A critical analysis of the increase in diagnosis of special educational needs in New South Wales government schools. Enhancing the ability of schools to respond to students with diverse needs has been shown to reduce student disengagement and early leaving. This research will identify ways to achieve this important goal, while reducing incentives for schools to label and segregate students who experience difficulty in schools and with learning. This will have long term benefits not only for indi ....A critical analysis of the increase in diagnosis of special educational needs in New South Wales government schools. Enhancing the ability of schools to respond to students with diverse needs has been shown to reduce student disengagement and early leaving. This research will identify ways to achieve this important goal, while reducing incentives for schools to label and segregate students who experience difficulty in schools and with learning. This will have long term benefits not only for individual students, but for communities and for the nation as a whole. The project will contribute to the Commonwealth government's national agenda linking positive educational outcomes to successful employment, broader economic participation, and enhanced social inclusion.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
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
Living and Learning in a Knowledge Society: The implications of young adults' knowledge-creating practices for higher education. As society moves into a new era, knowledge creation has become vital to Australia's participation in global society. Knowledge creation fuels innovation and economic prosperity, and fosters social cohesion through new forms of community engagement. Young adults play an important role in our society as the next generation of knowledge workers, with many already active k ....Living and Learning in a Knowledge Society: The implications of young adults' knowledge-creating practices for higher education. As society moves into a new era, knowledge creation has become vital to Australia's participation in global society. Knowledge creation fuels innovation and economic prosperity, and fosters social cohesion through new forms of community engagement. Young adults play an important role in our society as the next generation of knowledge workers, with many already active knowledge creators in their everyday and academic lives. By investigating how young adults create knowledge across these diverse contexts, this research will provide important practical insights for educators and policy-makers who are trying to determine the role of higher education in a knowledge society.Read moreRead less
Disciplinarity and classroom practice: Epistemological issues in the analysis and improvement of teaching and learning. Demands on levels of content and technical knowledge are accelerating from many employment sectors in Australia and elsewhere. In addition, there is an increasing need to apply knowledge to complex problems in innovative and flexible ways and in authentic settings not readily simulable in traditional schooling. The proposed project addresses fundamental questions about epistemo ....Disciplinarity and classroom practice: Epistemological issues in the analysis and improvement of teaching and learning. Demands on levels of content and technical knowledge are accelerating from many employment sectors in Australia and elsewhere. In addition, there is an increasing need to apply knowledge to complex problems in innovative and flexible ways and in authentic settings not readily simulable in traditional schooling. The proposed project addresses fundamental questions about epistemology, curriculum, and everyday classroom practice. It offers novel and evidence-based approaches to the building of discipline-based knowledge, and thus has powerful implications for the revitalising of Australian education to meet the urgent requirements of new economic, technological, and cultural times put pressures on education. Read moreRead less
Staying on at school: strategies for increasing high school completion rates in low-retention regions of NSW. Leaving school early has been shown to have detrimental effects on the life chances, well being and health of young people and their communities. Despite this, a significant portion of today's youth chooses to leave school early. Unfortunately, little is understood about the processes and factors involved in the decision to leave school, and hence schools and systems are uncertain about ....Staying on at school: strategies for increasing high school completion rates in low-retention regions of NSW. Leaving school early has been shown to have detrimental effects on the life chances, well being and health of young people and their communities. Despite this, a significant portion of today's youth chooses to leave school early. Unfortunately, little is understood about the processes and factors involved in the decision to leave school, and hence schools and systems are uncertain about how to decrease dropping out. Understanding the processes and factors involved in the decision to leave school early, and identifying the basis for between-school differences, will assist in the development of programs and curricula that will be more successful in increasing retention rates, hence enhancing the skill base of Australia's youth.Read moreRead less
A sociological analysis of ethnicity and compulsory schooling in NSW. Building social cohesion is a national priority. We directly address this priority through our focus on young people of low SES, ethnically diverse backgrounds in a region with a public reputation for inter-ethnic tensions and low school retention. We aim to generate insights that will shape a suite of policies and practices that teachers report effective in meeting the needs of schools and ethnically diverse students in the c ....A sociological analysis of ethnicity and compulsory schooling in NSW. Building social cohesion is a national priority. We directly address this priority through our focus on young people of low SES, ethnically diverse backgrounds in a region with a public reputation for inter-ethnic tensions and low school retention. We aim to generate insights that will shape a suite of policies and practices that teachers report effective in meeting the needs of schools and ethnically diverse students in the context of the collapse of the youth labour market.Read moreRead less
Changing schools in changing times: Stabilising and sustaining whole school change in schools serving low-income communties. This project addresses an enduring issue in educational research: how to achieve whole school change (WSC) to support improved student learning in communities experiencing significant social dislocation, educational disadvantage and student disengagement from learning. It tackles the industry partner's policy commitment to delivering substantive equity outcomes by research ....Changing schools in changing times: Stabilising and sustaining whole school change in schools serving low-income communties. This project addresses an enduring issue in educational research: how to achieve whole school change (WSC) to support improved student learning in communities experiencing significant social dislocation, educational disadvantage and student disengagement from learning. It tackles the industry partner's policy commitment to delivering substantive equity outcomes by researching a sustainable approach to WSC. We will work collaboratively with four schools to utilise a new technology of WSC that conceptualises the work of classroom teachers and school administrators as primarily pedagogical in nature. The findings will provide theoretical and practical insights on effective schooling in low income communities throughout Australia.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
Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Student Retention and Success in High School. This longitudinal study of the implementation of an Aboriginal secondary student retention and achievement program in ten centres in Western Australia will result in a policy and program framework for better education of Indigenous students. Policy formulation and the development of theoretical propositions regarding the ways schools and agencies work with Indigenous students will be an outcome of the project. This is ....Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Student Retention and Success in High School. This longitudinal study of the implementation of an Aboriginal secondary student retention and achievement program in ten centres in Western Australia will result in a policy and program framework for better education of Indigenous students. Policy formulation and the development of theoretical propositions regarding the ways schools and agencies work with Indigenous students will be an outcome of the project. This is a significant project because it will provide evidence of the success of potentially valuable strategies to encourage Indigenous students to remain at school, complete Year 12 and enter further education or the work force.Read moreRead less