Gender and sexuality diversity in schools: Parental experiences. This project aims to analyse parents’ perspectives about the inclusion of gender and sexuality (G&S) diversity
in school curriculum across Australia and to understand how parents of G&S diverse children navigate their child’s
experiences in schools. It is anticipated this analysis will inform the development of training resources for pre/in-service teachers. The intended outcomes of the
research include policy and curriculum devel ....Gender and sexuality diversity in schools: Parental experiences. This project aims to analyse parents’ perspectives about the inclusion of gender and sexuality (G&S) diversity
in school curriculum across Australia and to understand how parents of G&S diverse children navigate their child’s
experiences in schools. It is anticipated this analysis will inform the development of training resources for pre/in-service teachers. The intended outcomes of the
research include policy and curriculum development, training resources, and increased support for
parents of G&S diverse children.Read moreRead less
Parent involvement goes online: New ecologies of school-home relations. This project aims to: identify forms of digital exclusion and inclusion impacting on parents’ ability to support their children’s education; produce a new conceptual model of technologically mediated school-home relationships; and provide a comprehensive map of school-home connected digital tools and services. Combining a detailed survey of 500 school leaders with innovative networked case studies across three schools and 18 ....Parent involvement goes online: New ecologies of school-home relations. This project aims to: identify forms of digital exclusion and inclusion impacting on parents’ ability to support their children’s education; produce a new conceptual model of technologically mediated school-home relationships; and provide a comprehensive map of school-home connected digital tools and services. Combining a detailed survey of 500 school leaders with innovative networked case studies across three schools and 18 families, this will be the first national study to comprehensively describe and analyse home-school partnerships in the digital age. It will provide policy and educational leadership with a roadmap for addressing barriers to digital inclusion, as schools advance their integration of digital platforms. Read moreRead less
Promoting healthy eating, active play and sustainability awareness in early childhood curricula: Addressing the Ben10™ problem. A pedagogical communication strategy has been developed to allow early childhood educators to design curriculum interventions that support children’s learning about healthy eating, the importance of active play and the sustainability consequences of their food and toy selections. The aim of this study is to conduct a randomised trial to evaluate the efficacy of the curr ....Promoting healthy eating, active play and sustainability awareness in early childhood curricula: Addressing the Ben10™ problem. A pedagogical communication strategy has been developed to allow early childhood educators to design curriculum interventions that support children’s learning about healthy eating, the importance of active play and the sustainability consequences of their food and toy selections. The aim of this study is to conduct a randomised trial to evaluate the efficacy of the curriculum interventions, developed by teachers using this pedagogical communication strategy, on children’s knowledge about healthy eating, active play and the sustainability consequences of their food and toy selections. This project connects strongly with the learning outcomes of the National Early Years Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum to be implemented in 2014.Read moreRead less
The Australian middle class and school choice: A generational study of changing anxieties and aspirations. There have been major changes in the ways that the Australian middle class think and behave as a response to economic reforms from the 1970s. The significance of this study is to add a new element to the argument by examining changing attitudes toward public and private education and school choice - from the point of view of the urban middle class. The hypothesis is that family decisions ab ....The Australian middle class and school choice: A generational study of changing anxieties and aspirations. There have been major changes in the ways that the Australian middle class think and behave as a response to economic reforms from the 1970s. The significance of this study is to add a new element to the argument by examining changing attitudes toward public and private education and school choice - from the point of view of the urban middle class. The hypothesis is that family decisions about schooling are a major site for exploring the history of the middle class. The benefit of the study is a new analysis of the middle class from the 1950s through the changing patterns of its participation in public and private schooling. It also offers an opportunity for school choice and social equity policy makers to respond to its conclusions.Read moreRead less
Continuity and change in curriculum and pedagogies as children start school. This project considers the impact of the Early Years Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum on transition to school in Australia. Through extensive interviews and surveys, it gathers evidence to influence theoretical, policy and practice approaches to transition to school and, hence, the future schooling of all Australian children.
Early childhood sustained home visiting: outcomes at 4 years and the transition to school. The Commonwealth has been committed to developing a national agenda for early childhood, with a strong focus on development and use of Australian-relevant evidence, an outcomes focus, a focus on vulnerable communities, families and children, and strengths-based approaches. This agenda is also reflected in the key research priority areas of the Commonwealth Government. The proposed study is a critical next ....Early childhood sustained home visiting: outcomes at 4 years and the transition to school. The Commonwealth has been committed to developing a national agenda for early childhood, with a strong focus on development and use of Australian-relevant evidence, an outcomes focus, a focus on vulnerable communities, families and children, and strengths-based approaches. This agenda is also reflected in the key research priority areas of the Commonwealth Government. The proposed study is a critical next step in the development of an Australian evidence base for professional home visiting: a key strategy for the delivery of services to promote the health and development of young Australians. The findings of this study will have significant implications for the development of early childhood policy and strategy throughout Australia.Read moreRead less
Bubbles on the surface: a place pedagogy of the Narran Lakes. The project will provide Aboriginal, ecological humanities, and pedagogical input into the problem of environmental sustainability in the Murray-Darling Basin, complementing current physical science initiatives. It will have immediate national benefit in the production of educational resources based on alternative and previously invisible stories of water in the Narran Lakes area, an icon site in the Murray-Darling Basin. The finding ....Bubbles on the surface: a place pedagogy of the Narran Lakes. The project will provide Aboriginal, ecological humanities, and pedagogical input into the problem of environmental sustainability in the Murray-Darling Basin, complementing current physical science initiatives. It will have immediate national benefit in the production of educational resources based on alternative and previously invisible stories of water in the Narran Lakes area, an icon site in the Murray-Darling Basin. The findings will have longer term national benefit by identifying the elements of a general pedagogy of place, drawn from the specific local case study of the Narran Lakes, which will be applied in adult and community education.Read moreRead less
A multi-modal investigation of current and proposed structures and processes determining and sustaining quality in Australian centre-based child care. Access to good quality government-regulated child care is a national policy direction, underpinned by Australia's quality assurance and accreditation mechanisms, and based on evidence that high quality care positively affects children's developmental wellbeing. Of concern is that care of poorer quality is linked with adverse outcomes, especially f ....A multi-modal investigation of current and proposed structures and processes determining and sustaining quality in Australian centre-based child care. Access to good quality government-regulated child care is a national policy direction, underpinned by Australia's quality assurance and accreditation mechanisms, and based on evidence that high quality care positively affects children's developmental wellbeing. Of concern is that care of poorer quality is linked with adverse outcomes, especially for more vulnerable children. The effective provision of high quality care requires a thorough understanding of the structures and processes that contribute to and sustain quality outcomes. The results of this study will provide invaluable information to guide the decisions of policy makers and service providers in determining new directions in child care quality assurance.Read moreRead less
Sex education in Australia and New Zealand: responding to cultural and religious difference. This project will enhance the conceptualisation and provision of school-based sex education programs by deepening understanding of pertinent cultural and religious differences. The aim is to improve the sexual health and well-being of young people, in Australia and New Zealand, within and across cultural and religious divides.
An ecological study of school transition and the early years of school for Aboriginal children in an urban community. Reducing the gap in educational outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians is critical. Information is lacking on early education experiences of urban Aboriginal children. This research will explore urban Aboriginal children’s early school experiences and provide information on the early life factors that support positive outcomes.