Education Commons^™

Preparing Quality Teachers: Bridging The Gap Between Tertiary Experiences And Classroom Realities, Corinne Green, Michelle J. Eady, Peter J. Andersen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

There are many factors that impact student learning, with quality educators being one of the most important elements for student success. Accordingly, the promotion of quality teacher preparation programs has become a priority for tertiary institutions, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. There is a known disparity between tertiary experiences and classroom realities that leave graduate teachers feeling unprepared for the teaching profession. Employing a contextualized learning approach such as situated learning theory in teacher preparation programs can reduce this gap and successfully prepare graduate teachers for the teaching arena. This research project surveyed one cohort (n=154) at the conclusion of a …

Inspiring Environmentally Responsible Preschool Children Through The Implementation Of The National Quality Framework: Uncovering What Lies Between Theory And Practice, Krista Pollock, Jane D. Warren, Peter J. Andersen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FOR environmental sustainability (ECEfES) has become significant in the early years, as highlighted by the inclusion of ECEfES in Australia's first and current National Quality Framework (NQF) for early childhood education and care (ECEC). This article reports on the major findings from a case study (Pollock, 2014), which aimed to uncover what lies between theory and practice, as ECEC educators attempt to support young children to become environmentally responsible, through the implementation of the NQF. This article discusses some of the findings from an analysis of the documents central to the NQF as well as semi-structured interviews …

Impact Of A Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis On Mental Health, Quality Of Life, And Social Contacts: A Longitudinal Study, Xiaoqi Feng, Thomas E. Astell-Burt

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Aims The aim was to examine whether a type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) diagnosis increases the odds of psychological distress, a worsening in overall quality of life, and a potential reduction in social contacts.

Method Longitudinal data were obtained from the 45 and Up Study (baseline 2006–2008; 3.4±0.95 years follow-up time). Fixed effects logistic and negative binomial regression models were fitted on a complete case on outcome sample that did not report T2DM at baseline (N=26 344), adjusted for time-varying confounders. The key exposure was doctor-diagnosed T2DM at follow-up. Outcome variables examined included the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, self-rated quality …

Total Diet Score As A Valid Method Of Measuring Diet Quality Among Older Adults, Joanna Russell, Victoria M. Flood, Ali Sadeghpour, Bamini Gopinath, Paul Mitchell

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to determine the accuracy of a diet quality measurement tool, the Total Diet Score (TDS) using two validation methods; firstly the TDS calculated from a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was compared to the TDS calculated from weighed food records (WFRs); secondly the TDS was compared to a number of dietary biomarkers. Methods and Study Design: Data were collected from a population based cohort study located in the Blue Mountains region of Sydney, Australia. To compare dietary assessment tools, a sub sample of 75 subjects (aged 63 to 83 years) completed the FFQ and three, …

Using Unannounced Standardised Patients As A Quality Improvement Tool To Improve Primary Care, Heike Schutze, Elizabeth Harris, Mark Fort Harris

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the 2nd International Conference on General Practice & Primary Care, 18-19 September 2017, Zurich, Switzerland

Reindexing A Research Repository From The Ground Up: Adding And Evaluating Quality Metadata, Philip Hider, Barney Dalgarno, Sue Bennett, Ying-Hsang Liu, Carole Gerts, Carla Daws, Barbara Spiller, Pru Mitchell, Robert Parkes, Raylee Macaulay

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This article details the outcomes of the ‘National Learning and Teaching Resource Audit and Classification’ project, commissioned by the Australian Government’s Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT). The project used a range of methodologies to reorganise the OLT’s Resource Library (http://www.olt.gov.au/resource-library), constructing and selecting an optimal set of metadata elements, along with certain vocabularies for these elements, and then reindexing the content of the Resource Library utilising the new schema and vocabularies. This paper reports on a before-and-after evaluation of the Resource Library’s search performance through an information retrieval experiment based on searches logged by the repository’s content management system. …

Fostering Effective Early Learning: A Review Of The Current International Evidence Considering Quality In Early Childhood Education And Care Programmes - In Delivery, Pedagogy And Child Outcomes, Iram Siraj, Denise Kingston, Cathrine Marguerite Neilsen-Hewett, Steven J. Howard, Edward Melhuish, Marc De Rosnay, Elisabeth Duursma, Betty Luu

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Executive Summary There is a large body of international academic research literature which examines the relationship between (i) early childhood education and care (ECEC) and (ii) children's developmental and learning outcomes. Decades of sustained international research by many different research groups demonstrate that children who attend ECEC are likely to experience better behavioural and learning outcomes than those who do not attend. The research findings are, of course, not always consistent, and are more robust over shorter measurement periods. Nevertheless, major national surveys (e.g. OECD, 2011) and ambitious longitudinal research projects (e.g. the EPPSE study, Sylva et al., 2014) document …

Food Insecurity And Poor Diet Quality Are Associated With Reduced Quality Of Life In Older Adults, Joanna C. Russell, Victoria M. Flood, Heather Yeatman, Jie Jin Wang, Paul Mitchell

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the relationships of food security and diet quality with health related quality of life (HRQoL) in a cohort of older Australians. Methods: Data were collected as part of the Blue Mountains Eye Study, a cohort study of community-living individuals aged 49 years and over. A 12-item food security survey, the Short-form 36-item (SF-36) health survey, assessing four physical and four mental domains of HRQoL, and a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) were completed by 2642 participants. The Total Diet Score (TDS) (maximum score 20) measured diet quality based on food intake from …

Investigating Product-Oriented Versus Process-Oriented Worked Examples To Support Understanding Of Quality Teaching Principles, Gerardo Sozio, Sharon K. Tindall-Ford, Shirley Agostinho, Fred Paas

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the 8th Cognitive Load Theory Conference, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, June 15th - 17th, 2015.

Measuring The Quality Of Movement-Play In Early Childhood Education Settings: Linking Movement-Play And Neuroscience, Carol Archer, Iram Siraj-Blatchford

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This article explores the links between neuroscience research, movement, and neurological dysfunction in relation to young children's learning and development. While policymakers have recognised the importance of early development the role of movement has been overlooked. A small scale study was undertaken in four early years settings in a London Borough in order to investigate whether an intervention resulted in improved movement experiences for children. This is the first study to assess the quality of movement-play using a newly developed measuring scale. Results showed that an intervention does result in improved movement experiences for young children. Consistently enhanced results were …

Enhancing The Quality Of Pre-Service Teachers Learning Through The Conceptualizing Of Mentoring Strategies During The Practicum, Lynn D. Sheridan, Hoa Nguyen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Professional experience has been described as a cornerstone of teacher preparation that has a "profound impact on student teachers" (Hammerness, Darling-Hammond, & Shulman, 2002, p. 409). There is a wide variation of teacher education programs across the world however, in most countries teacher preparation programs consists of initial university-based course work followed by school-based student teaching practice. Clearly, this program structure has implications for the role of professional experience in creating genuine opportunities for pre-service teachers to develop teaching practice and knowledge about the profession. During the professional experience, mentoring pre-service teachers has been considered critical in ensuring a quality …

Bringing Feedback In From The Outback Via A Generic And Preference-Sensitive Instrument For Course Quality Assessment, Mette Kjer Kaltoft, Jesper Bo Nielsen, Glenn P. Salkeld, Jo Lander, Jack Dowie

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Much effort and many resources have been put into developing ways of eliciting valid and informative student feedback on courses in medical, nursing, and other health professional schools. Whatever their motivation, items, and setting, the response rates have usually been disappointingly low, and there seems to be an acceptance that the results are potentially biased. Objective: The objective of the study was to look at an innovative approach to course assessment by students in the health professions. This approach was designed to make it an integral part of their educational experience, rather than a marginal, terminal, and optional add-on …

Transnational Teaching Teams: Professional Development For Quality Enhancement Of Teaching And Learning-Final Report, Lynne M. Keevers, Maureen Bell, Sumitha Ganesharatnam, Fauziah K.P. Dawood Sultan, Jane See Yin Lim, Vin Cent Loh, Geraldine Lefoe, Cathy Hall, Casey Scholz

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The Transnational Teaching Teams: professional development for quality enhancement of learning and teaching project was a two-year Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT)-funded project that targeted professional-practice development for transnational teaching teams to enhance quality learning and teaching in transnational education programs. Five partner universities were involved: the University of Wollongong (lead), INTI International University and Colleges (Malaysia), RMIT International University (Vietnam), RMIT University and La Trobe University.

Assessing Decision Quality In Patient-Centred Care Requires A Preference-Sensitive Measure, Mette Kjer Kaltoft, Michelle Cunich, Glenn P. Salkeld, Jack Dowie

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A theory-based instrument for measuring the quality of decisions made using any form of decision technology, including both decision-aided and unaided clinical consultations is required to enable person- and patient-centred care and to respond positively to individual heterogeneity in the value aspects of decision making. Current instruments using the term 'decision quality' have adopted a decision- and thus condition-specific approach. We argue that patient-centred care requires decision quality to be regarded as both preference-sensitive across multiple relevant criteria and generic across all conditions and decisions. MyDecisionQuality is grounded in prescriptive multi criteria decision analysis and employs a simple expected value …

Sports Participation And Parent-Reported Health-Related Quality Of Life In Children: Longitudinal Associations, Stewart Vella, Dylan Cliff, Christopher Magee, Anthony D. Okely

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective

To investigate the longitudinal association between sports participation and parent-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children.

Study design

Cohort study that used data drawn from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children in waves 3 (2008) and 4 (2010). Participants were a nationally representative sample of 4042 Australian children ages 8.25 (SD = 0.44) years at baseline and followed-up 24 months later.

Results

After we adjusted for multiple covariates, children who continued to participate in sports between the ages of 8 and 10 years had greater parent-reported HRQOL at age 10 (Eta² = .02) compared with children who …

Defining Quality Physical Education: An Analysis Of International Documents, Collin A. Webster, Jordan Schaefer, Philip Morgan, David Lubans, Dawn Penney, Anthony D. Okely, Anne-Maree Parrish

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the 2014 AAHPERD National Convention and Exposition, 2-4 April 2014, St. Louis, United States

Monitoring And Benchmarking Population Diet Quality Globally: A Step-Wise Approach, S Vandevijvere, C Monteiro, S M. Krebs-Smith, A Lee, Boyd A. Swinburn, Bridget Kelly, Bruce Neal, W Snowdon, G Sacks

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

INFORMAS (International Network for Food and Obesity/non-communicable diseases Research, Monitoring and Action Support) aims to monitor and benchmark the healthiness of food environments globally. In order to assess the impact of food environments on population diets, it is necessary to monitor population diet quality between countries and over time. This paper reviews existing data sources suitable for monitoring population diet quality, and assesses their strengths and limitations. A step-wise framework is then proposed for monitoring population diet quality. Food balance sheets (FBaS), household budget and expenditure surveys (HBES) and food intake surveys are all suitable methods for assessing population diet …

Identifying The Quality Of Life Effects Of Urinary Incontinence With Depression In An Australian Population, Jodie C. Avery, Nigel P. Stocks, Paul Duggan, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, Anne Taylor, Robert Goldney, Alastair Maclennan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

To explore the additive effect of urinary incontinence, in people with comorbid depression, on health related quality of life.

Methods

Males and females, 15 to 95 years (n = 3010, response rate 70.2%) were interviewed face to face in the 1998 Autumn South Australian Health Omnibus Survey.

Results

Self-reported urinary incontinence was found in 20.3% (n=610), and depression as defined by the PRIME-MD in 15.2% (n=459) of the survey population. Urinary incontinence with comorbid depression was found in 4.3% of the overall population. Univariate analysis showed that respondents with urinary incontinence and comorbid depression were more likely to be …

Is Quality Of Diet Associated With The Microvasculature? An Analysis Of Diet Quality And Retinal Vascular Calibre In Older Adults, Bamini Gopinath, Victoria M. Flood, Jie Jin Wang, Elena Rochtchina, Tien Y. Wong, Paul Mitchell

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

It is unknown whether diet quality is associated with microvascular structure. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between diet quality, reflecting adherence to dietary guidelines, with retinal microvascular calibre in older adults. The dietary data of 2720 Blue Mountains Eye Study participants, aged 50þ years, were collected using a semi-quantitative FFQ. A modified version of the Healthy Eating Index for Australians was developed to determine total diet scores (TDS). Fundus photographs were taken and retinal vascular calibre measured using computer-assisted techniques and summarised. After adjusting for age, sex, BMI, mean arterial blood pressure, smoking, serum glucose, leucocyte count …

We Can’T Compete On Cheap And Nasty; Let’S Be A Country That Makes High-Quality, Lasting Things, Christopher Gibson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

WHAT IS AUSTRALIA FOR? Australia is no longer small, remote or isolated. It’s time to ask What Is Australia For?, and to acknowledge the wealth of resources we have beyond mining. Over the next two weeks The Conversation, in conjunction with Griffith REVIEW, is publishing a series of provocations. Our authors are asking the big questions to encourage a robust national discussion about a new Australian identity that reflects our national, regional and global roles.

Study Protocol: Using The Q-Steps To Assess And Improve The Quality Of Physical Activity Programmes For The Elderly, Ana I. Marques, Maria J. Rosa, Marlene Amorim, Pedro Soares, Antonio Oliveira-Tavares, Rute Santos, Jorge Mota, Joana Carvalho

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Aging is one of the most important and obvious phenomenon observed in our society. In the past years, there has been a growing concern in designing physical activity (PA) programmes for elderly people, because evidence suggests that such health promotion interventions may reduce the deleterious effects of the ageing process. Accordingly, a growing body of literature points to the importance of a sound approach to planning and evaluation in order to improve the quality of PA programmes. However, while numerous PA programmes have been designed for the elderly in recent years, their evaluation has been scarce. Quality management processes …

A Proposed Adaptation Of The European Foundation For Quality Management Excellence Model To Physical Activity Programmes For The Elderly - Development Of A Quality Self-Assessment Tool Using A Modified Delphi Process, Ana I. Marques, Leonel Santos, Pedro Soares, Rute Santos, Antonio Oliveira-Tavares, Jorge Mota, Joana Carvalho

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background There has been a growing concern in designing physical activity (PA) programmes for elderly people, since evidence suggests that such health promotion interventions may reduce the deleterious effects of the ageing process. Complete programme evaluations are a necessary prerequisite to continuous quality improvements. Being able to refine, adapt and create tools that are suited to the realities and contexts of PA programmes for the elderly in order to support its continuous improvement is, therefore, crucial. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop a self-assessment tool for PA programmes for the elderly. Methods A 3-round Delphi process was …

Enacting Internal Coherence: As A Path To Quality In Qualitative Inquiry, Stacy M. Carter

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In this chapter, I am going to make an argument about how to judge quality and do quality in qualitative research, I'm a little trepidatious taking this on: it's an old subject and many great authors have written on it elegantly (just a few examples: Angen, 2000; Barbour, 2001; Flick, 2007; Mason, 2002; Seale, 1999). People come to blows over the quality of qualitative research, perhaps because it goes to the question of whether it's worth doing research at all. Questions about quality are a big deal.

The Quality Of Group Childcare Settings Used By 3-4 Year Old Children In Sure Start Local Programme Areas And The Relationship With Child Outcomes, Edward Melhuish, Jay Belsky, Kristen Macpherson, Andrew Cullis

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs), now Sure Start Children's Centres, aim to support young children and their families by integrating early education, childcare, healthcare and family support services in disadvantaged areas. SSLPs aim to improve the health and well-being of families and young children, so that children will have greater oppor tunity to do well in school and later life. This study investigates pre-school group childcare (ch ildminders were not include d) used by children in 150 SSLP areas, and makes comparisons with childcare used by children in England overall. Also the study investigates links between childcare quality and child …

The Influence Of School And Teaching Quality On Children's Progress In Primary School, Pam Sammons, Kathy Sylva, Edward Melhuish, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Brenda Taggart, Sofka Barreau, Yvonne Grabbe

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The Effective Pre-School and Primary Education 3-11 (EPPE 3-11) project investigates the impact of pre- school, primary school and the family on a range of outcomes for a national sample of 2500+ young children in England between the ages of 3 and 11 years. This Research Brief presents analyses drawing on detailed observations of primary teachers' classroom practices in a sub-sample of 125 classes attended by EPPE 3-11 children during the time they were in Year 5 of primary school (age 10 years). It investigates the relationships between different classroom-level practices and children's progress in cognitive (Reading and Maths) and …

Developing Quality Teaching Through Authentic Assessment And School-University Partnerships, Philip J. Pearson, Paul I. Webb, Gregory J. Forrest

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper examines the development of authentic assessment tasks focusing on the dimensions of quality teaching for pre-service teachers. Assessment tasks designed for students to continually put teaching skills into practice are essential to develop quality teachers. The process involved student and teacher consultation and the establishment of additional school-university partnerships. The purpose of the research was to review the school-university partnerships and to determine whether these links have been beneficial to the students and the schools involved. Forty physical and health education students in their final year of pre-service training were surveyed (questionnaire and interviews) along with personnel from …

Linking Teaching Games For Understanding And Quality Teaching In Nsw Secondary Schools, Philip J. Pearson, Paul I. Webb, Kim Mckeen

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

A discussion paper entitled Quality teaching in NSW public schools (Department of Education and Training, 2003) has been developed to improve teaching practice and hence student learning outcomes. The model of pedagogy outlined in this document focuses on the three dimensions of intellectual quality, quality learning environment and significance.

Elements associated with these dimensions such as deep understanding, higher order thinking, student direction and inclusivity can be difficult for teachers to implement into practical lessons. When effectively implemented TGfU is one strategy that allows teachers to address these elements when teaching games in physical education and sport. TGfU places an …

Naturalistic Inquiry In E-Learning Research, Shirley Agostinho

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Qualitative research means many things to many people. This evolving field of inquiry embraces a wide array of approaches, methods and techniques, and is accompanied with ongoing debate over what constitutes “quality” and “rigour”. This paper provides insight into how the Naturalistic Inquiry Paradigm (Lincoln & Guba, 1985) was operationalized in an educational technology research study that investigated the use of World Wide Web technology in higher education. A framework that situates the research study within the qualitative research literature sets the context of the research approach, a justification of how the study was “compliant” with Naturalistic Inquiry is presented …

The Use Of Embedded Tools And Support Materials Within A Classroom Simulation To Support Quality Teaching, Janice B. Turbill, Lisa K. Kervin, Brian Ferry, Brian L. Cambourne, John Hedberg, David Jonassen, Sarah Puglisi

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper focuses on the use of embedded tools and support materials within a web-based simulated classroom environment. The developed simulation prototype allows the user to adopt the role of a Kindergarten teacher where they have to “teach” a typical literacy episode that we have called “days of the week”. During this episode the user is asked to make decisions about the organisation of the classroom, management of the classroom, and the teaching and learning experiences to be offered.

A key component of this on-line simulation is the incorporation of an embedded tool, referred to as a thinking space, at …

The Quality Teaching Model: Does It Apply To Special Education Contexts In Nsw Public Schools, Roselyn M. Dixon, Leanna Formosa

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

In May 2003, the NSW Department of Education and Training introduced the Quality Teaching framework to NSW public schools for discussion and possible implementation. Principals and teachers were encouraged to use the framework for the twofold purpose of improving both teaching practice and student learning. While versions of the framework have been successfully used in USA and Australia, there is a paucity of research which reports on its merit, worth, or value for teachers of children with moderate intellectual disabilities. The aim of this study is to explore the degree of congruence and/or “fit” between the Quality Teaching framework and …