Education Commons^™

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

Dr Paul Weldon

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 …

A Study Of Work Practices In Tasmanian Government Schools: Final Report To The Australian Education Union – Tasmanian Branch, Sheldon Rothman, Lawrence C. Ingvarson, Paul R. Weldon, Ali Radloff, Darren Matthews

Dr Paul Weldon

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) conducted an online survey of members on behalf of the Tasmanian Branch of the Australian Education Union (AEU). The survey, which was open to teachers, school leaders (principals and assistant principals) and education support staff working in Tasmanian government schools and offices, was available to the majority of members of the Union in August 2017, and remained open for four weeks during Term 3. The survey was based on one conducted for the Victorian branch of the AEU in 2016. The survey of the work of union members in Tasmanian government schools focussed …

Challenges In Stem Learning In Australian Schools, Michael J. Timms, Kathryn Moyle, Paul R. Weldon, Pru Mitchell

Dr Paul Weldon

Australian STEM education seems caught in a whirlpool of problems that are contributing to one another. Student engagement and performance in STEM are declining, but we do not have the supply of qualified teachers we need to improve learning. The STEM curriculum is unbalanced and fragmented, leading to less interest among students. It is not possible to break out of the downward cycle from within the current system and it requires policy changes that address the issues raised in this report. This means developing well-considered, systemic and joined-up policies that address the following challenges: Improving student outcomes, building the STEM …

Challenges In Stem Learning In Australian Schools: Literature And Policy Review, Michael J. Timms, Kathryn Moyle, Paul R. Weldon, Pru Mitchell

Dr Paul Weldon

This literature and policy review outlines the complex context related to STEM learning in Australian schools and focuses on student outcomes, the teacher workforce and the curriculum. This paper also sheds light on possible policy directions by examining lessons from other countries. STEM education is a broad enterprise that starts in early childhood education, continues through the years of schooling and extends into tertiary education supported by contributions from extracurricular and enrichment activities, science centres and museums. However, the focus in this document is on primary and secondary schooling. Australian STEM education seems caught in a whirlpool of problems that …

School–University Partnerships In Initial Teacher Preparation: An Evaluation Of The School Centres For Teaching Excellence Initiative In Victoria, Glenn Rowley, Paul R. Weldon, Elizabeth Kleinhenz, Lawrence Ingvarson

Dr Paul Weldon

This report presents the findings of an evaluation of School Centres for Teaching Excellence (SCTE) initiatives introduced by the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) during 2011. SCTEs are partnerships of universities and schools designed to establish leading practice in providing quality pre-service teacher education, continuing professional learning and research opportunities. The initiative was funded through the Smarter Schools National Partnership on Improving Teacher Quality.

School Staff Workload Study: Final Report To The Australian Education Union – Victorian Branch, Paul R. Weldon, Lawrence Ingvarson

Dr Paul Weldon

The School Staff Workload Study was commissioned by the Victorian branch of the Australian Education Union (the Union) in March 2016. The study involved the design and delivery of an online survey by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The survey was a census of the Union membership and was open to the majority of members in Term 2, June 2016. The survey targeted three groups: teachers, school leaders (Principal class), and education support staff. The survey was intended to provide a detailed picture of the workload of the Union membership and, by extension, Victorian government school staff. Attention …

The School Library Workforce In Australia, Pru Mitchell, Paul R. Weldon

Dr Paul Weldon

Victorian Teacher Supply And Demand Report 2012 And 2013, Paul R. Weldon, Chandra Shah, Glenn Rowley

Dr Paul Weldon

This report provides forecasts of the supply and demand for teachers in Victoria from 2014 to 2020. The teaching workforce includes all teachers from K to 12. This is the tenth in the series of such reports, the first of which was released in 2001. Unlike previous reports, this one includes a section on Early Childhood and has more extensive analysis of the future demand for teachers in the state.

What The Staff In Australia’S Schools Surveys Tell Us About Teachers Working In School Libraries, Paul R. Weldon

Dr Paul Weldon

This report analyses the 2007, 2010 and 2013 Staff in Australia's Schools (SiAS) survey results to produce profiles of primary and secondary teachers who are working in a library role. It compares the findings about numbers of teachers working in a library role with the overall teacher cohort in terms of location, school sector and socio-economic status of schools. It also profiles teachers working in a library role in terms of their average age, gender, level of tertiary study and basis of work. It makes particular mention of early career teachers in libraries and teachers working out of field in …

Where Is The Evidence? Realising The Value Of Grey Literature For Public Policy & Practice: A Discussion Paper, Amanda Lawrence, John Houghton, Julian Thomas, Paul R. Weldon

Dr Paul Weldon

The internet has profoundly changed how we produce, use and collect research and information for public policy and practice, with grey literature playing an increasingly important role. The authors argue that grey literature (i.e. material produced and published by organisations without recourse to the commercial or scholarly publishing industry) is a key part of the evidence produced and used for public policy and practice. Through surveys of users, producing organisations and collecting services a detailed picture is provided of the importance and economic value of grey literature. However, finding and accessing policy information is a time-consuming task made harder by …

Staff In Australia’S Schools 2013: Main Report On The Survey, Phillip Mckenzie, Paul R. Weldon, Glenn Rowley, Martin Murphy, Julie Mcmillan

Dr Paul Weldon

This report provides an overview of the results obtained from the Staff in Australia’s Schools (SiAS) 2013 survey commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Education and conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The work was supported by an Advisory Committee of government and non-government school authorities and other stakeholder groups. The survey was intended to provide a detailed picture of the Australian teacher workforce, and to gather information to assist in future planning of the workforce. It was also designed to provide comparative and updated data following on from the previous SiAS surveys conducted in 2006-07 …

Teach For Australia Pathway: Evaluation Report Phase 3 Of 3, Paul R. Weldon, Phillip Mckenzie, Elizabeth Kleinhenz, Kate Reid

Dr Paul Weldon

This report is the final of three reports of the evaluation of the Teach for Australia (TFA) Pathway, a pilot of an alternative approach to teacher education in Australia. The evaluation was undertaken by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) over the period 2010 to 2012. The basic design of the TFA Pathway is as follows: 1. High-achieving university graduates are recruited nationally. Applicants are subject to a rigorous recruitment process and are selected on the basis of qualities and skills suitable to the teaching profession, and the possession of a genuine desire to reduce educational disadvantage. 2. Selected …

Teach For Australia Pathway : Evaluation Report Phase 1 Of 3 (April-July 2010), Catherine Scott, Paul R. Weldon, Stephen Dinham

Dr Paul Weldon

This Report (Part 1) is designed to provide a summary of data gathered on the operation of the Teach for Australia Pathway to date. Data were collected via site visits with schools and phone interviews with the program partners, the Associates, their mentors, principals and other school personnel, and the Educational Advisers over April through July 2010. The information gathered to date aims to provide early feedback on how the program is being implemented – to synthesise emerging themes in the delivery of the program and to inform future development and implementation.

Teach For Australia Pathway : Evaluation Report Phase 2 Of 3, Paul R. Weldon, Phillip Mckenzie, Elizabeth Kleinhenz, Kate Reid

Dr Paul Weldon

The evaluation of the Teach for Australia Pathway was commissioned by DEEWR and commenced in March 2010. The purpose of the evaluation is to assess whether the delivery of the Pathway can be modified to better achieve intended outputs and outcomes, and whether the Pathway is achieving expected outcomes. This report (Part 2) concerns the second of three phases of the evaluation of the TFA Pathway. The first report (Part 1) was designed to provide a summary of data gathered on the operation of the Pathway in its initial stages. Data for that report were collected via site visits with …

Grey Literature In Australian Education, Gerald K. White, Julian Thomas, Paul Weldon, Amanda Lawrence, Helen Galatis, Jess Tyndall

Dr Paul Weldon

The prevalence of informal publishing or grey literature in education appears to have increased as digital technologies have become main-stream, educators have become more proficient and policies have moved increasingly towards supporting its use. In addition, the take up of social networking technologies and innovative methods of digital publishing have encouraged educators to produce, distribute and share content and commentary. Grey literature may make a substantial contribution to education even though issues such as credibility, access and a lack of standards can pose problems for producers and users. This paper begins by providing a context for the discussion of grey …

Student Demand Projections: Supporting Analysis: Gippsland Tertiary Education Plan, Daniel Edwards, Paul R. Weldon

Dr Paul Weldon

There is considerable interest in the provision of, and access to, tertiary education within Victoria by the State Government. In 2010, a Tertiary Education Plan was released by the Government, detailing various targets and policy objectives in this sector. Despite a change of Government, the broad objectives in the plan continue to be pursued. As such, a number of more specific plans, based on geographic locations within Victoria, are being constructed. One such plan is being constructed for Gippsland. An Expert Panel has been formed to create the plan for Gippsland, chaired by Professor Kwong Lee Dow. This document provides …

Profiles Of Teachers In Selected Curriculum Areas : Further Analyses Of The Staff In Australia’S Schools 2010 Survey, Paul R. Weldon, Glenn Rowley, Phillip Mckenzie

Dr Paul Weldon

This report was commissioned by DEEWR and uses data from the 2010 Staff in Australia’s Schools (SiAS) survey to analyse the profiles of the teachers teaching in five selected curriculum areas in primary schools and 12 areas in secondary schools and to compare the 2010 data with that obtained in the 2007 SiAS survey. The areas were selected to help inform policy initiatives as well as concerns about teacher shortages in those areas and other related workforce issues.

Staff In Australia's Schools 2010 : Main Report On The Survey, Phillip Mckenzie, Glenn Rowley, Paul R. Weldon, Martin Murphy

Dr Paul Weldon

The Staff in Australia’s Schools (SiAS) survey was commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) in April 2010. It was conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) from August to December 2010. The survey is intended to provide a detailed picture of the Australian teacher workforce, and to gather information to assist in future planning of the workforce. It is also designed to provide comparative and updated data following on from the first SiAS survey conducted in 2006-07. The work was supported by an Advisory Committee2 that included representatives from DEEWR, government …

Industry, Employment, And Population Profile: Supporting Analysis: Gippsland Tertiary Education Plan, Daniel Edwards, Paul R. Weldon, Tim Friedman

Dr Paul Weldon

There is considerable interest in the provision and access to tertiary education within the Victoria by the State Government. In 2010, a Tertiary Education Plan was released by the Government, detailing various targets and policy objectives in this sector. Despite a change of Government, the broad objectives in the plan continue to be pursued. As such, a number of more specific plans, based on geographic locations within Victoria are being constructed. One such plan is being constructed for Gippsland. An Expert Panel has been formed to create the plan for Gippsland, chaired by Professor Kwong Lee Dow. This document provides …

Assessment Of Current Process For Targeting Of Schools Funding To Disadvantaged Students: A Report Prepared For The Review Of Funding For Schooling Panel, Adam Rorris, Paul R. Weldon, Adrian Beavis, Phillip Mckenzie, Meredith Bramich, Alana Deery

Dr Paul Weldon

The key research questions considered in this report are: How do existing programs seeking to address educational disadvantage in schools work? Are existing programs effective in reducing the impact of disadvantage on educational outcomes? What alternative funding approaches should be considered? To answer these questions, the report aimed to: map the current processes at Commonwealth, state and territory and system levels for targeting funding towards disadvantaged students with the highest level of educational need. This mapping included describing how educational needs are defined, identified and measured. assess the effectiveness of the funding and other processes in use. Part of this …

Teach For Australia Pathway: Evaluation Report Phase 1 Of 3 (April-July 2010), Catherine Scott, Paul R. Weldon, Stephen Dinham

Dr Paul Weldon

No abstract provided.