Gauging the value of flexible learning options for disenfranchised youth and the Australian community. Investment in flexible learning options (FLOs) for young people who have disengaged from schooling requires understanding of how they work and evidence about their economic and social value. This project will provide both through innovative and integrated methods, analysing FLO sites across three Australian states and the Northern Territory.
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
A Multi-disciplinary Investigation of how Trauma and Chronic Illness impact on Schooling, Identity and Social Connectivity. School connectedness and retention is an established key to both immediate and long-term health, academic and life outcomes. Young people with chronic illness or accident trauma often miss schooling and get caught in a spiral of catching up and disconnection from important peer relationships and from school. This study investigates the experiences and perspectives of young ....A Multi-disciplinary Investigation of how Trauma and Chronic Illness impact on Schooling, Identity and Social Connectivity. School connectedness and retention is an established key to both immediate and long-term health, academic and life outcomes. Young people with chronic illness or accident trauma often miss schooling and get caught in a spiral of catching up and disconnection from important peer relationships and from school. This study investigates the experiences and perspectives of young people whose schooling is disrupted by illness and trauma. It will produce guidelines for better practice by health and schooling professionals and parents of such children, and provide better knowledge about the processes by which disconnection occurs.Read moreRead less
Evaluating professional experience and mentoring in the preparation and induction of teachers for the teaching profession. ? Quality teachers make a difference? (DEST Report, 2003, p1). Possible strategies for the recruitment and retention of high quality teachers to the profession include providing a high quality professional experience component together with effective mentoring for beginning teachers in induction programs. The outcomes of this project will include the articulation of ?high qu ....Evaluating professional experience and mentoring in the preparation and induction of teachers for the teaching profession. ? Quality teachers make a difference? (DEST Report, 2003, p1). Possible strategies for the recruitment and retention of high quality teachers to the profession include providing a high quality professional experience component together with effective mentoring for beginning teachers in induction programs. The outcomes of this project will include the articulation of ?high quality? professional experiences, the development of an instrument for evaluating the effectiveness of mentoring in programs such as induction programs and provide evidence on the effectiveness of such programs.Read moreRead less
Recognising the skill in jobs traditionally considered unskilled. Some jobs are regarded as skilled and others as unskilled, yet all jobs contain skill. This project will examine under-recognised and undervalued skills in the service and manufacturing sectors, and explores the implications of these findings for government policy, the training system, companies and workers.
Translating zoo visitors’ behavioural intentions into conservation actions using evidence-based post-visit experiences. This project will extend and improve the effectiveness of zoo conservation education initiatives by developing post-visit web-based learning experiences. It will enable zoos to play a greater role in developing an environmentally literate society, motivate collective action for wildlife conservation and measure achievement of mission objectives.
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
Digital Divas: Designing approaches to enthuse girls' interest in ICT studies and ICT careers. A strong information and communications technology (ICT) industry, a skilled ICT workforce and excellence in ICT research is vital to Australia's future. However, girls' interest in ICT, and the numbers of women entering the ICT workforce, are at record lows, while Industry skills are critically short. Digital Divas will pioneer a program to build girls' ICT skills and confidence, increasing their mot ....Digital Divas: Designing approaches to enthuse girls' interest in ICT studies and ICT careers. A strong information and communications technology (ICT) industry, a skilled ICT workforce and excellence in ICT research is vital to Australia's future. However, girls' interest in ICT, and the numbers of women entering the ICT workforce, are at record lows, while Industry skills are critically short. Digital Divas will pioneer a program to build girls' ICT skills and confidence, increasing their motivation to study ICT and enter the ICT workforce. The benefits of education will be maximised by addressing the gender digital divide evident in classrooms, universities and professions.Read moreRead less
Pursuing equity in high poverty rural schools: improving learning through rich accountabilities. Poor performance of students in schools located in high poverty communities is a pressing educational problem for Australia, with educational disadvantage in poor rural communities in particular demanding amelioration. The evidence suggests the equity and quality of schooling outcomes are centrally important to the nation's economic future, the strength of Australian democracy, social inclusion and a ....Pursuing equity in high poverty rural schools: improving learning through rich accountabilities. Poor performance of students in schools located in high poverty communities is a pressing educational problem for Australia, with educational disadvantage in poor rural communities in particular demanding amelioration. The evidence suggests the equity and quality of schooling outcomes are centrally important to the nation's economic future, the strength of Australian democracy, social inclusion and a unified nation. In strengthening policy and practice knowledge about educative usage of performance data and the development of rich forms of accountability, the research will advance the academic literature and provide an evidence base for success of the national partnership on low socio-economic status schools.Read moreRead less
School retention through alternative schooling: towards a socially just approach to education. This project is concerned with how mainstream schools may become more socially just and inclusive of all young people through an analysis of alternative schools specifically designed for this purpose. Such a concern is critical for lifting school retention rates of marginalised young people and improving practices in all schools.