Education Commons^™

Civics And Citizenship Education, Suzanne Mellor, Marion Meiers, Pat Knight

Marion Meiers

This edition of The Digest is focused on research about civics and citizenship education, and in particular, research into the role of schools in supporting students to become active and informed citizens. The Digest also reports on what research tells us about young people's civic knowledge and engagement, and about what motivates young people to participate in society.

Pisa In Brief : Highlights From The Full Australian Report : Challenges For Australian Education : Results From Pisa 2009 : The Pisa 2009 Assessment Of Students' Reading, Mathematical And Scientific Literacy., Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Marina Nicholas, Kylie Hillman, Sarah Buckley

Kylie Hillman

No abstract provided.

Pisa In Brief : Highlights From The Full Australian Report : Challenges For Australian Education : Results From Pisa 2009 : The Pisa 2009 Assessment Of Students' Reading, Mathematical And Scientific Literacy., Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Marina Nicholas, Kylie Hillman, Sarah Buckley

Kylie Hillman

No abstract provided.

Pisa In Brief : Highlights From The Full Australian Report : Challenges For Australian Education : Results From Pisa 2009 : The Pisa 2009 Assessment Of Students' Reading, Mathematical And Scientific Literacy., Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Marina Nicholas, Kylie Hillman, Sarah Buckley

Kylie Hillman

No abstract provided.

National Assessment Program : Ict Literacy 2008 : Year 6 And Year 10 : Technical Report, Chris Freeman, John Ainley, Julian Fraillon, Eveline Gebhardt, Kate O'Malley, Wolfram Schulz

Dr Wolfram Schulz

This report describes the technical aspects of the National ICT Literacy Sample Assessment and summarises the main activities involved in the data collection, the data collection instruments and the analysis and reporting of the data. Chapter 2 summarises the development of the assessment domain and describes the process of item development and construction of the instruments. Chapter 3 reviews the sample design and describes the sampling process. Chapter 3 also describes the weighting procedures that were implemented to derive population estimates. Chapter 4 summarises the field administration and data management procedures, including quality control and the cleaning and coding of …

National Assessment Program : Ict Literacy 2008 : Year 6 And Year 10 : Technical Report, Chris Freeman, John Ainley, Julian Fraillon, Eveline Gebhardt, Kate O'Malley, Wolfram Schulz

Julian Fraillon

This report describes the technical aspects of the National ICT Literacy Sample Assessment and summarises the main activities involved in the data collection, the data collection instruments and the analysis and reporting of the data. Chapter 2 summarises the development of the assessment domain and describes the process of item development and construction of the instruments. Chapter 3 reviews the sample design and describes the sampling process. Chapter 3 also describes the weighting procedures that were implemented to derive population estimates. Chapter 4 summarises the field administration and data management procedures, including quality control and the cleaning and coding of …

National Assessment Program : Ict Literacy 2008 : Year 6 And Year 10 : Technical Report, Chris Freeman, John Ainley, Julian Fraillon, Eveline Gebhardt, Kate O'Malley, Wolfram Schulz

Dr John Ainley

This report describes the technical aspects of the National ICT Literacy Sample Assessment and summarises the main activities involved in the data collection, the data collection instruments and the analysis and reporting of the data. Chapter 2 summarises the development of the assessment domain and describes the process of item development and construction of the instruments. Chapter 3 reviews the sample design and describes the sampling process. Chapter 3 also describes the weighting procedures that were implemented to derive population estimates. Chapter 4 summarises the field administration and data management procedures, including quality control and the cleaning and coding of …

School Attendance And Retention Of Indigenous Australian Students, Nola Purdie, Sarah Buckley

Dr Sarah Buckley

Engagement or participation in education is a key factor affecting the life chances of all Australians, and it is particularly important for Indigenous Australians who have an overall lower level of participation in education than non-Indigenous Australians. Higher levels of educational attainment improve employment opportunities, are associated with higher income and promote participation in all societal activities. Education includes preschool education, primary and high school education, tertiary education and vocational training, as well as education and training outside a formal institutional framework. This issues paper deals with school attendance and retention. This paper draws upon key national and international literature …

Engaging International Students In Australian Tertiary Education : Linking Leadership With Learning, Ali Radloff, Hamish Coates

Ali Radloff

This paper argues that while Australia has been enormously successful enrolling international students, this may have distracted institutional leaders’ from their core education business. The paper reviews how international education has grown to be a formative and important facet of Australian tertiary education. This growth owes much to leaders, and review of large-scale survey results shows that commercial capabilities are very important for contemporary leaders. At the same time, however, there is evidence that key facets of quality may be in need of closer review. As Australia’s international education effort matures, it is argued that this needs to be underpinned …

Evaluation Of The Special Tertiary Admissions Test (Stat), Hamish Coates, Tim Friedman

Dr Tim Friedman

This paper reports findings from the first national Australian study of the predictive validity of the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT). Background on tertiary admissions procedures in Australia is presented, followed by information on STAT and the research methods. The results affirm that STAT, through the provision of baseline and objective data, offers a valid and efficient means for ensuring that people who are capable of success at university are able to gain admission. They affirm the importance of taking an evidence-based disciplinary perspective to university admissions. Implications for the development and use of the assessment are considered.

The On Track Survey 2009 : The Destinations Of School Leavers In Victoria : Statewide Report, Sheldon Rothman, Justin Brown, Kylie Hillman, Gary Marks, Phillip Mckenzie

Justin Brown

Findings presented in this report are based on the On Track telephone survey of 36,022 Year 12 or equivalent completers and 4,676 early leavers from the 2008 school year in Victoria. Year 12 or equivalent completers are defined as those who completed a Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), International Baccalaureate (IB) or Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL, Senior or Intermediate). The sample includes those who completed such qualifications in schools (98.7%), or in TAFE colleges or adult and community education providers (1.3%). Early leavers are defined as those students in Years 10, 11 and 12 who had registered their …

Pad-Agogy: A Quasi-Experimental And Ethnographic Pilot Test Of The Ipad In A Blended Mobile Learning Environment, Jeffrey Brand, Shelley Kinash

Jeffrey Brand

Does student use of mobile technologies make a difference to their learning? Many educators make this claim. This research will test and report the learning outcomes, technology orientations, attitudes, times on task & exposure frequencies with iPad tablet computers and make comparisons of these groups using other mobile devices and groups not using mobile devices. Methods include a quasi-experiment and design-based research (DBR) and ethnography. Participants will be 150 students over 2 semesters randomly assigned to rotating a comparison group using a traditional bound textbook and regular access to a Blackboard subject site, another comparison group using their existing mobile …

Online Assessment, Meg O'Reilly

Dr Meg O'Reilly

As networked computer technologies become more integrated into teaching and learning in higher education, questions of supporting online assessment are becoming of greater interest to both students and staff. Are the principles of assessment affected when such activities take place online? What are the advantages and challenges of assessment online? How can the technology help or hinder the underlying pedagogy? What training or professional development do students and staff need to be able to successfully engage with assessment online?

Forecasting University Enrolment And Completion Numbers For Victoria, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

This report is a culmination of the research and projection work previously completed for the Victorian Higher Education Expert Panel by ACER. The current report examines the components that will contribute to the higher education attainment numbers forecast for Victoria. Specifically, it looks at two main components; Victorian university graduates (with sub-components comprising domestic and international students) and university qualified people who obtained their degree outside of Australia. The estimates pertaining to Victorian university graduates have been converted into forecasts of commencement and completion numbers deemed necessary to meet the national attainment target by 2025. Detail about the Expert Panel …

National Assessment Program : Ict Literacy Years 6 & 10 Report 2005, John Ainley, Julian Fraillon, Chris Freeman

Julian Fraillon

Australia's national goals for schooling assert that when students leave school they should be: confident, creative and productive users of new technologies, particularly information and communication technologies, and understand the impact of those technologies on society. The Australian National Assessment Program includes the systematic assessment of the extent to which this goal is being achieved through triennial sample surveys of students in Years 6 and 10. This report is based on the assessment of ICT literacy conducted in October 2005. It describes the development of a computer-based tool for assessing ICT literacy among school students and the application of that …

National Assessment Program : Ict Literacy Years 6 & 10 Report 2008, John Ainley, Julian Fraillon, Chris Freeman

Julian Fraillon

This report presents the findings from the National Assessment Program –ICT literacy assessment conducted in 2008 under the auspices of the national council of education ministers, the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA). National samples of Year 6 and Year 10 students were assessed to determine their levels of confidence, creativity and skill development in the use of information and communication technologies. This report compares the results of Australian school students by state and territory and student sub-groups, and provides details of their achievement against an ICT literacy scale. It also enables the most recent …

Graduate Course Experience 2009 : The Report Of The Course Experience Questionnaire., Hamish Coates, Daniel Edwards, Tim Friedman, Bruce Guthrie

Dr Daniel Edwards

Graduate Course Experience is an annual survey about the attitudes of graduates towards their courses and the skills they acquired while undertaking tertiary education. Once again, universities throughout the country participate in the survey.

Practical Challenges And Possibilities For The Integration Of Academic Literacy In A First Year Subject, Clifford Jackson, Pauline Taylor, Adam Raoul

Associate Professor Pauline Taylor-Guy

A Systematic Approach To Literacy Support For First Year Preservice Teachers: Implications For Practice, Pauline Taylor

Associate Professor Pauline Taylor-Guy

What Can Australian Students Do With Computers?, John Ainley

Dr John Ainley

This article describes the latest findings of the National Assessment Program- ICT Literacy, conducted by ACER for the Australian government, which show some mixed results in Australian students’ proficiency with computers.

Language In The Mathematics Classroom, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

This Digest is focused on research studies about language in the mathematics classroom. A selection of websites is listed and a full reference list provided. Links to those references for which full-text online access is freely available are also included.

Indigenous Languages Programmes In Australian Schools - A Way Forward, Nola Purdie, Tracey Frigo, Clare Ozolins, Geoff Noblett, Nick Thieberger, Janet Sharp

Clare Ozolins

Currently, over 16,000 Indigenous students and 13,000 non-Indigenous students located in 260 Australian schools are involved in an Indigenous language program. More than 80 different Indigenous languages are taught. This project sought to present practice which would strengthen the quality of Indigenous language programs in schools. The report consists of a literature review, a mapping exercise to document current practices relating to Indigenous languages in Australian schools, an analysis of existing models of teacher preparation, and six case studies of good practice examples.

National Assessment Program : Ict Literacy Years 6 & 10 Report 2008, John Ainley, Julian Fraillon, Chris Freeman

Chris Freeman

This report presents the findings from the National Assessment Program –ICT literacy assessment conducted in 2008 under the auspices of the national council of education ministers, the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA). National samples of Year 6 and Year 10 students were assessed to determine their levels of confidence, creativity and skill development in the use of information and communication technologies. This report compares the results of Australian school students by state and territory and student sub-groups, and provides details of their achievement against an ICT literacy scale. It also enables the most recent …

Teacher Education Courses In Victoria: Perceptions Of Their Effectiveness And Factors Affecting Their Impact, Lawrence Ingvarson, Adrian Beavis, Elizabeth Kleinhenz

Dr Elizabeth Kleinhenz

Investment in teacher education is a major strategy to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in our schools. Agencies, such as the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT), with responsibility for the accreditation of teacher education, can use feedback about the effectiveness of different modes of teacher preparation to support providers. It is vital that data for this purpose be valid and reliable. The Future Teachers Project (FTP) was designed to collect such data. It was designed to address two major questions: What are the perceptions of stakeholders (beginning teachers and their employers) about the effectiveness of current teacher education …

An Evaluation Of The Getting It Right: Literacy And Numeracy Strategy In Western Australian Schools, Marion Meiers, Lawrence Ingvarson, Adrian Beavis, John Hogan, Elizabeth Kleinhenz

Dr Elizabeth Kleinhenz

This evaluation report is presented in two volumes. Volume 1, Evaluation of the GiR-LNS is focused mainly on the survey component of the evaluation. The complete data set from the surveys undertaken in 2003 and 2004 is analysed, and conclusions drawn from these analyses. The concluding sections draw on the survey data, some research literature and the illustrative case studies to report on the effectiveness of the GiR-LNS as a strategy for professional development, and as a strategy for change. Volume 2, Getting it Right in Context, presents the findings from the illustrative case studies. Twenty schools from across Western …

Standards For Advanced Teaching : A Review Of National And International Developments, Lawrence Ingvarson, Elizabeth Kleinhenz

Dr Elizabeth Kleinhenz

This report provides a review of national and international developments in relation to advanced standards and certification processes for teaching. It also considers the implications of current research on teaching for the development of advanced teaching standards and related improvements in teaching and learning.

Standards For Teaching : Theoretical Underpinnings And Applications, Elizabeth Kleinhenz, Lawrence Ingvarson

Dr Elizabeth Kleinhenz

The primary purpose of this report was to conduct a critical review of the literature on the application of professional standards to teachers' practice. The New Zealand Teachers Council provided the following questions in the Request for Proposals to guide the review: Where, in the complex mix of factors that can support teachers' professional capacity, do professional standards sit? How can standards support teacher learning? What are the benefits, costs and harms? Which models enhance and which detract from teachers' professional learning and the profession's overall capacity? Can the documented strengths of working with professional standards be gained in other …

Evaluating Australian Teachers, Lawrence Ingvarson, Elizabeth Kleinhenz

Dr Elizabeth Kleinhenz

ACER researchers Lawrence Ingvarson and Elizabeth Kleinhenz have investigated current Australian policies and practices in teacher evaluation and their relation to the improvement of teaching and learning.

Research On Performance Pay For Teachers, Lawrence Ingvarson, Elizabeth Kleinhenz, Jenny Wilkinson

Dr Elizabeth Kleinhenz

This report falls into three main sections, in accordance with the project brief. The first provides an overview of current pay arrangements and collective enterprise bargaining agreements for teachers in Australian schools. Within these arrangements, the report gives particular attention to provisions for performance-based pay schemes and to identifying potential impediments to the introduction of performance-based pay for teachers. The second part of the brief called for an overview of recent Australian and international research on the attitudes of stakeholders to performance-based pay schemes for teachers and the impact of these schemes on, for example, teacher retention, improved teaching standards, …

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

Dr Elizabeth Kleinhenz

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 …