Making Australia internationally competitive: driving educational attainment by academic motivation, self-concept, engagement and aspirations. This project will extend and test predictions from motivation theory about educational choice and attainment, using multiple large national/international databases and new statistical models. This will result in better strategies to meet government targets of increasing tertiary enrolments, particularly for disadvantaged students.
Numeracy@Home: Enhancing the capacity of parents to support the learning of their children. Numeracy@Home aims to enhance the actions that families can implement at home, in collaboration with educators, in order to enhance children’s learning in and positive dispositions toward the development of numeracy. The project: articulates the key numeracy learning goals for families; identifies the actions of families that successfully support the development of numeracy at home; identifies the charact ....Numeracy@Home: Enhancing the capacity of parents to support the learning of their children. Numeracy@Home aims to enhance the actions that families can implement at home, in collaboration with educators, in order to enhance children’s learning in and positive dispositions toward the development of numeracy. The project: articulates the key numeracy learning goals for families; identifies the actions of families that successfully support the development of numeracy at home; identifies the characteristics of successful numeracy programs for families; and designs, implements and evaluates a program based on the findings of Phases 1 to 3. Together with industry partners, Numeracy@Home aims to lead to better outcomes for families and their children, particularly those who are marginalised and experience disadvantage.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.
Strategies of academic distinction and social distance: aversion and acceptance of comprehensive schooling. Why are some comprehensive school systems so much more equitable and inclusive than others? This international study seeks to understand the factors to which like-status parents respond, the lines of individual and collective action taken in their management of family education strategies and the effects of such strategies on education systems.
Improving outcomes through accessible assessment and inclusive practices. Complex assessment tasks and pedagogies present barriers to the learning and achievement of students with disability, including those with language and/or attentional difficulties. This research will test: 1) whether accessible assessment task design leads to improved student outcomes; 2) whether enhancing teachers’ inclusive practice improves student access to formative assessment pedagogies, enabling more accurate studen ....Improving outcomes through accessible assessment and inclusive practices. Complex assessment tasks and pedagogies present barriers to the learning and achievement of students with disability, including those with language and/or attentional difficulties. This research will test: 1) whether accessible assessment task design leads to improved student outcomes; 2) whether enhancing teachers’ inclusive practice improves student access to formative assessment pedagogies, enabling more accurate student understanding of assessment aims and requirements; and 3) how improvements in task design and teacher practice can be sustained and upscaled across secondary school departments. Expected outcomes of international significance are more inclusive learning and assessment practices with the potential to benefit all students.Read moreRead less
Ethical leadership: a collaborative investigation of equity-driven evidence-based school reform. The purpose of this project is to establish partnerships with school leaders and teachers to develop inclusive and ethical curricular and pedagogic practice that will improve all students learning outcomes. This will be achieved by school-university research networks and school-school partnerships where knowledge will be generated and shared.
An investigation of school and teacher use of National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) for student learning improvement. This project will examine how schools and teachers use National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) outcomes to improve student learning, the main purpose of such testing programs. The project will include the first comprehensive and large-scale State and Territory survey of school practices.
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.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100365
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$371,000.00
Summary
Creating better futures for children through effective parent education. Children born into circumstances of socio-economic disadvantage are at risk of missing out on the developmental, educational and social opportunities that give them the best possible start in life. By helping parents in disadvantaged families to cope with adversity, parent education services can mitigate these risks, build resilience in families, and change children's prospects for the future. This project aims to identify ....Creating better futures for children through effective parent education. Children born into circumstances of socio-economic disadvantage are at risk of missing out on the developmental, educational and social opportunities that give them the best possible start in life. By helping parents in disadvantaged families to cope with adversity, parent education services can mitigate these risks, build resilience in families, and change children's prospects for the future. This project aims to identify the most effective ways that parent educators can create lasting positive impacts for families. This project also aims to find out what needs to change to make these best practices more widespread and cost effective, including learning from study of low-cost community-based services.Read moreRead less
Investigating educator-infant talk and infant-peer interactions in Long Day Care. Very young children’s participation in language rich experiences form a foundation for their subsequent learning and wellbeing. Most studies focus on mother-child interactions but this project analyses the conditions for rich interactions in long day care centres, specifically educator-infant talk and infant-peer communication. High quality infant childcare can provide a buffer against social and educational disadv ....Investigating educator-infant talk and infant-peer interactions in Long Day Care. Very young children’s participation in language rich experiences form a foundation for their subsequent learning and wellbeing. Most studies focus on mother-child interactions but this project analyses the conditions for rich interactions in long day care centres, specifically educator-infant talk and infant-peer communication. High quality infant childcare can provide a buffer against social and educational disadvantage and, with one in four Australian infants attending long day care centres, our findings will provide evidence-based knowledge to support best practice in infant pedagogy and curriculum. Strategies to promote the best possible infant care and education will ultimately strengthen our nation’s human capital.Read moreRead less