Human Leukocyte Antigen-A and -B regulation of Natural Killer cell function. The aim of this project is to determine how genetic variation in the genes encoding cell surface receptors expressed by innate lymphocytes and the molecules they recognise diversifies their capacity to sense and respond to infection. This knowledge is critical for understanding why there are intrinsic differences between individuals with respect to their capacity to respond to different types of infection and will ultim ....Human Leukocyte Antigen-A and -B regulation of Natural Killer cell function. The aim of this project is to determine how genetic variation in the genes encoding cell surface receptors expressed by innate lymphocytes and the molecules they recognise diversifies their capacity to sense and respond to infection. This knowledge is critical for understanding why there are intrinsic differences between individuals with respect to their capacity to respond to different types of infection and will ultimately inform our capacity to better deploy personalised medicines.Read moreRead less
Sustainable Mathematical Foundations: STEM-enriched Modelling . This longitudinal project aims to generate new knowledge on how sustainable, innovative mathematics learning can be fostered through STEM-enriched mathematical modelling across the early grades. Featuring interdisciplinary processes, including engineering and science, novel modelling sequences will prompt children to adapt their existing ways of mathematical thinking to develop conceptual innovations in solving future-oriented pr ....Sustainable Mathematical Foundations: STEM-enriched Modelling . This longitudinal project aims to generate new knowledge on how sustainable, innovative mathematics learning can be fostered through STEM-enriched mathematical modelling across the early grades. Featuring interdisciplinary processes, including engineering and science, novel modelling sequences will prompt children to adapt their existing ways of mathematical thinking to develop conceptual innovations in solving future-oriented problems. New theoretical and empirical frameworks are expected to transform our outmoded problem experiences to ones that challenge all children to reach their mathematical potential. Professional learning, informed by international collaboration, is expected to transcend existing teacher development modes.Read moreRead less
Talking Maths: Bridging the gap through talk in Early Years mathematics . The study aims to address the gap in mathematical performance in Australia in relation to socioeconomic status (SES) by focusing on language and learning in mathematics. The study will design and evaluate a school-based intervention that positions language through talk as a key resource in teaching mathematics in Grades 1 and 2. Outcomes of the study will be empirical evidence of the effect of a language-based pedagogy on ....Talking Maths: Bridging the gap through talk in Early Years mathematics . The study aims to address the gap in mathematical performance in Australia in relation to socioeconomic status (SES) by focusing on language and learning in mathematics. The study will design and evaluate a school-based intervention that positions language through talk as a key resource in teaching mathematics in Grades 1 and 2. Outcomes of the study will be empirical evidence of the effect of a language-based pedagogy on young students' achievement in mathematics and further understanding of the relationship between talk and learning. These outcomes will inform policy and teacher education and have a long lasting impact on low SES students' educational and work opportunities with ultimate impact on economic and cultural prosperity.
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Enabling students' critical mathematical thinking. The capacity to use mathematics critically is essential for making prudent decisions and forming balanced judgements about economic, health, environmental and other challenges facing society. Developing Critical Mathematical Thinking (CMT) in the classroom provides students with the necessary skills to address complex real-world problems. Fostering CMT, however, is difficult and teaching practices around its development are under-researched and ....Enabling students' critical mathematical thinking. The capacity to use mathematics critically is essential for making prudent decisions and forming balanced judgements about economic, health, environmental and other challenges facing society. Developing Critical Mathematical Thinking (CMT) in the classroom provides students with the necessary skills to address complex real-world problems. Fostering CMT, however, is difficult and teaching practices around its development are under-researched and under-theorised. This study aims to generate new insight into teaching practices that can promote or inhibit students' CMT development. To address this aim, we use an innovative video-based methodology that integrates researcher and teacher perspectives on students' CMT development.Read moreRead less
Work-life learning to sustain employability: practices and policies. This project aims to explore how Australian workers can sustain their employability across their working lives. The project intends to analyse retrospective accounts from workers in order to identify the kinds of learning required by workers for their life-long employability, as well as the practices and policies that might be adopted by workplaces and tertiary education in order for Australian workers to sustain their employme ....Work-life learning to sustain employability: practices and policies. This project aims to explore how Australian workers can sustain their employability across their working lives. The project intends to analyse retrospective accounts from workers in order to identify the kinds of learning required by workers for their life-long employability, as well as the practices and policies that might be adopted by workplaces and tertiary education in order for Australian workers to sustain their employment and secure advancement. This project will provide significant benefits to a society where the working lives of Australians are lengthening and sustained employability has become a policy priority.Read moreRead less
Improving classroom writing by enhancing reflexive decisions and practice. This project aims to contribute new evidence and deliver improvements in writing skills in Australian primary schools. The project will adopt a reflexive approach utilising the team's skills in writing development and pedagogy, reflexive practice and classroom ethnography, in order to build teachers' capacities and improve writing achievement in Australian schools. Expected outcomes include new writing pedagogies that mov ....Improving classroom writing by enhancing reflexive decisions and practice. This project aims to contribute new evidence and deliver improvements in writing skills in Australian primary schools. The project will adopt a reflexive approach utilising the team's skills in writing development and pedagogy, reflexive practice and classroom ethnography, in order to build teachers' capacities and improve writing achievement in Australian schools. Expected outcomes include new writing pedagogies that move beyond dependence-building strategies and target specific types of writers in context. This should provide significant benefits for teachers, enabling them to optimise classroom conditions, and enhance students' effective decision-making in writing to improve their achievement across all school subjects.Read moreRead less
Private Literacy Tutoring: A sociology of shadow education. This project intends to investigate the extent and impact of private academic tutoring in Australia. Markets in private academic tutoring or ‘shadow education’ are growing. Globally, studies point to both positive and negative social, economic and educational impacts. In Australia, the federal government briefly funded private tutoring vouchers for students who did not meet literacy benchmarks (2004–08), but in 2013 equity concerns abou ....Private Literacy Tutoring: A sociology of shadow education. This project intends to investigate the extent and impact of private academic tutoring in Australia. Markets in private academic tutoring or ‘shadow education’ are growing. Globally, studies point to both positive and negative social, economic and educational impacts. In Australia, the federal government briefly funded private tutoring vouchers for students who did not meet literacy benchmarks (2004–08), but in 2013 equity concerns about families’ tutoring investments helped prompt a senate inquiry into the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). This project plans to study private tutoring across Australia. It aims to investigate families’ investments in shadow education and the implications of this for Australian literacy education policy. This may also be relevant in other countries where shadow education is also rapidly expanding in response to growing educational competition and testing agendas.Read moreRead less
Evolution. Morphodynamics and History of the Younghusband Peninsula. This project will examine the history and evolution of the Sir Richard-Younghusband Peninsula (SRYP) complex barrier in SA. The aims are to derive a understanding of how the influences of relative sea-level changes, neotectonics, and sediment supply, can produce remarkably different responses in barrier development. No complex barrier (i.e. foredune ridges in one portion, transgressive dunefields in another) has ever been compr ....Evolution. Morphodynamics and History of the Younghusband Peninsula. This project will examine the history and evolution of the Sir Richard-Younghusband Peninsula (SRYP) complex barrier in SA. The aims are to derive a understanding of how the influences of relative sea-level changes, neotectonics, and sediment supply, can produce remarkably different responses in barrier development. No complex barrier (i.e. foredune ridges in one portion, transgressive dunefields in another) has ever been comprehensively drilled, dated, modelled, or examined in the context of indigenous occupation and oral histories in Australia. The study provides excellent analogues for barrier and dune response, and shoreline translation to varying rates of sea level rise, paralleling pressures facing all coastlines today.Read moreRead less
Coding animated narratives as contemporary multimodal authorship in schools. This project aims to investigate a re-conceptualisation of multimodal text creation to include inter-related processes of computer programming (coding) and computational thinking, which have previously been confined to technical fields in education research. The project seeks to generate knowledge of cross-curricular teaching pedagogies and student learning of multimodal composition, coding, and computational thinking i ....Coding animated narratives as contemporary multimodal authorship in schools. This project aims to investigate a re-conceptualisation of multimodal text creation to include inter-related processes of computer programming (coding) and computational thinking, which have previously been confined to technical fields in education research. The project seeks to generate knowledge of cross-curricular teaching pedagogies and student learning of multimodal composition, coding, and computational thinking in schools. The project expects to fortify students' capabilities to participate in new forms of digital authorship, developing their capacity for innovative application of computational thinking and coding. Intended benefits include an established evidence base for strengthening English and technology curricula in Australia and internationally.Read moreRead less
Torres Strait Islander History: Sport, Culture and Identity. This project aims to investigate sport as a means of understanding the cultures, identities and history of Torres Strait Islanders. Through a community-centred approach, and a project team including Torres Strait Islanders, the project challenges versions of Australian history that marginalise the Strait or conflate Islanders with Aboriginal people. Expected outcomes of this project include a more nuanced history of Indigenous Australi ....Torres Strait Islander History: Sport, Culture and Identity. This project aims to investigate sport as a means of understanding the cultures, identities and history of Torres Strait Islanders. Through a community-centred approach, and a project team including Torres Strait Islanders, the project challenges versions of Australian history that marginalise the Strait or conflate Islanders with Aboriginal people. Expected outcomes of this project include a more nuanced history of Indigenous Australia, a significant body of repatriated resources on Islander sport and increased involvement of Islander communities in the history-making process. Anticipated benefits include a multifaceted contribution to reconciliation and better understanding of our unique and complex national identity.Read moreRead less