Teachers' professional development, communities of practice, and the secondary school subject department: The case of health and physical education. Schools are significant sites of authentic learning for teacher professional development. This study will contribute to a better understanding of how the culture of the secondary school subject department can facilitate or hinder such development. The project will: contribute to creating more supportive work contexts for teachers thereby reducing te ....Teachers' professional development, communities of practice, and the secondary school subject department: The case of health and physical education. Schools are significant sites of authentic learning for teacher professional development. This study will contribute to a better understanding of how the culture of the secondary school subject department can facilitate or hinder such development. The project will: contribute to creating more supportive work contexts for teachers thereby reducing teacher attrition; inform the development of better polices and practices surrounding teachers' professional learning communities; contribute to national and state level initiatives for the articulation of professional standards for teaching; and optimise the professional practices of HPE teachers who, as 'allied health workers', are integral to addressing Australia's health priorities.Read moreRead less
Numeracy, Youth and Employment: A study of numeracy demands in contemporary workplaces in regional Queensland. In contemporary workplaces, the numeracy demands are varied, yet little is known about their form or skill requirements. In order for schools and other agencies to better prepare Australian youth for the demands of contemporary work, a clearer understanding of the intersection of numeracy and work is needed. This project seeks to identify the numeracy demands across a range of industr ....Numeracy, Youth and Employment: A study of numeracy demands in contemporary workplaces in regional Queensland. In contemporary workplaces, the numeracy demands are varied, yet little is known about their form or skill requirements. In order for schools and other agencies to better prepare Australian youth for the demands of contemporary work, a clearer understanding of the intersection of numeracy and work is needed. This project seeks to identify the numeracy demands across a range of industries in the Gold Coast region of Queensland. As well as examining the types of numeracy demands, the project identifies some of the best ways in which numeracy skills can be improved to meet the demands across those industries.Read moreRead less
Globalisation: New Media, New Literacies and Identities. This APF proposes three related projects that investigate (i) the social effects of new information technologies on literacy and identity, (ii) the impact of globalisation on education, and (iii) new forms of social identity among multiracial families and children. Each project will produce a book and refereed journal articles. This work is significant because it will generate new knowledge about the effects of globalization on: (i) shifts ....Globalisation: New Media, New Literacies and Identities. This APF proposes three related projects that investigate (i) the social effects of new information technologies on literacy and identity, (ii) the impact of globalisation on education, and (iii) new forms of social identity among multiracial families and children. Each project will produce a book and refereed journal articles. This work is significant because it will generate new knowledge about the effects of globalization on: (i) shifts from print to digital literacies and identities among Australian youth, (ii) the role, responsibility, and futures orientation of education systems, and (iii) changing family structures and identities in new socio-demographic contexts.Read moreRead less
Growing up in networked spaces: Tech-savvy youth constructing identities and forming social relations in online and offline worlds. This study's focus on online and offline worlds raises significant issues that relate directly to youth's participation in Australia's global knowledge-based economy, particularly youth's engagement with online technologies, and their experiences as consumers and producers of cultural materials and practices. The project's concern with significant aspects of youth g ....Growing up in networked spaces: Tech-savvy youth constructing identities and forming social relations in online and offline worlds. This study's focus on online and offline worlds raises significant issues that relate directly to youth's participation in Australia's global knowledge-based economy, particularly youth's engagement with online technologies, and their experiences as consumers and producers of cultural materials and practices. The project's concern with significant aspects of youth growing up in a world characterised by change is highly relevant for its impact on their social wellbeing and identity formation. Schools, tertiary institutions and national youth agencies will benefit from the results of this study in terms of how they understand youth's changing identities in these new times and new spaces.Read moreRead less
School to work transitions: A study of school-industry partnerships in small and medium enterprises in SouthEast Queensland. The transition from school to work in contemporary times is difficult due to changes in school, work and society. The Gold Coast region represents a unique region where there are above national and state average completions of traineeships. This project investigates the forms of school-to-work traineeships in the region in order to identify elements of best practice, and t ....School to work transitions: A study of school-industry partnerships in small and medium enterprises in SouthEast Queensland. The transition from school to work in contemporary times is difficult due to changes in school, work and society. The Gold Coast region represents a unique region where there are above national and state average completions of traineeships. This project investigates the forms of school-to-work traineeships in the region in order to identify elements of best practice, and to propose benefits and costs to key stakeholders including youth, employers and schools. The project's significance lies in its documentation of key industry and school partnerships in terms of cognitive, social and economic benefits for the long-term sustainability of youth and employment. Read moreRead less
Social Futures and Life Pathways of Young People in Queensland: Waves 2 and 3 of Longitudinal Study. Much has been written about the unprecedented change in society and how it impacts on the identities of young people. It has been argued that young people's life trajectories are much more diverse, flexible and unpredictable than they were in the past. In 2006 the investigators surveyed over 6000 young Queenslanders aged 13 about what they think of their future and how they cope with change. This ....Social Futures and Life Pathways of Young People in Queensland: Waves 2 and 3 of Longitudinal Study. Much has been written about the unprecedented change in society and how it impacts on the identities of young people. It has been argued that young people's life trajectories are much more diverse, flexible and unpredictable than they were in the past. In 2006 the investigators surveyed over 6000 young Queenslanders aged 13 about what they think of their future and how they cope with change. This project follows-up participants when they are 15 and 17 to provide important information for researchers, policymakers and others about how young people think about their futures, engage with society, and move through school, work and family in a world of rapid change and uncertainty.Read moreRead less
Social Futures, Orientations and Identities of Young People in Queensland. Much has been written about the unprecedented change in society and how it impacts on the identities of young people. It has been argued that life pathways of young people are much more diverse, flexible and unpredictable than they were in the past and that they are developing new strategies of coping with these new conditions. This research will follow a large cohort of young Australians through adolescence to empiricall ....Social Futures, Orientations and Identities of Young People in Queensland. Much has been written about the unprecedented change in society and how it impacts on the identities of young people. It has been argued that life pathways of young people are much more diverse, flexible and unpredictable than they were in the past and that they are developing new strategies of coping with these new conditions. This research will follow a large cohort of young Australians through adolescence to empirically investigate how young people think of their future and how they master their life trajectories in a world of rapid change and uncertainty. Read moreRead less
Intergenerational differences in numeracy practices: A study of contemporary practice. Young Australians have grown up in a technology-rich world where they are differently numerate. In this context, it is important to capitalize on the strengths that young Australians bring to work and education while ensuring quality outcomes for stakeholders in all sectors. This project will develop numeracy interventions that embody post-industrial times and evaluate their impact on numeracy learning for you ....Intergenerational differences in numeracy practices: A study of contemporary practice. Young Australians have grown up in a technology-rich world where they are differently numerate. In this context, it is important to capitalize on the strengths that young Australians bring to work and education while ensuring quality outcomes for stakeholders in all sectors. This project will develop numeracy interventions that embody post-industrial times and evaluate their impact on numeracy learning for young Australians; and the impact on reforming institutions such as schools, job selection agencies and workplaces. Expected outcomes include the development of numeracy interventions for key stakeholders that better prepare Australians for the changing labour markets and their inherent numeracy demands.Read moreRead less
Sustainable Selves: A New Assessment Model for Marginalised Secondary Students. Adolescents who have left schooling present a major challenge to Australian social, economic and educational policy. Disengaged youth are more likely to experience social, health and psychological risks, poverty and cultural marginalisation. The project develops an innovative model to assess the skills, knowledge and resources of marginalised students seeking to re-enter education. An authentic portfolio approach to ....Sustainable Selves: A New Assessment Model for Marginalised Secondary Students. Adolescents who have left schooling present a major challenge to Australian social, economic and educational policy. Disengaged youth are more likely to experience social, health and psychological risks, poverty and cultural marginalisation. The project develops an innovative model to assess the skills, knowledge and resources of marginalised students seeking to re-enter education. An authentic portfolio approach to assessment will be piloted and implemented at Queensland's largest provider of re-entry programs, Edmund Rice Foundation Flexible Learning Centre, supported by the Brisbane City Council. Read moreRead less
Reinvigorating middle years pedagogy in 'rustbelt' secondary schools. Internationally, the middle years of schooling are increasingly problematic for students and teachers, and thus a crucial site for pedagogical reform. The last decade of research and development is nearly exhausted. There is need for a new generation of pedagogical innovation that recognises shifts in demography, identities and socio-economic conditions. This project aims to build curriculum and pedagogical practice that enga ....Reinvigorating middle years pedagogy in 'rustbelt' secondary schools. Internationally, the middle years of schooling are increasingly problematic for students and teachers, and thus a crucial site for pedagogical reform. The last decade of research and development is nearly exhausted. There is need for a new generation of pedagogical innovation that recognises shifts in demography, identities and socio-economic conditions. This project aims to build curriculum and pedagogical practice that engage young people's lifeworlds and the concerns of their communities. It will, develop a university-school professional learning community that supports educational action research and that informs pedagogical practices through ethnographies of the everyday lives of diverse young people.Read moreRead less