From high school to higher education: Gendered pathways in information, communication and computer technology education. Serious gender-based disparities exist in participation in the Information, Communication, and Computing Technologies (ICCT) field, in both higher education and industry, with a 2004 review of Australian university participation rates identifying women as an equity target group in this field. A multi-method, multi-stage project has been design to identify the processes that le ....From high school to higher education: Gendered pathways in information, communication and computer technology education. Serious gender-based disparities exist in participation in the Information, Communication, and Computing Technologies (ICCT) field, in both higher education and industry, with a 2004 review of Australian university participation rates identifying women as an equity target group in this field. A multi-method, multi-stage project has been design to identify the processes that lead to this gender gap. Specifically, the project will focus on students' experiences and decisions at secondary school in three states to ascertain why so few girls choose to enter university-level ICCT courses, and what strategies could be implemented in schools to remedy this problem. Read moreRead less
Girls, Empowerment, and Markets in Education: A History of The Mac.Robertsons Girls' High School. With its centenary approaching, the school wants to evaluate its past. In cooperation with RMIT, the writing of a school history can produce three important outcomes. As historian in residence, the doctoral scholar can provide focus for self reflection by the school community. As social history, the work can fill a significant gap in the understanding of publicly funded education in Australia. As co ....Girls, Empowerment, and Markets in Education: A History of The Mac.Robertsons Girls' High School. With its centenary approaching, the school wants to evaluate its past. In cooperation with RMIT, the writing of a school history can produce three important outcomes. As historian in residence, the doctoral scholar can provide focus for self reflection by the school community. As social history, the work can fill a significant gap in the understanding of publicly funded education in Australia. As contribution to policy, it can address two continuing debates: about the place of selective state schools in a national system of education, and about the dynamics of single sex schools, and the education of girls more generally.Read moreRead less
Addressing the teacher exodus: Enhancing early career teacher resilience and retention in changing times. This research will produce new knowledge, strategies, models and recommendations that will help to keep early career teachers in the profession in regional, rural and remote areas. In doing so it will address the problem of teacher shortage that is currently threatening the nation's educational, economic and social outcomes. The research outcomes will have particular credibility at the natio ....Addressing the teacher exodus: Enhancing early career teacher resilience and retention in changing times. This research will produce new knowledge, strategies, models and recommendations that will help to keep early career teachers in the profession in regional, rural and remote areas. In doing so it will address the problem of teacher shortage that is currently threatening the nation's educational, economic and social outcomes. The research outcomes will have particular credibility at the national level because they will be the result of dialogue and collaboration across three universities and six industry partners who are the key stakeholders in teacher employment in two states. In addition, the collaborative approach will facilitate implementation of recommendations at the local, state and national levels.Read moreRead less
Developing portfolio assessment in Mathematics and English: Insider and outsider perspectives on the implementation of professional teaching standards. In previous parallel SPIRT projects the national subject associations in Mathematics and English/Literacy developed professional standards for excellence in teaching. This research project, with the Victorian Institute of Teaching, will study both the preparation of portfolio items by groups of 'outsider' teachers who played no part in the develo ....Developing portfolio assessment in Mathematics and English: Insider and outsider perspectives on the implementation of professional teaching standards. In previous parallel SPIRT projects the national subject associations in Mathematics and English/Literacy developed professional standards for excellence in teaching. This research project, with the Victorian Institute of Teaching, will study both the preparation of portfolio items by groups of 'outsider' teachers who played no part in the development of the Standards, together with the evaluation of their portfolios by groups of 'insider' assessors from the respective subject associations who helped develop the Standards. Data from this project will contribute to validating the Standards, to clarifying the issues of subject-specific/generic professional standards, and to improving quality in teachers' professional development.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354625
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$20,000.00
Summary
An Educational Research Alliance for the 21st Century: exploring the interconnected relationships between new identities, new technologies and new pedagogies.
. This Initiative creates an Educational Research Alliance (ERA) between three strong research domains in order to address the problem of how best to educate current and future generations in contemporary times. These domains have previously focused independently on new identities, new technologies, and new pedagogies and each has achie ....An Educational Research Alliance for the 21st Century: exploring the interconnected relationships between new identities, new technologies and new pedagogies.
. This Initiative creates an Educational Research Alliance (ERA) between three strong research domains in order to address the problem of how best to educate current and future generations in contemporary times. These domains have previously focused independently on new identities, new technologies, and new pedagogies and each has achieved significant but localised results. Examining the interconnections and relationships between these domains is necessary to promote the kind of scholarly innovation able to facilitate the creation of truly relevant, responsive, futures-oriented educational systems.
In taking up this challenge ERA adopts a cross-generational and cross-disciplinary approach to assembling an international research network.
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International Students in the Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) Sector: Study Purposes, Learning Practices and Institutional Responses. This research melds with the fundamental objectives of the Australian National Strategy for VET 2004-2010 which aims to increase vocational education and training exports and ensure Australian VET standards are more harmonized with international standards. The project will assist the development of policies and strategies that can address the co ....International Students in the Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) Sector: Study Purposes, Learning Practices and Institutional Responses. This research melds with the fundamental objectives of the Australian National Strategy for VET 2004-2010 which aims to increase vocational education and training exports and ensure Australian VET standards are more harmonized with international standards. The project will assist the development of policies and strategies that can address the complex needs of the international student population and the capacity of the VET sector to internationalise the curriculum. The project will also identify qualities and factors that are important for optimizing the competition of the VET sector in the global education industry which has become Australia's leading services export sector.Read moreRead less
Assessing new learning spaces: learning, governance and outcomes. Supporting learning amongst 'at risk' individuals is an urgent global challenge, given changes in work and society. New learning spaces are emerging in response. They target the 30% of Australians not served by traditional education and training. New learning spaces are based in social partnerships. They offer distinctive learning relationships, and scope for localised governance and decision-making. They promise enhanced life cha ....Assessing new learning spaces: learning, governance and outcomes. Supporting learning amongst 'at risk' individuals is an urgent global challenge, given changes in work and society. New learning spaces are emerging in response. They target the 30% of Australians not served by traditional education and training. New learning spaces are based in social partnerships. They offer distinctive learning relationships, and scope for localised governance and decision-making. They promise enhanced life chances for individuals and improved community-building. This project will (1) build theory to understand new learning spaces; (2) document how they reshape learning relations and practices; and (3) assess claims that they improve learning, governance and outcomes.Read moreRead less
Patterns of Distributed Leadership in Australian Schools. Using fieldwork methods, this project documents new forms of distributed leadership in Australian schools. It will account for the recent emergence of distributed leadership, distinguish typical distributed models and highlight the institutional and systemic implications of these formations. The research is significant because it provides a pioneering qualitative analysis of the evolving division of labour in management and leadership in ....Patterns of Distributed Leadership in Australian Schools. Using fieldwork methods, this project documents new forms of distributed leadership in Australian schools. It will account for the recent emergence of distributed leadership, distinguish typical distributed models and highlight the institutional and systemic implications of these formations. The research is significant because it provides a pioneering qualitative analysis of the evolving division of labour in management and leadership in self-managing schools. Its focus on collectively co-ordinated activities should also prompt a re-definition of senior level school responsibilities. Moreover, the research outcomes will account for recent career recruitment difficulties experienced by employers, and stimulate improved career profiling, recruitment and development.Read moreRead less
Principal Aspirations and Recruitment amidst Leadership Disengagement. The research addresses the problem of principal shortages in a climate of leadership disengagement and why the principalship is becoming a less attractive career option for teachers. It will establish whether the principalship is part of teachers' professional goals and identities, and identify the factors conducive to, or inhibitory of, teachers' principalship aspirations. Qualitative and quantitative methods will be used ....Principal Aspirations and Recruitment amidst Leadership Disengagement. The research addresses the problem of principal shortages in a climate of leadership disengagement and why the principalship is becoming a less attractive career option for teachers. It will establish whether the principalship is part of teachers' professional goals and identities, and identify the factors conducive to, or inhibitory of, teachers' principalship aspirations. Qualitative and quantitative methods will be used to ascertain teachers' anticipated career profiles and leadership role perceptions in Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland. Research outcomes should lead to a review and possible redesign of the principal role, and influence significantly the states' succession planning policies and leadership development strategies.Read moreRead less
International comparative study of successful school leadership: Successful school leadership in Australia. There is renewed focus by government on education, facilitated by the move to a knowledge society and the realisation of the importance of good education to Australia's prosperity. School principals are key to how schools function. With an ageing principalship and a high principal retirement rate, there is renewed interest in developing current and future principals as evidenced by the est ....International comparative study of successful school leadership: Successful school leadership in Australia. There is renewed focus by government on education, facilitated by the move to a knowledge society and the realisation of the importance of good education to Australia's prosperity. School principals are key to how schools function. With an ageing principalship and a high principal retirement rate, there is renewed interest in developing current and future principals as evidenced by the establishment of the National Institute for Quality Learning and School Leadership. This research is about successful school principals and is part of an international effort to better understand school leadership, particularly that of schools that have undergone dramatic improvement. It holds the promise of transforming leadership preparation and support.Read moreRead less