Education Commons^™

Valuing Early Career Teachers: Putting The Brakes On The Exodus, Marion Shields, Peter W. Kilgour

Peter Kilgour

The attrition of early career teachers has been

identified as an international issue. This paper

reports on an Australian study that sought to

identify the lived experiences of beginning

teachers in one independent school system

in their first three years. Areas such as the

teacher’s job satisfaction and impacting factors

were addressed. Data revealed that the main

drivers for teachers terminating their teaching

career in the first few years are connected to

work/life balance, the level of support from

administration, the teacher’s mentor, and the

level and appropriateness of the professional

development they are permitted to attend.

Students With Asd In Mainstream Primary Education Settings: Teachers' Experiences In Western Australian Classrooms, Rebecca Soto, Julie Ann Pooley, Lynne Cohen, Myra Taylor

Myra F Taylor

The shift to inclusive education within Australia has resulted in increasing numbers of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) being placed in mainstream educational settings. This move has created new demands on teachers who are not necessarily trained to meet the challenge. Therefore, the present study aimed to develop an understanding of how 12 Western Australian primary school (K-7) teachers adapted to the challenge of having a student with ASD in their mainstream classroom. Using an interpretivist framework, data from semistructured interviews revealed that teachers perceived a need to first recognise and accept the challenges associated with having a student …

Peer Support In A Mental Health Service Context, Lindsay G. Oades, Frank P. Deane, Julie Anderson

Lindsay G Oades

This chapter will first summarise the range of definitions that have been provided for peer support, in a mental health context. Clarifications of the different aims of peer support initiatives aud the potential psychological processes that underpin them are then provided. Three key forms that peer support groups may take are then described and we track Sam as he experiences peer support in the context of job seeking. A summary of existing empirical evidence for peer support groups is provided before examining some of the necessary tensions that may exist between the alternative views of those coming from inside the …

Service Based Internship Training To Prepare Workers To Support The Recovery Of People With Co-Occurring Substance Abuse And Mental Health Disorders, Trevor P. Crowe, Peter Kelly, James Pepper, Ross Mclennan, Frank P. Deane, Mark Buckingham

Peter Kelly

A repeated measures design was used to evaluate a 12 month on-site counsellor internship programme aimed at training staff to support the recovery needs of people with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. Fifty-four interns completed measures of recovery knowledge, attitudes, confidence/competence, as well as identifying significant learning events. Statistically significant improvements were found in terms of attitudes and confidence/competence, and only one recovery knowledge factor, 'roles of self-definition and peers in recovery'. Recovery knowledge at the end of the internship was positively associated with increases in interns' confidence/competence but was not associated with changes in the interns' attitudes. …

Learning Designs To Support Educationally Effective E-Learning Using Learning Objects, Barry Harper, Susan Bennett, Jason Lukasiak, Lori Lockyer

Professor Lori Lockyer

This paper describes a design approach for integrating learning objects based on a strong pedagogical framework, the Smart Learning Design Framework (SLDF). The framework is based on the assumptions that good learning settings focus on pedagogically sound design and that reusable learning objects can be effectively located and incorporated into learning settings. This paper describes a tool developed to illustrate the framework through metadata tagging of learning objects using an application profile which incorporates a pedagogical vocabulary, and development of units of study based on high quality learning designs and the inclusion of learning objects.

Online Mentoring And Peer Support: Using Learning Technologies To Facilitate Entry Into A Community Of Practice, Lori Lockyer, John Patterson, Gregg Rowland, Douglas Hearne

Professor Lori Lockyer

A vital aspect of any professional education is the opportunity for students to engage in meaningful practical experiences. In pre‐service teacher education in Australia, this vital teaching practice component has undergone challenges in recent years due to increasing student numbers (linked to the increasing demand for new teachers) and limited resources in university and school sectors. As such, initiatives to enhance the practical component of this professional degree have been sought. This paper details the methodology and outcomes associated with a pilot project that utilized asynchronous Web‐based communication tools to facilitate mentoring and peer support through the teaching practice experience. …

A Web-Based E-Portfolio Support System For Teacher Education Students, Susan Bennett, Lori Lockyer

Professor Lori Lockyer

There is increasing interest in electronic portfolios as a means of collecting and presenting information about an individual’s attributes and experiences. As part of their course of study, learners may be asked to assemble a portfolio to provide a detailed, evidenced account of their learning experiences over an extended period of time. Employers are also beginning to use portfolios to identify employees that match their requirements. Portfolios have the potential to address the limitations of transcripts of academic achievement and references, which present a view of achievement that is mostly isolated from the learning context and the student’s experiences on …

Process Evaluation Of The Hunter Illawarra Kids Challenge Using Parent Support Study: A Multisite Randomized Controlled Trial For The Management Of Child Obesity., Rachel A. Jones, Janet M. Warren, Anthony D. Okely, Clare E. Collins, Philip J. Morgan, Dylan P. Cliff, Tracy L. Burrows, Jane Cleary, Louise A. Baur

A. D. Okely

The purposes of this article are to (a) outline findings from secondary or process outcome data of the Hunter Illawarra Kids Challenge Using Parent Support (HIKCUPS) study and (b) inform the design and development of future research interventions and practice in the management of child obesity. Data were collected by means of facilitator evaluations, independent session observation, attendance records, and parent questionnaires. Internal validity and reliability of the program delivery were high. All parents reported positive changes in their children as a result of the physical activity program, the dietary modification program, or both. Most participants completed the home activities, …

Using Technology In Pedagogically Responsive Ways To Support Literacy Learners, Lisa Kervin, Jessica Mantei, Jan Herrington

Jessica Mantei

No abstract provided.

Raising Our Voices And Sharing Our Vision: How We Support Literacy Learners Within Our Stage Context, Maria Turner, Robyn Menghi, Leah Galea, Jessica Mantei, Lisa Kervin

Jessica Mantei

No abstract provided.