A cross-national study of the relative impact of an oral component on PhD examination quality, language and practice. High quality doctoral degrees call for the most effective forms of assessment. This project investigates the role of oral examination in PhD assessment, common internationally but not in Australia, and is the first to compare the relative impact of oral and 'no oral' models on examination quality, language and practice.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100412
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$316,376.00
Summary
Self-regulation in children. This project aims to reconcile insights from education and cognitive psychology to develop an integrative model of self-regulation and evaluate it using a low-cost self-regulation intervention compatible with existing practices. Children with low self-regulation in the preschool years are likelier to have poorer intellectual, health, wealth and anti-social outcomes in adulthood. However, this knowledge has not yet yielded a framework for understanding self-regulatory ....Self-regulation in children. This project aims to reconcile insights from education and cognitive psychology to develop an integrative model of self-regulation and evaluate it using a low-cost self-regulation intervention compatible with existing practices. Children with low self-regulation in the preschool years are likelier to have poorer intellectual, health, wealth and anti-social outcomes in adulthood. However, this knowledge has not yet yielded a framework for understanding self-regulatory change, nor generated particularly successful methods for enacting this change. This project is expected to provide theory- and evidence-based strategies for parents, educators and governments to give young children the best possible start in life.Read moreRead less
Would more highly-qualified teachers and trainers help to address quality problems in the Australian vocational education and training system? This project examines whether and how higher-level qualifications for vocational education and training (VET) teachers would improve quality in the VET system. Government documents and public commentary indicate that the VET sector suffers from some fairly serious quality problems. This is significant because VET provides training that underpins all Austr ....Would more highly-qualified teachers and trainers help to address quality problems in the Australian vocational education and training system? This project examines whether and how higher-level qualifications for vocational education and training (VET) teachers would improve quality in the VET system. Government documents and public commentary indicate that the VET sector suffers from some fairly serious quality problems. This is significant because VET provides training that underpins all Australian industries. Most VET teachers are qualified only to a Certificate IV level. A more highly qualified VET teaching workforce is likely to lead to improvements in quality; however there is currently no firm evidence to establish this link, as the 2011 Productivity Commission report on the VET workforce pointed out. This project aims to provide much-needed evidence to guide policy.Read moreRead less
How art-based social enterprise helps marginalised young people. This project aims to analyse how art-based social enterprise organisations manage training and work transitions and develop the health and well-being of marginalised young people. After the Global Financial Crisis, young people were disproportionately affected by unemployment and precarious employment. The most marginalised young people make up more than 55% of those unemployed for more than a year. Social enterprises are a rapidly ....How art-based social enterprise helps marginalised young people. This project aims to analyse how art-based social enterprise organisations manage training and work transitions and develop the health and well-being of marginalised young people. After the Global Financial Crisis, young people were disproportionately affected by unemployment and precarious employment. The most marginalised young people make up more than 55% of those unemployed for more than a year. Social enterprises are a rapidly expanding sector of the Australian economy with 20,000 programmes in operation. Using a longitudinal, critical case methodology. the project intends to provide a strong evidence base to develop long-term strategy for policy and engagement practice in the sector.Read moreRead less
Promoting healthy eating, active play and sustainability awareness in early childhood curricula: Addressing the Ben10™ problem. A pedagogical communication strategy has been developed to allow early childhood educators to design curriculum interventions that support children’s learning about healthy eating, the importance of active play and the sustainability consequences of their food and toy selections. The aim of this study is to conduct a randomised trial to evaluate the efficacy of the curr ....Promoting healthy eating, active play and sustainability awareness in early childhood curricula: Addressing the Ben10™ problem. A pedagogical communication strategy has been developed to allow early childhood educators to design curriculum interventions that support children’s learning about healthy eating, the importance of active play and the sustainability consequences of their food and toy selections. The aim of this study is to conduct a randomised trial to evaluate the efficacy of the curriculum interventions, developed by teachers using this pedagogical communication strategy, on children’s knowledge about healthy eating, active play and the sustainability consequences of their food and toy selections. This project connects strongly with the learning outcomes of the National Early Years Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum to be implemented in 2014.Read moreRead less
Building futures for young Australians at risk: a coordinated measurement framework and data archive. This project will build a national data base of evidence about and for programs that address the needs of the 16 per cent of young Australians currently at risk of school non-completion. It will generate important knowledge for program improvement and sustainability and coordination of evidence across diverse and fragmented programs.
Metacognitive influences on teachers’ use of information and communication technology (ICT) and the implications for teacher professional development. Professional development (PD) of teachers in information and communication technology (ICT) is an urgent educational imperative, presenting significant financial and strategic challenges internationally. Many teachers experience computer anxiety and reluctance in ICT use. This research will progress understanding of metacognitive influences on tea ....Metacognitive influences on teachers’ use of information and communication technology (ICT) and the implications for teacher professional development. Professional development (PD) of teachers in information and communication technology (ICT) is an urgent educational imperative, presenting significant financial and strategic challenges internationally. Many teachers experience computer anxiety and reluctance in ICT use. This research will progress understanding of metacognitive influences on teachers? use of ICT and determine whether metacognitive theories can inform development of a peer-mentored model of teacher PD which will promote ICT capability and life-long learning for teachers. The research will test the effectiveness of the metacognitive approach in promoting whole-school change in the integration of ICT in learning and teaching.Read moreRead less
Innovations in Clinical Education for Physiotherapy Students. Australia has workforce shortages and an ageing population. Physiotherapists are key players in promoting and maintaining good health through their leadership in physical activity and rehabilitation to retain Australians in the workforce and to ensure quality of life for our ageing population. There is a national shortage of physiotherapists. Increasing numbers of physiotherapists are being trained, requiring new models of clinical tr ....Innovations in Clinical Education for Physiotherapy Students. Australia has workforce shortages and an ageing population. Physiotherapists are key players in promoting and maintaining good health through their leadership in physical activity and rehabilitation to retain Australians in the workforce and to ensure quality of life for our ageing population. There is a national shortage of physiotherapists. Increasing numbers of physiotherapists are being trained, requiring new models of clinical training as there is no capacity in conventional training to cope with student numbers. This research will develop and evaluate new models of training incorporating standardised patients (actors) and simulators (mannequins) which increase education capacity. Models are transferable to other health professions.Read moreRead less
Education meets play: a sociological study of how the new compulsory national learning framework for children zero to five years influences educators' practice. New theorising about play and education in early childhood settings has challenged traditional notions of play. This project investigates how educators respond to the requirement for play-based learning by identifying characteristics of successful educators and professional leaders, and strategies and practices that merge education and p ....Education meets play: a sociological study of how the new compulsory national learning framework for children zero to five years influences educators' practice. New theorising about play and education in early childhood settings has challenged traditional notions of play. This project investigates how educators respond to the requirement for play-based learning by identifying characteristics of successful educators and professional leaders, and strategies and practices that merge education and play.Read moreRead less
Babies, ethnographies of belonging in 'at risk' communities, and the new compulsory Early Years Learning Framework. This project will develop new understandings about how a sense of belonging can be fostered in early childhood education settings, especially for babies and their families in marginalised communities. It will produce rich accounts of belonging to assist early childhood educators to implement the new compulsory national early childhood curriculum.