Education Commons^™

Measuring The Value Of Professional Indexing, Philip Hider, Pru Mitchell, Robert Parkes

Pru Mitchell

This study provides both a quantitative estimate and qualitative analysis of the additional ‘retrieval power’ that professionally assigned subject indexing affords users of a typical database in the field of education. A full version of Informit’s A+ Education database and one stripped of its subject indexing were searched by four research assistants tasked with compiling exhaustive bibliographies on forty-eight topics. The searchers were then surveyed about their use of the two databases, while their bibliographies and search logs were also examined. A two-way ANOVA model was constructed to estimate the percentage of additional resources found by the searchers on the …

Selecting Criteria To Evaluate Qualitative Research, Maria T. Northcote

Maria Northcote

While the evaluation of quantitative research frequently depends on judgements based on the “holy trinity” of objectivity, reliability and validity (Spencer, Ritchie, Lewis, & Dillon, 2003, p. 59), applying these traditional criteria to qualitative research is not always a “good fit” (Schofield, 2002). Instead, educational researchers who engage in qualitative research have suggested various sets of alternative criteria including: transferability, generalisability, ontological authenticity, reciprocity, dependability, confirmability, reflexivity, fittingness, vitality and, even, sacredness and goodness (Creswell, 2002; Garman, 1996; Guba & Lincoln, 1989; Patton, 2002; Spencer et al., 2003; Stige, Malterud, & Midtgarden, 2009). While over one hundred sets of qualitative …

Students' Voices : Learning With Technologies : Students' Expectations About Learning With Technologies : A Literature Review, Kathryn Moyle, Susanne Owen

Professor Kathryn Moyle

This literature review is concerned with studies published since 2002 that take the perspectives of students in relation to learning with information and communication technologies. Students in schools, vocational education and training and in preservice teacher education, as well as early career teachers and other higher education students are included. The review examines published literature to: ascertain what recent research has already been undertaken in the field within Australia and overseas; ascertain the research methods used to underpin existing research; determine the gaps in existing knowledge; and consider the implications for determining what next steps could be undertaken. [Executive summary, …

History Of Aei And A+ Education, Lance Deveson, Stuart Hughes

Lance Deveson

A power point presentation on the history, key features and content of the Australian Education Index (AEI) and the associated Informit database A+ Education.

Critical Decisions In Research: Design, Practice, And Analysis, Imran Anjum Chaudary

Dr Imran Anjum

No abstract provided.

Signposts: Research Points To How Victorian Government Schools Have Improved Performance, Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

Dr Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

The Blueprint for Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD, 2008) underlines the importance of providing opportunities for every child to succeed, in every circumstance. The Blueprint points out that, while previous reforms are paying dividends, improvement is not yet consistent across all schools. So, to support a reform agenda for all schools to improve, this research by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) was specifically designed to investigate the nature of the practices in those schools where Victorian strategies are showing positive results. We wanted to have greater knowledge of the practices of Victorian schools that lead …

When Two Universities Meet : Fostering Research Capacity Among Early Career Researchers, Kathy Mann, Kathryn Moyle, Andrea Reupert, Jane Wilkinson, Gary Woolley

Professor Kathryn Moyle

Between one-third and one-half of all presently employed academics will reach retirement age in the next decade. A challenge facing universities in this current environment is to continue to sustain their research capacities. Policy-makers and universities have developed various strategies to support ongoing development of different cohorts within the broader research community. One strategic approach has been to foster the research capabilities of Early Career Researchers (ECRs). This paper describes and analyses the features of one promising program collaboratively developed to support ECRs from education faculties within the University of Canberra and Charles Sturt University. The program was initiated by …

The Hidden Advantages Of Focus Group Interviews In Educational Research, Lisa Shoaf, Michael Shoaf

Lisa M. Shoaf

In the field of education, success of a school system has traditionally been determined through quantitative methods, such as through scores on achievement tests and survey results. In short, the quantitative method can determine if a school is failing or not. However, it does not answer the question of why a school is failing, a particularly important question for school administrators who hope to make positive changes in their districts. Focus group research, or qualitative analysis, is an underutilized method for gathering data in schools. Focus group methodology offers a more in-depth understanding of participants' perceptions than do quantitative measures …

Sampling For National Surveys In Education, Martin Murphy, Wolfram Sculz

Martin Murphy

The aim of this paper is to provide PMRT and its subgroups with information about the sampling processes used in surveys conducted under its National Assessment Plan (NAP). The design of national surveys in education in recent years has been strongly influenced by the methodologies used in major international surveys, particularly TIMSS and PISA. In the discussion below, reference will be made to the methods used in these surveys, and their application in the context of Australian national surveys. The intention of this paper is to explain the major steps in the survey sampling process, the reasons for the methods …

Schooling Issues Digest : School Effectiveness, John Cresswell

Dr John Cresswell

There have been many developments in school effectiveness research since the 1960s when it was said that schools contributed little to the difference between students' outcomes. A number of processes associated with effective schools have been identified and these factors have been incorporated into school improvement programs. Continued detailed longitudinal research should allow for further evaluation of these factors which will lead to better learning outcomes for students.

Options In Learning Management Systems Software. Approaches To Research: Recognising What People Can Do That Computers Can’T, Kathryn Moyle

Professor Kathryn Moyle (consultant)

Distance No Longer A Barrier : Using The Internet As A Survey Tool In Educational Research, Katherine Dix, Jonathan Anderson

Dr Katherine Dix

America Reads Challenge, Catherine Rosemary, L. Lindemann

Catherine A. Rosemary

No abstract provided.

'Absolutely Worth The Effort!' The Final Report Of The Adult Numeracy And Mathematics On Line (Anamol) Project., B Marr, B Johnston, Dave Tout

David (Dave) Tout

By utilising on-line communication technology, The ANAMOL project aimed to address the problems of numeracy teachers who often work in isolated situations. Teachers from four states communicated both on a weekly basis using 'chat' technology, and irregularly via web- based discussion forum. Through these discussions, teaching materials were written, trialled, refined and published on a newly- developed website. This report documents the action research methodology used, the project outcomes and implications and recommendations for further on-line professional development.