Investigating standards-driven reform in assessment in the middle years of schooling. This project addresses the Australian Government's call for standards-referenced reporting of student achievement. Its focus on standards, teacher judgement, and inclusion ensures that the project is responsive to the diversity of student cohorts, including those in rural and remote areas. Reliable teacher judgement and clear reporting are vital in ensuring timely interventions for students at educational risk ....Investigating standards-driven reform in assessment in the middle years of schooling. This project addresses the Australian Government's call for standards-referenced reporting of student achievement. Its focus on standards, teacher judgement, and inclusion ensures that the project is responsive to the diversity of student cohorts, including those in rural and remote areas. Reliable teacher judgement and clear reporting are vital in ensuring timely interventions for students at educational risk and for accelerated provision for high performing students. This project is significant as it will provide a large-scale evidential base of how teachers judge and moderate quality. Australia's social well being and economic international competitiveness hinge on maximising outcomes for all students.
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The Chinese Knowledge Diaspora and the International Knowledge Network - Australian and Canadian Universities Compared. For Australia, one of the key contemporary challenges is to understand China, in ways that maximise mutual benefits. This includes the key arena of education, where the growing number of Chinese intellectuals working in Australian (and Canadian) universities, can assist in replenishing an ageing domestic academic work force,as well as forging international research networks. T ....The Chinese Knowledge Diaspora and the International Knowledge Network - Australian and Canadian Universities Compared. For Australia, one of the key contemporary challenges is to understand China, in ways that maximise mutual benefits. This includes the key arena of education, where the growing number of Chinese intellectuals working in Australian (and Canadian) universities, can assist in replenishing an ageing domestic academic work force,as well as forging international research networks. The bi-cultural, bi-lingual expertise of this Chinese knowledge diaspora constitutes a key resource with which to build trans-national research and knowledge networks,with the diverse and growing Chinese scholarly community, worldwide. The advantages, prospects and difficulties of such trans-national networks are explained. Read moreRead less
Equity and access: analysing the level and pattern of funding of teaching and learning resources in Australian schools. The project will develop indicators and evidence of best practice that will enable educators and schools to make improved and more informed decisions on how to support learners in the provision of teaching and learning resources.
AusAID at work: the design, delivery and impact of Australian aid to education in Asia and the Pacific. The project is designed to determine how Australian overseas aid can make more effective interventions in the education sector, at a time of significant budgetary increases. Australian overseas aid is officially regarded as a key means of promoting poverty reduction, economic growth, social cohesion, expanded trade and regional security. Each objective is significant for Australian futures. Ai ....AusAID at work: the design, delivery and impact of Australian aid to education in Asia and the Pacific. The project is designed to determine how Australian overseas aid can make more effective interventions in the education sector, at a time of significant budgetary increases. Australian overseas aid is officially regarded as a key means of promoting poverty reduction, economic growth, social cohesion, expanded trade and regional security. Each objective is significant for Australian futures. Aid to the education sector has been taking on increasing weight, given that well-performing education systems are known to impact positively in these areas. The project provides a platform for greater impact of Australian aid, including that provided in partnership with other donors.Read moreRead less
Realising Gifted Students' Potential: Elucidating psychosocial determinants and the impact of different educational settings on educational outcomes and psychosocial wellbeing. As current gifted students are expected to provide future leaders in all fields of endeavour, there is an increasing emphasis in Australia and worldwide on how to educate gifted students most effectively. Our proposed research will improve Australia's capacity to educate gifted students by: informing practice on how best ....Realising Gifted Students' Potential: Elucidating psychosocial determinants and the impact of different educational settings on educational outcomes and psychosocial wellbeing. As current gifted students are expected to provide future leaders in all fields of endeavour, there is an increasing emphasis in Australia and worldwide on how to educate gifted students most effectively. Our proposed research will improve Australia's capacity to educate gifted students by: informing practice on how best to select students to participate in gifted education; maximising the potential of gifted young Australians; and providing guidance for future intervention strategies. This research will contribute substantially to further actualising Australia's claim to be the clever country and will have important implications for the future of gifted education.Read moreRead less
Teachers For a Fair Go: A study of teachers who 'make a difference' to students in poverty. Restricted educational outcomes are central to entrenched disadvantage in poor communities in both rural and urban Australia. This project directly addresses education's role in equal opportunities for all Australians. It seeks to work with, and inform, Australia's largest educational jurisdiction (the NSWDET) about practices which gain success for its poorest students. The project also applies new ideas ....Teachers For a Fair Go: A study of teachers who 'make a difference' to students in poverty. Restricted educational outcomes are central to entrenched disadvantage in poor communities in both rural and urban Australia. This project directly addresses education's role in equal opportunities for all Australians. It seeks to work with, and inform, Australia's largest educational jurisdiction (the NSWDET) about practices which gain success for its poorest students. The project also applies new ideas around motivation and engagement from within the MeE Framework, developed at the University of Western Sydney. Using teachers as co-researchers also takes forward methodological practices in investigating what makes a difference in the social and academic outcomes of students in poverty.Read moreRead less
Australia's International Relations in Education 1945-2000. The project provides the first comprehensive historical account of Australia's international relations in education, presented in light of evolving policy and strategic concerns. International education has become increasingly important for Australian foreign policy and national development post-WW2, and has been taking on particular weight in educational policy and practice. The project investigates how pursuing the national interest ....Australia's International Relations in Education 1945-2000. The project provides the first comprehensive historical account of Australia's international relations in education, presented in light of evolving policy and strategic concerns. International education has become increasingly important for Australian foreign policy and national development post-WW2, and has been taking on particular weight in educational policy and practice. The project investigates how pursuing the national interest through international engagement has helped shape the educational dimensions of economic and social policy in Australia. Developing an innovative conceptual framework - based on a contrast between the logic of internationalism and of globalisation - is of particular significance.Read moreRead less
The transformation of higher education in Australia and the Netherlands: a comparative study of adaptation in the post-industrial era. The project seeks to improve understanding of how higher education institutions respond to and increasingly turbulent/fluid environment. Comparatively grounded, the study examines how Australian and Dutch higher education institutions interpret environmental pressures (including government policy) and translate this into strategic responses, such as through the f ....The transformation of higher education in Australia and the Netherlands: a comparative study of adaptation in the post-industrial era. The project seeks to improve understanding of how higher education institutions respond to and increasingly turbulent/fluid environment. Comparatively grounded, the study examines how Australian and Dutch higher education institutions interpret environmental pressures (including government policy) and translate this into strategic responses, such as through the formation of strategic alliances with other institutions. The project provides information of theoretical and practical use on how higher education institutions operate in an increasing complex social, political and economic environment and better informs oplicy makers and institutional leaders alike about the intricacies and unintended consequences of the interaction of policy, environment and institutional behaviour.Read moreRead less
Impact of Developmentally-based Qualitative Assessment Practices in English, Mathematics, and Science on School Policies, Classroom Instruction, and Teacher Knowledge. This project aims to investigate and analyse issues concerning qualitative assessment techniques that measure students? understandings in English, Mathematics and Science, Years 7 to 10, in Government Schools in NSW. The significance lies in the advice that will be provided to school systems, subject departments and teachers on h ....Impact of Developmentally-based Qualitative Assessment Practices in English, Mathematics, and Science on School Policies, Classroom Instruction, and Teacher Knowledge. This project aims to investigate and analyse issues concerning qualitative assessment techniques that measure students? understandings in English, Mathematics and Science, Years 7 to 10, in Government Schools in NSW. The significance lies in the advice that will be provided to school systems, subject departments and teachers on how assessment information can improve the learning environment for students. Expected outcomes include details on how to utilise qualitative and quantitative assessment practices; detailed longitudinal analyses of teacher growth and perceptions as a result of using theoretically-based assessment practices within the social context of NSW classrooms.Read moreRead less
Exploring the Effects of Boarding School on Academic and Non-academic Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study of Boarding and Day Students. There is little large-scale Australian and international research assessing the effects of boarding school on academic and non-academic outcomes. In partnership with the Australian Boarding Schools Association and schools overseas, this Project examines the effects of boarding school over and above other factors that might explain student outcomes. Through concurrent ....Exploring the Effects of Boarding School on Academic and Non-academic Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study of Boarding and Day Students. There is little large-scale Australian and international research assessing the effects of boarding school on academic and non-academic outcomes. In partnership with the Australian Boarding Schools Association and schools overseas, this Project examines the effects of boarding school over and above other factors that might explain student outcomes. Through concurrent assessment of day students in the same schools, the study informs academic and non-academic development for all students. Findings will assist policy, pedagogy, and pastoral care directed at enhancing academic and non-academic pathways and centrally position Australia as a leading nation in boarding school research - and potentially, youth-based residential care more generally.Read moreRead less