Learning about social and moral values for active citizenship: Educational policy and practice in early education. It is economically sound to invest in quality early education programs to ensure productive engagement for individuals in society. In particular, the early years are considered to be a significant period for learning moral and social values necessary to ensure a tolerant and cohesive society. This study will provide an evidence base for how educational policy and practice, informed ....Learning about social and moral values for active citizenship: Educational policy and practice in early education. It is economically sound to invest in quality early education programs to ensure productive engagement for individuals in society. In particular, the early years are considered to be a significant period for learning moral and social values necessary to ensure a tolerant and cohesive society. This study will provide an evidence base for how educational policy and practice, informed by teacher beliefs, do (or do not) support children's moral and social learning about active citizenship.Read moreRead less
Schooling the nation in an age of globalization: National curriculum, accountabilities and their effects. The research will contribute to the development of Australia's human capital through the enhancement of knowledge concerning the policy settings necessary at national and state systemic levels for achieving higher quality and more equitable student outcomes. The research will advance understandings of how education federalism can best be utilized to achieve such outcomes. Analyses of NAPLAN ....Schooling the nation in an age of globalization: National curriculum, accountabilities and their effects. The research will contribute to the development of Australia's human capital through the enhancement of knowledge concerning the policy settings necessary at national and state systemic levels for achieving higher quality and more equitable student outcomes. The research will advance understandings of how education federalism can best be utilized to achieve such outcomes. Analyses of NAPLAN and PISA data will also provide policy and practice relevant knowledge for systems and for schools. The project will strengthen Australia's research capacity in education policy studies and its reputation in the academic field, and contribute to improved research-based policy making in education.
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Family literacy practices, pedagogy and achievement in year one: A quantitative sociological study. Who succeeds and fails in the first year of school literacy? Why and how? Standards and methods for teaching initial literacy are the topic of national policy debate. Yet the debate often is based upon generic and populist claims about the efficacy of instructional methods, relying upon small scale and overseas studies. This is the first large scale quantitative study of variable sociodemographic ....Family literacy practices, pedagogy and achievement in year one: A quantitative sociological study. Who succeeds and fails in the first year of school literacy? Why and how? Standards and methods for teaching initial literacy are the topic of national policy debate. Yet the debate often is based upon generic and populist claims about the efficacy of instructional methods, relying upon small scale and overseas studies. This is the first large scale quantitative study of variable sociodemographic factors, home experiences, instructional treatment and literacy achievement. It addresses policy debates on phonics, early intervention and standards. It will offer guidance for the development of early childhood curriculum strategies and programs.Read moreRead less
Revival' in the Middle East: The Genesis of Israeli ('Modern Hebrew') - lessons for revival of no-longer spoken Australian languages. This project will enhance mutual understanding within multicultural Australia: (1) helping community leaders seeking to apply the lessons of Israeli to the revival of no-longer spoken Australian languages; (2) assisting local Jews to explore their roots and substantially improving Israeli and Hebrew teaching methodologies at universities and Jewish schools in Aust ....Revival' in the Middle East: The Genesis of Israeli ('Modern Hebrew') - lessons for revival of no-longer spoken Australian languages. This project will enhance mutual understanding within multicultural Australia: (1) helping community leaders seeking to apply the lessons of Israeli to the revival of no-longer spoken Australian languages; (2) assisting local Jews to explore their roots and substantially improving Israeli and Hebrew teaching methodologies at universities and Jewish schools in Australia. Globally, the project will enhance Australia's understanding of social, political and cultural conditions in the Middle East, by facilitating a clearer and more complex understanding of the languages and politics in the region. It will therefore make a valuable contribution to the war against terrorism, now the major threat to national security.Read moreRead less
The International Baccalaureate in Australian schools: a sociological case study. The International Baccaluareate is being adopted by many Australian schools seeking an alternative to state curricula. In current debates over a national curriculum, there has been federal government and media support for the IB as a prototype for policy reform. This project will provide the first documentation on the spread of the IB, its target student/family cohorts, school implementation issues, student experie ....The International Baccalaureate in Australian schools: a sociological case study. The International Baccaluareate is being adopted by many Australian schools seeking an alternative to state curricula. In current debates over a national curriculum, there has been federal government and media support for the IB as a prototype for policy reform. This project will provide the first documentation on the spread of the IB, its target student/family cohorts, school implementation issues, student experiences and outcomes. It will evaluate its claims about the preparation of students for new economies, global citizenship and identity.
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Disciplinarity and classroom practice: Epistemological issues in the analysis and improvement of teaching and learning. Demands on levels of content and technical knowledge are accelerating from many employment sectors in Australia and elsewhere. In addition, there is an increasing need to apply knowledge to complex problems in innovative and flexible ways and in authentic settings not readily simulable in traditional schooling. The proposed project addresses fundamental questions about epistemo ....Disciplinarity and classroom practice: Epistemological issues in the analysis and improvement of teaching and learning. Demands on levels of content and technical knowledge are accelerating from many employment sectors in Australia and elsewhere. In addition, there is an increasing need to apply knowledge to complex problems in innovative and flexible ways and in authentic settings not readily simulable in traditional schooling. The proposed project addresses fundamental questions about epistemology, curriculum, and everyday classroom practice. It offers novel and evidence-based approaches to the building of discipline-based knowledge, and thus has powerful implications for the revitalising of Australian education to meet the urgent requirements of new economic, technological, and cultural times put pressures on education. Read moreRead less
The status and conceptualisation of cultural knowledge in language-in-education policy for second/foreign language education. This project aims to develop a coherent understanding of approaches to issues of culture and interculturality in languages-in-education planning and policy for the teaching of second/foreign languages in Australia, Europe, North America and Asia. This will involve both a study of the ways in which culturally focused curriculum and content are included in language-in-educa ....The status and conceptualisation of cultural knowledge in language-in-education policy for second/foreign language education. This project aims to develop a coherent understanding of approaches to issues of culture and interculturality in languages-in-education planning and policy for the teaching of second/foreign languages in Australia, Europe, North America and Asia. This will involve both a study of the ways in which culturally focused curriculum and content are included in language-in-education plans and policies, and a study of the ways in which the cultural component of language education is conceptualised in such plans and policies. These studies will provide a basis for examining the consistency of treatment of culture in language-in-education planning and policy.Read moreRead less
Enhancing quality in long day care: Investigating professional beliefes and practices of child care workers. The Commonwealth Government's National Agenda for Early Childhood recognises the importance of quality of staff in children's services to ensure overall program quality. This research focuses on the vocational training for child care workers. It advances knowledge about how contextual and personal factors contribute to the development of epistemological beliefs about teaching in early ed ....Enhancing quality in long day care: Investigating professional beliefes and practices of child care workers. The Commonwealth Government's National Agenda for Early Childhood recognises the importance of quality of staff in children's services to ensure overall program quality. This research focuses on the vocational training for child care workers. It advances knowledge about how contextual and personal factors contribute to the development of epistemological beliefs about teaching in early education that enables child care workers to become more critical and reflective practitioners. The research recognises the directions of the National Strategy for Vocational Education and Training, 2004 -2010 which emphasise that vocational education needs to provide skills and knowledge which enhance employability and lifelong learning.Read moreRead less
The Impact of Risk Management on Higher Degree Research Policy and Pedagogy in Australian Universities. In the context of heightened concerns about the outcomes of Higher Degree Research (HDR) programs in Australia, this project seeks to make a systematic inquiry into the ways that higher degree policy and pedagogy are impacted by the recent focus on risk management as an organisational imperative in universities. It will do so by investigating whether and how the social, cultural and institutio ....The Impact of Risk Management on Higher Degree Research Policy and Pedagogy in Australian Universities. In the context of heightened concerns about the outcomes of Higher Degree Research (HDR) programs in Australia, this project seeks to make a systematic inquiry into the ways that higher degree policy and pedagogy are impacted by the recent focus on risk management as an organisational imperative in universities. It will do so by investigating whether and how the social, cultural and institutional processes related to the management of risk are changing HDR policy and pedagogy in science- and social science-related departments within four Australian universities - a Group of Eight, an ATN, a 'dual mode/regional and a Private university.Read moreRead less
Schooling, Globalisation and Refugees in Queensland, Australia. Project outcomes will enhance Australia's capacity to engage with its changing regional, national and global environment and address issues of national security. The project develops an analytical approach and conceptual tools to conduct multileveled policy analysis under new regional and global conditions thereby providing valuable resources to policy-makers at all levels. The project will generate case studies and a website, which ....Schooling, Globalisation and Refugees in Queensland, Australia. Project outcomes will enhance Australia's capacity to engage with its changing regional, national and global environment and address issues of national security. The project develops an analytical approach and conceptual tools to conduct multileveled policy analysis under new regional and global conditions thereby providing valuable resources to policy-makers at all levels. The project will generate case studies and a website, which will improve the capacity of schools, teachers and policy-makers to meet the educational needs of refugee students, to advance the development of inclusive education and the achievement of equal opportunity for all Australian students.Read moreRead less