Education Commons^™

When A Postgraduate Student Becomes A Novice Researcher And A Supervisor Becomes A Mentor: A Journey Of Research Identity Development, Melinda Kirk, Kylie Lipscombe

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Developing a research identity is a critical space for novice researchers in teacher education. This co-authored self-study explores the experiences of a postgraduate Master of Education student who was working as a novice research assistant with her supervisor and how these experiences contributed to research identify development. Utilising Gee's (2000) Identity Framework as an analytical frame we, a novice researcher and supervisor, examine entries of a reflective research journal and supervisor feedback to gain insights into experiences that both support and constrain positive research identity development. Specifically, we promote mentorship and collaborative research as an effective strategy in normalising the …

Reproduction And Transformation Of Students' Technology Practice: The Tale Of Two Distinctive Secondary Student Cases, Karley A. Beckman, Sue Bennett, Lori Lockyer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Disparities in the technology practices, skills and knowledge of school students still exist, despite widespread investment, and use in schools. In order to understand why inequalities remain, we first need a more nuanced understanding of students' technology practice, including understanding how their backgrounds, circumstances and experiences shape their perceptions of and engagement with technology. This paper proposes that research in the field of educational technology would benefit from a sociological framing in order to highlight how and why students use technology at school and in their everyday lives. The paper reports on a qualitative embedded case study of 13-16‐year‐old students …

Vertical Whiteboarding: Riding The Wave Of Student Activity In A Mathematics Classroom, Patricia A. Forrester, Carolyn Mcphail, Suellen L. Denny

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In 2014 we commenced working on the Inspiring Mathematics and Science in Teacher Education (IMSITE) project, aimed at improving mathematics and science education in Australia by improving the recruitment, development and retention of mathematics and science teachers. In this project we undertook a range of activities, the most exciting of which was the introduction of whiteboarding as a tool to actively engage high school students with mathematics.

Student Isolation: The Experience Of Distance On An International Field Placement, Mim Fox

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In an era of global awareness of the impact of social, political and environmental impact, the international field placement has become a feature of many social work programmes throughout Australia. A theoretical framework of international social work principles allows for a guiding platform for teaching and learning; however, the experience of the social work student is often one of cultural isolation and emotional vulnerabilities. Whilst cross-cultural learning is a core practice goal of the placement, the ability to engage with this learning is affected by the impact of distance on the student. In turn, the university responsibility for the student …

Self-Determined Pedagogy And The Amotivated Student: Influence On Student Game Play, Dana J. Perlman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

An aspect deemed important in regards to student learning in physical education is the ability to demonstrate diverse skills within a variety of movement settings (National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 2004). Alderman, Beighle and Pangrazi (2006) suggest that motivation is a powerful influence on student learning of importance to this study is how to facilitate learning (i.e. psychomotor and cognitive) for students with low levels of motivation. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of self-determined pedagogy on amotivated student‟s motivation and game play. 81 (Male=41; Female=40) amotivated students were engaged in one of two …

Student Teachers' Cognition About L2 Pronunciation Instruction: A Case Study, Michael Burri

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In view of the minimal attention pronunciation teacher preparation has received in second language (L2) teacher education, this study examined the cognition (i.e. beliefs, thoughts, attitudes and knowledge) development of 15 student teachers during a postgraduate subject on pronunciation pedagogy offered at an Australian tertiary institution. Findings revealed that, as a result of taking the subject, student teachers' cognition shifted from teaching individual sounds (i.e. segmentals) to favouring a more balanced approach to pronunciation instruction. That is, teaching the melody of the English language (i.e. suprasegmentals) was seen as important as teaching segmentals. Non-native speakers' self-perceived pronunciation improvement, an increase …

Recovering Knowledge For Science Education Research: Exploring The "Icarus Effect" In Student Work, Helen Georgiou, Karl A. Maton, Manjula Sharma

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Science education research has built a strong body of work on students' understandings but largely overlooked the nature of science knowledge itself. Legitimation Code Theory (LCT), a rapidly growing approach to education, offers a way of analyzing the organizing principles of knowledge practices and their effects on science education. This article focuses on one specific concept from LCT-semantic gravity-that conceptualizes differences in context dependence. The article uses this concept to qualitatively analyze tertiary student responses to a thermal physics question. One result, that legitimate answers must reside within a specific range of context dependence, illustrates how a focus on the …

Conceptualising Technology Use As Social Practice To Research Student Experiences Of Technology In Higher Education, Sue Bennett

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this paper is to argue for the importance of sociological approaches to educational technology research which can make new advances in the field that complement the existing research base. Such research can address questions of how individuals use technology across different spheres of their lives, including education, and asks what role technology plays in educational institutions and how it interacts academic practices. Research of this kind can tells us much about how we might adopt and adapt technologies from outside education to support teaching and learning. By conceptualising technology use as social practice, rather than as attributes …

Self-Determination Theory And Teacher Instruction: A Positive Partnership For Student Performance And Involvement, Dana Perlman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of distinct motivationally-based instructional approaches on student's game performance and involvement. 78 secondary physical education students were taught a unit of volleyball using one in either an autonomy-supportive, controlling or balanced instructional style. Using a pretest and posttest design, students were measured on their game performance and involvement during 20-minute game of volleyball. Data analysis indicated that students engaged in the autonomy-supportive context illustrated significantly higher levels of performance and involvement when compared with the other groups.

Listening To Student Voice: An Evaluation Of Wooglemai Environmental Education Centre’S Youth Environmental Network Eco-Leadership Camp, Peter Andersen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The staff members from the Department of Education and Communities Wooglemai Environmental Educational Centre (WEEC) have hosted an annual residential eco-leadership camp for secondary students since 2011. The name of the camp is ‘Youth Environmental Network Eco-Leadership Camp’ (YEN). The participants have primarily been Year 7 to 10 students from New South Wales government schools. There would normally be thirty students (male and female) attending the YEN, with the duration of the camp being four days and three nights.

The purpose of the YEN camp is to provide an opportunity for students to air their concerns about the state of …

Transitions And Turning Points: How First In Female Students Story Their Transition To University And Student Identity Formation, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this article is to explore how one group of students reflect upon their transition into the higher education environment. This qualitative research project followed one group of female undergraduate students as they moved through the first year of study. All of the participants were the first in their family to consider further education and each participated in four semi-structured interviews over one year. Drawing on the conceptual lens of 'turning points', the intent is to provide a 'close-up' analysis of the complex process of identity formation within the university landscape. By revisiting the students at various points …

Changes In Pre-Service Teachers Perceptions’ Of Tea Cher Qualities: Development From Egocentric To Student Centric, Lynn D. Sheridan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This study looks at pre-service teachers’ developing perceptions wit h a view to supporting teacher education practices. In determining and guiding program structures it is the opinions of the experts that are most often heard. Absent from this debate is an understanding of the changing perceptions of the pre-service teacher as they progress through their program. The purpose of this paper is to extend our understanding of pre-service teacher belief systems’ highlighting, the relevance this has for understanding and supporting pre-service teacher development. The perceptions of valued teacher qualities changed from ego-centric beliefs to student centric practices for the participants …

Manipulation Of The Self-Determined Learning Environment On Student Motivation And Affect Within Secondary Physical Education, Dana Perlman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Secondary physical education (PE) has become a popular area of inquiry because students are not meeting overarching goals of PE programs, are less motivated, and demonstrate negative affect while in class. As such, teachers and researchers are starting to examine pedagogical approaches that support student motivation as a means to alleviate some of the aforementioned issues. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of two different learning contexts based within self-determination theory on the motivation and affect of secondary PE students. Seventy-nine secondary PE students were randomly assigned to a unit of basketball taught in either a …

Student Perceptions Of High-Achieving Classmates, Marion Händel, Wilma Vialle, Albert Ziegler

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The reported study investigated students' perceptions of their high-performing classmates in terms of intelligence, social skills, and conscientiousness in different school subjects. The school subjects for study were examined with regard to cognitive, physical, and gender-specific issues. The results show that high academic achievements in particular school subjects lead to negative reactions in the peer group whereas high achievements in other school subjects result in positive peer reactions. In contrast, the respondents' gender and the gender of the successful classmates had little influence on student perceptions of high achievers. The results are discussed in regard to their implications for gifted …

Learning, Explaining And Communicating Science With Student-Created Blended Media, Garry F. Hoban, Wendy S. Nielsen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The goal of this study was to trial the feasibility of using a new assignment in a science methods course for trainee primary teachers focusing on "student-created blended media". This form integrates video with animation and static images, all linked by a narration, that students create to explain a science concept for the purpose of teaching someone. There were 129 students in the course spread across four locations and each was allocated a science topic to explain. Two hours of the course were allocated to teaching students the skills of making blended media and they then used their own technology …

Using Turnitin To Respond To Student Writing, Amy Conley Wright, Wen Chuang

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A seminar held at the San Francisco State University as part of the Annual Winter Writing Colloquium on 22 January 2013.

Hearing The Student Voice - Examining The Processes Of Transition, Persistence And Engagement For A Group Of First Year, First In Family University Students, Sarah O'Shea

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This paper outlines a qualitative, narrative study that focuses on the student experience as it relates to a particular cohort of students namely women who are the first in the family to attend university. Seventeen students were recruited to participate in a series of four semi-structured interviews conducted throughout one academic year. These interviews investigated the processes involved in transition as well as the perceptions held about engaging in tertiary study and the hurdles encountered during the year. The research accompanied the students as each travelled through the university environment, exploring what it means to be a 'first-year student'. The …

Online Forum Discussion Interactions As An Indicator Of Student Community, Shane Dawson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Given the current diversity of communication tools at an educator's disposal, what role (if any) does the discussion forum play in the development of a strong sense of community among students? This study sought to investigate the relationship between discussion forum interaction and perceived student sense of community. The results of the study demonstrate that while mere quantity of discussion forum postings is not an indicator of community development, a significant relationship is observed when contributions are codified into the various discussion interaction types (learner -learner; learner - content; system), An implication emerging from these findings is the ability for …