Education Commons^™

Pirls 2016: Reporting Australia's Results, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman, Marina Schmid, Sima Rodrigues, Jessica Fullarton

Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is an international comparative study of student achievement directed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). PIRLS 2016 represents the fourth such study since PIRLS was first conducted in 2001. Australia has participated in the two most recent cycles – PIRLS 2011 and 2016. In Australia, PIRLS is managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and is jointly funded by the Australian Government and the state and territory governments. The goal of PIRLS is to provide the best policy-relevant information about how to improve teaching and …

Highlights From Pirls 2016: Australia's Perspective, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman, Marina Schmid, Sima Rodrigues, Jessica Fullarton

Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is an international study of reading literacy directed by the IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement). In Australia, PIRLS is implemented by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), which is Australia’s representative to the IEA. In Australia, PIRLS is part of the National Assessment Program. PIRLS has been conducted internationally at Year 4 on a five-year cycle since 2001, however, Australia participated for the first time in 2011. The main goal of PIRLS is to assist countries to monitor and evaluate their teaching of reading across time. Year …

Student Engagement: An Assessment Of Motivation Processes During Late Elementary School, Christine A. Akagi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Based in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Effectance Theories, this correlational study of student engagement assessed the impacts of basic psychological need satisfaction upon engagement in the context of prior achievement during late elementary school. The purpose of the study is to offer another tool for educators to use as they continue personalizing interventions. Multiple regression analyses assessed the predictive value of prior achievement levels alongside present satisfaction levels of each basic psychological need – autonomy, competence, and relatedness – upon engagement. In post-hoc analyses, The Johnson-Neyman technique was also used for the purpose of determining regions of significance across the …

Final Report: Development Of An Online Engagement Scale, Darren Matthews, Ling Tan, Daniel Edwards

Higher education research

The Commonwealth Department of Education and Training commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to review the Learner Engagement Scale (LES), a key measure of student experience. It is administered as part of the Student Experience Survey, an annual survey of a sample of the 400 000 first and final year undergraduates studying at Australian Higher Education institutions – 80 per cent on-campus and around 8 per cent off-campus. Over the years, LES results have consistently shown substantially lower engagement levels in off-campus students – far in excess of the variation between teaching modes that might be expected – …

The Impact Of Learning Environments On Student Engagement, Yanira Oliveras Ortiz

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Architects design schools every day, but the impact that their designs have on student learning is at times unknown to those that design the schools. Educational research has shown that a positive school culture impacts student achievement; among the factors that impact the school culture is having a safe school (K12 Insight, 2017). Pride, student behavior, and overall safety each impact a school’s culture. A sense of pride and overall school safety can be influenced by the conditions of the building where children go to school.

The purpose of this manuscript is to explore the impact architectural design had on …

Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures And The Effects On Student Achievement And Engagement, Lisa M. Farmer

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project is to determine if there is a correlation between Kagan cooperative learning and student achievement and engagement in mathematics. Data was collected using a mixed methods approach. Quantitative data was gathered through three math pre and posttests. Qualitative data was collected through observations and interactions with students. Analysis of the data collected suggests that students are more engaged when working in cooperative teams. Growth was also noted from pretests to the posttest.

Why Do They Do It? A Case Study Of Factors Influencing Part-Time Faculty To Seek Employment At A Community College, Philip E. Pons, Dana Burnett, Mitchell R. Williams, Tisha M. Paredes

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover the motivational factors influencing part-time faculty employment within the community college from the perspective of the part-time faculty. The study examined these reported motivational factors for differences influenced by age, gender, and employment status. A survey was distributed to a random sample of part-time faculty members at a large metropolitan community college in the Southeastern United States. Participants were asked to respond to categorical demographic questions and survey questions to determine workplace satisfaction. Three open-ended questions were presented to obtain in-depth information about the motivational factors leading adjunct faculty to seek …

Timss 2015: Reporting Australia’S Results, Sue Thomson, Nicole Wernert, Elizabeth O'Grady, Sima Rodrigues

TIMSS 2015

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is an international comparative study of student achievement directed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). TIMSS 2015 represents the sixth such study since TIMSS was first conducted in 1995. Forty-nine education systems were tested at Year 4 level and 39 tested at Year 8 level. In Australia, TIMSS is managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and is jointly funded by the Australian Government and the state and territory governments. The goal of TIMSS is to provide comparative information about educational achievement across countries …

Evaluation Of The In2science Peer Mentoring Program: Final Report, Julie Kos, Jacynta Krakouer, Sheldon Rothman

Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation

Large-scale studies of 15-year-old school students show associations between students’ attitudes toward science learning and their levels of achievement (Ainley, Kos, & Nicholas, 2008). One model for improving students’ attitudes towards science and mathematics learning has been the provision of peer mentoring. The In2science program uses a peer mentoring approach to engage secondary school students in science and mathematics study. Working with the classroom teacher, university students serve as mentors and help students with their learning and build relationships in a small group or a whole class. Mentors talk to students about studying science (or another STEM area) at university …

Timss 2015 Australian Year 4 Data [Sas & Spss], Sue Thomson, Nicole Wernert, Elizabeth O'Grady, Sima Rodrigues

TIMSS 2015

This dataset is available for download as a zipped file

SAS & SPSS

This is a data source for the report TIMSS 2015: Reporting Australia’s results.

Timss 2015 Australian Year 8 Data [Sas & Spss], Sue Thomson, Nicole Wernert, Elizabeth O'Grady, Sima Rodrigues

TIMSS 2015

Dataset is available for download as zipped file.

SAS and SPSS

This is a data source for the report TIMSS 2015: Reporting Australia’s results.

An Examination Of The Perceptions Of Traditional And Nontraditional Student Engagement At A Community College In Southern Appalachia, Barbara J. Lowe, Virginia P. Foley

ETSU Faculty Works

Abstract is available to download.

The Harvest Is The Best Teacher, Gayle Mallinger, Molly Kerby

Faculty Publications

As the national climate and attitudes toward local organic food progressed in the United States, farmers markets, school and community gardens, and campaigns to increase vegetable consumption among children and adolescents skyrocketed. Unfortunately, many communities are beginning to realize disparities exist in poverty-stricken neighborhoods in term of access to fresh produce, education, and food programs This narrative follows a community garden project over three years at the Boys & Girls Club in a semi-rural city in Kentucky. Participants prepared the garden site, planted seeds, and harvested vegetables as part of a Junior Master Gardener program in the afterschool and summer …

National Assessment Program: Sample Assessment: Civics And Citizenship Report: Years 6 And 10: 2016, Julian Fraillon, Eveline Gebhardt, Judy Nixon, Louise Ockwell, Tim Friedman, Michelle Robins, Mark Mcandrew

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Under the National Assessment Program, the Civics and Citizenship sample assessment is administered to a representative sample of Year 6 and Year 10 students every three years. It is conducted under the auspices of the Education Council. The National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship assesses students’ skills, knowledge and understandings of Australia’s system of government, civic institutions and the values which underpin Australia’s democracy. It also provides an indication of student attitudes and their engagement in civic-related activities at school and in the community. This report presents the findings of the fifth National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship …

Manual Revision Process For Project-Based Laboratory Instruction, Gene Hou, Feifei Zhong, Orlando M. Ayala

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

A four-step laboratory manual revision process was developed in this study based upon a technical writing process for supporting project-based laboratory classes. The audience and the objectives of this type of laboratory manuals are quite different from those of traditional, descriptive laboratory classes. The project-based laboratory manual has to serve as both an operational handbook and a theoretical textbook. The proposed four-step manual revision process was implemented in the fall 2016 semester in a 3-credit, senior elective class which was built upon a commercially-rated finite element analysis software package. Student surveys and evaluations showed that the revision process greatly increased …