Education Commons^™

The Digital Filing Cabinet: Using Web2 Technologies To Collaborate Create And Manage Student Information, Jenny Lane, Alistair Campbell

eCULTURE

This paper discusses the development and piloting of a digital filing system. It promotes the idea of the paperless office or teaching space of the future. This is a tool to improve efficiency, accountability and collaboration when managing data. This system allows you to have access to all your records wherever you are. It allows joint authoring and input of data. Teachers, managers and students, who need to store and manage important data, can customize the toll o meet their needs. It supports a vision of a learning community of the future where all the needed information is right at …

Challenging The Status Quo. What Is Driving Change In Assessment In Higher Education?, Patricia A. Williams

eCULTURE

Assessment is an integral part of the student learning experience. It can be argued that it has the single greatest impact on student learning. Therefore it is imperative that we understand how assessment in higher education is changing, what drives these changes and how these changes affect individual teaching practice. This paper discusses assessment as a driver for change by examining the stakeholder perspectives and expectations of assessment, and equating these to potential drivers for change in student learning.

Business Edge: A Transformative Perspective, Greg Parry

eCULTURE

Arguably, most undergraduate education in business schools focuses on transmitting knowledge from teacher to student, the goal being for students to acquire facts, practical or technical skills and specific problem solving strategies (Cranton, 1994). Students feel comfortable with this positivistic learning situation as it is goal-directed and certified by a diploma or degree. Many of the teaching styles and the learning activities we believe enable us to 'teach effectively' are related to this transmissive paradigm of education. Adult learners, by contrast, need to know why they need to know something before undertaking to learn it. Learning becomes a process of …

Teaching Applied Psychoanalytic Concepts With Online Assisted Technologies: An Australian Case Example, Sarron Goldman

eCULTURE

The present report is a review of an Australian case example of teaching psychoanalytic concepts with online assisted technologies. It is a first attempt to address a hiatus in the extant literature. A descriptive account of the hybrid teaching methodology that was employed is offered through a consideration of: students’ online responses, the teacher-developer’s reflections on his teaching experience, as well as formal and informal student feedback. Despite the anecdotal nature of the study, findings lend credence to the suggestion that the online medium has an enormous potential for teaching applied psychoanalysis. Specifically the cyber-classroom contributes to interactivity, situated learning, …

The First Global Google Online Marketing Challenge 2008: Perspectives Of Ecu Student Participants, Peter Ling

eCULTURE

University students enjoy experiential marketing education that involves live cases and competition projects. While empirical studies have focused on various marketing education disciplines, few have investigated live global competition projects in the integrated marketing communications discipline. This study explored the perspectives of Edith Cowan University undergraduate and postgraduate students who participated in the first global Google Online Marketing Challenge in April-May 2008 as an optional assessment in an integrated marketing communications unit, which is part of the Advertising and Public Relations majors in the School of Communications and Arts. Participation in the Challenge was analogous to Kolb’s experiential learning theory …

I Hate Marking: An Innovative Use Of Technology To Ease The Marking Day Blues, Jenny Lane, Alistair Campbell

eCULTURE

“I hate marking” reflects the feelings of many educators when faced with large piles of work to assess. This paper discusses the challenges and tensions in the assessment process, and considers ways of improving it, such as accommodating the learning styles of all stakeholders and incorporating technology. Two case studies are presented that include examples of how technology can be used in the assessment process to improve efficiency, streamline the administrative processes, and support the learning styles of students. The development of e-marking rubrics, podcasts and vodcasts are described as innovative ways to promote effective teaching and learning practices. Although …

Pre-Service Mathematic Teachers’ Knowledge Of Students About The Algebraic Concepts, Dilek Tanisli, Nilüfer Yavuzsoy Kose

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study aims at evaluating pre-service primary school mathematics teachers’ ability to discuss and question thinking processes of students about the concepts of variable, equality and equation, analyzing their ability to predict student difficulties and misconceptions, and in this respect presenting their subject matter knowledge and possible misconceptions on the related topic. The study was conducted with 130 the pre-service teachers in their fourth year studying elementary school mathematics teaching. The data were collected through a questionnaire that consists of open-ended questions and clinical interviews. The data obtained were analyzed qualitatively. The study found that in general the pre-service teachers …

Student Perceptions Of Effective Foreign Language Teachers: A Quantitative Investigation From A Korean University, Bruce D. Barnes, Graeme Lock

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: The present study uses a questionnaire instrument to measure the importance that students from a Korean university place on a wide range of effective foreign language teacher attributes. Respondents to the present study placed high importance on rapport attributes such as friendliness, care, and patience; and delivery attributes which included the provision of clear explanations, error correction, and a participatory mode of instruction. Impartiality, target language knowledge, and good preparation were attributes also rated highly. The results also provided insights into student opinions about various instructional issues, such as the selective use of the students’ first language, explicit grammar …

Teacher Professional Learning: Learning To Walk And The Nsw Quality Teaching Framework, Steve Wilson, Sarah Powell

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports on a research case study, conducted in a school in Western Sydney, Australia, in which teachers worked with researchers and students to create learning experiences that reflected both intellectual quality and significance – two dimensions of the NSW Quality Teaching Framework (QTF). Findings suggest that these dimensions of the QTF were not implemented in a balanced way and this reflected a lack of support for the professional learning of teachers which the researchers could have helped to address, but did not. The paper argues that teachers should be supported by ongoing professional learning in order to sustain …

Evaluating Views Of Teacher Trainees On Teacher Training Process In Turkey, Abdullah Oğuz Kıldan, Bilgin Ünal İbret, Murat Pektaş, Duran Aydınözü, Lütfi İncikabı, Ergün Recepoğlu

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The views of the teacher trainees who have recently started the teaching profession on teacher training process are of great value because they are new graduates and they are in their first year in the profession. Since the teachers in their first year in the profession do not have any experience, they have to pursue the educational tasks based on the knowledge and skills they acquired in their faculties. The main purpose of the study is to evaluate the views of the teacher trainees on the process of teacher training in Turkey.Being qualitative in nature, the current research was a …

Does Involuntary Mental Time Travel Make Sense In Prospective Teachers’ Feelings And Behaviors During Lessons?, Altay Eren, Amanda Yesilbursa

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study examined the effects of involuntary mental time travel into the past and into the future on prospective teachers’ feelings and behaviors during the period of a class hour. A total of 110 prospective teachers participated voluntarily in the study. The results of the present study showed that (a) the involuntary mental time travel into the past and into the future occurred in the classrooms even during the period of a class hour; (b) both involuntary memories/future images were significantly discernible in terms of their characteristics; (c) the characteristics of the participants’ feelings and behavior following the involuntary memories/future …

Personality Types Of Hong Kong Kindergarten Teachers: Implications For Teacher Education, Yau-Ho Paul Wong, Zhang Li-Fang

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

While an individual’s personality is related to his or her well-being, little research has examined kindergarten teachers’ personality. This research was the first to investigate Hong Kong kindergarten teachers’ personality types using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Three hundred and seventy-one kindergarten teachers voluntarily responded to the MBTI. Findings showed that Hong Kong kindergarten teachers were predominantly of the sensing-feeling-judging personality types, characterized by being realistic, conventional, and considerate to others’ feelings. In addition, principals and head teachers in kindergartens tended to be extraverted. Results also suggested a very low percentage of intuitive kindergarten teachers, indicating that teachers’ personality types …

The Effectiveness Of Protocols When Pre-Service Teachers Engage In Online Collaborations: An Exploration, (Ron) Kim Keamy, Mark Selkrig

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Graduate teachers in Australia are expected to engage with their peers to expand their professional learning. Learning to use protocols – or structured professional conversations – provides pre-service teachers with opportunities to achieve this expectation. In this paper we explain how pre-service teachers during an extended practicum used protocols to participate in synchronous online discussions using the Blackboard Collaborate learning platform. The pre-service teachers were surveyed about aspects of the protocols and the platform on which the interactions occurred. Protocols appear to be well-suited to assisting synchronous discussions using Web 2 technologies as they ensure everyone has equal time to …

The Field Experiences Of Student Teachers And Effective Mathematics Teaching In Turkey, Guney Haciomeroglu

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The aim of this study was to investigate the cooperative teachers’ supervision for effective mathematics teaching from the perspective of elementary student teachers during their field experiences. The participants were 259 senior elementary education majors (189 female and 70 male) who were enrolled in practicum courses at a Turkish university. Results of the study revealed that cooperative teachers as a supervisor seemed to be deficient for interacting with student teachers as well as assisting them to develop critical point of views for teaching mathematics effectively. The study suggests that faculty-school partnership should be reconsidered for selection and professional development of …

Indigenous Students’ Wellbeing And The Mobilisation Of Ethics Of Care In The Contact Zone, Bindi Mary Macgill, Faye Blanch

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Schools have historically been a location of oppression for Indigenous students in Australian schools. Giroux (1992, p. 24) argues it is critical to create a democratic space inside schools and Aboriginal Community Education Officers (henceforward ACEOs) have been employed to achieve this goal. This paper explores the processes of democratising the school space by ACEOs through an Indigenous ethics of care framework. The enactment of Indigenous ethics of care between ACEOs and Indigenous students will be explored, with a particular focus on the use of the Nunga[1] room (Blanch, 2009, p. 66) as a ‘safe-house’ (Pratt, 1991). Pratt uses …

A Case Study Of Bilingual Student-Teachers’ Classroom English: Applying The Education-Linguistic Model, Jinghe Han, Jun Yao

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper explores the practicum experience of a group of bilingual student-teachers who taught Chinese using English to learners of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) in Western Sydney schools. Specifically it explores how these student-teachers used English as the instructional language in class and what strengths and weaknesses they demonstrated compared to their host teachers. Data were collected through observing and audio-recording the participants’ teaching, aiming to capture the actual features of their English use in class. The data were structurally-coded employing the ELM categories. Discourse analysis was employed to interpret and understand the language use of the bilingual …

Working The System: A Model For System-Wide Change In Pre-Service Teacher Education, Jo-Anne Ferreira, Lisa Ryan

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports on a study undertaken to identify the strategies and models used to facilitate curriculum change within teacher education institutions. Findings indicate three main approaches, which we name the ‘resource development’, ‘action research’ and ‘contextual change’ models. A new model that combines the best features of each is proposed. In this paper we provide a brief overview of the three models, a rationale for the new model being proposed, and a discussion of the systems theory concepts underpinning the model. It is our contention that the Mainstreaming Change model provides a structure for change to occur simultaneously at …

Where To From Here? Career Choices Of Pre-Service Teachers Undertaking A Dual Early Childhood / Primary Qualification, Andrea Nolan, Elizabeth Rouse

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Recent Australian government initiatives in the early childhood education and care sector are placing demands for an increase in the number of degree qualified early childhood teachers. Many universities are now offering courses with dual qualifications as a way to provide alternate career opportunities for pre-service teachers; however it cannot be assumed that an equal number of graduates will filter into both primary school and early childhood education jobs. This paper presents a study which examined the expected career choices of pre-service teachers from two Victorian universities who were undertaking a dual early childhood / primary qualification. The findings of …

Do Pre-Service Teachers Feel Ready To Teach In Inclusive Classrooms? A Four Country Study Of Teaching Self-Efficacy., Tim Loreman, Umesh Sharma, Chris Forlin

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports the results of an international study examining pre-service teacher reports of teaching self-efficacy for inclusive education; principally focusing on the explanatory relationship between a scale designed to measure teaching self-efficacy in this area and key demographic variables within Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. The study builds on earlier work by this research team on attitudes towards inclusion and offers a more comprehensive picture of pre-service teachers’ preparedness to teach in inclusive classrooms. Data were collected from 380 pre-service teachers in four countries. Results indicated that strong international differences existed. Other factors impacting responses regarding teaching self-efficacy …

The Effect Of Creative Drama Method On Pre-Service Classroom Teachers’ Writing Skills And Attitudes Towards Writing, Tolga Erdogan

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The aim of the study is to explore the effect of the creative drama method on pre-service classroom teachers’ writing skills and attitudes towards writing. Additionally, the views of the pre-service teachers concerning the creative drama method were also investigated in the study. The participants of the study were 24 pre-service teachers studying at Karadeniz Technical University Fatih Faculty of Education. The participants were asked to write activities with using creative drama method. The design of the study is mixed in that it included both qualitative and quantitative methods of research. The writings of the participants at the beginning and …

Transition Between Primary And Secondary School: Why It Is Important And How It Can Be Supported, Ria Hanewald Dr

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper identifies and critiques literature on the experience of transition between primary and secondary school; how and why it is seen as critical and in what ways it can be supported. The aim of this literature review is to remind readers of this important period on the lives of young people and the diverse range of issues which they face. There is general consensus in the literature that well-designed and implemented transition approaches can assist in the process of supporting students, their families and school staff. Teachers are crucial in supporting children and young people moving in, between and …

Working With Science Teachers To Transform The Opportunity Landscape For Regional And Rural Youth: A Qualitative Evaluation Of The Science In Schools Program, Grania R. Sheehan, Jennifer Mosse

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article reports on a qualitative evaluation of the Science in Schools program; a suite of science based activities delivered by staff of a regional university campus and designed to provide professional development for science teachers working in non-metropolitan schools in a socioeconomically disadvantaged region of Australia. The research identified a range of issues including: the influence of socioeconomic disadvantage and rurality on teachers’ professional learning needs, and the importance of subject specific discourse communities and content knowledge for new and out-of-field teachers. Implications for the design and implementation of school-university partnerships are discussed.

The Psychometric Properties Of The Physical Education Lesson Attitude Scale For Preservice Classroom Teachers, Erman Oncu

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Physical Education Attitude Scale for Preservice Classroom Teachers (PEAS-PCT). The study was conducted on 561 Turkish preservice classroom teachers at the end of the 2011-2012 Fall Semester. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to ascertain the validity of the scale. For the reliability of the scale Cronbach Alpha reliability, Spearman Brown split-half test and item-total test correlations were calculated. Reexamination of the scale led to a new scale structure comprised of a single factor with ten items. The altered version of the scale proved psychometrically stronger. …

Using Narrative As A Tool To Locate And Challenge Pre Service Teacher Bodies In Health And Physical Education, Jennifer A. Mcmahon, Dawn Penney

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports on research that has explored the use of narrative as a pedagogical tool in pre service teacher education. Specifically, we pursue the use of narrative to engage with pre service teachers’ embodied experiences [their lived body] and the ways in which these experiences are in turn currently influencing their ‘living bodies’ in regard to what Health and Physical Education (HPE) is and how it should be taught. Data in the form of an assemblage of pre service teachers’ narratives are presented to show how both the lived and living body contributes to thoughts and ideas about HPE. …

Framing Teacher Educator Engagement In An Online Environment, Janet Dyment, Jill Downing, Yoshi Budd

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In this conceptual paper, we draw upon Pittaway’s (2012) Engagement Framework, using it as a lens through which to examine the personal, professional, academic, intellectual and social dimensions of teacher educators’ engagement within an online teaching environment. We reflect on findings from our pilot study (Downing & Dyment, 2013) and draw on key literatures in the fields of higher education, teacher education and online teaching to explore the various dimensions of the Engagement Framework, particularly as they relate to teacher educators’ engagement. We offer recommendations for teacher educators to consider as they contemplate the move to online preparation of pre-service …

Knowledgeable Learning And Conceptual Change: Value Adding To Teacher Training, Tony Yeigh

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This report concerns the use of pre and post responses to an online questionnaire as evidence of knowledgeable learning by education students at a regional Australian university. Factor analysis was used to reveal conceptual changes in the students’ thinking about classroom management across a unit of learning they had undertaken. These changes primarily involved movement from an authoritarian, rule-based management approach, toward a more differentiated, inclusive approach to management. The implications these changes have for unit delivery, as well as for validation of the engagement process, are discussed, and recommendations made concerning ongoing research and the design of online learning.

Building Leadership Capacity In Undergraduate Students: Final Report For Altc Teaching Fellowship, Lynne Cohen

Research outputs 2013

This Fellowship addressed the significant issue of leadership. Its primary focus was researching and developing leadership skills in undergraduate students. The Fellowship was designed to develop and trial a leadership program specifically to enhance the competencies and skills of undergraduate students beyond their discipline knowledge. A group of universities across Australia agreed to participate in a pilot program to respond to the following identified issues.

• The area of leadership development in undergraduates has been under-researched and under-debated in recent work about graduate attributes, generic skills, and work integrated learning.

• There has been considerable focus on leadership development for …

Enhancing The Uptake Of Learning Through Simulation In Health, Cobie Rudd

Research outputs 2013

The initial reason that a simulated learning environment (SLE) was pursued was to offer university-based health students a safe and authentic environment in which to learn and practise their skills. Since that time, some eight years later, experience has shown that an SLE needed multiple dimensions to its work, based on evidence. In addition, a new approach to applying and integrating learning through simulation within health curricula, that was replicable and affordable, was required...

Editorial 23(2): Special Issue: Teaching And Learning In Higher Education: Western Australia's Tl Forum, Roger Atkinson, Clare Mcbeath, Anne Coffey, Sarah Etherington, Pamela Martin-Lynch, Catherine Moore, Angus Morrison-Saunders, Sid Nair, Megan Paull, Rob Philips

Research outputs 2013

The Teaching and Learning Forum series of annual conferences has been conducted since 1992 by the five universities in Perth, Western Australia, namely Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University, The University of Notre Dame Australia, and The University of Western Australia. After 22 years of TL Forums, it is timely to present this Special issue of Issues in Educational Research, for which the broad purpose is to advance fine examples of the TL Forum's activities, selected from one of its categories, namely full papers accepted via a peer review process.

Completing A Phd By Publication: A Review Of Australian Policy And Implications For Practice, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2013

There is increasing impetus for higher degree by research students to publish during candidature. Research performance, including higher degree completions and publication output, commonly determines university funding and doctorates with publishing experience are better positioned for a career in softening academic labour markets. The PhD by Publication provides a pathway for candidates to foster and demonstrate their publishing capabilities. It also provides existing academics a means of achieving doctoral status while managing the ‘publish or perish’ milieu endemic to their work. This paper clarifies the precise nature and significance of the PhD by Publication pathway in the Australian context and …