Abstract: Abstract Australia has seen declining numbers of students choosing mathematics and science subjects in the senior secondary years, running counter to economic projections of an accelerating need for science and mathematics skills. Many students become less engaged with these subjects in the junior secondary years but attitudes such as self-concept, utility value, and intrinsic value are important for subject selection decisions. We used latent profile analysis to examine the relationship between attitudes towards both subjects using data from 10,051 Australian Grade 8 students sampled by TIMSS 2015 and revealed six discrete groupings. While most students were at least attitudinally receptive to both subjects, there were many students who either resisted both or expressed a strong preference for one over another. Positive attitudes towards both subjects were mutually beneficial—better attitudes towards both were associated with higher achievement in each—but boys tended to be more positive towards both subjects and so benefitted from this relationship more than girls. Implications for educational research and teachers’ practices are discussed. PubDate: 2020-02-14
Abstract: Abstract Migrant children’s access to educational opportunities has been a topical issue in China in recent years. This study focuses on the marginalised condition of migrant children in the current education system, using Bourdieu’s theory of class distinction and cultural reproduction as a theoretical foundation. Through a multiple-case study in three primary schools in Beijing, we identify three types of distinction experienced by these schools and the migrant children in these schools: (1) licensed private migrant schools are institutionally marginalised, lacking policy and financial support from the government; (2) unlicensed private schools for migrant children are characterised by crumbling school facilities, poor teaching quality and chaotic management, with migrant children experience educational, cultural, and psychological distinction in these schools; (3) public schools available to migrant children are located in periphery areas; moreover, migrant children are segregated from local children in these schools. Having encountered these distinctions, migrant children are less well-positioned to experience success. Several policy implications are also discussed to improve this situation and promote educational equality for migrant children. PubDate: 2020-02-14
Abstract: Abstract The importance of recognising, valuing and respecting a child’s family, culture, language and values is increasingly articulated in educational policy. Diversity and inclusion are central themes of the guiding principles of early childhood education and care in Australia. Children’s literature can be a powerful tool for extending children’s knowledge and understandings of themselves and others who may be different culturally, socially or historically. However, evidence suggests many settings provide monocultural book collections which are counterproductive to principles of diversity. This paper reports on a larger study investigating factors and relationships influencing the use of children’s literature to support principles of cultural diversity in the kindergarten rooms of long day care centres. The study was conducted within an ontological perspective of constructivism and an epistemological perspective of interpretivism informed by sociocultural theory. A mixed methods approach was adopted and convergent design was employed to interpret significant relationships and their meanings. Twenty-four educators and 110 children from four long day care centres in Western Australia participated. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, video-based observations, field notes, document analysis and a book audit. This study identified that current book collections in these four kindergarten rooms of long day care centres promote monocultural viewpoints and ‘othering’ of minority groups through limited access to books portraying inclusive and authentic cultural diversity. These findings have important social justice implications. The outcomes of this study have implications for educators, policy makers, early childhood organisations and those providing higher education and training for early childhood educators. PubDate: 2020-02-05
Abstract: Abstract The practice of home education has expanded considerably and international research has shown that different families perform home education in very different ways. Nevertheless, there has been no examination to date of the relationship between the type of home education practised and the emotional and behavioural aspects of children. The research examined this question by investigating the structure of the home education practised—the degree of daily routine and educational goal orientation in the family—as well as the emotional and behavioural problems of 65 home-educated children in Israel. The results indicated that the existence of a daily routine and educational goal orientation in the home correlated with fewer emotional and behavioural problems. The findings suggest a relationship between the structure of home education and the emotional and behavioural world of the child. In the light of the absence of previous research on this relationship, the present results are relevant to both the theoretical understanding of this subject and the practice of those involved in home education in different countries of the world. PubDate: 2020-02-05
Abstract: Abstract Preparing teachers to support diverse learners to succeed in school is pivotal in addressing inequalities in society. This qualitative study investigated the ways in which future teachers developed their understanding of diversity and inclusion in one course in an Australian teacher education programme. This study analysed students’ learning using threshold concept theory as a theoretical framework. Three main aspects that were considered troublesome were identified from student teachers’ reflections, which interconnected to generate understandings of diversity. They are recognising others’ life worlds, examining self and experiencing otherness. This study supports the need to guide growth in inclusive education practices and recommends asking three questions: Who are you' Who am I' What does it mean to be other' By interlinking the effects of exploring these three questions, we propose multiperspectivism as a threshold concept. We suggest that multiperspectivism could inform curriculum design of teacher education programmes, recognising the necessity of including multiple opportunities to engage with ideas of diversity and in how to teach with diversity in classrooms. PubDate: 2020-02-05
Abstract: Abstract Intercultural Understanding and Personal and Social Capability are two General Capabilities in the Australian Curriculum. However, the level of engagement anticipated by students in addressing these general capabilities across the learning continua provided in the curriculum differs significantly both in terms of the cognitive level expected of this engagement (as measured by Bloom’s Taxonomy), and of the level of interaction expected between students in meeting the capabilities’ learning objectives. Using the work of Bernstein and Fairclough, this paper argues that the Intercultural Understanding general capability requires less intellectual and inter-social engagement than the Personal and Social capability due to underlying assumptions that operate so as to distance the cultural Other, placing them on the periphery of Australian society, despite cultural diversity being, in fact, the lived experience of virtually all Australians. The learning continua, once scrutinised through a linguistic analysis and the lens of Bernstein, point to the absences of deep engagement in Intercultural Understanding capability, particularly when compared with that expected for the Personal and Social capability and begs the question of how Intercultural Understanding can become imagined, sustained or respectful within pedagogical encounters across the Australian Curriculum. PubDate: 2020-01-30
Abstract: Abstract Correlates of turnover intent among primary (N = 580) and secondary (N = 675), male (N = 254) and female (N = 999) teachers, were examined through the lens of the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. Multigroup structural equation modelling indicated that job demands (workload, student misbehaviour), and the personal demand of work–family conflict, were positively associated with emotional exhaustion—the core dimension of burnout. All demands indirectly related to turnover intent via emotional exhaustion. Among all teacher groups, no significant differences were found in level of emotional exhaustion or turnover intent, and only mild stress was reported as a result of student misbehaviour. Work–family conflict was the strongest predictor of emotional exhaustion for male and female teachers. Results suggest the JD-R as a promising theory for use in explaining job-related outcomes among Australian teachers, and that personal demands should be examined in addition to job demands within it. PubDate: 2020-01-30
Abstract: Abstract The decision to continue with science in school has a critical impact on the supply of the scientific skills necessary for a prosperous modern society. Low participation rates in post-compulsory school science have been a persistent problem and the decision process employed by students in choosing science is poorly understood. In this study, 10 focus groups were conducted with 50 students from four schools. Students were asked how they selected their subjects and their opinions on choosing science. Students described their subject selection as a two-stage process. First, they chose and rejected subjects based on enjoyment, interest and need. Second, they sought information and advice to fulfil their subject quota. Compared to other subjects, the sciences were considered more difficult and useful only for stereotypical scientific careers. It is suggested that science may be ‘overpriced’ and ‘undervalued’ by students and that these perceptions can be addressed at subject-selection time. PubDate: 2020-01-30
Abstract: Abstract Currently, due to regulatory and prospective political reforms, Australian universities face an increased demand to supply quality early childhood teachers. While student attrition remains a general concern for all universities, this demand has presented a renewed focus on retention in Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Studies [ECS]). The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences and motivations of preservice teachers, hypothesise the relation with attrition and determine gender differences. The data were gained from two sources. The first was from data held at a Western Australian university examining enrolment trends in ECS. Chi-square analysis revealed that male preservice teachers were significantly more likely to withdraw than their female counterparts. The second set of data were extracted from two independent qualitative studies on preservice teacher retention in the ECS course. Twenty-six preservice teachers participated in these studies and a total of 45 h of interviews were coded against indicators of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. It was found that while female preservice teachers with either extrinsic or intrinsic motives could buffer stressful situations such as concentrated assessment periods, only males with intrinsic motives could do the same. This is in part, explained by the additional stressors males are confronted with, such as attitudinal factors and few male peers, which in turn places them at a higher risk of attrition. PubDate: 2020-01-30
Abstract: Abstract Recent reforms in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in Australia have called for primary pre-service teachers to graduate with a specialisation in a priority learning area. This represents a significant change to the way that primary teachers are prepared. In this paper, we use Carol Bacchi’s What’s the Problem Represented to be' approach (WPR) to analyse the discourses present in four policy documents that have led to the introduction of primary specialisations in Australian education. The policy analysis reveals that the introduction of primary specialisations does not have a strong evidence base. Moreover, slippage in definitions causes confusion about what the role entails, with certain people marginalised by this policy direction. Recommendations are given for how teachers and teacher educators can work effectively within this new policy context. PubDate: 2019-12-23
Abstract: Abstract Complaints by educational researchers about problems with the human research ethics review process are not new. In this paper, we add to the growing body of literature critiquing contemporary ethics review processes. We outline the nature and extent of scrutiny our sexuality and relationships research project was subjected to during a drawn-out and acrimonious process of over-regulation by several ethics review panels. We provide concrete details of two ‘ethics exchanges’ that show how compromised the review process can become when ethics review ‘guidelines’ are interpreted, promoted and applied as universalised and invariant principles of ethical practice. We argue that these problems arise because ethics review boards (1) over-emphasise the vulnerability of young research participants and make exaggerated assessments of risk, (2) evaluate all research from a biomedical perspective that discounts research approaches that are based on different epistemologies, and (3) use bureaucratic and adversarial ways to resolve contested research ethics issues. The paper concludes with a call for ethics review boards to recognise and accept methodological diversity and plurality, and to acknowledge the inevitability and desirability of making in situ ethical decisions while using participatory methods in educational research. PubDate: 2019-12-23
Abstract: Abstract In 2017, it was excitedly pronounced across major newspapers in Australia that public schools’ share of student enrolment had increased, marking a “determined end to a 40-year decline”. The claims were bolstered by numerical data, and an accompanied media release, issued by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These bold claims immediately caught my attention, first for the assertion they were making and the implications for public schools; but second, for the way in which they potentially elided complex and variable units of analysis, to simplify and stabilise the numbers into a depoliticised narrative. Education reform relies on measurements, quantification and statistics to inform policy, but also to inform public opinion. Drawing on Petty’s notion of political arithmetic and Gorur’s “sociology of measurement”, this paper explores and critiques the role of counting in relation to national school enrolment shares, as divided between public and private schools in Australia. PubDate: 2019-12-17
Abstract: Abstract The rapid decline in Australian students’ performance on the National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) writing test is an issue of national concern. This paper presents the first investigation into patterns of achievement and progress on the NAPLAN writing test across the tested year levels (3, 5, 7 and 9) between 2011 and 2018, with a focus on gender differences. The findings reveal a considerable decline in writing performance for both genders over time, with a major disparity of up to 2 years of learning in test outcomes between male and female students. While performance of girls exceeded year-level standards when averaged over the 8 years, the average performance of boys was consistently below standards, with male students falling further behind female students across the school years. Yet average scores for both genders have declined significantly since 2011. Drawing on current international research into the teaching of writing and standardised writing tests, the paper considers two possible causes for this decline which are often communicated by education stakeholders: ineffective writing instruction, and issues with the design and implementation of the NAPLAN writing test. The paper calls for a national conversation about how we might effectively teach and assess writing. PubDate: 2019-12-17
Abstract: Abstract As higher education transitions from an exclusivist to a more accessible endeavour, class sizes are continuously increasing, prompting academics to explore different strategies to facilitate quality learning. In this paper, we explore the current practices of Australian biochemistry and molecular biology academics to understand how academics cope with the mass education context, and whether there are specific blocks to the introduction of active learning into these classrooms. We utilised inductive thematic analysis to identify the themes underpinning the pedagogical practices of a selection of academics in biochemistry and molecular biology. These data indicated that these academics: (1) consider themselves to be, and are, traditional teachers; (2) believe that their students will learn better the way that they were taught at university; (3) are trying to shift their teaching from traditional to non-traditional; and (4) practice reflective teaching. These findings suggest that these pedagogical practices are primarily influenced by the academics’ own presumptions and educational beliefs on how the specific discipline should be taught. Engagement in professional development appears to be influencing some academics to shift their teaching towards a more active and student-centred focus, but still, a lack of formal education qualification is holding many academics back from fully engaging with current pedagogical best practice. The findings in this study are broadly applicable to many higher education disciplines. PubDate: 2019-12-17
Abstract: Abstract Teacher educators continue to debate the most effective strategies to assist teachers to become confident educators of Aboriginal students, and Aboriginal content and perspectives. Recently, pre-service teachers have begun to be taught cultural responsiveness with varying degrees of success. The paper is created from (1) data gathered from ethnographic research; (2) the existing literature; (3) my lived experience of being an Aboriginal teacher educator; and (4) my own experiences with racism and oppression. The therapy narrative technique of externalising conversations is used in this paper to facilitate a conversation with the identified problem of racism. The resulting script is a dialogue between an Aboriginal teacher educator and the Master Storyteller Racism, with the ‘audience’ consisting of pre-service teachers. The paper seeks to bring together, in one location, a number of socio-cultural and socio-historical events and narratives regarding Aboriginal peoples and their cultures. It is argued that if the many guises of racism that continue to perpetuate a system that works towards under-educating Aboriginal students are not revealed and disrupted, then a counterstory of Aboriginal education success will remain silent. PubDate: 2019-12-16
Abstract: Abstract This paper reports on a study that investigated Australian pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) experiences in mobility programs undertaken in Santiago, Chile. Through the methodological lens of sense-making, our analysis aims to further current understandings of international teaching practicums and to examine how discursively (re)produced binary categories of cultural Self and Other continue to shape intercultural encounters. Our research suggests that there is a need to support PSTs in finding new ways to engage more deeply with the complexity of their experiences overseas, and their expanding sense of identity. This complexity might be explored further through a more critical interrogation of neo-colonial discourses that continue to frame the objectives of global mobility programs. The paper concludes by arguing that a conscious disruption of such inherent discourses is key in ensuring that international teaching practicums actually provide the transformative shifts in personal and professional experiences they are intended to generate. PubDate: 2019-12-10
Abstract: Abstract This study examined how a Creative Arts Initiative (CAI) outreach program could develop aspirations for higher education among students from low-SES backgrounds in Western Australia. Using the lens of bio-ecological systems and social capital frameworks, the Creative Arts program was examined as a facilitator of interactions between students and embedded social resources. The proposed model suggests a process where accessed resources can be mobilised into capital and activated as required to aid students’ transitions into higher education. We hypothesised that mentors and role models as embedded resources would help students in low-ICSEA schools to build creative arts skills and competencies and acquire ‘real-world’ information about post-school university participation. Focus group data were collected from 28 participants in four schools. Students reported positive interactions with role models and mentors and personal development. Data analysis identified opportunities for acquisition of new skills and for mobilising resources into capital. Findings support the proposition that mobilisation and activation of newly acquired capital increase students’ navigational capacity to achieve desired post-school goals. Resource-rich outreach programmes can be useful to engage students in learning, to acquire technical and interpersonal skills, for personal development, and as an activation tool for social and cultural capital to aid in post-school transitions. PubDate: 2019-12-10
Abstract: Abstract Undergraduate research engagement is critically important across disciplines. In education, however, pre-service teachers often report disengaging from research activities. To address this problem, we drew on the affordances of online learning: building and implementing a self-paced online program of multimodal resources called ResearchEd. We evaluated the program across three years. First, 120 students took part in a quantitative survey measuring research engagement. Those with program access were significantly more likely to enjoy research and consider postgraduate study. Next, 52 students compared the program to a traditional paper-based report-writing guide. The majority agreed that the program had improved their research understanding (90.4%) and confidence (84.7%). Finally, 15 students participated in a focus group interview; nominating the flexibility and self-directed nature of the program as key benefits. We concluded that the affordances of the online program enabled successful research scaffolding. PubDate: 2019-12-10
Abstract: Abstract The primary research output of a contemporary doctoral journey is no longer limited to a traditional thesis. Amongst other possibilities, current doctoral candidates may choose to produce a Thesis by Publication (TBP). However, very little is known about the factors shaping doctoral candidates’ decisions to adopt a TBP approach during their doctoral journey. This paper reports on quantitative and qualitative data collected in 2018 and 2019 from 246 recent doctoral graduates from Australian universities who completed a TBP. It reports on data exploring when candidates made the decision to select this option, who influenced their decision, and their reasons for choosing the TBP approach. We found that candidates typically adopted a TBP approach early, strongly influenced by their supervisors, to meet vocational, promotional and process goals. The study has implications for administrators, supervisors and candidates in selecting the thesis mode that suits the unique needs of each candidate. PubDate: 2019-12-10
Abstract: Abstract Motivated by my attendance at the 2017 AARE conference and Jane Kenway’s 2017 AARE Honorary Life Membership Award, and framed through the case of an event staged by students, this paper seeks to contribute to a ‘grassroots’ challenging of predominant bureaucratic managerialism in discourses of educational leadership, teaching and school excellence. Drawing on Jacques Derrida’s notion of spectrality, a prevailing discourse of generalised excellence and performance standards is interrupted by a (re)turn to moral purpose in and through an engagement with educational research that recognises the affordances of diverse outputs and approaches. I argue that educational knowledge cannot be justly understood and implemented through such neoliberal ideological artefacts as excellence frameworks and codified lists of universal performance standards because of aporias knowingly overlooked in claims as to the efficacy of such measures. Critically reflecting on my own work and being as a principal, through a hauntological reading of relevant documents, I advocate for a halt to an abyssal slide into standardised instrumentalism, which extends in NSW to the limiting restrictions of an ‘evidence hierarchy’ that has been designed to rank educational research and govern teachers’ engagements with it. PubDate: 2019-12-02
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