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Full-Text Articles in Education

'University Wasn't Spoken About At Home, It Was Just Assumed That We Would Start Working…': First-In-Family Students, Family Capital And Higher Education Participation, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea Oct 2016

'University Wasn't Spoken About At Home, It Was Just Assumed That We Would Start Working…': First-In-Family Students, Family Capital And Higher Education Participation, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea

Professor Sarah O' Shea

The increases in the number of students attending higher education, particularly those who are the first in their immediate family to attend university provided the impetus for the study outlined in this article. Whilst previous research has explored the qualitative experience of being a first in family student, very few studies have explicitly focussed on how attending university interacts and impacts upon the immediate family of the learner. Drawing upon in-depth semi-structured interviews, this article will detail the findings from a small-scale study conducted in an Australian university that explored the interaction of the family home place and students' enactment …


Assessing The Intended Participation Of Young Adolescents As Future Citizens, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon Nov 2015

Assessing The Intended Participation Of Young Adolescents As Future Citizens, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon

Julian Fraillon

In many Western countries there is concern about the level of participation of their citizens in civic life and the apparent lack of interest and involvement among young people in public and political life (Curtice & Seyd, 2003). The development of knowledge, understanding, skills, and dispositions that prepare young people to comprehend the world, hold productive employment, and be informed active citizens are among the characteristics that educational systems, schools, and teachers value and attempt to foster. However, countries vary in the status accorded to civic and citizenship education as part of school education and the relative importance of developing …


Assessing The Intended Participation Of Young Adolescents As Future Citizens, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon Oct 2015

Assessing The Intended Participation Of Young Adolescents As Future Citizens, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon

Dr Wolfram Schulz

In many Western countries there is concern about the level of participation of their citizens in civic life and the apparent lack of interest and involvement among young people in public and political life (Curtice & Seyd, 2003). The development of knowledge, understanding, skills, and dispositions that prepare young people to comprehend the world, hold productive employment, and be informed active citizens are among the characteristics that educational systems, schools, and teachers value and attempt to foster. However, countries vary in the status accorded to civic and citizenship education as part of school education and the relative importance of developing …


Assessing The Intended Participation Of Young Adolescents As Future Citizens, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon Dec 2014

Assessing The Intended Participation Of Young Adolescents As Future Citizens, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon

Dr John Ainley

In many Western countries there is concern about the level of participation of their citizens in civic life and the apparent lack of interest and involvement among young people in public and political life (Curtice & Seyd, 2003). The development of knowledge, understanding, skills, and dispositions that prepare young people to comprehend the world, hold productive employment, and be informed active citizens are among the characteristics that educational systems, schools, and teachers value and attempt to foster. However, countries vary in the status accorded to civic and citizenship education as part of school education and the relative importance of developing …


Imagining An Ideal School For Wellbeing: Locating Student Voice, Catharine A. Simmons, Anne Graham, Nigel Thomas Nov 2014

Imagining An Ideal School For Wellbeing: Locating Student Voice, Catharine A. Simmons, Anne Graham, Nigel Thomas

Professor Anne Graham

This article explores the significance of actively engaging with students in school about matters that concern them. The discussion draws upon data from a large-scale mixed methods study in Australia that investigated how ‘wellbeing’ in schools is understood and facilitated. The qualitative phase of the research included semi-structured focus group interviews with 606 students, aged between 6 and 17 years, which incorporated an activity inviting students to imagine, draw and discuss an ideal school that promoted their wellbeing. These data reveal how capable students are of providing rich, nuanced accounts of their experience that could potentially inform school improvement. While …


Imagining An Ideal School For Wellbeing: Locating Student Voice, Catharine A. Simmons, Anne Graham, Nigel Thomas Nov 2014

Imagining An Ideal School For Wellbeing: Locating Student Voice, Catharine A. Simmons, Anne Graham, Nigel Thomas

Dr Catharine A Simmons

This article explores the significance of actively engaging with students in school about matters that concern them. The discussion draws upon data from a large-scale mixed methods study in Australia that investigated how ‘wellbeing’ in schools is understood and facilitated. The qualitative phase of the research included semi-structured focus group interviews with 606 students, aged between 6 and 17 years, which incorporated an activity inviting students to imagine, draw and discuss an ideal school that promoted their wellbeing. These data reveal how capable students are of providing rich, nuanced accounts of their experience that could potentially inform school improvement. While …


The Effect Of Synchronous And Asynchronous Participation On Students' Performance In Online Accounting Courses, Keith Duncan, A. L. Kenworthy, Ray Mcnamara Jul 2014

The Effect Of Synchronous And Asynchronous Participation On Students' Performance In Online Accounting Courses, Keith Duncan, A. L. Kenworthy, Ray Mcnamara

Ray McNamara

This article examines the relationship between MBA students' performance and participation in two online environments: a synchronous forum (chat room) and an asynchronous forum (discussion board) at an Australian university. The quality and quantity of students' participation is used to predict their final examination and course grade performance outcomes. We find that the total quality of students' participation is positively related to final examination performance but the total quantity of students' participation is related to overall course performance. We also find that synchronous engagement with the course (combined quality and quantity) drives these results and has twice the examination and …


Social Media As An Educational Tool In University Level Geography, Elizabeth Hundey Apr 2014

Social Media As An Educational Tool In University Level Geography, Elizabeth Hundey

Beth J Hundey

Social media is not a passing fad—it is a new, versatile way of both information gathering and production. It is broadly defined as “networked tools that emphasize the social aspect of the Internet for communication, collaboration and creative expression” (Dabbagh & Kitsantas, 2012). Although many courses have online components (e.g. WebCT or other learning management systems), it is arguable that we as educators are not taking advantage of mainstream (i.e. applications and sites that are not education specific) social media to its full potential in the classroom. This short paper offers an outline of a seminar discussing the uses of …


Monitoring And Improving Student Engagement, Ali Radloff, Hamish Coates Jun 2013

Monitoring And Improving Student Engagement, Ali Radloff, Hamish Coates

Ali Radloff

Higher education is a co-produced activity. The time and effort students devote to learning and broader developmental activities is critical for productivity and the quality of outcomes. This chapter looks at how Australian universities monitor students' engagement in education, and reviews empirical insights relevant to emerging policy directions. It discusses how institutions can respond to new and emerging patterns of engagement, and approaches that institutions are using to improve how students learn and what they achieve.


The Effect Of Synchronous And Asynchronous Participation On Students' Performance In Online Accounting Courses, Keith Duncan, A. L. Kenworthy, Ray Mcnamara Jun 2013

The Effect Of Synchronous And Asynchronous Participation On Students' Performance In Online Accounting Courses, Keith Duncan, A. L. Kenworthy, Ray Mcnamara

Keith Duncan

This article examines the relationship between MBA students' performance and participation in two online environments: a synchronous forum (chat room) and an asynchronous forum (discussion board) at an Australian university. The quality and quantity of students' participation is used to predict their final examination and course grade performance outcomes. We find that the total quality of students' participation is positively related to final examination performance but the total quantity of students' participation is related to overall course performance. We also find that synchronous engagement with the course (combined quality and quantity) drives these results and has twice the examination and …


The Effect Of Synchronous And Asynchronous Participation On Students' Performance In Online Accounting Courses, Keith Duncan, A. L. Kenworthy, Ray Mcnamara Jun 2013

The Effect Of Synchronous And Asynchronous Participation On Students' Performance In Online Accounting Courses, Keith Duncan, A. L. Kenworthy, Ray Mcnamara

Amy L. Kenworthy

This article examines the relationship between MBA students' performance and participation in two online environments: a synchronous forum (chat room) and an asynchronous forum (discussion board) at an Australian university. The quality and quantity of students' participation is used to predict their final examination and course grade performance outcomes. We find that the total quality of students' participation is positively related to final examination performance but the total quantity of students' participation is related to overall course performance. We also find that synchronous engagement with the course (combined quality and quantity) drives these results and has twice the examination and …


Rethinking Classroom Participation, Rita Gardiner Mar 2013

Rethinking Classroom Participation, Rita Gardiner

Rita A Gardiner

Within the classroom, feelings of alienation can adversely affect students’ ability to speak, and thus serve to reproduce social inequities. This is especially the case with some first year students who may not have had many opportunities to speak, as well as students from different cultures where talking in class may not be the norm. To help mitigate power imbalances, it is necessary to develop a diversity of teaching practices and approaches to learning to ensure that each student feels that her class participation counts. In this workshop, I want to consider ways in which it is possible to encourage …


Transitions And Turning Points: Exploring How First In Family Female Students Story Their Transition To University And Student Identity Formation, Sarah E. O' Shea Dr Jan 2013

Transitions And Turning Points: Exploring How First In Family Female Students Story Their Transition To University And Student Identity Formation, Sarah E. O' Shea Dr

Professor Sarah O' Shea

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 …


Overview Of The Iea International Civic And Citizenship Education Study, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz Aug 2012

Overview Of The Iea International Civic And Citizenship Education Study, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz

Dr John Ainley

The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) studied the ways in which young people are prepared to undertake their roles as citizens. ICCS was based on the premise that preparing students for citizenship roles involves developing relevant knowledge and understanding as well as helping them form positive attitudes toward being a citizen and participating in activities related to civic and citizenship education. It also examined differences among countries in relation to these outcomes of civic and citizenship education, and it explored how differences among countries relate to student characteristics, school and community contexts, and national characteristics. This technical report …


Educación Para La Ciudadanía Y Participación Cívica : Una Presentación Del Estudio Iccs 2009 Y De Sus Resultados, Wolfram Schulz Feb 2012

Educación Para La Ciudadanía Y Participación Cívica : Una Presentación Del Estudio Iccs 2009 Y De Sus Resultados, Wolfram Schulz

Dr Wolfram Schulz

No abstract provided.


Progressing Children’S Participation: Exploring The Potential Of A Dialogical Turn, Anne Graham, Robyn Margaret Fitzgerald Apr 2011

Progressing Children’S Participation: Exploring The Potential Of A Dialogical Turn, Anne Graham, Robyn Margaret Fitzgerald

Professor Anne Graham

Children’s participation is increasingly ambiguous and contested. Such complexity emerges in response to its emancipatory possibilities as well as unresolved tensions and power practices. The authors argue that closer attention must now be given to the interpretative milieu of children’s participation, that is, to the act of dialogue that has emerged as central to the participatory process. They point to the need for a critical examination of dialogue in facilitating and resisting the recognition of children. The article concludes with a number of questions to be addressed, if a dialogic approach to participation is to be more fully realized.


Progressing Participation: Taming The Space Between Rhetoric And Reality, Anne Graham, Jenni Whelan, Robyn Margaret Fitzgerald Apr 2011

Progressing Participation: Taming The Space Between Rhetoric And Reality, Anne Graham, Jenni Whelan, Robyn Margaret Fitzgerald

Professor Anne Graham

Participation, as a social and political movement, continues to gain momentum, and the legal and sociological frameworks supporting the rights of children and young people to participate in various aspects of social life are now well established. Yet, there are gaps and silences behind the rhetoric of participation that beg closer scrutiny. Such analysis is important in ensuring “participation” is not un-problematically adopted by policy makers and practitioners without regard to the complex and competing agendas at work in its implementation or any clear evidence of the significance or outcomes for the young people involved. This paper explores some of …


Reductionism, Activity Theory, And L2 Motivation Research: Toward New Concepts And Definitions, Tae-Young Kim Dr. Dec 2009

Reductionism, Activity Theory, And L2 Motivation Research: Toward New Concepts And Definitions, Tae-Young Kim Dr.

Dr. Tae-Young Kim (김태영, 金兌英)

This paper focuses on the theoretical foundation of second language (L2) learning motivation from a Vygotskian Activity Theory (AT) perspective. In general, previous L2 motivation research adopted either psychometric or sociological approaches, which have not fully considered the mediational process between individual learners and their meaningful environments. Since L2 motivation reflects learners’ histories and sociocultural contexts, it is crucial to approach this from an AT perspective. After critiquing current L2 motivation research using Valsiner and van der Veer’s (2000) argument of downward/upward reductionism, I introduce the notion of L2 motivation as social mediation and discuss the applicability of AT to …


Learner Beliefs In Study-Abroad Experience: A Qualitative Case Study Of Two Korean Esl Learners, Tae-Young Kim Dr., Jin-Suk Yang Dec 2009

Learner Beliefs In Study-Abroad Experience: A Qualitative Case Study Of Two Korean Esl Learners, Tae-Young Kim Dr., Jin-Suk Yang

Dr. Tae-Young Kim (김태영, 金兌英)

No abstract provided.


Signposts: Research Points To How Victorian Government Schools Have Improved Performance, Elizabeth Hartnell-Young Dec 2008

Signposts: Research Points To How Victorian Government Schools Have Improved Performance, Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

Dr Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

The Blueprint for Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD, 2008) underlines the importance of providing opportunities for every child to succeed, in every circumstance. The Blueprint points out that, while previous reforms are paying dividends, improvement is not yet consistent across all schools. So, to support a reform agenda for all schools to improve, this research by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) was specifically designed to investigate the nature of the practices in those schools where Victorian strategies are showing positive results. We wanted to have greater knowledge of the practices of Victorian schools that lead …


Participation In Senior Schooling: The Vocational Alternative And The Role Of Vet, Julie Mcmillan, David Curtis Dec 2007

Participation In Senior Schooling: The Vocational Alternative And The Role Of Vet, Julie Mcmillan, David Curtis

Julie McMillan

Participation in senior secondary schooling increased substantially between 1980 and the early 1990s, but has been static since that time. Since the mid 1990s curriculum offerings in the senior school years have been broadened in order to cater for a wider range of student interests and aptitudes. The offering of vocational courses in schools has been a prominent component of this curriculum broadening. At the same time, changes have occurred in the post-school VET landscape with rapid growth in traineeships. The labour market context has also changed with a decline in full-time youth employment accompanied by growth in part-time youth …


Engaging Students To Make Mathematics Interesting, Fun, Intriguing, Puzzling And Personally Satisfying, Dave Tout Aug 2006

Engaging Students To Make Mathematics Interesting, Fun, Intriguing, Puzzling And Personally Satisfying, Dave Tout

David (Dave) Tout

The author asserts that making connections with the real world is the best way to engage most students in the middle years of schooling and to potentially provide a mechanism for making mathematics interesting, fun and personally satisfying. Traditionally, in secondary school mathematics classrooms, teachers start by teaching the abstract mathematics skills and processes and then they find some possible applications afterwards. The author believes this should be the other way around.