Tertiary education and social capital in Victoria: the effects of the new economy courses in Business and IT. Over one third of tertiary students are enrolled in the fast-growing new economy disciplines in business studies and IT. In partnership with the Victorian government, this project studies the contribution of business and IT courses to social capital, the collaborative networks that underpin economic innovation and sustainable community. The research will survey and interview Victorian 15 ....Tertiary education and social capital in Victoria: the effects of the new economy courses in Business and IT. Over one third of tertiary students are enrolled in the fast-growing new economy disciplines in business studies and IT. In partnership with the Victorian government, this project studies the contribution of business and IT courses to social capital, the collaborative networks that underpin economic innovation and sustainable community. The research will survey and interview Victorian 1500 graduates from 12 higher education and VET institutions (6 rural); and survey and interview employers and community leaders. The research will inform Victoria's education policy and Growing Victoria Together strategy, and encourage tertiary institutions throughout Australia to strengthen their contribution to social capital.Read moreRead less
From colonisation to conciliation: A collaborative examination of social work practice with Indigenous populations. The social work profession, along with many other human service professions, has a complex history of working with Indigenous populations. One of the significant factors in the maintenance of this problematic relationship is the marginalisation of Indigenous issues within mainstream social work practice. This project, in collaborating with Indigenous communities, social work practi ....From colonisation to conciliation: A collaborative examination of social work practice with Indigenous populations. The social work profession, along with many other human service professions, has a complex history of working with Indigenous populations. One of the significant factors in the maintenance of this problematic relationship is the marginalisation of Indigenous issues within mainstream social work practice. This project, in collaborating with Indigenous communities, social work practitioners and academics in Australia and the United States, will examine current practice needs and their interrelationship with current social work pedagogy. This analysis will identify the ways in which social work practice can enhance, rather than inhibit, Indigenous well-being, and how social work education can be reframed so as to engender such practice.Read moreRead less
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
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
Education and training and regional networks: the implications for outcomes and governance. The project will investigate local learning and employment networks (LLENs) that have been established in Victoria. It will analyse the effectiveness of networks in delivering education and training services and improving outcomes for young people. The inter- and intra-action of networks, and their relationships with government in policy formation will also be analysed. The project is located in a majo ....Education and training and regional networks: the implications for outcomes and governance. The project will investigate local learning and employment networks (LLENs) that have been established in Victoria. It will analyse the effectiveness of networks in delivering education and training services and improving outcomes for young people. The inter- and intra-action of networks, and their relationships with government in policy formation will also be analysed. The project is located in a major and unique innovation in education and training, and for the first time will apply meso level theory and methodology in this area of public policy. It will provide new findings on effectiveness of networks in education outcomes.Read moreRead less
International Students in the Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) Sector: Study Purposes, Learning Practices and Institutional Responses. This research melds with the fundamental objectives of the Australian National Strategy for VET 2004-2010 which aims to increase vocational education and training exports and ensure Australian VET standards are more harmonized with international standards. The project will assist the development of policies and strategies that can address the co ....International Students in the Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) Sector: Study Purposes, Learning Practices and Institutional Responses. This research melds with the fundamental objectives of the Australian National Strategy for VET 2004-2010 which aims to increase vocational education and training exports and ensure Australian VET standards are more harmonized with international standards. The project will assist the development of policies and strategies that can address the complex needs of the international student population and the capacity of the VET sector to internationalise the curriculum. The project will also identify qualities and factors that are important for optimizing the competition of the VET sector in the global education industry which has become Australia's leading services export sector.Read moreRead less
Staying on at school: strategies for increasing high school completion rates in low-retention regions of NSW. Leaving school early has been shown to have detrimental effects on the life chances, well being and health of young people and their communities. Despite this, a significant portion of today's youth chooses to leave school early. Unfortunately, little is understood about the processes and factors involved in the decision to leave school, and hence schools and systems are uncertain about ....Staying on at school: strategies for increasing high school completion rates in low-retention regions of NSW. Leaving school early has been shown to have detrimental effects on the life chances, well being and health of young people and their communities. Despite this, a significant portion of today's youth chooses to leave school early. Unfortunately, little is understood about the processes and factors involved in the decision to leave school, and hence schools and systems are uncertain about how to decrease dropping out. Understanding the processes and factors involved in the decision to leave school early, and identifying the basis for between-school differences, will assist in the development of programs and curricula that will be more successful in increasing retention rates, hence enhancing the skill base of Australia's youth.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
School knowledge, working knowledge and the knowing subject: a review of state curriculum policies 1975-2005. Schooling is a central institution for forming the knowledge, workers and citizens of Australia's future, and this is a period of widespread curriculum change. This project's systematic review of state differences is an important resource for moves in a 'nationally consistent' direction. The project charts what is and is not being taken up in relation to new vocational agendas and new co ....School knowledge, working knowledge and the knowing subject: a review of state curriculum policies 1975-2005. Schooling is a central institution for forming the knowledge, workers and citizens of Australia's future, and this is a period of widespread curriculum change. This project's systematic review of state differences is an important resource for moves in a 'nationally consistent' direction. The project charts what is and is not being taken up in relation to new vocational agendas and new conceptions of knowledge. It provides a fresh perspective on Australian curriculum emphases, competing agendas, issues to be addressed and makes possible a more realistic appraisal of the conditions in which innovation and reform need to be developed.Read moreRead less
Lexical expertise and reading skill: An experimental analysis of individual differences in written language proficiency. The Federal Government's current National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy highlights the importance of an evidence-based approach to teaching and assessing literacy. Considerable research and policy effort has been directed towards early reading programs. Much less attention has been paid to evaluating children's later development of reading comprehension and spelling pr ....Lexical expertise and reading skill: An experimental analysis of individual differences in written language proficiency. The Federal Government's current National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy highlights the importance of an evidence-based approach to teaching and assessing literacy. Considerable research and policy effort has been directed towards early reading programs. Much less attention has been paid to evaluating children's later development of reading comprehension and spelling proficiency, but there is wide diversity in these skills within the adult population that influence educational and vocational opportunity. This investigation of the factors underlying expertise in reading and spelling will provide evidence that can contribute to developing educational policy and curricula for the later stages of schooling.Read moreRead less