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Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

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The Influence Of State Motivation, Content Relevance And Affective Learning On High School Students' Intentions To Use Class Content Following Completion Of Compulsory Physical Education, Collin A. Webster, Diana Mindrila, Robert Weaver Jan 2011

The Influence Of State Motivation, Content Relevance And Affective Learning On High School Students' Intentions To Use Class Content Following Completion Of Compulsory Physical Education, Collin A. Webster, Diana Mindrila, Robert Weaver

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Little research has examined mechanisms leading to the utilization of compulsory physical education content in future contexts. This study tested a model in which motivation to be in physical education class functions as a predisposition influencing perceptions of teacher communication of content relevance, perceptions of course relevance to one’s personal life, affect for physical education and intentions to apply class content in the future. High school students (N = 636) enrolled in compulsory physical education classes completed questionnaires assessing each of these variables. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated the questionnaire items were adequate indicators of the five constructs. Structural …


Nutritional Policies And Standards For Snacks Served In After-School Programmes: A Review, Michael W. Beets, Falon Tilley, Youngwon Kim, Collin Webster Jan 2011

Nutritional Policies And Standards For Snacks Served In After-School Programmes: A Review, Michael W. Beets, Falon Tilley, Youngwon Kim, Collin Webster

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Objective: To review and synthesize existing national and state organizations’ policies related to the nutritional quality of snacks served in after-school programmes (ASP; 15.00–18.00 hours) in the USA. Design: Systematic review of websites and corresponding documentation describing national and state-level ASP organizations’ policies, standards, guidelines and/or recommendations for the nutritional quality of snacks served within the ASP setting. Setting: ASP can play a critical role in a child’s daily dietary intake. State and national organizations have developed policies to assist ASP in selecting nutritionally appropriate snacks, yet no widely accepted standards exist. By reviewing the extent of existing policies, recommendations …


A School-Based Intervention To Promote Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls: Rationale, Design, And Baseline Data From The Girls In Sport Group Randomised Controlled Trial, Anthony D. Okely, Wayne G. Cotton, David R. Lubans, Philip J. Morgan, Lauren M. Puglisi, Judy Miller, Jan Wright, Marijka Batterham, Louisa Peralta, Janine Perry Jan 2011

A School-Based Intervention To Promote Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls: Rationale, Design, And Baseline Data From The Girls In Sport Group Randomised Controlled Trial, Anthony D. Okely, Wayne G. Cotton, David R. Lubans, Philip J. Morgan, Lauren M. Puglisi, Judy Miller, Jan Wright, Marijka Batterham, Louisa Peralta, Janine Perry

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Background: Physical activity levels decline markedly among girls during adolescence. School-based interventions that are multi-component in nature, simultaneously targeting curricular, school environment and policy, and community links, are a promising approach for promoting physical activity. This report describes the rationale, design and baseline data from the Girls in Sport group randomised trial, which aims to prevent the decline in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) among adolescent girls. Methods/design: A community-based participatory research approach and action learning framework are used with measurements at baseline and 18-month follow-up. Within each intervention school, a committee develops an action plan aimed at meeting the …


Culture, Motivation, And Vocational Decision-Making Of Australian Senior High School Students In Private Schools, Jae Yup Jung, John M. Mccormick, Gary Gregory, Kerry Barnett Jan 2011

Culture, Motivation, And Vocational Decision-Making Of Australian Senior High School Students In Private Schools, Jae Yup Jung, John M. Mccormick, Gary Gregory, Kerry Barnett

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles of culture and motivation in the occupational decisions of senior high school students attending private schools. A theoretical framework guided the study. A questionnaire was administered to 492 Grade 11 students attending a stratified random sample of six independent (private) schools located in the Sydney (Australia) metropolitan area. Structural equation modelling was performed on the data collected. The major findings of the study centre on a new model of vocational decision-making, which provides empirical support for relationships between cultural orientation variables, expectancy-value variables, and related constructs. The findings may be …


The Role Of Biographical Characteristics In Preservice Classroom Teachers' School Physical Activity Promotion Attitudes, Collin Webster, Eva Monsma, Heather Erwin Jan 2010

The Role Of Biographical Characteristics In Preservice Classroom Teachers' School Physical Activity Promotion Attitudes, Collin Webster, Eva Monsma, Heather Erwin

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Recommendations for increasing children’s daily physical activity (PA) call on classroom teachers to assume an activist role at school. This study examined relationships among preservice classroom teachers’ (PCT; n = 247) biographical characteristics, perceptions and attitudes regarding school PA promotion (SPAP). Results indicated participants who completed SPAP-related college coursework and had PA-related teaching/coaching experiences reported higher SPAP competence. Significant relationships were found among BMI, personal PA competence and SPAP competence in the contexts of PE and extracurricular settings. Personal PA competence and SPAP competence at recess and in the classroom predicted 19% of the variance in SPAP attitudes. Experiences in …


Relationships Between Fundamental Movement Skills And Objectively Measured Physical Activity In Pre-School Children, Dylan P. Cliff, Anthony D. Okely, Lief Smith, Kim Mckeen Jan 2009

Relationships Between Fundamental Movement Skills And Objectively Measured Physical Activity In Pre-School Children, Dylan P. Cliff, Anthony D. Okely, Lief Smith, Kim Mckeen

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Gender differences in cross-sectional relationships between fundamental movement skill (FMS) subdomains (locomotor skills, object-control skills) and physical activity were examined in preschool children. Forty-six 3- to 5-year-olds (25 boys) had their FMS video assessed (Test of Gross Motor Development II) and their physical activity objectively monitored (Actigraph 7164 accelerometers). Among boys, object-control skills were associated with physical activity and explained 16.9% (p = .024) and 13.7% (p = .049) of the variance in percent of time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and total physical activity, respectively, after controlling for age, SES and z-BMI. Locomotor skills were inversely associated with physical …


Becoming School Literate Parents: An Esl Perspective, Honglin Chen, Pauline J. Harris Jan 2009

Becoming School Literate Parents: An Esl Perspective, Honglin Chen, Pauline J. Harris

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Framed by literacy as social practice and social theory of learning, this paper provides a preliminary exploration of how an ESL parent developed a sense of school literate identity as her three children successively entered formal schooling. This case study is the beginning of a larger investigation in which we shall more fully explore the dynamic of literacy relationships between parents of ESL children and the schools their children attend. We take the opportunity in this paper to explore some emerging issues that, while preliminary, are worthy of teachers and schools consideration and point to the need for further research …


Ballet It's Too Whitey: Discursive Hierarchies Of High School Dance Spaces And The Constitution Of Embodied Feminine Subjectivities, Matthew Atencio, Jan Wright Jan 2009

Ballet It's Too Whitey: Discursive Hierarchies Of High School Dance Spaces And The Constitution Of Embodied Feminine Subjectivities, Matthew Atencio, Jan Wright

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This article investigates (i) how the structuring practices and meanings associated with dance classes at an inner‐city American high school operated as institutional spaces (re)producing ‘dividing practices’ that supported racial and classed hierarchies; (ii) how these racist structures were created and maintained relative to dominant notions of embodiment, ‘race’, social class, femininity, and dance; and (iii) the way these dominant practices and hierarchies were managed by two ‘black’ young women at the high school in order to construct particular modes of self‐governance. The analysis suggests that educators be attuned to the role that spaces play in creating particular types of …


Examining The Gender Gap In Educational Outcomes In Public Education: Involving Pre-Service School Counsellors And Teachers In Cross-Cultural And Interdisciplinary Research, Wilhelmina J. Vialle, Paul Thompson, Mary Ann Clark Jan 2008

Examining The Gender Gap In Educational Outcomes In Public Education: Involving Pre-Service School Counsellors And Teachers In Cross-Cultural And Interdisciplinary Research, Wilhelmina J. Vialle, Paul Thompson, Mary Ann Clark

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

International educational statistics have reported a gender gap in educational outcomes, with boys falling behind girls in regard to grades, high school graduation and university enrollment and retention. This study involved pre-service teachers and school counsellors in Colleges of Education at three universities on three continents carrying out focus groups with public school students, interviews with educators, and examining national and international quantitative data to investigate this issue from a local and a cross cultural perspective. Common themes were found in each country and implications for addressing the problem considered.


Developing Quality Teaching Through Authentic Assessment And School-University Partnerships, Philip J. Pearson, Paul I. Webb, Gregory J. Forrest Jan 2007

Developing Quality Teaching Through Authentic Assessment And School-University Partnerships, Philip J. Pearson, Paul I. Webb, Gregory J. Forrest

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper examines the development of authentic assessment tasks focusing on the dimensions of quality teaching for pre-service teachers. Assessment tasks designed for students to continually put teaching skills into practice are essential to develop quality teachers. The process involved student and teacher consultation and the establishment of additional school-university partnerships. The purpose of the research was to review the school-university partnerships and to determine whether these links have been beneficial to the students and the schools involved. Forty physical and health education students in their final year of pre-service training were surveyed (questionnaire and interviews) along with personnel from …


Re-Framing Primary School Visual Literacy: Enrichment From Interdisciplinary Approaches, Barbra Mckenzie Jan 2007

Re-Framing Primary School Visual Literacy: Enrichment From Interdisciplinary Approaches, Barbra Mckenzie

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Currently the education field in Australia tends to view the concept of Visual Literacy in terms of a grammatical framework. While use of this type of construct can provide students of all ages and stages with a meta-language to enable them to identify and discuss various aspects of visual literacy, it is far from the only way to frame the concept of visual literacy. Some researchers in fact question the notion that applying this type of framework to visual images is either possible or desirable. There is a growing acknowledgment of the importance of teaching children to think critically about …


In-School Professional Development: Supporting Teachers With The Inclusion Of Critical Literacy In Their Classrooms, Lisa K. Kervin, Michelle Rodwell Jan 2007

In-School Professional Development: Supporting Teachers With The Inclusion Of Critical Literacy In Their Classrooms, Lisa K. Kervin, Michelle Rodwell

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The voluminous literature within the field of teacher professional development presents varied components of what constitutes meaningful professional development experiences for teachers. The case reported herein describes how components identified from an analysis of the literature have been incorporated within an inschool model of professional development to support primary teachers as they explore their literacy teaching within their own school and individual classrooms. These ongoing, in-school professional development experiences aimed to support and encourage pedagogical change as the teachers reviewed their classroom teaching and learning practices with emphasis on critical literacy. The importance of the school professional culture, the organisation …


Exploring The Nardoo: Designing Problem-Based Learning Experiences For Secondary School Students, Susan J. Bennett Jan 2007

Exploring The Nardoo: Designing Problem-Based Learning Experiences For Secondary School Students, Susan J. Bennett

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This chapter examines how instructional designers work together in teams to solve problems. It examines the advantages and disadvantages of a team approach to instructional design. This case will explore how a team of instructional designers worked together to create Exploring the Nardoo, a multi-award winning CD-ROM developed by the University of Wollongong’s Educational Media Laboratory (emLab). The case describes key issues related to the design and development of the package from the perspective of a faculty-based multimedia unit, which was established with a strong emphasis on advancing research through innovations in design.


An Examination Of The Enablers And Inhibitors Surrounding The Establishment Of A School University Partnership: The Grays Point Project, Julie Kiggins, Lisa K. Kervin, Philip Rouland Jan 2006

An Examination Of The Enablers And Inhibitors Surrounding The Establishment Of A School University Partnership: The Grays Point Project, Julie Kiggins, Lisa K. Kervin, Philip Rouland

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Collaboration between academics, staff and students is promoted as a way to foster professional relationships, foster change and develop common understanding across both the school and university contexts. In a time when education is under frequent criticism it is necessary to break down the barriers between the two contexts and work together collegially. It is within this climate that a small team of academics from the Faculty of Education at the University of Wollongong and teachers from Grays Point Public School (a southern suburb of Sydney) have launched a collaborative research project. As we begin this professional journey we have …


In Whose Name? Mapping Voice And Vision In A Critical Examination Of Literature On Literacy In The Lower Primary School Years, Pauline J. Harris, Lisa K. Kervin Jan 2006

In Whose Name? Mapping Voice And Vision In A Critical Examination Of Literature On Literacy In The Lower Primary School Years, Pauline J. Harris, Lisa K. Kervin

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper presents the outcomes of a critical analysis of journal art icles, government reports and agendas on l iteracy in lower Primary classrooms. While different voices and perspectives clearly emerge, our concern is not engaging with or promoting par ticular viewpoints and agendas per se. Rather, this paper moves beyond debate to focus on mapping these voices onto the kinds of literacy/ies they characterise, the instructional practices they port ray, the research frameworks they ut ilise, the issues they art iculate, the groups they represent, the venues in which they are heard, the audiences to which they speak, and …


Nsw High School Students Construction Of Democratic Citizenship Through Language Learning: A Case Study Of Japanese Language Learning Experience, Yuko Ramzan Jan 2006

Nsw High School Students Construction Of Democratic Citizenship Through Language Learning: A Case Study Of Japanese Language Learning Experience, Yuko Ramzan

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This study reports on the perceptions of five high school students in NSW who have been studying Japanese language since their primary schooling. The study examines how the students construct their self and others within their Japanese language classes and how the classes contribute to citizenship education. The discussion, based on data derived from in-depth and semi-structured interviews is focused on perceptions of language learning, interculturality and citizenship education. The results suggest that language learning contributes to the students’ construction of interculturality, which in turn provides a focus for meting the students’ needs for citizenship education.


Getting School Maths Online: Challenges And Possibilities, Boris Handal, Anthony J. Herrington Jan 2005

Getting School Maths Online: Challenges And Possibilities, Boris Handal, Anthony J. Herrington

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The World Wide Web (WWW) is making a significant impact in the field of mathematics education. In recent years. several thousand web sites have been created to promote the teaching and learning of school mathematics. It is now time to ponder how this phenomenon should articulate with the school curriculum and how the wealth of resources available in cyberspace can be appropriately integrated at the classroom level. This paper discusses a range of instructional. curricular and organisational issues associated with such a process and provides recommendations for future research.


Inviting Dissent: Classroom Practices For Nurturing Communities Of Readers In The Early School Years, Pauline J. Harris, Barbra Mckenzie Jan 2005

Inviting Dissent: Classroom Practices For Nurturing Communities Of Readers In The Early School Years, Pauline J. Harris, Barbra Mckenzie

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

In the context of the early school years, this paper examines established classroom practices that focus on engaging young readers with texts. The lens used for this exploration is provided by transtextuality theory that accounts for ways in which texts build networks of meaning for readers to negotiate. Transtextuality theory originated in and serves literary criticism. However, this paper demonstrates how this theory provides teachers and researchers with tools for interrogating classroom practices that seek to develop young readers as meaning makers. Examples of teaching strategies and learning experiences are shared. These examples sometimes see dissent over interpretation arise among …


Students Talking About Home-School Communication: Can Technology Support This Process?, Lisa K. Kervin Jan 2005

Students Talking About Home-School Communication: Can Technology Support This Process?, Lisa K. Kervin

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper explores the use of technology to support communication about student learning and classroom experiences between home and school contexts. An examination of literature addressing home-school partnerships along with current thinking about the integration of this with Learning Technologies is presented. Research centred on the use of a mobile telephone as a tool to facilitate this process will be discussed. The power this ‘new’ technology brings to the students is discussed with reference to subsequent constraints. However, it is argued that students overwhelmingly perceive this tool as a valuable resource in stimulating and encouraging dialogue between the contexts and …


Keeping The Conversation Going: Creating A Whole School Approach To Spelling, Lisa K. Kervin, Kathy Mckenzie Jan 2005

Keeping The Conversation Going: Creating A Whole School Approach To Spelling, Lisa K. Kervin, Kathy Mckenzie

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

How to best teach spelling across primary classrooms has been an issue of debate for many schools and in fact, many teachers for some time. How consistent spelling practice can he best incorporated into school policy and implemented into classroom literacy experiences has resulted in much confusion and debate, and has proven to be a difficult challenge for many primary school educators. This paper describes how one school developed a whole school approach to spelling, devised supporting documentation and supported staff to develop and implement teaching and learning experiences across the grades consistent with these. The process that was engaged …


Hanging Out In The School Ground : A Reflective Look At Researching Children's Environmental Learning, Paul Tranter, Karen A. Malone Jan 2005

Hanging Out In The School Ground : A Reflective Look At Researching Children's Environmental Learning, Paul Tranter, Karen A. Malone

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

The authors take a reflective journey to explore the research methodology utilised in a multi-method, multi-site research study of children’s environmental learning in schoolgrounds in Australia. Informed by an extensive literature review and dialogue with researchers around the world, the study constructed a research design and procedure that could be utilized by practitioner researchers and academic researchers as the foundation for further research on children’s learning in schoolgrounds. This paper has the specific task of sharing our research story and lessons learnt as a conversation to those who intend to conduct future research with children on schoolground greening projects.


Secondary School Success For Students With Asperger's Syndrome, Deslea M. Konza Jan 2005

Secondary School Success For Students With Asperger's Syndrome, Deslea M. Konza

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Many students approach the transition to secondary school with feelings of both excitement and apprehension, but it is excitement that usually prevails. For students with Asperger's Syndrome, however, those aspects of secondary school that most students anticipate with great enthusiasm, such as being in a new and larger environment, having different teachers and increased subject choices, and meeting new people, are sources of great anxiety. Despite the increasing numbers of students being diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (Safran, 2002), many teachers have limited understanding of the condition, or of appropriate strategies for the successful inclusion of students with this diagnosis (Williams, …