Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Highlights From Timss & Pirls 2011 From Australia’S Perspective, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman, Nicole Wernert, Marina Schmid, Sarah Buckley, Ann Munene

TIMSS 2011 and PIRLS 2011

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) are international studies directed by the IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement), an independent international cooperative of national research institutions and government agencies that has been conducting studies of crossnational achievement in a wide range of subjects since 1959. In Australia, TIMSS and PIRLS are implemented by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), which is Australia’s representative to the IEA. In Australia, TIMSS is part of the National Assessment Program.

TIMSS has been conducted at Year 4 and …

Australian Core Skills Framework (Acsf), Philippa Mclean, Kate Perkins, David Tout, Kath Brewer, Linda Wyse

Vocational, adult and professional education research

The Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) provides a rich, detailed picture of real life performance in the five core skills of: Learning, Reading, Writing, Oral Communication and Numeracy.

These skills are essential for individuals to participate effectively in our society. They are inextricably interwoven into all parts of our lives, being directly or indirectly linked to the physical, social and economic wellbeing of individuals, workplace productivity and safety, community interaction and capacity, and ultimately to Australia’s economic and community wellbeing. The ACSF reflects contemporary use of English in Australia.

The ACSF has been developed to facilitate a consistent national approach …

Acer 2011-2012 Annual Report, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

ACER Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Report On The Development Of The University Experience Survey, Ali Radloff, Hamish Coates, Richard James, Kerri-Lee Krause

Higher education research

In 2011, the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) commissioned a Consortium led by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and including the University of Melbourne’s Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE) and the Griffith Institute for Higher Education (GIHE) to develop an instrument and methodology for a new national survey of the experience of university students—the University Experience Survey (UES). The University Experience Survey (UES) is one of a number of initiatives being developed by the Australian Government to help ensure the ongoing improvement in the quality of teaching and learning in Australian universities. …

Student Engagement In New Zealand’S Universities, Ali Radloff

Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE)

Although the numbers of students entering bachelor level study in New Zealand is growing and is high relative to OECD averages, the number of students leaving with a qualification is low compared to many other countries. Data from the Ministry of Education show that completion rates are relatively low, particularly among certain groups of students. Around one-third of students who began a bachelor degree in 2002 had not completed the degree, or a degree at the same or a higher level, eight years after starting. Completion rates are higher among Asian New Zealand students, but much lower among Maori and …

Literature Review Relating To The Current Context And Discourse Of Indigenous Tertiary Education In Australia, Michele Lonsdale, Greta Rollo, Jenny Wilkinson, Ali Radloff, Stephanie Armstrong, Gina Milgate, Jenny Trevitt

Indigenous Education Research

This review outlines some of the themes that have emerged in the growing global discourse of Indigenous education in the higher education sector. The past decade and a half have seen increased numbers of Indigenous students and academic staff in universities, a proliferation of publications exploring Indigenous issues in the academy, and heightened interest in the nature and meaning of Indigenous knowledge and studies.

This review examined information provided by 22 Australian universities to gain a picture of the research fields and topics that are attracting most interest from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduates and academics. It also reviewed …

Food, Fibre And The Future : Report On Surveys Of Students’ And Teachers’ Knowledge And Understanding Of Primary Industries, Kylie Hillman, Sarah Buckley

National Surveys

Primary Industry plays a vital role in Australian’s economy and society, but the gap between rural and urban communities is growing, contributing to a lack of understanding of where food and other basic necessities of life come from. The goal of the Primary Industries Education Foundation (PIEF) is to provide a source of information on primary industries for educators, to better equip students with not only knowledge about what goes into their food and fibres but also what career opportunities exist in primary industries. In 2010, PIEF contracted the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to design and conduct a …

Current Requirements For Tertiary Qualifications In Early Childhood Education : Implications For Policy : Final Report, Glenn Rowley, Julie Kos, Bridie Raban, Marilyn Fleer, Joy Cullen, Alison Elliott

Early Childhood Education

The Office of Early Childhood Education and Child Care (OECECC) within the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to map and analyse currently available Early Childhood education and care (ECEC) tertiary courses across Australia. ACER is undertaking this project in partnership with Monash University. This report considers issues raised by the project and sets out four key issues raised by this work, detailing the possible policy implications that could flow from the findings, in addition to potential further research implications.

Uniting Teachers And Learners : Critical Insights Into The Importance Of Staff-Student Interactions In Australian University Education, Sarah Richardson

Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE)

This briefing focuses on perhaps the most fundamental aspect of university student learning– the role of teaching staff at universities. It does so by reporting insights from both teaching staff themselves and the students whom they teach. If the scholarship of teaching requires bridges to be built between teachers and learners, this briefing examines the structural integrity of those bridges in contemporary university education in Australia. In doing so it focuses attention on perhaps the most obvious but most woefully neglected aspect of quality in higher education – the role which teaching staff play in inspiring, challenging and engaging students.

Assessing Student Learning: Why Reform Is Overdue, Geoff N. Masters

Assessment and Reporting

Advances in our understanding of human learning require new approaches to assessing and monitoring student learning. Much assessment thinking has changed little over the past fifty years. The field continues to be dominated by twentieth century introductory textbook concepts, including such dichotomies as formative versus summative assessment, criterion-referenced versus norm-referenced testing, quantitative versus qualitative assessment, informal versus formal assessment – distinctions that often hamper rather than promote clear thinking about assessment. Assessment practice also has changed little over this period. Traditional, high-stakes examinations continue to dominate what is taught and learnt in many of our schools and universities. Greater use …

An Investigation Into The Attendance And Retention Of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Island Students: Research And Theory About What Works., Stephanie Armstrong, Sarah Buckley

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

This presentation is based on an Issues paper commissioned by the Closing the Gap Clearinghouse (Purdie & Buckley, 2010). This paper was designed to inform policy makers and service providers in the area of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ school attendance and retention. During the presentation, we will highlight issues in analysing school attendance and retention for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students; the gap in school attendance and retention and the causes of this gap; and the success or otherwise of the various programs and initiatives designed to reduce the gap. Issues in the quality of the data …

Indigenous Mathematics: Creating An Equitable Learning Environment., Grace Sarra

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Concurrent Session Block 3

Creating Indigenous Classrooms Of Tomorrow Today: What Children Will Need To Know And How To Create It?, Lester-Irabinna Rigney

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Engagement or participation in education is a key factor affecting the life chances of all Australians. What will this look like in the future for Indigenous children who have an overall lower level of participation in education than non-Indigenous Australians? 21st century schooling for Indigenous students in the next decade will look very different to today. This paper discusses the characteristics of curriculum, policy and pedagogy for future schooling of Indigenous children. It uses national and international literature to explore 21st century learning that seeks to revolutionise the way we educate teachers and students. It highlights that Indigenous students live …

Successful Post School Transitions For Indigenous Youth., Justin Brown, Gina Milgate

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Concurrent Sessions Block 1

Educational Success: A Sustainable Outcome For All Indigenous Students When Teachers Understand Where The Learning Journey Begins., Jeannie Herbert

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

The statistics for educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students continually reinforce the notion of ‘failure’, of a specific cohort of students who are ‘not coping’, of the majority of teachers at a loss concerning what to do. Overall, it is a picture of doom and gloom, clearly demonstrating that education in this country has failed to live up to its promise for all students. In this presentation, research outcomes will be used to construct a different picture, a paradigm for a better future built on a strong foundation of sustainable education outcomes for the descendants of this …

Teaching Mathematics: Using Research-Informed Strategies, Peter Sullivan

Australian Education Review

AER 59 reviews research into aspects of mathematics teaching, focusing on issues relevant to Australian mathematics teachers, to those who support them, and also to those who make policy decisions about mathematics teaching. It was motivated by and draws on the proceedings of the well-attended and highly successful ACER Research Conference Teaching mathematics? Make it count: What research tells us about effective mathematics teaching and learning, held in Melbourne in August 2010.

Section 2 describes the goals of teaching mathematics and argues that a practical orientation should be the focus of mathematics teaching in the compulsory years, and outlines …

Literacy And Numeracy Learning: Lessons From The Longitudinal Literacy And Numeracy Study For Indigenous Students, Nola Purdie, Kate Reid, Tracey Frigo, Alison Stone, Elizabeth Kleinhenz

ACER Research Monographs

In 2000, ACER commenced the Longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Surveys for Indigenous Students (ILLANS), which set out to track the development of English literacy and numeracy skills in a group of Indigenous students from school entry through the early years of schooling and beyond, to establish a data-rich picture of educational opportunities for Indigenous students. Phase 1 of ILLANS collected data from Indigenous students at 13 schools across Australia that had been nominated by education systems as examples of good practice in education for Indigenous students. The first three years of the study were reported in the monograph Supporting …

Dropout Dna, And The Genetics Of Effective Support, Hamish Coates, Laurie Ransom

Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE)

Australia is seeking to expand participation in higher education – to get more students into the system and keep these people engaged in effective learning through to completion. In 2009 the Australian Government set attainment targets coupled with an explicit mandate to diversify the student mix, in particular by balancing the inclusion of people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Supporting students’ engagement in higher education is fundamental to the success of these reforms. To support engagement meaningfully requires data on the effectiveness of engagement activities and conditions which goes beyond commonly collected data regarding student satisfaction with the quality of provision. …

Student Engagement At New Zealand Institutes Of Technology And Polytechnics : Key Results From The 2010 Pilot, Ali Radloff

Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE)

The Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE) provides data that tertiary institutions throughout New Zealand and Australia can use to attract, engage and retain their students. Through measuring the time and effort students devote to educationally purposeful activities and other aspects of their experience at their institution the AUSSE provides a greater understanding of students’ engagement with study and their learning. Instead of focusing on student satisfaction, retention and completion rates, looking at the way in which students learn and the outcomes they achieve allows institutions to gain a better understanding of the quality of education students are getting. The …

Dispelling Myths: Indigenous Students’ Engagement With University, Christine Asmar, Susan Page, Ali Radloff

Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE)

It has been known for years now that students who engage more frequently in educationally effective practices get better grades, are more satisfied, and are more likely to persist with their studies. It is also known that while engagement is positively linked to desired outcomes for all types of students, historically underserved students tend to benefit more than majority students. In the case of Indigenous Australians, positive responses in relation to engagement and satisfaction are not necessarily accompanied by the overall levels of persistence and completion one would expect. Moreover, New Zealand Maori students surveyed in the AUSSE reveal similar …

Monitoring Risk And Return: Critical Insights Into Graduate Coursework Engagement And Outcomes, Daniel Edwards

Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE)

Coursework graduate courses have been a significant growth area over the last few decades and are of immense importance to Australian higher education. The knowledge and skills achieved through postgraduate study make a significant contribution to individuals and society. Nearly one quarter of all higher education students in Australia are enrolled in a coursework postgraduate degree. These students generate substantial income for institutions through the fees they pay. Nearly one third of all international students in Australian higher education are enrolled in postgraduate coursework degrees. Overall, international students make up around 50 per cent of all coursework masters enrolments, a …

An Overview Of Psychometric Properties Of The Ausse Student Engagement Questionnaire (Seq), Hamish Coates

Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE)

The quality of education is a product of what students do, and how teachers, support professionals and institutions support good educational practice. This means that measuring students’ participation in good educational practices and measuring how institutions support such participation goes to the heart of educational quality. An important link in this line of reasoning is that the instruments used for measurement provide valid, reliable and efficient measurement. This is essential, for otherwise insights into how students engage in education will be biased or diffuse and wrong decisions may be made that have serious implications for policy and practice. To that …

Final Report: The Benefits Of School–Business Relationships, Michele Lonsdale, Alana Deery, Sharon Clerke, Michelle Anderson, Emma Curtin, Pat Knight, Meredith Bramich

Program monitoring and evaluation

In January 2011, the Australian Council for Educational Research was contracted by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) to collate information gleaned from a range of sources and prepare a report that made clear the benefits associated with stronger relationships between schools and businesses. ACER was also asked to assess the existing evidence base in an Australian context and identify ways in which this could be strengthened. Given the complex demands faced by schools in the twenty-first century, and the limited nature of the resources available to meet these demands, schools and governments are increasingly looking to …

International Update (No. 1) December 2010

International Update archive (2010-2012)

Table of contents for this issue: (a) Engaging international students; (b) Assessing higher education learning outcomes; (c) Indian Central Board of Secondary Education visits ACER; (d) Assessing student competencies in Brunei; (e) Assessing generic skills in Colombia; (f) English-language assessment in Hong Kong; (g) Evaluating reform in Mexican schools; (h) Initial findings from International Civics and Citizenship Education Study released; (i) Indonesian Islamic education; (j) National assessment in Mexico; (k) ACER advises PNG system on courses and curriculum; (l) ACER to assist in establishing Middle East centre; (m) Education for all in India; (n) Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).

International Developments (No.1) 2010

International Developments

Table of contents for this issue: Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA); (b) World Bank; (c) Latin America; (d) Middle East; (e) International Schools Assessment Program; (f) Medical testing.

Regenerating The Academic Workforce: The Careers, Intentions And Motivations Of Higher Degree Research Students In Australia: Findings Of The National Research Student Survey (Nrss), Daniel Edwards, Emmaline Bexley, Sarah Richardson

Higher education research

The main findings of this report are based on the outcomes from the National Research Student Survey (NRSS) conducted in June 2010 across 38 of the 39 universities in Australia. In total 11,710 Higher Degree by Research students (those enrolled in PhD and masters by research degrees, also referred to simply as ‘research students’ in this report) responded to the NRSS, providing a 25.5 per cent response rate across the country. These response numbers represent the largest collection of survey responses from research students ever undertaken in Australia. The report primarily explores the career intentions and motivations of these students. …

Mental Health And Wellbeing: Educational Perspectives, Rosalyn H. Shute Ed.

Shannon Research Press

Mental Health and Wellbeing: Educational Perspectives provides a significant overview of the matter of mental health and wellbeing with particular relevance to educational contexts. Comprising peer-reviewed chapter contributions from prominent Australian and international researchers and practitioners, this book presents an authoritative and diverse account of:

• links between wellbeing and learning

• interventions and initiatives in the field

• evidence based practice guidelines

• policy and practice examples

Acer 2010-2011 Annual Report, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

ACER Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Ict In The Teaching Of Science And Mathematics In Year 8 In Australia: Report From The Iea Second International Technology In Education Study (Sites) Survey, John Ainley, Frances Eveleigh, Chris Freeman, Kate O'Malley

ACER Research Monographs

The IEA Second International Technology in Education Study (SITES) is an international comparative research program studying the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in education. Its central focus is on understanding how ICT affects the way teaching and learning takes place in schools. In many educational systems there is a desire to use ICT to support changes in teaching and learning and policies have been implemented to promote the use of ICT by equipping schools with computers and network connections, training teachers in the use of ICT and providing digital resources. Although there is a growing body of research …

Content Fundamentals For A Tv Show Aimed At Indigenous Children Aged 3 To 6: A Literature Review And Discussion Paper, David Norris

Indigenous Education Research

The following literature review was undertaken to establish a foundation for the discussion of potential content (and the issues pertaining to the implementation of that content) for an educational television program aimed at Indigenous children aged 3 to 6. Specifically, the literature was read with an eye to identifying the most effective and relevant learning styles, teaching techniques and subject matters that will successfully engage, support and inform Indigenous children and their families in the transition from home/pre-school to school, and onwards into their early years of schooling.