Education Commons^™

A Developing Story: The Literacy Demands Of The Curriculum, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

The need for explicit teaching of the literacy demands of the curriculum has been and remains a significant area of interest for all teachers. An example of how this interest has evolved can be seen in Nea Stewart-Dore's careerlong interest in literacy learning. This was a key aspect of her major contribution to professional knowledge and understanding of literacy learning. Nea's story provides a useful retrospective insight into the shaping of the strong current focus of the literacy of the disciplines.

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.

Meeting The Challenge Of Disciplinary Literacies, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

Meeting The Challenge Of Disciplinary Literacies, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

Growth In Literacy And Numeracy In The Early Years, Marion Meiers, Kate Reid

Marion Meiers

Children’s literacy and numeracy skills in the year prior to school and the first year at school reveal wide variation. Marion Meiers and Kate Reid explain.

Literacy Learning In The Early Years, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers describes a workshop held in Delhi in February that addressed young children’s language and literacy knowledge.

Planning For Learning In The Early Years, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

The goal of a new suite of literacy and numeracy materials is to help teachers plan for learning in the early years, as ACER Senior Research Fellow, Marion Meiers, explains.

Teaching Critical Thinking, Doug Mccurry, Pat Knight, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

This edition of The Research Digest is focuses on theory, research and policy issues related to the teaching of critical thinking. It examines different definitions and views of critical thinking, and different approaches to teaching critical thinking. In particular it examines ways of posing higher-order critical thinking questions and the teaching of routines for critical thinking. A key feature of this series of research digests is that each edition will focus on the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL, 2012). This issue makes links to Professional Knowledge, Standard 1, Know students and how they learn, and Standard 2, Know the …

The Digest Edition 2009/2 : Talking To Learn: Dialogue In The Classroom, Catherine Scott, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

This Digest is focused on research studies about using classroom talk for improving learning, and particularly on the use of teaching methods incorporating classroom dialogue. 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. Classrooms are full of talk: some commentators have even suggested that schools are ‘saturated’ with it. There are different types of classroom talk for a range of different purposes. An international research study conducted in primary classrooms in five countries (the ‘Five Nations Study’) has demonstrated the powerful …

Research Digest Edition 2008/1 : Managing Student Behaviour In The Classroom, Jenny Wilkinson, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

This edition of the Research Digest summarises some key research studies that suggest answers to questions such as: How important is behaviour management in effective teaching and learning? Does good behaviour management lead to improved learning outcomes for students? Throughout the digest there are descriptions of approaches that have practical application in classroom practice. This research digest is based on searches of a number of databases and bibliographic resources, including the Australian Education Index, ERIC, Education Research Complete, British Education Index and Scopus. The first section presents some insights from research about the importance of behaviour management in effective teaching …

The Digest Edition 2008/2 : Using Data To Improve Student Learning, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

This Digest is focused on studies that have investigated how data can be used in schools to examine teaching practices in order to improve student learning. A selection of relevant websites is listed, and a full reference list is provided. Links to those references for which full-text online access is freely available are also included. School systems, principals and teachers have access to an extensive range of data that can be used for a variety of purposes. Accountability processes and data have come to play a significant place in policy development and reform efforts. There is a large body of …

The Digest Edition 2010/1 : Successful Professional Learning, Marion Meiers, Sarah Buckley

Marion Meiers

This edition of The Digest is focused on research into teacher learning and professional development. Teacher learning includes not only activities such as conferences and workshops, but also includes participation in many formal and informal learning activities. Recent research has focussed, amongst other things, on characteristics of successful professional learning, and on the connections between teachers’ professional learning and improvements in student learning. This research has the potential to assist teachers and schools in selecting and planning for professional learning, so that it will maximise the benefits for participants. The first section of this digest presents some research findings on …

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.

Managing Longitudinal Research : An Account Of The First Six Years Of The Longitudinal Literacy And Numeracy Study, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

The ACER Longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Study (LLANS) was designed to follow the growth in literacy and numeracy of a single cohort of students across the years of primary school. The key research question in this seven-year longitudinal study is: 'What is the nature of literacy and numeracy development amongst Australian school children?' One way of responding to this question is to develop scales describing growth in literacy and numeracy. As a national longitudinal study, the LLANS has created an opportunity to develop achievement scales describing growth in literacy and numeracy from the very first year of schooling. The LLANS …

The Measurement Of Language Background, Culture And Ethnicity For The Reporting Of Nationally Comparable Outcomes Of Schooling, John Ainley, Tracey Frigo, Gary Marks, Silvia Mccormack, Julie Mcmillan, Marion Meiers, Susan Zammit

Marion Meiers

Report for the National Education Performance Monitoring Taskforce. MCEETYA (Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs) .

In Teachers' Hands : Effective Literacy Teaching Practices In The Early Years Of Schooling, William Louden, Mary Rohl, Caroline Barratt Pugh, Claire Brown, Trevor Cairney, Jess Elderfield, Helen House, Marion Meiers, Judith Rivalland, Ken Rowe

Marion Meiers

This project investigated the link between children’s growth in English literacy in the early years of schooling and their teachers’ classroom teaching practices. Using the LLANS literacy assessment tasks, 2000 children from every state and territory were assessed at the beginning and end of their first or second year at school. The teaching practices used by teachers whose students made most progress were explored. The effective teachers used a wide repertoire and demonstrated key teaching practices with greater consistency, skill and subtlety.

Successful Professional Learning, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

This edition of The Digest is focused on research into teacher learning and professional development. Teacher learning includes not only activities such as conferences and workshops, but also includes participation in many formal and informal learning activities. Recent research has focussed, amongst other things, on characteristics of successful professional learning, and on the connections between teachers’ professional learning and improvements in student learning. This research has the potential to assist teachers and schools in selecting and planning for professional learning, so that it will maximise the benefits for participants. The first section of this digest presents some research findings on …

Talking To Learn: Dialogue In The Classroom, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

This Digest is focused on research studies about using classroom talk for improving learning, and particularly on the use of teaching methods incorporating classroom dialogue. 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. Classrooms are full of talk: some commentators have even suggested that schools are ‘saturated’ with it. There are different types of classroom talk for a range of different purposes. An international research study conducted in primary classrooms in five countries (the ‘Five Nations Study’) has demonstrated the powerful …

The Use Of Ict In Schools In The Digital Age: What Does The Research Say?, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

This edition of The Digest is focused on research that has investigated aspects of digital learning. The body of research sometimes described as ‘e-learning research’ (Andrews & Haythornthwaite, 2007) encompasses many aspects of ICT in education, at many levels and in many contexts. For the purposes of this digest, the key question is What does research tell us about digital learning in schools? The first section of the digest is focused on the diverse uses of ICT in schools, and evidence about the ICT literacy of Australian students. This is followed by an overview of evidence about the impact of …

Using Data To Improve Learning, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

This Digest is focused on studies that have investigated how data can be used in schools to examine teaching practices in order to improve student learning. A selection of relevant websites is listed, and a full reference list is provided. Links to those references for which full-text online access is freely available are also included. School systems, principals and teachers have access to an extensive range of data that can be used for a variety of purposes. Accountability processes and data have come to play a significant place in policy development and reform efforts. There is a large body of …

A Chronological Review Of Literacy Policies And Programs Of The Department Of Education & Training, Victoria, 1980-2005, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

Throughout the period 1980-2008 the influence of national and international theory and research in literacy is evident, in a variety of ways, in the policy and program responses of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. A review of Australian and international literature on the issue of literacy from 1980 to 2008 highlights the connections between policies and programs in the Victorian context and developments in theory and research in national and international contexts. This review covers the 25 years from 1980 to 2008, a period that has been characterised as a time when theory and research in the …

Managing Student Behaviour In The Classroom, Marion Meiers, Jenny Wilkinson

Marion Meiers

This edition of the Research Digest summarises some key research studies that suggest answers to questions such as: How important is behaviour management in effective teaching and learning? Does good behaviour management lead to improved learning outcomes for students? Throughout the digest there are descriptions of approaches that have practical application in classroom practice. This research digest is based on searches of a number of databases and bibliographic resources, including the Australian Education Index, ERIC, Education Research Complete, British Education Index and Scopus. The first section presents some insights from research about the importance of behaviour management in effective teaching …

Assessment Conversations, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

Assessment is a central aspect of the professional lives of teachers. The author reminds us that classroom observations, conversations, and informal and formal assessment activities provide teachers with ways of understanding and guiding learning journeys.

Engaging With The Profession : Communities Of Learners, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

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

Reflections On The Use Of Research To Inform Teaching, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

This article is a response to the AATE statement of belief 'We use research and evidence to inform teaching practice and improve the learning of students'. This statement and the elaborating notes focus on the was in which teachers, throughout their careers, use research for the key purposes of informing their teaching practices and improving students' learning. The author maps the territory of research, including some backwards mapping, to explore impact. There are major challenges for researchers seeking to identify the impact of teachers' professional learning on students' learning. The most significant challenge lies in the need for research that …

Literacy In The First Three Years Of School : A Longitudinal Investigation, Marion Meiers, Siek Toon Khoo

Marion Meiers

The ACER Longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Study (LLANS) was designed to follow the growth in literacy and numeracy of a single cohort of students across the years of primary school. A sample of 1000 students in 100 schools formed the cohort for the study, which commenced in 1999. A linked set of literacy assessment tasks focused on key aspects of literacy was developed for the LLANS. Assessment data collected across the years of primary school provided information needed to construct a long LLANS literacy scale covering the full range of proficiency. The scale was used to measure change and track …

Feedback Improves Learning, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

How does formative assessment support students' learning? A recent international study conducted by the OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) makes it clear that the ongoing interactive assessments within classrooms play a key role in identifying students' needs and in planning future teaching. The author looks at the place of feedback in formative assessment.

Essential Learning Prep To Year 10 : English Curriculum Area., Wayne Sawyer, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

This discussion paper was prepared for the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority as theoretical background for development of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards.

Then And Now : Texts In English Classrooms, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

What is anything has been consistently considered essential learning for students in English classes in secondary schools over the past fifty years, asks the author? This article considers the similarities and differences in the teaching of English since the 1950s focusing on the many facets of English texts in contemporary Australian classrooms.

Assessment And Reporting Of Student Achievement For Students With Specific Educational Needs Against Literacy And Numeracy Benchmarks, S Zammit, Marion Meiers, T Frigo

Marion Meiers

This report provides key information on assessment and reporting of literacy and numeracy achievement. The study indicates the critical issues for stakeholders in relation to the assessment and reporting of performance outcomes of students with specific educational needs against literacy and numeracy benchmarks. It underlines the importance of accurately assessing and reporting the performance of students with special needs so that their specific needs are not overlooked.