Education Commons^™

Factors Affecting The Impact Of Teacher Education Programmes On Teacher Preparedness : Implications For Accreditation Policy, Lawrence Ingvarson, Adrian Beavis, Elizabeth Kleinhenz

Dr Elizabeth Kleinhenz

This study provides guidance to policy-makers about the standards that might be appropriate for accrediting teacher education programs. The study was commissioned by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT), a statutory body established in 2001 by the Victorian state government with responsibility for the registration (licensing) of teachers and the accreditation of teacher education programs. The study investigated the characteristics of effective initial teacher education programs, as reported by teachers who have just finished their first year of teaching. A survey instrument was distributed in 2004 to all registered teachers who had graduated from their teacher education program in 2002, …

Different Steps : Post-School Pathways For Australian Students, Jennifer Bryce, Michelle Anderson

Dr Jennifer Bryce

New research investigates students' often non-linear post-school transitions. A new report, 'Australian Stories: Young People, Their Families and Post-School Plans', builds on research undertaken by the Australian Council for Educational Research for the Smith Family. It examines the stories of nine young people who have participated in the Smith Family Learning for Life scholarship program and who are considered to have made a positive start towards achieving their post-school goals. By asking these young people questions about their decision-making, the barriers they faced, and strategies for overcoming these, the study suggests ways that young people in similar situations may be …

Dbrief : A Research Paradigm For Ict Adoption, Katherine Dix

Dr Katherine Dix

Half Of Australian Youth Aged 18-20 Are Not In Training, Bob Birrell, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

The authors undertake a detailed analysis of data from the 2006 Census. The data reveal that a substantial proportion of Australia's 18 to 20 year olds are not participating in any form of education. In addition, of those non-attendees, labour force participation is also remarkably low. A supplementary table to the report, which shows education participation rates by Australian federal electorates is also available.

Alls Survey Update : Initial Messages Regarding Numeracy, Dave Tout

David (Dave) Tout

In the initial analysis and results coming out from the first wave of the 2003 Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey (ALLS) countries, the data seem to be indicating that numeracy plays a more important role in economic returns for individuals than do prose or document literacy, and seem to confirm that men outperform women in the area of numeracy and mathematics. Some of the outcomes stemming from the results that will be of interest when the Australian results are released late in 2007 include: the overlap between respondents' abilities in literacy and numeracy was lower than expected; early school leavers …

When Two Universities Meet : Fostering Research Capacity Among Early Career Researchers, Kathy Mann, Kathryn Moyle, Andrea Reupert, Jane Wilkinson, Gary Woolley

Professor Kathryn Moyle

Between one-third and one-half of all presently employed academics will reach retirement age in the next decade. A challenge facing universities in this current environment is to continue to sustain their research capacities. Policy-makers and universities have developed various strategies to support ongoing development of different cohorts within the broader research community. One strategic approach has been to foster the research capabilities of Early Career Researchers (ECRs). This paper describes and analyses the features of one promising program collaboratively developed to support ECRs from education faculties within the University of Canberra and Charles Sturt University. The program was initiated by …

Selecting Open Source Software For Use In Schools, Kathryn Moyle

Professor Kathryn Moyle

Schools are places where the choices made about computing technologies not only reflect their technical requirements but also reflect the philosophical priorities directing those choices. Schools can deploy a startling range of software (i.e., operating systems, databases, office productivity software, and applications software) for specifc teaching and learning purposes. Applications software deployed in schools must be suitable for use by students who are young and often have limited reading and fine motor skills. Back-end software must be robust enough to handle hundreds and sometimes thousands of users concurrently. One issue that faces schools interested in deploying open source software is …

The Impact Of Eportfolios On Learning, Elizabeth Hartnell-Young, Colin Harrison, Charles Crook, Gordon Joyes, Lindsay Davies, Tony Fisher, Richard Pemberton, Angela Smallwood

Dr Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

This report presents the potential impact of e-portfolios on learning and teaching. It is based on case studies of eight projects that are in the early stages of e-portfolio use within the primary, secondary, further education (FE), higher education (HE) and adult and community learning (ACL) sectors. The report is primarily aimed at policy-makers. Harnessing Technology: Transforming Learning and Children’s Services, the e-strategy published by the DfES in 2005, sets a target of providing a ‘personalised online learning space for every learner that can encompass a personal portfolio’; this should be available to every school by 2008 (DfES, 2005). In …

Making The Connections: Theory And Practice Of Mobile Learning In Schools, Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

Dr Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

This paper reviews several major theories of learning, and considers what additional theories might explain ‘mobile learning’. It then describes three small projects in Year 6 classes in English schools– where teachers and students used mobile devices over a period of several months–in order to make connections between theory and practice, and to seek new insights for theory from practice. The study found that behaviourist, constructivist and socio-cultural theories influenced teachers’ work, often simultaneously, while there was scant evidence of a symbiotic relationship between people and technology. The paper concludes that even in these early days of mobile learning in …

Researching ‘What Works’ In Boys Education: Teachers Take The Lead, Elizabeth Hartnell-Young, Greg Neal

Dr Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

Accountability in education is often effected through mandated standards for curriculum, teacher performance and student outcomes at national or state levels, and this has increasingly occurred in Australia over the past decade. In order to make decisions regarding the achievement of these standards, evidence must be collected from sample sites or segments of the relevant populations. Funding is often linked to accountability, through reward mechanisms ‘after the event’ or through grants made a priori and requiring comprehensive reports. The evidence base is large-scale, but can lack detail. In conjunction with these levers for schools to act on current issues, their …

Can Video With Professional Conversations Improve Teacher Education?, Kathryn Moyle

Professor Kathryn Moyle

Top of the Class, the recent House of Representatives Report of the Inquiry into Teacher Education has reinforced the importance of good practice and the value of the practical dimension of teaching as part of universities' higher education teacher education programs. At the same time, in Australia and in countries in which off-shore teacher education programs are conducted, there are three other concurrent concerns: 1. the shortage of science, maths and literacy teachers and teacher educators; 2. the integration of ICT into teaching and learning in schools and higher education; and 3. the availability of schools and high quality teachers …

Differentiating The Curriculum : A Lot Of Effort For Little Gain, S Atkins, Gayl O'Connor, L Rowe

Gayl O'Connor

The Learning Federation (TLF) project employs emerging technologies to produce online curriculum content to encourage student learning and support teachers in Australian and New Zealand schools. Teachers and students in 20 schools participated in a field trial of a differentiated curriculum model that incorporated online curriculum content and associated assessment components. Teacher and student interviews were conducted to collect information in accordance with the study aims, which were to ascertain the extent to which the Differentiated Curriculum model resulted in increased knowledge by the teacher of individual student achievement; increased knowledge of the next appropriate activity for teaching and learning; …

Building Sustainable Networks For Young Women And Icts Throughout Australia, Kathryn Moyle

Professor Kathryn Moyle

No abstract provided.

The Widening Gap Between Demand For And Supply Of University Graduates In Australia, Daniel Edwards, Bob Birrell, Ian Dobson

Dr Daniel Edwards

The rapid growth in demand for university-trained personnel over recent years has mainly been filled by growth in the skilled migration program. The authors argue that more domestic students should be trained. The Coalition Government does not agree. It claims that 'unmet demand' from prospective university students has been met and that additional subsidised places are to be created. This article scrutinises these claims and concludes that they are not correct. The authors point to a shortfall in domestic higher education training. Over the period 1995-96 to 2005-06 there has been little or no growth in domestic undergraduate commencements (growth …

Are Values More Important Than Learning Approaches? Factors Influencing Student Performance At An International University, Petra Lietz, Bobbie Matthews

Dr Petra Lietz

Educators frequently face the question regarding the extent to which they can actually influence student learning, particularly as learners are also influenced by a complex network of many different factors. Specifically, it is of interest to identify so called malleable variables - that is factors which can be influenced by educators compared with variables that educators are unable to change. In this study, data from a cohort of 207 students pursuing a Bachelor degree at a German international university where the language of instruction is English are examined to investigate the way in which various background factors influence student performance. …

Adaptive Estimated Maximum-Entropy Distribution Model, L Tan, D Taniar

Dr Ling Tan

The Estimation of Distribution Algorithm (EDA) model is an optimization procedure through learning and sampling a conditional probabilistic function. The use of conditional density function permits multivariate dependency modelling, which is not captured in a population-based representation, like the classical Genetic Algorithms. The Gaussian model is a simple and widely used model for density estimation. However, an assumption of normality is not realistic for many real-life problems. Alternatively, the maximum-entropy model can be used, which makes no assumption of a normal distribution. One disadvantage of the maximum-entropy model is the learning cost of its parameters. This paper proposes an Adaptive …

Oecd Improving School Leadership Activity : Australian Country Background Report, Michelle Anderson, Peter Gronn, Lawrence Ingvarson, Andrew Jackson, Elizabeth Kleinhenz, Bill Mulford, Phil Mckenzie, Nick Thornton

Dr Phillip McKenzie

The report provides an overview of school leadership developments and issues in Australia, as a contribution to the OECD's Improving School Leadership Activity. Australia does not have a single school system. Under the federal political structure, education is the responsibility of the eight states and territories. While schooling across the country has many commonalities, there are a number of differences that affect school operations. The situation is made even more complex by the existence of a substantial and growing non-government school sector, which enrols 33 percent of all students and encompasses a wide variety of school types. However, in recent …

In The Balance - The Future Of Australia's Primary Schools, Maxwell Angus, Harriet Olney, John Ainley

Dr John Ainley

In the Balance is the report of an investigation into the state of Australian primary schooling, based mainly on evidence provided by staff from a random sample of 160 primary schools. In 2005, the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) funded the Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) to initiate the investigation. APPA in turn commissioned a research team from Edith Cowan University and the Australian Council for Educational Research to undertake the study. Generally, participating principals and teachers were grateful for the opportunity to ‘have their say’. In their view, too little account is taken in the arena …

Supporting Learning Communities For Children On Think.Com, Elizabeth Hartnell-Young, Karen Corneille

Dr Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

This paper considers the extent to which the free, password-protected online community environment of the Oracle Education Foundation's Think.com supports children's learning. Using an interpretive approach, we analysed the uses of the environment within a broad frame of digital literacies, social interaction and facilitated collaboration, in order to identify potential for, and instances of, learning. We found that many children engaged readily with the site to display a range of digital literacies and to communicate with others, and that teachers and facilitators played a powerful role in mediating learning, managing the communities, setting guidelines for participation, and linking students with …

Values And Learning Approaches Of Students At An International University, Bobbie Matthews, Petra Lietz, I Gusti Darmawan

Dr Petra Lietz

This study indicates that values are statistically significant precursors to approaches to learning in a cohort of predominantly Bulgarian, German and Romanian students studying at a German university where the language of instruction in all subject areas is English. Values have been measured with the Portrait Values Questionnaire, and approaches to learning have been assessed by the Study Process Questionnaire. The relationships between values and approaches to learning have been estimated by canonical correlation analysis. Results of the analysis suggest that values can be linked to learning approaches in a situation where students have left their home countries to undertake …

The Vocational Fate Of Government Secondary Schools, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

In the mid-1980s the Victorian Government abolished the technical school system in order to erase class divisions between government high schools and technical schools. High schools then became de facto comprehensives, in principle dedicated to equality of opportunity for all. In fact, subsequent policies and growing competition from independent schools have forced government secondary schools to specialise. For most, the only feasible path has been to offer more technical and vocational subjects, for example the new Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL). Consequently, academically-inclined students at many government schools are now less favourably placed to compete for declining numbers of …

Boys' Education Lighthouse Schools : Stage Two Final Report 2006, Peter Cuttance, Wes Imms, Sally Godhino, Elizabeth Hartnell-Young, Jean Thompson, Keryn Mcguinness, Gregory Neal

Dr Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

In 2004, schools involved in BELS Stage Two focused on trialling effective approaches to addressing boys' education, and establishing appropriate evaluation tools and methodologies to monitor the impact of these interventions. In 2005, BELS clusters implemented interventions across their clusters and measured their impact on their target group of boys. The Final Report provides a detailed analysis and discussion of the key findings and experiences of the 350 project schools in stage two of the Boys' Education Lighthouse Schools Programme. The BELS program followed almost a decade of public enquiries into issues associated with boys' learning in Australian schools

Working Out What Works, Kerry-Anne Hoad, John Munro, Catherine Pearn, Nola Purdie, Louise Ellis, Ken Rowe

Catherine Pearn

The WOWW professional development program provides resources and training to support teachers to develop expertise in designing and implementing literacy and numeracy intervention strategies for students with or without learning difficulties. [Title page]

Oecd Thematic Review Of Tertiary Education: Background Report, Justin Brown, Sue Johnston

Justin Brown

No abstract provided.

Restoring Our Edge In Education : Making Australia's Education System Its Next Competitive Advantage, Geoff Masters

Prof Geoff Masters AO

Future levels of educational attainment in Australia will be key determinants of individual, social and economic prosperity. Policies that deliver an increase in education and training levels will have wide-ranging benefits for individuals, standards of living and social cohesion. Over recent decades there have been steady increases in the education levels of young Australians. Future generations will be much more highly educated as current levels of educational achievement flow through the age structure over time. However, despite generally increasing education levels, Australia has one of the lowest secondary school completion rates among comparable countries. Australia's future economic competitiveness will depend …

Decomposing Consumer Wealth Effects: Evidence On The Role Of Real Estate Assets Following The Wealth Cycle Of 1990-2002, Michael Donihue, Andriy Avramenko

Michael R Donihue

During the period from 1990 to 2002, U.S. households experienced a dramatic wealth cycle, induced by a 369 percent appreciation in the value of real per capita liquid stock-market assets, followed by a 55 percent decline. However, despite predictions at the time by some analysts relying on life-cycle models of consumption, consumer spending in real terms continued to rise throughout this period. Using data that include the period from 1990 to 2005, traditional approaches to estimating macroeconomic wealth effects on consumption confront two puzzles: (i) econometric evidence of a stable cointegrating relationship among consumption, income, and wealth is weak at …

Pisa In Brief From Australia's Perspective : Highlights From The Full Australian Report : Exploring Scientific Literacy : How Australia Measures Up : The Pisa 2006 Assessment Of Students' Scientific, Reading And Mathematical Literacy Skills., Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli

Lisa De Bortoli

No abstract provided.

Whole Number Knowledge And Number Lines Help To Develop Fraction Concepts, Catherine Pearn

Catherine Pearn

Many researchers have noted that students' whole number knowledge can interfere with their efforts to learn fractions. In this paper the authors discuss a teaching experiment conducted with students in Years 5 and 6 from an eastern suburban school in Melbourne. The focus of the teaching experiment was to use number lines to highlight students' understanding of whole numbers then fractions. The study used a screening test and interview using number lines to probe students' understanding of fractions as numbers. By using whole numbers on number lines first, the interview questions clearly helped many students to connect whole number and …

Engaging With The Profession : Communities Of Learners, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

In 2005 the Australian Literacy Educators' Association (ALEA) established a professional learning project focused on the STELLA professional standards developed earlier in the decade by the Australian Association for the Teaching of English (AATE) and ALEA. The key question for the project was: How does STELLA provide a framework for teachers' professional learning? The project supported a small group of primary teachers in each of three states and territories: Western Australia, South Australia and the ACT. These groups worked with a mentor to explore the STELLA professional standards, to develop their own professional learning, and ultimately, to share their stories …

Comparing Online Mentoring Cases In Educational Contexts In Finland, Australia And Japan, Irja Leppisaari, Leena Vainio, Riina Kleimola, Elizabeth Hartnell-Young, Yukari Makino

Dr Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

No abstract provided.