Education Commons^™

Design And Technology Pre-Service Teachers’ University Course Lived Experiences In Western Australia, Carol K. Puddicombe, Nicola F. Johnson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Design and Technology (D&T) education, historically rooted in industrial and manual arts, now integrates design-focused thinking with the practical processes of prototyping and making. Drawing on a doctoral study, this article examines the university course experiences of ten pre-service D&T teachers in Western Australia and how these shaped emerging beliefs and professional identities. Using an interpretivist framework and interpretative phenomenological analysis, interviews with ten final-year pre-service teachers were analysed. Five interrelated themes are examined in this article: knowledgeable lecturers, hands-on practical learning, curriculum breadth, peers, and internal concerns. The findings highlight the importance of current, school-connected lecturers; structured learning that …

Does Class Ability Grouping In Secondary Schools Improve Students’ Literacy Scores On Australia’S Naplan Tests?, Olivia Johnston, Christa Norris, Peter Palamara

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Many schools choose to use ability grouping, despite longstanding evidence that it is inequitable and does not improve overall academic outcomes. One reason that the practice of grouping students by ‘ability’ continues is because of pressure to perform on standardised tests. Educators hold beliefs that grouping students for English classes, for example, will improve their literacy scores. This paper presents findings from a study about class ability grouping for English in Australia and how different class grouping practices relate with students’ achievement on Australia’s standardised literacy test. The findings draw on data from our Class Ability Grouping Survey, where participant …

Re-Viewing Children’S Relations With Waste Through Commoning, Worlding And Inheriting, Mindy Blaise, Annette Nykiel, Jane Merewether, Stefania Giamminuti

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Feminist environmental educators have been calling for new ways of dismantling traditional separations such as nature–culture for reconfiguring human–environment relations. The Common Worlds Research Collective is an interdisciplinary research network made up of educators and researchers that conduct feminist and anticolonial pedagogical and methodological work concerned with more-than-human worlds. This visual essay takes inspiration from the inventive ways the Common Worlds Research Collective are thinking and practising with concepts. This visual essay introduces commoning, worlding and inheriting as concepts for rethinking practice. It shows how re-viewing photographic documentation taken of a waste project with young children and educators opens up …

Send Us Your Children: Toronto’S Growing Market Of Private Schools For International Secondary Students And Why It Is Concerning, Olivia Johnston, Roopa Trilokekar, Sue Winton, Laura Perry

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The number of private secondary schools that cater to international students is increasing rapidly, especially in the Canadian city of Toronto. Previous studies about international students in public schools have uncovered several concerns, but little is known about these largely unregulated, for-profit private schools. We had created a dataset of all private secondary schools in Toronto (n = 370), and in the process noticed a high volume of schools explicitly targeting international students (n = 174). Thus, a qualitative document analysis of the websites of schools was conducted to explore this market further. Our final analysis uncovered 138 ‘schools of …

Supporting Displaced Students With Disabilities In Post-Secondary Education: An International Scoping Review, Tetiana Bogachenko, Jia Xu, Larysa Klymanska, Nadia Chubko

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Students with disabilities who are forced to leave their homes due to armed conflict, persecution, environmental crises, or other forms of involuntary displacement, within their country or internationally, face compounded barriers to accessing and succeeding in post-secondary education. Yet, their experiences, educational trajectories, and the supports available to them remain underexplored. This scoping review examines existing empirical research on the experiences of students with disabilities in post-secondary education who come from forced migration backgrounds. By addressing the intersection of disability, displacement, and post-secondary education, this review highlights the unique challenges faced by this population as well as supports identified as …

Text Messaging Programs To Support Family Literacy Practices: A Scoping Review, Lennie Barblett, Leanne Lavina, Nicola Johnson, Caroline Barratt-Pugh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Using bulk digital text messaging has been shown to be effective in many different fields such as health program interventions and supporting parents/carers. Evaluations of these interventions indicate positive changes in practice; however, it appears the potential of digital messaging through short message services (SMS) have not been fully taken advantage of in early childhood education. This scoping review using Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) approach investigates the current practices of text messaging programs to support families in the development of preschool aged children’s language and literacy learning. Searches of five databases identified 16 articles that fitted our criteria. Results indicate: …

Twelve Tips For Using Microlearning For Faculty Development, Kylie Fitzgerald, Brett Vaughan, Tamara Clements, Svetlana King, Alison Ledger, Kate Mathews, Rosalind Norton, Michael Poulton, Rosie Shea, Rashmi Watson, Walter Eppich, Stephen Trumble, Marco De Carvalho Filho

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Teaching is an expected as part of the health professional’s role, amidst clinical and administrative workloads, yet many receive limited education training. Microlearning addresses this gap through short, focused, flexible learning units integrated into daily workflows for immediate application. Our paper presents twelve practical tips to guide faculty developers to design, implement, evaluate and sustain microlearning programs for faculty development (FD). The tips offer ideas to help faculty developers manage common barriers to engagement (i.e. time, relevance, technology, institutional support) and provide ideas to navigate these. The tips are applicable to health professions education (HPE) settings seeking scalable, sustainable, low …

What Are Information Literacy Skills? Western Australian Primary Teachers’ Interpretations Of The Ict Curriculum, Louise Moroney, Vaille Dawson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Teachers must equip students to navigate an increasingly complex world of unique challenges and opportunities, necessitating the development of a diverse range of transferable skills. These skills are embedded in the General Capabilities (GC) of the Australian school curriculum. Upper primary school teachers’ interpretations of one of the GC, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) learning progressions, was examined, as these skills have become increasingly important with the rise in generative and assistive artificial intelligence. Using an interpretivist paradigm, an exploratory study was used to determine the areas where 36 teachers differed in their interpretations of the learning progression. Data collected …

Yoga Storytelling As An Active Learning Approach: Insights From Early Childhood Classroom Practice, Serap Sevimli-Celik

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Movement plays a central role in early childhood learning, supporting children’s physical development, emotional regulation and cognitive engagement. In recent years, educators have been paying more attention to movement-based approaches to enhance classroom learning experiences. Yoga, when adapted for young children, offers opportunities for playful movement, body awareness and relaxation. This paper reflects on my experiences as a movement educator and explores how yoga can support active learning in early childhood classrooms. Drawing on a series of 30-minute yoga storytelling sessions delivered to five- and six-year-old children in a preschool setting, the paper illustrates how yoga storytelling can be integrated …

Induction For Non-Beginning Teachers: An Attempt To Connect Induction To Continuous Professional Development, Gulcin Cosgun, Derin Atay

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Since there is limited research exploring the impacts of induction on the teaching practices of newly recruited experienced teachers, in this paper, findings of a study whose purpose is to explore the impacts of a comprehensive induction model on non-novice teachers in regards to their teaching practices will be reported. 11 mentees involved in a mandatory comprehensive induction program at the English preparatory school in a Turkish foundation university participated in this study. The observation data collected at three phases- the onset of the induction program at the beginning of the first year, on completion of the program at the …

Postgraduate Secondary Teacher Training Programs: A Global Scoping Review, Susan Ledger, Claire Bates, Jordan Smith, Elena Prieto, David Roy, Wayne Cotton

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

: Initial teacher education (ITE) programs are shaped by diverse political, cultural, and policy contexts, resulting in varied approaches to preparing secondary teachers. This study presents a global scoping review of postgraduate ITE (PG-ITE) programs across 58 countries, examining four key characteristics: program duration, entry requirements, curriculum, and practicum structure. Findings reveal substantial variation across all dimensions, reflecting differing national priorities and workforce pressures. While common structural features are evident, program design is shaped by underlying policy logics and assumptions about teacher preparation. By systematically mapping these patterns, this study provides a comparative contribution to the field and offers insights …

It Makes Me Feel Dysphoric: Transgender And Non-Binary Students’ Perspectives Of Gendered Grouping Practices And Curriculum Provision In Secondary School Physical Education In England, Shaun D. Wilkinson, Dawn Penney

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study foregrounds the voices of transgender (trans) and non-binary students in a large-scale mixed-methods investigation of gendered grouping practices and curriculum provision in secondary school physical education (PE) in England. Theoretically, the research brought together an interdisciplinary framework for educational inclusion and the trans inclusion staged model to pursue conceptualisations and expressions of inclusion that disrupt cisnormative policies and structures. A survey of 14 co-educational secondary schools generated data from 36 students who identified as trans (n = 18) or non-binary (n = 18). The findings revealed that most trans (n = 16) and all non-binary students expressed preferences …

Embracing Vulnerability And Evolving Through Trauma: Teacher Educators’ Collaborative Autoethnographic Reflections, Christina Gray, Lambert

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This collaborative autoethnography examines how two university-based teacher educators navigated personal trauma while continuing their academic and caregiving work. Using narrative portraits, the study explores how collaborative storytelling enabled the authors to embrace vulnerability, surface hidden experiences, and make sense of trauma within the normative and relational conditions of academic professionalism. Analysis of the narratives highlights three interrelated mechanisms that supported wellbeing amidst trauma: the ongoing negotiation of teacher identity, the capacity to accept help and relational support, and intentional self-care through reflective practice. Rather than positioning recovery as linear or complete, the study illuminates how educators may continue to …

Rethinking Australian Teacher Education: A Reflective Tool For Culturally And Linguistically Sustaining Pedagogies, Sasha Janes, Paolino, Jane Merewether, Christine Cunningham

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Australia’s cultural and linguistic diversity highlights a pressing need for teacher education programs to prepare educators who can effectively support plurilingual learners. At the same time, existing programs often fall short in building the pedagogic and linguistic knowledge required to counter dominant English-only norms. This study draws on the framework of culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogies (CLSP) to explicitly centre plurilingual practices. CLSP is particularly relevant in the Australian context, where English-centric policies continue to marginalise First Nations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) knowledges and perspectives and plurilingual ways of knowing and being. We present findings from a national study …

Beyond Assumptions: What Students Really Think About School Wellbeing Programs, Amanda Madden

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The study examined students’ perceptions of effective components in school-based wellbeing programs, addressing a critical gap where adolescent voices are absent. Data was gathered through a questionnaire, individual interviews, and focus groups conducted with 36 Year 12 students across three independent co-educational schools in Western Australia. Thematic analysis identified seven key components essential for effective wellbeing programming: targeted content providing respite from academic pressures, engaging and relatable presenters, strategic timing, developmental appropriateness, meaningful measurement, genuine teacher engagement, and authentic incorporation of student voice. Students valued practical, non-academic content and expressed scepticisms about teacher-delivered programs. Timing emerged as a previously underexplored …

Exploring Land, Language And Culture Through Playworld Translanguaging: One Child’S Meaning-Making Practices, Carly Steele, Toni Dobinson, Sender Dovchin, Christine Robinson, Grace Oakley, Wendy Cumming-Potvin, Graeme Gower, Katie Grace, Samina Manado

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Foregrounded in the work of Elizabeth Povinelli and drawing on semiotic theory, translanguaging and play-based learning pedagogies, this article presents findings from a critical participatory action research project conducted in an early years classroom in a remote Aboriginal community school in Western Australia. It describes how two educators, from both non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal backgrounds, collaborated to create spaces for the children in their classroom to engage deeply with their land, language and culture through intentional, purposeful and planned play, specifically Playworld Translanguaging. Findings are presented as a narrative account of one child’s meaning-making practices in collaboration with their teachers and …

Towards Transgressive Inclusion In Physical Education? The Experiences And Perspectives Of People With Disabilities In Western Australia, Steven Connelly, Dawn Penney, David Aldous

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper foregrounds the voices of people with disabilities (PwD) and their experiences of Physical Education (PE) in Western Australia (WA) in exploring interests in transgressive inclusion that are grounded in social justice and equity for PwD (DeLuca, 2013). Towards an interdisciplinary framework for educational inclusivity. Canadian Journal of Education, 36(1), 305–348. https://journals.sfu.ca/cje/index.php/cje-rce/article/view/1157/1475). The study employed a questionnaire method to pursue the perspectives of PwD in relation to (i) their experiences of lower secondary PE (years 7-10), (ii) teacher support in PE classes, (iii) experiences beyond PE in sport and physical activity, and (iv) their views regarding ways to improve …

A Figurational Analysis Of Health And/Or Physical Education Teacher Educators’ Conceptualisations Of Policy, And Their Sociogenesis, Laura Alfrey, Dylan Scanlon, David Aldous, Jenna Lorusso, Kellie Baker, Christopher Clark, Mo Jafar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Policy engagement is key to promoting quality physical education yet it has been identified as a ‘grand challenge’ for Health and/or Physical Education (H/PE) internationally. All H/PE professionals, including teacher educators, have a collective responsibility to engage with policy but existing research tells us little about how H/PE teacher educators (H/PETEs) understand and engage with policy. It is important to examine H/PETEs conceptualisations of policy for a few reasons, not least because teacher educators play a crucial role in supporting future generations of teachers who themselves will need to engage with policy as a core feature of their professional lives. …

The Transformational Possibilities Of Liberal Vocationalism: A Case Study Of Post-Year 10 Outdoor Education In Western Australia, David Aldous, Dawn Penney

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper discusses the transformative potential that liberal vocationalism, aligned with contemporary visions of lifelong and lifewide learning, presents for outdoor learning across institutional and industry settings. Utilising Bernstein’s sociological theory, the paper explores this transformation through an illustrative case study of the relations, knowledges and identities of post-Year10 Outdoor Education in Western Australia (WA). The case study highlights how Outdoor Education in WA has been organised through distinct classificatory relations that exist between government, regulatory bodies and individual industry providers that serve to distinguish Outdoor Education from outdoor learning that is ongoing and able to be pursued by people …

Creativity Enactment In Ghanaian Secondary Visual Arts Programmes: An Autoethnographic Perspective, Enock Swanzy-Impraim, Geoffrey W. Lummis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Creativity is regarded as one of the competencies of 21st-century education and industry, and its enactment has been challenging for teachers and policymakers. This paper is an autoethnographic study that registers the accounts of the experiences and personal reflections of the lead researcher during his doctoral study, which explored creativity and creative pedagogies in visual arts practice in secondary schools in Ghana. It extends insights into how creativity is enacted in policy from a non-Western perspective and the realities and discrepancies surrounding the transitioning of creativity from the policy level into the local classrooms and studios within the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis …

Let’S Make The Change: Addressing The Knowledge Gaps And Building Confidence In Teaching Aboriginal Perspectives For Pre-Service Teachers, Sarah Booth, Libby Jackson-Barrett, Mary Anne Macdonald, Renae Isaacs-Guthridge, Sian Bennett

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Teaching Aboriginal perspectives and Aboriginal students by non-Indigenous teachers can feel daunting; however, this need not be the case. This study focuses on two frameworks that can be used to motivate pre-service teachers to feel more confident in teaching Aboriginal perspectives even when starting with trepidation in this area. To explain further, this study explored the impact an Aboriginal Contexts in Education unit had on pre-service teachers’ readiness to teach Aboriginal students and Aboriginal curriculum. Through two frameworks pre-service teachers were exposed to a range of Aboriginal perspectives through Aboriginal educators, authors, and resources, and spoke of their appreciation of …

Measuring Teachers’ Beliefs In Their Capacity To Use Differentiated Instruction In Their Classrooms: Development, Validation And Confirmation Of A Self-Efficacy Scale, Kathryn Gibbs, Stuart Woodcock, Nicole Dargue, Leah Le, Eunjae Park, Tom Porter, Gemma Scarparolo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The purpose of this study was to develop, validate and confirm a scale to gain a better understanding of teachers’ beliefs in their capacity to use differentiated instruction in their classrooms. Differentiation is an effective approach to teaching, designed to enable equitable learning opportunities for every student. Teachers are recommended to differentiate aspects of teaching, instruction, learning, assessment and the learning environment due to the increasing student heterogeneity within classrooms worldwide. Emerging literature has suggested that teacher self-efficacy may influence how teachers use this teaching approach. It is unknown if there is an existing scale that measures teachers’ self-efficacy when …

Professional Development To Inspire, Support, And Extend Stem-Related Learning, Somayeh Ba Akhlagh, Asma Hulayyil Aljohani, Maryam Jamal Alharthi, Nahla Mahmoud Gahwaji, Nouf Mohammed Albadi, Marianne Knaus

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The success of STEM education in early childhood education is reliant on the pedagogical practices of teachers. Effective teaching of STEM requires specific knowledge of the four disciplines of STEM, appropriate teaching and learning methods and relevant experiences. In Saudi Arabia the teaching of STEM is a relatively new field, and this paper outlines a research project to promote the teaching and learning of STEM through professional development workshops. The research is informed by Vygotsky’s cultural-historical/socio-cultural theory, acknowledging the crucial role of social interaction and cultural context in a collaborative learning environment. To evaluate the project, a mixed methods approach …

When Brian Acted His Way Out Of A Wet Paper Bag: The Transformational Qualities Of Drama Education, Christina Gray, Robin Pascoe

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study utilised Mezirow’s Transformative Learning framework to explore drama teachers’ and pre-service drama teachers’ perceptions of transformation in the drama space. The research specifically examined three core questions: 1. Who are transformed? 2. What is transformed? 3. How does transformation happen? Adopting a phenomenological qualitative approach, we analysed interview data from eight drama teachers and 22 pre-service drama teachers in Western Australia. Findings indicate that participation in school-based drama activities fosters transformations (and perceptions of transformation) in self-confidence, personal values, and willingness to take creative risks. Beyond teaching performance skills, drama cultivates deeper understandings of self and others, offering …

Young People Healing And Growing In Trauma-Informed Positive Music Education, Jason Goopy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Trauma-informed positive education (TIPE) is a recent approach that combines trauma-informed practices and strengths-based positive psychology. This study investigated how young people use music to heal and grow in a community music education programme informed by TIPE. A narrative inquiry was conducted at an Australian community music organisation supported by a global record label to offer a specialised programme developing music and life skills for youth experiencing adversity, such as mental illness, homelessness, abuse, and discrimination. Data were generated by participation and observation in programme sessions, and individual narrative share and tell interviews were conducted with three programme participants. Stories, …

Are Australian Schools Becoming Less Inclusive? Changes To Class Ability Grouping Practices In Australian Secondary Schools, Olivia Johnston, Peter Palamara

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Class ability grouping does not improve overall academic results, and is inequitable because it segregates students according to their disability, race, class, gender, and other factors that already make students at risk in education. The practice is not inclusive and previous research has shown that it exacerbates social disadvantage. Despite the evidence, historical efforts to change practices in Australia have been unsuccessful and many schools still use class ability grouping. This paper presents analysis of data from the Class Ability Grouping Survey about how often schools reported changing their class ability grouping practices in Year 7–9 Mathematics, English, Science, and …

Nation, Nature And Childhood In Five Curricula: Towards Earthly Education, Zsuzsa Millei, Katarzyna Gawlicz, Lucy Hopkins, Camilla Eline Andersen, Danielle Ekman Ladru

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article explores the relations between nation, nature and childhood in five early childhood education curricula in the Nordic, post-socialist and settler-colonial states with the focus on the role education plays in the face of the climate crisis. The authors identify three interconnecting themes in which nation, nature and childhood are entangled in these curricula: 1) national nature as an object of learning; 2) nature and home/birth land and Country; and 3) stewardship for national nature. Exploring these themes from the perspective of alternative pedagogies developed to address the child–nature relations during the Anthropocene, the authors argue that these notions …

Noongar Culture, Arts Learning, And Wellbeing Literacy In Early Childhood: A Case Study Of The Song Room’S Deadly Arts Early Years Program In Western Australia Government Primary Schools, Jason Goopy, Narelle Lemon, Megan Mcpherson, Libby Jackson-Barrett, Jacqueline West

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This report presents findings from a case study examining how The Song Room's Deadly Arts Early Years program supports wellbeing literacy in early childhood education through engagement with Noongar culture, arts, and storytelling at Western Australia government primary schools. Conducted on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar at Huntingdale Primary School and Orelia Primary School, the research was co-designed with Indigenous and non-Indigenous teaching artists, school communities, and The Song Room.

The study adopted wellbeing literacy — the capability to understand and intentionally use language about and for wellbeing across contexts — as its theoretical framework. Creative arts-based methods, including draw and tell …

Students’ Perspectives On Authentic Assessment: An Experiential Learning Framework For Work-Readiness And Employability, Claire Lambert, Madeleine Ogilvie, Stephanie Meek

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Universities are increasingly pressured to enhance graduate employability by embedding career readiness into curricula. Authentic, industry-based assessments offer a means to link theory with practice, yet little is known about their impact from the student perspective. Purpose: This study explored how an industry-based authentic assessment supports students’ transition to work through the lens of Experiential Learning Theory (ELT). Method: Using a qualitative design, guided-introspection questionnaires were completed by 20 marketing graduates 2 years after completing an industry-based social marketing project. Directed content analysis identified themes aligned with ELT stages and mechanisms of confidence, networks, and professional enculturation. Findings: Authentic …

Needs-Based Funding: From Principle To Practice In Student Equity, Kylie Austin, Fiona Navin, Dan Mcaullay

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

No abstract provided.