Attracting and sustaining engaged science and mathematics teachers. Attracting and sustaining engaged science and mathematics teachers. This project will examine what attracts or deters potential, future and practising teachers of the sciences and mathematics, by focusing on current teachers, school and university students in Queensland. Promises of a technological revolution and rapid economic development will be hollow if students do not study sciences and mathematics, and there are too few qu ....Attracting and sustaining engaged science and mathematics teachers. Attracting and sustaining engaged science and mathematics teachers. This project will examine what attracts or deters potential, future and practising teachers of the sciences and mathematics, by focusing on current teachers, school and university students in Queensland. Promises of a technological revolution and rapid economic development will be hollow if students do not study sciences and mathematics, and there are too few qualified teachers. This project will identify where to intervene in the science and mathematics teacher supply pipeline, and policy levers to attract and sustain quality teachers. The project is expected to uncover what attracts or deters teachers of science and mathematics—disciplines essential to industry innovation, a skilled workforce and productivity growth.Read moreRead less
Exceptional teachers for disadvantaged schools: A longitudinal study of graduates at work in low socio-economic status schools. Recruiting and retaining quality teachers for disadvantaged schools is a persistent problem of international significance. Building on a successful partnership with Queensland Department of Education, Training and Employment, this project aims to investigate how graduates from a unique teacher education program - designed to prepare quality teachers for schools situated ....Exceptional teachers for disadvantaged schools: A longitudinal study of graduates at work in low socio-economic status schools. Recruiting and retaining quality teachers for disadvantaged schools is a persistent problem of international significance. Building on a successful partnership with Queensland Department of Education, Training and Employment, this project aims to investigate how graduates from a unique teacher education program - designed to prepare quality teachers for schools situated in low socio-economic communities - perceive, recognise and enact ‘quality’ in their practice. The project merges theory on disadvantage with school-based practice and evidence of impact to develop theorisations of how early career teachers understand and enact quality teaching. The findings have implications for policy and practice in teacher education and capacity building.Read moreRead less
Improving employment outcomes for Australians with disability. This project aims to provide evidence about how to improve employment outcomes for people with disability. Nearly one in five adult Australians have a disability and just over half of these are in the labour force; a modest increase in employment rates will have significant social and economic benefits for people with disability and society. By collecting longitudinal quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interview) data at three ti ....Improving employment outcomes for Australians with disability. This project aims to provide evidence about how to improve employment outcomes for people with disability. Nearly one in five adult Australians have a disability and just over half of these are in the labour force; a modest increase in employment rates will have significant social and economic benefits for people with disability and society. By collecting longitudinal quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interview) data at three time points from over 1500 jobseekers with disability, critical information should be gained about how the characteristics of employment services, workplaces and jobseekers contribute to sustainable, meaningful employment for people with disability.Read moreRead less
Capacity building and social enterprise: Individual and organisational transformation in transitional labour market programs. This research will produce new knowledge about the sustainability of social enterprise based transitional labour market programs, and contribute to the development of such programs nationally and internationally. The study of the factors that shape the success, or otherwise, of the most vulnerable, marginalised young people's involvement in these programs will contribute ....Capacity building and social enterprise: Individual and organisational transformation in transitional labour market programs. This research will produce new knowledge about the sustainability of social enterprise based transitional labour market programs, and contribute to the development of such programs nationally and internationally. The study of the factors that shape the success, or otherwise, of the most vulnerable, marginalised young people's involvement in these programs will contribute new knowledge about young people's transitions into labour markets. Together, these innovative understandings of social enterprise, marginalisation and social inclusion/transition will make significant contributions to the National Research Priority goals strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric and promoting an innovation culture and economy.Read moreRead less
Women in the scientific research workforce: identifying and sustaining the diversity advantage. This project, anchored in the strategically important fields of biomedical research and chemistry related industries, will use longitudinal data analysis and industry case studies to extend knowledge of gender differences in scientific career paths and critical career transitions. This will produce a body of Australian data that will allow benchmarking and theory development against comparable, recent ....Women in the scientific research workforce: identifying and sustaining the diversity advantage. This project, anchored in the strategically important fields of biomedical research and chemistry related industries, will use longitudinal data analysis and industry case studies to extend knowledge of gender differences in scientific career paths and critical career transitions. This will produce a body of Australian data that will allow benchmarking and theory development against comparable, recent international studies and provide industry with tools to build and sustain diversity.Read moreRead less
Investigating the effectiveness of teacher education for early career teachers in diverse settings: a longitudinal study. This project investigates the effectiveness of teacher education programs in Victoria and Queensland in preparing teachers for the variety of school settings in which they begin their careers. The findings will inform state and national policy, as well as the work of professional regulation authorities and teacher education providers.
Intercultural understanding in primary and secondary schools. What facilitates or impedes intercultural understanding in children, adolescents and schools? How can this be addressed? How can we know what makes a difference? This project answers these questions at the individual, school and national level using a novel cultural systems approach and methodological and technological innovations.
Would more highly-qualified teachers and trainers help to address quality problems in the Australian vocational education and training system? This project examines whether and how higher-level qualifications for vocational education and training (VET) teachers would improve quality in the VET system. Government documents and public commentary indicate that the VET sector suffers from some fairly serious quality problems. This is significant because VET provides training that underpins all Austr ....Would more highly-qualified teachers and trainers help to address quality problems in the Australian vocational education and training system? This project examines whether and how higher-level qualifications for vocational education and training (VET) teachers would improve quality in the VET system. Government documents and public commentary indicate that the VET sector suffers from some fairly serious quality problems. This is significant because VET provides training that underpins all Australian industries. Most VET teachers are qualified only to a Certificate IV level. A more highly qualified VET teaching workforce is likely to lead to improvements in quality; however there is currently no firm evidence to establish this link, as the 2011 Productivity Commission report on the VET workforce pointed out. This project aims to provide much-needed evidence to guide policy.Read moreRead less
Supporting pacific development. The research looks at the extent to which twenty-two of the world's richest countries support development in the Pacific Islands region through their efforts with respect to aid, trade, migration, private investment, security, technology and environmental sustainability. It will develop an index that will rank these countries on the basis of these efforts.
Pursuing equity in high poverty rural schools: improving learning through rich accountabilities. Poor performance of students in schools located in high poverty communities is a pressing educational problem for Australia, with educational disadvantage in poor rural communities in particular demanding amelioration. The evidence suggests the equity and quality of schooling outcomes are centrally important to the nation's economic future, the strength of Australian democracy, social inclusion and a ....Pursuing equity in high poverty rural schools: improving learning through rich accountabilities. Poor performance of students in schools located in high poverty communities is a pressing educational problem for Australia, with educational disadvantage in poor rural communities in particular demanding amelioration. The evidence suggests the equity and quality of schooling outcomes are centrally important to the nation's economic future, the strength of Australian democracy, social inclusion and a unified nation. In strengthening policy and practice knowledge about educative usage of performance data and the development of rich forms of accountability, the research will advance the academic literature and provide an evidence base for success of the national partnership on low socio-economic status schools.Read moreRead less