Investigating the effectiveness of teacher education for early career teachers in diverse settings: a longitudinal study. This project investigates the effectiveness of teacher education programs in Victoria and Queensland in preparing teachers for the variety of school settings in which they begin their careers. The findings will inform state and national policy, as well as the work of professional regulation authorities and teacher education providers.
Intercultural understanding in primary and secondary schools. What facilitates or impedes intercultural understanding in children, adolescents and schools? How can this be addressed? How can we know what makes a difference? This project answers these questions at the individual, school and national level using a novel cultural systems approach and methodological and technological innovations.
Would more highly-qualified teachers and trainers help to address quality problems in the Australian vocational education and training system? This project examines whether and how higher-level qualifications for vocational education and training (VET) teachers would improve quality in the VET system. Government documents and public commentary indicate that the VET sector suffers from some fairly serious quality problems. This is significant because VET provides training that underpins all Austr ....Would more highly-qualified teachers and trainers help to address quality problems in the Australian vocational education and training system? This project examines whether and how higher-level qualifications for vocational education and training (VET) teachers would improve quality in the VET system. Government documents and public commentary indicate that the VET sector suffers from some fairly serious quality problems. This is significant because VET provides training that underpins all Australian industries. Most VET teachers are qualified only to a Certificate IV level. A more highly qualified VET teaching workforce is likely to lead to improvements in quality; however there is currently no firm evidence to establish this link, as the 2011 Productivity Commission report on the VET workforce pointed out. This project aims to provide much-needed evidence to guide policy.Read moreRead less
Pacific Islanders in regional Victoria: visitors, migrants and overstayers. This project aims to understand the socio-economic situation of Pacific Islanders living in regional Victoria, including visitors, permanent residents, seasonal workers and undocumented migrants. The aim is to investigate the impact of these different statuses on access to public services, interactions within and across ethnic groups, and trans-local and transnational practices. Working with partner organisations involve ....Pacific Islanders in regional Victoria: visitors, migrants and overstayers. This project aims to understand the socio-economic situation of Pacific Islanders living in regional Victoria, including visitors, permanent residents, seasonal workers and undocumented migrants. The aim is to investigate the impact of these different statuses on access to public services, interactions within and across ethnic groups, and trans-local and transnational practices. Working with partner organisations involved with migrant populations in the area, the project seeks to shed new light on Australian regional migration and bring marginalised regional populations into discussions of migration and transnationalism. Intended outcomes include scholarly publications, policy-focused reports and an open access project website.Read moreRead less
Attracting and sustaining engaged science and mathematics teachers. Attracting and sustaining engaged science and mathematics teachers. This project will examine what attracts or deters potential, future and practising teachers of the sciences and mathematics, by focusing on current teachers, school and university students in Queensland. Promises of a technological revolution and rapid economic development will be hollow if students do not study sciences and mathematics, and there are too few qu ....Attracting and sustaining engaged science and mathematics teachers. Attracting and sustaining engaged science and mathematics teachers. This project will examine what attracts or deters potential, future and practising teachers of the sciences and mathematics, by focusing on current teachers, school and university students in Queensland. Promises of a technological revolution and rapid economic development will be hollow if students do not study sciences and mathematics, and there are too few qualified teachers. This project will identify where to intervene in the science and mathematics teacher supply pipeline, and policy levers to attract and sustain quality teachers. The project is expected to uncover what attracts or deters teachers of science and mathematics—disciplines essential to industry innovation, a skilled workforce and productivity growth.Read moreRead less
Improved student outcomes through positive classroom management. The return on national investment in improving teacher quality is high. Research shows that teacher classroom practice overwhelmingly outweighs student background factors, as well as class size, spending levels and teacher salaries in explaining variation in student achievement. Developing teachers' skills and a strong sense of efficacy in classroom management reduces both teacher and student stress and student distraction. This ma ....Improved student outcomes through positive classroom management. The return on national investment in improving teacher quality is high. Research shows that teacher classroom practice overwhelmingly outweighs student background factors, as well as class size, spending levels and teacher salaries in explaining variation in student achievement. Developing teachers' skills and a strong sense of efficacy in classroom management reduces both teacher and student stress and student distraction. This makes a substantial contribution to improving academic outcomes for students, reducing rates of drop-out and exclusion, and reduces the cost to the nation of a high rate of attrition from the teaching profession. Findings will have implications for achieving sustainable change in professional practice more broadly.Read moreRead less
Creating Culturally Respectful Primary Schools: Enhancing Relationships through Strategic Professional Learning. A critical issue facing Australian school communities is how to best support teachers to build sustainable whole school approaches to respecting cultural diversity in times of increasing tension about Australia's multiculturalism. This project will investigate an innovative professional learning program to build teacher capacity to help children to think about and respond to differenc ....Creating Culturally Respectful Primary Schools: Enhancing Relationships through Strategic Professional Learning. A critical issue facing Australian school communities is how to best support teachers to build sustainable whole school approaches to respecting cultural diversity in times of increasing tension about Australia's multiculturalism. This project will investigate an innovative professional learning program to build teacher capacity to help children to think about and respond to differences constructively and to creatively problem solve ways to meet diverse needs. Outcomes will include policy and practice recommendations for the national education sector policy about how primary schools can contribute to wider social cohesion through the development of inclusive and culturally respectful school communities.Read moreRead less
Angulimala walks - from understanding violence in Cambodia to building cultural competence in Australian international development. The purpose of this project is to make sure that people affected by violence in formerly war-torn countries like Cambodia (including those who migrated to Australia) are helped in culturally appropriate ways. The project will lead to a framework for 'cultural competence' to be used by Australia's international development and health sectors.
Strengthening Standards of Teaching through Linking Standards and Teacher Learning: The Development of Professional Standards for Teaching School Geography. This research project will advance the Commonwealth Government's social and economic agenda by addressing the national strategy to raise the quality of teachers and the status of teaching. In seeking to improve the practice of geography teaching in schools, it will also address, albeit indirectly, the national research priority of achieving ....Strengthening Standards of Teaching through Linking Standards and Teacher Learning: The Development of Professional Standards for Teaching School Geography. This research project will advance the Commonwealth Government's social and economic agenda by addressing the national strategy to raise the quality of teachers and the status of teaching. In seeking to improve the practice of geography teaching in schools, it will also address, albeit indirectly, the national research priority of achieving an environmentally sustainable Australia. Teaching standards and associated professional learning resources that can enable improvement of this practice are an important tool for teachers in both metropolitan and rural settings, Australia-wide. This project addresses a significant need to contribute to the development of ways of bridging the gap between teaching standards and teacher learning.Read moreRead less
Improving children's language, literacy and mental health: evaluating the impact of the classroom promotion of oral language (CPOL) approach. As spoken communication and literacy are major influences on children's developmental pathways and life success, this project will determine whether improving teacher knowledge and practice relating to teaching oral language improves primary school students' achievements in oral language and literacy, and improves their social and emotional wellbeing.