Vocational, adult and professional education research
ACER undertakes a broad range of research and program consultancies in youth and adult education, vocational and workforce education contexts in Australia and globally for institutions, industry, governments and a wide range of stakeholders. Our research in vocational, adult and workplace education addresses core skills, adult language, literacy and numeracy, careers and vocational interest assessments, curriculum and standards development, quality and bench-marking services, teaching and learning consultancies, policy and program evaluation, surveys on pathways and transitions, psychometric and statistical analysis, and selection testing.
Key research underpins the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) on behalf of the OECD.
Submissions from 2024
Sustainable Development Goal 4.b in the Pacific – A pilot study for monitoring tertiary education scholarships for development, Amanda Haddow, Daniel Edwards, and Lorissa Hazelman
Books from 2023
Infographic: VET in Schools participation in 2022, Dominique Russell
Submissions from 2022
Domestic violence prevention program receives high praise from ACER, Toby Carslake, Kylie Hillman, Sarah Richardson, Nicole Wernert, and Tanya Vaughan
Validation of the Child and Adult Social Support Scale (CASSS) which measures social support in the Indonesian version, Endah Mastuti, Fajrianthi, and Fitri Andriani
Innovation in assessment standard setting, Jacob Pearce and Ammar Aldaoud
Fitting the AQF for the future: Revising the AQF architecture and taxonomy, Anita Roberts, Louise Wignall, and Daniel Edwards
Review of the Australian Core Skills Framework and Digital Literacy Skills Framework and relevant assessment tools. Final report, Louise Wignall, Anita Roberts, and Jana Scomazzon
Submissions from 2021
Public Enquiry: Adult literacy and its importance, Australian Council for Educational Research
The changing career expectations of Australian teens, Lisa De Bortoli
The importance of measuring adult literacy and numeracy, Daniel Edwards, Juliette Mendelovits, David Tout, and Louise Wignall
Supporting judgements with statistical modelling, Jacob Pearce and Nathan Zoanetti
Call the doctor: COVID’s impact on GP training, Rebecca Taylor, Ali Radloff, and Leyna Clarke
Improving adult literacy and numeracy everybody’s business, David Tout, Juliette Mendelovits, and Louise Wignall
Submissions from 2020
Technical and Vocational Education Training: Foundation level, Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
Integrating vocational and academic secondary education, Justin Brown
Infographic: VET in Schools, Jo Earp
Improving tertiary admissions in uncertain times, Daniel Edwards and Swapna Hedge
Examining the reading strategies of non-native English language test-takers, Ashtamurthy Killimangalam
Earning and Learning Research Project: Report to the Department for Education, South Australia, Julie McMillan, Shani Sniedze, Rachel Felgate, and Petra Lietz
Improving oral assessment implementation, Jacob Pearce and Neville Chiavaroli
Critical connections between numeracy and vulnerability in adult life, Dave Tout
PIAAC Numeracy Task Complexity Schema: Factors that impact on item difficulty, Dave Tout, Iddo Gal, Mieke van Groenestijn, Myrna Manly, and Mary Jane Schmitt
Defining skills for the future: What’s in a name?, Paul R. Weldon
Submissions from 2019
Equity students’ pathways to STEM, Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
Improving the national qualifications framework, Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
Literacy and numeracy for the 21st century, Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
Technical and Vocational Education Training: Practitioner level, Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
Three charts on: how much Australia spends on all levels of education, Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
Integrating vocational education and training for secondary school students, Justin Brown
Understanding Australia’s offshore VET student experience, Justin Brown
Skills and training needs in the disability sector, Justin Brown and Kate Perkins
Not just for the kids: Adult skills in the 21st century, Juliette Mendelovits and Dave Tout
Unpacking ‘programmatic assessment’, Jacob Pearce
Revision or Re-vision: Exploring approaches to the differentiation of qualification types in the Australian Qualifications Framework, Kate Perkins, Justin Brown, Paul R. Weldon, and Louise Wignall
Infographic: Participation rates in VET, Dominique Russell
School Improvement Episode 20: Vocational training and career pathways, Rebecca Vukovic
Evaluating the effectiveness of professional development, Louise Wignall
Images from 2018
Survey and Focus Groups of Students Enrolled in Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) Offshore: Final Report, Justin Brown, Wei Buttress, and Darren Matthews
Young People’s Views of Government, Peaceful Coexistence, and Diversity in Five Latin American Countries: IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study 2016 Latin American Report, Wolfram Schulz, John Ainley, Cristián Cox, and Tim Friedman
Maintaining the quality of GP registrar training in Australia, Rebecca Taylor
The N in LLN - Why it’s a crucial skill, Dave Tout
What is the Foundation Skills Training Package (FSK), Dave Tout
Assessing adult numeracy, David Tout
Improving confidence in expert judgements in medical specialty examinations, Daniel Urbach and Jacob Pearce
Submissions from 2017
Supporting NDIS workforce trainers and assessors, Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
Credit-based pathways in tertiary education, Justin Brown
In their words: student choice in training markets: Victorian examples, Justin Brown
VET and learner choice, Justin Brown
E-texts as impactful teaching and learning tools, Anne-Marie Chase
Supply and demand in the Australian labour market, Daniel Edwards
Understanding online pedagogy, Clare Nelson
What do employers really want? Helping vocational learners crack the code, Kate Perkins
What employers really want, Kate Perkins
LLN Acronyms ACSF FSK and more, Dave Tout
Why addressing literacy and numeracy in VET is a priority, Dave Tout
Review of the PIAAC Numeracy Assessment Framework: Final Report, Dave Tout, Diana Coben, Vince Geiger, Lynda Ginsburg, Kees Hoogland, Terry Maguire, Sue Thomson, and Ross Turner
Submissions from 2016
What Australia can learn from academically high-performing neighbours, Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
Improving our understanding of learner choice in VET, Justin Brown
Are Australian mathematical foundations solid enough for the 21st century?, Ross Turner and Dave Tout
Submissions from 2015
Group-based solutions risk ignoring individuality, ACER
Innovative research classroom to help discover the science of learning, ACER
Research into the financing of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the Pacific : Tonga : country report, Andrea Bateman, Justin Brown, and Meleoni Uera
Research into the financing of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the Pacific : Solomon Islands : country report, Andrea Bateman, Elizabeth Cassity, and Judy Fangalasuu
Investing in Workforce Literacy Pays: Building Employer Commitment to Workplace Language, Literacy and Numeracy Programs, Justin Brown, Michael Taylor, Phillip McKenzie, and Kate Perkins
Research into the financing of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the Pacific : Papua New Guinea : country report, Robert Horne, Ken Ngangan, Simaima Tavil-Melachon, and Justin Brown
Research into the financing of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the Pacific : Samoa : country report, Leo Maglen, Justin Brown, and Sala Perive T. Lene
Research into the financing of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the Pacific : Fiji : country report, Leo Maglen, Mark Weston Wall, and Manaini Rokovunisei
Research into the financing of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the Pacific : Kiribati : country report, Prabir Majumdar and Teweiariki Teaero
Evaluation of ICT in Education in Papua Province (ACDP-045): Final Report, Susanne Owen, John Hunt, Eda Simanjuntak, Eko Sediyono, Prapto Yuwono, Sri Yulianto, and Wigati Yektinintys Modouw
Financial literacy critical for future, Sue Thomson
Submissions from 2014
The ‘essence’ of effective teaching, ACER
Comparison of PIAAC and PISA frameworks for numeracy and mathematical literacy, Iddo Gal and David Tout
Adult literacy and numeracy - what’s the story?, Juliette Mendelovits
Quality and Equity in Vocational Education and Training (VET), Sheldon Rothman, David Curtis, Lori Hocking, and David Tout
Horses for courses: Choice in adult LLN assessments, Jim Spithill and Philippa McLean
Buried or not? What’s happened to numeracy?, David Tout
Don't subtract numeracy, David Tout
Lessons from international assessments, David Tout
Submissions from 2013
Vocational Update (No. 2) -- April 2013
National Report on Social Equity in VET 2013, Sheldon Rothman, Chandra Shah, Catherine Underwood, Julie McMillan, Justin Brown, and Phillip McKenzie
The value of international assessments of adults’ foundation skills, David Tout
Submissions from 2012
Vocational Update (No. 1) -- July 2012
AQTF Quality Indicator Service : 2011-12 report, ACER
Higher education students in Australia : what the new Census data tell us, Daniel Edwards and Eva van der Brugge
Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF), Philippa McLean, Kate Perkins, David Tout, Kath Brewer, and Linda Wyse
The On Track Survey 2011 longitudinal report : the 2007 cohort 4 years on, Sheldon Rothman and Catherine Underwood
The On Track Survey 2011: the destinations of school leavers in Victoria. Statewide report, Sheldon Rothman and Catherine Underwood
The On Track Survey 2012: the destinations of school leavers in Victoria. Statewide report, Sheldon Rothman and Catherine Underwood
Assessment of professional development for teachers in the vocational education and training sector : an examination of the Concerns Based Adoption Model, Rebecca Saunders
‘I’m telling you … the language barrier is the most, the biggest challenge’ : barriers to education among Karen refugee women in Australia, Paula G. Watkins, Husna Razee, and Juliet Richters
Submissions from 2011
Education and training and the avoidance of financial disadvantage, Gary N. Marks Dr.
Career Moves : Expectations and Destinations of New South Wales Senior Secondary Students, Gary N. Marks Dr., Catherine Underwood, Sheldon Rothman, Justin Brown, and ACER
The On Track Survey 2010: The Destinations of School Leavers in Victoria. Statewide report, Sheldon Rothman, Justin Brown, Kylie Hillman, Gary N. Marks Dr., Phillip McKenzie, and Catherine Underwood
Submissions from 2010
Australian Apprentice Retention Pilot Project: Report to MEGT, Justin Brown, Phillip McKenzie, and Adrian Beavis
Annual transitions between labour market states for young Australians, Hielke Buddelmeyer and Gary N. Marks
VET Leadership for the Future: contexts, characteristics and capabilities, Hamish Bennett Coates, V Lynn Meek, Justin Brown, Tim Friedman, Peter Noonan, and John Mitchell
VET Leadership for the Future: contexts, characteristics and capabilities : research briefing., Hamish Bennett Coates, V Lynn Meek, Justin Brown, Tim Friedman, Peter Noonan, and John Mitchell