bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mentoring New Teachers: Promise and Problems in Times of Teacher Shortage
Authors: Martinez Kay
Published: March 2013

Currently enthusiasm for mentoring of new teachers has re-emerged among teacher employing authorities in Australia and the United States. The literature on mentoring provides strong support for the importance of mentoring in retaining good teachers and in invigorating the teaching workforce; it also abounds in practical strategies and processes for developing and managing mentoring programs. This paper examines several contextual aspects affecting mentoring in the current educational landscape: the differentiated impact of teacher supply, appointment and retention; changing teacher entry and career pathways; an expanded knowledge base for teaching, accompanied by increased accountability; systemic preparation and reward of mentors; and improved communication technology. Based on the premise that all learners in all schools are entitled to high quality teachers, the paper explores the potential of mentoring as both promising and risky, and calls for research to monitor the impact of mentoring on both teacher retention and learning outcomes for all children.
Problematising Practicum Relationships: Questioning the ‘Taken for Granted’
Authors: Haigh Mavis , Ward Gillian
Published: March 2013

We position teaching as a complex, creative profession and have an expectation that practicum should support the reflexive, possibility-thinking and risk-taking creative endeavours of the beginning teacher. This paper reports on a series of studies that explored shared understandings and effectiveness of relationships and roles of practicum partners. Although we found there is considerable good intent within the practicum, the situation has been shown to be less than ideal for all members of the partnership. Rather than providing solutions to this situation, we raise issues for teacher educators to consider carefully in relation to practicum relationships.
Confidence and Uncertainty in Teaching about Teaching
Authors: Berry Amanda
Published: March 2013

This paper explores teacher education through a self-study approach to researching practice. The development of the notion of tensions—in this case, the tension between confidence and uncertainty—is used as a way of understanding the complex nature of teaching and learning about teaching with a focus on teacher education practice. The paper is organised so that each section illustrates a particular concern or issue arising from an examination of practice by posing questions about the particular aspect of practice under consideration. The paper illustrates how the results of self-study research can help to build confidence both individually and collectively among the teacher educator profession, so that genuine change in teacher education practices might be enacted in teacher education programs.
Don't Throw Out the Baby with the Bathwater: The Case for a Reformed SES Funding Scheme
Authors: Watson Louise
Published: March 2013

Since its introduction in 2001, the Australian (Commonwealth) Government's socio-economic status (SES)-based funding scheme for private schools has been criticised as inequitable. The author argues that the inequities of the scheme are the result of government policy rather than the SES-based model itself. Compared with the former education resources index (ERI)-based funding scheme, the SES model is a more reliable and transparent method of ranking private schools according to their relative need for resources. This paper presents the case for a reformed SES-based funding scheme based on the retention of the SES index with two minor modifications. It also argues that four government policy decisions which have produced inequities in the scheme should be overturned if the scheme is to fulfil its promise of being a viable, transparent and equitable basis for distributing Commonwealth funding to private schools.
The Reproduction of Historical Relations in the Crosscultural Classroom at University
Authors: Harrison Neil
Published: March 2013

This paper is based on research conducted with indigenous students at a university in the Northern Territory. It examines crosscultural theories of education which explain the problems of teaching and learning in indigenous contexts in terms of the cultural mismatch between the home and school environment. These theories position the teacher as the condition of knowledge and learning in so far as he or she is responsible for transmitting the knowledge and skills to students. The teacher's methodology becomes the means through which students learn. But in the context of indigenous education, in positioning indigenous students in relation to a non-indigenous teacher's methodology, crosscultural theories of education unconsciously perpetuate an unequal historical relation in the university classroom. I conclude that good teaching and learning at university are not only a consequence of a good methodology but the product of an unconscious influence of the teacher's style upon the student; the crucial factor that brings the two together is how the pedagogue speaks.
Grappling with Internationalisation of the Curriculum at the Secondary School Level: Issues and Tensions for Educators
Authors: Tudball Libby
Published: March 2013

Increasing global flows of students, information and ideas, the realities of globalisation, and an increasingly interdependent world have meant that many educators at the secondary school level are currently grappling with the issue of how to internationalise the curriculum and increase inter-cultural understanding among students. In addition, complex and troubling issues in the world have added urgency to the need for consideration of what knowledge, skills, and pedagogies schools should focus on in the curriculum into the future. This article discusses views in the literature and research on how educators are grappling with the issues and tensions of internationalisation in Australian secondary schools.
(Re)Construction: Ways International Students Talk about Their Identity
Authors: Koehne Norma
Published: March 2013

International students have often been spoken about in academic literature as a group with group problems and ‘identities’. In this article, I use postmodern and poststructuralist ways of analysing to look at the ways international students (re)construct storylines about themselves. Some discourses construct closed and limited subject positions for students based on difference and sameness. Others are more fluid and complex, and are based on reinvention and hybridity. Students show resistance to some positionings made available to them. Acknowledging and celebrating the diversity of subjectivities that international students (re)construct may begin a process of exploding international education out of limited and constricted binarisms that are so often used in talking about what it is.
Educational Accountability and Students with a Disability in Australia
Authors: Dempsey Ian , Conway Robert
Published: March 2013

One of the outcomes of regular education reform in Australia has been the development of a national testing program for school students. This article examines the degree to which students with a disability participate in this testing, and the extent to which the testing of students with a disability may help to achieve the National Goals of Schooling in this country. Several international comparisons with the Australian situation are made. A number of recommendations are made to facilitate the participation of students with a disability in national testing as a means of achieving the goal of educational equity for these students.
Indigenous Students and Vocational Education and Training in Schools: Ladder of Opportunity or Corrugated Iron Ceiling?
Authors: Helme Sue
Published: March 2013

Indigenous students complete secondary education at about half the rate of non-Indigenous students, yet are twice as likely to participate in Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Schools subjects. This paper explores the reasons for this phenomenon. It draws on data from two national studies: a survey of 20 000 young people and their experience of vocational learning, and a qualitative study that included interviews with 118 Indigenous VET in Schools students and 160 school staff and other stakeholders. It discusses the role of VET in addressing the needs and aspirations of Indigenous students, and identifies key aspects of good practice in the provision of VET for Indigenous students. The paper argues that VET in Schools cannot succeed as a ‘stand alone’ solution to the problem of Indigenous educational disadvantage, but must be offered within the context of educational provision that accommodates the diverse educational needs and aspirations of Indigenous students.
You Don't Bring Me Flowers Any More: A Fresh Look at the Vexed Issue of Teacher Status
Authors: Rice Suzanne
Published: March 2013

Teachers in recent years have expressed a great deal of dissatisfaction with their status in society, consistently citing it as one of the most negative aspects of their role. Numerous studies have demonstrated that teachers believe their status in Australian society to be poor and their work undervalued. However, surveys of the Australian public have shown that the majority views both schools and teachers positively, believing that teachers are dedicated to their students, and that schools in general achieve their educational goals reasonably well. The study set out to explore the reasons behind the discrepancy between teachers' beliefs about their status, and the good opinion of teachers expressed by the public in such surveys. In addition, the research literature reveals that concern about professional status, while more intense in recent times, has been evident amongst teachers for many decades. This suggests that, while changes to society and teaching may be intensifying teachers' concerns, there may also be structural aspects to the work of teaching that contribute to teachers' unhappiness about their status. The study identified both structural and contextual contributors to the problem, and a tentative schema of factors contributing to teachers' perceptions about their status was developed.
Good Teachers Know Where to Scratch When Learners Feel Itchy: Korean Learners' Views of Native-Speaking Teachers of English
Authors: Han Song-Ae
Published: March 2013

Cross-border education has been growing dramatically in both English-speaking countries and non-native English-speaking countries. While more and more students, particularly from Asian countries such as Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan choose to study in English-speaking countries, many native English speakers go to Asian countries to teach English. In this context, cross-cultural misunderstanding and cultural bias between English language learners and native-speaking teachers of English are becoming major issues. This article focuses on 12 Korean adult learners' views about native-speaking teachers of English working in Korea. Korean learners' expectations and needs regarding English language learning and teaching are explored through the investigation and analysis of the learners' views. It aims to provide educators both in non-English and English-speaking countries, including Australia, with insights to inform the development of effective learning and teaching environments not only for Korean students, but also for those in similar cultural contexts.
Global Teachers with Globite Cases
Authors: Reid Carol
Published: March 2013

A key feature of contemporary changes in globalisation is the increasing transnational flows of people. Evidence of the way in which these changes are impacting on education in Australia today is found in the presence of its immigrant teachers. Teacher shortages in Australia have led to increasing numbers of immigrant teachers from non-European or non-English-speaking background countries. This article reviews the recent experiences of Australia, New Zealand and Canada in recruiting these teachers. The findings of a study into the presence of immigrant teachers in selected Australian schools are then presented. It was found that as these immigrant teachers negotiate the ‘authoritative discourses’ in their professional lives, they contribute to the reworking of the identity and work of teachers. The article concludes by sketching a research and policy agenda that arises in response to, and as an expression of the presence of this new generation of global/local teachers.
In the Common Good: The Need for a New Approach to Funding Australia's Schools
Authors: Vickers Margaret
Published: March 2013

This article considers evidence which suggests that Australia's current approach to the funding of non-government schools does not serve the common good. Educational provision is now segmented and a majority of private schools have resources that are either moderately or highly superior to those available in public schools. The current funding system has failed to coordinate the activities of public and private providers, leading to duplication of provision, reductions in economies of scale, and increases in per-student costs. Students whose backgrounds and disabilities make them relatively costly to teach are heavily concentrated in the public sector. Private sector recurrent subsidies are tied to public sector per-student costs, forcing Australian taxpayers into an upward spiral of increasing outlays. The article concludes by outlining some proposals for change that would lead to a new approach to funding Australia's schools.
A Critical Analysis of Teacher Evaluation Policy Trends
Authors: Larsen Marianne A.
Published: March 2013

Modernising the teaching profession has become one of the main goals of contemporary educational system reform. The evaluation of teachers has been integral to the new teacher quality policies and programs. This article provides a comparative and critical analysis of the evaluations that teachers now confront during their professional careers. Examples of teacher evaluation practices and processes from Australia, Canada, the United States, and England are described and analysed.
What is Education for? Situating History, Cultural Understandings and Studies of Society and Environment against Neo-Conservative Critiques of Curriculum Reform
Authors: Henderson Deborah
Published: March 2013

This article explores some of the debates about the nature and purpose of education in the social sciences in the Australian curricula. It examines recent attempts in studies of society and environment and history curricula to prepare students for global citizenship and responds to neo-conservative critiques that our ‘politically correct’ curricula does not impart the ‘truth’ about our ‘European’ heritage. This article argues that while the neo-conservative discourse makes claim to traditional views of knowledge and rationality, its discursive field does not address the broader questions of what sort of education our students require for the twenty-first century.
University Student Conceptions of Learning Science Through Writing
Authors: Ellis Robert A. , Taylor Charlotte E. , Drury Helen
Published: March 2013

First-year undergraduate science students experienced a writing program as an important part of their assessment in a biology subject. The writing program was designed to help them develop both their scientific understanding as well as their written scientific expression. Open-ended questionnaires investigating the quality of the experience of learning through writing were distributed to 165 students. Interviews with six tutors on the writing program were also completed. Key results included that if students were not aware of the potential of learning science through writing, they tended to focus on superficial aspects of the writing experience, such as grammar, rather than the scientific knowledge that underpinned the experience. The results have important implications for the integration of writing experiences into university subjects and tutor approaches to writing tuition.
Cloning Their Own: Aspirant Principals and the School-Based Selection Game
Authors: Gronn Peter , Lacey Kathy
Published: March 2013

In this article, we report data from two projects concerned with the aspirant principals' perspectives about school principal recruitment in three Australian states. In particular, we consider what our informants perceive as factors that inhibit the realisation of their aspirations. These factors include aspects of the operation of school-based processes of application and selection. Principal aspirants regard selection as a game that works to the advantage of internal applicants for advertised vacancies. We analyse a number of dimensions of the selection game and we liken the bias towards internal candidates as a form of personnel cloning. Finally, we consider some possible explanations for this practice and review its wider significance in respect of the themes of risks, risk-taking and risk aversion in employment recruitment.
Birth Order and Educational Achievement in Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Authors: Fergusson David M. , Horwood L. John , Boden Joseph M.
Published: March 2013

This paper examines the relationship between birth order and later educational outcomes in a birth cohort of more than 1,000 New Zealand young adults studied to the age of twenty-five. Being later born was associated with gaining fewer educational qualifications at secondary level and beyond. The use of nested models to control for the confounding effects of family size on birth order revealed that birth order effects on educational attainment were not disguised by family size effects. Following adjustment for potentially confounding factors, there remained a statistically significant association between being later born and a lower likelihood of obtaining educational qualifications. It was concluded that the intrafamily dynamics initiated by birth order may have a lasting effect on the individual in terms of later educational and achievement outcomes.
Why Does Year Twelve Retention Differ between Australian States and Territories?
Authors: Ryan Chris , Watson Louise
Published: March 2013

Year Twelve retention rates have a number of well-known deficiencies that prevent proper comparisons of school completion between school systems. This paper compares secondary school completion rates across Australian states and territories from 1989 to 2002 and adjusts ‘official’ 2002 retention rates to take account of the acknowledged measurement problems. We identify a pattern of mismeasurement of national Year Twelve retention over the 1990s. We estimate that the Year Twelve retention rate was a particularly poor measure of national school completion in the early 1990s, when it appeared to peak in the official estimates. In contrast to the official figures, our adjusted measure of Year Twelve retention was no lower in the late 1990s than it had been in the early 1990s. Our findings suggest that governments should be cautious in using official Year Twelve retention rates as a measure of the performance of Australian school systems.
Flying in, Flying Out: Offshore Teaching in Higher Education
Authors: Seah Wee Tiong , Edwards Julie
Published: March 2013

This paper discusses the relatively new phenomenon of university education faculties offering offshore education. The analogy, ‘flying in, flying out’ captures the intensity of such offshore experiences for visiting academics, and contrasts their professional experiences against expatriate academics. This paper reports on case studies of two academics from different parts of Australia with different research and teaching experiences, observing how they perceived cultural value differences relating to content, pedagogy and education, and how they negotiated the dissonance which resulted. While both participants identified areas for ongoing fine tuning at the institutional level, both felt that the offshore teaching experience had helped them to expand their global outlooks and facilitate a more internationalised curriculum planning and delivery.
Still Jumping on the Balance Beam: Continued Use of Perceptual Motor Programs in Australian Schools
Authors: Stephenson Jennifer , Carter Mark , Wheldall Kevin
Published: March 2013

Perceptual motor programs (PMPs) are used widely in Australian schools. This study reports on an analysis of the information about the uses and the rationales for these programs drawn from the websites of Australian schools. Wide-ranging claims are made for the benefits of these programs for students with difficulties and for typically developing students but there is evidence that they are not effective in improving academic and other skills. Although the survey is limited to 117 schools with websites that mention PMPs, the uncritical acceptance of these programs by schools and teachers is of concern. Calls are made for professional bodies, teacher training institutions and government departments concerned with education to disseminate clear guidelines on effective interventions to schools and teachers.
A Highly-Regulated ‘Free Market’: Commonwealth Policies on Private Overseas Students from 1974 to 2005
Authors: Megarrity Lyndon
Published: March 2013

This article traces the evolution of Commonwealth policies on private overseas students from the 1970s to the present, emphasising the Commonwealth government's role in the creation of an international education market. It will be argued that while neoliberal ‘market forces' rhetoric has been a key feature of its international education policies since the 1980s, the Commonwealth has shown by its actions that it fears the consequences of a truly free market in international education services.
Speaking for Australia: Cross-Cultural Dialogue and International Education
Authors: Hassam Andrew
Published: March 2013

In their interactions with international students, either at home or abroad, teachers often find themselves speaking on behalf of the nation. Overseas students arrive with expectations created in the international education marketplace, expectations that depend more on a nationalist than on an internationalist outlook. Students also have ideas of national difference acquired through the globalised media. Teachers who seek to critique the nation by deconstructing media knowledge need to consider the ethics of engaging with their students' sense of self-identity and the pedagogical risks of questioning their own authority to speak on behalf of the nation. Internationalising the curriculum means developing teaching methods and assessment instruments which will invite students to reflect on their imaginative journey into ‘new’ and ‘different’ cultures; but it will also require the teachers to reflect on their own conflicting identities and loyalties, and to make that journey alongside their students.
Multiplicities or Manna from Heaven? Critical Thinking and the Disciplinary Context
Authors: Jones Anna
Published: March 2013

This paper explores the nexus between epistemic culture and academic conceptions of the generic skill of critical thinking. Although generic skills are seen as being of great importance in higher education, there has been little examination into the ways in which the knowledge culture of each specific discipline influences the academic staff's conception of generic skills. This paper investigates the ways in which critical thinking is understood by academic staff in two related but distinct disciplines, history and economics. It finds that while there are some similarities, critical thinking in economics is defined primarily as the use of economic tools whereas critical thinking in history is described from a range of perspectives. Thus the epistemic culture of the discipline appears to influence conceptions of critical thinking. This has implications for the ways in which generic skills are framed within the broader university community and indeed has implications for policy at both the university and the political level.
A Qualitative Exploration of the Transition Experience of Students from a High School to a Senior High School in Rural Western Australia
Authors: Pereira Amiee-Jade , Pooley Julie Ann
Published: March 2013

This qualitative study explored the experience of rural students who had undergone transitions between schools to continue their studies in Years 11 and 12. A thematic content analysis identified two main themes: social relationships and school issues. Social relationships, concerned with peer interactions and student-teacher relationships, had long-term significance while school issues, particularly academia and school structure, were considered a short-term concern. The study recommends increased attention to the development of peer and teacher relationships, informing students of the academic focus of Years 11 and 12, and maintaining the schools' current pre-transition preparation that introduces the students to the new school environment.
The Moral and Ethical Dimensions of Language Teaching
Authors: Mangubhai Francis
Published: March 2013

Much has been written about teacher thinking and knowledge that underpin teacher behaviour in the classroom. Until the 1990s considerably fewer writers considered the moral and ethical dimension of teaching. This article reports on a study that analysed six Languages Other Than English (LOTE) teachers' reports about their teaching. Under the broad category of caring as a moral dimension of teaching, three major moral/ethical concerns were identified: (1) the concern that everyone has a worth, (2) the concern that students should not hurt each other's feelings, and (3) the concern that students should learn to tolerate differences. These concerns enveloped the teachers' stated goals of LOTE teaching and framed their behaviours in the classroom. While the results can only be related to these six LOTE teachers, this study, nevertheless, raises an interesting question of whether teachers of other subjects manifest the moral dimension of their teaching in ways different from those reported here.
Teaching Excellence Awards: An Apple for the Teacher?
Authors: Mackenzie Noella
Published: March 2013

In this article the status of teaching as a profession and the morale of teachers in Australian schools in the current era provide a framework for the examination of the intent and outcomes of teaching excellence awards. The research study applied an interpretive research paradigm and used both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. The methodology and the theoretical framework were based on organisational and sociological paradigms. Data informing the study were collected from 44 award recipients and 57 of their colleagues between the years 2000 and 2002. Documentation relating to the promotion and process of awards was also examined. The introduction of teaching excellence awards into the school education sector is found to be a reflection of the economic era in which the current education system is situated. The paper concludes that the awards process may be potentially politically manipulative.
The Leadership of the Improvement Teaching and Learning: Lessons from Initiatives with Positive Outcomes for Students
Authors: Robinson Viviane M. J. , Timperley Helen S.
Published: March 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine how leaders foster school renewal by facilitating and participating in the types of teacher professional learning and development that improve student academic and non-academic outcomes. The methodology involved a backward mapping strategy that takes as its starting point, not theories of leadership, but professional development initiatives that have made a demonstrable impact on the students of the teachers involved. Seventeen studies with evidence of such impact were analysed for descriptions of the leadership practices involved in each initiative. Through an iterative process of review and critique, these descriptions were categorised into the leadership dimensions associated with teacher professional learning that resulted in improved student outcomes. The analysis revealed five leadership dimensions that were critical in fostering teacher and student learning: providing educational direction; ensuring strategic alignment; creating a community that learns how to improve student success; engaging in constructive problem talk; and selecting and developing smart tools. The analysis showed that leadership of the improvement of learning and teaching is highly distributed in terms of both who leads and how it is enacted. Such leadership is embedded in school routines that are aligned to improvement goals, and involves the use of smart tools that are designed to assist teachers' learning of more effective pedagogical practices.
Educational Leadership and School Renewal in Wales
Authors: Egan David , Marshall Steve
Published: March 2013

The paper sets out the main characteristics of the school system in Wales since 1999 when responsibility for education was devolved to the newly-created National Assembly for Wales. It moves on to consider the advances made in student attainment during this period, some of which can be ascribed to progress in learning and teaching pedagogy, leadership development and good practice in the field of school effectiveness. It suggests, however, that these improvements have reached a plateau and that without major systemic reform, embracing changes in pedagogy, leadership and school effectiveness, the aspirations of the Assembly Government to develop a world-class education system in Wales will be difficult to achieve. The paper sets out the main features of the tri-level reform movement which is now beginning in Wales and which seeks to transform the school system over the next three to five years.
System Leadership for Educational Renewal in England: The Case of Federations and Executive Heads
Authors: Higham Rob , Hopkins David
Published: March 2013

Executive heads are those head teachers in England who lead two or more schools that have entered into a federation. One of the more common forms of federations involves a lead school working to improve a partner school (or schools). The executive heads of these federations, and their wider leadership teams, constitute one of an emerging set of practices in England that we refer to as system leadership, or as working for the success and welfare of students in other schools as well as one's own. There is to date only a small and emerging research literature and thus no well-developed analysis on how these roles are being organised. In contributing to this literature, this paper elaborates the concepts of support federations and system leadership in three main ways. First, it explores the historical and policy contexts out of which these roles have developed. Second, it analyses not only how such roles are being undertaken but also what forms of expertise and capacity are mobilised in the pursuit of another school's improvement. Third, it considers how these leadership roles might provide alternative solutions to problems that have traditionally been the responsibility and preserve of the central apparatus of the state. We conclude by arguing that professionally-led system leadership offers a means for self-managed schools, emerging from an era of competition, to work together for greater social equity by, among other things, taking joint responsibility for all the students in their locality. This is seen to have relevance not only for England but for Australia as well.
Renewing the Mind or Bringing the Knowledge Age to the Schoolhouse
Authors: Lakomski Gabriele
Published: March 2013

The purpose of this article is twofold. The first objective is to update the traditional craft of education by revising the folk theory of mind that underpins such traditions. This is necessary if we are to develop a new learning science as the cornerstone for the renewal of the education enterprise. The second objective is to highlight the need to know how natural brains operate, acquire and process information and learn, as well as our need to ‘manage’ such knowledge better than we have in the past. My purpose is to outline some general guidelines on how to go about introducing knowledge management into education, and what can be gained by doing so.
Going through the Emotions: Leadership That Gets to the Heart of School Renewal
Authors: Beatty Brenda
Published: March 2013

Holistic school renewal will require a qualitatively different discourse than the current uneasy conversations about school improvement and school effectiveness. Leadership for whole school renewal requires emotionally safe spaces for learning and growing together. Visions of school leadership as distributed, distributive and shared are grounded in notions of collaborative inquiry within dynamic learning communities. For shared leadership to breathe new life into whole school renewal, all leaders, including and especially the principal need to maintain a focus on the moment-to-moment emotional attunements that define experiences in spite of cognitive constructions and beliefs that may coexist along side of these.
Effects of Technology and Male Teachers on Boys' Reading
Authors: Sokal Laura , Katz Herb
Published: March 2013

In response to concerns about boys' academic underachievement as well as the international gender imbalance in our teaching force composition, a call has been made to hire more male teachers and practice ‘boy-friendly’ pedagogy. Our investigation of effects of male reading teachers and use of computer-based books demonstrated their ability to de-feminise boys' views of reading but no differential effects were evident on boys' reading achievement or reader self-perceptions between boys taught by males or by females, whether or not they use technology in their reading practices.
‘Unhelpfully Complex and Exceedingly Opaque’: Australia's School Funding System
Authors: Dowling Andrew
Published: March 2013

Australia's system of school funding is notoriously complex and difficult to understand.

This article shines some light on this issue by describing clearly the processes of school funding that currently exist in Australia. It describes the steps taken by federal and state governments to provide over $30 billion each year to government and non-government schools.

The article argues that more can be done by both levels of government to implement a consistent and transparent allocation process. Greater consistency and transparency in this area would improve efficiency (by understanding better the impact of school resources on student outcomes) and equity (by understanding better the level of real need in individual schools, and funding appropriately). As such, it is a worthwhile goal.
Changing Places: Resilience in Children Who Move
Authors: McLeod Christine , Heriot Sandra , Hunt Caroline
Published: March 2013

Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that more than 40 per cent of Australian children moved their place of residence at least once in the Census period from 1996 to 2001 (ABS, 2001a). The literature varies in its assessment of the impact that this has on children. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between residential relocation, resilience and the emotional, behavioural and academic adjustment of children aged 8-12 years who had moved home. Risk factors and the relative impact of resilience were examined. Results highlight the importance of good schooling and suggest that building and enhancing the intellectual functioning of children is a vital component in the development of resilience. Different aspects of resilience may be important for different developmental stages and life stressors. We discuss the distinction between cause and effect when examining resilience factors and suggest that outcomes in one context may be treated as influences on outcomes in another context.
A ‘Formidable Challenge’: Australia's Quest for Equity in Indigenous Education
Authors: Gray Jan , Beresford Quentin
Published: March 2013

Indigenous education in Australia has been the subject of ongoing policy focus and repeated official inquiry as the nation grapples with trying to achieve equity for these students. Perspectives from recent developments in the USA and Canada highlight the similarity of challenges. The article employs a multidisciplinary approach to social theory to examine the underlying causes of the creation of a plateau effect of progress in this area. The article argues that the lack of progress is a reflection of a complex set of underlying factors, many of which are under acknowledged in educational debates. Arising from this examination is the need for a new governance model for Indigenous education involving both horizontal and vertical policy-making structures.
Making the Transition into the First Year of Teaching: Lessons from the Classmates Initiative
Authors: Ferfolja Tania
Published: March 2013

Based on research into the University of Western Sydney's new secondary teacher education initiative, Classmates, this paper argues that first-year-out teachers placed in disadvantaged schools may be better prepared to deal with the needs of their students if three conditions are met: firstly, their practicum experience is focused on mainly one site, and this experience is continuous and well-supported; that their initial employment as a teacher is undertaken in their practicum school, possibly in a casual capacity; finally, that their inception year of full-time, permanent teaching occurs in a school in which they have undertaken their practicum. This paper purports that these approaches could grow a strong cohort of relatively confident new teachers and potentially reduce their individual stress while providing them the time and space to develop their pedagogical skills and institutional understandings within an economical framework. Additionally, such an approach could provide greater support for school faculties and school communities.
Effects of Single-Sex and Coeducational Schooling on the Gender Gap in Educational Achievement
Authors: Gibb Sheree J. , Fergusson David M. , Horwood L. John
Published: March 2013

This study examined the effects of single-sex and coeducational schooling on the gender gap in educational achievement to age 25. Data were drawn from the Christchurch Health and Development Study, a longitudinal study of a birth cohort of 1265 individuals born in 1977 in Christchurch, New Zealand. After adjustment for a series of covariates related to school choice, there were significant differences between single-sex and coeducational schools in the size and direction of the gender gap. At coeducational schools, there was a statistically significant gap favouring females, while at single-sex schools there was a non-significant gap favouring males. This pattern was apparent for educational achievement both at high school and in tertiary education. These results indicate that single-sex schooling may mitigate male disadvantages in educational achievement.
Policy, Practice and the ‘Revolving Classroom Door’: Examining the Relationship between Aboriginal Spatiality and the Mainstream Education System
Authors: Prout Sarah
Published: March 2013

Indigenous academic outcomes are in many ways negotiated at the interface between student spatialities—including their residential patterns and choices—and the mainstream school system. The current model of education delivery rewards regular attendance at well-resourced schools. Conversely, sporadic interactions with under-resourced schools generally produce poor educational outcomes. This paper draws on qualitative case-study research in Yamatji country, Western Australia, to present a grounded analysis of the mutually effectual relationship between the mainstream education system and Aboriginal spatiality. It begins with a discussion of how school location and standards influence Aboriginal migration and residence choices, and outlines the significant policy implications of this relationship. It then examines the impacts of Aboriginal itinerancy on student learning and school functionality, and critically evaluates a number of strategies for tackling student mobility in terms of their applicability and appropriateness to Indigenous contexts. The paper ultimately argues the need for researchers, policymakers and educators to engage more intentionally with the spatial practices of Aboriginal students.
Deferring a University Offer in Rural Australia
Authors: Polesel John
Published: March 2013

Atrend of increasing regional disadvantage is suggested in the pattern of rising rates of deferral of university places amongst rural school-completers in Australia. Cost-related factors and financial barriers are prominent in the reasons given by these young people for deferring a place at university. These trends formed the impetus for a study of the destinations of rural school-completers in the Australian state of Victoria, the findings of which are reported in this article. The issue of theoretical and practical interest that this article examines is whether this phenomenon of deferral constitutes a disadvantage for these young people. Are these deferrers ‘lost’ to the system? Do they eventually take up their places? Are some groups less likely to take them up than others? What happens to the rest? Of particular interest is the question regarding what barriers might prevent some groups from taking up their place. And finally, what is the experience of those who enter university? Do they continue and thrive in their studies? This article considers these questions in the context of data outlining the destinations of non-metropolitan deferrers in their second year out of school.
Best Practice? Advice Provided to Teachers about the Use of Brain Gym® in Australian Schools
Authors: Stephenson Jennifer
Published: March 2013

Perceptual motor programs continue to be used in Australian schools despite evidence showing they do not influence academic learning. Brain Gym® is one perceptual motor program that is used in schools in Australia and overseas. There is little evidence to support the claims made about the benefits of Brain Gym® its theoretical underpinning has been subject to criticism by neuroscientists. A search was made of Internet sites, including state department of education sites to locate information provided to teachers about Brain Gym®. Although education departments and others responsible for providing advice and professional development to teachers espouse research-based practice, they continue to endorse and support the use of Brain Gym®.
National Numeracy Tests: A Graphic Tells a Thousand Words
Authors: Lowrie Tom , Diezmann Carmel M.
Published: March 2013

Mandatory numeracy tests have become commonplace in many countries, heralding a new era in school assessment. New forms of accountability and an increased emphasis on national and international standards (and benchmarks) have the potential to reshape mathematics curricula. It is noteworthy that the mathematics items used in these tests are rich in graphics. Many of the items, for example, require students to have an understanding of information graphics (for example, maps, charts and graphs) in order to solve the tasks. This investigation classifies mathematics items in Australia's inaugural national numeracy tests and considers the effect such standardised testing will have on practice. It is argued that the design of mathematics items is more likely to be a reliable indication of student performance if graphical, linguistic and contextual components are considered both in isolation and in integrated ways as essential elements of task design.
Young Australian Indigenous Students' Engagement with Numeracy: Actions That Assist to Bridge the Gap
Authors: Warren Elizabeth , deVries Eva
Published: March 2013

Many young Indigenous Australian students continue to underachieve in Western mathematics. National test results indicate that they are two years behind their peers. Success in mathematics is important to Indigenous students as it leads to employment opportunities and can assist in identifying power differences among socio-economic classes (Gustein, 2003). The focus of this paper is the preparatory year. One-on-one interviews were conducted with 48 students (average age 4 years and 11 months) at the commencement and completion of the preparatory year. Pre-and post-intervention test results of BOEHM (an oral language test), School Entry Number Assessment (SENA) and patterning ability were collected. The pre-and post-intervention test results indicated that, although Australian Indigenous students scored significantly lower on the pre-intervention test with regard to their understanding of number, an intervention focusing, first, on the language of mathematics and, secondly, on representations that support mathematical thinking assisted these students to begin to bridge the gaps in their learning. This paper begins to tease out classroom actions that supported their engagement with and understanding of Western mathematics.
Interrelationships between Coping, School Connectedness and Wellbeing Erica Frydenberg
Authors: Frydenberg Erica , Care Esther , Chan Esther , Freeman Elizabeth
Published: March 2013

This study examined the interrelationships between coping styles, emotional wellbeing, and school connectedness using path analysis. A total of 536 Year 8 students (241 boys and 295 girls) responded to an in-class survey and the Adolescent Coping Scale (Frydenberg & Lewis, 1993a) as part of a larger study. Productive coping style was positively related both to student-reported sense of wellbeing and, to a lesser extent, to school connectedness. A non-productive coping style was found to be inversely related to students' sense of wellbeing and connection to school. Students' sense of emotional wellbeing was found to be positively related to school connectedness. The negative relationships between non-productive coping with emotional wellbeing and, to a lesser extent, with school connectedness highlight the importance of taking into account the influence of risk factors as well as positive factors when focusing on enhancement of wellbeing and connectedness in secondary school students.
‘Even if No-One Looked at it, it was Important for My Own Development’: Pre-Service Teacher Perceptions of Professional Portfolios
Authors: Chitpin Stephanie , Simon Marielle
Published: March 2013

This study was conducted with 15 pre-service teachers enrolled in the Reflective Practice Seminar in primary/junior division at a Canadian university. Data were gathered through interviews, informal classroom conversations and reflections over an eight-month period. This article considers the issue of how constructing a professional portfolio helps pre-service teachers examine their identity as learners. The findings highlight their perceptions around purpose, process and impact. Despite the overwhelming nature of reflection, pre-service teachers in this study said that constructing a professional portfolio challenged them to cyclically reflect on taken-for-granted assumptions, articulate growth and gain perspectives. They also recommended that exemplars be provided for improvement as well as increased instructor and peer feedback within the reflective seminar.
School Socio-Economic Composition and Student Outcomes in Australia: Implications for Educational Policy
Authors: Perry Laura , McConney Andrew
Published: March 2013

It is established that the socio-economic status (SES) of individual students is strongly associated with academic achievement but less is known about this relationship when both student and school socio-economic status are considered. To examine these associations at a finer grain, with the intent of informing educational funding policy, we subjected Australia's 2003 PISA data set to secondary analysis to better understand the reading and mathematics achievement of students with varying SES, across a range of school SES groupings. Our descriptive analyses show that increases in school SES are consistently associated with increases in students' academic performance, and that this relationship holds regardless of individual students' SES. In Australia, the socio-economic profile of the school matters substantially in terms of academic achievement. We discuss the implications of these findings in the context of the current discussion around federal school funding policies, with particular attention given to the association of school composition with student achievement.