Teaching and Learning Science, Mathematics and Technology in Integrated Middle School Contexts. Integration is proposed as a significant curriculum reform strategy for Australian schools at the beginning of the century, particularly for early adolescents. Despite the claimed advantages for integrating school subjects, there is an absence of substantive empirical research to show if and/or how students learn in integrated settings. The proposed study addresses this research gap directly, by exami ....Teaching and Learning Science, Mathematics and Technology in Integrated Middle School Contexts. Integration is proposed as a significant curriculum reform strategy for Australian schools at the beginning of the century, particularly for early adolescents. Despite the claimed advantages for integrating school subjects, there is an absence of substantive empirical research to show if and/or how students learn in integrated settings. The proposed study addresses this research gap directly, by examining the teaching context and the characteristics of student learning in integrated science, mathematics and technology classrooms. This project employs detailed and elaborated case studies of six middle school classrooms to develop sophisticated understandings about the connection between integrated pedagogy and student learning and motivation.Read moreRead less
Recruit to Retain: From Medical School to Rural Practitioner. In order to make use of assets and resources the Government is providing for medical training and to address the problem of inequitable distribution of GPs in Australia this project aims to develop a theoretical yet practical understanding of the personal attributes of medical students, residents, registrars and general practitioners that are directly applicable to their recruitment and retention into rural practice. Application of th ....Recruit to Retain: From Medical School to Rural Practitioner. In order to make use of assets and resources the Government is providing for medical training and to address the problem of inequitable distribution of GPs in Australia this project aims to develop a theoretical yet practical understanding of the personal attributes of medical students, residents, registrars and general practitioners that are directly applicable to their recruitment and retention into rural practice. Application of this theoretical perspective will inform and help modify existing training for medical professionals at all levels who have opted for a rural pathway in order to better equip and retain them for life in rural practice.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354538
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$30,000.00
Summary
Enabling Sciences Education (EnSE) Research Network. The Network aims to ensure the long-term ability of Australians to excel in scientific and technological innovation at all levels of community activity. This will be achieved by establishing significant and ambitious research agendas for improving the teaching and learning of Mathematics, Science and Technology in primary, secondary and tertiary education sectors. Of significance will be the productive synergies flowing from uniting, across ....Enabling Sciences Education (EnSE) Research Network. The Network aims to ensure the long-term ability of Australians to excel in scientific and technological innovation at all levels of community activity. This will be achieved by establishing significant and ambitious research agendas for improving the teaching and learning of Mathematics, Science and Technology in primary, secondary and tertiary education sectors. Of significance will be the productive synergies flowing from uniting, across the three disciplines, Australia's most outstanding, experienced and dedicated researchers with new and mid-career colleagues. Expected outcomes include a diverse but cohesive and collaborative research community that provides international leadership in helping students achieve their full potential. Read moreRead less
Reinvigorating middle years pedagogy in 'rustbelt' secondary schools. Internationally, the middle years of schooling are increasingly problematic for students and teachers, and thus a crucial site for pedagogical reform. The last decade of research and development is nearly exhausted. There is need for a new generation of pedagogical innovation that recognises shifts in demography, identities and socio-economic conditions. This project aims to build curriculum and pedagogical practice that enga ....Reinvigorating middle years pedagogy in 'rustbelt' secondary schools. Internationally, the middle years of schooling are increasingly problematic for students and teachers, and thus a crucial site for pedagogical reform. The last decade of research and development is nearly exhausted. There is need for a new generation of pedagogical innovation that recognises shifts in demography, identities and socio-economic conditions. This project aims to build curriculum and pedagogical practice that engage young people's lifeworlds and the concerns of their communities. It will, develop a university-school professional learning community that supports educational action research and that informs pedagogical practices through ethnographies of the everyday lives of diverse young people.Read moreRead less
Literacy and the environment: A situated study of multimediated literacy, sustainability, local knowledges and educational change. The Murray-Darling Basin represents one of the major ecosocial challenges facing Australia. Finding long-term sustainable solutions requires a knowledgeable and literate citizenry and due educational investment now. This study seeks to extend 'special Forever?, an innovative environmental communications project, involving the Primary English Teachers Association an ....Literacy and the environment: A situated study of multimediated literacy, sustainability, local knowledges and educational change. The Murray-Darling Basin represents one of the major ecosocial challenges facing Australia. Finding long-term sustainable solutions requires a knowledgeable and literate citizenry and due educational investment now. This study seeks to extend 'special Forever?, an innovative environmental communications project, involving the Primary English Teachers Association and The Murray-Darling Basin Commission, designed to enhance primary school children's knowledge and literacy regarding the Murray-Darling Basin. This research will analyse the Special Forever archive, develop ecosocial cartographies, and document school-based environmental projects through writing, the arts and contemporary multi-media. In doing so, it will extend current understandings of literacy education and the environment. Read moreRead less
New literacy demands in the middle years: learning from design experiments. National benefit and impact accrues most particularly in terms of (i) capacity building across the teaching profession, including increased preparedness of teachers to effectively teach curriculum literacies and adopt pedagogically sound practices with digital technologies; and (ii) the sound use of evidence to inform decision-making and curriculum design in Australian schools, including to inform professional developmen ....New literacy demands in the middle years: learning from design experiments. National benefit and impact accrues most particularly in terms of (i) capacity building across the teaching profession, including increased preparedness of teachers to effectively teach curriculum literacies and adopt pedagogically sound practices with digital technologies; and (ii) the sound use of evidence to inform decision-making and curriculum design in Australian schools, including to inform professional development programs for classroom teachers, drive understanding of the complex nature of contemporary teachers' work; to sustain and retain innovative, change-ready teachers; and engage directly with the key predictions of the OECD's Futures of School scenarios in local, national and international arenas.Read moreRead less
Digital Learning and Print Literacy: A design experiment for the reform of low socio-economic, culturally diverse schools. The Federal Government has declared the Education Revolution as a key national priority for reform. It has called for a policy focus on the introduction of digital technologies into the school lives of students and a renewed focus on equity in traditional print literacy. This project will provide a new evidence base and training site for teacher and student development in pr ....Digital Learning and Print Literacy: A design experiment for the reform of low socio-economic, culturally diverse schools. The Federal Government has declared the Education Revolution as a key national priority for reform. It has called for a policy focus on the introduction of digital technologies into the school lives of students and a renewed focus on equity in traditional print literacy. This project will provide a new evidence base and training site for teacher and student development in print literacy and technology with a focus on low socio-economic school development.Read moreRead less
Enabling place pedagogies in rural and urban Australia. This project will tell us how children and adults learn about place in the local areas where they live and work. The findings will be applied in action research with teachers in early childhood, school, and adult education settings, and in the preparation of teachers. It will address two Research Priority areas, 1: An Environmentally Sustainable Australia and 2. Strengthening AustraliaÍs economic and social fabric, which we argue are insepa ....Enabling place pedagogies in rural and urban Australia. This project will tell us how children and adults learn about place in the local areas where they live and work. The findings will be applied in action research with teachers in early childhood, school, and adult education settings, and in the preparation of teachers. It will address two Research Priority areas, 1: An Environmentally Sustainable Australia and 2. Strengthening AustraliaÍs economic and social fabric, which we argue are inseparable. Incorporating the findings into the curricula of teacher education will ensure that the project will have sustained long term benefits as well as the immediate application built into the study.Read moreRead less