Making a digital difference? An investigation of new technologies in secondary schools. This project addresses the long-standing question of why digital technologies have largely failed to have a consistent impact on the core processes of schools and schooling. The overarching aim of the project, therefore, is to identify the socio-technical adjustments that might be made within schools to facilitate ‘better’ uses of digital technology. Using an innovative combination of large-scale surveying, i ....Making a digital difference? An investigation of new technologies in secondary schools. This project addresses the long-standing question of why digital technologies have largely failed to have a consistent impact on the core processes of schools and schooling. The overarching aim of the project, therefore, is to identify the socio-technical adjustments that might be made within schools to facilitate ‘better’ uses of digital technology. Using an innovative combination of large-scale surveying, in-depth ethnographic study and critical participatory design, the project will: provide rich insights into why digital technologies are often not being used to their full potential in schools; and actively collaborate with school communities in experimenting and constructing alternatives.Read moreRead less
Early childhood educators as agents of intergenerational educational change. The project aims to shed light on how early childhood (EC) educators can address intergenerational educational disadvantage by raising aspirations for their own learning and for the children with whom they work. The project arises from a tension in the current reform agenda for the Australian EC sector. The goal is for all EC educators to be skilled, reflective professionals able to support children's learning, but many ....Early childhood educators as agents of intergenerational educational change. The project aims to shed light on how early childhood (EC) educators can address intergenerational educational disadvantage by raising aspirations for their own learning and for the children with whom they work. The project arises from a tension in the current reform agenda for the Australian EC sector. The goal is for all EC educators to be skilled, reflective professionals able to support children's learning, but many educators are from backgrounds of low educational aspirations and attainment. The project will use a mixed methods approach to investigate this tension. Australian and international career and workforce data will be used to examine characteristics of educators, supplemented by 40 case studies of educators at low qualification levels.Read moreRead less
Senior secondary certification: meeting the national agenda? Senior secondary certificates are subject to multiple sets of national demands that create the risk of weakening their important historical roles and undermining stakeholder support. This project will provide a deeper understanding of the nature of the tensions that need to be balanced within the design and management of the certificates and provide information for future design options in the context of national developments in secon ....Senior secondary certification: meeting the national agenda? Senior secondary certificates are subject to multiple sets of national demands that create the risk of weakening their important historical roles and undermining stakeholder support. This project will provide a deeper understanding of the nature of the tensions that need to be balanced within the design and management of the certificates and provide information for future design options in the context of national developments in secondary and tertiary education. The project has the potential to assist state and territory agencies that are responsible for senior secondary curriculum and certification in making their contributions toward the national goals and targets for education participation set by the Australian Government.Read moreRead less
Undergraduate degrees from vocational institutions. This project aims to identify and understand the equity of broadening participation to undergraduate degrees through the recent expansion of higher education in vocational institutions. The intended outcomes will provide relevant knowledge about the effects of this expansion on creating opportunities for more equity groups to obtain degrees and for the higher education system to better drive national innovation and economic restructuring in way ....Undergraduate degrees from vocational institutions. This project aims to identify and understand the equity of broadening participation to undergraduate degrees through the recent expansion of higher education in vocational institutions. The intended outcomes will provide relevant knowledge about the effects of this expansion on creating opportunities for more equity groups to obtain degrees and for the higher education system to better drive national innovation and economic restructuring in ways that give a fairer chance to all equity groups to participate.Read moreRead less