Education Commons^™

Spiritual And Religious Capabilities For Catholic Schools, Christine Mcgunnigle, Chris Hackett

eJournal of Catholic Education in Australasia

The Australian Curriculum articulates the role of general capabilities across all learning areas in the schooling years. The function of these general capabilities is to ensure that students have the dispositions and skills that provide for deep learning and the ability to function successfully in the 21^st Century. Within Catholic schools, these same general capabilities apply. Catholic schools, in recognising the mission of the Church, are however, called to ensure that not only are students able to participate in the 21^st Century context, but that they are able to evangelise through the integration of faith, life and culture. …

Catholic Teachers’ Postgraduate Qualifications And Students’ End Of Schooling Outcomes: A Large Scale Queensland Based Comparative Study, Judy Smeed, Beryl Exley

eJournal of Catholic Education in Australasia

Abstract

A key feature of the current era of Australian schooling is the dominance of publically available student, school and teacher performance data. Our paper examines the intersection of data on teachers’ postgraduate qualifications and students’ end of schooling outcomes in 26 Catholic Systemic Secondary Schools and 18 Catholic Independent Secondary Schools throughout the State of Queensland. We introduce and justify taking up a new socially-just measurement model of students’ end of schooling outcomes, called the ‘Tracking and Academic Management Index’, otherwise known as ‘TAMI’. Additional analysis is focused on the outcomes of top-end students vis-à-vis all students who are …

Classroom Teachers Meeting The New National Professional Standards For Teachers Specifically Standards 1.4 And 2.4, Lisa Buxton

Theses

Commitment to enhancing the educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people has long been the aspiration in Australia. Research over many years has, however, noted inequitable outcomes between these children and their non-Indigenous counterparts. The groundswell of support for reconciliation and the ongoing determination to enhance the educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people more recently has seen the inclusion of two new Standards in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers that teachers have to meet to gain and retain registration as a teacher in Australia. The first Standard required …

Science Teacher Education In Australia: Initiatives And Challenges To Improve The Quality Of Teaching, David F. Treagust, Mihye Won, Jacinta Petersen, Georgie Wynne

Education Papers and Journal Articles

In this article, we describe how teachers in the Australian school system are educated to teach science and the different qualifications that teachers need to enter the profession. The latest comparisons of Australian students in international science assessments have brought about various accountability measures to improve the quality of science teachers at all levels. We discuss the issues and implications of government initiatives in preservice and early career teacher education programs, such as the implementation of national science curriculum, the stricter entry requirements to teacher education programs, an alternative pathway to teaching and the measure of effectiveness of teacher education …

Reconceptualizing Beginning Teacher Induction As Organizational Socialization: A Situated Learning Model, Sean P. Kearney

Education Papers and Journal Articles

The process of beginning teacher induction has gained widespread attention in the literature as a means to help newly appointed teachers negotiate the early years of their careers, which are characterized by high attrition rates, due in part to stress, burnout, heavy workloads, and lack of support. While there is empirical evidence to suggest that comprehensive teacher induction can curtail teacher attrition by up to 20%, there exists a lack of understanding with regard to how to develop and implement effective programs. Although new teachers face some distinctive challenges, all new career starters, irrespective of their field, have a period …

An Explanation For The Use Of Arrays To Promote The Understanding Of Mental Strategies For Multiplication, Lorraine Day, Derek Hurrell

Education Papers and Journal Articles

This article provides a convincing argument for using arrays to promote students’ understandings of mental computation strategies for multiplication. Also a range of different examples that illustrate the benefits of arrays in the primary classroom are provided.

Strengthening Pre-Service Teachers’ Mathematical Content Knowledge, Gregory Hine

Education Papers and Journal Articles

Over the past two decades there has been a growing body of literature concerning the preparation of pre-service mathematics teachers. Research efforts have focused principally on approaches conducted by tertiary educators to adequately prepare pre-service teachers (PST) for the mathematics classroom. In particular, such efforts have emphasised the importance of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) (Beswick & Goos 2012; Shulman 1986; Shulman 1987) and mathematical content knowledge (MCK) (Meany & Lange 2012; Ponte & Chapman, 2008) in teacher preparation programs. Specifically, researchers have reported on ways to best support preservice primary and secondary teachers’ PCK (Aguirre, del Rosario Zavala & Katanyoutanant …

The Role Of The Primary School Principal In Developing Student Leadership, Gregory Hine, Shane D. Lavery

Education Papers and Journal Articles

The development of student leadership potential is an important issue to investigate (Archard, 2009; Hine, 2013; McNae, 2011). Yet to date, little research efforts have focussed on student leadership development programs within primary schools (K - 6). This research examined three aspects of student leadership within eight Catholic primary schools in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. These aspects included the principals’ understanding of the term ‘student leadership’, their perception of the most appropriate form of student leadership in Catholic schools, and how they envisaged their role within a student leadership program. Qualitative data were collected through the exercise of semi-structured interviews …

Increasing Student Performance By Changing The Assessment Practices Within An Academic Writing Unit In An Enabling Program, Keith Mcnaught, Sophie Benson

Education Papers and Journal Articles

The production of high quality academic writing often represents a challenge for students in bridging courses. Often, students lack frequently assumed background skills and knowledge, and may have completed secondary school subjects where extended writing tasks were less common. At the University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle Campus, staff responded to concerns about student progress with academic writing within the Enabling Program. It was determined that a trial of scaffolded assessment may be of benefit to students in the acquisition of the necessary skills and knowledge. Scaffolded assessment intentionally breaks a single assessment task into sub-components and attempts to teach …

Adopting Online Lecturing For Improved Learning: A Case Study From Teacher Education, Marie Quinn, Shannon Kennedy-Clark

Education Papers and Journal Articles

This paper presents the results of a study that examined the integration of video lectures into a pre-service teacher unit of study. The aim of the research was to ascertain how students used the pre-recorded videos to complement their learning. The focus was on the pedagogy, and explored three factors: convenience, self-regulation of learning and design to aid learning. A mixed method approach to the data collection was used. Data sources included reflective journals, surveys and semi-structured interviews. An analysis of the data indicates that the pre-service teachers viewed the use of pre-recorded lectures positively and that they were a …

Self-Perceptions Of Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers Completing A Graduate Diploma Of Secondary Education, Gregory S.C. Hine

Education Papers and Journal Articles

This qualitative research project explored the self-perceptions of pre-service secondary mathematics teachers completing a Graduate Diploma of Secondary Education. Specifically, the researcher investigated the extent to which teachers perceived their readiness to commence a secondary mathematics teaching position. The project relied principally on the use of a single, 10-item, qualitative research instrument that was used repeatedly and flexibly over time. Participants were asked to complete two questionnaires; one was administered before and after their Teaching Internship Practicum. Responses from all participants indicated varying degrees of readiness to teach secondary mathematics. An analysis of participant responses suggests three key findings: pre-service …

Measurement: Five Considerations To Add Even More Impact To Your Program, Derek Hurrell

Education Papers and Journal Articles

The potential of using Measurement as a way of “tuning students into mathematics” is demonstrated. Five ideas that can form the basis of focusing on measurement to access other strands of the mathematics curriculum are examined.

Reflection: Research By Design: Design-Based Research And The Higher Degree Research Student, Shannon Kennedy-Clark

Education Papers and Journal Articles

One of my first thoughts upon being asked to revisit this article (Kennedy-Clark, 2013) was to reflect upon how much research has been done on design-based research as a methodology. So, in this response, I will draw upon some of the main ideas that are coming from recent studies and consider this in the context of Higher Degree Research (HDR). When I was first introduced to design-based research, it was the methodological approach being used in a grant-funded research project at the Centre for Computer Supported Learning and Cognition (CoCo Lab) at the University of Sydney, Australia, where we were …

The Class Size Paradox, Boris Handal, Marguerite Maher, Kevin Watson

Education Papers and Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Phenomenology And Educational Research, Katrina Eddles-Hirsch

Education Papers and Journal Articles

Amongst novice researchers, there is considerable uncertainty about how to use phenomenology as a methodological framework. The problem seems to reside in the fact that phenomenology is a philosophy, a foundation for qualitative research, as well as a research method in its own right. Added to this confusion is the misperception that phenomenology is one unified approach when it actually consists of three disparate complex philosophies. It is, therefore, important for a phenomenological researcher to state the approach that they have adopted for their research, as it impacts upon their selection of methodological procedures.

The aim of this article is …

Lighting Up Learning: Mathematics Becoming Less Of A 'Killer Subject' In Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, Marguerite Maher

Education Papers and Journal Articles

This paper reports the findings of an evaluative study of an initiative, in its sixth year of implementation, enhancing the learning and teaching of mathematics in 20 disadvantaged secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, twenty years after democracy. Findings highlight the importance of initial and ongoing professional development for under-qualified teachers. Support and strategies that have enhanced the achievement in mathematics of learners in these still under-resourced schools, are described.

The Golden Thread: Educator Connectivity As A Central Pillar In The Development Of Creativity Through Childhood Education. An Irish Life History Study, Doireann O'Connor

Education Papers and Journal Articles

This paper presents the narratives of five creative Irish Adults who contributed to the study by sharing their childhood education experiences. The five participants are all of different ages and occupations. All identify themselves as highly creative people and all worked with me over the course of this study to identify how this creativity developed within their engagement with the Irish childhood education system. All excelled with higher education and they share a high degree of success within their careers. Between them, they express their creativity across five key genres. These are: Science, Engineering, The Arts, Entrepreneurship and Social Entrepreneurship. …

Tumor Necrosis Factor - Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (Trail) Promotes Angiogenesis And Ischemia- Induced Neovascularization Via Nadph Oxidase 4 (Nox4) And Nitric Oxide - Dependent Mechanisms, B Di Bartolo, S Cartland, L Prado-Lourenco, T Griffith, C Gentile, J Ravindran, N Azahri, T Thai, A Yeung, S Thomas, M Kavurma

Education Papers and Journal Articles

Background — Tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has the ability to inhibit angiogenesis by inducing endothelial cell death, as well as being able to promote pro- angiogenic activity in vitro. These seemingly opposite effects make its role in ischemic disease unclear. Using Trail_/_ and wildtype mice, we sought to determine the role of TRAIL in angiogenesis and neovascularization following hindlimb ischemia.

Methods and Results — Reduced vascularization assessed by real-time 3-dimensional Vevo ultrasound imaging and CD31 staining was evident in Trail_/_ mice after ischemia, and associated with reduced capillary formation and increased apoptosis. Notably, adenoviral TRAIL administration significantly improved …

Endoglin Potentiates Nitric Oxide Synthesis To Enhance Definitive Hematopoiesis, R Nasrallah, K Knezevic, T Thai, S Thomas, B Gottgens, G Lacaud, V Kouskoff, J Pimanda

Education Papers and Journal Articles

During embryonic development, hematopoietic cells develop by a process of endothelial-to hematopoietic transition of a specialized population of endothelial cells. These hemogenic endothelium (HE) cells in turn develop from a primitive population of FLK1+ mesodermal cells. Endoglin (ENG) is an accessory TGF-β receptor that is enriched on the surface of endothelial and hematopoietic stem cells and is also required for the normal development of hemogenic precursors. However, the functional role of ENG during the transition of FLK1+ Mesoderm to hematopoietic cells is ill defined. To address this we used amurine embryonic stem cell model that has been shown to mirror …

Motivational Teacher Strategies: The Role Of Beliefs And Contextual Factors, Lisette Hornstraa, Caroline Mansfield, Ineke Van Der Veen, Thea Peetsmaa, Monique Volman

Education Papers and Journal Articles

Teachers are key actors who shape the learning environment and one of their main tasks is to motivate students to learn. Teachers can differ in the way they try to motivate students and their motivational practices can vary from autonomy-supportive to controlling. The present study explored how teachers’ personal beliefs and contextual pressures related to their selfreported autonomy-supportive or controlling motivational practices. Nine grade-six teachers at schools with varying student populations were interviewed. Based on their practices, two clusters of teachers were distinguished, teachers who mainly reported autonomy-supportive practices and teachers who mainly reported controlling motivational practices. For the more …

Improving The Mathematical Content Knowledge Of Pre-Service Middle School Teachers, Gregory Hine

Education Conference Papers

The tertiary training of pre-service teachers is pivotal in their professional preparation and formation as qualified educators. Multiple authors posit that teachers require a development of pedagogical content knowledge, or knowing a variety of ways to present mathematical content and to assist students to deepen their understanding (Chick, 2012; Shulman, 1987). Emerick, Hirsch and Berry (2003) argue that high quality teachers must possess appropriate mathematical content knowledge, and must also possess considerable background in communicating effectively to students. There are two aims of this educational research. The first is to investigate the self-perceptions of pre-service middle school teachers enrolled in …

Learning Environments That Support The Development Of Multiplicative Thinking, Derek Hurrell, Lorraine Day

Education Conference Papers

Given the right learning environment primary aged children can and do develop the capacity to think multiplicatively. Through vignettes taken from interviews with a Year 5 class during a research project, the optimal conditions for the conceptual development underpinning multiplicative thinking is examined.

Preparing Secondary Mathematics Teachers: A Review Of Research, Gregory Hine

Education Conference Papers

The international literature base concerning the preparation of pre-service secondary mathematics teachers has grown steadily over the past two decades, yet there appears to be no consensus on a best practice approach. A review of three research projects (2 American; 1 Australian) that focus on different aspects of secondary mathematics teacher preparation provides consideration for universities
wishing to strengthen existing programs.

From Arrays To Algebra, Lorraine Day

Education Conference Papers

By identifying the learning experiences that need to be developed in the primary school, and how secondary teachers can build on these experiences, ensures solid algebraic understanding and a smooth transition between primary and secondary mathematics. Using concrete materials, within a concrete-representational-abstract pedagogical approach, may be seen as one among many methods that contribute to the overall process of developing algebraic skills. Linking an area-based model to previous understandings involving numbers should assist the conceptual understanding of algebraic expansion and factorisation to ensure that students are not just fluent in algebraic manipulation but also understand how the processes work.

Developing Proportional Reasoning, Derek Hurrell, Lorraine Day

Education Conference Papers

Proportional reasoning is one of the big mathematical ideas students will encounter. It applies to a wide range of contexts across all of the content strands and is considered a critical concept for success in secondary mathematics. It requires an ability to think multiplicatively and relationally, and is often problematic for students.

Tasks And Resources For Developing Children's Multiplicative Thinking, Derek Hurrell, Chris Hurst

Education Conference Papers

The development of multiplicative thinking determines largely the extent of the mathematics that a person learns beyond middle primary school. Our current research project has so far revealed that many primary children have a procedural view of aspects of multiplicative thinking that we believe inhibits their progress. This workshop focuses on some of the teaching resources and tasks that have been developed from our research. The purpose of these tasks is to promote the development of conceptual understanding of 'the multiplicative situation' and the many connections within it and with other big ideas such as proportional reasoning and algebraic thinking.

It's Okay, I'M A...Teacher. Is Professional Status Important To Teachers?, C Mcgunnigle, D O'Connor, J Waggoner, T Treasure, L Cranley, S Davie

Education Conference Papers

Teacher accountability and the debate around teacher quality are issues of international importance. As society places increasing demands on the teaching profession, and regulatory bodies around the globe raise the ‘standards’ for teachers to adhere to, the professional status of teachers is drawn into focus. This paper reports research findings of an investigation into the perspectives of professional status of teachers, held by pre-service teachers about to embark on their teaching career. This was a comparative study whereby data were collected from an Australian university and an American university to explore professional status as an international issue. This quantitative study …

Mathematics: A Good Predictor For Success In A Health Science Degree, G Hine, R Anderton, C Joyce

Education Conference Papers

Research-based literature indicates that secondary school mathematics performance is highly predictive of university performance Moreover, scholars suggest that success in secondary mathematics courses translates into success in tertiary degrees where mathematics is required. This paper examines the extent to which the completion of secondary school mathematics courses is predictive of academic success for 57 first-year students enrolled in a Health Science degree at The University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA) (Fremantle Campus). Using the University’s databases, the level of mathematics completed at secondary school was examined against gender, Tertiary Entrance Ranking (TER) and Grade Point Average (GPA). A statistical analysis …

Investigating Children's Multiplicative Thinking, Chris Hurst, Derek Hurrell

Education Conference Papers

Multiplicative thinking is a ‘big idea’ of mathematics that underpins much of the mathematics learned beyond the early primary school years. The conference presentation reports on a recent study that utilised an interview tool to gather data about children’s multiplicative thinking. Using a workshop format, we present some of the interview tool and some of the findings, as well as demonstrate how the tool can be used for planning, teaching and assessment. The session also emphasises the importance of developing deep conceptual understanding as opposed to the teaching of procedures. This paper considers how evidence from the interview can be …

Looking Within To Build Strong Foundations Of Personhood: The Importance Of Early Years Teacher’S Reflective Practice In The Formation Of A Positive Sense Of Identity In The Children They Work With, D O'Connor, C Mcgunnigle, H Wildy, G Neylon

Education Conference Papers

A collaborative research project between the Schools of Education at the University of Notre Dame Australia and the University of Western Australia has produced data that looks at how the Australian Early Years Framework is experienced in practice within Schools that deliver programmes for two year old children in the Perth Metropolitan area of Western Australia.

The data of this project was analysed and prepared for academic journal publication using the very themes upon which the AEYLF is built; Identity, Connection to the world, Wellbeing, Confident Learning and Effective Communication. Papers presenting the data within these themes are a central …