Education Commons^™

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 …

Going Beyond: Cyber Security Curriculum In Western Australian Primary And Secondary Schools. Final Report, Nicola F. Johnson, Ahmed Ibrahim, Leslie Sikos, Marnie Mckee

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

There is no doubt cyber security is of national interest given the rife nature of cyber crime and the alarming increase of victims who have endured identify theft, fraud and scams. Curriculum within K-12 schools tends to be fixed and any modifications are subject to extensive consultation within a prolonged review cycle. Therefore, this report has gone beyond curriculum to explore the potential of national awareness campaigns and dynamic digital cyber security licences as alternative possibilities for instigation. The role of leaders in various school sectors and systems is critical for a successful roll out. This final report culminates from …

Relational Employability Teaching-Learning Framework, Elizabeth J. Cook

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This framework was designed, developed and implemented during Elizabeth’s doctoral research, specifically in 2022-2023. Elizabeth’s conceptualisation of relational employability, as depicted by this framework, is holistic and shows three equally important relational elements of employability and careers, which may transcend time and space: (1) foundational career development and identities (self); (2) humanistic interactions and contributions throughout careers (other humans); and (3) more-than-human interactions and contributions throughout careers (beyond humans). The framework builds on the work of Nataša Lacković (2019) and was constructed to enable academics to deeply and meaningfully integrate careers and employability thinking-imagining within curricula and assessment. The framework …

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 …

No Time To Read? How Precarity Is Shaping Learning And Teaching In The Humanities, Helena Kadmos, Jessica Taylor

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Humanities educators are frequently frustrated by students’ poor engagement in reading. The contemporary student experience is characterised by disruption and precarity. Similarly, is that of teachers who work in casual employment. This discussion is located within broader conversations around the neoliberal university, but aims to make more visible ways that teaching and learning are increasingly shaped by precarity, and consequences for the humanities. It describes what precarity in higher education looks like and considers the kinds of strategies that students and their teachers are positioned to develop by virtue of engaging in education under such conditions, amid chaos, making these …

Physical Education And Covid-19: What Have We Learned?, Valeria Varea, Ana Riccetti, Gustavo González-Calvo, Marcela Siracusa, Alfonso García-Monge

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The aim of this paper is to explore what we have learned during the COVID-19 pandemic in the field of Physical Education in three different countries: Argentina, Spain and Sweden. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews, and the concept of field agency is used to make sense of the data. Differences were found among the three countries, regarding the content of the classes, the use of resources, the emotions of teachers, and the use of physical contact. This was also a result of the regulations and resources in place. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that the nature of the field …

Celebrating The Work Of Pre-Service Teachers, Keyan Robertson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

'Books can be both mirrors and windows', by investigating this statement, acknowledgment can be given to the vital importance of engaging students in a diverse range of children's literature within the classroom. The purpose is to develop children into accepting, empathetic, compassionate and prosocial members of the community, who strive to achieve self-actualisation (Maslow, 1943; McMillan and Chavis, 1986). Literature is constructed on the foundations of historical, social and cultural contexts, traditionally, biased and persuaded by the political and social views of its time (McDonald, 2018).

Cyber Security Curriculum In Western Australian Primary And Secondary Schools: Interim Report: Curriculum Mapping, Nicola Johnson, Ahmed Ibrahim, Leslie Sikos, Cheryl Glowrey

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Cyber-crime poses a significant threat to Australians—think of, for example, how scams take advantage of vulnerable people and systems. There is a need to educate people from an early age to protect them from cyberthreats.

Consistent with the increasing prevalence of cyberthreats to individuals and organisations in Australia, the national Australian curriculum has been updated (version 9.0) to include specific content for cyber security for primary and secondary students up to Year 10. Endorsed by Education Ministers in April 2022, the Western Australian School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) completed a detailed audit of the endorsed Australian Curriculum version 9.0 …

Establishing International Best Practice Principles For Impact Assessment Teaching And Training, Angus Morrison-Saunders, Jenny Pope, Megan Jones

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Best Practice Principles for Impact Assessment (IA) Teaching and Training were developed for the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA). Research conducted throughout 2018 and 2019 encompassed seven iterative steps: an initial practitioners workshop; comprehensive review of 40 years of literature on teaching IA; initial survey of teachers and trainers; follow-up interviews; development of draft set of principles; final survey of the importance of the draft principles to university teachers and professional development trainers in IA; and a final workshop at IAIA19. The resulting principles are grouped in relation to content (what is taught), pedagogy (how content is taught) and …

“I Feel Very Fortunate To Still Be Doing What I Love”: Later Career Performing Arts Teachers Still Keen And Committed, Christina Gray, Geoffrey Lowe, Peter Prout, Sarah Jefferson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The problem of attrition among early-career teachers has generated a substantial body of research. However, less research has been devoted to later-career teachers who survive and thrive. This article explores the career experiences of four later-career performing arts teachers who remain keen and committed to teaching. Informed by seminal studies by Huberman (1989, 1993) and Day and Gu (2007, 2009) into teacher career trajectories, and using a phenomenological ‘lens’ of portraiture methodology, members of the research team undertook a series of in-depth interviews to gain insight into how these teachers maintain their positivity and commitment to teaching. Four key themes …

Early Childhood Teachers’ Perspectives Of Growth Mindset: Developing Agency In Children, Fiona Boylan, Lennie Barblett, Marianne J. Knaus

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The integration of mindset theory into classrooms can assist children in optimizing academic achievement, increasing their agency for learning. The development of a growth mindset allows children to exercise autonomy over their learning, helping them to develop positive lifelong learning habits for the twenty-first century. This paper explores early childhood teachers’ perspectives of mindset and the role of a growth mindset in developing children’s agency for learning. Despite increasing research in this field, little is known about the perspectives that early childhood teachers have of mindset. This paper reports on the data from a study that describes teachers’ perspectives towards …

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).

Assessing And Selecting Culturally Diverse Literature For The Classroom, Helen Adam, Laurie Harper

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Articulated within the Australian Curriculum (AC) and the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) are strong principles of diversity and intercultural awareness. These principles place a responsibility on educators to make curriculum decisions that reflect inclusive goals and practices. It is important that all children have access to authentic and accurate representations and role models related to their cultural backgrounds and everyday lives, in order to gain benefits associated with developing a positive sense of identity and belonging (Gollnick and Chinn, 2006; Jones Diaz and Harvey, 2002; Morgan, 2009) with additional benefits to their academic and intellectual progress (Department …

Teacher Emotion Research: Introducing A Conceptual Model To Guide Future Research, Leanne Fried, Caroline Mansfield, Eva Dobozy

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This article reports on the development of a conceptual model of teacher emotion through a review of teacher emotion research published between 2003 and 2013. By examining 82 publications regarding teacher emotion, the main aim of the review was to identify how teacher emotion was conceptualised in the literature and develop a conceptual model to illustrate the findings. Interestingly, few papers explicitly defined ‘emotion’ or ‘teacher emotion’ but described the functions of emotion (such as providing information) and influences on emotion (such as personal characteristics), so these were also used to build the conceptual model. The literature also highlighted the …

Teaching Reading: A Shared Vision And A Shared Responsibility 2012-2013: Principals As Literacy Leaders In Ceo Schools, Deslea Konza, Paul Woodley, Sam De Leo, Helen Dixon

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The PALL Plus professional learning and research project was a collaborative effort between the Fogarty Learning Centre at Edith Cowan University and 16 Catholic primary schools within the Western Australian Catholic Education Office (CEO). It was initiated by the principal of Star of the Sea Primary School, Tim Emery, who coordinated involvement of the other schools and managed contractual responsibilities on behalf of the CEO. The project was based on the Principals as Literacy Leaders (PALL) pilot project funded by the Commonwealth Government in 2009-2010, and originally developed in partnership with the Australian Primary Principals Association, Griffith University and the …

Ict In The Australian Curriculum, Christopher P. Newhouse

Research outputs 2013

The new Australian Curriculum aims to be suitable for the needs of 21st Century society and as such has explicitly defined a number of key roles to digital technologies. This should provide opportunities for schools and teachers to build on past reforms and prepare for the future. Over the past few years I have had various roles contributing to the development of sections of the Australian Curriculum, specifically the Technologies curriculum area, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) general capability, and the embedding of ICT use across some of the curriculum areas. In this paper I explain my personal understanding …

Transforming Schooling With Support From Portable Computing, Christopher Newhouse

Research outputs pre 2011

For over two decades educators have hailed the possibility of harnessing the capabilities of portable computing to transform Australian schools into places where students experience powerful learning environments, relevant to the 21st Century. For some schools in Australia this journey is well into its second decade with the use of networkable portable computing devices to provide anywhere-anytime learning opportunities. While some of the potential has been realised invariably the finding has been that using the technology to create powerful learning environments in real school setting is not a trivial matter and needs to consider a range of factors. So when …

Partners In Learning : Proceedings Of The 12th Annual Teaching And Learning Forum, Edith Cowan University, 11-12 February 2003, Allison Bunker (Ed.), Mardi O'Sullivan (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

This publication of selected papers addressing the 12th Annual Teaching and Learning Forum theme of Partners in Learning provides an overview of the issues facing staff in higher education in Australia. The articles chosen for this post-forum publication provide innovative ideas that bring the opportunity to share and learn about teaching and learning into focus as lecturers consider ways to improve students’ learning and experiences in higher education through partnerships with them and with others. With the advent of Higher Education at the Crossroads by Federal Minister Brendan Nelson, it is evident that staff will face new challenges.

Improving Aboriginal Numeracy: A Book For Education Systems, School Administrators, Teachers And Teacher Educators, Thelma Perso

Research outputs pre 2011

Aboriginal students have the right to access the same education that is available to non-Aboriginal children in Australian schools. At present, Aboriginal children have access to, the same curriculum that non-Aboriginal students have access to but it may not empower them. This might be for a variety of reasons: their different starting points, learning styles, underlying issues which are impediments to learning, and in particular, their previous experiences may not be understood by their classroom teachers.

Honouring Young Children: Research, Curriculum And Practice In Early Childhood Education, Loraine Corrie (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

Early childhood educators tend to be people who like to agree with their colleagues. Often we avoid conflict situations and keep the peace by being silent, rather than raising our voices in dissent. But rapid changes to the field, coupled with the explosion of knowledge in the 90s, have opened up new dilemmas and new challenges for teachers. If we are to meet these challenges in a way that honours young children, then we need to talk about our differences and diverse views in a spirit of trust and professional collegiality.

The Second Edith Cowan Memorial Conference on Early Childhood …

Teaching Aboriginal Children: Milingimbi And Beyond, Michael Christie (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

The original intention of the contributors was to write a book about their experiences as teachers at Milingimbi in Arnhem Land. Initially, articles were obtained from only those people who had actually taught at Milingimbi. However, theory and practice have changed a great deal since the original articles were put together in 1978. Some of those articles became dated; others were repetitious; some were simply not good enough to be printed.

The collection of articles now presented were all written by people who have taught in Arnhem Land - hence the use of the Arnhem Land words yolngu (Aboriginal) and …

Proceedings Of The Seventh Annual Science Education Conference: Theme: Science Education In The Eighties, Denis Goodrum (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Space To Play: Games And Activities For Spatial Concepts In Primary School Children, Helen Mansfield (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

Spatial concepts are amongst the most important mathematical concepts that young children develop. Ideas of shape, size, and position are part of the young child's mathematical world from the very beginning. The spatial environment of the child is always changing. Objects move around in his environment, just as he moves around and observes them from different positions. The relationships between objects and their relative shapes, sizes and positions are constantly changing.

In our teaching of the Space strand of the primary mathematics syllabus, we are trying to develop in children the understanding and skills associated with spatial relationships that are …

Moora: Aboriginal Children In A Wheatbelt Town, Lois Tilbrook

Research outputs pre 2011

Moora town was established in 1875, when the railway from Midland Junction to Walkaway was built. There had always been Aborigines in the surrounding districts, and as land was taken up for farming, a number of them were employed as farmhands and domestics.

The town is the regional centre for the North Midlands, a subdivision of the Northern Agricultural Statistical Division of Western Australia. As such, it was developed to service the agricultural hinterland. The Northern Agricultural Statistical Division has a total population of 42,804 people (23,044 males and 19,766 females) of whom 1,828 or 4.6% are Aboriginal (1,003 males …