Education Commons^™

Number Sense In School Mathematics: Student Performance In Four Countries, Alistair Mcintosh, Barbara Reys, Robert Reys, Jack Bana, Brian Farrell

Research outputs pre 2011

Since 1988 teams of researchers in the United States, Japan and Australia have been involved in a collaborative research project to assess the mental computation ability of their students. The results of this research have been reported elsewhere (Mcintosh, Bana & Farrell 1995; Mcintosh, Nohda, Reys & Reys 1995). The researchers involved were Professors Robert and Barbara Reys of the University of Missouri - Columbia, Professor Nobuhiko Nohda of the University of Tsukuba and Alistair Mcintosh, Jack Bana and Brian Farrell of Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia.

The United States and Australian researchers went on to assess the number …

Investigating Assessment Strategies In Mathematics Classrooms : A Cd-Rom Resource Enabling Teachers To Explore Assessment Strategies In Mathematics Education, Tony Herrington, Len Sparrow, Jan Herrington, Ron Oliver

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Profiling Esl Children: How Teachers Interpret And Use National And State Assessment Frameworks: Volume 1: Key Issues & Findings, Michael P. Breen, Caroline Barratt-Pugh, Beverly Derewianka, Helen House, Catherine Hudson, Tom Lumley, Mary Rohl

Research outputs pre 2011

The three volumes which make up this study describe in detail how a number of teachers in different school situations in different parts of Australia undertook the assessment of young children's development of English as a second language. Most of the teachers worked in pre-primary to Year 3 classrooms where the majority of the children were aged between five and eight years. The majority worked in a mainstream context in which the number of children speaking English as a second language (ESL) varied from more than half the class to two or three students. About a third of the teachers …

Constructivism And Scientific Realism? Which Is The Better Framework For Educational Research, Peter G. Cole

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The doctrines of constructivism and scientific realism have had a profound impact on recent progress in educational research. These doctrines are often depicted as conflicting doctrines in theoretical papers and methodology texts dealing with educational research issues. This paper explores the differences between the major tenets of constructivism and scientific reason. Different values ascribed to the scientific method in the context of these two doctrines are also examined. The paper focuses on three problems that have dogged the education research agenda: the conflict between the constructivist and scientific realistic viewpoints on science, the validity of observation statements and the role …

Ritual And Pedagogy : Teachers' Use Of Ritual In Pre-Primary Classroom Settings, Carmel Maloney

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Pre-primary teachers' daily organisation and routines are established through repetitive patterns of actions which become highly ritualised. This study examines how pre-primary teachers use ritual and how ritual structures teaching in pre-primary classroom settings and in doing so serves a pedagogical purpose for teachers. Describing forms and functions of ritual provides a way of examining and interpreting what teachers know and do and how they go about their work. The interpretive paradigm of qualitative methodology has been adopted for the study. Participant observation and structured interviews are used as the primary methods of conducting field work and collecting data. The …

The Role Of Visual Art Works In The Theory And Practice Of Education With Reference To The Perceptions Of Western Australian Primary Visual Arts Specialist Teachers, Diana J. Brown

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The study examines the role of visual art works in primary education. This involves three levels of investigation. Level 1 examines the role of these art works in the main philosophies of visual arts education; Level 2 examines the role of visual art works in the Western Australia Art and Crqft K-7 Syllabus; and Level 3 examines visual arts primary specialist teachers' perceptions of the role of visual art works in their teaching programmes. The purpose is to establish the relationships between these three levels of analysis so as to contribute towards an explanation of the disparity between the high …

Dramatic Role-Play As A Process Of Exploration With Adolescents : A Phenomenological Study, P. R. Wearne

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this research study is to describe the lived experience of adolescents with dramatic role-play as a process of exploration. The responses of the participants are compared with the proposed learning objectives of the researcher. A comparison is provided which occasionally reflects a difference in actual or perceived learning and expected learning. The process of exploration about self and society is undertaken by using dramatic role-play as a specific methodology of process drama. The current theories of 'drama education', 'process drama' and 'role-play' are discussed and evidenced through the drama experience of the research participants. Although generalisations are …

The Pedagogical Significance Of The Life And Work Of Artist Helen Grey-Smith, Gwen Phillips

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Visual arts educational practice has been built upon a tradition which has neglected the work of women artists. The reasons for this are explored in the introduction to this research and in the literature review. The research will examine aspects of the lived experience and work of a Western Australian woman visual artist within a context of the traditional cultural and educational paradigms which influenced her development as a visual artist and which, it may be argued, continue to influence all visual artists. The participant in the research, Helen Grey Smith, has been a prominent member of the visual arts …

Investigating Teaching Strategies In Mathematics Classrooms : A Cd-Rom Resource Enabling Teachers To Explore Teaching Strategies In Mathematics Education, Tony John Herrington, Len Sparrow, Jan Herrington, Ron Oliver

Research outputs pre 2011

Teaching mathematics has traditionally followed a standard pattern across the world. Students are placed in classrooms where they are seated individually, are required to listen passively and observe the teacher demonstrating mathematical procedure and then s1 end extensive time practicing the newly acquired ski ll s. Generally the content being taught comprises mathematical facts and skills taught sequentially in the order presented by a textbook. Students are then assessed by unseen pencil and paper tests for the purpose of grading and ranking. This cycle is then repeated with another mathematical topic which is viewed by students as discrete from the …

Address By Justice Robert Nicholson, Judge Of The Federal Court Of Australia, On The Occasion Of His Installation As Chancellor On Tuesday, 18 February 1997, Robert Nicholson

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Teaching To Think, Felicity Haynes

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Given that a devolved curriculum empowers a teacher to educate for change, and indeed encourages cross curricular critical and creative thinking, this article offers a broad review of three current strategies for helping anyone to think critically and creatively instruction in formal logic, training in focusing attention, and creating a community of inquiry. It concludes that the latter is the preferred mode of teaching thinking for understanding and responsibility, both in schools and in pre service teacher education, because it captures the best balance between student engagement, the presentation of external social standards and the need for ongoing reflection on …

Lokan, Jan (Editor), (1994), Describing Learning. Implementation Of Curriculum Profiles In Australian Schools 1986, Melbourne, Acer Press, Research Monograph No. 50, Xxviii + 420 Pp., H. E. Melville-Jones

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

No abstract provided.

Profiling Esl Children: How Teachers Interpret And Use National And State Assessment Frameworks: Volume 3: The Eastern States Case Studies, Michael P. Breen, Caroline Barratt-Pugh, Beverly Derewianka, Helen House, Catherine Hudson, Tom Lumley, Mary Rohl

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Getting Started In Technology And Enterprise : Case Studies In Primary And Secondary Schools, Jack Bana, Lorraine Kershaw

Research outputs pre 2011

This monograph describes the experiences of five Western Australian Schools, which were involved in a year-long school-based professional development program during 1996 in the Technology and Enterprise Learning Area. The program was part of a larger Technology and Enterprise project, which had been funded by the Federal Department o f Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DEETYA), as part of a National Professional Development Program (NPDP).

Profiling Esl Children: How Teachers Interpret And Use National And State Assessment Frameworks: Volume 2: The Western Australia Case Studies, Michael P. Breen, Caroline Barratt-Pugh, Beverly Derewianka, Helen House, Catherine Hudson, Tom Lumley, Mary Rohl

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Calculator Use In Western Australian Primary Schools, Len Sparrow, Paul Swan

Research outputs pre 2011

There are very few issues in mathematics teaching over the past twenty five years which have caused so much debate among teachers, parents and the community than the use of calculators in primary schools. Letters to newspapers, magazine articles and public comment often express the opinion that the apparent decline in the ability of young people to calculate, even simple computations, is a direct result of the use of calculators in schools. Anecdotal evidence in the form of reports from teaching practice students, personal observation in schools and comments from teachers suggests there is, in fact, very little calculator use …

Graduate Secretaries : The Politics Of Course Titles And Career Choices In A University Setting : Results Of A Research Project, Kaye Harrold

Research outputs pre 2011

Secretaries, typists, stenographers, personal assistants and word processing operators comprise approximately 10% of the female work force in Australia. Add to this the other 'categories' of receptionist and office assistant and the number increases markedly.

Yet 'secretaries' hold no status within the work force, there are fewer career paths, few job descriptions and little opportunity for recognition of the fact that industry and business could not function without their knowledge and skills.

Secretaries with tertiary qualifications have been in the Australian work force since 1972. What career opportunities were open to tertiary qualified secretaries? Did they receive the recognition and …

Evaluation Of Rainbows, A Program Designed To Assist Bereaved Children In The Grieving Process, Caroline G. O'Shannassy

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

There are many children who have suffered the loss of a parent through death or divorce/separation. Generally, people expect children to "carry on" while such traumatic events in their lives take place. Bereaved parents may send their children back to school as soon as possible after the death. In the case of divorce/ separation, the child attends school while the trauma unfolds on a day-to- day basis. Bereaved and distressed parents are often unaware of their children's grief and unable to give the support that the children need. Parents are likely to deny, on many occasions, that the children have …

Senior Teacher Classification For Teacher-Librarians In Western Australian Catholic Schools : An Investigation, Kathryn L. Salt

Theses : Honours

This research study utilised the principles of Survey Research to determine the current knowledge base and status of teacher-librarians employed in Western Australian Catholic schools in relation to Senior Teacher classification. It also examines the perceived barriers to achieving Senior Teacher classification. The questionnaire Senior Teacher Classification for Teacher-Librarians (STCTL) was constructed and mailed to every Catholic primary and secondary school throughout Western Australia for completion by the teacher-librarian. A 70.45 per cent response rate was received (93 respondents). The primary statistical analysis method used was descriptive statistics; frequencies, percents, means, modes and standard deviations. Based on the data analysis …

The All Encompassing Role And Function Of The Computing Coordinator In Western Australian Government Senior High Schools, Diana C. Brown

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to determine the role and support afforded Computing Coordinators at Western Australian government senior high schools by undertaking a census survey. Previous studies performed by Weber and Kershaw (1990) and Kershaw and Weber {1991), portrayed the role of Computing Coordinators at Australian high schools as demanding a diversity of knowledge and skills in computer technology together with excellent management qualities. The literature also suggested that time management skills were a major factor in how effectively coordinators carried out the myriad of tasks expected of them. This study found that most Computing Coordinators considered their …

Cd-Rom Storybooks: Reading Strategies Of Learners Of English As A Second Language, Marie Beardsell

Theses : Honours

Technology has had a huge impact on pedagogy and this impact is increasing with more educationally sound computer software becoming available. CD-ROM storybooks are an example of such software, and this study was an attempt to discover how beneficial these computerised books are, to the reading strategies of English as a second language (ESL) learners. The subjects of this study were eight ESL learners from grades 3 and 4 of primary school (five female and three male). Four subjects were born in Australia, and the remaining four were born overseas. However, all subjects were exposed to a language other than …

Colin Marsh (1996) Handbook For Beginning Teachers. Addison Wesley Longman: Australia. 406 Pp, Robert G. Baker

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

No abstract provided.

The Leadership Roles Of The Child Care Centre Supervisor In Singapore, Winnie Tan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was; (a) to describe the current situation of child care provision in Singapore; (b) to define the meaning of leadership and the responsibilities involved in effective leadership in a child care setting; and (c) to investigate and describe the leadership roles that child care centre supervisors need to perform in the day to day running of their centres from the perspective of the child care supervisors. A total of 15 supervisors from the private sector were interviewed in-depth. They were asked to describe all facets of their leadership roles in their centres. The results of …

Attacking The Articulation Problem In Teacher Education, Robert G. Barker, Shelleyanne Scott, Beverly Showers

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

A continuing challenge for preservice teacher education is the articulation between initial training and subsequent practice. This study investigated the effect of a fully elaborated training model on the transfer of complex teaching strategies into the practice of first year graduates. A cohort of 30 graduates was followed through their first year of full time teaching to determine the frequency and appropriateness of their use of two complex teaching strategies, Concept Attainment and Inductive Thinking (Joyce and Weil, 1996). Although only some 10% of inservice teachers transfer new learning into their active teaching repertoires without workplace support for their new …

Developing And Measuring Students' Critical Thinking Skills When Using A Multimedia Information System, M. Lipiec

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the critical thinking skills six Year 7 students used and developed while working on an Multimedia Information System, Encarta. The students' verbal interactions were recorded on audio tapes as they worked cooperatively in their groups. These interactions were transcribed and a content analysis technique was used to identify and calculate critical thinking indicator ratios. The content analysis was supported by field notes and students' word processed responses. The results show that students in both groups collectively did engage in critical thinking, particularly with regards to the indicators, Importance, Linking Ideas and Critical …

The Experience Of Being A Migrant Child : An Early Childhood Perspective, Judith Candy

Theses : Honours

Most studies of migrant children have concentrated on English as a second language (E.S.L.), educational assessment and parental influences on learning. These studies have been mainly of older children and from the teacher's perspective. There has been little or no research into the child's own perceptions of the experience of being a migrant child, particularly from an early childhood perspective. This study aimed to fill this void by investigating young children's migration to Australia. The information was gathered by means of discussions with migrant children and their teachers in Years 2 and 3 of two schools in the Perth metropolitan …

Teaching Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondence Rules To Children With Learning Difficulties : An Implementation Of The Fernald Method, Paula Kinsman

Theses : Honours

A single subject design was used to investigate the effectiveness of the Fernald method as an instructional technique for teaching phoneme-grapheme correspondence rules. Participants were tour primary grade children with learning difficulties in reading. Intervention training focussed on teaching phoneme-grapheme correspondence rules through the implementation of an adapted version of the Fernald method. The two dependent variables were word recognition and fluency rates. The design of the study allowed analysis of maintenance and generalisation of the relevant variables. Results demonstrated an increase in word recognition skills and fluency rates by all four children with learning difficulties. Maintenance of these gains …

Teaching Children With Mild To Moderate Intellectual Disabilities To Select And Produce Facial Expressions Of Emotion Using Modelling And Feedback, Tracey Rayworth

Theses : Honours

The ability to produce facial expressions accurately is essential for effective communication of thoughts and feelings. Children need to select the facial expression to produce in a given situation, while considering the social context, and produce it accurately. This is especially important for children with intellectual disabilities who often experience difficulties in verbal communication. The purpose of this study was to investigate ways of teaching children with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities to select and produce facial expressions appropriate to various situations. The theoretical framework of this study suggests that providing facial modelling and mirror feedback to children will increase …

Theory Of Mind Deficits In Children With Intellectual Disabilities : A Test Of Specificity And Uniqueness Hypotheses, Dianne Campbell

Theses : Honours

This study was designed to determine (a) whether children with intellectual disabilities have a theory of mind deficit relative to younger children of the same verbal mental age and (b) whether theory of mind in children with intellectual disabilities is domain-specific or related to other general cognitive functions. A group of 15 children with intellectual disabilities (mean age= 10;0), 15 children of average intelligence (mean age= 10;0) and 15 children of average intelligence (mean age= 6:0) matched on verbal mental age with the children with intellectual disabilities. The children were given a series of theory of mind tasks. The children …

The Association Of Student Perceptions With Student Motivation And Cognitive Engagement In The Year 11 Economic Framework Unit, Leah Gransden

Theses : Honours

Many Western Australian Economics teachers have voiced concern with the level of motivation of students studying Economics and the apparent decline in the number of students in secondary institutions choosing Economics as an upper school subject (Lewis & Norris, 1996). A need therefore seems to exist for data about secondary students' thoughts and feelings towards Economics. This exploratory study aimed to investigate and describe student perceptions, motivational orientations and cognitive engagement, as experienced by Year 11 Economic students when studying the Economic Framework unit. This unit is the only compulsory unit in Year 11 Economics and is typically associated with …