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Edith Cowan University

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

2022

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Full-Text Articles in Education

Social Discourses On The Teacher Performance Assessment: Media Tales, Twitter Tweets And Leadership Surveys, Beryl Exley, Donna Pendergast, Frances Hoyte Jan 2022

Social Discourses On The Teacher Performance Assessment: Media Tales, Twitter Tweets And Leadership Surveys, Beryl Exley, Donna Pendergast, Frances Hoyte

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper explores the introduction of the new Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA) for graduate teachers in Australia. We investigate how the broader discussion around TPAs has been understood by multiple agents during an eight-month period from January 2019 to August 2019. Data includes legacy media, social media tweets and a survey of school leaders. The analysis draws on Bernsteinian (1975) theory about the way particular social relations produce differing sentiments of social unity. While eschewing a strict binary, legacy media was characterised by a mechanical solidarity which promoted the TPA as akin to a test. Contributions to social media and …


A Study Of Victorian Teachers’ Beliefs About Student Behaviour And Their Perception Of Preparation And Confidence To Engage In Evidence-Based Behaviour Support, Russell A. Fox, Umesh Sharma, Erin S. Leif Jan 2022

A Study Of Victorian Teachers’ Beliefs About Student Behaviour And Their Perception Of Preparation And Confidence To Engage In Evidence-Based Behaviour Support, Russell A. Fox, Umesh Sharma, Erin S. Leif

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Positive and proactive approaches to behaviour support have been recognised as one component required to create effective and inclusive school environments (Finkelstein et al., 2019). States and territories within Australia have increasingly adopted school-wide positive behavioural interventions and supports (SWPBIS) as a means to creating effective social and behavioural change (Poed & Whitefield, 2020). However, ensuring staff implement SWPBIS as it is intended has been a challenge, both in Australia and internationally (McIntosh et al., 2016; NSW Ombudsman, 2017). The current study identifies and seeks to address two gaps in the existing literature exploring noted barriers to …


Introduction Of Phonological Concepts In An Initial Teacher Education Literacy Unit, Anne Thwaite, Helen Adam, Yvonne Urquhart, Susan Hill Jan 2022

Introduction Of Phonological Concepts In An Initial Teacher Education Literacy Unit, Anne Thwaite, Helen Adam, Yvonne Urquhart, Susan Hill

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Pre-service teachers (PSTs) need sound Knowledge About Language (KAL), both for their own professional communication and for their teaching practice. In the longer term, enhanced KAL will benefit our graduates in their implementation of the Australian Curriculum. This paper reports on work with First Year PSTs at one Australian university. We present an analysis of students’ response to an intervention designed to develop their KAL, focusing on Phonological Awareness (PA) and phonics. While the designed resources were introduced and discussed in class, students mainly accessed them online afterwards. Student achievement was measured by online testing, and attitudes were obtained from …


Demonstrating ‘Impact’: Insights From The Work Of Preservice Teachers Completing A Graduate Teacher Performance Assessment, Peter D. Brett, Michelle Parks Jan 2022

Demonstrating ‘Impact’: Insights From The Work Of Preservice Teachers Completing A Graduate Teacher Performance Assessment, Peter D. Brett, Michelle Parks

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Initial Teacher Education (ITE) reform in Australia has mandated that graduating teachers demonstrate their practice and ‘impact’ through the completion of a Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA) prior to graduation. The requirement to analyse ‘impact’ in teaching, requires a nuanced understanding of what ‘impact’ is and how it manifests in varied contemporary classrooms. This paper reports on how a sample of high-performing pre-service teachers from one Australian ITE institution, within a framework devised by Australia’s largest TPA consortium, appraised the impact of their teaching in the context of the disciplinary area of Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS). How ‘impact’ was articulated …


Preparing Initial Teacher Education Students For Flexible Learning Programs, Jeff Thomas, Bianca Coleman, Ebba Herrlander Birgerson Jan 2022

Preparing Initial Teacher Education Students For Flexible Learning Programs, Jeff Thomas, Bianca Coleman, Ebba Herrlander Birgerson

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In Australia, there is currently no official training pathway or qualification required for working in Flexible Learning Programs (FLPs). This causes a problem for both new teachers wishing to work in this area and for employers who have no way of knowing whether a new teacher has the appropriate skills or knowledge to teach in this alternative context. To address this problem, we designed and implemented a program during which Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students were given the opportunity to experience teaching in a FLP. Here we report on the experiences and perceptions of the preparation program from the perspectives …


Using Systems Perspectives To Develop Underlying Principles For Educational Reform, John Daniel Kenny, Connie Cirkony Jan 2022

Using Systems Perspectives To Develop Underlying Principles For Educational Reform, John Daniel Kenny, Connie Cirkony

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

One of the enduring problems in the education system is the gap between theory and practice, where the research to improve teaching and learning is not fully realised in the classroom. This has impacted the effectiveness of education reform. We take a systems thinking approach to better understand the complexity of an education system, which involves multiple stakeholders, each with different levels of power, purposes, and perspectives about what is important. Drawing on an extensive body of research we propose a set of six foundational and five enabling principles that support systemic educational reform. These 11 principles are put forward …


An Examination On Views On Teaching Practicum Held By Associate Teachers: A Qualitative Case Study, Gülten Koşar Jan 2022

An Examination On Views On Teaching Practicum Held By Associate Teachers: A Qualitative Case Study, Gülten Koşar

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

: Seeing the significance of exploring associate teachers’ views about teaching practicum, this qualitative case study aims to seek answers to the questions of what the self-perceived roles of four Turkish associate teachers in teaching practicum are and what their perceptions concerning the adequacy of the length of teaching practicum in Turkey are. Additionally, the present research targets finding answers to the questions of whether teaching practicum contributed to the professional development of the last trainee teachers the associate teachers have mentored and if mentoring fosters their own professional development. The results indicated they considered offering professional and emotional support …


Engaging First Year Students In Assessment Rubrics: Three Personal Experiences, Katherine Ashman, Kristina Turner, Dona Martin Jan 2022

Engaging First Year Students In Assessment Rubrics: Three Personal Experiences, Katherine Ashman, Kristina Turner, Dona Martin

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In a direct effort to build a greater understanding of higher education teaching and learning opportunities, this study shares the journey of three university lecturers working to ensure best practice outcomes from criterion-referenced assessment [CRA]. The work was built on a belief that our respective higher education undergraduate students did not fully value the design structure or feedback outcomes inherent in CRA. Using a collaborative autoethnographic lens we pooled experiences, outcomes, challenges, assumptions, and accounts of unconscious biases from across our different tertiary education schools and subjects. Our examination enriched our understanding, our teaching, and our student outcomes. In sharing …


Exploring The Changing Nature Of Teachers’ Pedagogic Identities During The Delivery Of Online Literacy Teaching, Deb L. Brosseuk, Lynn Downes Jan 2022

Exploring The Changing Nature Of Teachers’ Pedagogic Identities During The Delivery Of Online Literacy Teaching, Deb L. Brosseuk, Lynn Downes

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper explores the interconnectedness between Australian teachers’ literacy practices and their pedagogic identity during the global pandemic. In doing so, the paper presents pedagogic identity as a dynamic, ever-evolving construct involving teachers and their teaching environment. Findings are reported from a case study of early years and primary teachers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data. From teachers’ self-reported teaching experiences, we identify three orientations to pedagogic identity: The Driver; The Collaborator; and The Apprentice. Drawing on analytic work, the paper finds that the online delivery of literacy teaching brought opportunities for teachers to shift between pedagogic identities, …


Generating Reflections Through Professional Collaborative Storytelling, Anne Keary, Narelle Wood, Karina Barley, Kelly Carabott Jan 2022

Generating Reflections Through Professional Collaborative Storytelling, Anne Keary, Narelle Wood, Karina Barley, Kelly Carabott

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

For teachers, storytelling is a way of making sense of everyday pedagogical practices and connecting with colleagues. In this paper, we explore how storytelling contributed to a collaborative culture indicative of our professional journey as four teacher educators. We examine six online weekly Zoom conversations we participated in as a teaching group to share our pedagogical ideas for enhancing an English education unit of work. During this storytelling, we discussed how we engaged with the teaching of, teaching about and teaching through the teaching and learning curriculum cycle to a first-year cohort of preservice teachers (PSTs). Importantly, we deliberated on …


Australian Teachers’ Perception Of Their Preparedness To Teach Traumatised Students: A Systematic Literature Review., Glenys M. Oberg, India Bryce Jan 2022

Australian Teachers’ Perception Of Their Preparedness To Teach Traumatised Students: A Systematic Literature Review., Glenys M. Oberg, India Bryce

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

There are many studies documenting the negative impacts of trauma in childhood. However, despite schools and teachers being a known protective factor which have the potential to modify the negative impacts of complex trauma, limited research examining the perspectives of primary teachers working with traumatised children and their perceptions of preparedness to teach students living with complex trauma has been conducted. Thus a systematic literature review was conducted to collate and synthesise available empirical research on this topic. The review followed PRISMA guidelines and searches were conducted across academic databases for peer reviewed studies published between 2011 and 2022. Only …


University English Teachers’ Professional Development Through Academic Visits: Using Identity As A Theoretical Lens, Feng Ding, Rui Eric Yuan, Fiona Curtis Jan 2022

University English Teachers’ Professional Development Through Academic Visits: Using Identity As A Theoretical Lens, Feng Ding, Rui Eric Yuan, Fiona Curtis

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Academic visitor programs aim to enhance university teachers’ teaching and research capacity and intercultural competence. Its impact, however, has remained under-researched. Using the data collected from two rounds of in-depth interviews with 13 Chinese university English teachers over a year and a half, this study explored their experiences as academic visitors in the UK through the lens of professional identity. Findings revealed that the participants came with various expectations and negotiated and constructed different identities during their academic visits. The participants’ developing identities in turn affected their investment in their professional development in their situated contexts. The study provides important …


Mathematics Teachers’ Feedback Responses To Students’ Errors And Unexpected Strategies, Andrés Pinzón, Pedro Gómez, María José González Jan 2022

Mathematics Teachers’ Feedback Responses To Students’ Errors And Unexpected Strategies, Andrés Pinzón, Pedro Gómez, María José González

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

A part of students learning in the classroom depends on how the teacher responds to their thinking. The literature has separately addressed teachers’ feedback responses to errors and unexpected strategies that students put into play when solving tasks. We propose a framework to analyze these responses together based on three criteria: the focus of the answers (teacher or student), the type of knowledge (conceptual or procedural) that the teacher puts into play in the teacher-centered answers, and the types of actions (asking and proposing) involved in student-centered responses. We codified and analyzed the feedback responses of a group of mathematics …


Integrated Curriculum Approaches To Teaching In Initial Teacher Education For Secondary Schooling: A Systematic Review, Terri Bourke, Lyra L’Estrange, Jill Willis, Jennifer Alford, James Davis, Deborah Henderson, Mallihai Tambyah, Senka Henderson, Tricia Clark-Fookes Jan 2022

Integrated Curriculum Approaches To Teaching In Initial Teacher Education For Secondary Schooling: A Systematic Review, Terri Bourke, Lyra L’Estrange, Jill Willis, Jennifer Alford, James Davis, Deborah Henderson, Mallihai Tambyah, Senka Henderson, Tricia Clark-Fookes

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Demands that Initial Teacher Education (ITE) prepare teachers who can equip students to be agile real-world problem solvers are frequent. Guidance about ITE integrated curriculum approaches to achieve this aim is harder to find, a significant gap given increasing time and policy pressures for ITE educators. Drawing from an Australian context, this systematic review investigates how integrated curriculum is conceptualised and enacted in secondary schooling ITE courses. Three conceptions of integrated curriculum for ITE are highlighted – Interdisciplinary, Disciplinary Literacy, and Transdisciplinary approaches – alongside benefits and barriers to enacting integrated curriculum. Recommendations for further research and practice around integrated …


Supporting Mathematics Pre-Service Teachers Reflection With 360degree Video And The Knowledge Quartet, Lisa O'Keeffe, Bruce White Jan 2022

Supporting Mathematics Pre-Service Teachers Reflection With 360degree Video And The Knowledge Quartet, Lisa O'Keeffe, Bruce White

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Secondary mathematics teaching is often characterised by teacher-led pedagogies centred on practice and memorising formula which can dominate incoming pre-service teachers’ perceptions of mathematics teaching. Hence, creating opportunities for pre-service teachers (PSTs) - particularly those who have not experienced student-centered pedagogies – to see the power of alternative pedagogical approaches is crucial in the early experiences of their teacher training. This paper explores the potential of 360degree video recordings of micro teaching of PSTs to enhance initial reflections using the Knowledge Quartet. Drawing on four PSTs’ 360degree video reflections using the Knowledge Quartet framework we unpack the different ways that …


Emotional Freedom Techniques (Tapping) To Improve Wellbeing And Reduce Anxiety In Primary School Classrooms, Margaret T. Lambert, Sue E. Smith, Simon Moss, Marilynne N. Kirshbaum Jan 2022

Emotional Freedom Techniques (Tapping) To Improve Wellbeing And Reduce Anxiety In Primary School Classrooms, Margaret T. Lambert, Sue E. Smith, Simon Moss, Marilynne N. Kirshbaum

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The use of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) as a class exercise was investigated to ascertain its effectiveness for student wellbeing. Although EFT has been validated in clinical settings, studies have not yet established whether this approach could be applied in classrooms to curb anxiety and improve wellbeing. A pragmatic, mixed methods study was conducted with 138 students in northern Australian primary schools. Student anxiety dissipated over two stages of intervention. Aside from class tapping sessions, students sometimes tapped surreptitiously, and teachers applied tapping for themselves on occasions. Students generally preferred a quieter, individual approach during class tapping sessions. Broader themes …


Teacher Education For A Rural-Ready Teaching Force: Swings, Roundabouts, And Slippery Slides?, Philip Roberts, Natalie Downes, Jo-Anne Reid Jan 2022

Teacher Education For A Rural-Ready Teaching Force: Swings, Roundabouts, And Slippery Slides?, Philip Roberts, Natalie Downes, Jo-Anne Reid

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The preparation of teachers for rural schools has been a significant focus of research for many decades. In this paper we update previous reports of the extent of Initial Teacher Education courses that prepare teachers for rural schools in Australia. We found that despite significant and continued calls for rural teacher education, there are still very few rural-teaching units offered in teacher education courses, and there are no courses at all that seek this as an explicit outcome. As the Australian Professional Standards for Teaching claim the importance of teachers understanding students and their contexts, we argue that effective teacher …


Teacher Efficacy In High Performing Teachers: Barriers And Enablers For New Graduates, Dianne M. Toe, Lynette Longaretti Jan 2022

Teacher Efficacy In High Performing Teachers: Barriers And Enablers For New Graduates, Dianne M. Toe, Lynette Longaretti

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Teachers with a high sense of self-efficacy are more resilient to difficulties, experience greater job satisfaction and have higher expectations of their students. This study investigated teacher self-efficacy in high performing teachers at two points in their development: 1) as preservice teachers, halfway through their undergraduate degree using the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES) (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) 2) as new graduates through a qualitative interview focused on efficacy. These 24 teachers participated in the National Exceptional Teaching for Disadvantaged Schools program (NETDS) at Deakin University during their BEd (Primary) degree. They demonstrated lower self-efficacy than their peers in Efficacy …


Changing Needs Of Special Education Preservice Teachers In The Practicum, Stella Gidalevich, Maayan Shalev Jan 2022

Changing Needs Of Special Education Preservice Teachers In The Practicum, Stella Gidalevich, Maayan Shalev

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Self-determination theory (SDT) suggests that people strive to fulfill three basic needs of competence, autonomy, and relatedness. In teacher education research, fulfilling those needs is connected to positive skill development and increased wellbeing of preservice teachers and their students. Teacher education programs for special education preservice teachers (SEPT) include a professional experience in various school settings with neurodiverse students. This professional experience gives rise to specific needs for these SEPT. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 SEPT, studying at various stages of two teacher education programs. The findings were analyzed qualitatively. Results revealed developing and changing needs throughout the educational …


Positioning Dispositions In Initial Teacher Education: An Action Research Approach, Qilong Zhang, Joanne Hayes, Rawhia Tehau-Grant, Roberta Skeoch, Lois France, Ke Jiang, Ruth Barnes Jan 2022

Positioning Dispositions In Initial Teacher Education: An Action Research Approach, Qilong Zhang, Joanne Hayes, Rawhia Tehau-Grant, Roberta Skeoch, Lois France, Ke Jiang, Ruth Barnes

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In spite of debate, ambiguity, and tension around teacher dispositions, in the past over two decades, the place of dispositions in initial teacher education (ITE) has been widely supported among policy makers and researchers. Specifically, debate on whether dispositions are teachable has largely given way to action to foster dispositions. Adopting a two-cycle participatory action research design, this study explored ways to teach the first-year teacher candidates’ dispositions in an early childhood ITE programme in New Zealand. The intervention included eight focus dispositions and corresponding strategies to teach each focus disposition. Data collection methods included student self-assessment surveys, individual and …


The Impact Of Problem-Based Learning On Pre-Service Teachers’ Mathematics Pedagogical Content Knowledge, David A. Martin Jan 2022

The Impact Of Problem-Based Learning On Pre-Service Teachers’ Mathematics Pedagogical Content Knowledge, David A. Martin

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Predictors of teacher effectiveness in relation to student achievement are based on the ability to use a range of evidence-based teaching strategies. Australia’s Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group (TEMAG) report that some tertiary providers working with pre-service teachers (PSTs) are using pedagogical practices which are not informed by established research. This paper reports on the impact a student-centred, PBL teaching approach had on third-year Bachelor of Education PSTs’ PCK in a mathematics education subject, compared to a similar group taught using a conventional teacher-directed approach. A quasi-experimental group-by-time design was used to determine the impact of the intervention. Contrary to …


Challenges And Opportunities In Teaching Writing Online Amidst The Pandemic: Voices From English Language Teachers In Philippine Universities, Veronico N. Tarrayo, Ali G. Anudin, Henelsie B. Mendoza, Erly S. Parungao-Callueng Jan 2022

Challenges And Opportunities In Teaching Writing Online Amidst The Pandemic: Voices From English Language Teachers In Philippine Universities, Veronico N. Tarrayo, Ali G. Anudin, Henelsie B. Mendoza, Erly S. Parungao-Callueng

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

With the sudden transition to online instruction in most educational institutions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be assumed that there is paucity in research as regards the teaching of writing online during this crisis moment. To address this niche, 13 Filipino university English language teachers were asked to participate in both online semi-structured and follow-up email interviews to describe their experiences in teaching writing online during the pandemic, particularly the challenges they faced, their coping strategies to address these challenges, and the opportunities in online teaching they valued. The interview responses revealed three major challenges in teaching writing …


Foreign Language Teachers’ Knowledge Base And The Influence Of Teaching Experience, Marianna Levrints (Lőrincz) Jan 2022

Foreign Language Teachers’ Knowledge Base And The Influence Of Teaching Experience, Marianna Levrints (Lőrincz)

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The present paper elucidated the issue of foreign language teachers’ knowledge base and the influence of teaching experience on their beliefs. A self-report questionnaire was utilised to explore what domains of knowledge language teachers prioritised in planning and delivering instruction, what sources they drew on to gain professional understanding and to compare teachers’ views relevant to the length of their experience. The analysis of data revealed quantitative dissimilarities in the assumed sources and knowledge domains, as well as teachers' instructional preferences. The study’s findings lend empirical evidence to the influence of experience on teachers’ cognitions and yield additional insight into …


Addressing The Social Loafing Problem In Assessment Practices From The Perspectives Of Tanzania’S Pre-Service Teachers, Joseph Reginard Milinga, Ezelina Angetile Kibonde, Venance Paul Mallya, Monica Asagwile Mwakifuna Jan 2022

Addressing The Social Loafing Problem In Assessment Practices From The Perspectives Of Tanzania’S Pre-Service Teachers, Joseph Reginard Milinga, Ezelina Angetile Kibonde, Venance Paul Mallya, Monica Asagwile Mwakifuna

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Recent developments of higher teacher education in Tanzania have witnessed high student enrolments necessitating change of an emphasis from individual assessment to group-based assessment practices. In this context, informed by the constructivist philosophical perspective, this article reports on the pre-service teachers’ voices regarding the prevalence, impacts and counteractive strategies of social loafing. The pre-service teachers are drawn from one higher education institution in Tanzania that serves as a case study. It draws on qualitative data collected from a sample of purposively selected undergraduate pre-service teachers. The study found social loafing tendencies to be commonplace and with far-reaching consequences amongst students …


Tough Teachers Actually Care: An Ethnographic Look Into The ‘Problematic’ Role Of Teachers As Figures Of Authority Under Learner-Centered Education, Julie Lucille Haber Del Valle Jan 2022

Tough Teachers Actually Care: An Ethnographic Look Into The ‘Problematic’ Role Of Teachers As Figures Of Authority Under Learner-Centered Education, Julie Lucille Haber Del Valle

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Teacher authority is culturally valued among Filipinos. This authority however poses a threat to the fundamental principles of learner-centred education as it arguably perpetuates ‘teacher-centered’ instruction and obstructs positive student-teacher relationships which are necessary for student learning. This problematic role of teacher authority is examined in this study by investigating what constitutes good pedagogy in one class within a rural school in the Philippines. With this research problem, this study used ethnographic research approach to examine what students and teachers understand about ‘classroom authority’ and its perceived value in good pedagogy within a specific and cultural place. Ethnographic data in …


A Review Of Undergraduate Education Student Responses To The Online Component Of Blended Learning: A Cautionary Tale, Ross S. Bernay, Chris Jenkin, Tafili Utumapu-Mcbride, Adrian Schoone, Andrew Gibbons Jan 2022

A Review Of Undergraduate Education Student Responses To The Online Component Of Blended Learning: A Cautionary Tale, Ross S. Bernay, Chris Jenkin, Tafili Utumapu-Mcbride, Adrian Schoone, Andrew Gibbons

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Calls for enhancing the digital interface for teaching and learning within tertiary institutions have played out in one School of Education, with variable results. Online learning tasks were added in 2018 to regular classes to provide more flexibility for student engagement. A team of lecturers developed a questionnaire for students to be completed after the first semester pilot. Data and findings indicated that one-third of students identified online learning as an enhancement to their learning. A second survey was conducted one year later to assess changes made and analyse the longer-term impacts. During the COVID-19 lockdown, fully online pedagogy was …


Academic Freedom In Teacher Education; Between Certainty And Uncertainty, Marita Cronqvist Jan 2022

Academic Freedom In Teacher Education; Between Certainty And Uncertainty, Marita Cronqvist

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In this study, academic freedom in teacher education is related to preservice teachers’ possibilities to develop critical and autonomous thinking in teaching practice. Self-awareness and self-confidence provide certainty to deal with the uncertain situation in teaching where creativity and judgment must be given priority over an instrumental teaching based on authorities, effective methods or ready-made solutions. Teacher educators thus need to promote academic freedom as both certainty and uncertainty. The aim of this paper is to provide enhanced understanding of the meanings and implications for teacher education of academic freedom, in the tension between certainty and uncertainty, based on a …


The Design Of Early Childhood Teacher Education Programs: Australian Employer Perspectives With International Program Comparisons, Wendy Boyd, Linda Mahony, Jane Warren, Sandie Wong Jan 2022

The Design Of Early Childhood Teacher Education Programs: Australian Employer Perspectives With International Program Comparisons, Wendy Boyd, Linda Mahony, Jane Warren, Sandie Wong

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Provision of quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) supports children’s learning with strong agreement that early childhood teachers (ECTs) are central to quality provision. In many countries, it is mandatory that ECEC services employ ECTs. However, Australian ECT employers report that early childhood graduates are not always well-prepared to work in ECEC settings. This may be because what constitutes optimal early childhood initial teacher education programs (EC ITE) is unclear. To investigate the design of EC ITE programs this research reports on (i) design of EC ITE programs across international contexts; and (ii) 19 Australian ECT employers’ perspectives on …


An Appraisal Of The Class Instrument As An Observational Measurement Tool For Evaluation Of Student And Teacher Interactions In Western Australian Classrooms, Gillian Kirk, Marianne J. Knaus, Shane Rogers Jan 2022

An Appraisal Of The Class Instrument As An Observational Measurement Tool For Evaluation Of Student And Teacher Interactions In Western Australian Classrooms, Gillian Kirk, Marianne J. Knaus, Shane Rogers

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The National Quality Framework is used across Australia to drive quality improvement in early childhood settings. Unique to Western Australia, the National Quality Standard is also used in schools to improve quality in classrooms up to Year two (seven to eight years). However, the literature suggests the National Quality Standard is too broad with an emphasis on quantifiable program features (structural quality). As the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS™) instrument was designed to measure classroom interactions (process quality), the purpose of this current study was to examine its efficacy in Pre-primary (five-year-old) classrooms. A mixed-method research approach was employed to …


On Country Teacher Education: Developing A Success Program For And With Future Aboriginal Teachers, Graeme Gower, Tatiana Bogachenko, Rhonda Oliver Jan 2022

On Country Teacher Education: Developing A Success Program For And With Future Aboriginal Teachers, Graeme Gower, Tatiana Bogachenko, Rhonda Oliver

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

A growing awareness of the value of Aboriginal teachers in Australian schools has motivated the development of the ‘On Country’ Teacher Education (OCTE) program through collaboration between the Western Australian Department of Education and Curtin University. The OCTE builds on previous initiatives to increase the number of Aboriginal teachers in Australian classrooms and has also developed new features. It enables Aboriginal and Islander Education Officers (AIEOs[1]) to obtain a teaching degree while studying ‘on Country’ and working in their (often remote) schools. An evaluation of the first year of this course through the interviews/yarns with the AIEOs, principals, …