Creating musical futures in Australian schools and communities: Refining theory and planning for practice through empirical innovation. This proposal forms a logical and much needed extension of the Commonwealth Government's (2005) National Review of Music Education. It will establish international leadership for Australian music education research by constructing the most complete picture of children's motivation to study music ever attempted. A series of interconnected studies will refine theo ....Creating musical futures in Australian schools and communities: Refining theory and planning for practice through empirical innovation. This proposal forms a logical and much needed extension of the Commonwealth Government's (2005) National Review of Music Education. It will establish international leadership for Australian music education research by constructing the most complete picture of children's motivation to study music ever attempted. A series of interconnected studies will refine theory in ways that can be used to mobilize public awareness of the life-long sense of wellbeing and enjoyment that artistic appreciation and participation in music can offer, and future efforts to promote more effective strategies for the provision of music education for all young people in Australia and beyond.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354538
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$30,000.00
Summary
Enabling Sciences Education (EnSE) Research Network. The Network aims to ensure the long-term ability of Australians to excel in scientific and technological innovation at all levels of community activity. This will be achieved by establishing significant and ambitious research agendas for improving the teaching and learning of Mathematics, Science and Technology in primary, secondary and tertiary education sectors. Of significance will be the productive synergies flowing from uniting, across ....Enabling Sciences Education (EnSE) Research Network. The Network aims to ensure the long-term ability of Australians to excel in scientific and technological innovation at all levels of community activity. This will be achieved by establishing significant and ambitious research agendas for improving the teaching and learning of Mathematics, Science and Technology in primary, secondary and tertiary education sectors. Of significance will be the productive synergies flowing from uniting, across the three disciplines, Australia's most outstanding, experienced and dedicated researchers with new and mid-career colleagues. Expected outcomes include a diverse but cohesive and collaborative research community that provides international leadership in helping students achieve their full potential. Read moreRead less
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
Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development - Grant ID: DI0668285
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$48,570.00
Summary
Testing Ground: Investigating Indigenous Knowledge Programs and Indigenous Research Methodologies in Higher Education. This project will contribute to Australian social cohesion through the non-divisive Indigenous Knowledge approach to the teaching of Indigenous issues. Indigenous Knowledge Research is a new methodological development that will afford research in many cross-cultural contexts including those where literacy and numeracy skills are low. This research methodology has national and co ....Testing Ground: Investigating Indigenous Knowledge Programs and Indigenous Research Methodologies in Higher Education. This project will contribute to Australian social cohesion through the non-divisive Indigenous Knowledge approach to the teaching of Indigenous issues. Indigenous Knowledge Research is a new methodological development that will afford research in many cross-cultural contexts including those where literacy and numeracy skills are low. This research methodology has national and community significance because it fosters social cohesion in investigating problematic contexts through methods that bridge across groups and build community capacities to engage, identify and implement self-owned solutions. This research will facilitate the instigation of informational gathering structures in the most marginalized sectors of the Australian community.Read moreRead less
Scaffolding numeracy in the middle years: an investigation of a new assessment-guided approach to teaching mathematics using authentic assessment tasks. The project will investigate the efficacy of a new assessment-guided approach to improving student numeracy outcomes in Years 4 to 8. The project adds to existing knowledge through the development of a learning and assessment framework for multiplicative thinking and rational number in a form and language accessible to teachers. The project is i ....Scaffolding numeracy in the middle years: an investigation of a new assessment-guided approach to teaching mathematics using authentic assessment tasks. The project will investigate the efficacy of a new assessment-guided approach to improving student numeracy outcomes in Years 4 to 8. The project adds to existing knowledge through the development of a learning and assessment framework for multiplicative thinking and rational number in a form and language accessible to teachers. The project is innovative in that it will develop and use authentic assessment tasks, as opposed to written tests or individual interviews, to identify learner's needs in terms of the framework and inform subsequent teaching. This represents a significant contribution to the Commonwealth's goal of improving numeracy outcomes for all.Read moreRead less
Providing the Mathematical Foundation for an Innovative Australia within Reform Based Learning Environments. The focus of this project is the pedagogical change that The Review of Teaching and Teacher Education indicates must take place in order to lay the quantitative foundations for advancing innovation, science, technology, and mathematics, while satisfying the requirements of a reform-based learning environment. Professional learning directed at teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and be ....Providing the Mathematical Foundation for an Innovative Australia within Reform Based Learning Environments. The focus of this project is the pedagogical change that The Review of Teaching and Teacher Education indicates must take place in order to lay the quantitative foundations for advancing innovation, science, technology, and mathematics, while satisfying the requirements of a reform-based learning environment. Professional learning directed at teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and belief structures with respect to mathematics within an environment of curricular change, will be evaluated in evidence-based terms related to teacher change and student outcomes. Significance includes the context, the middle school years in rural district schools, and the influence of technology on pedagogy.Read moreRead less
Enhancing mathematics achievement and engagement by using technology to support real problem solving and lessons of high cognitive demand. New technologies have exciting potential to bring real world applications to life in the mathematics classroom. Working collaboratively with researchers, industry-partner teachers will design, evaluate in classrooms and iteratively refine technology-supported tasks that sustain higher-order thinking and deep engagement with the context. Outcomes include guide ....Enhancing mathematics achievement and engagement by using technology to support real problem solving and lessons of high cognitive demand. New technologies have exciting potential to bring real world applications to life in the mathematics classroom. Working collaboratively with researchers, industry-partner teachers will design, evaluate in classrooms and iteratively refine technology-supported tasks that sustain higher-order thinking and deep engagement with the context. Outcomes include guidelines for managing increased cognitive demand and for balancing abstract and concrete aspects of mathematics, so that students are more engaged in their learning. The effects of technology features, including dynamic control of variables and hot-linked representation, will be tested against theory. Substantial cultural diversity in industry partner schools ensures the findings will be widely applicable.Read moreRead less
The Shallow Teaching Syndrome in School Mathematics - towards practical ways that will engage students more deeply. Australian governments have made considerable investment in international comparative studies of student achievement in mathematics. One of the findings is that an average Australian lesson exhibits the 'shallow teaching syndrome', having relatively lower complexity, higher repetition and less mathematical reasoning than high-achieving countries. This project will interview cur ....The Shallow Teaching Syndrome in School Mathematics - towards practical ways that will engage students more deeply. Australian governments have made considerable investment in international comparative studies of student achievement in mathematics. One of the findings is that an average Australian lesson exhibits the 'shallow teaching syndrome', having relatively lower complexity, higher repetition and less mathematical reasoning than high-achieving countries. This project will interview curriculum leaders and textbook writers, and analyse both traditional textbook and innovative curriculum materials. This will help to understand the reasons for the syndrome and recommend practical ways in which lessons that engage students more deeply, can be encouraged.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0211588
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$120,000.00
Summary
The Classroom Learning Laboratory. A facility is proposed to support the collection, configuration, storage and analysis of data (particularly video data) related to learning and teaching in classrooms. The Co-Applicants currently direct major projects at all levels of institutionalised education from early-years to tertiary, particularly in mathematics and technology education. The facility will provide the infrastructure for several large-scale projects involving many researchers and in the l ....The Classroom Learning Laboratory. A facility is proposed to support the collection, configuration, storage and analysis of data (particularly video data) related to learning and teaching in classrooms. The Co-Applicants currently direct major projects at all levels of institutionalised education from early-years to tertiary, particularly in mathematics and technology education. The facility will provide the infrastructure for several large-scale projects involving many researchers and in the long-term has the potential to catalyse new activity by educational researchers throughout Australia and significant overseas collaborative involvement. The proposed facility addresses a growing need locally, nationally, and internationally, offering both data storage and efficient access for analysis.Read moreRead less
The International Classroom Research Collaboration. The International Centre for Classroom Research at the University of Melbourne is the hub of an international network of classroom researchers. Australian coordination of this major international research network ensures that the priorities and initiatives, characteristic of contemporary Australian education (eg problem-based learning, authentic assessment, and working mathematically) can be anticipated and accommodated in the research agenda o ....The International Classroom Research Collaboration. The International Centre for Classroom Research at the University of Melbourne is the hub of an international network of classroom researchers. Australian coordination of this major international research network ensures that the priorities and initiatives, characteristic of contemporary Australian education (eg problem-based learning, authentic assessment, and working mathematically) can be anticipated and accommodated in the research agenda of the International Classroom Research Collaboration. Connections with state departments of education, state and national professional associations, and Australian schools and school systems, ensure that the findings of this international collaboration will be communicated efficiently to schools and classroom practitioners in Australia.Read moreRead less