Education Commons^™

Diversity Awareness In Management Education: Survey Results 1995 Research Project, Catherine Smith

Research outputs pre 2011

While much is known about female disadvantage in learning, less research has explored their advantages, or the advantages and disadvantages experienced by male students. It seems to be generally assumed that gender issues are exclusively female issues. This project sought to dispel this myth by gathering information about male students' perceptions and experiences, and comparing them with those of female students, to highlight perceptual differences and their implications for learning.

Children's Knowledge And Understanding Of Basic Number Facts, Jack Bana, Richard Korbosky

Research outputs pre 2011

Automatic recall of all the basic number facts is a major objective in primary school mathematics. This is an objective that is not easily attained. Many students have problems acquiring the skills which lead to correct and immediate responses (automatic recall) for all the basic number facts. Knowledge of the basic number facts is essential for undertaking all computation efficiently. These basic facts are defined as 0 + 0 to 9 + 9 for addition and their subtractive opposites; and 0 x 0 to 9 x 9 for multiplication and their inverses in division. This is a total of 390 …

A Focus On Learning : Wuality In Teaching & Learning : The Proceedings Of The Teaching & Learning Forum, Edith Cowan University, Perth, February 1995, Laurie Summers (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

These papers represent the proceedings of the fourth Teaching and Learning Forum conducted in Perth from February 7-9, 1995. Curtin University hosted the first two Forums and we at Edith Cowan University the third and fourth. In 1996 the honour (and the hard work) transfers to Murdoch.

The Forum's objectives were:

• To bring together people in higher education who are interested in practical teaching issues (Lecturers, managers, administrators, students, support, general and technical staff).

• To share ideas, information and practices in a variety of mutually supportive, friendly and co-operative ways.

• To celebrate quality in teaching and learning …

Literacy At A Distance: Language And Learning In Distance Education, William Louden, Judith Rivalland

Research outputs pre 2011

This study provides a description of the practices and strategies of distance learning for students in Years 6 to 10. It describes the materials and modes of delivery of distance education, and identifies three influences on achievement. A model for improvement is proposed, identifying ten prospective areas for improvement of distance education services...

Problem-Based Learning And Competency Development., C. S. Chappell, P. Hager

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Problem-based learning is an approach to professional education which has been used by a number of educational institutions involved in professional education both here and overseas. The most famous example in Australia is probably the medical course at the University of Newcastle. This paper argues that this initiative in professional education has within it characteristics which are sympathetic to many of the current moves in Australia to describe, and in some cases redefine, professional work. This process is part of a wider move in Australia to upgrade and improve the skills and abilities of the Australian workforce in the context …

Development Of A Constructivist Model For Teacher Inservice., Brian Hand, David F. Treagust

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In this paper, we consider a model for teacher inservice that is informed by constructlvlsm. Initially, we consider the criteria for identifying conceptual change, briefly examine research on the roles which teachers engage in when implementing innovations, and describing different knowledge bases needed m usmg teaching approaches informed by constructivist referents. Secondly, we describe an inservice programme for science teachers in one high school, and thirdly show how a five-stage model to introduce teaching/learning approaches informed by constructivism was developed.

Wild Beasts And Other Curiosities: West Australian Research, Issues And Innovations In Early Childhood Education, Martyn Wild (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

Editorial Is it true that young children need to play more, that perceptual-motor programs don't work, or that schools can learn lessons from child care? Do you know how to turn children into 'greenies', help them express the wild beast within, or use computers to develop vital skills? If you're unsure, outraged, confused or curious, then this book is for you! Practitioners and academics in early childhood have written these papers for the Edith Cowan Memorial Conference for Early Childhood in 1996. The chapters are diverse in style and topic, but are linked by the authors' deep interest in the …

Language And Communication Enhancement For Two-Way Education : Report, Ian G. Malcolm

Research outputs pre 2011

Indigenous Australians command many languages including autochthonous (Indigenous) and contact languages (creoles and Aboriginal English). This project is concerned with the majority who speak English, especially those who speak English as a first language, in an Aboriginal English variety. The project was developed by Edith Cowan University in cooperation with the Education Department of Western Australia as a response to an increasing demand from teachers of Indigenous students for help in providing for their needs as speakers of Aboriginal English. It was funded from the DEBT National Priority (Reserve) Fund to enable the University to develop course modules in Aboriginal …

Teaching English Communicatively In China - Educating Teachers Is Not Enough., Bernard Hird

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The extent to which the communicative language teaching approach is a relevant and viable methodology for English language teachers to use in China is an issue that has generated considerable interest in recent years. The conclusions drawn in this article are based on experiences of teaching in an in-service course for senior middle-school teachers of English in Hangzhou, China. The paper suggests that the communicative approach does have a role in English language teaching in China but that aspects of the approach need to be applied selectively and with caution. Some of the reasons for this stem from the nature …

Technology In Teacher Education : Using Multimedia To Enhance The Design And Make Processes., Brian Ferry, Christine Brown

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports on the use of a multimedia journal to enhance a subject in technology education. The subject was delivered to preservice teachers studying to be primary school teachers. The multimedia journal was used to assist in the delivery of the subject and to record the progress made by students. It is argued that multimedia used in this manner complements and extends upon the teaching program and becomes an integral part of the learning process

Public Speaking For Graduate Student Reachers In The Diploma Of Education., D. M. Murison Travers

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Graduate student teachers in the Diploma of Education took part in a 10 hour elective on speaking in groups, aimed at helping those who were communication apprehensive or shy to overcome their fears. Confident speakers also took part, to provide modelling and assistance, and to learn ways of teaching oral communication in school. McCroskey's (1977) Verbal Activity Scale (VAS) and Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA) were used with a questionnaire evaluating the programme (EvaIProg) to compare the reactions of the more and less confident speakers to the activities. The less confident speakers claimed to benefit from the programme, which …

Four Book Reviews, Carlisle Sheridan, Ann Crittenden, Bruce Haynes, M. Wild, A. M. Blackmore

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Fox, Mem. (1993) Radical reflections : passionate opinions on teaching, learning, and living. Sydney, Harcourt Brace.

Ingvarson, L, and Chadbourne, R (Editors) (1994) Valuing teachers' work : new directions in teacher appraisal. Camberwell, Vic : Australian Council for Educational Research.

Shears, L. (Editor) (1995) Computers and schools. Camberwell, Vic : ACER.

Maltby, F., Gage, N. L. & Berliner, D. (1995) Educational psychology : an Australian and New Zealand perspective. Brisbane : John Wiley.

Report On The Evaluation Of The 1994 Western Australian Transition Support Program For Students With Disabilities, Errol Cocks, Judy Cockram, Trish Formentin, Hannah Cocks

Research outputs pre 2011

The "Transition Support Program" described in this report is the Western Australian Transition Support Program for students with disabilities, a pilot program funded by the Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET) under the Transition Support Component of the National Equity Program for Schools.

1.1 BACKGROUND

Major changes are evident in the expectations for and aspirations of students with disabilities, particularly as they move from school attendance to community options. This has resulted in an increasing focus on the need for policy and program development to support students as they make the transition from school into adult life...

The Ultra Project (The Universities Language Teaching Research Agreement) : A Joint Investigation By Edith Cowan University, Western Australia And The Guangzhou Foreign Language University, The People's Republic Of China, Into The Use Of Intensive And Immersion Approaches To Language Teaching And Learning At University Level, Alistair L. Mcgregor, Ian G. Malcolm

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Mental Computation In School Mathematics: Preference, Attitude And Performance Of Students In Years 3, 5, 7 And 9, Alistair Mcintosh, Jack Bana, Brian Farrell

Research outputs pre 2011

Commencing in 1989 a team consisting of Alistair Mcintosh, Paul Swan and Ellita de Nardi at Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia, probed the strategies used by children of primary school age when calculating mentally, with a view to developing and promoting more appropriate and effective mental computation...This present monograph, which looks at the mental computation of Western Australian students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9, is one of the outcomes of this collaborative research project.

Problem Solving Of Children With Intellectual Disabilities: Interrogative Strategies And Solution Time Rates, Sonya Barrett

Theses : Honours

Possible differences in problem solving abilities between children with intellectual disabilities and regular class children were studied. A comparison was made between the children with intellectual disabilities and regular class children of comparable developmental level (mental age). The children with intellectual disabilities were also compared with regular class children of comparable chronological age. Subjects completed a preliminary task to determine mastery of the required skills before attempting an experimental problem solving game. The game required subjects to ask questions in order to achieve a problem solution. Each subject's level of motivation to solve the problem was also measured using a …

The Effect Of A Direct Instruction Motor Development Program On The Catching Performance Of Pre-Primary Children, Matt Osborne

Theses : Honours

The number of pre-school programs and children attending pre-schools has been rapidly increasing in recent years. The emphasis placed on instruction in physical education and the benefits to be derived from such instruction at the pre-school level have not been directly addressed in the literature. This study examined the effects of a six week direct instruction motor development program on the quantitative and qualitative development of the fundamental motor skill of catching. The participants were four and five year old children who attended a government pre-school attached to a metropolitan primary school. Two children of high gross motor ability and …

The Practicum In Tafe Teacher Education : The Challenge Of Contextual Diversity., Ralph Blunden

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The Hawthorn Institute of Education has had a long tradition of training Technical and Further Education (henceforth, 'TAFE') teachers. The TAFE context in general (and the practicum context in TAFE colleges in particular) gives rise to many difficulties and challenges which do not beset the pre-service education of secondary teachers (at least not to the same degree). In this paper, after briefly sketching the historical context of TAFE and TAFE teacher preparation, attention is drawn to the diversity of TAFE in Victoria. Following this, some examples of· practicum supervision situations are provided to illustrate how they differ from the standard …

Student Attitudes To Their Roles And Responsibilities Within A Sport Education Curriculum Model In Physical Education, A. Sadler

Theses : Honours

Sport education is one of the six curriculum models in physical education described by Siedentop, Mand and Taggart (1986). Sport education is a student centered curriculum model whereby students take on the specific roles of management board of control, captain/coach, first aid officer, advertising/publicity officer as well as player. It is the social interaction of students within these roles that is the key to the potential success of the model. Research suggests that many students have unfavourable attitudes towards the dominant curriculum model currently being used in physical education in most Western Australian schools, while on the other hand, many …

Beginning Teacher Education : Students' Conceptions Of Teaching And Approaches To Learning., Carol A. Christensen, David R. Massey, Peter J. Isaacs, John Synott

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Twenty preservice teachers were interviewed prior to commencement of their teacher education course to establish the conceptions of teaching and approaches to learning with which they entered the course. Students were categorised as surface, deep or achieving in their learning orientations (Biggs, 1987). Five conceptions of teaching were identified: the nurturing helper, authority and disciplinarian, shaper of children's lives, presenter of information and facilitator of thinking and learning. There was a consistent relationship between conceptions of learning and conceptions of teaching. Surface learners tended to see teaching as transmission of information. There were very few deep learners, however they tended …

Teaching Language To Adults. Mixed Ability Teaching : Meeting Learners' Needs., E. J. Mcgilp

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Ainslie, Susan. (1994) Mixed ability teaching : meeting learners' needs. Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research, London.

Perceptions Of Lower Secondary Design And Technology Teachers About The Utilisation Of The Design Process, Desire Mallet

Theses : Honours

This study investigated the perceptions of lower secondary school teachers about the utilisation of a design process. Seven Design and Technology teachers from government and private secondary schools, situated in Perth metropolitan area, were selected. The participants have been using a design process in lower secondary school for at least eighteen months prior to the study. Each participant was interviewed individually and the interviews were audio-recorded. The Education Department of Western Australia considers a design process as a central element in the Technology and Enterprise learning area of the Student Outcome Statements. However, not much is known about how this …

Difficulties Experienced By Year 10 Students When Solving Monohybrid Autosomal And X-Linked Genetic Problems, Christina Williams

Theses : Honours

Genetics is an important aspect of secondary education as it improves students, understanding of the inheritance of genetic diseases which are present in many families. Genetics also provides opportunities for students to learn important problem solving skills. Students experience difficulties with problem solving in genetics as they tend to rote learn algorithmic methods and not have a meaningful understanding of the concepts of meiosis, gametes and fertilisation which underpin genetics problems. Following instruction in the area of genetics, think-aloud protocols were collected from 20 Year 10 students, while solving four genetic problems. The students were also interviewed to probe their …

Identifying The Difficulties Experienced By Year 10 High School Students When Attempting To Solve Genetic Pedigree Problems, Richard Hamilton-Brown

Theses : Honours

Teachers rate genetics as one of the most difficult biology topics for high school students to understand (Finley, Stewart & Yarroch, 1982). It has been observed that some students are able to solve genetics problems using routine algorithmic methods, without understanding the basic underlying concepts (Stewart, 1982). The aim of this study was to identify the procedural errors and conceptual misunderstandings that the students had when attempting to solve genetic pedigree problems. Genetic pedigrees are diagrammatic representations of the members and ancestral relationships in a family (Cummings, 1991). Two male and two female students were selected from each of four …

A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Inquiry-Oriented Teaching With Traditional Teaching In The Maldives, K. Ibrahim-Didi

Theses : Honours

This thesis compares the effectiveness of an activity-based, inquiry oriented approach using simple, inexpensive, locally available equipment with a traditional approach, in enhancing student achievement and positive attitudes towards science in the Maldives. The sample consisted of 79 boys range from 13 to 16 years of age from two year eight classes in a private lower secondary high school. A quasi experimental non equivalent control group research design was adopted for the study. The control group was taught the currently existent curriculum for two weeks in the traditional manner while the treatment group was taught using a curriculum package developed …

Reasons Given By Year 9 Girls For The Non-Selection Of Outdoor Education In A Selected Government School, Janene Walton

Theses : Honours

This study focuses on the reasons why fewer girls than boys are selecting outdoor education units in Year 9 in a selected government secondary school in Perth, Western Australia. Outdoor education has attracted increasing enrolments across all years since units were introduced at lower school level in 1987. However the percentage of girls enrolling has declined over the same period. The participation rate for Years 9 to 12 has consistently been about two times greater for boys than for girls. The study utilised group interviews as a means of data collection to document the girls' reasons for not selecting Outdoor …

The Effects Of Strategy Instruction On The Vocabulary Acquisition And Reading Comprehension Of Grade Five Students, Michelle Gurry

Theses : Honours

Two studies were conducted to examine the effects of specified teaching strategies on vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension. Two methods were used to teach Grade 5 students to infer word meanings from context. The first was based on regular methods that occur within primary classrooms. The second involved a detailed strategy that gave students a step-by-step guide to deriving word meanings from context. Both groups were pretested and posttested with a developed vocabulary acquisition test and the Progressive Achievement Test of reading comprehension. A four-factor ANOVA with repeated measures was used to test the hypotheses. The first study showed no …

Using The "Questionnaire On Teacher Interaction" In The Professional Development Of Teachers., Darrell Fisher, Barry Fraser, John Cresswell

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

For some time in Australia, the Schools Council of the National Board of Employment, Education. and Training has been concerned with issues concerning the quality of teaching as evidenced through its reports on Teacher Quality: An Issues Paper (1989) and Australia's Teachers: An Agenda for the Next Decade (1990). These reports and others highlight the need for teachers to examine continually what they do in their classrooms. Most recently, teacher quality and the need for continued professional development of teachers has been the subject of a ministerial statement (Beazley, 1993). This report notes how the impact of, and responsibility for, …

Integrating Research Skills Development In Teacher Education, Terence Lovat, Margaret Davies, Ronald Plotnikoff

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

For most of this century, and increasingly in modern times, teacher educators have been impelled to consider ways in which a greater level of reflectivity, especially through enhancing research skills development, might be integrated into the teacher education program. The paper reviews the recent history of such attempts, pointing to the relative paucity of experimentation designed to implement such components in teacher education. It then describes a longitudinal study designed to effect, and evaluate the effects of, one program of research skills integration in preservice teacher education.

Reflection, Rhetoric Or Reality : A Case Study In Preservice Teacher Education, Denis Mclaughlin, Pam Hanifin

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Over the last decade, the term 'reflection', has reemerged as a central focus surrounding the issue of providing a practical, technical oriented teacher preparation program, as opposed to a liberal, socially oriented, type education (Richardson, 1990). Whilst there has been much support for the image of the teacher as a reflective professional (Schon, 1983), there appears to be no definitive' description as to what constitutes reflective practice, or scholarly consensus as to the ways and means by which teacher educators might encourage its development. It has been described as "difficult" (Wildman & Niles, 1987), "fuzzy" (Tom, 1987), "problematic" (Ross, 1989), …