Education Commons^™

Learning French In Western Australia: A Hedonistic Journey, Celine Doucet, Sabine Kuuse

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

When learning a language, motivation and emotions are central to the learning process and have considerable importance in learning. In Australia, despite the growing economic impact of its Asian neighbours and the great physical distance to France, French remains one of the most taught languages in various educational settings at different levels, and it appeals to many Australians. This review focuses on the motivations of West Australian adult learners of French. The aim of this paper is to explore students’ motivation and emotions towards their learning of French in Western Australia, teachers’ perceptions of these feelings, and how they are …

Barriers Inhibiting Inquiry-Based Science Teaching And Potential Solutions: Perceptions Of Positively Inclined Early Adopters, Michael Fitzgerald, Lena Danaia, David H. Mckinnon

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In recent years, calls for the adoption of inquiry-based pedagogies in the science classroom have formed a part of the recommendations for large-scale high school science reforms. However, these pedagogies have been problematic to implement at scale. This research explores the perceptions of 34 positively inclined early-adopter teachers in relation to their implementation of inquiry-based pedagogies. The teachers were part of a large-scale Australian high school intervention project based around astronomy. In a series of semi-structured interviews, the teachers identified a number of common barriers that prevented them from implementing inquiry-based approaches. The most important barriers identified include the extreme …

Robotic Telescopes In Education, E. L. Gomez, Michael Fitzgerald

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The power of robotic telescopes to transform science education has been voiced by multiple sources, since the 1980s. Since then, much technical progress has been made in robotic telescope provision to end users via a variety of different approaches. The educational transformation hoped for by the provision of this technology has, so far, yet to be achieved on a scale matching the technical advancements. In this paper, the history, definition, role and rationale of optical robotic telescopes with a focus on their use in education is provided. The current telescope access providers and educational projects and their broad uses in …

Using Multiple Metaphors And Multimodalities As A Semiotic Resource When Teaching Year 2 Students Computational Strategies, Paula M. Mildenhall, Barbara Sherriff

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Recent research indicates that using multimodal learning experiences can be effective in teaching mathematics. Using a social semiotic lens within a participationist framework, this paper reports on a professional learning collaboration with a primary school teacher designed to explore the use of metaphors and modalities in mathematics instruction. This video case study was conducted in a year 2 classroom over two terms, with the focus on building children’s understanding of computational strategies. The findings revealed that the teacher was able to successfully plan both multimodal and multiple metaphor learning experiences that acted as semiotic resources to support the children’s understanding …

More Than “Sluts” Or “Prissy Girls”: Gender And Becoming In Senior Secondary Drama Classrooms, Kirsten Lambert, Peter R. Wright, Jan Currie, Robin Pascoe

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This article examines the relationships between the embodiment of dramatic characters, gender, and identity. It draws on ethnographic data based on observations and interviews with 24 drama teachers and senior secondary drama students in Western Australia. We explore how student becomings in year 12 drama classrooms are mediated and constituted through socially overcoded gender binaries in a dominant neoliberal culture of competitive performativity. We ask the questions: What constructions of femininity and masculinity are students embodying from popular dramatic texts in the drama classroom at a critical time in their social and emotional development? Are these constructions empowering? Or disempowering? …

Curriculum Renewal: Barriers To Successful Curriculum Change And Suggestions For Improvement, Trudi Cooper

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This article examines the practical difficulties encountered when a renewed curriculum is implemented in higher education. Attention has been given in the literature to the importance of coherent curriculum and approaches to curriculum design. Less attention has been paid to whether the renewed curriculum can be faithfully implemented within a given university context and how constraints to implementation change the curriculum design. Practical barriers to implementation arose from several sources. These included: how to ensure that all staff understood and supported the new approaches, in the context of a casualized academic workforce; the need for academics to find sufficient time …

Conversation With Presence: A Narrative Inquiry Into The Learning Experience Of Chinese Students Studying Nursing At Australian Universities, Carol C. Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aim

The aim of this methodological article is to reflect on and extend current understandings of the possibilities of narrative inquiry research giving voice to students, and to expand the power of story by sharing the philosophical, theoretical, and methodological considerations of narrative inquiry in an international education context

Background

There has been much discussion about the need in providing a ‘voice’ to people across the society, who feel marginalised in many contexts, including international students. There is limited research about Chinese students studying in Australia. In particular, the learning experience of Chinese nursing students has not been fully explored …

Pre-Service Primary Teachers' Experiences And Self-Efficacy To Teach Music: Are They Ready?, Geoffrey M. Lowe, Geoff W. Lummis, Julia Morris

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Music is essential in developing the young brain, particularly skills relating to concentration, filtering, information retrieval, verbal competencies, mental visualisation, problem solving, empathy and personal expression. With the introduction of the Australian National Curriculum and its adoption as the basis of the Western Australian P-10 music syllabus, there is cause to reflect on the effectiveness of music provision within teacher education courses and pre-service generalist teachers' abilities to deliver the new music syllabus. Accordingly, a mixed method study was conducted with first and fourth year Bachelor of Education primary students at a Western Australian university, to investigate students' music experiences …

Using Pairwise Comparisons In The Online Social Moderation Of Performance Assessment, C. Paul Newhouse, Pina Tarricone

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Assessing the performance of a student involves some form of judgement, and where more than one assessor is involved this usually requires some form of moderation to ensure consistent and fair results. Often this involves meetings or communication between assessors, which is referred to as social moderation. This paper reports on a study that investigated the use of online technologies to support a form of social moderation of artworks submitted for assessment in a senior secondary school course in Western Australia. Online systems were used to facilitate communications and provide access to digital representations of the submissions along with assessment …

The Effect Of A Professional Development Model On Early Childhood Educators’ Direct Teaching Of Beginning Reading, Gemma E. Scarparolo, Lorraine S. Hammond

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Research over the last 15 years has reported that for professional development to be effective, in terms of changing teachers’ knowledge and/or instructional strategies, it needs to be conducted taking into consideration the following factors: teachers’ existing knowledge, experience and attitudes towards the professional development, school administrative factors, opportunities for classroom-based follow-up and gathering data concerning student achievement to measure the impact or effectiveness of the professional development. These factors were all carefully considered when creating, planning and implementing the professional development model for this study. The results indicate that an evidence-based professional development model which included a workshop, classroom …

Rumination, Realignment And Reflection: Who Is Really Teaching Health Education In Secondary Schools?, Donna Barwood

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In Western Australia (WA), health education (HE) is timetabled as a separate, disciplinebased subject belonging to the health and physical education (HPE) learning area. Globally, this subject is identified as a key site to support and strengthen the health and wellbeing of children and young people. In WA, teachers from outside-of-the-field of HPE are commonly used to deliver HE. This situation is not exclusive to HE nor to WA, and in some circles is referred to as education’s dirty little secret. This mixed-methods study critically examined the role of the teacher in the delivery of HE with the purpose of …

Top Five 'Must-Haves' For Creating Meaningful, Valuable, Strengths-Based And Healthful Learning, Donna M. Barwood M.Ed

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Creating meaningful, valuable and strengths-based learning was the principle underpinning Karen Lambert’s recent article in the May edition of the Active and Healthy Magazine (2017), in which she discussed the five propositions that now underpin Health and Physical Education (HPE) in Australian schools. In support of Karen and her colleagues’ work, this article aims to provide some straightforward practical pedagogical tips for teachers delivering health education (HE), as a means to support and strengthen healthful learning experiences for all young Australians. This article is based on teacher education experiences with pre-service teachers preparing to deliver HPE in Western Australia (WA).

Supporting Positive School Culture Through Interpersonal Engagement: Phase Two Report: Hampton Senior High School December 2017, Geoffrey Lummis, Julia Morris, Graeme Lock

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The Industry Collaboration Project, ‘Supporting Positive School Culture Through Interpersonal Engagement’ is a joint project between Edith Cowan University, Hampton Senior High School, Kinross College and Mindarie Senior College. The project aims to empower school leaders to co-create, implement and evaluate professional learning programs that promote enhanced staff relationships. Supporting school leaders to improve staff relationships is important because staff (both teaching and school support) are key stakeholders in children’s educational outcomes (Stringer, 2013). Ensuring school staff feel valued in their school community is also of ongoing importance, particularly as staff accountability and burnout rises in the teaching profession both …

Employer Understanding Of Work-Integrated Learning And The Challenges Of Engaging In Work Placement Opportunities, Denise Jackson, David Rowbottom, Sonia Ferns, Diane Mclaren

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study examines employer understanding of Work-Integrated Learning (WIL), reasons for participation and the challenges and barriers posed during the WIL process. This is important given the drive to grow WIL, augmented by the National Strategy for WIL, and the significant benefits it holds in preparing students for their transition to employment. The study was undertaken by the four publicly funded Western Australian universities, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia, and is focused on work placements among business students. Findings indicate employers had very little understanding of WIL offerings at the four Business Schools. …