ACEReSearch

Production of a prototype online leadership learning tool and system for Australian universities

Geoff Scott et al. — Sun, 06 May 2012 23:25:38 PDT

This ALTC project has involved more than 600 experienced leaders in higher education within and beyond Australia in the production of a comprehensive Online Leadership Learning System (OLLS) for our universities. The report outlines the project's outcomes, approach and methodology; indicates its contribution to the field; identifies key factors assisting and constraining success; summarises its achievements in terms of dissemination and linkages; and evaluates its quality and impact.

Book review - Learning in the global classroom : a guide for students in the multicultural university by Carol Dalglish, Peter Evans and Linda Lawson

Robert Morgan — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:15:41 PDT

What informs primary school principals’ decision-making in relation to teacher placement in class levels?

Tracey Carlyon et al. — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:15:40 PDT

One of the most challenging decisions for primary school principals is to decide what class level each of their teachers will teach. It seems there is very little research on the way principals go about making these decisions. Government reforms have had significant impact on the role of the primary school principal in New Zealand, and a trend has emerged that some teachers are choosing to remain in the same school and class level. This study focused on eight primary school principals, and how they made decisions in relation to teacher class placement. A review of literature around leadership styles highlights the importance of relationships when implementing change such as teacher placement in different class levels. This study reveals that these principals practised an authentic style of leadership and highlights some important factors to be considered in determining teacher placement.

Moral development and student motivation in moral education : a Singapore study

Caroline Koh — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:15:40 PDT

Recent world events such as the threat of terrorism and the global economic crises have rekindled an interest in ethics and values education. This study, conducted in Singapore, combines a Kohlbergian approach to the assessment of moral judgement with a framework based on the self-determination theory to assess the motivational regulations of adolescent students towards civics and moral education (CME). The findings show that the Singaporean students’ development of moral reasoning follows the trend prescribed for their age groups in Kohlberg’s theory. With regard to their motivation in CME, students showed a moderate degree of autonomous motivation, although the correlations between moral development stage and motivation in CME were low.

Cane toad or computer mouse? Real and computer-simulated laboratory exercises in physiology classes

Jan West et al. — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:15:39 PDT

Traditional practical classes in many countries are being rationalised to reduce costs. The challenge for university educators is to provide students with the opportunity to reinforce theoretical concepts by running something other than a traditional practical program. One alternative is to replace wet labs with comparable computer simulations. These virtual experiments involve no harm to animals and require little ongoing expenditure. This study documents second-year physiology students’ perceptions of and attitudes to simulations by incorporating several computer simulations into the practical program. Computer simulations met the conceptual and, to some extent, the motivational goals of university practical programs. While students enjoyed both wet labs and computer-simulated exercises, overwhelmingly the wet lab provided the more memorable and stimulating learning experience. Based on this study, students suggested that computer simulations could be effectively used to complement rather than replace practical classes where students gain laboratory skills.

Children’s use of meta-cognition in solving everyday problems : children’s monetary decision-making

Chwee Beng Lee et al. — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:15:38 PDT

The purpose of this study was to understand how children use meta-cognition in their everyday problem-solving, particularly making monetary decisions. A particular focus was to identify components of meta-cognition, such as regulation of cognition and knowledge of cognition observed in children’s monetary decision-making process, the roles of meta-cognition in children’s monetary decision making process, and the emerging factors that help to explain children’s monetary decision-making processes. Data were collected from 136 mixed ability fifth-grade students (typically 10 years of age) from six different government primary schools in Singapore through focus group and one-to-one interviews. Using grounded theory, it was found that children’s monetary decision-making is a complex process, that children often reflect upon unwise decisions and unpleasant experiences, and that parental involvement was an influential factor in their children’s decision-making.

Compulsory literacy and numeracy exit standards for senior secondary students : the right direction for Australia?

Suzanne Rice et al. — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:15:38 PDT

An overview of positive and negative potential effects of the setting of compulsory exit-level standards in literacy and numeracy for students completing their final years of schooling is presented. The overview rests on studies completed primarily outside Australia, reflecting the reality of such practices not having been implemented widely in Australia. Both negative and positive potential effects are discussed, culminating in a summary of the evidence for these. The relevance of implementation of such standards in Australia is considered, particularly in the context of the implementation of the national curriculum. Notwithstanding individual studies, which appear to demonstrate both negative and positive impacts of such standards, the weight of evidence is judged to be insufficient to justify implementation of this approach in Australia.

Indigenous children in Australia : health, education and optimism for the future

Zaza Lyons et al. — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:15:37 PDT

In Australia, Indigenous children are disproportionately affected by poor health. The combined consequences of illness and social factors in this population have an adverse affect on educational outcomes for Indigenous children, resulting in lower levels of achievement and attainment compared with non-Indigenous children. From early childhood, infectious diseases are significantly more common among these children compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts and there are a number of risk factors that contribute to this burden of disease. Health and education are inextricably linked but, for the most part, the two sectors operate independently of each other in the provision of health and educational services. This article discusses the health and educational status of Indigenous children and describes a range of programs and initiatives from both sectors that aim to improve outcomes for this population.

Editorial

Glenn Rowley — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:15:36 PDT

Food, Fibre and the Future : Report on surveys of students’ and teachers’ knowledge and understanding of primary industries

Kylie Hillman et al. — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 20:50:25 PDT

Primary Industry plays a vital role in Australian’s economy and society, but the gap between rural and urban communities is growing, contributing to a lack of understanding of where food and other basic necessities of life come from. The goal of the Primary Industries Education Foundation (PIEF) is to provide a source of information on primary industries for educators, to better equip students with not only knowledge about what goes into their food and fibres but also what career opportunities exist in primary industries. In 2010, PIEF contracted the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to design and conduct a baseline survey of students and teachers to find out what they know about primary industries in Australia. This project required that the ACER team work with representatives from the PIEF, with staff from Agriculture Education in each state and with other stakeholders such as the National Farmers’ Federation and other peak bodies to develop a research based instrument to assess students’ knowledge and understanding of issues facing the primary industries, focusing on where food and fibre products come from.

Parental neighbourhood satisfaction : a snap shot of parents of 5 – 12 year olds

Catherine Underwood — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:12:05 PST

A child-friendly neighbourhood increases children’s confidence to safely negotiate and explore their neighbourhood while enhancing their physical health and wellbeing.

This ‘snap shot’ highlights the extent to which parents of students aged 5 to 12 years living in six Victorian municipalities (3 metropolitan and 3 regional) are satisfied with their neighbourhood. The sample comprised 504 parents. Parents were asked to indicate the extent to which they agreed with a series of statements about their neighbourhood. The data came from a self-completed survey sent home from school with students. Data was collected in 2010 for VicHealth.

With 10 per cent of the Victorian population aged between 5 and 12 years in 2010 the information obtained from this cohort of parents provides a useful picture of parent’s views.

Neighbourhood satisfaction among residents : a snap shot of 60+ year olds

Catherine Underwood — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:12:03 PST

Neighbourhood satisfaction is an important component of life satisfaction and is associated with levels of well-being among older residents. Older resident’s satisfaction plays a significant role in influencing their level of engagement and interaction with neighbours and their feeling of safety within their neighbourhood.

This ‘snap shot’ highlights the extent to which residents aged 60 years and over living in six Victorian municipalities (3 metropolitan and 3 regional) felt satisfied and engaged with their neighbourhood. The sample comprised 816 residents drawn from a total sample of 2,313 residents. The data was collected from a self-completed survey distributed as a letterbox drop. Residents were asked to indicate their level of agreement to a number of statements covering various aspects of their neighbourhood. Data was collected in 2010 for VicHealth.

Children’s independent mobility : fact or fiction: 8 to 12 year olds - worried about strangers

Catherine Underwood — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:11:41 PST

The rising prevalence in the number of children who are overweight or obese is increasing in importance as a public health issue in Australia. Parental fear as a barrier to children’s independent mobility and physical activity has contributed to the decline in children’s physical activity. Timperio et al. (2004) and Veitch et al. (2006) have reported parents commonly identify ‘stranger danger’ as a barrier to children’s independent mobility within their community. In a recent VicHealth survey it was reported that 63 per cent of participants agreed parents should not let primary school age children move to and from places without adult supervision. The same study reported 38 per cent of respondents agreed there was a high risk a child would be abducted by a stranger if they moved around in the community without adult supervision.

Zubrick et al (2010) reported while the likelihood of a child being harmed by a stranger is extremely low, many parents continued to hold a view that strangers present a constant threat to their children’s safety in public spaces. Vallentine et al. (1997) also reported that restrictions on children’s independent mobility and physical activity are mostly due to parental fear of strangers and related social dangers.

The contribution and standards processes of private higher education providers

Daniel Edwards et al. — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:12:02 PST

This research project has been conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) for the Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET). The main purpose of this work is to provide information about the standards processes and practices among private1 higher education providers (HEPs) in Australia.

This project has used quantitative modelling to determine the size, diversity and recent growth of HEPs in Australia, and to provide a contextual base for this part of the sector in comparison with the public universities. A number of HEPs have also participated in consultations undertaken as part of this research. Participating providers were self-selecting, putting forward their interest in participating in the research following letters of invitation from ACPET. The consultations were designed to canvas the standards processes currently in place among Australian HEPs, and to collect information about good practice and areas for improvement in this regard.

This report begins by broadly examining the contribution – both quantitative as well as substantive – of the HEPs in Australia. This is done by examining national data relating to the higher education sector and noting some of the educational features of this part of the sector that differentiate it from public higher education institutions. The report then examines the current standards processes within Australian private HEPs, drawing primarily on information gathered during consultations with participating providers.

Evaluation of the Sporting Chance Program

Michele Lonsdale et al. — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:20:49 PST

The objective of the Sporting Chance Program is to encourage improved educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (boys and girls) using sport and recreation. Such outcomes may include an increase in school attendance, strengthened engagement with school and improved attitudes to schooling, improved achievement in learning, increased retention to Year 12 or its vocational equivalent and greater parental and community involvement with the school and students’ schooling. The program comprises two elements:

• School-based Sports Academies (Academies) for secondary school students; and

• Education Engagement Strategies (EES) for both primary and secondary school students.

The purpose of the research is to evaluate the extent to which the Sporting Chance Program has achieved its objective. The findings from the evaluation support the conclusion that the Sporting Chance Program is meeting its objective, although the activities that are offered are broader than ‘sport and recreation’.

More than 90 per cent of the 1,012 students surveyed and interviewed as part of the evaluation reported a positive attitude toward their schooling, particularly in relation to their attitudes to school, self-identity, sense of pride in being Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and self-efficacy as learners.

Analysis of Year 12 or Certificate II attainment of Indigenous young people – Stage 1 : a report prepared for the Council of Australian Governments Reform Council

John Ainley et al. — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:46:27 PST

The purpose of this paper is to assist the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Reform Council to analyse performance information relating to the Year 12 or Certificate II attainment of Indigenous young people and to understand better variations in performance across jurisdictions. As part of these analyses variations over time within each jurisdiction have been reported. The analyses use existing data sources. No new data have been collected. There are four strands to this work:

a statistical overview of educational attainments and participation;
multivariate analyses of influences on attainment;
a review of literature intended to inform an understanding of trends and patterns in attainment; and
the development of a model of influences on attainment based on the quantitative analyses and informed by perspectives from the literature.

As the first stage of a two-stage project, this paper focuses on quantitative analyses of data but with an orientation to providing a basis for the second stage that will focus upon strategies and interventions associated with improved outcomes.

Australian teachers and the learning environment : an analysis of teacher response to TALIS 2008 : final report

Chris Freeman et al. — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:34:54 PST

The Department of Education, Science and Training commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to undertake the Australian component of the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). TALIS is one of the first international surveys to focus on the learning environment and the working conditions of teachers in schools. TALIS was conducted in 24 OECD and OECD-partner countries in 2007 and 2008, though internationally comparable results were reported for only 23 countries due to requisite sampling standards for publication. This first survey is part of a planned programme of surveys which will examine various levels of schooling over time and provide participating countries with an opportunity to measure various policy issues associated with teaching and learning management. This report provides detailed analyses of teachers’ self-reported practices, activities, beliefs and attitudes; teacher appraisal systems; impacts of school policies on the teaching and learning environment; and pathways to effective school leadership.