Optimising students’ academic trajectories: The role of growth (‘personal best’) goals. Too many students fail to reach their academic potential and, as a result, they risk being systematically denied a sense of academic ‘success’ and progress. Through a focus on academic growth (and ‘personal bests’), this research project traverses complex terrain to identify the role of growth goals and growth goal setting in students’ academic trajectories. It also tackles methodological challenges that have ....Optimising students’ academic trajectories: The role of growth (‘personal best’) goals. Too many students fail to reach their academic potential and, as a result, they risk being systematically denied a sense of academic ‘success’ and progress. Through a focus on academic growth (and ‘personal bests’), this research project traverses complex terrain to identify the role of growth goals and growth goal setting in students’ academic trajectories. It also tackles methodological challenges that have impeded research progress in this compelling area. Through strategic international and institutional links, the research program will identify innovative approaches to academic growth and growth goals that will significantly assist pedagogy and psychology aimed at optimising students’ academic potential.Read moreRead less
Language for learning: Developing learning-oriented talk in long-day-care. This study aims to identify, for the first time, key features of infant-toddler long day care (LDC) environments that support or constrain the development and use of language as a critical tool for early learning. This project expects to generate new knowledge by investigating early LDC predictors of preschool language skills, and will deliver much-needed new evidence to inform LDC pedagogy and curriculum development and ....Language for learning: Developing learning-oriented talk in long-day-care. This study aims to identify, for the first time, key features of infant-toddler long day care (LDC) environments that support or constrain the development and use of language as a critical tool for early learning. This project expects to generate new knowledge by investigating early LDC predictors of preschool language skills, and will deliver much-needed new evidence to inform LDC pedagogy and curriculum development and practice and, ultimately, to improve long term educational outcomes. This will provide significant benefits, such as improving the quality of infant-toddler LDC programs, which stands to enhance children’s learning and life-long outcomes.Read moreRead less
A RCT of an education reengagement program for at-risk youth. A RCT of an education reengagement program for at-risk youth. This project aims to determine the best and most cost-effective way to help 12–15 year olds re-engage with school when they become at-risk for dropping out, by conducting a gold-standard randomized-control trial. 20% of Australians fail to attain a Year 12 or equivalent certificate, often for preventable reasons. Dropouts are more likely to be unemployed, have psychological ....A RCT of an education reengagement program for at-risk youth. A RCT of an education reengagement program for at-risk youth. This project aims to determine the best and most cost-effective way to help 12–15 year olds re-engage with school when they become at-risk for dropping out, by conducting a gold-standard randomized-control trial. 20% of Australians fail to attain a Year 12 or equivalent certificate, often for preventable reasons. Dropouts are more likely to be unemployed, have psychological, social, and health problems, and end up in prison. This project could influence implementation of programmes and policy related to youth dropout, promote youth economic, social and physical wellbeing, and decrease their chance of committing crimes and becoming a social burden.Read moreRead less
The Role Of The Posterior Cingulate Cortex In Verbal Associative Learning
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$146,500.00
Summary
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a technique which utilises differences between oxygenated and deoxygenated blood to identify regions which are active when the brain is performing a task. This enables us to determine the regions of the brain which are involved in performing different functions. The brain regions supporting memory and learning functions include the hippocampus, the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and the frontal lobes. Research has already established the importa ....Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a technique which utilises differences between oxygenated and deoxygenated blood to identify regions which are active when the brain is performing a task. This enables us to determine the regions of the brain which are involved in performing different functions. The brain regions supporting memory and learning functions include the hippocampus, the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and the frontal lobes. Research has already established the importance of the hippocampus in memory and learning. However, the exact role of the PCC and the interaction between the PCC and other memory regions remains unclear. This study will use fMRI to investigate the role of the PCC in memory and learning. Specifically, we will compare the activity associated with performance of a difficult memory task and an easier memory task in healthy subjects. The study will then be repeated in patients sustaining damage to the hippocampus. This part of the study will allow us to see how the PCC adapts to disease in the memory system. The results of this study will further clarify the role of the PCC in memory and learning. In addition, this work may be of great importance in the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with memory disorders.Read moreRead less
Understanding motivation and practice quality in elite music performance. This project examines motivation and practice quality in elite music performance. It applies major theoretical explanations from other domains where optimising motivation and practice quality has consistently been found to increase performance, persistence, learning, creativity, and wellbeing. The expected outcomes of the project address the competitiveness of Australian musicians, particularly in light of significantly lo ....Understanding motivation and practice quality in elite music performance. This project examines motivation and practice quality in elite music performance. It applies major theoretical explanations from other domains where optimising motivation and practice quality has consistently been found to increase performance, persistence, learning, creativity, and wellbeing. The expected outcomes of the project address the competitiveness of Australian musicians, particularly in light of significantly lower funding for music institutions compared to international counterparts. The research endeavours to inform understandings about the nature of motivation and practice more generally, by extending conceptions that have until now been formed largely through research in non-artistic domains of human accomplishment.Read moreRead less
Making Australia internationally competitive: driving educational attainment by academic motivation, self-concept, engagement and aspirations. This project will extend and test predictions from motivation theory about educational choice and attainment, using multiple large national/international databases and new statistical models. This will result in better strategies to meet government targets of increasing tertiary enrolments, particularly for disadvantaged students.
The role of social-emotional learning in attaining literacy and numeracy. This project aims to characterise variability in developmental pathways to literacy and numeracy, and the factors that contribute to this variation, utilising innovative analytical approaches and population data. This project expects to generate new knowledge regarding the role of school-based social-emotional learning programs in supporting children’s achievement of literacy and numeracy. Expected outcomes of the project ....The role of social-emotional learning in attaining literacy and numeracy. This project aims to characterise variability in developmental pathways to literacy and numeracy, and the factors that contribute to this variation, utilising innovative analytical approaches and population data. This project expects to generate new knowledge regarding the role of school-based social-emotional learning programs in supporting children’s achievement of literacy and numeracy. Expected outcomes of the project include enhanced collaboration with government to deliver policy-relevant information on the most effective targets and timing for delivering social-emotional programs that maximise academic learning. This should assist policy makers to develop better strategies to support every child’s academic achievement.Read moreRead less
Literacy Instruction for Children with Autism. There is a social and economic imperative to assist all individuals to reach their full potential with regard to literacy skills. The central goal of the proposed research is to develop and evaluate new ways to support comprehensive literacy instruction for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Following our world-first pilot research, we will investigate the efficacy of the ABRACADABRA literacy instruction program delivered in small groups ....Literacy Instruction for Children with Autism. There is a social and economic imperative to assist all individuals to reach their full potential with regard to literacy skills. The central goal of the proposed research is to develop and evaluate new ways to support comprehensive literacy instruction for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Following our world-first pilot research, we will investigate the efficacy of the ABRACADABRA literacy instruction program delivered in small groups of children with ASD supplemented by a novel parent-child shared book reading program. Immediate outcomes extend beyond advances in the science of reading to upskilling parents and professionals who support children with ASD, and provision of tangible life-long benefits for individuals with ASD.Read moreRead less
Executive functioning, gender, age and medication as predictors of developmental well-being among students with ADHD. This study constructs social-cognitive phenotypes of ADHD, evaluates mental health and investigates ADHD student perceptions of classroom environment and achievement in science as functions of executive functioning, gender, age and medication. The effect of standard psychostimulant intervention and a novel nonpsychostimulant option on executive function, developmental and educati ....Executive functioning, gender, age and medication as predictors of developmental well-being among students with ADHD. This study constructs social-cognitive phenotypes of ADHD, evaluates mental health and investigates ADHD student perceptions of classroom environment and achievement in science as functions of executive functioning, gender, age and medication. The effect of standard psychostimulant intervention and a novel nonpsychostimulant option on executive function, developmental and educational outcomes will be investigated. The expected outcomes will inform more effective teacher professional development, and reduce school problems associated with psychostimulant medication and its illicit distribution by students. The linkage of health and education partners meets a nationally identified need for more effective collaboration to improve education outcomes for ADHD students.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100365
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$371,000.00
Summary
Creating better futures for children through effective parent education. Children born into circumstances of socio-economic disadvantage are at risk of missing out on the developmental, educational and social opportunities that give them the best possible start in life. By helping parents in disadvantaged families to cope with adversity, parent education services can mitigate these risks, build resilience in families, and change children's prospects for the future. This project aims to identify ....Creating better futures for children through effective parent education. Children born into circumstances of socio-economic disadvantage are at risk of missing out on the developmental, educational and social opportunities that give them the best possible start in life. By helping parents in disadvantaged families to cope with adversity, parent education services can mitigate these risks, build resilience in families, and change children's prospects for the future. This project aims to identify the most effective ways that parent educators can create lasting positive impacts for families. This project also aims to find out what needs to change to make these best practices more widespread and cost effective, including learning from study of low-cost community-based services.Read moreRead less