Sustainable mathematics education capacity building: Empowering Indigenous teacher aides to enhance rural and remote Indigenous students' numeracy outcomes. Rural/remote Indigenous students perform well below other students in statewide numeracy tests. Because teachers are generally non-Indigenous, inexperienced and stay for less than two years and Indigenous teacher aides have little training in teaching mathematics, schools do not the capacity to affect this outcome. This project will work wit ....Sustainable mathematics education capacity building: Empowering Indigenous teacher aides to enhance rural and remote Indigenous students' numeracy outcomes. Rural/remote Indigenous students perform well below other students in statewide numeracy tests. Because teachers are generally non-Indigenous, inexperienced and stay for less than two years and Indigenous teacher aides have little training in teaching mathematics, schools do not the capacity to affect this outcome. This project will work with eight schools to improve and sustain Years 1-7 mathematics outcomes by enhancing aides' tutoring effectiveness through culturally appropriate mathematics and mathematics pedagogy knowledge. The aim is to develop principles for a professional learning program that can be used with Indigenous aides across Australia to improve Indigenous students' mathematics and therefore employment/life chances.Read moreRead less
Learning by Design: Creating pedagogical frameworks for knowledge building in the 21st century. Our aim is to facilitate and support a generational change of teachers precipitated by the departure of the baby-boomers. The research will investigate the ways in which 'middle-years' teachers design, record and enact their curriculum, searching for evidence of a relationship between pedagogical choices and learner outcomes. From these investigations, and drawing on the theory of Multiliteracies, a t ....Learning by Design: Creating pedagogical frameworks for knowledge building in the 21st century. Our aim is to facilitate and support a generational change of teachers precipitated by the departure of the baby-boomers. The research will investigate the ways in which 'middle-years' teachers design, record and enact their curriculum, searching for evidence of a relationship between pedagogical choices and learner outcomes. From these investigations, and drawing on the theory of Multiliteracies, a tool will be developed to prompt more mindful and context-appropriate pedagogical choices, while encouraging teachers to document and share their practices. This will result in a body of rigorous and shareable knowledge and know-how, potentially improving opportunities and educational outcomes for all Australian students.Read moreRead less
Leading and learning: Developing ecologies of educational practice. This study contributes to the continuing development of the theory of teacher professional development and leadership. This has the potential to contribute directly to social, political, environmental and economic growth and development of Australia through educational outcomes.
Scaffolding numeracy in the middle years: an investigation of a new assessment-guided approach to teaching mathematics using authentic assessment tasks. The project will investigate the efficacy of a new assessment-guided approach to improving student numeracy outcomes in Years 4 to 8. The project adds to existing knowledge through the development of a learning and assessment framework for multiplicative thinking and rational number in a form and language accessible to teachers. The project is i ....Scaffolding numeracy in the middle years: an investigation of a new assessment-guided approach to teaching mathematics using authentic assessment tasks. The project will investigate the efficacy of a new assessment-guided approach to improving student numeracy outcomes in Years 4 to 8. The project adds to existing knowledge through the development of a learning and assessment framework for multiplicative thinking and rational number in a form and language accessible to teachers. The project is innovative in that it will develop and use authentic assessment tasks, as opposed to written tests or individual interviews, to identify learner's needs in terms of the framework and inform subsequent teaching. This represents a significant contribution to the Commonwealth's goal of improving numeracy outcomes for all.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
Mandated literacy assessment and the reorganisation of teachers' work. The study will inform practitioners, teacher educators and educational policy-makers about the ways that teachers' work is being changed by the introduction of mandated standardised assessment and reporting processes. The research will provide insights into the ways in which teachers need to adapt standardised processes and policies to account for the varied student and community populations they serve. This is significant fo ....Mandated literacy assessment and the reorganisation of teachers' work. The study will inform practitioners, teacher educators and educational policy-makers about the ways that teachers' work is being changed by the introduction of mandated standardised assessment and reporting processes. The research will provide insights into the ways in which teachers need to adapt standardised processes and policies to account for the varied student and community populations they serve. This is significant for educational policy as recent international studies of students' literacy performance suggest Australia is lagging in terms of equity for low SES students. Read moreRead less
Developing culturally-fair assessment practices to achieve greater equity and success for Indigenous students. This study will provide a model to build teachers' assessment capacity to address the major problem of underperformance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in regional Australia. In comparison with other developed countries, Australia is underperforming in relation to engaging students from disadvantaged groups. This research will advance knowledge about how to develop m ....Developing culturally-fair assessment practices to achieve greater equity and success for Indigenous students. This study will provide a model to build teachers' assessment capacity to address the major problem of underperformance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in regional Australia. In comparison with other developed countries, Australia is underperforming in relation to engaging students from disadvantaged groups. This research will advance knowledge about how to develop more culturally-fair assessment tasks using curriculum that embeds Indigenous perspectives and culturally-sensitive pedagogy. Assessment to improve young Indigenous Australian's educational performance will help them succeed in schooling to acquire skills for a more secure, economic, social and cultural future.Read moreRead less
Smart Education Partnerships: Testing a Research Collaboration Model To Build Literacy Innovations in Low Socio Economic Schools. The social and economic benefits of success at school are felt at individual, local and the national levels. Literacy is a significant factor in school success. This project will build and test a model of school improvement that will develop increased capacity for effective literacy teaching, and will address significant issues of equity in the provision of high q ....Smart Education Partnerships: Testing a Research Collaboration Model To Build Literacy Innovations in Low Socio Economic Schools. The social and economic benefits of success at school are felt at individual, local and the national levels. Literacy is a significant factor in school success. This project will build and test a model of school improvement that will develop increased capacity for effective literacy teaching, and will address significant issues of equity in the provision of high quality schooling for Australian students from diverse cultural, linguistic and/or socioeconomic backgrounds. The project has both local benefit, addressing needs in some of Queensland's most challenged schools, and will inform policy for school change in many of Australia's socially disadvantaged communities.Read moreRead less
What teachers do with the official curriculum: A quantitative study of factors influencing the curriculum-in-use. The Federal Government has declared 'the education revolution' as a key focus of reform. In response to public debate, it has called for a National Curriculum and a policy focus on teacher quality. This project is the first large-scale state survey of teacher engagement with and use of official curriculum documents. It will document how teacher expertise and preparation, systemic and ....What teachers do with the official curriculum: A quantitative study of factors influencing the curriculum-in-use. The Federal Government has declared 'the education revolution' as a key focus of reform. In response to public debate, it has called for a National Curriculum and a policy focus on teacher quality. This project is the first large-scale state survey of teacher engagement with and use of official curriculum documents. It will document how teacher expertise and preparation, systemic and professional support influence how teachers interpret and use the curriculum. The project will provide a new evidence-base for state and national policy reform in: curriculum, teacher education, and professional development. Read moreRead less
Managing tensions in professional statutory practice: Living and working in rural and remote communities. Delivering essential health, education and human services in rural and remote communities remains a critical problem for Australia . When professionals have mandatory responsibilities (in child protection, law enforcement or mental health matters), tensions can arise between workers and the community in which they live. The study will offer solutions to the complex medical, legal and social ....Managing tensions in professional statutory practice: Living and working in rural and remote communities. Delivering essential health, education and human services in rural and remote communities remains a critical problem for Australia . When professionals have mandatory responsibilities (in child protection, law enforcement or mental health matters), tensions can arise between workers and the community in which they live. The study will offer solutions to the complex medical, legal and social issues that arise for different professional groups in the discharge of their duties. It will increase current knowledge about the nature of their roles and responsibilities in small communities, and about improving professional practice and retention, leading to improved service delivery and outcomes for individuals, families and communities.
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