Empowering Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Girls, Changing Communities. This project applies Indigenous knowledges to develop new understandings and insights in the area of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls’ education. Expected outcomes of the project include: the development of a national framework that supports the education of girls and acknowledges the importance of self-determination, culture, gender and place in creating life changing educational opportunities; addressing Clo ....Empowering Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Girls, Changing Communities. This project applies Indigenous knowledges to develop new understandings and insights in the area of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls’ education. Expected outcomes of the project include: the development of a national framework that supports the education of girls and acknowledges the importance of self-determination, culture, gender and place in creating life changing educational opportunities; addressing Close the Gap targets; and creating broader long lasting positive changes regarding access, participation and success for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The outcomes of this project can provide significant benefits to the broad Australian schooling system.Read moreRead less
Providing the Mathematical Foundation for an Innovative Australia within Reform Based Learning Environments. The focus of this project is the pedagogical change that The Review of Teaching and Teacher Education indicates must take place in order to lay the quantitative foundations for advancing innovation, science, technology, and mathematics, while satisfying the requirements of a reform-based learning environment. Professional learning directed at teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and be ....Providing the Mathematical Foundation for an Innovative Australia within Reform Based Learning Environments. The focus of this project is the pedagogical change that The Review of Teaching and Teacher Education indicates must take place in order to lay the quantitative foundations for advancing innovation, science, technology, and mathematics, while satisfying the requirements of a reform-based learning environment. Professional learning directed at teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and belief structures with respect to mathematics within an environment of curricular change, will be evaluated in evidence-based terms related to teacher change and student outcomes. Significance includes the context, the middle school years in rural district schools, and the influence of technology on pedagogy.Read moreRead less
Longitudinal change for teachers and students in relation to professional learning in statistics education. There is a growing need in Australia's information society for statistically literate citizens, and for more young people to choose to continue their study of statistics past school. The evidence-based research outcomes for both teachers and students in this study, based on an innovative professional learning program catering for individual requirements of teachers, will provide a model fo ....Longitudinal change for teachers and students in relation to professional learning in statistics education. There is a growing need in Australia's information society for statistically literate citizens, and for more young people to choose to continue their study of statistics past school. The evidence-based research outcomes for both teachers and students in this study, based on an innovative professional learning program catering for individual requirements of teachers, will provide a model for industries and education systems to follow in reaching these goals. Further, each of the three collaborating industries will participate in research-based investigations into the benefits of its contributions to enhancing teacher and student outcomes in relation to statistics at the school level.Read moreRead less
'Always on' Learning Communities: M-Learning landscapes transforming school cultures. Australia is going online: Internet access in Australian business is close to 100 percent and is almost 60 percent in households (ABS 2005). Ownership of mobile devices is growing at 10 percent each year and by the end of 2007 it is predicted by Telstra that close to 90 percent of the Australian population will own a mobile device. There has been a government commitment of $73 million for the development of onl ....'Always on' Learning Communities: M-Learning landscapes transforming school cultures. Australia is going online: Internet access in Australian business is close to 100 percent and is almost 60 percent in households (ABS 2005). Ownership of mobile devices is growing at 10 percent each year and by the end of 2007 it is predicted by Telstra that close to 90 percent of the Australian population will own a mobile device. There has been a government commitment of $73 million for the development of online curriculum content in Australia and New Zealand. However, there has been limited research to inform the use of such content in classrooms and no reference to the possibilities of using mobile devices. Sustainable futures rely on the relevant preparation of our young people to succeed in the knowledge society. Read moreRead less
Statistical literacy in the education workplace: Barriers and enablers for school personnel making data-driven decisions. Using quantitative data to monitor workplace processes and improve quality requires both strong statistical literacy and commitment to such decision-making processes. This study of data usage by school personnel will contribute to the success of the National Assessment Program that monitors progress towards the National Goals for Schooling in the 21st Century. It will provide ....Statistical literacy in the education workplace: Barriers and enablers for school personnel making data-driven decisions. Using quantitative data to monitor workplace processes and improve quality requires both strong statistical literacy and commitment to such decision-making processes. This study of data usage by school personnel will contribute to the success of the National Assessment Program that monitors progress towards the National Goals for Schooling in the 21st Century. It will provide evidence from which to enhance professional learning in data interpretation for both pre- and in-service teachers. The resulting research template has application for examining (a) statistical literacy needs in other sectors and (b) workers' perceptions of quantitative data used to inform decision-making. This will enhance the smart use of data in the workplace.Read moreRead less
Children, on-line learning and authentic teaching skills in primary education. The main aim of this project is to identify the authentic skills and strategies adopted by teachers of online learning programs in rural and urban locations. By studying teaching and learning behaviours in primary education we seek to match best practice in teaching with quality online learning outcomes. ICT experts acknowledge the urgency of this knowledge. Without clear indicators for teachers we run the risk of mis ....Children, on-line learning and authentic teaching skills in primary education. The main aim of this project is to identify the authentic skills and strategies adopted by teachers of online learning programs in rural and urban locations. By studying teaching and learning behaviours in primary education we seek to match best practice in teaching with quality online learning outcomes. ICT experts acknowledge the urgency of this knowledge. Without clear indicators for teachers we run the risk of mismatched traditional techniques and minimising teaching effectiveness. The expected outcomes will be benchmarked data linking numeracy and literacy standards with best practice in on-line teaching, and an accompanying interactive web based professional development package grounded in theory.Read moreRead less
Building futures for young Australians at risk: a coordinated measurement framework and data archive. This project will build a national data base of evidence about and for programs that address the needs of the 16 per cent of young Australians currently at risk of school non-completion. It will generate important knowledge for program improvement and sustainability and coordination of evidence across diverse and fragmented programs.
Improving Regional Low SES Students' Learning and Wellbeing. This study aims to address the learning and wellbeing needs of over 7000 predominantly low socio-economic status students in regional Australia by researching the conditions that enable refinement and extension of a successful curricular and wellbeing program. The current low educational performance of this student cohort has significant negative effects on individual employment prospects and broader national productivity. Their under- ....Improving Regional Low SES Students' Learning and Wellbeing. This study aims to address the learning and wellbeing needs of over 7000 predominantly low socio-economic status students in regional Australia by researching the conditions that enable refinement and extension of a successful curricular and wellbeing program. The current low educational performance of this student cohort has significant negative effects on individual employment prospects and broader national productivity. Their under-achievement and disengagement from schooling also contribute to many antisocial, harmful short-and long-term outcomes for individuals, with significant health and other costs to the broader community. Outcomes from the project have the potential to improve these current outcomes and to be applicable to similar settings.Read moreRead less
Gauging the value of flexible learning options for disenfranchised youth and the Australian community. Investment in flexible learning options (FLOs) for young people who have disengaged from schooling requires understanding of how they work and evidence about their economic and social value. This project will provide both through innovative and integrated methods, analysing FLO sites across three Australian states and the Northern Territory.
Supporting personalised learning in secondary schools through the use of specific mathematics assessments that reveal thinking. This project will improve numeracy standards in secondary schools, by assisting teachers to personalise the teaching of each student. Through detailed research, the project will develop sophisticated assessments that clearly reveal students' mathematical thinking. On-line diagnosis will suggest teaching activities that can bring about desired conceptual changes. The eff ....Supporting personalised learning in secondary schools through the use of specific mathematics assessments that reveal thinking. This project will improve numeracy standards in secondary schools, by assisting teachers to personalise the teaching of each student. Through detailed research, the project will develop sophisticated assessments that clearly reveal students' mathematical thinking. On-line diagnosis will suggest teaching activities that can bring about desired conceptual changes. The effectiveness of the resources will be thoroughly tested, for impact on student achievement and the mathematics teaching skills of teachers, especially those working out-of-field. Rural schools will have equal access to these resources. Good numeracy provides the foundation for life-long learning, employment satisfaction and the economic competitiveness of Australia.Read moreRead less