Promoting scientific literacy of secondary science students through studying socioscientific issues and argumentation. This project will develop a model of professional development and effective classroom strategies to improve 12-16 year old school students' decision-making about socioscientific issues. Key outcomes will be improved scientific literacy and willingness by young people to use scientific evidence when making personal and community decisions.
Eventful learning in quality pre-service science teacher education. The study aims to build a theory that explains quality in science teacher education by identifying successful learning-teaching events across programs of university science teacher education. This theory will guide wider application of eventful learning practices at university to enhance the successful entry of new teachers to the profession.
Engaging Students during the Early Years of Secondary School. This project aims to design, test and share sustainable strategies to support teachers and enable students from low socioeconomic communities to achieve success. The greatest decreases in students’ interest and effort occur when they transition into secondary school, with students from low socioeconomic communities at greatest risk of disengagement. What can teachers do to engage their students during this key life transition? This pr ....Engaging Students during the Early Years of Secondary School. This project aims to design, test and share sustainable strategies to support teachers and enable students from low socioeconomic communities to achieve success. The greatest decreases in students’ interest and effort occur when they transition into secondary school, with students from low socioeconomic communities at greatest risk of disengagement. What can teachers do to engage their students during this key life transition? This project plans to identify teacher behaviours that motivate students in their first year at secondary school. Using an experimental design with a representative sample of 150 teachers and 1500 students in low socioeconomic areas across three states, the project plans to test whether an online professional learning program for teachers can improve student engagement and achievement. This cost-effective and scalable intervention is designed for widespread dissemination to Australian teachers.Read moreRead less
The roles of scientific diagrams in contributing to science achievement and conceptual change. The project is designed to develop a body of research that facilitates excellence in teaching and in learning scientific diagrams in secondary school science. Benefits will include the dissemination of effective pedagogical strategies and improved science achievement measured by conceptual change from both cognitive and affective perspectives.
Advancing future primary teachers' engagement in science inquiry learning. Australia's challenges in regard to scientific literacy and growth of student enrolments in science need to be addressed at multiple levels, starting with the preparation of future primary teachers. Promoting children's early interest in inquiry-based science is essential, yet a challenge for many teachers. This project examines the complex and dynamic interplay of cognitive, metacognitive and emotional processes in futur ....Advancing future primary teachers' engagement in science inquiry learning. Australia's challenges in regard to scientific literacy and growth of student enrolments in science need to be addressed at multiple levels, starting with the preparation of future primary teachers. Promoting children's early interest in inquiry-based science is essential, yet a challenge for many teachers. This project examines the complex and dynamic interplay of cognitive, metacognitive and emotional processes in future primary teachers' engagement in collaborative inquiry-based science activities. A comprehensive intervention based on these insights aims to determine how scaffolding productive engagement can improve the quality of primary teachers' preparation for inquiry-based science.Read moreRead less
Investigating literary knowledge in the making of English teachers. This project aims to create new understanding of the role of literary knowledge within subject English. English education is mandated in Australian schooling; however, subject content as well as teachers’ knowledge and pedagogical approaches are highly contested, particularly regarding the teaching of literature. Using a national survey, focus group interviews and a longitudinal study, the project aims to provide new understandi ....Investigating literary knowledge in the making of English teachers. This project aims to create new understanding of the role of literary knowledge within subject English. English education is mandated in Australian schooling; however, subject content as well as teachers’ knowledge and pedagogical approaches are highly contested, particularly regarding the teaching of literature. Using a national survey, focus group interviews and a longitudinal study, the project aims to provide new understandings of the literary knowledge that early career teachers need, of the impact of curricula and professional practice on disciplinary knowledge, and about the operation of literary studies across school and university. Significantly, it plans to use ‘literary sociability’, an innovative methodology, to generate empirical and conceptual perspectives on literary studies in Australia that will be of value internationally.Read moreRead less
Productive Pedagogies, Productive Schools and Gender Reform. This proposal seeks to document policy developments at federal, state and school systems in relation to boys' schooling and measure their effectiveness within a gender equity framework. It also seeks to document and evaluate the effectiveness of school structural and pedagogical reforms geared to better meeting the educational needs of boys without detracting from the education of girls. Finally, the study will map pedagogies and analy ....Productive Pedagogies, Productive Schools and Gender Reform. This proposal seeks to document policy developments at federal, state and school systems in relation to boys' schooling and measure their effectiveness within a gender equity framework. It also seeks to document and evaluate the effectiveness of school structural and pedagogical reforms geared to better meeting the educational needs of boys without detracting from the education of girls. Finally, the study will map pedagogies and analyse their effectiveness against such factors as the gender of the teacher and gender composition of classes, and subject domains, across both primary and secondary schools.Read moreRead less
Structural relations of loners' loneliness and antisocial behaviour in children and adolescents: building a conceptual model for effective intervention. This is the first research project to develop a conceptual model of loneliness and detached a-loneness to explain the contribution of loneliness to childhood and adolescent antisocial behaviour. The outcome will be a school-based web delivered program which will have a major impact on promoting the healthy development of young Australians.
Using explanatory frameworks to enhance students' metacognitive capabilities in science. The success and continuation of science programs in secondary schools and universities is dependent on foundational improvements in teaching and learning. This proposal is designed to address this national concern by fostering potential science talent by encouraging more students to study and enjoy science in a meaningful way. Through the development of carefully analysed explanatory frameworks, science teac ....Using explanatory frameworks to enhance students' metacognitive capabilities in science. The success and continuation of science programs in secondary schools and universities is dependent on foundational improvements in teaching and learning. This proposal is designed to address this national concern by fostering potential science talent by encouraging more students to study and enjoy science in a meaningful way. Through the development of carefully analysed explanatory frameworks, science teachers and university lecturers will enable students to develop their metacognitive capabilities so that they are able to think logically about science concepts rather than memorise basic facts which are easily forgotten. Expected practical benefits are students who are better able to learn and communicate, especially in science.Read moreRead less
Roads to the Future: Infrastructure and the New Development in Africa. This project aims to conduct a comparative analysis of new road schemes in East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean (a region which sits at the intersection of several major global transport and development corridors), in order to understand their economic, socio-political, cultural and public health effects. As global road-building accelerates at an unprecedented rate, especially in the developing world, there is an urgent n ....Roads to the Future: Infrastructure and the New Development in Africa. This project aims to conduct a comparative analysis of new road schemes in East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean (a region which sits at the intersection of several major global transport and development corridors), in order to understand their economic, socio-political, cultural and public health effects. As global road-building accelerates at an unprecedented rate, especially in the developing world, there is an urgent need for new models for understanding roads' potential economic benefits, as well as their risks, including their environmental risks. This project is benefitting citizens, NGOs, donors and governments, by generating new knowledge about how we have in the past, do at present, and should in the future, engage with roads.Read moreRead less