Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354531
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Social research network for sustainable rural communities. The triple bottom line of social, economic and environmental imperatives forms the accepted ingredients of sustainability. While the economic and environmental dimensions have been relatively well researched, there is insufficient understanding of the socio-cultural dimensions and how these determine environmental and health outcomes. The interactions between the dimensions are also poorly understood. While there are some researchers in ....Social research network for sustainable rural communities. The triple bottom line of social, economic and environmental imperatives forms the accepted ingredients of sustainability. While the economic and environmental dimensions have been relatively well researched, there is insufficient understanding of the socio-cultural dimensions and how these determine environmental and health outcomes. The interactions between the dimensions are also poorly understood. While there are some researchers in this field, they have tended to work in isolation. The development of a resourced interdisciplinary network to facilitate collaboration will increase the contribution and innovativeness of their collective research and contribute to understanding socio-economic determinants of dynamic regions and healthy rural communities.Read moreRead less
When caring ends: Understanding and supporting informal care trajectories. This project aims to advance understandings of how, why, when, and for whom caring ends, including the socio-cultural and relational factors that shape experiences before, during, and after caring. Using an innovative, multi-method sociological approach, and foregrounding carers’ voices, this project expects to generate new knowledge on the meaning and experience of care and caring. This project is significant in bringing ....When caring ends: Understanding and supporting informal care trajectories. This project aims to advance understandings of how, why, when, and for whom caring ends, including the socio-cultural and relational factors that shape experiences before, during, and after caring. Using an innovative, multi-method sociological approach, and foregrounding carers’ voices, this project expects to generate new knowledge on the meaning and experience of care and caring. This project is significant in bringing together leading researchers and key carer-focused organisations, spanning service sectors and moving across care relationships, life stages and contexts. Expected outcomes include enhanced service capacity with tangible policy and practice benefits that will enable sustainable and fulfilling informal caring experiences.Read moreRead less
Fostering school attendance for students in Out-of-Home Care. This project aims to investigate why children and young people in Out-Of-Home-Care in Australia are absent from school far more than their peers. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the reasons for their absences and to develop solutions to improve attendance through: children’s own voices; detailed absence data; policy audit; and case studies of promising practice. Expected outcomes include a comprehensive conceptuali ....Fostering school attendance for students in Out-of-Home Care. This project aims to investigate why children and young people in Out-Of-Home-Care in Australia are absent from school far more than their peers. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the reasons for their absences and to develop solutions to improve attendance through: children’s own voices; detailed absence data; policy audit; and case studies of promising practice. Expected outcomes include a comprehensive conceptualisation of absences including those triggered by schools or the care context; and an evidence-informed, child-centred framework to enable attendance and, thereby, improved educational outcomes. This should provide significant social and economic benefits both for children in care and for the community. Read moreRead less
Social futures and life pathways of young people in Queensland: waves 4 and 5 of a longitudinal study. This project assesses the impact of globalisation on the attitudes, behaviors, and life pathways of a cohort of over 7000 young Queenslanders, first surveyed when they were aged 12 and 13. Participants will be followed up when they are aged 19 and 20 and 20/21 to examine their experiences of the transition from school to work, family and social life.
Social Futures & Life Pathways of Young People in Queensland: Waves 6 & 7. This project plans to extend a large longitudinal study of young people in Queensland to investigate the impact of social, political and economic changes on educational, workforce, partnering, family and housing transitions in early adulthood. The project is designed to combine large-scale survey research with in-depth qualitative interviewing to track stability and change in the values, aspirations, health and wellbeing ....Social Futures & Life Pathways of Young People in Queensland: Waves 6 & 7. This project plans to extend a large longitudinal study of young people in Queensland to investigate the impact of social, political and economic changes on educational, workforce, partnering, family and housing transitions in early adulthood. The project is designed to combine large-scale survey research with in-depth qualitative interviewing to track stability and change in the values, aspirations, health and wellbeing of a cohort of young people who were first surveyed as secondary school students a decade earlier. This aims to inform social policy by identifying factors that promote positive career, relationship, housing and health outcomes for young adults, and those which place young adults at risk of unemployment, tertiary non-completion, residential and relationship instability, and poorer mental and physical wellbeing.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
Statistical literacy in the education workplace: Barriers and enablers for school personnel making data-driven decisions. Using quantitative data to monitor workplace processes and improve quality requires both strong statistical literacy and commitment to such decision-making processes. This study of data usage by school personnel will contribute to the success of the National Assessment Program that monitors progress towards the National Goals for Schooling in the 21st Century. It will provide ....Statistical literacy in the education workplace: Barriers and enablers for school personnel making data-driven decisions. Using quantitative data to monitor workplace processes and improve quality requires both strong statistical literacy and commitment to such decision-making processes. This study of data usage by school personnel will contribute to the success of the National Assessment Program that monitors progress towards the National Goals for Schooling in the 21st Century. It will provide evidence from which to enhance professional learning in data interpretation for both pre- and in-service teachers. The resulting research template has application for examining (a) statistical literacy needs in other sectors and (b) workers' perceptions of quantitative data used to inform decision-making. This will enhance the smart use of data in the workplace.Read moreRead less
Managing innovation with a policy-relevant framework to assess the social consequences of technological developments. A framework to assess the social consequences of new technologies will enable their benefits to be maximised and impacts lessened. By considering impacts during development and before release, design criteria can be broadened, appropriate management and mitigation measures implemented and appropriate regulatory conditions established. Interested parties can participate in discuss ....Managing innovation with a policy-relevant framework to assess the social consequences of technological developments. A framework to assess the social consequences of new technologies will enable their benefits to be maximised and impacts lessened. By considering impacts during development and before release, design criteria can be broadened, appropriate management and mitigation measures implemented and appropriate regulatory conditions established. Interested parties can participate in discussions about technology directions at an early stage, allowing technological development that is more democratic and less obstructed by conflict. Society benefits by having socially-appropriate and socially-acceptable technologies. Industry benefits from clearer technology development paths and a better understanding of potential social impacts of new technology.Read moreRead less
Children, on-line learning and authentic teaching skills in primary education. The main aim of this project is to identify the authentic skills and strategies adopted by teachers of online learning programs in rural and urban locations. By studying teaching and learning behaviours in primary education we seek to match best practice in teaching with quality online learning outcomes. ICT experts acknowledge the urgency of this knowledge. Without clear indicators for teachers we run the risk of mis ....Children, on-line learning and authentic teaching skills in primary education. The main aim of this project is to identify the authentic skills and strategies adopted by teachers of online learning programs in rural and urban locations. By studying teaching and learning behaviours in primary education we seek to match best practice in teaching with quality online learning outcomes. ICT experts acknowledge the urgency of this knowledge. Without clear indicators for teachers we run the risk of mismatched traditional techniques and minimising teaching effectiveness. The expected outcomes will be benchmarked data linking numeracy and literacy standards with best practice in on-line teaching, and an accompanying interactive web based professional development package grounded in theory.Read moreRead less
Building futures for young Australians at risk: a coordinated measurement framework and data archive. This project will build a national data base of evidence about and for programs that address the needs of the 16 per cent of young Australians currently at risk of school non-completion. It will generate important knowledge for program improvement and sustainability and coordination of evidence across diverse and fragmented programs.