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Full-Text Articles in Education

The Digital Education Revolution: New South Wales Science Teachers' Response To Laptop Ubiquity, Wendy Nielsen, Alex Miller, Garry F. Hoban Jan 2012

The Digital Education Revolution: New South Wales Science Teachers' Response To Laptop Ubiquity, Wendy Nielsen, Alex Miller, Garry F. Hoban

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Since the introduction of laptop computers across Australia for all Year 9 students, teachers have sought to make meaningful use of the learning potential represented by the introduction. This study uses a lens of cultural historical activity theory to explore how teachers have responded to the ubiquitous presence of student laptop computers during the initial implementation. This paper reports a one-year case study of two highly qualified and experienced high school science teachers that considers their efforts to implement laptop computers in Year 9 and Year 10 science classes. The study shows that these teachers are committed to developing and …


Nintendo Wii: Opportunities To Put The Education Back Into Physical Education, Dana Perlman, Gregory J. Forrest, Philip J. Pearson Jan 2012

Nintendo Wii: Opportunities To Put The Education Back Into Physical Education, Dana Perlman, Gregory J. Forrest, Philip J. Pearson

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Movement-based gaming technologies, such as the Nintendo Wii, are becoming more visible within the physical education. As research on movement-based technologies develops, an aspect that has gained interest is the potential educational value for the physical education student. The purpose of this study was to examine movement-based sport games and the potential learning opportunities (i.e. game performance elements) for physical education students. Using qualitative measures, experts in the field of physical education teacher education analyzed the game performance opportunities across multiple sport-based games. Findings indicated that movement-based games provide opportunities to develop and work on the cognitive understanding of sport …


Does Study Of An Inclusive Education Subject Influence Pre-Service Teachers' Concerns And Self-Efficacy About Inclusion?, Stuart Woodcock, Brian Hemmings, Russell Kay Jan 2012

Does Study Of An Inclusive Education Subject Influence Pre-Service Teachers' Concerns And Self-Efficacy About Inclusion?, Stuart Woodcock, Brian Hemmings, Russell Kay

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Survey data were collected from pre-service teachers studying at a large regional Australian university. These data were examined with the purpose of determining whether pre-service teachers' views (and concerns) about inclusion and their confidence to teach in inclusive classrooms had changed as a result of studying an inclusive education subject and undertaking a practicum linked to that subject. The results of an analysis based on mean values indicated that the various concerns, namely, resources, acceptance, workplace, and academic standards, did not change markedly as a consequence of the subject and practicum experiences. This analysis also showed a hierarchy of concerns …


Turning The Switch On! The Teachers’ Ability To Influence Student Motivation In Physical Education, Dana Perlman, Philip J. Pearson, Kim Mckeen, Gregory J. Forrest Jan 2011

Turning The Switch On! The Teachers’ Ability To Influence Student Motivation In Physical Education, Dana Perlman, Philip J. Pearson, Kim Mckeen, Gregory J. Forrest

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Student motivation is an area of importance in physical education due to the association with enhanced levels of effort, participation and aspects of learning (Tjeerdsma-Blankenship, 2008; Chen, 2001). Physical education specialists are routinely challenged by students who demonstrate behaviours indicative of low levels of motivation, such as high rates of absenteeism and severely low levels of active participation within the class setting (Ntoumanis, Peensgaard, Martin & Pipe, 2004). Bryan and Solmon (2007) indicate that the teacher is a primary driver for the development and implementation of experiences that support and/or thwart student motivation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was …


Preservice Teachers' Views Of Inclusive Education: A Content Analysis, Brian Hemmings, Stuart Woodcock Jan 2011

Preservice Teachers' Views Of Inclusive Education: A Content Analysis, Brian Hemmings, Stuart Woodcock

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Survey-based research was conducted with pre-service teachers, from a large regional Australian university, to explore their views about inclusion and their readiness to teach in inclusive classrooms. Open-ended questions were included in the survey to glean information on the respondents’ feelings and concerns about inclusion and inclusive practices. In addition, questions were framed to allow the respondents to discuss ways that the University could better prepare them as practising teachers. The responses to each of these questions were content analysed to delineate categories, and frequencies were calculated on the most salient categories. The results of this analysis are reported and …


Understanding The Complexity Of Technology Acceptance By Higher Education Students, Sue Bennett, Karl A. Maton, Lisa Carrington Jan 2011

Understanding The Complexity Of Technology Acceptance By Higher Education Students, Sue Bennett, Karl A. Maton, Lisa Carrington

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

It is often claimed that all young people are highly adept with the digital technologies that infuse their lives, and that the way they think and behave has created a new gap between them and their teachers. It is suggested that to bridge this gap and ensure that young people are fully engaged, educators must incorporate digital technology more effectively into teaching and learning. This is problematic, however, because technology has had limited impact on education and has failed to be widely adopted as a learning support across many aspects of school and university education. More needs to be known …


The Influence Of State Motivation, Content Relevance And Affective Learning On High School Students' Intentions To Use Class Content Following Completion Of Compulsory Physical Education, Collin A. Webster, Diana Mindrila, Robert Weaver Jan 2011

The Influence Of State Motivation, Content Relevance And Affective Learning On High School Students' Intentions To Use Class Content Following Completion Of Compulsory Physical Education, Collin A. Webster, Diana Mindrila, Robert Weaver

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Little research has examined mechanisms leading to the utilization of compulsory physical education content in future contexts. This study tested a model in which motivation to be in physical education class functions as a predisposition influencing perceptions of teacher communication of content relevance, perceptions of course relevance to one’s personal life, affect for physical education and intentions to apply class content in the future. High school students (N = 636) enrolled in compulsory physical education classes completed questionnaires assessing each of these variables. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated the questionnaire items were adequate indicators of the five constructs. Structural …


Examination Of Self-Determination Within The Sport Education Model, Dana Perlman Jan 2011

Examination Of Self-Determination Within The Sport Education Model, Dana Perlman

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the Sport Education Model (SEM) on students’ self-determined motivation and underlying psychological need(s) in physical education. A total of 182 Year-9 students were engaged in 20 lesson units of volleyball, using either the SEM or a traditional approach. Data was collected using a pretest/posttest design measuring self-determined motivation and perceptions of the psycho-social climate. Analysis of data utilized four separate repeated measures ANOVAs for self-determination and basic psychological needs. Results indicated significant change in self-determination and relatedness for students engaged in the SEM. As such, implementation of the SEM …


Incorporating Tgfu Into A Bachelor Of Physical And Health Education Degree At An Australian University, Philip J. Pearson, Paul I. Webb Jan 2011

Incorporating Tgfu Into A Bachelor Of Physical And Health Education Degree At An Australian University, Philip J. Pearson, Paul I. Webb

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Pearson and Webb (2010) investigated whether Physical Educators in NSW schools had adopted the TGfU approach to the teaching of games in their classes. Forty PDHPE teachers were surveyed with questionnaires and focus group interviews to determine their knowledge and understanding of TGfU and the extent to which they had incorporated TGfU into their teaching of games in Years 7 to 10. Fifty third-year Physical and Health Education pre-service teachers were also surveyed after completing their Professional Experience in the schools of the teachers surveyed. The pre-service teachers’ observations of Physical Education classes in the schools were also used to …


Change In Affect And Needs Satisfaction For Amotivated Students Within The Sport Education Model, Dana Perlman Jan 2010

Change In Affect And Needs Satisfaction For Amotivated Students Within The Sport Education Model, Dana Perlman

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this study is to examine the in!uence of the Sport Education Model (SEM) on amotivated students affect and needs satisfaction. 78 amotivated students from an original pool of 1,176 students enrolled in one of 32 physical education classes. Classes were randomly assigned to either the SEM (N = 16) or traditional class (N = 16). Data were collected using a pretest/posttest design measuring affect (enjoyment) and needs satisfaction. Analysis of data used repeated-measures ANOVAs to examine differences. Results indicated signi"- cant changes in amotivated student’s perceptions of enjoyment and relatedness satisfaction within the SEM.


Web 2.0 In Higher Education: Blurring Social Networks And Learning Networks, Lori Lockyer, Shane P. Dawson, Elizabeth Heathcote Jan 2010

Web 2.0 In Higher Education: Blurring Social Networks And Learning Networks, Lori Lockyer, Shane P. Dawson, Elizabeth Heathcote

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper reports on a study that investigated how two cohorts of students (in medicine and education) adopted a social networking platform to assist their university studies. The study examines the sites of dissonance between predicted and actual usage of the tool. Although the integration of social technologies into higher education is not new, there is mounting imperatives for developing creative, flexible, technologically literate graduates. Yet, to date, limited research has focused on how contemporary learners expect to and in actual fact, utilise these tools to support their study. This study observed that students’ perceptions of how technologies should support …


The Teacher Education Conversation: A Network Of Cooperating Teachers, Wendy Nielsen, Anthony Clarke, Valerie Triggs, John Collins Jan 2010

The Teacher Education Conversation: A Network Of Cooperating Teachers, Wendy Nielsen, Anthony Clarke, Valerie Triggs, John Collins

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This study investigated a professional learning community of cooperating teachers and university‐based teacher educators. To examine our roles and perspectives as colleagues in teacher education, we drew on frameworks in teacher learning and complexity science. Monthly group meetings of this inquiry community were held over two school years in a suburban school district in British Columbia. Participants’ current and prior experiences in the role of cooperating teacher provided rich topics for conversation. Our analysis illustrates how aspects of complexity thinking both enable and promote teacher learning, in this instance, the professional development of cooperating teachers. The study highlights (a) key …


Overseas Trained Teachers (Otts): Student Attitudes And Expectations In The Context Of Vocational Education, Jill Murray, Judith Cross Jan 2009

Overseas Trained Teachers (Otts): Student Attitudes And Expectations In The Context Of Vocational Education, Jill Murray, Judith Cross

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The vocational education and preparation of overseas trained teachers (OTTs) in NSW is a demanding and lengthy process. It involves the development of communicative language ability to a standard equivalent to native-like vocational proficiency in two domains: linguistic and pragmatic. In order to demonstrate competence at this level, OTTs in NSW are required to pass an English language test, the NSW Professional English Assessment for Teachers (PEAT). In the PEAT, Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing are specifically tested in the context of workplace requirements for the NSW education system. Success in the PEAT leads directly to the DET Pre-Employment Program. …


Building Community Partnerships To Enhance Participation In Sport And Physical Activity: Coach Education In Tertiary Institutions, Paul I. Webb, Philip J. Pearson, Kim Mckeen Jan 2009

Building Community Partnerships To Enhance Participation In Sport And Physical Activity: Coach Education In Tertiary Institutions, Paul I. Webb, Philip J. Pearson, Kim Mckeen

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Since 1979 the National Coaching Accreditation Scheme has been established in Australia firstly under the Australian Coaching Council and more recently as a program of the Australian Sports Commission. The vision of the National Coaching Accreditation Scheme is "that all Australian sporting participants, irrespective of their age, gender, level of sporting ability or choice of sport, have access to highly qualified and experienced coaches," (Australian Sports Commisison,2000).


An Integrated Approach To Teaching Games For Understanding (Tgfu), Paul I. Webb, Philip J. Pearson Jan 2008

An Integrated Approach To Teaching Games For Understanding (Tgfu), Paul I. Webb, Philip J. Pearson

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) approach developed by Bunker and Thorpe (1982) places a whole different approach to the teaching of games. The focus of the model is placing the student or athlete in a game situation where tactics, decision-making and problem solving is critical. Other variations and terminology include ; ‘game sense’, ‘play practice’, and ‘game centred approach’. This paper will review the literature of TGfU. There are four categories of games: net/court, invasion, striking/fielding and target games. Teachers need to have a good understanding of the categories and sports and activities to be able to analyse them. …


Standards For Educational, Edutainment, And Developmentally Beneficial Computer Games, R. Peterson, I. Verenikina, J. Herrington Jan 2008

Standards For Educational, Edutainment, And Developmentally Beneficial Computer Games, R. Peterson, I. Verenikina, J. Herrington

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The results of a comprehensive review of the body of research concerning the developmental and educational value of computer gaming for children is reported. Based on the review, design criteria are proposed for educational and edutainment computer games. In addition, a hierarchy of educational, edutainment, and entertainment game categories is introduced. It is argued that a standard educational labeling system is needed to assist parents and teachers with selecting computer games. A gap in the research is highlighted with regard to the affordances of computer games to facilitate the development of young children’s higher order thinking. It is recommended that …


The Affordances And Limitations Of Computers For Play In Early Childhood, I. Verenikina, J. Herrington, R. Peterson, Jessica Mantei Jan 2008

The Affordances And Limitations Of Computers For Play In Early Childhood, I. Verenikina, J. Herrington, R. Peterson, Jessica Mantei

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The widespread proliferation of computer games for children as young as 6 months of age, merits a re-examination of their manner of use and their facility to provide opportunities for developmental play. This paper describes a research study conducted to explore the use of computer games by young children, specifically to investigate the affordances and limitations of such games and the features of children’s traditional play that can be supported and further enhanced by different kinds of computer play. Computer games were classified and selected according to game characteristics that support higher order thinking. Children aged 5 and 7 were …


Examining The Gender Gap In Educational Outcomes In Public Education: Involving Pre-Service School Counsellors And Teachers In Cross-Cultural And Interdisciplinary Research, Wilhelmina J. Vialle, Paul Thompson, Mary Ann Clark Jan 2008

Examining The Gender Gap In Educational Outcomes In Public Education: Involving Pre-Service School Counsellors And Teachers In Cross-Cultural And Interdisciplinary Research, Wilhelmina J. Vialle, Paul Thompson, Mary Ann Clark

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

International educational statistics have reported a gender gap in educational outcomes, with boys falling behind girls in regard to grades, high school graduation and university enrollment and retention. This study involved pre-service teachers and school counsellors in Colleges of Education at three universities on three continents carrying out focus groups with public school students, interviews with educators, and examining national and international quantitative data to investigate this issue from a local and a cross cultural perspective. Common themes were found in each country and implications for addressing the problem considered.


Utility As A First Principle For Education Research: Reworking Autonomy In Australian Higher Education, Jan Wright, Trevor Gale Jan 2008

Utility As A First Principle For Education Research: Reworking Autonomy In Australian Higher Education, Jan Wright, Trevor Gale

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The focus of this paper is on the community impact of education research, specifically as this is conceived within a changing context of research assessment in Australia, first mooted by the previous Federal Coalition (conservative) Government within a new Research Quality Framework (RQF), and now to be reworked by the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) initiative by the incoming Federal Labor (progressive) Government. Convinced that a penchant for the utility of research will not go away, irrespective of the political orientations of government, our interest is in exploring: the assumption that research, particularly in areas such as education, should …


Trans-National Education: The Politics Of Mobility, Migration And The Wellbeing Of International Students, Peter M. Kell, Gillian J. Vogl Jan 2008

Trans-National Education: The Politics Of Mobility, Migration And The Wellbeing Of International Students, Peter M. Kell, Gillian J. Vogl

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper explores some of the background issues regarding international students and seeks to identify the ways in which the experience of transnational education by international students in higher education is positioned within academic debates, policy debates, literature and theory. This paper argues about the need for new ways of exploring the phenomena of international education and that many of the theoretical frameworks used are inadequate to account for the complexities that characterise transnational higher education and what international students experienced.


Enhancing Higher Education Through Leadership Capacity Development: Progressing The Faculty Scholars' Model., Geraldine E. Lefoe, Heather Smigiel, Dominique Parrish Jan 2007

Enhancing Higher Education Through Leadership Capacity Development: Progressing The Faculty Scholars' Model., Geraldine E. Lefoe, Heather Smigiel, Dominique Parrish

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This showcase provides an overview of a leadership capacity building initiative for the scholarship of teaching through a faculty-based scholars network, which supports strategic change through leadership, activities embedded in authentic learning tasks. The new leaders developed through this initiative will provide a critical mass for extending the network by adopting a cascade model for distributive leadership through mentoring of future implementations within and across institutions. This showcase will provide a review of the literature, and an overview of the work in progress. It will conclude with a presentation of some guiding principles for discussion and a call for expressions …


Learning Designs: Bridging The Gap Between Theory And Practice, S. Bennett, S. Agostinho, Lori Lockyer, Lisa Kosta, J. Jones, R. Koper, Barry Harper Jan 2007

Learning Designs: Bridging The Gap Between Theory And Practice, S. Bennett, S. Agostinho, Lori Lockyer, Lisa Kosta, J. Jones, R. Koper, Barry Harper

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper summarises the work being conducted in an ongoing research agenda focused on exploring how the ‘learning design’ construct can be used to support university educators to create both pedagogically sound and interoperable e-learning experiences. The premise of this work is that a learning design can be used to support the pedagogical design process and the integration of international e-learning standards, such as learning object metadata and IMS-LD, enabling resources and tools to be technically interoperable across different standards-compliant systems. The paper presents the rationale guiding this research focus, describes the features of the research that is underway, and …


Promoting Physical Activity Through Teaching Games For Understanding In Undergraduate Teacher Education, Kim Mckeen, Paul I. Webb, Philip J. Pearson Jan 2007

Promoting Physical Activity Through Teaching Games For Understanding In Undergraduate Teacher Education, Kim Mckeen, Paul I. Webb, Philip J. Pearson

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Physical education teachers play a significant role in influencing the likelihood that their students will engage in lifelong physical activity. However, with declining physical activity levels, particularly amongst young people, and the increased prevalence of obese and overweight children and adolescents, promoting lifelong physical activity is one of the many challenges currently facing physical education teachers. Teachers are required to engage students in quality learning opportunities to develop prescribed learning outcomes and skills, and make the experience enjoyable to enthuse young people to be physically active. This study examines whether teaching games for understanding (TGfU) and technique based pedagogy models …


Games For Understanding In Pre Service Teacher Education: A 'Game For Outcome' Approach For Enhanced Understanding Of Games, Gregory J. Forrest, Paul Webb, Phil Pearson Jan 2007

Games For Understanding In Pre Service Teacher Education: A 'Game For Outcome' Approach For Enhanced Understanding Of Games, Gregory J. Forrest, Paul Webb, Phil Pearson

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) is a games based pedagogical model aimed at generating greater understanding of all aspects of games, while increasing physical activity levels, motivation and enjoyment in physical education lessons. Bunker and Thorpe (1982) developed the original model as an alternative to the traditional approach predominantly used in coaching and teaching in physical education (Werner, Thorpe and Bunker 1996). Awareness of its value as a pedagogical model and as a viable alternative to traditional directive approaches has been limited within the teaching and wider coaching community in Australia over the ten years since Game Sense workshops were …


Technology Use, Technology Views: Anticipating Professional Use Of Ict For Beginning Physical And Health Education Teachers, Lori Lockyer, John W. Patterson Jan 2007

Technology Use, Technology Views: Anticipating Professional Use Of Ict For Beginning Physical And Health Education Teachers, Lori Lockyer, John W. Patterson

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

In Australia, the national initiative known as Learning in an Online World, focuses school jurisdictions across the country meet the challenge of achieving the national vision of all schools “…confidently using ICT in their everyday practices to improve learning, teaching and administration” (MCEETYA, 2005, p. 3). One strategy in reaching this goal is the effective preparation of pre-service teachers to use and integrate technology in their teaching and learning practices. This article reports on a research study that aimed to explore the issue preparation for use of technology in teaching by understanding the current and anticipated technology usage for Australian …


An Ontological Turn: Reconceptualizing A Teacher Education Course Using A Realist Framework., Gordon L. Brown Jan 2007

An Ontological Turn: Reconceptualizing A Teacher Education Course Using A Realist Framework., Gordon L. Brown

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

It is a truism that teaching and teacher education in Australia and elsewhere is under increasing scrutiny and pressure. Stakeholders like governments, school systems and media commentators make their views well known within a policy framework of tightening university budgets, increasing accountability (of teachers and universities), market forces and more stringent expectations of teaching. The advent of a course review of a teacher education course at the University of Wollongong in this context has presented an opportunity to re-think some fundamental assumptions of both the existing mainstream primary teacher education course and a smaller scale alternative course run within the …


Student Teachers And Critical Approaches To Education: Re-Imagining The 'Other' Through A Re-Imagining Of The Learning Environment, Gordon L. Brown Jan 2007

Student Teachers And Critical Approaches To Education: Re-Imagining The 'Other' Through A Re-Imagining Of The Learning Environment, Gordon L. Brown

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper reports on a teacher education initiative that seeks a more effective approach to a commonly used treatment of education foundations, particularly the sociology and philosophy of education. The initiative takes as its starting points a critique of education foundation practices in at least two universities and the standpoint that the main rationale for including education foundations is to (morally) influence learning outcomes in schools. The ‘vehicle’ or ‘mechanism’ for this re-conceptualisation is a developing theory of the Learning Environment, used by the author and others, which takes the Learning Environment to be not simply the location of learning …


Reader's Response: Complicity: An International Journal Of Complexity And Education, Wendy Nielsen Jan 2007

Reader's Response: Complicity: An International Journal Of Complexity And Education, Wendy Nielsen

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

There is no abstract for this paper: it is a review of another journal.


From Surviving To Thriving: An Induction Program For Early Career Teachers Of Personal Development, Health And Physical Education, Gregg S. Rowland, Douglas Hearne, Ann Mccormack Jan 2006

From Surviving To Thriving: An Induction Program For Early Career Teachers Of Personal Development, Health And Physical Education, Gregg S. Rowland, Douglas Hearne, Ann Mccormack

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper is a discussion of a project with both face-to-face and online components designed to support early career teachers from the key learning area of Personal development.


Teaching Science Concepts In Higher Education Classes With Slow Motion Animation (Slowmation), Garry Hoban, Brian Ferry Jan 2006

Teaching Science Concepts In Higher Education Classes With Slow Motion Animation (Slowmation), Garry Hoban, Brian Ferry

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Clay animation is a form of stop motion animation but is rarely used as a teaching approach in higher education classes because it is too tedious and time consuming. “Slow Motion Animation” (Slowmation) is a simplified form of clay animation that is different in four ways and can be completed in 1-2 hour tutorial or workshop: (i) models of science concepts are made and manipulated in the horizontal plane; (ii) a range of materials can be used; (iii) the animations are played at 2-6 frames per second; and (iv) science concepts are annotated with factual text. This study demonstrates how …