Education Commons^™

Promoting Creativity: Secondary Visual Art Teachers’ Perceptions And Understanding Of Creativity In Ghana, Enock Swanzy-Impraim, Julia E. Morris, Geoffrey W. Lummis, Andrew Jones

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Developing creativity in learners is contingent on how teachers define and understand creativity. This qualitative multi-site case study investigated secondary visual arts teachers’ perceptions and understanding of creativity in Sekondi-Takoradi in Ghana and the influences that impact their perceptions. Data were gathered from 16 secondary visual arts teachers in Ghana using interviews and documents review. It was evidenced that the secondary visual arts teachers’ perceptions and understanding of creativity are limited and built on historical Ghanaian educational materials. The findings suggest teacher training materials and school-based educational resources in Ghana must be upgraded to extend teachers’ understanding of creativity within …

Supporting And Managing Efl Students' Online Learning In Vietnamese Blended Learning Environments, Thi Nguyet Le, Nicola F. Johnson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

It is well-known that blended learning (BL) makes use of the advantages of both face-to-face learning and online learning and can take many different forms. However, for English as a foreign language (EFL) lecturers in Vietnamese universities, BL is still in its early stages of implementation on which this article is focused. This study examined Vietnamese university lecturers’ perspectives of supporting and managing EFL students’ online learning in BL environments, using semi-structured interviews with 20 EFL lecturers from 10 different Vietnamese universities. The results reveal EFL lecturers implemented five combinations of online and face-to-face learning, of which two were widely …

‘That Teacher Really Likes Me’ - Student-Teacher Interactions That Initiate Teacher Expectation Effects By Developing Caring Relationships, Olivia Johnston, Helen Wildy, Jennifer Shand

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Teacher expectations are associated with student academic achievement, but no research has generated new theory that explains how teacher expectation effects occur from students' perspectives. A substantive theory explaining the process through which students reconcile with their teachers' expectations is presented in this paper, emphasising the role of caring student-teacher relationships in teacher expectation effects on academic achievement. The theory was constructed with 25 grade 10 participants across three Western Australian secondary schools, with data including 100 interviews and 175 classroom observations. The analysis and synthesis of the data confirmed that the students acted in ways that they reflected improved …

Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions Of Problem-Based Learning For Developing Their Mathematics Teaching Pedagogy, David A. Martin, Romina Jamieson-Proctor

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The study reported in this paper was part of a larger study that explored pre-service teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of a problem-based learning (PBL) teaching approach for developing their mathematics pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and their ability to enact their PCK in a tertiary mathematics education subject. This paper reports the qualitative semi-structured interviews used to capture the student voice with respect to the impact of the PBL approach used on the development of their mathematics PCK in comparison to their previous experiences with teacher-directed instruction. Overall, responses from the interviews revealed the pre-service teachers considered the PBL method …

Associations Between Instagram Addiction, Academic Performance, Social Anxiety, Depression, And Life Satisfaction Among University Students, Behzad Foroughi, Mark D. Griffiths, Mohammad Iranmanesh, Yashar Salamzadeh

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The use of social networking sites (SNSs) has become increasingly popular. Although several studies have been carried out on the addictive use of SNSs such as Twitter and Facebook, there is little research on Instagram addiction and its drivers. The present study investigated the association between students’ needs and Instagram addiction by incorporating physical activity as a moderator among 364 university students. Additionally, the associations between Instagram addiction, academic performance, depression, social anxiety, and life satisfaction were investigated. The results showed that recognition needs, social needs, and entertainment needs all contributed to Instagram addiction. However, information needs were not a …

Multi-Tiered Culturally Responsive Behavior Support: A Qualitative Study Of Trauma-Informed Education In An Australian Primary School, Dayna Schimke, Govind Krishnamoorthy, Kay Ayre, Emily Berger, Bronwyn Rees

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

There is growing awareness of the impact of intergenerational trauma and community disadvantage on the educational achievement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) children in Australia. Scholars have identified the need for culturally responsive and trauma-informed approaches to complement existing disciplinary and behavior support practices utilized in schools. This pilot research project explored the experiences of primary school teachers who were supported to implement trauma-informed practices in a regional primary school with a large number of First Nations students. Qualitative interviews with eight teachers were conducted after a 3-year (2017–2020) implementation of the Trauma-Informed Behavior Support (TIBS) program. …

Diversity As A Condition Of Cultures: Querying Assumptions Of Mainstream And Minorities In Education Policy And Curriculum, Sue Saltmarsh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Highlights

• Discussions of diversity in relation to children’s education are often characterized by binaries of same/different, mainstream/margins, inclusion/exclusion, self/Other.

• Curriculum remains a contested site in educational debate, with differing views about curriculum as reinforcing social norms, beliefs, and values, as addressing the learning and social needs of learners from a variety of backgrounds and worldviews, or as a hybrid of these.

• Policy and curriculum designed or intended to address diversity tend to rest on assumptions of majority or dominant cultures as homogenous and distinct from the cultures of minority Other/s.

• Inequality is often multidimensional, intersecting with, …

Writing Assessment In Early Primary Classrooms: Thoughts From Four Teachers, Elle Mariano, Glenda Campbell-Evans, Janet Hunter

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

It is important that teachers are conscious of and reflect upon their views of writing in order to support students to achieve writing outcomes. This study examined teacher views about which aspects of writing they considered most important in years one and two and explored how these views came to be formed. Four West Australian teachers participated in semi-structured interviews, during which they carried out a think-aloud process, voicing their thoughts as they examined, commented on, and evaluated young students’ writing samples. These data provided insights into their reasoning as they assessed children’s writing in years one and two. Findings …

Leadership In Sustainability: Collective Wisdom, Conversations, Creativity, Contemplation And Courage, The Five Pillars Of A Master’S Teaching Unit, Mike Mouritz, Peter Newman, Renée Newman, Jayne Bryant, Aimee Smith, Elaine Olsen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper provides an overview of insights and lessons learned from nearly 20 years of running a Master’s unit called Leadership in Sustainability and how it has been used to foster change agents in small business enterprises, as well as other parts of our economy and community. The unit is based on five ‘C’ pillars, which are discussed in this paper to show how the teaching was able to assist potential leaders in their journey towards sustainability. Collective Wisdom is the theory of how leaders have used their imagination to solve collective ‘wicked problems’ and how sustainability requires such wisdom. …

Power In Resilience And Resilience's Power In Climate Change Scholarship, Alicea Garcia, Noémi Gonda, Ed Atkins, Naomi Joy Godden, Karen Paiva Henrique, Meg Parsons, Petra Tschakert, Gina Ziervogel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Resilience thinking has undergone profound theoretical developments in recent decades, moving to characterize resilience as a socio-natural process that requires constant negotiation between a range of actors and institutions. Fundamental to this understanding has been a growing acknowledgment of the role of power in shaping resilience capacities and politics across cultural and geographic contexts. This review article draws on a critical content analysis, applied to a systematic review of recent resilience literature to examine how scholarship has embraced nuanced conceptualizations of how power operates in resilience efforts, to move away from framings that risk reinforcing patterns of marginalization. Advancing a …

Attitudes Toward Direct Instruction In Western Australian Primary And Secondary Schools, Lorraine Hammond

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

A validated and reliable survey was administered to 89 teachers and school administrators across 27 schools in Western Australia to determine their attitudes towards Direct Instruction (DI). Results showed that contrary to the literature, participants in this sample felt positive towards this scripted approach. The teachers acknowledged DI was expensive and American in content but took a pragmatic view and were impressed with the results obtained. In contrast to previous research, they did not find DI boring, harmful or an approach that employs rote learning and believed it can meet the complex demands of classrooms and exist alongside inquiry learning.

Parents' Experiences Of Children With A Rare Disease Attending A Mainstream School: Australia, Mandie Foster, Esther Adama, Diana Arabiat, Kevin Runions, Rena Vithiatharan, Maggie Zgambo, Ashleigh Lin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose:

To explore the perceptions of parents who had a child or adolescent (6-18 years) diagnosed with a rare disease who attended a mainstream school in Western Australia.

Design and methods:

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 41 parents of children with a rare disease. Here we report the findings of 14 open-ended questions on their experience of illness-related factors and impact on school-related social activities, such as sports, school camps and leadership roles whilst their child with a rare disease attended a mainstream school in Australia. Responses were analysed using an inductive thematic content approach.

Results:

We identified …

The Current State Of Subjective Training Load Monitoring: Follow-Up And Future Directions, Joseph O. C. Coyne, Aaron J. Coutts, Robert U. Newton, Gregory G. Haff

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article addresses several key issues that have been raised related to subjective training load (TL) monitoring. These key issues include how TL is calculated if subjective TL can be used to model sports performance and where subjective TL monitoring fits into an overall decision-making framework for practitioners. Regarding how TL is calculated, there is conjecture over the most appropriate (1) acute and chronic period lengths, (2) smoothing methods for TL data and (3) change in TL measures (e.g., training stress balance (TSB), differential load, acute-to-chronic workload ratio). Variable selection procedures with measures of model-fit, like the Akaike Information Criterion, …

Trauma-Informed School Programming: A Partnership Approach To Culturally Responsive Behavior Support, Tessa Bellamy, Govind Krishnamoorthy, Kay Ayre, Emily Berger, Tony Machin, Bronwyn Elizabeth Rees

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Despite significant investments and reforms, First Nations students have poorer educational outcomes than non-indigenous students. Scholars have pointed to the need to improve the cultural competence of teachers and school leaders, revise punitive and exclusionary disciplinary procedures. and promote the use of culturally responsive practices to mitigate the impacts of colonization, transgenerational trauma and ongoing structural inequities on students. The development of such trauma-informed, culturally responsive systems in schools requires educators to respectfully work in partnership with First Nations communities, as well as health and community services supporting First Nations families. This pilot study evaluates the impact of multi-tier trauma-informed …

Flipped Classroom In Business And Entrepreneurship Education: A Systematic Review And Future Research Agenda, Madugoda Gunaratnege Senali, Mohammad Iranmanesh, Morteza Ghobakhloo, Denise Gengatharen, Ming Lang Tseng, Mehrbakhsh Nilsashi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Flipped learning environments have found their way into business and entrepreneurship education. While most studies have found that flipped classrooms can enhance learning effectiveness, the instructors still struggle to implement flipped courses effectively. The instructors' and learners' low understanding of flipped learning benefits, in-class and out-of-class activities, its implementation challenges, and troubleshooting strategies are the issues that influence the implementation of the flipped classrooms. This article aims to enhance the understanding of these issues, especially to those new to the flipped classroom approach, by synthesising the current knowledge on the approach in business and entrepreneurship education using a systematic review …

Leadership Teams Supporting Teacher Wellbeing By Improving The Culture Of An Australian Secondary School, Geoffrey W. Lummis, Julia E. Morris, Catherine Ferguson, Susan Hill, Graeme Lock

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This research explored teachers’ experiences of school and their work-related wellbeing, from the perspective that work-related wellbeing is an organisational responsibility. A single case study was enacted in an urban Western Australian secondary school to explore the relationship between school organisational health and teacher wellbeing. A mixed method pre-test phase determined professional growth, professional interaction and role clarity were areas of organisational health that yielded divergent responses from staff. Subsequently, the school’s leadership team implemented interventions to improve these domains, and post-intervention data collection was conducted 18 months later to determine any changes. Qualitative data showed improvements in the professional …

Gatekeepers, Guides And Ghosts: Intermediaries Impacting Access To Schools During Covid-19, Michelle Striepe, Christine Cunningham

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article reflects on the effect of gatekeepers, guides and ghosts on gaining access to research participants and field sites. Using a critically reflective approach, we examine our role as researchers and the roles of intermediaries in the process to access schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings show how gaining access is a non-linear process that is influenced by the agency of researchers and intermediaries at different contextual levels. Our analysis probes past research on gatekeepers, develops the emerging research on the role of guides and advances current understandings by introducing the concept of ghosts. Given the lack of …

Online Continuous Professional Learning: A Model For Improving Reading Outcomes In Regional And Remote Schools?, Susan Main, Eileen Slater

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Professional learning provides the opportunity to improve teacher practice and student outcomes; however, challenges exist in ensuring that teachers can access quality professional learning. Teachers in regional and remote schools may have even more limited access to the expertise required to support changes in practice than their peers in metropolitan centers. This article reports on a continuing professional learning program designed to support teachers in two regional schools to implement a new approach to teaching reading in their schools. The findings from this research suggest that existing online learning platforms can be used to deliver targeted instructional coaching for teachers …

Dual Leadership In Chinese Schools Challenges Executive Principalships As Best Fit For 21st Century Educational Development, Christine Cunningham, Wei Zhang, Michelle Striepe, David Rhodes

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper examines China's dual leadership model and compares it with the more traditional (western) single leader model. It addresses an important question in educational leadership: whether singular school leadership or a dual leadership is better? It is innovative as it mobilised an international research team to collect data from 115 Chinese school leaders and compare China's dual leadership with faith-based schools in other contexts. Given so much now is written about distributed leadership within and across schools, this paper offers valuable insights, especially for readers interested in the educational leadership practices of a rising global power.

Students’ Engagement In Education As Sustainability: Implementing An Ethical Dilemma-Steam Teaching Model In Chemistry Learning, Yuli Rahmawati, Elisabeth Taylor, Peter Charles Taylor, Achmad Ridwan, Alin Mardiah

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper reports the results of a study on the implementation of the Ethical Dilemma STEAM Teaching Model in secondary schools in Jakarta, Indonesia. This interdisciplinary curriculum approach employed ‘ethical dilemma story pedagogy’ in a STEAM education project designed to engage students in values-based chemistry learning. Drawing on the arts, specially written ethical dilemma stories posing real-world environmental problems engaged students in exploring their value systems. Students reflected on the pros and cons of ethical dilemmas related to the everyday use of artificial fertilizers, disposal of used cooking oil and detergent waste, and environmental pollution caused by plastic waste. The …

Parental Autonomy Support, Parental Psychological Control And Chinese University Students’ Behavior Regulation: The Mediating Role Of Basic Psychological Needs, Songqin Wei, Timothy Teo, Anabela Malpique, Adi Lausen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The present research examined relationships between parental autonomy support, parental psychological control, and Chinese emerging adults’ autonomous regulation in their university studies as well as dysregulation in social media engagement. A total of 287 (102 female and 185 male) Chinese university students reported on their perceived parenting styles, psychological needs, and behavior regulation. Results showed that basic psychological need satisfaction was positively associated with parental autonomy support and autonomous regulation of learning; need frustration was positively correlated with parental psychological control and dysregulation in social media engagement. More importantly, psychological need frustration was a mediator of the relation between parental …

The Impact Of Three-Dimensional Visualisation On Midwifery Student Learning, Compared With Traditional Education For Teaching The Third Stage Of Labour: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial, Michelle Gray, Terri Downer, Donna Hartz, Patrea Andersen, Julie Hanson, Yu Gao

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Complex physiological processes are often difficult for midwifery students to comprehend when using traditional teaching and learning approaches. Face to face instructional workshops using simulation have had some impact on improving understanding. However, in the 21st century new technologies offer the opportunity to provide alternative learning approaches.

Aim: To investigate the impact of using three-dimensional (3D) visualisation in midwifery education on student's experience of learning, and retention of knowledge at three points in time.

Design: A pilot study involving a two-armed parallel Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) comparing the retention of knowledge scores between the control and intervention groups.

Setting: …

Mathematics Teachers’ Online Teaching Experience In Times Of School Closures: The Case Of Malaysia, Kin Eng Chin, Fui Fong Jiew, Al Jupri

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose – Given that students were out of school in response to the COVID-19 pandemic public health measures, traditional teaching practices have been forced to switch to online mediated learning environments. This study represents the first research effort to capture the experience of Malaysian mathematics teachers about their teaching during the pandemic. This includes investigating digital education tools mathematics teachers used, issues they encountered, and the knowledge and skills they need to improve during the enforced online teaching situation. Methodology – This study employed a survey design and qualitative data were collected using an online questionnaire. A total of 202 …

Digital Demand And Digital Deficit: Conceptualising Digital Literacy And Gauging Proficiency Among Higher Education Students, Ashlee Morgan, Ruth Sibson, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

For higher education students, developing digital literacy enhances their value to future employers and appeal in the graduate labour market. The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, to provide a tridimensional (technical, cognitive and etiquette) conceptual framework and definition of digital literacy. Second, to investigate students’ (N = 324) perceptions of their digital literacy proficiency through an online survey. Multiple linear regression revealed mixed results for different aspects of digital literacy. Students reported the lowest proficiency in using digital information, specifically in terms of evaluation and determining bias and quality of information. The highest levels of proficiency were …

‘The Participation Group Means That I'M Low Ability’: Students’ Perspectives On The Enactment Of ‘Mixed-Ability’ Grouping In Secondary School Physical Education, Shaun D. Wilkinson, Dawn Penney

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Mixed-ability grouping is widespread in primary schools and in several subject areas in secondary schools in England. Notwithstanding, there is scant research on mixed-ability grouping in the education literature, particularly in terms of its impact on students’ experiences. The research reported in this paper employs enactment theory to provide original insights into the diverse practices and complex contextual factors that shape students’ perceptions and experiences of mixed-ability grouping in physical education (PE). Enactment theory acknowledges that school decisions about grouping policy are impacted by wider education policy and other contextual influences, and that the expression of grouping policies in specific …

Realising Curriculum Possibilities In Wales: Teachers’ Initial Experiences Of Re-Imagining Secondary Physical Education, David Aldous, Victoria Evans, Rhys Lloyd, Fiona Heath-Diffey, Fiona Chambers

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper provides insight into secondary Physical Education (PE) teachers’ experiences of beginning to re-imagine secondary physical education provision in light of the new Curriculum for Wales, 2022 (CfW). Data were generated through analysis of semi-structured interviews (n = 5) with secondary PE teachers who participated in three workshops which uses a design-thinking methodology. Informed by Ball and colleagues’ conceptualisation of policy work, findings draw attention towards how engagement in the workshops provided a foundation for the participants to begin interpretation and translation of the new CfW and consider re-imagining existing PE provision within the school context. Participants’ interpretations of …

Enhancing Quality And Equity? Performance Assessment Validation In Examination Physical Education In Western Australia, Dawn Penney, Eibhlish O'Hara, Rob Lund

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The positioning and format of performance assessment in examination physical education varies between courses across Australia and internationally. This paper centres on developments in performance assessment in the Physical Education Studies (PES) course in Western Australia (WA). In 2021 The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) undertook an assessment validation trial of school-based assessment of students participating in modified format competitive game play in the 10 PES sports. This contrasted to existing centralised examination arrangements. The paper reports on findings from observation of the trial in nine of the 10 sport contexts, and semi-structured interviews with teachers, validators and SCSA …

Drama, Education, Artistry: Australian Practitioners Fostering Connections Across Cultures And Disciplines In China, Jessica-Anne Wellman

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study examines the experience of Australian drama educators working as professional development facilitators in China between 2017-2019. Limited literature exists that highlights the perspectives of professional development facilitators in this field. This thesis highlights the impact of engaging in this role on the practice of drama educators. Using an autoethnographic approach, data were collected from five individuals through semi-structured interviews. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith, 2004) highlighted that the participants' experiences acted as critical moments that led to positive personal and professional outcomes. Three key supporting factors for positive outcomes were identified: 1) critically reflective practice; 2) knowledge and experience …

International Professional Skills: Interdisciplinary Project Work, Thomas Mejtoft, Helen Cripps, Christopher Blöcker

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Higher education should provide learning situations that prepare students for a future profession and make them world-ready. This paper reports insights from an international interdisciplinary collaborative project aiming to create learning experiences that are close to a professional situation. The collaboration setup simulates a setting of a digital agency with a development team in Sweden and a marketing team in Australia working together to solve a task. The collaborative project has been active since 2017, completing its fifth iteration in 2021. Postcourse survey results show that the students felt that a real situation was created with a high level of …

Rethinking The Classification Of Games And Sports In Physical Education: A Response To Changes In Sport And Participation, Justen O'Connor, Laura Alfrey, Dawn Penney

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background Through changing the way games are represented, classification systems have increased possibilities for teaching game forms beyond structured adult and singular official versions of popular sports. At the time of inception, the four-game form approach to classification (target, net/wall, striking/fielding, and invasion games) enabled modified, small sided conditioned games to be adapted to suit individual attributes, whilst reinforcing a core set of tactical and technical elements for transfer. With global shifts in patterns of sport participation, it is timely to review this dominant classification frame and the role it plays within physical education (PE). Purpose This paper proposes changes …