The Chinese Knowledge Diaspora and the International Knowledge Network - Australian and Canadian Universities Compared. For Australia, one of the key contemporary challenges is to understand China, in ways that maximise mutual benefits. This includes the key arena of education, where the growing number of Chinese intellectuals working in Australian (and Canadian) universities, can assist in replenishing an ageing domestic academic work force,as well as forging international research networks. T ....The Chinese Knowledge Diaspora and the International Knowledge Network - Australian and Canadian Universities Compared. For Australia, one of the key contemporary challenges is to understand China, in ways that maximise mutual benefits. This includes the key arena of education, where the growing number of Chinese intellectuals working in Australian (and Canadian) universities, can assist in replenishing an ageing domestic academic work force,as well as forging international research networks. The bi-cultural, bi-lingual expertise of this Chinese knowledge diaspora constitutes a key resource with which to build trans-national research and knowledge networks,with the diverse and growing Chinese scholarly community, worldwide. The advantages, prospects and difficulties of such trans-national networks are explained. 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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Vocational Education and Training in Schools: Cultural Resistance and the Academic Tradition. This study seeks to relate how well different models of VET in Schools delivery (in different settings) work towards achieving the objectives of improved participation, more effective transitions and engagement of reluctant learners. It also seeks to assess how effectively the different ways of delivering VET are meeting governments' objectives to build Australia's skills base and provide young people w ....Vocational Education and Training in Schools: Cultural Resistance and the Academic Tradition. This study seeks to relate how well different models of VET in Schools delivery (in different settings) work towards achieving the objectives of improved participation, more effective transitions and engagement of reluctant learners. It also seeks to assess how effectively the different ways of delivering VET are meeting governments' objectives to build Australia's skills base and provide young people with effective pathways. This study will provide education and training systems with valuable data on the effectiveness of this major policy innovation for different student groups. It will do so by analysing three major school leaver data-bases, followed up by qualitative studies in 12 schools in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.Read moreRead less
Governing International Trade in Higher Education: A Comparative Study of International Education Policy Development. Australia is a major exporter of education, yet the cumulative social and economic impacts of large-scale commercial international education on our trading partners are not well researched. This project will assist in understanding the similarities and differences between Australian and other governments' objectives in relation to the growing international market in education, an ....Governing International Trade in Higher Education: A Comparative Study of International Education Policy Development. Australia is a major exporter of education, yet the cumulative social and economic impacts of large-scale commercial international education on our trading partners are not well researched. This project will assist in understanding the similarities and differences between Australian and other governments' objectives in relation to the growing international market in education, and the means governments use to regulate educational trade. This can help inform bilateral and multilateral relations between governments, educational institutions, educational peak bodies and other stakeholders.Read moreRead less
Redesigning schools and school leadership: an Australian comparative case study. This project on school redesign addresses an urgent need identified in Government and OECD reports for schools and systems to redesign in order to be more responsive to multiple social and economic pressures while addressing significant disparities between schools. Longitudinal case studies with a focus on schools in particularly challenging circumstances will reconceptualize the relationship between sustainable sch ....Redesigning schools and school leadership: an Australian comparative case study. This project on school redesign addresses an urgent need identified in Government and OECD reports for schools and systems to redesign in order to be more responsive to multiple social and economic pressures while addressing significant disparities between schools. Longitudinal case studies with a focus on schools in particularly challenging circumstances will reconceptualize the relationship between sustainable school reform, leadership, student learning and school-community relationships. These are all policy priority areas. Communication strategies aim to inform policymakers, professional associations, the new National Institute for Quality Teaching and School Leadership, and schools about how to conceptualise and sustain reform.Read moreRead less
AusAID at work: the design, delivery and impact of Australian aid to education in Asia and the Pacific. The project is designed to determine how Australian overseas aid can make more effective interventions in the education sector, at a time of significant budgetary increases. Australian overseas aid is officially regarded as a key means of promoting poverty reduction, economic growth, social cohesion, expanded trade and regional security. Each objective is significant for Australian futures. Ai ....AusAID at work: the design, delivery and impact of Australian aid to education in Asia and the Pacific. The project is designed to determine how Australian overseas aid can make more effective interventions in the education sector, at a time of significant budgetary increases. Australian overseas aid is officially regarded as a key means of promoting poverty reduction, economic growth, social cohesion, expanded trade and regional security. Each objective is significant for Australian futures. Aid to the education sector has been taking on increasing weight, given that well-performing education systems are known to impact positively in these areas. The project provides a platform for greater impact of Australian aid, including that provided in partnership with other donors.Read moreRead less
How is school socio-economic composition associated with student outcomes? A comparative study of seven countries. School socio-economic composition is strongly associated with educational outcomes for all Australian students. This association is problematic because it reduces educational equity and opportunity for students at low socio-economic schools, which in turn reduces Australia's ability to fully invest in its most valuable resource, its young people. The current Labor government is comm ....How is school socio-economic composition associated with student outcomes? A comparative study of seven countries. School socio-economic composition is strongly associated with educational outcomes for all Australian students. This association is problematic because it reduces educational equity and opportunity for students at low socio-economic schools, which in turn reduces Australia's ability to fully invest in its most valuable resource, its young people. The current Labor government is committed to investing in low socio-economic schools. This study will highlight ways to support low socio-economic schools by showing how they differ from more advantaged ones. Comparative analysis of educationally equitable and efficient countries will provide further evidence for ways to support low socio-economic schools in Australia.Read moreRead less
Academic Curriculum and School Setting : How school subjects live different lives in different schools. What is it about some schools that enables success to occur even in the most unlikely settings? This project will investigate differences in how the senior school subjects of mathematics, English and chemistry are 'delivered' in particular settings, despite curricula that are centrally determined and examined. It will explore the impact of factors such as school organisation, teaching and asse ....Academic Curriculum and School Setting : How school subjects live different lives in different schools. What is it about some schools that enables success to occur even in the most unlikely settings? This project will investigate differences in how the senior school subjects of mathematics, English and chemistry are 'delivered' in particular settings, despite curricula that are centrally determined and examined. It will explore the impact of factors such as school organisation, teaching and assessment methods, teaching resources and student background characteristics on students' experience of, and success in, these subjects. This project will identify the changes in curricula, school organisation and teaching needed for more students to successfully complete their senior secondary education.Read moreRead less
A Tale of six cities: Explaining social inequality in secondary school systems: an international comparative study. Australia is frequently compared with other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries as 'only average' in equity. But why? League tables don't explain this and commentators are vague. What good are comparisons if they don't improve student outcomes through better understanding and better policies? This study shows why inequality persists in six cou ....A Tale of six cities: Explaining social inequality in secondary school systems: an international comparative study. Australia is frequently compared with other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries as 'only average' in equity. But why? League tables don't explain this and commentators are vague. What good are comparisons if they don't improve student outcomes through better understanding and better policies? This study shows why inequality persists in six countries. It highlights the role of curriculum as a vehicle for distinguishing between students in more or less sharp ways and of selective schooling as a vehicle for gaining access to the most discriminating paths in the curriculum. It points to ways in which schooling can operate more equitably without sacrificing quality.Read moreRead less
A comparative study of history education in Australia and Canada, examining the relationship between school history and broader historical debates. Debates on history and history teaching in both nations have oscillated back and forth in a way that has generated more heat than light, frequently placing undue and unprofessional curriculum pressure on teachers of history at all levels. This project will produce an exhaustive and research-based assessment of what kinds of histories are being taugh ....A comparative study of history education in Australia and Canada, examining the relationship between school history and broader historical debates. Debates on history and history teaching in both nations have oscillated back and forth in a way that has generated more heat than light, frequently placing undue and unprofessional curriculum pressure on teachers of history at all levels. This project will produce an exhaustive and research-based assessment of what kinds of histories are being taught in schools and how they are being taught at a time when good history teaching is regarded as a vital political and cultural asset. The results will be outlined in a way that will lead to informed discussion of the nature of this crucial discipline.Read moreRead less