Digital Commons Network^™

Are Australian Pre-Service Physical Education Teachers Prepared To Teach Inclusive Physical Education?, Scott J. Pedersen, Paul D. Cooley, Keira Hernandez

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: Australian pre-service physical education (PE) teachers must be prepared for the reality of teaching in inclusive classrooms. Past studies have indicated that the amount of academic preparedness can affect pre-service PE teachers’ intentions to successfully teach in inclusive settings. The current study measured these intentions in a sample of pre-service PE teachers from two different universities. This modified survey required participants to respond to two separate scenarios: one teaching inclusive PE to a student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and one to a student with autism. All participants completed an adapted PE unit with an embedded practicum of different …

Preservice Eal Teaching As Emotional Experiences: Practicum Experience In An Australian Secondary School, Minh Hue Nguyen

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Drawing on activity theory, this qualitative case study examines the emotional experiences of Maria, a preservice teacher of English as an additional language (EAL) during the practicum in an Australian secondary school setting and the factors shaping these emotions. Data included interviews with the preservice teacher before and after the practicum, a stimulated recall session, and her reflections after lessons. Furthermore, an interview was also conducted with Maria’s school mentor teacher. The study found that during the practicum, the preservice teacher experienced strong positive and negative emotions as a result of the influence of personal factors and the sociocultural context …

The Impact Of Professional Development And Indigenous Education Officers On Australian Teachers’ Indigenous Teaching And Learning, Rhonda G. Craven, Alexander S. Yeung, Feifei Han

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The study investigated the impact of professional development (PD) in Indigenous teaching on teachers’ psychological and behavioural aspects, and Indigenous students’ learning engagement. Adopting a multiple-indicator-multiple-indicator-cause model, frequency of PD was found to have positive paths to teachers’ self-concept in Indigenous teaching and all the teaching strategies, but had a non-significant path to students’ learning, suggesting the more frequently teachers are involved in PD in Indigenous teaching, the higher self-concept they had in teaching Indigenous children and the more frequently they adopted Indigenous teaching strategies. The availability of Aboriginal Education Officers (AEOs), however, had a significant and negative path on …

Iranian Efl Teachers' Perceptions Of Dynamic Assessment: Exploring The Role Of Education And Length Of Service, Mohammad Nabi Karimi, Zahra Shafiee

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The present study reports on the thematic analysis of Iranian EFL teachers' perceptions of dynamic assessment in relation to their academic degree and length of service. To this end, 42 Iranian EFL teachers participated in the study. Of these teachers, 22 held BA and 20 held MA degrees in ELT-related subjects, with varying lengths of service. Semi-structured interviews were used to inquire into the teachers' perceptions of dynamic assessment. The four major themes which emerged from the content analysis of the audiotaped interviews revealed significant variations in participants' patterns of perceptions and concerns towards dynamic assessment. The major themes comprised …

Triad Relationships And Member Satisfaction With Paired Placement Of Student Teachers, Carol Wilkinson, Todd R. Pennington, Erin Whiting, Melissa Newberry, Erika Feinauer, Janet Losser, Liz Haslem, Amber Hall

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: This study determined triad (a mentor teacher and two student teachers) members’ level of satisfaction (LOS) with paired-placement student teaching, focusing on mutuality and homophily to explore how triad relationships were linked to LOS. The constant comparative method was used to code interview transcripts and field notes. Results showed that of the six satisfied triads, five had mutuality, homophily, strong triad cohesion, and collaborative student teachers. Partially satisfied (four) and dissatisfied (two) triads experienced lack of mutuality and homophily, weak triad cohesion, and uncollaborative student teachers. Recommendations include providing formal training about triad relationships, considering mutuality and homophily when …

School And University Partnerships: The Role Of Teacher Education Institutions And Primary Schools In The Development Of Preservice Teachers’ Science Teaching Efficacy, Jacinta E. Petersen, David F. Treagust

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Science in the Australian primary school context is in a state of renewal with the recent implementation of the Australian Curriculum: Science. Despite this curriculum renewal, the results of primary students in science have remained static. Science in Australia has been identified as one of the least taught subjects in the primary school curriculum, and therefore, the role of the teacher is paramount. Research has explored the significant impact that tertiary education and practical experience, including the role of the science teacher educator and mentor teacher, can have on preservice teachers, in relation to either increasing or calibrating science teaching …

How Creative Are Iranian Efl Teachers?, Reza Khany, Mahnaz Boghayeri

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The study of creativity has been of great interest to educationalists in general and language teaching practitioners in particular. With all these however, very little if any has been reported on the issue in Iranian EFL context. Having this in mind and drawing on the latest profile of creativity, effort was made to see how creative Iranian EFL teachers are. In so doing, a total of 36 English language teachers filled a checklist designed based on EFL Teachers’ Creativity Profile (EFLTCP). The results indicated that the participants’ perception did not match the way they performed their activities in the classroom. …

Engaging In Deep Cultural Learning Through The Intersection Of Multiple Contexts, Maria Northcote, Peter Kilgour, Daniel Reynaud, Phil Fitzsimmons

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The type of learning that takes place in teacher education courses typically results in pre-service teachers developing a mixture of knowledge, skills and values that enable them to become effective teachers in schools in the future. During their journey to become qualified teachers, pre-service teachers typically engage in coursework and experiential-based learning.

By engaging in coursework experiences, an overseas practicum and an overseas study tour, students experienced a range of reflection-promoting activities and contexts during which they broadened and deepened their understanding of cultures other than their own.

Using a cross-case analysis approach, the data gathered in these three cases …

Pre-Service Teachers’ Opinions About The Course On Scientific Research Methods And The Levels Of Knowledge And Skills They Gained In This Course, Cemal Tosun

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether the basic knowledge and skills are attained within the scope of the course on Scientific Research Methods. In addition, the impact of the procedure, which is followed while implementing the course, on the students’ anxiety and attitude towards the course is examined. Besides, the study also tried to determine the pre-service teachers’ beliefs regarding their self-sufficiency in terms of doing a scientific research. The study was carried out the action research design as the basis. The sample of the study consisted of 27 pre-service teachers. They were in the third …

The Educational Approaches Of Turkish Pre-Service Elementary Mathematics Teachers In Their First Teaching Practices: Traditional Or Constructivist?, Bekir Kürşat Doruk

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: This research aimed to identify theeducational approaches that pre-service elementary mathematics teachers adopt for their first teaching practice (TP) and the reasons for their choices. It was carried out with thirteen pre-service teachers (PTs). These PTs were observed during their first TP in a real school setting, and interviews were conducted after the TP. Our observations led us to the conclusion that PTs generally tended to utilize traditional teaching approaches. The interviews revealed that PTs’ epistemological beliefs and beliefs about learning and teaching mathematics are largely in line with constructivist theory, and that their tendency for traditional approaches …

Mentoring Expectations And Experiences Of Prospective And Cooperating Teachers During Practice Teaching, Anil Rakicioglu-Soylemez, Betil Eroz-Tuga

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study aimed to explore prospective and cooperating teachers’ perceived and received roles and responsibilities regarding mentoring practices during practice teaching in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) setting. Data were gathered from reflective journals of the prospective teachers and interviews with the dyad members of practice teaching. The findings of the study pose implications for practice teaching applications and indicate a need for an effective socio-professional network between the prospective and cooperating teachers during practice teaching. The study provides suggestions to involve the dyad members in the planning and application stages of the practice teaching experience.

Boys And Csa Prevention: Issues Surrounding Gender And Approaches For Prevention, Laura Scholes, Christian Jones, Michael Nagel

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Freda Briggs (2007), a leader in the field of child protection in Australia continues to raise concerns about the vulnerability and victimisation of boys that she believes is substantially under-recognised. She argues that boys have not been well supported by child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention programs with child protection curriculum not yet developed to meet the special needs of boys. Briggs (2007) advocates for school-based child protection programs that address issues relevant for boys. This paper responds to these concerns and explores some of the complexities inherent in issues associated with boys and CSA including boys’ perceptions of abuse, their …

Mentor Social Capital, Individual Agency And Working-Class Student Learning Outcomes: Revisiting The Structure/Agency Dialectic, Trevor William Lovett

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This investigation explores factors that contributed to the disparate learning identities of two white baby-boomer brothers from the same working-class family. The research, part of a broader phenomenological study into the influences of working-class masculinities and schooling offers an insight into the individual family members’ differential communities of practice that over time had the potential to affect each brother’s accumulation and utilization of specific forms of social capital. The research challenges conventional thinking regarding the role families play in reproducing educational inequality because it recognizes that an individual’s responses to multiple experiences both within and outside the family, rather than …

The Evolution Of English Language Teaching During Societal Transition In Finland – A Mutual Relationship Or A Distinctive Process?, Riitta Jaatinen, Toni Saarivirta

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study describes the evolution of English language teaching in Finland and looks into the connections of the societal and educational changes in the country as explanatory factors in the process. The results of the study show that the language teaching methodology and the status of foreign languages in Finland are clearly connected to the changes in society and its education system. Since the first decade of the 20^th century, Finnish society has developed from an inward-looking agrarian country into an economically and technologically advanced and industrialized society joining in various ways to the rest of Europe and global …

The New Australian Curriculum, Teachers And Change Fatigue, Jessica Dilkes, Christine Cunningham, Jan Gray

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

A new national curriculum has recently been implemented across Australia. This paper reports on a case study of a regional Western Australia government school as they re-wrote and taught the phase one learning areas: maths, English, science and HASS. Results showed what it is like to work in an environment where continual change is not only expected, but also seen as best practice. Cynical, realistic and even enthusiastic teachers suffer change fatigue after years of rapid and continual curriculum change.

The research traces back the reasons why teacher change fatigue might occur using Intuitive Inquiry (Anderson & Braud, 2011) as …

Practical Curriculum Inquiry: Students' Voices Of Their Efl Curriculum And Instruction, Chantarath Hongboontri

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This mixed-methods study borrowed Schwabian notions of practical curriculum inquiry (1969, 1971, 1973, 1983) to investigate students’ perceptions of their English as a foreign language (EFL) curriculum and instruction in light of their interactions with the four commonplaces; i.e., teachers, learners, subject matter, and milieu. Data were gathered through a questionnaire, interviews, and focus group interviews. Altogether 70 Thai university students volunteered to participate in the study. When woven together, these data demonstrated how this particular group of students perceived their EFL curriculum and instruction in terms of the four commonplaces encompassing curriculum development and instruction. In particular, they discussed …

Supporting The Transference Of Knowledge About Language Within Teacher Education Programs, Lisl Fenwick, Michele Endicott, Marie Quinn, Sally Humphrey

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Teacher education is effective when pre-service teachers are able to transfer knowledge from content areas to practice. This study investigates the extent to which curriculum and assessment designs, along with teaching practices, supported pre-service teachers to transfer knowledge gained about language from a first-year course into a second-year course on planning for effective learning in diverse contexts. Questionnaires and discourse analysis of assessment tasks provided insight into the extent to which the strategies designed to support transference succeeded. The findings indicate that transference of language knowledge occurs when this goal permeates curriculum and assessment design, as well as teaching practices.

Conceptualizing And Describing Teachers’ Learning Of Pedagogical Concepts, Maria Jose Gonzalez, Pedro Gómez

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In this paper, we propose a model to explore how teachers learn pedagogical concepts in teacher education programs that expect them to become competent in lesson planning. In this context, we view pedagogical concepts as conceptual and methodological tools that help teachers to design a lesson plan on a topic, implement this lesson plan and assess its results. Concepts such as the notions of learning goals, errors, conceptual structure, representation systems, resources, grouping, interaction or assessment strategies are examples of such pedagogical concepts. We propose a model that involves three types of knowledge of a pedagogical concept—theoretical, technical and practical—for …

A Comparative Analysis Between The Assessment Criteria Used To Assess Graduating Teachers At Rustaq College (Oman) And Griffith University (Australia) During The Teaching Practicum, Moza Abdullah Al-Malki, Katie Weir

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article reports the findings from a study that compares the assessment criteria used to measure pre-service teachers’ professional competencies at Rustaq College of Applied Sciences in Oman, and at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. The study adopts a discourse analytic approach to deconstruct and critically compare the assessment criteria outlined in documents that report on graduating teachers’ classroom performance used at each teacher education institution. The results of the analysis reveal a different normative vision of graduating teachers in each country. The Omani graduate pre-service teachers are likely to be ‘a compliant student-trainee’, whereas Australian graduate pre-service teachers are …

Preservice Teachers’ Constructivist Teaching Scores Based On Their Learning Styles, Zeynel Kablan, Sibel Kaya

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study examined the relationship between pre-service teachers’ constructivist teaching and their learning styles based on Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory. The Learning Styles Inventory-3 was administered at the beginning of the semester to determine preferred learning style. The Constructivist Teaching Evaluation Form was filled out by pre-service teachers following the microteaching session. Bivariate correlation and ANOVA anayses were conducted to evaluate the learning style-teaching relationship. Results showed that students’ teaching evaluation scores were positively correlated with their active experimentation (AE) and negatively correlated with their reflective observation (RO) scores. ANOVA results showed that accommodating students had significantly higher self-evaluation scores …

The Motivation And Identity Challenges For Phd Holders In The Transition To Science And Mathematics Teaching In Secondary Education: A Pilot Study, Robert Whannell, William Allen

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Australian secondary education has endured a chronic shortage of qualified mathematics and science teachers for a number of years, particularly in rural and remote areas. A longitudinal research project examining the capacity for the holders of PhD level qualifications in mathematics and science to be utilised as one means of addressing this shortage has been commenced at two regional Australian universities. This paper reports on the pilot study which utilised semi-structured interviews involving five participants at various stages of the transition into secondary school teaching. The interviews examined the motivations of the participants to enter secondary teaching and the challenges …

Teaching Reading: Why The “Fab Five” Should Be The “Big Six”, Deslea Konza

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The Report of the National Reading Panel (NICHD, 2000) identified five key elements that were critical to the development of reading, and these have been widely accepted by educational jurisdictions as providing definitive guidelines for early reading instruction. This paper presents a case for the inclusion of oral language and early literacy experiences as an additional and foundational element. The pervasive influence of a child’s early experiences on future reading achievement must be understood if teachers are to maximise the opportunities of all children to become independent readers.

Shades Of Grey: The Need For A Multi-Disciplinary Approach To Research Investigating Alcohol And Ageing, Celia Wilkinson, Julie Dare

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper calls for an increase in multi-disciplinary research on the issue of alcohol and ageing, to ensure public health interventions reflect the complex and diverse needs of older drinkers. Older people (65+ years) represent a unique segment of the population; compared to adolescents and younger people, they are more likely to have a range of co-morbid conditions and be taking prescribed medication, and are more physiologically vulnerable to the effects of alcohol. This suggests that from a public health perspective, alcohol use by older people is problematic. However, as with younger people, alcohol use is closely associated with socialisation …

A Method To Optimize A Typology-Based Classification System, Christopher Schnitzler, James Croft, Chris Button, Mats Ulmers, Keith Davids

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study sought to provide guidelines for implementing typology-based qualitative analysis of human movement patterns. Fifteen participant-analysts were instructed how to classify treading water behaviours into eight different categories using a training set of videos. They were later provided with two additional sets of videos called validation, and test sets. Results first identified reliable (n=9), and not reliable (n=6) analysts. A decision study outlined that one analyst was sufficient to reliably categorize the behaviours in the 'reliable' analyst group, whereas up to four were necessary in the 'unreliable' group. These data provided new insights into more objective qualitative analysis methods …

Predictors Of Grandparental Investment Decisions In Contemporary Europe: Biological Relatedness And Beyond, David A. Coall, Sonja Hilbrand, Ralph Hertwig

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Across human cultures, grandparents make a valued contribution to the health of their families and communities. Moreover, evidence is gathering that grandparents have a positive impact on the development of grandchildren in contemporary industrialized societies. A broad range of factors that influence the likelihood grandparents will invest in their grandchildren has been explored by disciplines as diverse as sociology, economics, psychology and evolutionary biology. To progress toward an encompassing framework, this study will include biological relatedness between grandparents and grandchildren, a factor central to some discipline's theoretical frameworks (e.g., evolutionary biology), next to a wide range of other factors in …

Risk Factors For Cerebrovascular Disease Mortality Among The Elderly In Beijing: A Competing Risk Analysis, Zhe Tang, Tao Zhou, Yanxia Luo, Changchun Xie, Da Huo, Lixin Tao, Lei Pan, Fei Sun, Huiping Zhu, Xinghua Yang, Wei Wang, Aoshuang Yan, Xia Li, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: To examine the associations of combined lifestyle factors and physical conditions with cerebrovascular diseases (CBVD) mortality, after accounting for competing risk events, including death from cardiovascular diseases, cancers and other diseases. Methods: Data on 2010 subjects aged over 55 years were finally analyzed using competing risk models. All the subjects were interviewed by the Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), in China, between 1 January 1992 and 30 August 2009. Results: Elderly females were at a lower risk of death from CBVD than elderly males (HR = 0.639, 95% CI = 0.457-0.895). Increasing age (HR = 1.543, 95% CI …

General Practitioners' Experiences Of Bereavement Care And Their Educational Support Needs: A Qualitative Study, Moira O'Connor, Lauren J. Breen

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: General Practitioners (GPs) are well-positioned to provide grief support to patients. Most GPs view the provision of bereavement care as an important aspect of their role and the GP is the health professional that many people turn to when they need support. We aimed to explore GPs' understandings of bereavement care and their education and professional development needs in relation to bereavement care. Methods. An in-depth qualitative design was adopted using a social constructionist approach as our aims were exploratory and applied. Nineteen GPs (12 women and 7 men) living in Western Australia were interviewed; 14 were based in …

Positive Patient Experiences In An Australian Integrative Oncology Centre, Bonnie J. Furzer, Anna S. Petterson, Kemi E. Wright, Karen E. Wallman, Timothy R. Ackland, David J. Joske

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of cancer patients' utilising complementary and integrative therapies (CIT) within integrative oncology centres across Western Australia.Methods: Across four locations 135 patients accessed CIT services whilst undergoing outpatient medical treatment for cancer. Of the 135 patients, 66 (61 ± 12 y; female n = 45; male n = 21) agreed to complete a personal accounts questionnaire consisting of open-ended questions designed to explore patients' perceptions of CIT. All results were transcribed into nVivo (v9) and using thematic analysis, key themes were identified.Results: Of the 66 participants, 100% indicated they would …

Day Occupation Is Associated With Psychopathology For Adolescents And Young Adults With Down Syndrome, Kitty-Rose R. Foley, Peter Jacoby, Stewart Einfeld, Sonya Girdler, Jenny Bourke, Vivienne Riches, Helen Leonard

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Young adults with Down syndrome experience increased rates of emotional and behavioural problems compared with the general population. Most adolescents with Down syndrome living in Western Australia participate in sheltered employment as their main day occupation. Relationship between day occupation and changes in behaviour has not been examined. Therefore, the aim of this research was to explore any relationship between post school day occupations and changes in the young person's behaviour.Methods: The Down syndrome Needs Opinion Wishes database was used for case ascertainment of young adults aged 15 to 32 years with Down syndrome. Families of 118 young people …

A Systematic Review Of Episodic Volunteering In Public Health And Other Contexts, Melissa K. Hyde, Jeff Dunn, Paul A. Scuffham, Suzanne K. Chambers

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Episodic volunteers are a critical resource for public health non-profit activities but are poorly understood. A systematic review was conducted to describe the empirical evidence about episodic volunteering (EV) in the public health sector and more broadly. Study location, focus and temporal trends of EV research were also examined. Methods. Twelve key bibliographic databases (1990-April week 2, 2014) were searched, including Google Scholar. Empirical studies published in English in peer-reviewed journals that identified participants as EVs who volunteered to support Not-for-Profit organisations in the health and social welfare sectors were included. EV definitions, characteristics, economic costs, antecedents and outcomes …