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Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)

2019

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Articles 1 - 30 of 76

Full-Text Articles in Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research

Infographic: Pisa 2018 – Australian Trends And Comparison, Jo Earp Dec 2019

Infographic: Pisa 2018 – Australian Trends And Comparison, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

Results from the OECD's 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) have been released. The data show Australian student performance is in long-term decline. This infographic looks at Australia’s PISA performance over time, and how the 2018 results compare internationally.

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Infographic: Pisa 2018 – Australian Results By State And Territory, Jo Earp Dec 2019

Infographic: Pisa 2018 – Australian Results By State And Territory, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

The OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) measures how well 15-year-olds are prepared to use their skills and knowledge to meet real-life challenges. The 2018 data show Australian student performance in all three assessment domains is in long-term decline. This infographic looks at the low and high performers by jurisdiction.

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Pisa 2018: Reporting Australia’S Results. Volume I Student Performance, Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Catherine Underwood, Marina Schmid Dec 2019

Pisa 2018: Reporting Australia’S Results. Volume I Student Performance, Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Catherine Underwood, Marina Schmid

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international comparative study of student performance directed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). PISA measures the cumulative outcomes of education by assessing how well 15-year-olds, who are nearing the end of their compulsory schooling in most participating educational systems, are prepared to use the knowledge and skills in particular areas to meet real-life opportunities and challenges. The term literacy is attached to the assessment domains of reading, mathematics and science to reflect the focus on these broader skills and as a concept it is used in a much …

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Pisa 2018 In Brief I. Student Performance, Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Catherine Underwood, Marina Schmid Dec 2019

Pisa 2018 In Brief I. Student Performance, Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Catherine Underwood, Marina Schmid

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

This document provides a summary of student performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 assessment and tells us about their capacities to apply knowledge and skills in the domains of reading, mathematical, and scientific literacy. In 2018, 79 countries and economies including Australia participated in PISA. The focus of this report is Australia’s performance results in an international context. It covers Australia’s performance over time, results for the Australian states and territories, school sectors, female and male students, the geographic location of schools, socioeconomic background, Indigenous background, immigrant background and language spoken at home.

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Pisa 2018: Reporting Australia’S Results. Volume I Student Performance: Data Tables [Excel] [Data Set], Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Catherine Underwood, Marina Schmid Dec 2019

Pisa 2018: Reporting Australia’S Results. Volume I Student Performance: Data Tables [Excel] [Data Set], Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Catherine Underwood, Marina Schmid

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

This zipped excel file is the data behind the figures and tables in the report: PISA 2018: Reporting Australia’s Results. Volume I Student Performance. They cover Australian student performance in reading literacy, reading literacy subscales, mathematical literacy and reading literacy.

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School Resourcing: What Hinders Quality Instruction?, Sue Thomson Dec 2019

School Resourcing: What Hinders Quality Instruction?, Sue Thomson

Teacher columnist - Sue Thomson

It was recently reported in the media that, in a survey of about 1000 parents, 88 per cent rated the level of resources available at their children’s school as at least adequate. Of course, parents’ views are only one perspective.

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Reporting Student Learning, Hilary Hollingsworth, Jonathan Heard Dec 2019

Reporting Student Learning, Hilary Hollingsworth, Jonathan Heard

NSW Curriculum Review

This paper is one of six research ‘backgrounders’ to support the 2018–20 review of the New South Wales (NSW) curriculum. It focuses on reporting student learning, which has been identified as an area of interest in the review. This paper seeks to present an evidence base, based on a rapid review of relevant research literature, to inform considerations related to student reporting practice reform.

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Infographic: Students With Disability, Jo Earp Nov 2019

Infographic: Students With Disability, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

Advocacy group Children and Young People with Disability Australia sought the views of almost 500 parents and carers of primary and secondary students with disability for its 2019 National Education Survey. Today’s infographic looks at some of the main findings.

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Communicating Student Learning Progress: A Review Of Student Reporting In Australia, Hilary Hollingsworth, Jonathan Heard, Paul R. Weldon Nov 2019

Communicating Student Learning Progress: A Review Of Student Reporting In Australia, Hilary Hollingsworth, Jonathan Heard, Paul R. Weldon

Assessment and Reporting

The Communicating Student Learning Progress project was initiated to investigate questions relating to the effectiveness of current methods of communicating student progress, the extent to which they are valued by stakeholders, whether they are considered to provide quality information about student learning, and whether there are alternative designs for these activities that might be more effective. The project took place over a three-year period from July 2016 to June 2019.

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Communicating Student Learning Progress: A Review Of Student Reporting In Australia. Findings In Brief, Hilary Hollingsworth, Jonathan Heard, Paul R. Weldon Nov 2019

Communicating Student Learning Progress: A Review Of Student Reporting In Australia. Findings In Brief, Hilary Hollingsworth, Jonathan Heard, Paul R. Weldon

Assessment and Reporting

The Communicating Student Learning Progress project was initiated to investigate questions relating to the effectiveness of current methods of communicating student progress, the extent to which they are valued by stakeholders, whether they are considered to provide quality information about student learning, and whether there are alternative designs for these activities that might be more effective. The project took place over a three-year period from July 2016 to June 2019.

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The Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics Program: Thinking Globally In A Regional Context, Unicef, Southeast Asian Ministers Of Education Organization (Seameo) Nov 2019

The Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics Program: Thinking Globally In A Regional Context, Unicef, Southeast Asian Ministers Of Education Organization (Seameo)

Assessment and Reporting

The Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) program is a regional assessment that aims to set a common approach to assessing the learning outcomes of students at Grade 5. As an alternative to international large-scale assessments and national assessments, SEA-PLM has developed a set of assessment and survey instruments for the Southeast Asian region. Designed to be a system-level monitoring tool of educational quality and equity, SEA-PLM covers four domains: mathematics, reading, writing and global citizenship. The assessment also includes questionnaires that gather important contextual information from students, parents, teachers and school principals. A key feature of the SEA-PLM assessment …

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Infographic: Students, Teachers And Private Tutoring, Jo Earp Nov 2019

Infographic: Students, Teachers And Private Tutoring, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

Two new UK surveys shine a light on how many secondary school students have used a private tutor outside school, and how many primary and secondary teachers have carried out tutoring in their own time.

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Preparing For Life In A Digital World: The Iea International Computer And Information Literacy Study 2018 International Report, Julian Fraillon, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz, Tim Friedman, Daniel Duckworth Nov 2019

Preparing For Life In A Digital World: The Iea International Computer And Information Literacy Study 2018 International Report, Julian Fraillon, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz, Tim Friedman, Daniel Duckworth

ICT - Digital Literacy

The second cycle of ICILS in 2018 (ICILS 2018) continued to investigate students’ computer and information literacy (CIL) and also investigated students’ computational thinking (CT). This dimension involves conceptualising problems (through algorithmic or systems thinking) and operationalising solutions (creating, implementing, and evaluating computer-based responses to problems). The inclusion of CT as an option in ICILS 2018 reflects recent interest by educators, researchers, and policymakers in the value of CT in schooling. ICILS 2018 studied how these components of digital competence related to each other and to the school and out-of-school contexts that support learning with and about computer technology. This …

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Infographic: Wise Words On Lifelong Learning, Dominique Russell Oct 2019

Infographic: Wise Words On Lifelong Learning, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

Each year in our reader survey, we ask you: ‘looking back on your experience as an educator, if you could share one piece of advice with your peers, what would it be?’ In this infographic, we take a look at some of your responses on the topic of lifelong learning.

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Learning Practice Guide, Jen Jackson, Kate Noble, Jeanne Marie Iorio, Dan Cloney, Pru Mitchell Oct 2019

Learning Practice Guide, Jen Jackson, Kate Noble, Jeanne Marie Iorio, Dan Cloney, Pru Mitchell

Early Childhood Education

The first section of this Learning Practice Guide reminds early childhood professionals of the theory and pedagogy that underpins day-to-day practice, and helps them find ways to recognise children’s confidence and involvement in learning as a key component of their professional practice. The second section describes eight scenarios to prompt professional reflection, and illustrate ways in which early childhood professionals can improve their practice in relation to the VEYLDF Learning and Development Outcome: Children are confident and involved learners.

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Nurturing Wonder And Igniting Passion: Designs For A Future School Curriculum. Nsw Curriculum Review Interim Report, Geoff N. Masters Oct 2019

Nurturing Wonder And Igniting Passion: Designs For A Future School Curriculum. Nsw Curriculum Review Interim Report, Geoff N. Masters

NSW Curriculum Review

This report is an interim report of the New South Wales Curriculum Review. This review has concluded that change is required. The changes proposed by the Review are significant. They relate to the amount and nature of syllabus content, the overall structure of the curriculum, and the focus of learning in the senior years of school. It has been produced as a progress report and a basis for consultation on the broad directions it identifies.

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Revision Or Re-Vision: Exploring Approaches To The Differentiation Of Qualification Types In The Australian Qualifications Framework, Kate Perkins, Justin Brown, Paul R. Weldon, Louise Wignall Oct 2019

Revision Or Re-Vision: Exploring Approaches To The Differentiation Of Qualification Types In The Australian Qualifications Framework, Kate Perkins, Justin Brown, Paul R. Weldon, Louise Wignall

Transition and Post-School Education and Training

In March 2019, the Department of Education commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to conduct a conceptual analysis of the most appropriate way to develop and present a taxonomy of learning outcomes within a qualifications framework; and a technical analysis and revision of the Knowledge, Skills and Application of Knowledge and Skills descriptors used in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Later this was extended to development of two alternative models that: (a) reflect the new conceptual base developed in Part I; (b) comprise a set of revised domain definitions (along with a new typology for each domain); and …

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Assessing Social And Emotional Skills, Sue Thomson Sep 2019

Assessing Social And Emotional Skills, Sue Thomson

Teacher columnist - Sue Thomson

In this edited version of her presentation at ACER’s Research Conference Dr Sue Thomson looks at the assessment of social and emotional skills in an increasingly fast-changing and diverse world.

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Infographic: Teaching Practices – Clarity Of Instruction, Jo Earp Sep 2019

Infographic: Teaching Practices – Clarity Of Instruction, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

As a classroom teacher, how often do you explain what you expect students to learn, or how old and new topics are related? The latest OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS 2018), asked participants about their use of a range of teaching practices associated with clarity of instruction. Today’s infographic takes a look at the results.

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Measuring The Value Of Professional Indexing, Philip Hider, Pru Mitchell, Robert Parkes Sep 2019

Measuring The Value Of Professional Indexing, Philip Hider, Pru Mitchell, Robert Parkes

Information Management

This study provides both a quantitative estimate and qualitative analysis of the additional ‘retrieval power’ that professionally assigned subject indexing affords users of a typical database in the field of education. A full version of Informit’s A+ Education database and one stripped of its subject indexing were searched by four research assistants tasked with compiling exhaustive bibliographies on forty-eight topics. The searchers were then surveyed about their use of the two databases, while their bibliographies and search logs were also examined. A two-way ANOVA model was constructed to estimate the percentage of additional resources found by the searchers on the …

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Measurement Of Young Children's Learning For Program Evaluation, Jen Jackson, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Toby Carslake, Petra Lietz Sep 2019

Measurement Of Young Children's Learning For Program Evaluation, Jen Jackson, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Toby Carslake, Petra Lietz

Monitoring Learning

The global commitment to early learning has been expressed in the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals Agenda (SDG) (United Nations, 2016) and access to support for early learning is considered a human right for all children, whether provided by the family, community, or institutional programs (UNESCO, 2013). Inadequate cognitive stimulation has been identified as one of the key psychosocial risk factors associated with poor child development – a factor that is modifiable, with the right interventions (Walker et al., 2007). Thus, insights into how early learning supports may be delivered effectively in various contexts are essential. To explore the …

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Infographic: Student Attitudes Towards Stem, Dominique Russell Aug 2019

Infographic: Student Attitudes Towards Stem, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

The Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science commissioned a study to examine the attitudes of Australian students towards STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). In this infographic, we take a look at some of the findings.

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Latest From Acer International Offices Aug 2019

Latest From Acer International Offices

International Developments

ACER works through its international offices to deliver a diverse range of results-oriented projects. They are often implemented in partnership with global and local development partners with the goal to advance education outcomes and improve learning.

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The Role Of Learning Progressions In Global Scales, Ray Adams Aug 2019

The Role Of Learning Progressions In Global Scales, Ray Adams

International Developments

Learning progressions are valuable tools for the international assessment community. Ray Adams reports.

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Developing A Tool For Analysing National Assessment Systems, Ursula Schwantner Aug 2019

Developing A Tool For Analysing National Assessment Systems, Ursula Schwantner

International Developments

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Secretariat appointed the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to develop a tool for analysing national assessment systems and identifying areas for improvement. Known as the Analysis of National Learning Assessment Systems (ANLAS), it provides a framework and tools that help countries, particularly GPE partner developing countries, to examine their national learning assessments and design strategies to address any gaps.

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Scottish National Assessments Inform Next Steps For Learning Aug 2019

Scottish National Assessments Inform Next Steps For Learning

International Developments

ACER works with the Scottish Government, in partnership with Twig and SCHOLAR, to develop and deliver assessments of literacy and numeracy learning progress. Since 2017, more than a million assessments have been completed by children and young people throughout Scotland.

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Building Capacity For Bhutan’S Learning Assessment, Mee Young Han Aug 2019

Building Capacity For Bhutan’S Learning Assessment, Mee Young Han

International Developments

ACER is supporting development of Bhutan’s National Education Assessment Framework (NEAF) and strengthening local capacity for its implementation. Dr Mee Young Han reports.

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International Developments (No.9) 2019 Aug 2019

International Developments (No.9) 2019

International Developments

In this issue of International Developments, we summarise the research evidence gathered through the work of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the impact our projects make around the globe.

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Building The Capacity Of Teachers For Supporting 21st-Century Learning, Jenny Gore, Michelle Ware, Sui-Linn White, Lee-Anne Collins, Lloyd Bowen, Carole Hansen Aug 2019

Building The Capacity Of Teachers For Supporting 21st-Century Learning, Jenny Gore, Michelle Ware, Sui-Linn White, Lee-Anne Collins, Lloyd Bowen, Carole Hansen

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR) was first conceptualised by Julie Bowe and Jenny Gore in 2007. It involves teachers working in professional learning communities (PLCs) to reflect on their classroom practice through the lens of the quality teaching model. This teacher-led process builds capacity for quality teaching with novice and experienced teachers alike. Following a set of protocols and adhering to essential features of the approach, one PLC member teaches a lesson, observed by all others. The lesson is coded individually and then collaboratively analysed, using the shared language of the model. This poster presentation graphically highlights evidence from several research …

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How Teachers Engage With Student Assessment Data: Understanding Antecedents To Data-Driven Decision Making, Cynthia P. Raffe, Dennis Alonzo, University Of New South Wales Aug 2019

How Teachers Engage With Student Assessment Data: Understanding Antecedents To Data-Driven Decision Making, Cynthia P. Raffe, Dennis Alonzo, University Of New South Wales

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

In recent years, education systems internationally have been encouraging data-use initiatives with the aim of improving student learning through data-driven decision making (DDDM). The use of student assessment data in particular has been promoted to guide teaching practices and progress student learning. Despite this, the adoption of data-use practices by New South Wales classroom teachers has been slow. The study qualitatively examined two core foundational activities that affect New South Wales classroom teachers’ use of student assessment data, referred to as assessment data collection (ADC) practices, and assessment data analysis (ADA) practices. Specifically, the study sought to answer: What are …

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