Engaging science students' hearts and minds: Researching science teachers' professional learning in the development of contemporary understandings of scientific literacy. This project will develop, support and value the work of science teachers in developing students' scientific literacy and share the subsequent knowledge gains in the educational community to positively advance quality teaching and learning in school science. Improving science teaching and learning hinges on offering new ways of ....Engaging science students' hearts and minds: Researching science teachers' professional learning in the development of contemporary understandings of scientific literacy. This project will develop, support and value the work of science teachers in developing students' scientific literacy and share the subsequent knowledge gains in the educational community to positively advance quality teaching and learning in school science. Improving science teaching and learning hinges on offering new ways of responding to the problems inherent in teaching science in the 21st century. By supporting and encouraging the creative and innovative ideas, concepts and approaches to quality science teaching and learning embedded in teachers' professional learning the development of the critical knowledge for challenging the status-quo will be advanced.Read moreRead less
Adolescent mental health and supportive classroom environments: investigating organizational supports as mediators to a sustainable reduction in aggressive classroom management. Making classrooms safe and supportive for all students enables young Australians to lead healthier and more productive lives through social inclusion and economic participation. Finding effective ways to reduce teachers' use of non-productive, aggressive strategies in interactions with challenging students offers importa ....Adolescent mental health and supportive classroom environments: investigating organizational supports as mediators to a sustainable reduction in aggressive classroom management. Making classrooms safe and supportive for all students enables young Australians to lead healthier and more productive lives through social inclusion and economic participation. Finding effective ways to reduce teachers' use of non-productive, aggressive strategies in interactions with challenging students offers important social and economic benefits to Australia. These include reductions in adolescent anxiety and depression, greater engagement in schooling, a reduction in student withdrawals and exclusions, increasing parent, community and international confidence in Australia's schools, and a reduction in the number of young teachers leaving the profession.Read moreRead less
Influences on students' learning goals and their capacity for self-regulation. There is an obvious connection between maximizing learning of young people and the nation's future. Currently many young people are missing opportunities for learning at school, and this not only reduces their own opportunities, thereby increasing their risk of long term dependence on government services, but also reduces overall social capital. The project will evaluate teaching strategies that have potential to enha ....Influences on students' learning goals and their capacity for self-regulation. There is an obvious connection between maximizing learning of young people and the nation's future. Currently many young people are missing opportunities for learning at school, and this not only reduces their own opportunities, thereby increasing their risk of long term dependence on government services, but also reduces overall social capital. The project will evaluate teaching strategies that have potential to enhance the participation of students in learning in the middle years.
The project will be of direct benefit to regional and rural communities since it is conducted in regional and rural schools with their particular challenges, including community pessimism, reduced vocational aspirations, and limited role models.
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ENHANCING SCIENCE LEARNING THROUGH A FOCUS ON MULTIPLE AND MULTI-MODAL REPRESENTATIONS OF CONCEPTS. This project draws on recent theoretical accounts of multiple and multi-modal representations of science understandings to devise, trial and evaluate new approaches to teaching and learning science concepts. These approaches, catering for diverse learning pathways, focus on student understanding that representations of scientific knowledge are multi-modal and interconnected. The project is signifi ....ENHANCING SCIENCE LEARNING THROUGH A FOCUS ON MULTIPLE AND MULTI-MODAL REPRESENTATIONS OF CONCEPTS. This project draws on recent theoretical accounts of multiple and multi-modal representations of science understandings to devise, trial and evaluate new approaches to teaching and learning science concepts. These approaches, catering for diverse learning pathways, focus on student understanding that representations of scientific knowledge are multi-modal and interconnected. The project is significant in providing an innovative way to engage upper primary and junior secondary students in regional and rural Australian contexts in learning science, and is expected to promote more effective learning and more positive student attitudes to the subject.Read moreRead less
Examining the relationship between the documented curriculum, classroom tasks, and the learning of mathematics. There is an obvious connection between maximizing mathematics learning of young people and the nation's future. Currently many young people are missing opportunities for learning mathematics at school, and this not only reduces their own opportunities, but also increases their risk of long term dependence on government services. At the same time, mathematics is increasingly necessary f ....Examining the relationship between the documented curriculum, classroom tasks, and the learning of mathematics. There is an obvious connection between maximizing mathematics learning of young people and the nation's future. Currently many young people are missing opportunities for learning mathematics at school, and this not only reduces their own opportunities, but also increases their risk of long term dependence on government services. At the same time, mathematics is increasingly necessary for tertiary study in a range of fields, and the number of students choosing the highest level of mathematics is declining. The project will evaluate the types of tasks that teachers can use to engage all students in learning mathematics effectively, while preserving options for those students who may choose to specialise in tertiary mathematics study.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
Enhancing School Retention: School and Community Linkages in Regional/Rural Western Australia. One of the most intractable issues confronting schools, communities and education systems in Australia, is how to create and sustain the conditions to retain young people for twelve years of schooling, particularly in regional/rural areas. This project will ethnographically map, investigate and describe a small number of schools and communities that have improved their levels of school retention. A Pr ....Enhancing School Retention: School and Community Linkages in Regional/Rural Western Australia. One of the most intractable issues confronting schools, communities and education systems in Australia, is how to create and sustain the conditions to retain young people for twelve years of schooling, particularly in regional/rural areas. This project will ethnographically map, investigate and describe a small number of schools and communities that have improved their levels of school retention. A Profile of Conditions Supporting Improved Retention will be developed and validated using an action research process. Finally, a set of materials focussing on the conditions promoting school retention, will be developed for wider use by schools and communities.Read moreRead less
Learning by Design: Creating pedagogical frameworks for knowledge building in the 21st century. Our aim is to facilitate and support a generational change of teachers precipitated by the departure of the baby-boomers. The research will investigate the ways in which 'middle-years' teachers design, record and enact their curriculum, searching for evidence of a relationship between pedagogical choices and learner outcomes. From these investigations, and drawing on the theory of Multiliteracies, a t ....Learning by Design: Creating pedagogical frameworks for knowledge building in the 21st century. Our aim is to facilitate and support a generational change of teachers precipitated by the departure of the baby-boomers. The research will investigate the ways in which 'middle-years' teachers design, record and enact their curriculum, searching for evidence of a relationship between pedagogical choices and learner outcomes. From these investigations, and drawing on the theory of Multiliteracies, a tool will be developed to prompt more mindful and context-appropriate pedagogical choices, while encouraging teachers to document and share their practices. This will result in a body of rigorous and shareable knowledge and know-how, potentially improving opportunities and educational outcomes for all Australian students.Read moreRead less
Does Emotional Intelligence predict final year academic results and student retention in secondary schools? Over the past 30 years the completion of the final year of secondary school education has become increasingly important, with a shift towards the requirement of higher levels of education throughout the Australian labour market. As a consequence, early school leavers are three times more likely to be unemployed than those students that complete Year 12 or post-secondary education. The pro ....Does Emotional Intelligence predict final year academic results and student retention in secondary schools? Over the past 30 years the completion of the final year of secondary school education has become increasingly important, with a shift towards the requirement of higher levels of education throughout the Australian labour market. As a consequence, early school leavers are three times more likely to be unemployed than those students that complete Year 12 or post-secondary education. The proposed study will examine the role of emotional intelligence (EI) in academic performance at Year 12 and school retention in secondary schools. The results of the study will help schools develop evidence-based strategies to best retain students and help students maximise their academic potential.Read moreRead less
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