Education Commons^™

Pisa In Brief : Highlights From The Full Australian Report : Pisa 2012 : How Australia Measures Up, Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Sarah Buckley

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

PISA is a survey that measures the knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds, who are near the end of compulsory schooling in most participating education systems. PISA in Brief summarises the results from the PISA 2012 assessment of students’ mathematical, scientific and reading literacy skills. It tells us about how students performed in the assessment and describes some wider findings about what lies behind their results.

Pisa 2012 : How Australia Measures Up : The Pisa 2012 Assessment Of Students’ Mathematical, Scientific And Reading Literacy, Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Sarah Buckley

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

PISA seeks to measure how well young adults at age 15 (and, therefore, near the end of compulsory schooling in most participating education systems) are prepared to use their knowledge and skills in particular areas to meet real-life challenges. PISA’s orientation reflects a change in the goals and objectives of curricula, which increasingly address how well students are able to apply what they learn at school. This report presents the results of the PISA 2012 assessment for Australia. It presents the results for Australia as a whole, for the Australian jurisdictions and (where relevant) for the other participants in the …

A Review Of Victoria’S Developmental Learning Framework For School Leaders, Lawrence Ingvarson

Professional learning for teachers and school leaders

The Department of Education and Training, Victoria launched the Developmental Learning Framework for School Leaders (DLF) in March 2007 as a central component of the 2003 Blueprint for Government Schools (DET, 2003). Six years later, a decision was made to review the DLF and seek advice on the extent to which it may need revision or redevelopment.In June 2013, the Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to conduct an independent review of Framework for School Leaders (DLF). The brief was to conduct a critical assessment of the content, design, and usability of the …

Solomon Islands Standardised Tests Of Achievement (Sista). English And Mathematics. Year 4 And Year 6. Report 1 Main Study 2013, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Assessment and Reporting

The SISTA program is a key monitoring tool of the Solomon Islands Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development and has the capacity to serve multiple functions to a wide range of educational stakeholders. This report provides analysis of year 4 and year 6 Literacy and Numeracy of SISTA 2013. The SISTA results contain a wealth of data about how well students have responded to items that are indicators of curriculum attainment. The observed improvements in overall performances may be attributed to: a. Better tests and improved alignment of the tests with the target population; and b. In the case …

School–University Partnerships In Initial Teacher Preparation: An Evaluation Of The School Centres For Teaching Excellence Initiative In Victoria, Glenn Rowley, Paul R. Weldon, Elizabeth Kleinhenz, Lawrence Ingvarson

Teacher education

This report presents the findings of an evaluation of School Centres for Teaching Excellence (SCTE) initiatives introduced by the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) during 2011. SCTEs are partnerships of universities and schools designed to establish leading practice in providing quality pre-service teacher education, continuing professional learning and research opportunities. The initiative was funded through the Smarter Schools National Partnership on Improving Teacher Quality.

Towards A Growth Mindset In Assessment, Geoff N. Masters

Assessment and Reporting

The approaches we take to assessing learning, the kinds of tasks we assign and the way we report success or failure at school send powerful messages to students not only about their own learning, but also about the nature of learning itself. Assessment and reporting processes shape student, parent and community beliefs about learning – sometimes in unintended ways.

This essay describes three general approaches to evaluating and providing feedback on the outcomes of learning. Each approach is based on a particular way of thinking about what it means to learn successfully, and each has implications for how students view …

Digital Fluency : Skills Necessary For Learning In The Digital Age, Gerald K. White

Digital learning research

This article examines the skills that will be required for the 21st century that will need to be embedded in educational curricula in order achieve them. It begins by considering how communicating between people has changed and current educational responses. A view of 21st century skills follows with an argument for some core subjects that will be necessary. Learning and teaching are then discussed leading to a view about what is needed in order to develop digital fluency in education, for now and the future.

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Queensland’S Op System Today, Reg Allen

Queensland Review of Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance

The purpose of this paper is to inform the Queensland Review of Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance Processes by describing the strengths and weakness of the Overall Position (OP) system in Queensland as it is in the opening years of the second decade of the twenty-first century. The paper is intended to provide a basis for consideration of possible changes to the current system. It therefore focuses on those underlying features that set the fundamental shape of the system.

Background Paper No. 1 : Senior Assessment And Tertiary Entrance In A Nutshell, Gabrielle Matters

Queensland Review of Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance

The purpose of this paper is to describe senior assessment and tertiary entrance in Queensland in a nutshell. It does not purport to be an academic paper, a procedural manual, or the definitive description of senior assessment and tertiary entrance procedures in Queensland. Its focus is on describing and explaining the key features of the system to an audience that is not necessarily acquainted with the intricacies of the Queensland system. And it is simply an aide mémoire for those who are part of the system. Not all aspects of senior assessment and tertiary entrance are mentioned and technical discussion …

Overview Of Senior Assessment And Tertiary Entrance In Australia And Other Countries, Doug Mccurry

Queensland Review of Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance

This paper presents an overview of senior assessment and tertiary entrance procedures in Australia and other countries. This paper provides background information to inform the deliberations of the Queensland Review of Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance. It includes an overview of the commonalities and differences in the senior secondary assessment systems and certificates in the different the Australian states and territories. Also included is overview of the senior secondary assessment and tertiary entrance systems of some 30 countries. It includes information about the use of examinations, tests and school based assessments for certification and selection for tertiary entrance. This information …

Networking Young Citizens : Learning To Be Citizens In And With The Social Web, Suzanne Mellor, Terri Seddon

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Many claims are made, both in the popular press and the professional education literature, about the significance of the social web in enabling civic participation. However empirical evidence supporting these claims is sparse and contested rather than strongly-indicative. The Monash University pilot research project, Networking Young Citizens, relates to the discussion about the ways in which the social web might support the civic participation, especially of young people, by examining the ways in which Web 2.0 was integrated into teaching and learning in the school, and any other processes of civic socialisation that were consciously adopted in three schools.

This …

Quality Educational Leadership Through Principal Certification: A Consultation Paper Seeking Input On School Principal Certification To Recognise And Enhance Educational Leadership In Australian Schools, Paul Kilvert

Educational leadership

This consultation paper seeking input on school principal certification to recognise and enhance educational leadership in Australian schools was used as the basis for a series of forums with principals in each Australian state and territory to clarify and develop the Australian Principal Certification Program.

Review Of National And International Practice In Voluntary Certification For Principals, Brian Caldwell

Educational leadership

The purpose of the project was to undertake and report on a global scan of schemes for the voluntary certification of school leaders that have been established by professional associations and institutions. The focus was on the certification of principals or those aspiring to the principalship. A distinction was made between certification that is awarded by a government or government agency, and certification that is awarded by an independent professional body. Five national and one state (US) voluntary principal certification programs were identified in the scan. Ten critical issues to be addressed in a scheme for voluntary certification were drawn …

A Teacher's Guide To Pisa Mathematical Literacy, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman, Lisa De Bortoli

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

This report focuses on mathematical literacy and is one of a series of three reports on Australian students' performance in PISA. The report provides an overview of the PISA mathematics framework and Australia's results in the PISA 2003 international assessment. Also included are mathematics items released for public viewing after the PISA 2003 assessment and examples of responses, marking guides and comparisons of results with other countries. The context behind achievement, e.g. attitudes, engagement and learning strategies, is also presented.

A Teacher's Guide To Pisa Scientific Literacy, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman, Lisa De Bortoli

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

This report focuses on Australian students' performance on the PISA items that have been released in Scientific Literacy. It includes an overview of the PISA Scientific Literacy Framework, Australian students' results in the 2006 international assessment, examples of responses and marking guides and the context behind achievement, e.g. attitudes, engagement and motivation, and recognition of environmental issues.

A Teacher's Guide To Pisa Reading Literacy, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman, Lisa De Bortoli

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

This report focuses on Australian students' performance on the PISA items that have been released in reading literacy. It includes an overview of the PISA Reading Framework, Australia's results in the PISA 2009 international assessment , examples of responses and marking guides, and the context behind achievement, e.g. enjoyment of reading, how often they read and high-level strategies for learning.

Measure For Measure : A Review Of Outcomes Of School Education In Australia, John Ainley, Eveline Gebhardt

Assessment and Reporting

There have been a plethora of research reports providing information about the achievements of students in Australian schools and how those achievements differ among jurisdictions and among groups of students. However, each report has often been viewed in isolation from other similar studies. This report is intended to provide an integrated appraisal of the results of the international and national achievement surveys conducted since 1994 but with some references to earlier studies. In addition to limiting the task to manageable proportions, this time span corresponds to the widespread introduction of modern measurement methods so that there is a better basis …

Mobile Learning - Why Tablets?, Helen Galatis, Gerry K. White

Digital learning research

Although flexible and distance learning has been an integral part of the education landscape for many years , the nature of learning using technology has experienced an unprecedented rate of change over the last decade. This change has been also reflected in the terminology used to describe this learning, such as e - learning, m - learning and more. In the broadest sense, the new technologies have been a catalyst for merging the boundaries of formal, informal and lifelong learning. Global economies are driving aspects of social change through the adaptation of new technologies for everyday business and transactions. As …

Deconstructing Maths Anxiety: Helping Students To Develop A Positive Attitude Towards Learning Maths, Sarah Buckley

Student learning processes

Higher maths ability is often believed to go hand-in-hand with greater levels of general intelligence. At the same time, many students have a negative attitude towards maths. Maths anxiety is defined in the research literature as feelings of concern, tension or nervousness that are experienced in combination with maths. In 2005, researchers in the United States estimated that approximately 20 per cent of the US population were highly maths anxious. Given the cultural similarities between the US and Australia, we can assume that the percentage would be comparable here. Research in education, cognitive psychology and neuroscience shows that anxiety can …

Forward Thinking : Three Forward, Two Back : What Are The Next Steps?, Gerald K. White

Digital learning research

The use of digital technologies and digital media in teaching, learning and leadership in education has gradually gained momentum since the 1980s, when personal computers first became popular. The resultant media hype and educational posturing by technology evangelists were given a boost with the take up of the World Wide Web in the early 1990s. And significant investment followed nationally and internationally. So what have we learnt in that time about using technology for teaching, learning and educational leadership? What will be the challenges for successfully using digital technologies in education in the next five years?

This address briefly traverses …

Profiling Diversity Of Australian Universities, Hamish Coates, Daniel Edwards, Leo Goedegebuure, Marian Thakur, Eva Van Der Brugge, Frans Van Vught

Higher education research

There is a good deal of consensus that institutional diversity in higher education is a good thing. Simply put, systems with more diverse institutions perform better than systems with less diverse institutions. Yet the overall diversity of Australia’s higher education system remains unclear. Significant questions and opportunities remain unresolved. How diverse are Australia’s institutions today? How can stakeholders— particularly institutions and policymakers—understand and manage this diversity? This LH Martin Institute and ACER research briefing seeks to shift discussion of diversity to a more considered level. The analysis moves beyond extant sectoral partitionings and contingent policy interventions to expose emerging dynamics …

Evaluation Of The Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy Initiative : Final Report, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Indigenous Education Research

In October 2012, the Queensland Department of Education Training and Employment (DETE) contracted the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to undertake an evaluation of the Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy (CYAAA) Initiative. The CYAAA Initiative is designed to improve student outcomes. It is a pilot program operating in primary schools at Coen, Hope Vale and Aurukun. (The trial began in January 2010 in Aurukun and Coen, and in January 2011 in Hope Vale.) The Initiative is part of the Cape York Welfare Reform education stream.

Student Participation At School And Future Civic Engagement: Results From Iccs 2009, Wolfram Schulz, John Ainley, Julian Fraillon

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Civic and citizenship education aims to prepare young people for their roles as citizens in society. Potential learning outcomes include enhanced knowledge and understanding of civic-related issues as well as student attitudes and behaviours. This paper focuses on the importance of civic participation at school as part of this learning process. Civic participation at school has been emphasized increasingly in the literature in studies of the associations between student participation at school and their expected future engagement in society. The data presented in this paper were collected as part of the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS 2009), which …

Attitudes Towards Political Engagement Among Lower Secondary Students In East Asian Countries: Results From Iccs 2009, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Based on student survey data from five East Asian countries, the paper contains an analysis of attitudes towards the use of personal connections in politics and towards personal morality among politicians. The first part of the analysis describes the extent and variations of these attitudes which are viewed as of particular relevance within the East Asian context. The second part of the analysis investigates the relationship of these attitudes with student background and school-related variables such as civic knowledge as well as uncovering to what extent these attitudes are related to indicators of future civic engagement among students.

Civic Knowledge And Engagement Among Students From Immigrant And Non-Immigrant Backgrounds, Tim Friedman, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon, John Ainley

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Civic and citizenship education has the goal of preparing young people for their role as citizens in society through the acquisition of civic knowledge and development of positive attitudes toward engagement. However, globalization and higher levels of migration have led to a re-thinking of the way education should be prepared young people for citizenship in an increasingly globalized world which is no longer only defined by notions of nation states. This paper focuses on the relationship between immigrant background and indicators for civic knowledge and engagement. The data used were collected as part of the IEA International Civic and Citizenship …

Snapshot Of School–Community Partnerships In Australian Schools, Sharon Clerke

Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation

Schools across Australia are increasingly connecting and engaging with community groups to create opportunities for their students. From marine parks to art galleries, radio stations to local councils, aged care to football clubs, neighbourhood houses to garden centres, the possibilities for collaboration are endless. Schools are reaching out into the broader community to build exciting and innovative relationships that are designed to have a positive impact on student learning.

This report describes some of the ways that schools and community groups are collaborating using information contained in Impact Award applications submitted by schools in 2010 and 2011. The NAB Schools …

Partnering For Success, Sharon Clerke

Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation

The NAB Schools First Awards are the result of a partnership between two not-for-profits, the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA), and a large banking corporation, the National Australia Bank (NAB). The Awards project is a national criteria-based awards program which has been rewarding outstanding school–community partnerships since 2009. These Awards reflect a significant investment in education and by 2013, the fifth year of the Awards, will have awarded over $18 million to support more than 500 school–community partnerships around Australia.

This report presents a snapshot of the impact the Awards program is …

Using Data To Enhance 21st Century Skill Development In Vet Discussion Paper For The Summit On Data For Quality Improvement In Vet, Acer

Transition and Post-School Education and Training

In response to the increasing demands of modern workforce and general life participation and perceptions of poor or declining educational standards, governments around the world are emphasising the important role of education systems in developing in learners a broader set of skills that will meet the challenges and demands of work, study and life in the 21st century. In many cases this has led education systems to focus increasingly on learning outcomes as a measure of system quality in addition to more traditional measures of inputs and outputs. In refocusing the notion of ‘quality’ around this proximate purpose of …

Feasibility Study For The East Asia Summit - Regional Facility For Education Quality Assessment Project (Rfeqa), John Cresswell, Karyn Docking

Monitoring Learning

This report presents a feasibility study into an East Asia Summit (EAS) Regional Facility for Education Quality Assessment (RFEQA).The project was developed partly in response tomajor findings of the 2008 study Harnessing Educational Cooperation in the EAS for Regional Competitiveness and Community Building (‘the Harnessing Report’) which noted that 'One potential issue for a number of EAS countries is that a number of the international student achievement studies are focused on secondary education. For developing countries in particular, the higher priority is likely to be student achievement in primary education as secondary participation rates are relatively low...'

This report …

Accuracy Of Rasch Model Item Parameter Estimation, Luc T. Le, Ray J. Adams

Assessment and Reporting

This study used Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate the item parameter recovery from ACER ConQuest 3 software (Adams, Wu, & Wilson, 2012) for the dichotomous Rasch model. The authors’ primary focus was the comparison of its estimation methods, joint maximum likelihood (JML), marginal maximum likelihood (MML) with a normal distribution assumption and MML with a discrete distributions assumption when the populations were in fact non-normal. The simulation data sets were generated with two test lengths (10 and 50 items) and four alternative true population distributions for the abilities: normal, bimodal, uniform, and chi-square. As expected, results showed that MML-Normal was …