNLOAD link to obtain a PDF of this issue


Nurturing Wonder And Igniting Passion: Designs For A Future School Curriculum. Nsw Curriculum Review Interim Report, Geoff N. Masters Oct 2019

Nurturing Wonder And Igniting Passion: Designs For A Future School Curriculum. Nsw Curriculum Review Interim Report, Geoff N. Masters

NSW Curriculum Review

This report is an interim report of the New South Wales Curriculum Review. This review has concluded that change is required. The changes proposed by the Review are significant. They relate to the amount and nature of syllabus content, the overall structure of the curriculum, and the focus of learning in the senior years of school. It has been produced as a progress report and a basis for consultation on the broad directions it identifies.


Revision Or Re-Vision: Exploring Approaches To The Differentiation Of Qualification Types In The Australian Qualifications Framework, Kate Perkins, Justin Brown, Paul R. Weldon, Louise Wignall Oct 2019

Revision Or Re-Vision: Exploring Approaches To The Differentiation Of Qualification Types In The Australian Qualifications Framework, Kate Perkins, Justin Brown, Paul R. Weldon, Louise Wignall

Transition and Post-School Education and Training

In March 2019, the Department of Education commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to conduct a conceptual analysis of the most appropriate way to develop and present a taxonomy of learning outcomes within a qualifications framework; and a technical analysis and revision of the Knowledge, Skills and Application of Knowledge and Skills descriptors used in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Later this was extended to development of two alternative models that: (a) reflect the new conceptual base developed in Part I; (b) comprise a set of revised domain definitions (along with a new typology for each domain); and …


Assessing Social And Emotional Skills, Sue Thomson Sep 2019

Assessing Social And Emotional Skills, Sue Thomson

Teacher columnist - Sue Thomson

In this edited version of her presentation at ACER’s Research Conference Dr Sue Thomson looks at the assessment of social and emotional skills in an increasingly fast-changing and diverse world.


Infographic: Teaching Practices – Clarity Of Instruction, Jo Earp Sep 2019

Infographic: Teaching Practices – Clarity Of Instruction, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

As a classroom teacher, how often do you explain what you expect students to learn, or how old and new topics are related? The latest OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS 2018), asked participants about their use of a range of teaching practices associated with clarity of instruction. Today’s infographic takes a look at the results.