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Full-Text Articles in Education

Critical Connections Between Numeracy And Mathematics: Supplementary Materials, Dave Tout Oct 2020

Critical Connections Between Numeracy And Mathematics: Supplementary Materials, Dave Tout

Student learning processes

This publication contains three professional development activities targeted at teachers of mathematics. The activities for both groups and individuals focus on the challenge of word problems in maths and connecting maths to the real world. Also included are references, materials and resources related to the issue of the connections between numeracy and mathematics.


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.


Key Skills For The 21st Century: An Evidence-Based Review, Esther Doecke, Quentin Maire Aug 2019

Key Skills For The 21st Century: An Evidence-Based Review, Esther Doecke, Quentin Maire

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

It is vital that education systems deliver quality outcomes for all young people and prepare them well for their future in the economy and society. To do so, many systems have traditionally had a strong focus on developing academic skills, particularly in literacy and numeracy. In recent years, education systems have developed greater expectations that schools will also equip young people with a broader set of skills for the 21st century (e.g. creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving). This paper addresses these developments and the challenges they present. Building on an evidence-based review, this paper asks what are the key skills required …


Assessing Computational Thinking, Daniel Duckworth Aug 2019

Assessing Computational Thinking, Daniel Duckworth

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

This paper provides some context for the role of computation thinking (CT) in the Australian Curriculum, an abridged literature review of CT as a problem-solving framework from the International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) 2018 assessment framework and some examples of how CT has been used to solve real-world problems. Finally, this paper presents ways to teach and assess CT.


Teaching And Assessing The General Capabilities In A Secondary School Context, Loren Clarke, Melissa Hughes Aug 2019

Teaching And Assessing The General Capabilities In A Secondary School Context, Loren Clarke, Melissa Hughes

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Education researchers, policymakers and private enterprise agree that, in addition to content knowledge, students in the 21st century need to acquire particular skills to equip them for active citizenship in the modern world. This is a real challenge for teachers today: how do they teach and assess the skills needed to live and work in the 21st century? This paper will explore the development of Eltham High School’s focus on teaching and assessment of collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking over the past seven years. It will explore the development of the assessment program, its connection to the school and state …


Using Learning Analytics To Measure 21st-Century Skills, Dragan Gašević Aug 2019

Using Learning Analytics To Measure 21st-Century Skills, Dragan Gašević

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

The unprecedented opportunities to collect data about learning and contexts in which learning occurs has attracted great attention in education. The use of data analytics and machine learning methods have offered much potential to address many relevant questions in education. This talk will focus on the use of learning analytics to measure 21st-century skills in education and outline the types of data commonly used. It will also discuss approaches that are used for analysis and modelling of relevant learning processes and outline the ways in which learning analytics can be used to track learning progression and how the validity of …


Acer Research Conference Proceedings (2019), Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer) Aug 2019

Acer Research Conference Proceedings (2019), Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

In a rapidly changing world, there is widespread agreement that students require new levels of skill in collaborating, communicating, thinking critically, innovating, solving problems and applying what is learnt in new contexts, underpinned by values and dispositions that include a commitment to social inclusion, responsible citizenship and respect for human rights. So how do we best prepare young people and equip them to survive and thrive in the unpredictable world of the future? Research Conference 2019 will profile research around innovative ways of conceptualising, developing and assessing this broader range of priorities for student learning and development in the 21st …


Infographic: Teaching Practices – Cognitive Activation, Jo Earp Jul 2019

Infographic: Teaching Practices – Cognitive Activation, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

In the latest cycle of the OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS 2018), participants were asked about their use of a range of teaching practices. Today’s infographic looks at the results for practices associated with cognitive activation.


Assessment Of Children As Confident And Involved Learners In Early Childhood Education And Care: Literature Review, Dan Cloney, Jen Jackson, Pru Mitchell May 2019

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'.


Infographic: Collaborative Problem Solving, Dominique Russell Apr 2018

Infographic: Collaborative Problem Solving, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

The most recent OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) examines student ability in collaborative problem solving. Today's infographic shows the results from some of the 50+ participating countries.


Courageous And Coherent Leadership Required For Excellent And Equitable Outcomes, Linda Bendikson Aug 2017

Courageous And Coherent Leadership Required For Excellent And Equitable Outcomes, Linda Bendikson

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

The paper illustrates the complexity of leadership work, using data on the varying perspectives of middle and senior leaders about their own goals; the seriousness of the problems that they face in reaching those goals; and the perceived effectiveness of the senior leadership team. The findings from these studies indicate that the basic leadership skills of problem analysis, focused goalsetting and close monitoring of progress towards goals are lacking in many leadership teams in secondary schools. These findings highlight the importance of a team of middle and senior leaders being aligned in their goal pursuit, being active problem-solvers and being …


Enhancing Instructional Leadership: Lessons From The Nsw Literacy And Numeracy Action Plan, Tim Wyatt Aug 2017

Enhancing Instructional Leadership: Lessons From The Nsw Literacy And Numeracy Action Plan, Tim Wyatt

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Over the past decade, schools, school systems and governments at all levels have invested heavily in enhancing the quality of school leadership. The Australian Government-funded National Partnerships (2012–2014) identified principal leadership as one of its explicit goals. More recently, the emphasis of leadership development has been on enhancing instructional leadership. This paper describes an approach to enhancing instructional leadership adopted as part of the NSW Literacy and Numeracy Action Plan (2012–2016), which was the particular approach of the NSW government school sector. The three school sectors in NSW each adopted different models for their implementation of the Action Plan relevant …


Capabilities Required For Leading Improvement: Challenges For Researchers And Developers, Viviane Robinson Aug 2017

Capabilities Required For Leading Improvement: Challenges For Researchers And Developers, Viviane Robinson

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

The leadership of improvement is a challenging task, requiring capability in 1) using relevant knowledge to 2) solve complex educational problems, while 3) building relationships of trust with those involved. In this keynote address, Viviane describes what she has learned from her leadership research and development program about each of these three leadership capabilities. In addressing the first of these leadership capabilities, she describes key findings about how leaders’ relevant knowledge intersect with their ability to build trust and solve the problems that stand in the way of their improvement goals. Her discussion of the second capability draws on empirical …


Inquiry-Based Learning: Assessing Students' Science Inquiry Skills, Abha Bhagat Jan 2017

Inquiry-Based Learning: Assessing Students' Science Inquiry Skills, Abha Bhagat

Teacher India

Inquiry-based approaches to teaching yield substantial benefits to students, but assessment of students' science inquiry skills indicate more emphasis is needed on the development of inquiry-based teaching and learning in the classroom.


A Study Into The Assessment And Reporting Of Employability Skills Of Senior Secondary Students, Gabrielle Matters, David D. Curtis Jan 2008

A Study Into The Assessment And Reporting Of Employability Skills Of Senior Secondary Students, Gabrielle Matters, David D. Curtis

Assessment and Reporting

In order to investigate the most effective ways of assessing and reporting on the employability skills of senior secondary students, the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) commissioned this report. The main activity was to evaluate options for assessing and reporting on eight employability skills against five criteria—validity, reliability, objectivity, feasibility, and usability—and to recommend a preferred approach. This work was undertaken by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in the period July 2007 to January 2008, during which time the (new) Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) became responsible for the initiative. The starting …