Finding the pathways to crime prevention for socially disadvantaged communities: theory, evidence and practice. Long-term scientific evaluations of interventions that 'get in early' before crime problems emerge or become entrenched have consistently shown that such approaches work. However, governments and community agencies struggle to use this evidence to mount effective programs in areas of concentrated disadvantage because the evidence comes in the form of 'program packages' rather than mode ....Finding the pathways to crime prevention for socially disadvantaged communities: theory, evidence and practice. Long-term scientific evaluations of interventions that 'get in early' before crime problems emerge or become entrenched have consistently shown that such approaches work. However, governments and community agencies struggle to use this evidence to mount effective programs in areas of concentrated disadvantage because the evidence comes in the form of 'program packages' rather than models of practice that take account of local contexts and the challenges involved in achieving effective and sustainable engagement with local people and institutions. This project will show how models of effective crime prevention practice for disadvantaged communities can be developed, tested and implemented on a large scale in an economically efficient way.Read moreRead less
Middle Years Transition, Engagement and Achievement in Mathematics - The MYTEAM Project. It is a Commonwealth policy objective that all students attain essential numeracy skills. In reality, 30% of 15 year olds do not attain these skills. Alongside this are declining enrolments in mathematics, a trend away from advanced mathematics courses, and an emerging 'skills shortage' in mathematics-related pathways. The MYTEAM project provides new solutions to national problems associated with disengageme ....Middle Years Transition, Engagement and Achievement in Mathematics - The MYTEAM Project. It is a Commonwealth policy objective that all students attain essential numeracy skills. In reality, 30% of 15 year olds do not attain these skills. Alongside this are declining enrolments in mathematics, a trend away from advanced mathematics courses, and an emerging 'skills shortage' in mathematics-related pathways. The MYTEAM project provides new solutions to national problems associated with disengagement, under-participation and underperformance in mathematics and empowers more individuals to aspire to and realise mathematics-related employment opportunities. Addressing such a shortfall in the labour market will have a positive impact on the future economy, the nation's social well-being, and individuals' pathways beyond school.Read moreRead less
What teachers do with the official curriculum: A quantitative study of factors influencing the curriculum-in-use. The Federal Government has declared 'the education revolution' as a key focus of reform. In response to public debate, it has called for a National Curriculum and a policy focus on teacher quality. This project is the first large-scale state survey of teacher engagement with and use of official curriculum documents. It will document how teacher expertise and preparation, systemic and ....What teachers do with the official curriculum: A quantitative study of factors influencing the curriculum-in-use. The Federal Government has declared 'the education revolution' as a key focus of reform. In response to public debate, it has called for a National Curriculum and a policy focus on teacher quality. This project is the first large-scale state survey of teacher engagement with and use of official curriculum documents. It will document how teacher expertise and preparation, systemic and professional support influence how teachers interpret and use the curriculum. The project will provide a new evidence-base for state and national policy reform in: curriculum, teacher education, and professional development. Read moreRead less
Creating Culturally Respectful Primary Schools: Enhancing Relationships through Strategic Professional Learning. A critical issue facing Australian school communities is how to best support teachers to build sustainable whole school approaches to respecting cultural diversity in times of increasing tension about Australia's multiculturalism. This project will investigate an innovative professional learning program to build teacher capacity to help children to think about and respond to differenc ....Creating Culturally Respectful Primary Schools: Enhancing Relationships through Strategic Professional Learning. A critical issue facing Australian school communities is how to best support teachers to build sustainable whole school approaches to respecting cultural diversity in times of increasing tension about Australia's multiculturalism. This project will investigate an innovative professional learning program to build teacher capacity to help children to think about and respond to differences constructively and to creatively problem solve ways to meet diverse needs. Outcomes will include policy and practice recommendations for the national education sector policy about how primary schools can contribute to wider social cohesion through the development of inclusive and culturally respectful school communities.Read moreRead less
Sustainable mathematics education capacity building: Empowering Indigenous teacher aides to enhance rural and remote Indigenous students' numeracy outcomes. Rural/remote Indigenous students perform well below other students in statewide numeracy tests. Because teachers are generally non-Indigenous, inexperienced and stay for less than two years and Indigenous teacher aides have little training in teaching mathematics, schools do not the capacity to affect this outcome. This project will work wit ....Sustainable mathematics education capacity building: Empowering Indigenous teacher aides to enhance rural and remote Indigenous students' numeracy outcomes. Rural/remote Indigenous students perform well below other students in statewide numeracy tests. Because teachers are generally non-Indigenous, inexperienced and stay for less than two years and Indigenous teacher aides have little training in teaching mathematics, schools do not the capacity to affect this outcome. This project will work with eight schools to improve and sustain Years 1-7 mathematics outcomes by enhancing aides' tutoring effectiveness through culturally appropriate mathematics and mathematics pedagogy knowledge. The aim is to develop principles for a professional learning program that can be used with Indigenous aides across Australia to improve Indigenous students' mathematics and therefore employment/life chances.Read moreRead less
Storythread pedagogy: transforming teachers' and students' knowledge and values regarding environmental sustainability. In this project an innovative teaching method, Storythread, is investigated as an effective way of developing in primary school-aged students a commitment to the values and practices of sustainability. Acquiring knowledge about the environment is important but not sufficent to transform everyday practices and values. Storythread not only assists students to develop relevant kno ....Storythread pedagogy: transforming teachers' and students' knowledge and values regarding environmental sustainability. In this project an innovative teaching method, Storythread, is investigated as an effective way of developing in primary school-aged students a commitment to the values and practices of sustainability. Acquiring knowledge about the environment is important but not sufficent to transform everyday practices and values. Storythread not only assists students to develop relevant knowledge, but links that knowledge to specific actions and consequential decisions that people make with regard to the environment. By assisting teachers to use Storythread effectively with diverse groups of students, this project will provide a way of developing future citizens with clear environmental values and practices so necessary in contemporary society. Read moreRead less
Improving middle years mathematics and science: The role of subject cultures in school and teacher change. Student disengagement with mathematics and science in the middle years of schooling, and the low retention rates into these areas in upper years, is of national concern. This project investigates the role of mathematics and science knowledge, and school subject cultures, in mediating change processes in the middle years. It builds on a highly successful change model developed for science te ....Improving middle years mathematics and science: The role of subject cultures in school and teacher change. Student disengagement with mathematics and science in the middle years of schooling, and the low retention rates into these areas in upper years, is of national concern. This project investigates the role of mathematics and science knowledge, and school subject cultures, in mediating change processes in the middle years. It builds on a highly successful change model developed for science teaching and learning in Victoria to investigate how generic conceptions of teacher pedagogy
and school change intersect with subject matter knowledge and traditions in the closely related areas of mathematics and science. The findings will inform future school change projects.Read moreRead less
Numeracy, ICT and equity: A study of numeracy and ICT practices in primary schools. Numeracy and ICT are key lifeskills. However, not all students gain equal access to, and success in, these key areas. This project researches the numeracy practices of primary school students and their use of ICT; identifies effective pedagogical strategies for teaching ICT in and for numeracy learning; and then uses these knowledges to develop strategies to support and enhance learning of students who traditiona ....Numeracy, ICT and equity: A study of numeracy and ICT practices in primary schools. Numeracy and ICT are key lifeskills. However, not all students gain equal access to, and success in, these key areas. This project researches the numeracy practices of primary school students and their use of ICT; identifies effective pedagogical strategies for teaching ICT in and for numeracy learning; and then uses these knowledges to develop strategies to support and enhance learning of students who traditionally are most at risk of failing in numeracy. The project produces new knowledge about numeracy as a social practice at both theoretical and practical levels in order to support numeracy outcomes for indigenous, remote and economically-disadvantaged students.Read moreRead less
Maximising Sucess in Mathematics for Disadvantaged Students. This project aims to identify strategies that teachers can use to overcome the obvious disadvantage some school students experience in learning mathematics. Currently working class and Indigenous students in Australian schools are performing very much worse than their peers in mathematics. Some currently recommended teaching strategies may be actually exacerbating this disadvantage. This project will identify the factors contributing t ....Maximising Sucess in Mathematics for Disadvantaged Students. This project aims to identify strategies that teachers can use to overcome the obvious disadvantage some school students experience in learning mathematics. Currently working class and Indigenous students in Australian schools are performing very much worse than their peers in mathematics. Some currently recommended teaching strategies may be actually exacerbating this disadvantage. This project will identify the factors contributing to the lack of success of these students, and offer strategies that teachers can use to ensure that students from disadvantaged backgrounds have the same opportunities to learn mathematics as other students.Read moreRead less
The role of representation in learning science. School science is a core area for the future prosperity and health of Australia. Poor student attitudes to science and low involvement in post compulsory science are of national concern. This project, by taking a fresh perspective on key learning issues in middle years science, when student attitudes and future plans are being forged, has the potential to lay the groundwork for more successful learning, increased retention into post compulsory scie ....The role of representation in learning science. School science is a core area for the future prosperity and health of Australia. Poor student attitudes to science and low involvement in post compulsory science are of national concern. This project, by taking a fresh perspective on key learning issues in middle years science, when student attitudes and future plans are being forged, has the potential to lay the groundwork for more successful learning, increased retention into post compulsory science, and enhanced public science literacy. By focusing on effective and innovative pedagogies and assessment strategies the project has the capacity to enhance science students' capacity for innovation, potentially laying the groundwork for increased productivity in the longer term. Read moreRead less