Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100513
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$407,391.00
Summary
Venture philanthropy in public education: governance, policy and practice. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of philanthropic public-private partnerships to improve equity in public education, focusing on school resourcing and achievement gaps. By engaging directly with public school communities and policy actors, the study examines how newly-emerging venture philanthropic partnerships may be reorientating traditional governance, driving incentivist policy and influencing prac ....Venture philanthropy in public education: governance, policy and practice. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of philanthropic public-private partnerships to improve equity in public education, focusing on school resourcing and achievement gaps. By engaging directly with public school communities and policy actors, the study examines how newly-emerging venture philanthropic partnerships may be reorientating traditional governance, driving incentivist policy and influencing practice at school, state and Commonwealth level. Whilst venture philanthropy has grown at unprecedented levels globally, a benefit of this study is to improve understanding of national benefits and risks of philanthropic public-private partnerships in public schools and innovative solutions for enduring equity problems.Read moreRead less
Discovering genes for singing ability in Australian families. Music abilities are core to what makes us human, with singing ubiquitous in all cultures. Anecdotal evidence suggests that singing ability runs in families, supporting its genetic basis, however no research has systematically traced it across generations. Using an innovative web-based singing program and the latest molecular genetic techniques, this project aims to discover singing ability genes through the first Australian study of l ....Discovering genes for singing ability in Australian families. Music abilities are core to what makes us human, with singing ubiquitous in all cultures. Anecdotal evidence suggests that singing ability runs in families, supporting its genetic basis, however no research has systematically traced it across generations. Using an innovative web-based singing program and the latest molecular genetic techniques, this project aims to discover singing ability genes through the first Australian study of large families with many talented singers. This will generate new knowledge on the origins of human musicality and help Australia develop a sustainable source of cultural capital. It will build interdisciplinary research capacity and inform bespoke music learning programs that account for individual differences.Read moreRead less
Improving outcomes through accessible assessment and inclusive practices. Complex assessment tasks and pedagogies present barriers to the learning and achievement of students with disability, including those with language and/or attentional difficulties. This research will test: 1) whether accessible assessment task design leads to improved student outcomes; 2) whether enhancing teachers’ inclusive practice improves student access to formative assessment pedagogies, enabling more accurate studen ....Improving outcomes through accessible assessment and inclusive practices. Complex assessment tasks and pedagogies present barriers to the learning and achievement of students with disability, including those with language and/or attentional difficulties. This research will test: 1) whether accessible assessment task design leads to improved student outcomes; 2) whether enhancing teachers’ inclusive practice improves student access to formative assessment pedagogies, enabling more accurate student understanding of assessment aims and requirements; and 3) how improvements in task design and teacher practice can be sustained and upscaled across secondary school departments. Expected outcomes of international significance are more inclusive learning and assessment practices with the potential to benefit all students.Read moreRead less
Teaching how to learn: promoting self-regulated learning in STEM classes. This project aims to investigate key factors that influence change in teacher practices and student achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). It will involve the development and evaluation of interventions designed to help teachers create learning environments that promote student engagement and the development of the cognitive and metacognitive skills needed for success in STEM. The project w ....Teaching how to learn: promoting self-regulated learning in STEM classes. This project aims to investigate key factors that influence change in teacher practices and student achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). It will involve the development and evaluation of interventions designed to help teachers create learning environments that promote student engagement and the development of the cognitive and metacognitive skills needed for success in STEM. The project will advance our understanding of how to increase the quality of teaching and learning in STEM subjects. Improving teacher capacity and student performance in STEM is a national priority with significant social and economic benefits to Australia.Read moreRead less
Early years languages learning in Australia. This project aims to investigate early year’s language programs in Australian schools. The project will explore and analyse successful programs in the three states of NSW, Queensland and Victoria, policy, curricula and resources for languages teaching and learning, key stakeholder perspectives, and student progress in new primary language teaching degrees. The project expects to generate new knowledge of linked best practice program types, pedagogies, ....Early years languages learning in Australia. This project aims to investigate early year’s language programs in Australian schools. The project will explore and analyse successful programs in the three states of NSW, Queensland and Victoria, policy, curricula and resources for languages teaching and learning, key stakeholder perspectives, and student progress in new primary language teaching degrees. The project expects to generate new knowledge of linked best practice program types, pedagogies, and teacher requirements, to provide new data and ongoing research opportunities. Intended benefits include the education of more linguistically and culturally competent young Australians who are able to effectively engage in a plurilingual, globalised world.Read moreRead less
Does a teacher-led mindfulness intervention improve student outcomes? This project aims to determine if improving teacher knowledge and practice of mindfulness in the classroom, can lead to better child attention and school functioning outcomes during the early primary school years. Mindfulness is an approach that aims to improve attention, self-regulation, mental health, and cognitive functioning. Expected outcomes include new knowledge as to whether mindfulness can be integrated into classroom ....Does a teacher-led mindfulness intervention improve student outcomes? This project aims to determine if improving teacher knowledge and practice of mindfulness in the classroom, can lead to better child attention and school functioning outcomes during the early primary school years. Mindfulness is an approach that aims to improve attention, self-regulation, mental health, and cognitive functioning. Expected outcomes include new knowledge as to whether mindfulness can be integrated into classroom practice, how to best implement it, student benefits and cost-effectiveness. Findings will inform schools as to whether this approach can support students in making a positive transition to primary school that can place them on positive academic and well-being pathways and lead to benefits in their adulthood.Read moreRead less
Teaching and testing second language pragmatic skills. This project aims to develop understanding of what it means to be communicatively proficient in English as a second language. Drawing on research in second language acquisition, pragmatics and language testing, the project will develop a set of language tests to assess learners’ ability to use English appropriately in everyday situations. The tests will then be used to evaluate the effectiveness of language instruction in developing this abi ....Teaching and testing second language pragmatic skills. This project aims to develop understanding of what it means to be communicatively proficient in English as a second language. Drawing on research in second language acquisition, pragmatics and language testing, the project will develop a set of language tests to assess learners’ ability to use English appropriately in everyday situations. The tests will then be used to evaluate the effectiveness of language instruction in developing this ability. Outcomes will include a set of novel language tests and valuable information about effective language instruction. The project will inform the extent to which migrants possess the pragmatic skills needed to live and work in Australia and how they can be helped to acquire these skills.Read moreRead less
Historical frontier violence: drivers, legacy and the role of truth-telling. This project aims to build data to identify the historical factors that incited frontier violence; quantify the legacy on communities today and conduct fieldwork to understand how historical trauma is transmitted across generations. This project expects to develop new knowledge on the circumstances and legacy of settlement and the origins of gaps in life prospects between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Our e ....Historical frontier violence: drivers, legacy and the role of truth-telling. This project aims to build data to identify the historical factors that incited frontier violence; quantify the legacy on communities today and conduct fieldwork to understand how historical trauma is transmitted across generations. This project expects to develop new knowledge on the circumstances and legacy of settlement and the origins of gaps in life prospects between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Our expectation is that this will increase public acceptance of the circumstances of settlement and the need to make amends. This project should help increase public support for truth-telling and better relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, a vital step towards reconciliation and healing the nation. Read moreRead less
Multiliteracies for addressing disadvantage in senior school science. Multiliteracies for addressing disadvantage in senior school science. This project aims to develop discipline-specific pedagogies in senior physics, chemistry and biology to improve disadvantaged students’ engagement and achievement. Many students from disadvantaged backgrounds fail to develop the linguistic precision and symbolic representational dexterity needed to comprehend and communicate senior school science concepts. T ....Multiliteracies for addressing disadvantage in senior school science. Multiliteracies for addressing disadvantage in senior school science. This project aims to develop discipline-specific pedagogies in senior physics, chemistry and biology to improve disadvantaged students’ engagement and achievement. Many students from disadvantaged backgrounds fail to develop the linguistic precision and symbolic representational dexterity needed to comprehend and communicate senior school science concepts. These pedagogies will ‘infuse’ multiliteracies in senior school science to improve access to science-based pathways for these students, and enable them to understand progressively more complex scientific concepts and demonstrate this in examinations. This project is expected to improve student retention, arrest declining enrolments in senior school science, and increase young people working in science.Read moreRead less