Education Commons^™

Indigenous Philosophy In Environmental Education, Anne Poelina, Yin Paradies, Sandra Wooltorton, Laurie Guimond, Libby Jackson-Barrett, Mindy Blaise

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The editorial group acknowledges the wisdom of Indigenous knowledge keepers and their past and continuous relationships with place, on every continent on earth where humans have lived for aeons. Indigenous wisdom is their life-giving gift to communities everywhere for planetary futures. It is precious, having integrity and an ethic of responsibility and care. Indigenous wisdom as environmental education is the oldest education, being tens of thousands of years of continuity before waves of apocalyptic colonial violence during the last few centuries interrupted lifeways and language-embedded knowledge systems, some forever gone . . .

Benchmarking Australian Enabling Programs For A National Framework Of Standards, Charmaine Davis, Chris Cook, Suzi Syme, Sarah Dempster, Lisa Duffy, Sarah Hattam, George Lambrinidis, Kathy Lawson, Stuart Levy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Enabling education programs in Australia assist students, who would otherwise have been excluded from higher education, to transition into undergraduate study. These programs emerged independently in response to the needs of individual universities and the varying cohorts of students they serve. The exclusion of these programs from the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) has meant they remain unregulated, with no national framework for standards. The development of academic standards is a dynamic, consensus driven process, and benchmarking provides a method through which academics from across institutions can work in partnership to reach shared understandings and improve and align practices. This practice …

Elementary Teachers' Perspectives On Teaching Reading Comprehension, Reid Smith, Pamela Snow, Tanya Serry, Lorraine Hammond

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

PURPOSE: We report findings from a survey of elementary teachers regarding reading instruction. The purpose was to examine teachers' beliefs about how children in the first 7 years of schooling develop reading comprehension skills and to characterize the self-reported practices and strategies they use to support children to comprehend connected text. METHOD: A web-based survey was used to collect data from 284 Australian elementary teachers about their beliefs and practices regarding reading comprehension instruction. Selected Likert-scale items were aggregated to determine the degree to which participants held "child-centered" or "content-centered" views of reading instruction. RESULTS: Australian elementary school teachers hold …

Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of Two Self-Efficacy Scales For Astronomy Understanding And Robotic Telescope Use, R. Freed, David H. Mckinnon, M. T. Fitzgerald, S. Salimpour

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper presents the results of a confirmatory factor analysis on two self-efficacy scales designed to probe the self-efficacy of college-level introductory astronomy (Astro-101) students (n=15181) from 22 institutions across the United States of America and Canada. The students undertook a course based on similar curriculum materials, which involved students using robotic telescopes to support their learning of astronomical concepts covered in the "traditional"Astro-101 courses. Previous research by the authors using these self-efficacy scales within a pre-/post-test approach showed both high reliabilities and very high construct validities. However, the scale purporting to measure students' self-efficacy in relation to their use …

Generative Artificial Intelligence: University Student Awareness, Experience, And Confidence In Use Across Disciplines, Andrew Kelly, Miriam Sullivan, Katrina Strampel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The global higher education sector has been significantly disrupted by the proliferation of generative artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, especially in relation to its implications for assessment. However, few studies to date have explored student perspectives on these tools. This article reports on one of the first large-scale quantitative studies of student views on generative artificial intelligence at an Australian university (n = 1,135). When the survey was conducted, most students had low knowledge, experience, and confidence in using these tools. These results varied across disciplines and across some student sub-groups, such as mature-age students and international students. Confidence …

Chinese-Speaking Undergraduates In Australia: A Lexical Approach To Teaching Academic Writing, Qin Chen, Anne Thwaite, Brian Moon

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Chinese-speaking students enroll in Australian tertiary institutions in large numbers. Success for these international students is heavily dependent upon their mastering the conventions of academic writing in English. How best to ensure such mastery among EAL learners has been a matter of debate among tertiary educators and language specialists, with competing theories and methods proposed. This paper reports on an attempt to improve English academic writing through intensive lexical instruction, a method proposed by Ackermann & Chen (2013), Boers et al. (2016), Lewis (1993), Selivan (2018), Wray (2005, 2018) and others. Nine Chinese-speaking tertiary students were offered training in recognising …

(Re)Considering Equity, Inclusion And Belonging In The Updating Of The Early Years Learning Framework For Australia: The Potential And Pitfalls Of Book Sharing, Helen Adam, Lennie Barblett, Gill Kirk, Gloria S. Boutte

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Few would dispute the importance of equity, inclusion and belonging in early childhood education and care, yet translation into meaningful practice rarely centres the priorities of historically divested communities. The national learning framework for early childhood in Australia is the Early Years Learning Framework, positioning the child as a capable agent and describing inclusive, culturally competent practice. This article presents part of a larger study investigating educators’ beliefs and practices when using culturally diverse literature to address the Early Years Learning Framework’s diversity principles. A critical theoretical framework enables a robust examination of how the Early Years Learning Framework constructs, …

Chemistry Learning Through Culturally Responsive Transformative Teaching (Crtt): Educating Indonesian High School Students For Cultural Sustainability, Yuli Rahmawati, Alin Mardiah, Elisabeth Taylor, Peter Charles Taylor, Achmad Ridwan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), culture provides the transformative dimension for ensuring the development process of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As one of the key drivers in the implementation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, culture ensures a people-centered and context-relevant approach that cuts across a range of policy areas and, thus, in the context of quality education promotes the development of human resources for cultural and environmental sustainability. It is in this context that we report on a study aimed at developing students’ cultural identity and supporting the …

Models Of School Breakfast Program Implementation In Western Australia And The Implications For Supporting Disadvantaged Students, Susan M. Hill, Matthew F. Byrne, Elizabeth Wenden, Amanda Devine, Margaret Miller, Henrietta Quinlan, Donna Cross, Judy Eastham, Miranda Chester

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

A substantial body of literature points to the educational and social benefits of school breakfast programs. Most high-income countries provide free or subsidized school breakfasts to support disadvantaged children. Australia does not have a nationally-funded school meal program. Instead, charitable organizations offer school breakfast programs on a voluntary basis, often with funding support from state/territory governments. Decisions about participating in a school breakfast program (SBP), which students to support, and the degree of integration with other strategies to support disadvantaged students are made at the school level. This large-scale, multi-year study examined models of SBP implementation in Western Australian (WA) …

Student Voices That Resonate – Constructing Composite Narratives That Represent Students’ Classroom Experiences, Olivia Johnston, Helen Wildy, Jennifer Shand

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Words and stories have the power to resonate with people. Composite narratives can be constructed using multiple participant accounts, representing their experiences while also capturing the properties and categories of qualitative research findings. The ability of composite narratives to represent the multiple facets of theory construction through a singular narrative point-of-view is unique and provides a concise and credible method to present research findings. This paper explains how composite narratives can be constructed to present the research data that findings are built upon through an illustrative example of the process. The example of a composite narrative presented in this article …

Students’ Contrasting Their Experiences Of Teacher Expectations In Streamed And Mixed Ability Classes: A Study Of Grade 10 Students In Western Australia, Olivia Johnston, Helen Wildy, Jennifer Shand

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Many secondary schools sort students into ‘ability’-based classes, but research shows that streaming students by ability is inequitable and does not improve student academic results. There has been little qualitative research that considers students’ experiences of streaming, with none that compares students’ experiences in classes that are streamed against the same students’ experiences in other classes that are mixed-ability. The research in this paper explains student experiences of differences between their streamed and mixed-ability classrooms, including the perceived influence on their educational outcomes. The study is unique because the results project the voices of 25 Grade 10 secondary school students …

Teaching Writing In Primary Education (Grades 1–6) In Australia: A National Survey, Anabela De Abreu Malpique, Debora Valcan, Deborah Pino-Pasternak, Susan Ledger

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Providing adequate writing instruction and practice in schools is an essential cornerstone of writing development and it affords a diagnostic approach for teachers. But what writing instruction is being practiced in Australian primary schools? The aim of this study was to survey a sample of teachers (n = 310) about their instructional practices for writing and their preparation and self-efficacy to teach writing. The majority of the teachers surveyed indicated they allocated on average less than three hours per week for writing practice in their classrooms, with findings further showing a large variability in the frequency of writing practice ranging …

Teenagers Learn Through Play Too: Communicating High Expectations Through A Playful Learning Approach, Olivia Johnston, Helen Wildy, Jennifer Shand

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Play-based learning is an approach used in early childhood education that is well supported by research on its varieties and effectiveness for young children’s learning. Play-based learning meets the developmental needs of young children, but new research presented in this paper suggests that teenagers learn through play too. The experience of 25 Year 10 students in three Western Australian government schools was drawn upon to generate grounded theory about how students experience their teachers’ expectations of them, which included findings that playful learning approaches communicated high teacher expectations. The students were shadow-studied in their classrooms and interviewed at the end …

Influences On Student Decisions To Enrol In Higher-Level Mathematics Courses, Gregory Hine, Chris Forlin, Paola Chivers

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Addressing the participation rates in senior secondary mathematics courses in Australian schools remains a critically important issue. In this paper, the authors report on quantitative findings from a study in which all year 11 and year 12 (aged 17–18 years) Australian Tertiary Admissions Ranking (ATAR) students in Western Australia were invited to participate. The aim was to explore the perceptions of these students regarding their enrolment in higher-level mathematics courses. Data from 1633 students were collected using a survey instrument comprised of 12, 5-point, Likert-scale items. Data were analysed by applying two statistical procedures: calculating frequencies of the 12 items …

Mapping The Leap: Differences In Quality Improvement In Relation To Assessment Rating Outcomes, Belinda Davis, Rosemary Dunn, Linda J. Harrison, Manjula Waniganayake, Fay Hadley, Rebecca Andrews, Hui Li, Susan Irvine, Lennie Barblett, Maria Hatzigianni

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Australia’s National Quality Standard (NQS) outlines the criteria to assess the quality of early childhood services. A four-point rating scale: (i) Exceeding NQS; (ii) Meeting NQS; (iii) Working Toward NQS; and (iv) Significant Improvement Required is applied to services following a regular assessment and rating process. Settings rated as Working Toward are reassessed within 12 months. Most settings achieved a one-step improvement in this Time 2 reassessment, moving to a Meeting rating but some settings made a two-step improvement, moving to an Exceeding rating. The QIP is a key document used by authorities to assess the quality of a …

The International Framework For School Health Promotion: Supporting Young People Through And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Joseph J. Scott, Lynette Vernon, Alexandra P. Metse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

BACKGROUND: The worldwide COVID-19 government restrictions imposed on young people to limit virus spread have precipitated a growing and long-term educational and health crisis. CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE THEORY: This novel study used Sen's Capabilities Approach as a theoretical framework to examine the current health and educational impacts of COVID-19 on youth, referencing emerging literature. The objective was to inform the design of an internationally relevant framework for school health promotion to support young people through and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Mapping of existing health resources, internal/external conversion factors and capabilities were used to identify classroom, school and system level strategies …

Equity And Inclusion In Work-Integrated Learning: Participation And Outcomes For Diverse Student Groups, Denise Jackson, Bonnie Amelia Dean, Michelle Eady

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Universities support students in their transition to work and future career through programmes such as work-integrated learning (WIL). WIL engages students in authentic industry-based experiences and is considered valuable for preparedness for work, including professional socialisation and developing skills prioritised by graduate employers. Research shows, however, that access and participation in WIL is not equal among all student groups. This paper reports on the responses of over 151,000 recent graduates in an Australian-wide survey. It investigates participation in different types of WIL and its influence on self-perceptions of employability and the employment outcomes of graduates from different backgrounds. Findings show …

Social Media And English Language Writing Performances Of A Ghanaian Esl Class: The Nexus, Ramos Asafo-Adjei, Ronald Osei Mensah, Ernest Kwesi Klu, Enock Swanzy-Impraim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The nexus among social media usage and the English language writing performances of a Ghanaian English as Second Language (ESL) class was investigated in this enquiry. The simple qualitative case study design was used, and the data was collected from a co-educational government secondary school Form 2 General Arts One class in Ghana. A focus group discussion (FGD) guide was employed to elicit the data, and the data were synthesised and analysed using the Data Analysis Spiral. It was evidenced that social media has adversely impacted the students’ English Language learning, as oblivious and non-standard contents have been smuggled into …

Student Access To Higher Education Through Alternative Pathways And Differences By Equity Group And Discipline, Denise Jackson, Ian Li, David Carroll

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Widening participation in higher education for under-represented groups is a priority internationally. In Australia, the most common entry pathway for domestic undergraduate students is by obtaining an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) in the final year of secondary school. The ATAR system, however, has been criticised as disadvantaging certain equity groups. Consequently, widening participation policy has encouraged alternative entry pathways into university, including enabling/bridging courses, vocational education qualifications, or portfolio entry based on demonstrated skills and experience. There is, however, relatively scarce evidence of student use of these pathways, including those from equity groups. Drawing on national enrolment data and …

Evaluation Of An Educational Program For People With Dementia And Their Caregivers, Beverly O'Connell, Manonita Ghosh, Melissa Dunham, Aisling Smyth

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives: This study evaluated the impact of a 5-week educational and supportive program for people newly diagnosed with dementia and their caregivers. Methods: The study involved a pretest–posttest survey followed by interviews. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was conducted to determine postprogram changes. Kruskal–Wallis tests measured variation in responses between the people with dementia and their caregivers. Interviews were analysed using the NVivo software identifying themes against the program objectives of improving knowledge on dementia, coping strategies, communication and support services for people with dementia and their caregivers. Results: Fifty-three dyads (n = 106) completed the survey. There were significant improvements in …

An Investigation Into The Role Of Innovative Learning Environments In Fostering Creativity In Secondary Visual Arts Programmes In Ghana, Enock Swanzy-Impraim, Julia E. Morris, Geoffrey W. Lummis, Andrew Jones

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Innovative learning environments (ILEs) have been regarded as one of the contributing factors that facilitate creativity in learners. At the pre-tertiary level of education, Ghana has recently undergone educational reform that sees creativity being added as a key goal for education, but it is unknown if teachers' practices within current educational facilities can support the enactment of this goal. The multi-site qualitative case study explores the secondary visual arts learning environments within the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis in Ghana. Interviews and observations were used as instruments for data collection with 16 visual arts teachers. This study confirmed two categories of environments that …

Chatgpt In Higher Education: Considerations For Academic Integrity And Student Learning, Miriam Sullivan, Andrew Kelly, Paul Mclaughlan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The release of ChatGPT has sparked significant academic integrity concerns in higher education. However, some commentators have pointed out that generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT can enhance student learning, and consequently, academics should adapt their teaching and assessment practices to embrace the new reality of living, working, and studying in a world where AI is freely available. Despite this important debate, there has been very little academic literature published on ChatGPT and other generative AI tools. This article uses content analysis to examine news articles (N=100) about how ChatGPT is disrupting higher education, concentrating specifically on Australia, …

Early-Career Music Teachers’ Perspectives Of Their Initial Teacher Education Program In China, Han Meng, Jason Goopy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Initial teacher education plays an important role in preparing music teachers for schools. There is a growing interest in Chinese music teacher education, though limited research currently exists. This study investigated early-career teachers’ perspectives concerning the efficacy of the initial music teacher education program at Yu Cai Normal University (pseudonym), China. This mixed-methods study used a sequential explanatory design where qualitative interview data were used to provide further explanation and detail regarding survey results. The perceptions of early-career music teachers were sought on the importance, effectiveness, and usefulness of their initial teacher education and the most rewarding and challenging aspects …

Relational Employability Stages Of Development, Elizabeth J. Cook

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Relational employability stages of development aim to enhance individuals’ employability in a relational world. These stages – Recognition, Networks, Translation and Review – provide a pathway for individuals to cultivate relational awareness, engagement, promotion and reflection in the context of careers. When integrated with the Relational employability teaching-learning framework (Cook, 2023), these stages of development engage individuals in critical self-reflection, evaluation and career planning to advance their relational career development. This integrated approach empowers individuals to thrive and make meaningful contributions, extending employability beyond skills and outcomes to embrace meaningful connections and contributions with others (including more-than-human others). Applicable …

Examining Single Session Peer-Teaching Instructional Approaches On Pre-Service Physical Education Teachers’ Throwing Techniques, Bradley Beseler, Mandy S. Plumb, Michael Spittle, Nicola F. Johnson, Jack T. Harvey, Christopher Mesagno

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

An important role of a Physical Education (PE) teacher is to assist students to develop the fundamental motor skills (FMS) that will allow them to participate in physical activities with competence and confidence. Thus, PE teachers require the knowledge and skills to carry out this crucial task. In the crowded curricula of Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) programs, there are limited opportunities for pre-service PE teachers to learn how to analyze and perform a large list of motor skills. Our purposes in this study were to determine whether a single session peer-teaching intervention could improve pre-service PE teachers’ short-term non-dominant …

Primary School Teachers’ Adaptations For Struggling Writers: Survey Study Of Grade 1 To 6 Teachers In Australia, Anabela Malpique, Deborah Pino-Pasternak, Debora Valcan, Mustafa Asil

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Two hundred ninety-eight primary teachers (88% female) from across all Australian states and territories reported on the frequency with which they implemented instructional adaptations for struggling writers in their classrooms. They also rated their preparation and self-efficacy for teaching writing. The majority of participating teachers indicated they provided additional instruction on spelling, capitalization and punctuation, and sentence construction at least once a week or more often. Teachers further reported implementing additional minilessons and reteaching strategies and skills, as well as extra instruction on grammar, handwriting, text structure, revising, and planning on a monthly basis or more often. The majority of …

Transforming Transitions To Primary School: Using Children’S Funds Of Knowledge And Identity, Fiona Boylan, Lennie Barblett, Leanne Lavina, Amelia Ruscoe

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Transition to school experiences influence children’s wellbeing, development, and learning at the time of transition and future transitions. Effective transitions require schools to engage with children and families in ways that connect and empower them in the transition process. In this study children aged 3–6 years and their teachers used a Funds of Knowledge (FoK) and Funds of Identity (FoI) lens to reimagine transition practices for children and their families. Through a design-based thinking process, qualitative data was collected from four professional learning days, as well as individual coaching sessions, observations of the first days of school, and stakeholder interviews. …

Digital Literacy: A Review Of Literature, Lennie Barblett, Raisa Akifeva, Leanne Lavina, Fiona Boylan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This report describes the main themes of collected literature to examine and explain the information in relation to making best practice recommendations for using digital technologies with children, and their families using Better Beginnings programs. These themes include:

• definitions of literacy,
• digital literacy in the context of childhood and children’s rights,
• dimensions of children’s digital literacy,
• digital technology, children and families,
• digital divide and diversity,
• eSafety, privacy, protection,
• children’s digital literacy learning, and
• librarian staff as digital literacy mentors and advocates.

The early childhood phase of childhood (particularly birth to age five) is one of the most under - researched …

Developing A Resource For Arts Educators To Enhance The Social And Emotional Well-Being Of Young People, Leanne Fried, Christine Lovering, Sarah Falconer, Jacinta Francis, Robyn Johnston, Karen Lombardi, Kevin Runions, Karen Forde, Naomi Crosby, Lilly Blue

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Mental health concerns prevent positive well-being and are key challenges for Australian children and young people. Arts organisations play a role in enhancing the positive mental health of children and young people. This paper describes the involvement of young people and their parents in the development of a resource for arts organisation’s intentional support of social and emotional well-being. Methods: Six focus groups were conducted with 19 young people who participate in dance, drama, and circus programs, and 17 of their parents. Questions explored how the arts currently, and potentially, support their social and emotional well-being. Results: Three overarching …

Readability Of Australian Road Safety Information For The General Public, Catherine Ferguson, Stephen Winn

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This research was conducted as a result of the authors becoming aware of the Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS) submission to the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030. The ACRS submission outlined six key elements, one of which suggested that the National Road Safety Strategy should include ‘Publication in easily consumable form, for the public, of infrastructure safety star ratings for all road users’ (ACRS, 2021, p.61). This prompted the researchers to consider the road safety information provided to the general public about driving behaviour. Forty excerpts from online data from one Australian State’s road safety website were assessed for …