Accelerating the mathematics learning of low socio-economic status junior secondary students. This project aims to develop theory that will enable mathematics programs to be constructed to accelerate Years 8-9 students’ learning to the point that Years 10-12 mathematics can be accessed and employment and life chances increased.
Processing mathematics tasks: the nature and role of visual and non-visual reasoning in digital and non-digital environments. Within the next four years, it is likely that the National Assessment Plan for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) will be administered in a digital mode. This project identifies differences between the delivery of mathematics assessment in pencil-and-paper and computer-based modes. Primary students' mathematics reasoning is compared across these modes and to cohorts from Sing ....Processing mathematics tasks: the nature and role of visual and non-visual reasoning in digital and non-digital environments. Within the next four years, it is likely that the National Assessment Plan for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) will be administered in a digital mode. This project identifies differences between the delivery of mathematics assessment in pencil-and-paper and computer-based modes. Primary students' mathematics reasoning is compared across these modes and to cohorts from Singapore.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.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100269
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$361,876.00
Summary
Designing and implementing effective cross-curricular numeracy tasks. Numeracy has been a national education priority for more than a decade, yet there appears to be little progress in students' numeracy performance. A lack of numeracy skills leads to devastating social and economic outcomes for individuals. This project aims to improve students' numeracy capabilities through: attention to the design of tasks intended to enhance numeracy learning across the curriculum; and the refinement of teac ....Designing and implementing effective cross-curricular numeracy tasks. Numeracy has been a national education priority for more than a decade, yet there appears to be little progress in students' numeracy performance. A lack of numeracy skills leads to devastating social and economic outcomes for individuals. This project aims to improve students' numeracy capabilities through: attention to the design of tasks intended to enhance numeracy learning across the curriculum; and the refinement of teaching practices with a view to improving student performance on both standardised numeracy tests and more realistic, contextualised tasks. The project aims to generate new theoretical and practical insights into effective numeracy education across the school curriculum.Read moreRead less
Improving teacher assessment using exemplars and online moderation. This project aims to assess the dependability of teacher judgement using psychometric scaling and online moderation. The project will use an innovative approach to connect achievement standards and judgement-practice for middle-year students in Australian education system. Expected outcomes of the project include the development of scaled work samples exemplifying A-E standards of achievement, refined methods for the consistency ....Improving teacher assessment using exemplars and online moderation. This project aims to assess the dependability of teacher judgement using psychometric scaling and online moderation. The project will use an innovative approach to connect achievement standards and judgement-practice for middle-year students in Australian education system. Expected outcomes of the project include the development of scaled work samples exemplifying A-E standards of achievement, refined methods for the consistency and comparability of assessment decisions, and a new approach to moderating teacher judgements. This project should provide significant benefits in building teachers’ assessment capabilities, shaping policy and teacher preparation.Read moreRead less
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.
STEM education: Student attitudes, teacher relationships & emotional climate. This project aims to improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outcomes in schools, especially among females. This study will develop and validate a questionnaire to assess classroom emotional climate and investigate its mediating influence on teacher-student interactions and students’ effective outcomes. Focus groups will provide input into the interpretation and triangulation of questionnaire f ....STEM education: Student attitudes, teacher relationships & emotional climate. This project aims to improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outcomes in schools, especially among females. This study will develop and validate a questionnaire to assess classroom emotional climate and investigate its mediating influence on teacher-student interactions and students’ effective outcomes. Focus groups will provide input into the interpretation and triangulation of questionnaire findings and permit causal inferences. Expected outcomes include practical, research-based guidance to teachers for enhancing classroom emotional climate and motivating further study in STEM disciplines.Read moreRead less
Optimising students’ academic trajectories: The role of growth (‘personal best’) goals. Too many students fail to reach their academic potential and, as a result, they risk being systematically denied a sense of academic ‘success’ and progress. Through a focus on academic growth (and ‘personal bests’), this research project traverses complex terrain to identify the role of growth goals and growth goal setting in students’ academic trajectories. It also tackles methodological challenges that have ....Optimising students’ academic trajectories: The role of growth (‘personal best’) goals. Too many students fail to reach their academic potential and, as a result, they risk being systematically denied a sense of academic ‘success’ and progress. Through a focus on academic growth (and ‘personal bests’), this research project traverses complex terrain to identify the role of growth goals and growth goal setting in students’ academic trajectories. It also tackles methodological challenges that have impeded research progress in this compelling area. Through strategic international and institutional links, the research program will identify innovative approaches to academic growth and growth goals that will significantly assist pedagogy and psychology aimed at optimising students’ academic potential.Read moreRead less
An investigation of school and teacher use of National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) for student learning improvement. This project will examine how schools and teachers use National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) outcomes to improve student learning, the main purpose of such testing programs. The project will include the first comprehensive and large-scale State and Territory survey of school practices.
Private Literacy Tutoring: A sociology of shadow education. This project intends to investigate the extent and impact of private academic tutoring in Australia. Markets in private academic tutoring or ‘shadow education’ are growing. Globally, studies point to both positive and negative social, economic and educational impacts. In Australia, the federal government briefly funded private tutoring vouchers for students who did not meet literacy benchmarks (2004–08), but in 2013 equity concerns abou ....Private Literacy Tutoring: A sociology of shadow education. This project intends to investigate the extent and impact of private academic tutoring in Australia. Markets in private academic tutoring or ‘shadow education’ are growing. Globally, studies point to both positive and negative social, economic and educational impacts. In Australia, the federal government briefly funded private tutoring vouchers for students who did not meet literacy benchmarks (2004–08), but in 2013 equity concerns about families’ tutoring investments helped prompt a senate inquiry into the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). This project plans to study private tutoring across Australia. It aims to investigate families’ investments in shadow education and the implications of this for Australian literacy education policy. This may also be relevant in other countries where shadow education is also rapidly expanding in response to growing educational competition and testing agendas.Read moreRead less