Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Creating Powerful Teacher Education Opportunities: The Need For Risk, Relevance, Resource, Recognition, Readiness And Reflection, Susan Rodrigues

2006 - Boosting Science Learning - What will it take?

Two projects described in this paper illustrate what a successful teacher education model can look like, what its aims were, what happened in terms of teacher professional development, and what pupils accomplished as a result. The paper also describes policies, organisational features, resources, and relationships that informed the projects. In effect, both projects involved a community of teachers, educators and scientists working to develop resource materials involving various technologies for classroom use. Data was collected through teacher surveys, online dialogue, interviews, pupil work, teacher ‘show and tell’ and limited classroom observation. The data suggests that pedagogic change warrants the presence …

Science Achievement In Australia : Evidence From National And International Surveys., Sue Thomson

2006 - Boosting Science Learning - What will it take?

What can be said about science achievement in Australian schools? Does it really need a boost? Is science education in Australia engaging and motivating, or is the curriculum irrelevant and students disinterested? Are there particular issues for Indigenous students? Within the National Testing Program, Australia participates in two major international studies with a partial focus on science: the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), conducted with Year 4 and Year 8 students conducted with 15-year-old students. In addition, the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) program provides evidence about the outcomes of education, and the TIMSS Science Video …

Boosting Science Learning - What Will It Take?, Russell Tytler, David Symington

2006 - Boosting Science Learning - What will it take?

In this session Russell Tytler and David Symington will present some data they have gathered from three sources: scientists working in some of Australia’s Research Priority Areas, science graduates working in positions outside their discipline specialisation, and students studying sciences at Year 11. The presenters will explain why they chose to interview these quite different groups of people and give some indication of why they believe the data is relevant to the question driving the conference: Boosting science learning – what will it take? There will then be group discussion drawing on the views and experiences of the group members …

What Science Do Students Want To Learn? What Do Students Know About Science?, Barry Mcrae

2006 - Boosting Science Learning - What will it take?

In 2006, for the first time, science is the major focus of the PISA assessment of 15-year-olds. A major innovation in PISA 2006 is that many of the science units contain one or two items designed to assess students' attitudes towards science – in particular, their interest in learning about science and their support for scientific enquiry. A second major innovation is that some of the items assess students' knowledge about science – that is, their knowledge of scientific methodology. This paper presents some field trial results that shed light on what science students want to learn, and how their …

Research And Boosting Science Learning: Diagnosis And Potential Solutions, Peter Fensham

2006 - Boosting Science Learning - What will it take?

In this paper I want to draw on relevant research to address the theme of this year’s conference in three ways: 1. The nature of the problem 2. Possible solutions 3. Constraints on these possible solutions

Boosting Science Learning - What Will It Take? (Conference Proceedings), Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

2006 - Boosting Science Learning - What will it take?

Research Conference 2006 examined recent research and practice directions in the area of science education both locally and internationally. The conference addressed what it will take to boost science teaching and learning.

The proceedings from the conference can be downloaded from thsis page. The slides accompanying the papers presented by various guest speakers are presented as Related Documents (below)

Finding A Way Forward - Panel Discussion

2006 - Boosting Science Learning - What will it take?

PowerPoint slides used by Russell Tytler and David Symington of Deakin University to guide the closing plenary discussion.

Addressing The Looming Crisis In The Supply Of Suitably Qualified Teachers, Kerri-Lee Harris

2006 - Boosting Science Learning - What will it take?

No abstract provided.

How Can Professional Standards Improve The Quality Of Teaching And Learning Science?, Lawrence Ingvarson, Anne Semple

2006 - Boosting Science Learning - What will it take?

After extensive national consultation the recent Review of Teaching and Teacher Education announced an agenda for action in its report 'Australia's Teachers: Australia's Future. One of its central themes was a call to revitalise the teaching profession. In this vein, the purpose of this paper is to provide a brief review of preliminary work at ACER, conducted in collaboration with the Australian Science Teachers' Association, to develop a standards-guided professional learning system that would lead to professional certification for highly accomplished teachers of science. This paper describes ASTA 's progress towards developing a system of certification, beginning with the development …

No Wonder The Kids Are Confused: The Relevance Of Science Education To Science, Deborah Corrigan

2006 - Boosting Science Learning - What will it take?

My experiences in science have left me wondering if we know what we want to achieve when educating students in science. An important question for science educators is: how authentic is the science presented in science classrooms? To answer this, science educators need a clear idea of what is they believe to be the purpose of science and then how they can portray that in their classrooms. This paper represents my journey in thinking about and researching of these ideas. It is my belief that, if we are to engage students in science, then science education has to be far …

Towards A Science Education For All: The Role Of Ideas, Evidence And Argument, Jonathan Osborne

2006 - Boosting Science Learning - What will it take?

This presentation offers a critical analysis of contemporary science education and the values on which it rests. Science education wrestles with two competing priorities: the need to educate the future citizen about science; and the need to provide the basic knowledge necessary for future scientists. It is argued that the evidence would suggest that it is the latter goal that predominates – a goal which exists at least, in part, in conflict with the needs of the majority who will not continue with science post compulsory education. The argument is advanced that there are four essential elements to any science …

Inquiry In Science Classrooms - Rhetoric Or Reality?, Dennis Goodrum

2006 - Boosting Science Learning - What will it take?

If one scans the science curriculum statements of the Australian States and Territories, one will find a consistent theme of inquiry and inquiry pedagogy pervading these documents. With the rhetoric of these policy documents and our sense of science education history, one would expect to see inquiry as an integral part of our secondary science classrooms. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Many secondary students are taught science that is perceived by them to be neither relevant nor engaging. Furthermore, traditional didactic teaching methods that offer little challenge, excitement or opportunities for engagement are common. There is a considerable gap …

Rethinking Science Education Through Rethinking Schooling, Jim Davies

2006 - Boosting Science Learning - What will it take?

The Australian Science and Mathematics School was designed explicitly to support a renaissance in the teaching of science and to improve the engagement of students in the disciplines of science through highly engaging authentic learning opportunities. The school has adopted an action research approach as a means of re-thinking the elements of schooling and of its science programs. Its working premise is that quality science education is embedded in quality schooling. Science is learned through an innovative interdisciplinary curriculum with a pedagogy aligned to the inquiry methodologies associated with deep engagement in scientific endeavour. The architecturally designed school has transformed …

Achievement Of Australia's Early Secondary Indigenous Students: Findings From Timss 2003, Sue Thomson, Pippa Mckelvie, Hanna Murnane

TIMSS Australia Monograph Series

The primary aim of this report is to examine the performance of Australia’s Indigenous students who participated as part of the early secondary school (Year 8) cohort of the IEA Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2003). The performance of Indigenous students in this report has been compared to that of Australia’s non-Indigenous students across a number of variables that are known to affect student achievement in TIMSS generally (Martin, Mullis, Gonzalez & Chrostowski, 2004; Mullis, Martin, Gonzalez & Chrostowski, 2004). In total, 562 Year 8 Indigenous students from 207 schools across Australia participated in the study. Indigenous …

Pisa 2006 Australia Student, Achievement And School Data [Spss] [Data Set], Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

No abstract provided.

Pisa 2006 Australia Student, Achievement And School Data [Sas] [Data Set], Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

No abstract provided.

Young People’S Perceptions Of What It Means To Be An Australian, Nola Purdie, Rhonda Craven

Student learning processes

The question “What does it mean to be an Australian?” has significant implications for understanding factors contributing to social cohesion; explaining and promoting ourselves to others; imagining and shaping Australia’s future; and shaping civics curriculum. The purpose of this study was to identify key components of Australian national identity of a sample of Australians (N = 418) comprised of primary (N=71); secondary (N=146), Technical and Further Education (TAFE) (N=59) and University (n=142) students. Participants completed a written response to the question “What does it mean to be Australian?” Responses were analysed and coded by two coders using content analysis to …

Acer 2005-2006 Annual Report, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

ACER Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Post-School Education And Training Pathways To Age 20., Sheldon Rothman, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

LSAY Briefing Reports

This Briefing summarises three recent LSAY research reports based on a sample of 13 613 young people who were in Year 9 in 1995. It focuses on those young people who entered formal post-school study at a university or a TAFE institution, or undertook an apprenticeship or traineeship since leaving secondary school. The majority of these young people completed Year 12 in 1998, and 1999 was their first year of post-school study. About one in five members of the cohort had left school before completing Year 12 and about 60 per cent of them entered some other form of study …

Lsay Cohort Report The Year 9 Class Of 1995 In 2003, Sheldon Rothman, Catherine Underwood

LSAY Cohort Reports

This report provides details of the experiences of the 1995 Year 9 cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth. Information on this cohort was first collected in 1995, when these young people were Year 9 students in Australian schools. The reference period for this report is 2003, when the modal age of respondents was 22 years. Information about the 1995 Year 9 LSAY cohort’s activities in previous years is available in earlier reports in this series: McKenzie (2002), Rothman (2002), Rothman and Hillman (2003) and Hillman (2003).

Lsay Cohort Report The Year 9 Class Of 1995 In 2004, Catherine Underwood

LSAY Cohort Reports

This report provides details of the experiences of the 1995 Year 9 cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth. Information on this cohort was first collected in 1995, when these young people were Year 9 students in Australian schools. The reference period for this report is 2004, when the modal age of respondents was 23 years. Information about the 1995 Year 9 LSAY cohort’s activities in previous years is available in earlier reports in this series: McKenzie (2002), Rothman (2002), Rothman and Hillman (2003), Hillman (2003) and Rothman (2005).

Lsay Cohort Report The Year 9 Class Of 1998 In 2003, Sheldon Rothman, Catherine Underwood

LSAY Cohort Reports

This report provides details of the experiences of the 1998 Year 9 cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth. Information on this cohort was first collected in 1998, when these young people were Year 9 students in Australian schools. The reference period for this report is October 2003, when the modal age of respondents was 19 years. Information about the cohort’s activities in previous years is available in earlier reports in this series: Fullarton (2001), Rothman (2001), Rothman (2002) and Hillman and Rothman (2003).

Lsay Cohort Report The Year 9 Class Of 1998 In 2004, Catherine Underwood

LSAY Cohort Reports

This report provides details of the experiences of the 1998 Year 9 cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth. Information on this cohort was first collected in 1998, when these young people were Year 9 students in Australian schools. The reference period for this report is October 2004, when the modal age of respondents was 21 years. Information about the cohort’s activities in previous years is available in earlier reports in this series: Fullarton (2001), Rothman (2001), Rothman (2002), Hillman and Rothman (2003) and Rothman (2005).

Non-Apprenticeship Vet Courses : Participation, Persistence And Subsequent Pathways., Julie Mcmillan, Sheldon Rothman, Nicole Wernert

LSAY Research Reports

This report examines recent school leavers who commenced non-apprenticeship VET courses in Australia during the late 1990s. The focus is on the early post-school years, up to age 20. The report has two broad aims: to describe the educational, training and labour market pathways of non-apprenticeship VET course entrants; and to identify factors associated with persistence in non-apprenticeship VET courses. The report uses data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) to address each of these aims. The findings are based upon a sample of young people who had been in Year 9 in 1995 and who commenced a …

Teaching Reading: Report And Recommendations, Ken Rowe, National Inquiry Into The Teaching Of Literacy (Australia)

School and system improvement

The objectives of the Inquiry were to review and analyse recent national and international research about literacy teaching approaches; identify the extent to which prospective teachers are provided with reading teaching approaches and skills that are effective in the classroom and have the opportunities to develop and practise the skills required to implement effective classroom reading programs; identify the ways in which research evidence on literacy teaching and policies in Australian schools can best inform classroom teaching practice and support teacher professional learning; examine the effectiveness of assessment methods being used to monitor the progress of students' early reading learning; …

Teaching Reading: Literature Review: A Review Of The Evidence-Based Research Literature On Approaches To The Teaching Of Literacy, Particularly Those That Are Effective In Assisting Students With Reading Difficulties, Ken Rowe, National Inquiry Into The Teaching Of Literacy (Australia)

School and system improvement

Underlying a key purpose of the present review is the conviction that claims about what constitute effective literacy teaching, and of reading in particular, should be grounded in findings from rigorous evidence-based research. To this end, the present review of the research literature on teaching practices for students, with and without reading difficulties, relies largely, though not exclusively, on well-designed meta analytic syntheses that: (a) partial out methodological artefacts from the effect sizes; and (b) base their analyses on the actual procedures and components of instruction used in the studies reviewed. Following a brief outline of the background and purposes …

Participation In And Progress Through New Apprenticeships, John Ainley, Matthew Corrigan

LSAY Research Reports

New Apprenticeships provide a pathway from school to adult working life for a significant proportion of each cohort of young people and thus make a potentially important contribution to the formation of skills for individuals and for the community as a whole. New Apprenticeships are based on a formal combination of study and work that links learning in the workplace with learning in an educational institution. They incorporate both traditional apprenticeships and traineeships. This report focuses on two broad research questions : What are the characteristics of young people who commence a New Apprenticeship overall, as well as of those …

Young People Outside The Labour Force And Full-Time Education : Activities And Profiles, Kylie Hillman

LSAY Research Reports

This report focuses on a group of young people who are not involved in full-time education or the labour force, that is, they are not studying full-time, nor are they working or looking for work. The report has three broad aims : to investigate the socio-demographic and educational profiles of those young people; to investigate the activities of this group; and to investigate the stability over time of the group. [Extract, ed]

Unmet Demand? Characteristics And Activities Of University Applicants Not Offered A Place, Gary Marks

LSAY Research Reports

This report focuses on Year 12 students who apply to go to university but are not offered a place. This group is commonly referred to as indicating a level of 'unmet demand' for university. The size and nature of the group are potentially important considerations in planning higher education. [p.v]

Life Satisfaction Of Young Australians : Relationships Between Further Education, Training And Employment And General And Career Satisfaction, Kylie Hillman, Julie Mcmillan

LSAY Research Reports

This report has three broad aims : To describe the relationship between life satisfaction and participation in a range of post-school education, training and labour market activities each year between 1999 and 2002; To assess whether the relationship between life satisfaction and post-school activities holds after prior levels of life satisfaction are taken into account; To assess whether movement between activities in the post-school years is associated with changes in life satisfaction. [p.v]