Education Commons^™

Scale For Mapping Progress In Mathematical Competencies, Ross Turner, Gayl O'Connor, Thomas Romberg

Ross Turner

No abstract provided.

Engaging With Excellence In Mathematics Teaching : Creating Excellence In The Learning Environment, Ray Peck, Hilary Hollingsworth, W Morony

Ray Peck

No abstract provided.

It’S All Positive, Julie Mcmillan, Sheldon Rothman

Dr Sheldon Rothman

No abstract provided.

Signposts To Improved Test Scores In Literacy And Numeracy, Julie Mcmillan, Sheldon Rothman

Dr Sheldon Rothman

A recent study of year 9 students' results on reading comprehension and mathematics tests, by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) found that a positive school climate is associated with higher literacy and numeracy test scores. In other key findings, socioeconomic status, language background, Indigenous status, gender and educational aspirations were found to have significant effects on achievement in both literacy and numeracy. Parents' education had a significant effect on literacy but not on numeracy. This article gives an overview of the findings.

Gender Differences In Education And Labour Market Outcomes, Kylie Hillman, Sheldon Rothman

Kylie Hillman

Despite numerous changes in policy and legislation, issues of gender equity in the Australian education system and labour market remain a concern, particularly the poorer performance of males on tests of literacy and in rates of Year 12 completion. The results of research on the topic are summarised in this article. They suggest that although there is a statistically significant difference between the average levels of reading comprehension of male and female students, this difference may not extend beyond the classroom to seriously affect later outcomes. Males on average continue to progress, through both the education system and the labour …

Developing Standards Of Practice For Leaders In Victorian Catholic Schools, Elizabeth Kleinhenz, Lawrence Ingvarson, Anna Mcdonald

Dr Elizabeth Kleinhenz

In 2003-4, the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (CECV) and the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) undertook a project to develop standards for school leadership. A specific aim of the project was to provide a 'bridge' to leadership that would encourage teachers to undertake leadership tasks and to consider moving into formal positions of leadership. This paper reports on the experiences and challenges of developing standards that matched this purpose. It also reviews school leadership standards that have been developed in Australia and overseas over the past decade. A comparison is drawn between standards for teachers and standards for …

Teacher Accountability In Australia : Current Policies And Practices And Their Relation To The Improvement Of Teaching And Learning, Elizabeth Kleinhenz, Lawrence Ingvarson

Dr Elizabeth Kleinhenz

The strong link between teacher quality and student learning outcomes calls for effective systems of teacher accountability. School systems in all Australian states have established policies and practices to raise levels of teacher accountability, but it remains doubtful whether they have the capacity to deliver on teacher quality assurance or improvement in teachers' practice. This paper reports some of the recent findings of an ARC funded project that mapped teacher evaluation practices across all Australian states and territories. After providing a brief historical overview of teacher evaluation in Australia, it discusses three recent initiatives at the 'accomplished teacher' level; namely …

Evaluation Of The Standards And Professional Learning Project 2003., Elizabeth Kleinhenz, Lawrence Ingvarson

Dr Elizabeth Kleinhenz

Launched in 2003, the brief of the ‘Standards and Professional Learning Project’ was: to develop professional teaching standards for full registration, and to support new teachers (who were mostly newly graduated teachers from tertiary teacher education programs) to move from provisional to full registration at the end of their first year of teaching. The role of the ACER team was to assist the VIT Standards and Professional Learning Branch (SPLB) in: Revising and using the interim Standards for Professional Practice; Developing a final set of standards, based on wide consultation on the interim standards; Developing appropriate assessment tasks to gather …

Policy Issues For Australia's Education Systems : Evidence From International And Australian Research, Gary Marks, Julie Mcmillan, John Ainley

Dr John Ainley

This article discusses education policy issues in the context of empirical evidence. It notes that many commonly held beliefs about Australian education such as, the relative performance and participation levels of Australian students; the importance of socioeconomic background on educational outcomes both relative to other countries and changes over-time; gender differences in mathematics and science; and the labour market situation of early school leavers; are not supported by empirical research. Such findings have implications for government policies. The article also questions current policy directions toward increasing Year 12 participation, expanding both secondary and post-secondary vocational education and reducing class sizes. …

Affective Engagement : A Person-Centred Approach To Understanding The Structure Of Subjective Learning Experiences, Sarah Buckley, Galit Hasen, Mary Ainley

Dr Sarah Buckley

Accounts of students' learning have increasingly emphasised the role of affective engagement in achievement settings. Although most studies have focused on negative emotional experiences such as anxiety, more recent studies have investigated the role of positive emotions. This study examines the structure of students' subjective learning experiences in relation to individual interest profiles. It measured two components of affect: activation as positive arousal that indicates engagement, and valence as an evaluative quality of the students' experience. Senior secondary students (females, N=162) completed measures of individual interests, curiosity and prior knowledge, read three social issues texts and then answered some questions …

Australian Assessment In Literacy And Numeracy, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

Reports that the Longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Study has traced the growth in literacy and numeracy of a single cohort of students in primary school. Number of children from a random Australia-wide sample of 100 schools formed the cohort; Understanding of the nature of growth in literacy and numeracy amongst Australian students.

Assessing Assessment: What Is Being Assessed? So What? And Then What?, K Rowe, Andrew Stephanou

Dr Andrew Stephanou

No abstract provided.

Sear – Your Answer To Assessment In Science, Gayl O'Connor, Helen Trotter

Gayl O'Connor

No abstract provided.

Pedagogical Agents’ Personas: Which Affects More, Image Or Voice?, Yanghee Kim, A. L. Baylor, G. Reed

Yanghee Kim

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of image and voice of pedagogical agents on student perception and learning. Pedagogical agents were developed with differing image (expert-like vs. mentor-like) and voice (strong vs. calm vs. computer-generated), but with identical gesture, affect, comments, and gender. 109 undergraduates in a computer literacy course were randomly assigned to one of the six conditions. The results revealed a significant main effect for agent image on role perception: the mentor-like image was perceived as more motivating, as hypothesized. Also, there was a significant main effect for voice: the strong voice was overall …

Longitudinal Moderated Mediation, Siek Khoo, D Flora

Dr Siek Toon Khoo

No abstract provided.

Information Literacy Instruction And Assessments, College Of Business And College Of Education, Robert Fernekes, Sonya Shepherd, Debra Skinner

Sonya S. Gaither

No abstract provided.

Assessing Information Literacy With Knowledge Surveys: Interim Report From Two Computer Based Trials, David Robinson, R. Mathaney, Robert Fernekes, Sonya Shepherd, Debra Skinner

Sonya S. Gaither

No abstract provided.

La Educación Superior Transnacional En México: El Caso Sylvan-Universidad Del Valle De México, Roberto Rodríguez-Gómez

Roberto Rodríguez-Gómez

This paper discusses the impact of transnationalisation on Mexican higher education system in four steps: First, it examines the Mexican government position about the global international trade. Second, it exposes the general Mexican position about the educative transnationalisation. Third, it refers the Mexican legal frame about direct foreign investment in education. Fourth, it displays data about the volume of direct foreign investment in the Mexican educative sector. Finally, the attention turns to a specific case of transnationalisation: the presence of a partnership between Sylvan Learning Systems and the University of the Valley of Mexico, private institution that offers education of …

Our Children: Who Are They And Where Are They Heading?, Julie Kos, C Mason

Dr Julie Kos

No abstract provided.

Pedagogical Agent Design: The Impact Of Agent Gender, Ethnicity, And Instructional Role, A. L. Baylor, Yanghee Kim

Yanghee Kim

To investigate the role of pedagogical agent gender and ethnicity, 230 students were randomly assigned to one of twelve conditions, where agents differed by ethnicity (African-American, Caucasian), gender (male, female), and roles (expert, motivator, and mentor).

Signposts To Improved Test Scores In Literacy And Numeracy., Sheldon Rothman, J Mcmillan

Dr Sheldon Rothman

A recent study of year 9 students' results on reading comprehension and mathematics tests, by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) found that a positive school climate is associated with higher literacy and numeracy test scores. In other key findings, socioeconomic status, language background, Indigenous status, gender and educational aspirations were found to have significant effects on achievement in both literacy and numeracy. Parents' education had a significant effect on literacy but not on numeracy. This article gives an overview of the findings.

La Toma De Decisiones En Una Universidad Pública Estatal Desde La Perspectiva De Sus Académicos, Jesús F. Galaz-Fontes, Esperanza Viloria-Hernández

Jesús Francisco Galaz Fontes

Con base en un cuestionario aplicado a 289 académicos con 30 o más horas semanales de trabajo, en una institución de educación superior pública, del noroeste del país, se investigó la percepción de los encuestados sobre su influencia en las decisiones de las administraciones central y de las unidades académicas, así como de ellos mismos. Mientras que a la administración central le asignan las decisiones institucionales, a las de las unidades, asuntos más locales y ellos se percibieron como carentes de un peso, con poca influencia personal en la unidad y en la institución, tienen una visión autocrática de las …

Essential Learning Prep To Year 10 : English Curriculum Area., Wayne Sawyer, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

This discussion paper was prepared for the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority as theoretical background for development of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards.

Primary School Teachers' Knowledge, Attitudes And Behaviours Toward Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Julie Kos

Dr Julie Kos

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood disorder affecting approximately five percent of primary school-aged children. The disorder is characterised by severe difficulties in one or more of three areas; inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. There are a variety of assessments used to help diagnose ADHD; interviews, behaviour checklists, medical assessments, and ancillary tests. Furthermore, there are numerous treatment options available, including psychological, biological, and alternative treatments. Whilst the aetiology of ADHD is unclear, there have been a number of possible causes put forth, including psychological, biological, and environmental suggestions. Considering that primary school teachers are often the first to notice …

Why You Have To Probe To Discover What Year 8 Students Really Think About Fractions, Catherine Pearn, Max Stephens

Catherine Pearn

Many researchers have noted how children's whole number schemes can interfere with their efforts to learn fractions. This paper examines the persistence of whole number schemes among 14 year-old students who appear to have successfully mastered routine algorithms for working with fractions. Uncovering whole number thinking among such students is therefore difficult, and is illustrated through the use of several probing interview tasks, revealing quite different forms of whole number thinking. These forms of thinking can give correct answers also making it difficult for teachers to identify incorrect thinking about fractions. Representations of fractions using number lines can assist in …

Education.Au Limited And Shared/Common/Web Services - Discussion Paper, Gerald White, Claire Murray

Dr Gerald K. White

This paper encapsulates the key points raised at an Education.au workshop, in early December 2003, and in doing so provides an overview of innovation and growth prospects that Education.au could pursue in the areas of shared, common and web services

Psychologist Hand-Scoring Error Rates On The Rothwell - Miller Interest Blank : A Comparison Of Three Job Allocation Systems, R Goddard, Robert Simons, W Patton, K Sullivan

Dr Robert Simons

Hand-scoring errors are known to occur on a range of psychological tests. The present study conducts an investigation into the existence of scoring errors by 27 professional occupational psychologists using the Rothwell - Miller Interest Blank (RMIB). Building on investigations into the impact of work allocation practices on work quality in other professions, the present study explored whether psychologist scoring error rates differed between three work allocation systems. Data from 1175 completed RMIB survey forms indicated that error rates for the three systems ranged from 5 to 16.3 per cent, with the self-managed work allocation system resulting in the lowest …

From Literacy Methods Classes To The Real World: Experiences Of Pre-Service Teachers, Francesca Pomerantz, Michelle Pierce

Francesca Pomerantz

Generic Skills: Can They Be Measured?, A Butler, Luc Le, Sam Hambur

Dr Luc Tu Le

No abstract provided.

Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Gabrielle Matters

Dr Gabrielle Matters

Curriculum debates tend to get mired in binary opposition: disciplinary versus interdisciplinary, skill versus project, cultural transmission versus critical analysis. This is not surprising, given the ostensibly competing moves towards national curriculum consistency on the one hand, and attempts to streamline, integrate and reconceptualise core curriculum on the other. The real issues, however, are far more substantial, and at once quite simple. This brief article picks up on some of them, and reports from the work of the Queensland New Basics project on some ideas that might help moving beyond binary opposition. This can be achieved by framing knowledge around …