Enhancing School Retention: School and Community Linkages in Regional/Rural Western Australia. One of the most intractable issues confronting schools, communities and education systems in Australia, is how to create and sustain the conditions to retain young people for twelve years of schooling, particularly in regional/rural areas. This project will ethnographically map, investigate and describe a small number of schools and communities that have improved their levels of school retention. A Pr ....Enhancing School Retention: School and Community Linkages in Regional/Rural Western Australia. One of the most intractable issues confronting schools, communities and education systems in Australia, is how to create and sustain the conditions to retain young people for twelve years of schooling, particularly in regional/rural areas. This project will ethnographically map, investigate and describe a small number of schools and communities that have improved their levels of school retention. A Profile of Conditions Supporting Improved Retention will be developed and validated using an action research process. Finally, a set of materials focussing on the conditions promoting school retention, will be developed for wider use by schools and communities.Read moreRead less
The Impact of the Kids' Science State Initiative on Scientific Literacy in the Western Australian Community. This research will investigate how participation in the Kids' Science State initiative in Western Australia (a partnership between Scitech Discovery Centre in Perth and the Rio Tinto WA Future Fund) impacts on children, teachers, parents and other community members in terms of promoting scientific literacy. Working in the Pilbara and Albany regions and the metropolitan area, the research ....The Impact of the Kids' Science State Initiative on Scientific Literacy in the Western Australian Community. This research will investigate how participation in the Kids' Science State initiative in Western Australia (a partnership between Scitech Discovery Centre in Perth and the Rio Tinto WA Future Fund) impacts on children, teachers, parents and other community members in terms of promoting scientific literacy. Working in the Pilbara and Albany regions and the metropolitan area, the research will determine the most effective ways to deliver educational resources that promote primary teachers? confidence and willingness to teach science and engage the community in science-related activities. The outcomes will represent a substantial investment in human capital.Read moreRead less
Western Australian rural and remote schooling: The influence of learning environments on student participation and retention. By 2010 all Australian States and Territories will have raised the school leaving age from 15 to 17 years of age. As one of the first States to have undertaken this essential step toward re-engaging disaffected youth in education, training and/or employment options, it is important that a rigorous examination of the Western Australian experience is conducted. The proposed ....Western Australian rural and remote schooling: The influence of learning environments on student participation and retention. By 2010 all Australian States and Territories will have raised the school leaving age from 15 to 17 years of age. As one of the first States to have undertaken this essential step toward re-engaging disaffected youth in education, training and/or employment options, it is important that a rigorous examination of the Western Australian experience is conducted. The proposed research focuses on what is likely to be the most problematic area of the initiative for school communities - how and why the programs offered to students in rural and remote school and classroom learning environments impact upon student engagement and retention.Read moreRead less
Empowering Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Girls, Changing Communities. This project applies Indigenous knowledges to develop new understandings and insights in the area of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls’ education. Expected outcomes of the project include: the development of a national framework that supports the education of girls and acknowledges the importance of self-determination, culture, gender and place in creating life changing educational opportunities; addressing Clo ....Empowering Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Girls, Changing Communities. This project applies Indigenous knowledges to develop new understandings and insights in the area of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls’ education. Expected outcomes of the project include: the development of a national framework that supports the education of girls and acknowledges the importance of self-determination, culture, gender and place in creating life changing educational opportunities; addressing Close the Gap targets; and creating broader long lasting positive changes regarding access, participation and success for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The outcomes of this project can provide significant benefits to the broad Australian schooling system.Read moreRead less
Measuring the effectiveness of specialist science enrichment programs. Australia faces critical problems in science education with student attitudes to science in decline and a shortage of science teachers. We also face significant problems in indigenous education. This project will determine the ability of science enrichment centres to change student attitudes and to motivate them towards science using exciting and innovative new education facilities. Results will provide valuable data to allo ....Measuring the effectiveness of specialist science enrichment programs. Australia faces critical problems in science education with student attitudes to science in decline and a shortage of science teachers. We also face significant problems in indigenous education. This project will determine the ability of science enrichment centres to change student attitudes and to motivate them towards science using exciting and innovative new education facilities. Results will provide valuable data to allow future funding priorities to be optimised.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
Improving zoo/aquarium conservation learning outcomes: a values approach. This project aims to improve the educational value of zoos and aquariums in teaching and engaging the public about conservation issues. Although zoos and aquariums claim their current education programs are effective in reaching and educating the public on conservation issues, research shows their influence on visitors’ environmental behaviour is limited. The project intends to investigate the influence of zoo and aquarium ....Improving zoo/aquarium conservation learning outcomes: a values approach. This project aims to improve the educational value of zoos and aquariums in teaching and engaging the public about conservation issues. Although zoos and aquariums claim their current education programs are effective in reaching and educating the public on conservation issues, research shows their influence on visitors’ environmental behaviour is limited. The project intends to investigate the influence of zoo and aquarium visitors’ values or broad life goals on their environmental learning outcomes; develop values-based conservation education strategies; and measure the impact of these on visitors’ adoption of conservation actions. The intended outcomes are guidelines that will replace the current ‘one size fits all’ conservation messages with tailored experiences that attract, engage and influence those for whom environmental care and protection are not necessarily of central concern.Read moreRead less
Misperceptions in mathematics and music education: A computer-enabled diagnostic and remediation investigation involving metacognition. This project investigates the new and significant problem of misperceptions confounding learning in mathematics and music education. Supported by international and Australian industry partners, it builds on case studies of misperceptions by school and university students in both disciplines, to ascertain the extent that misperceptions occur in the wider school p ....Misperceptions in mathematics and music education: A computer-enabled diagnostic and remediation investigation involving metacognition. This project investigates the new and significant problem of misperceptions confounding learning in mathematics and music education. Supported by international and Australian industry partners, it builds on case studies of misperceptions by school and university students in both disciplines, to ascertain the extent that misperceptions occur in the wider school population. It breaks new ground by using mathematics to remediate music and vice versa. Aided by computer software, links are made between linear transformations in mathematics (a national curriculum topic) and commonly used techniques in music composition. Intra- and inter-disciplinary metacognitive techniques will be developed to remediate the misperceptions.Read moreRead less
Developing Early Literacy in Informal Settings: Engaging Disadvantaged Aboriginal and CALD Families Outside Formal Settings. The development of literacy in pre-school age children is a national priority. This research will address a major gap in the provision of support for literacy development in children and families who do not access formal pre-school programs. It will directly address the disadvantage experienced by children and families in informal settings. The outcomes of this research wi ....Developing Early Literacy in Informal Settings: Engaging Disadvantaged Aboriginal and CALD Families Outside Formal Settings. The development of literacy in pre-school age children is a national priority. This research will address a major gap in the provision of support for literacy development in children and families who do not access formal pre-school programs. It will directly address the disadvantage experienced by children and families in informal settings. The outcomes of this research will benefit work in this area at both a theoretical and a practical level. It will provide a strengthened research base around reaching and involving children and families and will inform those literacy methodologies that seek to address linguistic and cultural difference.Read moreRead less
How do qualifications delivered by enterprises contribute to improved skill levels and other benefits for companies, workers and the nation? This project investigates the role of employer-based qualifications training in developing the skills and prospects of the Australian workforce and the competitive capabilities of companies. It focuses on enterprises that are accredited to deliver qualifications to their own workers, providing data to improve and expand this form of training.