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
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 Wellbeing and Learning in Middle Years Classrooms. Meaningful engagement in schooling promotes academic learning, social emotional wellbeing and healthy futures for young people. Achieving the positive engagement of all adolescent students in schooling is a significant educational challenge for Australia. This research project recognises that strong, caring and positive teacher-student relationships are critical to student engagement in Middle Years classrooms. The project will inve ....Enhancing Wellbeing and Learning in Middle Years Classrooms. Meaningful engagement in schooling promotes academic learning, social emotional wellbeing and healthy futures for young people. Achieving the positive engagement of all adolescent students in schooling is a significant educational challenge for Australia. This research project recognises that strong, caring and positive teacher-student relationships are critical to student engagement in Middle Years classrooms. The project will investigate the application of an evidence based framework of strategies and a professional learning model to support teachers in the promotion of positive learning relationships. The project will trial measures that could increase teacher capacity to promote learning and wellbeing through positive relationships.Read moreRead less
The VCE: Social Access and Transition Effectiveness. Education authorities in Australia face difficulties in reforming school programs to make them both equitable and effective in terms of learning experiences and outcomes. This project examines the extent to which young people from different family backgrounds access different "locations" within the curriculum, the quality of their instructional experience, and the post-school destinations connected with the places they held in the curriculum. ....The VCE: Social Access and Transition Effectiveness. Education authorities in Australia face difficulties in reforming school programs to make them both equitable and effective in terms of learning experiences and outcomes. This project examines the extent to which young people from different family backgrounds access different "locations" within the curriculum, the quality of their instructional experience, and the post-school destinations connected with the places they held in the curriculum. The broad objective is to make the curriculum much more transparent with respect to its underlying social patterns and processes, and thus to make it more accessible to the remedial action of both teachers and curriculum and assessment authorities.Read moreRead less
Vocational studies in school - does it matter if I'm a girl and if I'm poor? The growth of VET in Schools has been associated with government policy to promote an innovation culture and economy, to increase secondary retention, and to strengthen transition from school to tertiary study, training and work. This study seeks to examine the effectiveness of VETiS, from a gender and SES perspective, in strengthening participation, fostering student engagement and facilitating effective transition. It ....Vocational studies in school - does it matter if I'm a girl and if I'm poor? The growth of VET in Schools has been associated with government policy to promote an innovation culture and economy, to increase secondary retention, and to strengthen transition from school to tertiary study, training and work. This study seeks to examine the effectiveness of VETiS, from a gender and SES perspective, in strengthening participation, fostering student engagement and facilitating effective transition. It does so by analysing national VETiS data, followed up by a longitudinal study of students in 12 schools (small, large, single sex, co-educational, metropolitan and non-metropolitan). It uniquely combines a system-wide perspective with a detailed and qualitative school-level view.Read moreRead less
Engaging adolescents in schooling: A longitudinal study of student use of electronic self-assessment tools within advocacy models of student support. This research investigates the effectiveness of a program of student support directed to reducing adolescent disengagement from learning and early school leaving. There are potentially significant economic and social benefits to the broader Australian community, particularly in country areas and low socio-economic urban areas. Completing school pro ....Engaging adolescents in schooling: A longitudinal study of student use of electronic self-assessment tools within advocacy models of student support. This research investigates the effectiveness of a program of student support directed to reducing adolescent disengagement from learning and early school leaving. There are potentially significant economic and social benefits to the broader Australian community, particularly in country areas and low socio-economic urban areas. Completing school provides young people with a broader range of options for their economic future, promotes social inclusion, and provides greater protection against negative consequences of unemployment, such as isolation, depression, and substance abuse. Enjoyment of schooling increases the ability of young people to develop to their full potential, and lead healthy, productive and fulfilling lives. Read moreRead less
The International Classroom Research Collaboration. The International Centre for Classroom Research at the University of Melbourne is the hub of an international network of classroom researchers. Australian coordination of this major international research network ensures that the priorities and initiatives, characteristic of contemporary Australian education (eg problem-based learning, authentic assessment, and working mathematically) can be anticipated and accommodated in the research agenda o ....The International Classroom Research Collaboration. The International Centre for Classroom Research at the University of Melbourne is the hub of an international network of classroom researchers. Australian coordination of this major international research network ensures that the priorities and initiatives, characteristic of contemporary Australian education (eg problem-based learning, authentic assessment, and working mathematically) can be anticipated and accommodated in the research agenda of the International Classroom Research Collaboration. Connections with state departments of education, state and national professional associations, and Australian schools and school systems, ensure that the findings of this international collaboration will be communicated efficiently to schools and classroom practitioners in Australia.Read moreRead less
Improving middle years mathematics and science: The role of subject cultures in school and teacher change. Student disengagement with mathematics and science in the middle years of schooling, and the low retention rates into these areas in upper years, is of national concern. This project investigates the role of mathematics and science knowledge, and school subject cultures, in mediating change processes in the middle years. It builds on a highly successful change model developed for science te ....Improving middle years mathematics and science: The role of subject cultures in school and teacher change. Student disengagement with mathematics and science in the middle years of schooling, and the low retention rates into these areas in upper years, is of national concern. This project investigates the role of mathematics and science knowledge, and school subject cultures, in mediating change processes in the middle years. It builds on a highly successful change model developed for science teaching and learning in Victoria to investigate how generic conceptions of teacher pedagogy
and school change intersect with subject matter knowledge and traditions in the closely related areas of mathematics and science. The findings will inform future school change projects.Read moreRead less
Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development - Grant ID: DI0668285
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$48,570.00
Summary
Testing Ground: Investigating Indigenous Knowledge Programs and Indigenous Research Methodologies in Higher Education. This project will contribute to Australian social cohesion through the non-divisive Indigenous Knowledge approach to the teaching of Indigenous issues. Indigenous Knowledge Research is a new methodological development that will afford research in many cross-cultural contexts including those where literacy and numeracy skills are low. This research methodology has national and co ....Testing Ground: Investigating Indigenous Knowledge Programs and Indigenous Research Methodologies in Higher Education. This project will contribute to Australian social cohesion through the non-divisive Indigenous Knowledge approach to the teaching of Indigenous issues. Indigenous Knowledge Research is a new methodological development that will afford research in many cross-cultural contexts including those where literacy and numeracy skills are low. This research methodology has national and community significance because it fosters social cohesion in investigating problematic contexts through methods that bridge across groups and build community capacities to engage, identify and implement self-owned solutions. This research will facilitate the instigation of informational gathering structures in the most marginalized sectors of the Australian community.Read moreRead less
Maximising Sucess in Mathematics for Disadvantaged Students. This project aims to identify strategies that teachers can use to overcome the obvious disadvantage some school students experience in learning mathematics. Currently working class and Indigenous students in Australian schools are performing very much worse than their peers in mathematics. Some currently recommended teaching strategies may be actually exacerbating this disadvantage. This project will identify the factors contributing t ....Maximising Sucess in Mathematics for Disadvantaged Students. This project aims to identify strategies that teachers can use to overcome the obvious disadvantage some school students experience in learning mathematics. Currently working class and Indigenous students in Australian schools are performing very much worse than their peers in mathematics. Some currently recommended teaching strategies may be actually exacerbating this disadvantage. This project will identify the factors contributing to the lack of success of these students, and offer strategies that teachers can use to ensure that students from disadvantaged backgrounds have the same opportunities to learn mathematics as other students.Read moreRead less