Integrating teachers’ knowledge and affect to improve mathematics teaching and raise attainment. Mathematics teachers need to know their subject and how to teach it and need passion for the discipline and for inspiring their students to love it. They must believe that their students can learn mathematics and set high academic expectations for all of them. Knowledge and beliefs must be addressed in order to improve teaching, but exactly how can this be done? This project aims to build on existin ....Integrating teachers’ knowledge and affect to improve mathematics teaching and raise attainment. Mathematics teachers need to know their subject and how to teach it and need passion for the discipline and for inspiring their students to love it. They must believe that their students can learn mathematics and set high academic expectations for all of them. Knowledge and beliefs must be addressed in order to improve teaching, but exactly how can this be done? This project aims to build on existing work to develop theoretical insights that will lead to innovative approaches towards teacher change based on the integration of teacher knowledge and affect.Read moreRead less
Shifting the Culture of Out-of-field Professional Education for Teachers. This project aims to model an education system that would diversify the expertise of teachers as part of attending to long-term teacher shortage. It responds to a pressing national need for a system of valued and accessible professional education (PE) for out-of-field teachers. The project draws on perspectives from schools, governments and PE providers to expose current practices, cultural norms, and policies; propose an ....Shifting the Culture of Out-of-field Professional Education for Teachers. This project aims to model an education system that would diversify the expertise of teachers as part of attending to long-term teacher shortage. It responds to a pressing national need for a system of valued and accessible professional education (PE) for out-of-field teachers. The project draws on perspectives from schools, governments and PE providers to expose current practices, cultural norms, and policies; propose an 'ideal' PE ecosystem that values re-specialisation in the core subjects; and develop principles to inform policy and practice needed to attain this ideal. The evidence-based framing of PE will inform efforts by schools, PE providers and policy makers to sustain a highly capable, adaptive and specialised teaching workforce.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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Powerful knowledge: mapping out standards of teachers' knowledge for teaching mathematics and English to achieve the goals of the curriculum. Setting standards is an important step to raising teacher quality. This project will establish benchmarks for teachers' knowledge at all levels of schooling in two key areas of the curriculum: English and mathematics.
Statistical literacy in the education workplace: Barriers and enablers for school personnel making data-driven decisions. Using quantitative data to monitor workplace processes and improve quality requires both strong statistical literacy and commitment to such decision-making processes. This study of data usage by school personnel will contribute to the success of the National Assessment Program that monitors progress towards the National Goals for Schooling in the 21st Century. It will provide ....Statistical literacy in the education workplace: Barriers and enablers for school personnel making data-driven decisions. Using quantitative data to monitor workplace processes and improve quality requires both strong statistical literacy and commitment to such decision-making processes. This study of data usage by school personnel will contribute to the success of the National Assessment Program that monitors progress towards the National Goals for Schooling in the 21st Century. It will provide evidence from which to enhance professional learning in data interpretation for both pre- and in-service teachers. The resulting research template has application for examining (a) statistical literacy needs in other sectors and (b) workers' perceptions of quantitative data used to inform decision-making. This will enhance the smart use of data in the workplace.Read moreRead less
Children, on-line learning and authentic teaching skills in primary education. The main aim of this project is to identify the authentic skills and strategies adopted by teachers of online learning programs in rural and urban locations. By studying teaching and learning behaviours in primary education we seek to match best practice in teaching with quality online learning outcomes. ICT experts acknowledge the urgency of this knowledge. Without clear indicators for teachers we run the risk of mis ....Children, on-line learning and authentic teaching skills in primary education. The main aim of this project is to identify the authentic skills and strategies adopted by teachers of online learning programs in rural and urban locations. By studying teaching and learning behaviours in primary education we seek to match best practice in teaching with quality online learning outcomes. ICT experts acknowledge the urgency of this knowledge. Without clear indicators for teachers we run the risk of mismatched traditional techniques and minimising teaching effectiveness. The expected outcomes will be benchmarked data linking numeracy and literacy standards with best practice in on-line teaching, and an accompanying interactive web based professional development package grounded in theory.Read moreRead less
Knowledge for teaching primary mathematics: How teachers' pedagogical content knowledge develops and affects classroom practices and students' mathematics achievement. The study will investigate mathematics teaching in upper primary school, to identify the influence of teachers? mathematics-specific pedagogical knowledge, first on teaching practice and subsequently on students? learning outcomes. Case study evidence shows this influence is strong, but statistical evidence shows it is weak. This ....Knowledge for teaching primary mathematics: How teachers' pedagogical content knowledge develops and affects classroom practices and students' mathematics achievement. The study will investigate mathematics teaching in upper primary school, to identify the influence of teachers? mathematics-specific pedagogical knowledge, first on teaching practice and subsequently on students? learning outcomes. Case study evidence shows this influence is strong, but statistical evidence shows it is weak. This study aims to resolve this paradox by employing quality data that probes the heart of teaching and learning mathematics within a statistical study. The growth of knowledge and classroom practices of teachers graduating from two contrasting pre-service programs will also be tracked, to inform recommendations on the nature of discipline-specific pedagogical knowledge in teacher training.Read moreRead less
Supporting personalised learning in secondary schools through the use of specific mathematics assessments that reveal thinking. This project will improve numeracy standards in secondary schools, by assisting teachers to personalise the teaching of each student. Through detailed research, the project will develop sophisticated assessments that clearly reveal students' mathematical thinking. On-line diagnosis will suggest teaching activities that can bring about desired conceptual changes. The eff ....Supporting personalised learning in secondary schools through the use of specific mathematics assessments that reveal thinking. This project will improve numeracy standards in secondary schools, by assisting teachers to personalise the teaching of each student. Through detailed research, the project will develop sophisticated assessments that clearly reveal students' mathematical thinking. On-line diagnosis will suggest teaching activities that can bring about desired conceptual changes. The effectiveness of the resources will be thoroughly tested, for impact on student achievement and the mathematics teaching skills of teachers, especially those working out-of-field. Rural schools will have equal access to these resources. Good numeracy provides the foundation for life-long learning, employment satisfaction and the economic competitiveness of Australia.Read moreRead less
Youth Gangs: The Australian Experience. Little systematic research has been undertaken in Australia into the nature and activities of youth gangs. The aim of this project is to provide a national study of youth group formations, processes of group transformation (toward or away from gangs), and strategies the might be employed to curtail gang formation and gang-related behaviour. The study will involve interviews with young people in each capital city, and focus group discussions with youth serv ....Youth Gangs: The Australian Experience. Little systematic research has been undertaken in Australia into the nature and activities of youth gangs. The aim of this project is to provide a national study of youth group formations, processes of group transformation (toward or away from gangs), and strategies the might be employed to curtail gang formation and gang-related behaviour. The study will involve interviews with young people in each capital city, and focus group discussions with youth service providers in each city. The research methods draw upon the instruments presently being developed by the Eurogang Research Network in order to facilitate cross-national comparisons. It will be the first national study of its kind, and will provide new conceptual insights into the character of youth group formation in Australia, baseline youth gang data, and analysis of possible intervention strategies.
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Student retention beyond the compulsory schooling years in rural, regional and disadvantaged communities. This project will incorporate longitudinal mixed-methods study to investigate the factors that influence student retention in schooling beyond the compulsory years in rural, regional and disadvantaged communities. Research outcomes will identify best-practice educational strategies to enhance retention in such communities across Australia.