Girls, Empowerment, and Markets in Education: A History of The Mac.Robertsons Girls' High School. With its centenary approaching, the school wants to evaluate its past. In cooperation with RMIT, the writing of a school history can produce three important outcomes. As historian in residence, the doctoral scholar can provide focus for self reflection by the school community. As social history, the work can fill a significant gap in the understanding of publicly funded education in Australia. As co ....Girls, Empowerment, and Markets in Education: A History of The Mac.Robertsons Girls' High School. With its centenary approaching, the school wants to evaluate its past. In cooperation with RMIT, the writing of a school history can produce three important outcomes. As historian in residence, the doctoral scholar can provide focus for self reflection by the school community. As social history, the work can fill a significant gap in the understanding of publicly funded education in Australia. As contribution to policy, it can address two continuing debates: about the place of selective state schools in a national system of education, and about the dynamics of single sex schools, and the education of girls more generally.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
From high school to higher education: Gendered pathways in information, communication and computer technology education. Serious gender-based disparities exist in participation in the Information, Communication, and Computing Technologies (ICCT) field, in both higher education and industry, with a 2004 review of Australian university participation rates identifying women as an equity target group in this field. A multi-method, multi-stage project has been design to identify the processes that le ....From high school to higher education: Gendered pathways in information, communication and computer technology education. Serious gender-based disparities exist in participation in the Information, Communication, and Computing Technologies (ICCT) field, in both higher education and industry, with a 2004 review of Australian university participation rates identifying women as an equity target group in this field. A multi-method, multi-stage project has been design to identify the processes that lead to this gender gap. Specifically, the project will focus on students' experiences and decisions at secondary school in three states to ascertain why so few girls choose to enter university-level ICCT courses, and what strategies could be implemented in schools to remedy this problem. Read moreRead less
The impact of attitudes and policies relating to obesity and related health issues on school policy and practices. Governments have made and are continuing to make substantial investments in policies, strategies and research to address the perceived risk of obesity and related health issues. Schools in particular have been targeted to address the issue. This research seeks to inform public policy and school practices by examining how the new health imperatives are being taken up by schools. It w ....The impact of attitudes and policies relating to obesity and related health issues on school policy and practices. Governments have made and are continuing to make substantial investments in policies, strategies and research to address the perceived risk of obesity and related health issues. Schools in particular have been targeted to address the issue. This research seeks to inform public policy and school practices by examining how the new health imperatives are being taken up by schools. It will examine how these imperatives are shaping schools' priorities and teaching about health, and how this, in turn, influences young people's attitudes and understandings of their own and others' health, in particular in relation to physical activity and food.Read moreRead less
Implementing Engineering Experiences in the Middle School. Engineering and science are increasingly recognized as enablers for invention, innovation, and economic growth. Advances in these domains that improve society will increasingly depend on our ability to educate school students about the world of engineering prior to entering university. The study's national benefits include: exposing young students to the world of engineering and its rich career opportunities; showcasing engineering for ....Implementing Engineering Experiences in the Middle School. Engineering and science are increasingly recognized as enablers for invention, innovation, and economic growth. Advances in these domains that improve society will increasingly depend on our ability to educate school students about the world of engineering prior to entering university. The study's national benefits include: exposing young students to the world of engineering and its rich career opportunities; showcasing engineering for female students; promoting mathematics and science as key enabling subjects for engineering; addressing national research priorities including an environmentally sustainable Australia; and engaging engineers and educators, including undergraduates, in seminal collaborative research and resource development.Read moreRead less
Understanding adolescent leadership for civic engagement in secondary schools and community groups. Using the 'research voice' of adolescents as an investigation technique, this project will develop new conceptual knowledge to inform youth-centric leadership interventions aimed at engaging young people in civic action in schools and community groups. The key benefit is the discovery of new understandings about youth leadership and its connection to enhanced civic engagement, both prerequisites f ....Understanding adolescent leadership for civic engagement in secondary schools and community groups. Using the 'research voice' of adolescents as an investigation technique, this project will develop new conceptual knowledge to inform youth-centric leadership interventions aimed at engaging young people in civic action in schools and community groups. The key benefit is the discovery of new understandings about youth leadership and its connection to enhanced civic engagement, both prerequisites for responsible citizenship in workplaces and the wider community.Read moreRead less
The Impact of Training in Self-Directed Learning Upon the Self-Regulation, Academic Resilience, and Achievement Motivation of Female Adolescents. In adolescence, girls appear less willing to work independently or take academic risks. This innovative effort to provide systematic training in learning to work independently may perhaps circumvent conscious underachievement in school, as well as provide teachers with concrete methods for this circumvention. The innovation of the intervention itself w ....The Impact of Training in Self-Directed Learning Upon the Self-Regulation, Academic Resilience, and Achievement Motivation of Female Adolescents. In adolescence, girls appear less willing to work independently or take academic risks. This innovative effort to provide systematic training in learning to work independently may perhaps circumvent conscious underachievement in school, as well as provide teachers with concrete methods for this circumvention. The innovation of the intervention itself will be its systematicity in incorporating self-direction skills within regular coursework in history rather than presenting it as a "stand alone" curriculum. Of import to researchers will be the assessment of "growth" in constructs heretofore theorized well, but not well measured: academic resilience, achievement motivation, and self-regulation.Read moreRead less
Digital Divas: Designing approaches to enthuse girls' interest in ICT studies and ICT careers. A strong information and communications technology (ICT) industry, a skilled ICT workforce and excellence in ICT research is vital to Australia's future. However, girls' interest in ICT, and the numbers of women entering the ICT workforce, are at record lows, while Industry skills are critically short. Digital Divas will pioneer a program to build girls' ICT skills and confidence, increasing their mot ....Digital Divas: Designing approaches to enthuse girls' interest in ICT studies and ICT careers. A strong information and communications technology (ICT) industry, a skilled ICT workforce and excellence in ICT research is vital to Australia's future. However, girls' interest in ICT, and the numbers of women entering the ICT workforce, are at record lows, while Industry skills are critically short. Digital Divas will pioneer a program to build girls' ICT skills and confidence, increasing their motivation to study ICT and enter the ICT workforce. The benefits of education will be maximised by addressing the gender digital divide evident in classrooms, universities and professions.Read moreRead less
Educating the Adolescent: An historical study of curriculum, counselling and citizenship in Australia 1930s -70s. This project is a history of the education of Australian adolescents during the mid-twentieth century (1930s-70s). It investigates international and Australian practices and debates concerning how best to prepare adolescents for citizenship; and examines changing ideas about the 'good student', and the role of school curriculum and counselling services in shaping student values and w ....Educating the Adolescent: An historical study of curriculum, counselling and citizenship in Australia 1930s -70s. This project is a history of the education of Australian adolescents during the mid-twentieth century (1930s-70s). It investigates international and Australian practices and debates concerning how best to prepare adolescents for citizenship; and examines changing ideas about the 'good student', and the role of school curriculum and counselling services in shaping student values and wellbeing. Combining documentary and oral history research, it provides historical perspectives on these topical issues, which will benefit policy, teacher education and teaching practice. It will create an oral history archive for, and deepen community and professional knowledge of, an important period of Australian educational history. Read moreRead less