AARE Conference Paper Abstracts - 2006
ISSN 1324-9339

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ABSTRACTS of CONFERENCE PAPERS 2006

A

ABD06289    ®   PDF Paper
Implicit Theory of Intelligence Scale: Testing for factorial invariance and mean structure

Sabry Abd-El-Fattah and Greg Yates, University of South Australia

As conceived by Carol Dweck, implicit theory of intelligence concerns the extent to which intelligence is perceived as a malleable trait. This paper presents a new 14-item measure, the Implicit Theory of Intelligence Scale (ITIS). The ITIS was trialled on two samples of 132 and 940 first year university students in Australia and Egypt, respectively. An exploratory factor analysis for each sample retained two factors: entity and incremental. Entity refers to one's perception that his/her intelligence is a fixed, uncontrollable trait that cannot be changed through effort. Incremental refers to one's perception that his/her intelligence is a malleable, controllable quality that can be increased and improved through effort and investment. Entity and incremental factors each incorporated & items and the correlation coefficient between the two factors was found to be around -.3 in each sample. A multi-group confirmatory factor analysis revealed that with exception of one item, incremental and entity factors were found to be factorial invariant across both samples. The difference in mean structure was not significant in either sample. Implications of these findings were discussed within the Australian and Egyptian contexts.

Keywords: Motivation and self-concept

ABD06349    ®     PDF Paper
A confirmatory factor analysis of Bath County Computer Attitude Scale within an Egyptian context: Testing competing models

Sabry Abd-El-Fattah and Alan Barnes, University of South Australia,

Developed by Bear, Richards, and Lancaster (1987), the Bath County Computer Attitude Scale (BCCAS) was designed to assess attitudes towards computers within areas of computer use, computer-aided instruction, programming and technical issues, social issues, and computer history. One specific advantage of the BCCAS is that it appears to be suitable for international comparisons, having been used in research in South Africa, India, United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Israel. The present study reported on the development of the Arabic language translation of the BCCAS among a sample of 340 undergraduates in Egypt. An exploratory factor analysis technique retained two factors: expressiveness and instrumental. Expressiveness represents the values and enjoyment associated with using computers. Instrumental represents learning with and about computers. Expressiveness and instrumental factors each incorporated 10 items. A confirmatory factor analysis technique revealed that a second-order two factor model fits the data more appropriately than first-order one or two-factor models. Construct validity was established through substantial correlation coefficients values of the BCCAS with two other measurements of attitudes towards computers. Relevance of these findings to teaching computer skills, learning with computer as well as learners' attitudes towards computer is discussed.

Keywords:Information Communication Technology [ICT]

AFA06011    ®     PDF Paper
Future teachers' developing numeracy and mathematical competence as assessed by two diagnostic tests

Karoline Afamasaga-Fuata'i, University of New England, Paul Meyer, Naomi Falo and Perenise Sufia, National University of Samoa

This paper reports the findings of the first year of a longitudinal numeracy project established to monitor the development of some student teachers' numeracy and mathematical competence. The sample included a group of pre-service students who are enrolled in the Foundation and Primary Education Programs. Data presented here is from the Second Mathematics Diagnostic Test (MDT2) administered in October 2005. Student responses from the two diagnostic tests were analysed using the dichotomous Rasch Measurement Model. Results from the First Diagnostic Testing (MDT1) showed that no one achieved mastery level. A comparison of student performance on both MDT1 and MDT2 was conducted to (a) identify any developmental trends for the group between testing and (b) determine the extent of the impact of normal mathematics content and mathematics education courses on students' numeracy and competence levels. Preliminary findings show that there was improvement in the performance of students by the second testing as a group. The paper will present and discuss performance of sub-groups and selected individuals. Findings will inform the development of customized enrichment programs to re-dress students' numeracy needs before exit. Implications for the teaching of primary mathematics and mathematics education courses are provided

Keywords: Curriculum and specific curriculum areas - Mathematics

ALB06175     PDF Paper
Issues facing teacher curricular and pedagogical capacity in mature and emerging education systems

James Albright, National Institute of Education, Singapore

Inspired by a two-year scaleable and sustainable action research intervention project in the Singaporean educational system which is focused on improving Normal Technical (the lowest ability stream) teachers' capacity to design and implement authentic and effective pedagogies in three lower secondary core subject areas (science, mathematics and English language), this paper focus on issues raised by such work across various international contexts. Like many in Australia, Britain, Canada and the USA, this project documents and analyses teachers' content and pedagogical capacity (Luke, 2004). The intervention project offers comprehensive training (Wiggins and McTighe's, 1998, 2005) to help them design, share, and improve their lessons and assessments. And like many others, it attempts to impact teachers' professional beliefs and capacity for curricular and pedagogical innovation and, as a consequence, improve student achievement.

Teacher professional development is now a global conversation. Framed with the particular context of this research, the paper will compare similarities and differences in how the problem(s) of teacher capacity are structured across mature and emerging educational systems. Specifically, issues related teacher agency and professionalism, and the teaching of disadvantaged, low performing students, as they relate to systemic issues around school and educational reform will be addressed.

Keywords: School Renewal and Pedagogic Improvement

ALD06755    ®     PDF Paper
Engaging pedagogies in Mathematics and Science Education: Some key ideas, issues and implications for research and teaching

Carol Aldous, Flinders University

This paper discusses six key ideas and issues related to mathematics and science learning and teaching. These ideas encompass notions of (1) Equity, (2) Service to humanity, (3) Literacy, (4) Knowledge dimensions and their changing emphases, (5) Affective as well as cognitive responses to mathematics and science, and (6) Connections to technology. The implications of these ideas in identifying new directions for research in mathematics and science education are considered. In particular the need to explicate the connections between content, process, context and affect in mathematics and science learning and teaching is highlighted. Research in creative problem solving within the field of novel mathematics problem solving is pointing to a way in which these links may be found. Such research, it is hoped will engage the future pedagogy of mathematics and science to be more efficacious to the benefit of all students.

Keywords: Learning and teaching

AMO06388    ®     PDF Paper
Connections among school contexts, teaching contexts and the quality of teaching

Wendy Amosa and Sharon Cooper, University of Newcastle

The question of "what matters most" in terms of impact on student achievement has long been an issue of political and academic focus in Australia, as elsewhere. Current debate separates this discussion into two main factions - those who do, and those who do not believe that quality teaching can compensate for the socio-cultural and socio-economic factors that impact on student achievement. The problem with a debate which separates belief in context and belief in teacher quality, is that it effectively removes consideration of the possible effects of the interaction between these factors, implying that they are mutually exclusive.

In this paper, we investigate the connections between socio-cultural and socio-economic factors as they impact on various school contexts, teaching contexts and the quality of teaching. By investigating these connections, not only do we inform the "what matters most" debate, but we provide insights to guide both local and systemic efforts to improve pedagogy that attend to the specifics of context.

Keywords: School renewal and pedagogic improvement

AND06181    ®     PDF Paper
Teaching common fractions in primary school: Teachers' reactions to a new curriculum

Judy Anderson and Monica Wong, University of Sydney

This paper presents teachers' views about changes to a new mathematics curriculum in NSW (BOSNSW, 2002), which significantly increased the expectations of learning about common fractions for primary school children. While current research was used to development a continuum of key ideas for the learning of rational numbers, early consultation suggested teachers were anxious about the new expectations. A range of resource materials were developed and professional development opportunities made available for teachers to support knowledge building and to provide practical advice about the teaching of common fractions. However, while teachers generally report an increase in confidence, there still appears to be concern particularly in relation to fraction equivalence.

Keywords: Curriculum and specific curriculum areas - Mathematics

AND06868     PDF Paper
French across the curriculum

Andrew Francis and Judith Plessis, University of British Columbia

UBC is a leading university in a bilingual country. UBC students who are able to speak French and English, Canada's two official languages, greatly increase their chances of employment as well as their leadership opportunities in the community, the government and in Canadian businesses.

UBC's proposal is geared towards all students interested in learning any subject in French and is not dedicated to a particular discipline. Students taking French sections of regular credit courses may in the future receive "bilingual" recognition with their UBC degree; however, the main goal of UBC's proposal is to educate bilingual Canadians and International students who will be able to work anywhere in Canada.

To receive the full support of the Francophone Community and to enable native speakers or second-language speakers with a good command of French to practice French in the field of their choice, the Centre must be open to the community. The recent creation of Access Studies at UBC allows non-traditional students who are not necessarily pursuing a degree program to take some credit courses either for credit or audit. Tuition and student service fees are the same as those for regular credit students.

Keywords: Languages and new literacies

ARB06133    ®     PDF Paper
Tenuous belonging: International students, multiculturalism and the manifestation of cosmopolitanism in local schools.

Ruth Arber, Deakin University

This paper is concerned with the 'imagination of community within local/global contexts such as those of Australian schools. In particular, it explores the ways that school community representatives in urban and rural Victoria, Australia discuss the presence of international students within their school communities and the consequences of these understandings for the ways that these students can belong. The paper argues that recent and globalising changes, particularly the impact of international students within schools, have meant that school communities understand the presence of others and therefore themselves in new ways. Arguments derived from mono-cultural and multicultural thought, always ambivalent, take on new forms as school representatives are concerned with a more individualistic and market driven world shaped within a cacophony of local/ global tensions. The paper concludes that in the tenuousness of belonging within local /global communities such as those of Australian schools, understandings of community and its outsiders need to be understood in relation to the contradictory but increasingly pervasive logics of cosmopolitan discourse.

Keywords:Identity, globalisation

ARB06350    ®     PDF Paper
Transmitting music through culture: A way forward to harmonise a discordant world

Ruth Arber and Dawn Joseph, Deakin University

This paper situates itself in an Australian society that has become increasingly globalised and cosmopolitan. It is concerned with the implementation programs and policies that reflect a context of diversity as one that promotes respect for a multicultural society and one that promotes respect for diversity across the community. Considering the contradictory and ambivalent understandings that underpin these discussions and their implications for the conceptual and material conditions that structure the debate, the authors explore the use of teaching African music at tertiary level as a pathway for change. The authors further reflect whether such a diffusion of intercultural dialogue through music can promote cultural tolerance and diversity in our changing world.

Keywords: Multicultural education

ARD06291     PDF Paper
Who's teaching PE/Sport in NSW primary schools? The 'Specialist teacher': A case study

Kathie Ardzejewska, Macquarie University

The delivery of primary education has undergone considerable change. Since the introduction of school based management a practice that anecdotally appears to be gaining ground is the employment of 'specialist teachers' to teach individual Strands or Key Learning Areas. This paper defines a specialist teacher as a person who is employed to teach in a specific Key Learning Area or a Strand or activity of a Key Learning Area. The term specialist does not include 'career specialists' (eg. librarians, special education teachers) employed by DET. How this specialisation has come about is difficult to locate. We know very little about these teachers: how they contribute to teaching, learning, assessment and reporting; and how their performance is managed. This paper describes some of the current practices of specialists in general, and specifically PE/Sport teachers in NSW primary schools. It reports the results of a questionnaire distributed to all principals in government primary schools. There were 372 responses (response rate of 25%). It also details, where specialists are employed, the relationships between the decision making of the school principal and implementation of the decision. More specifically it attempts to detail why PE/Sport is being given to 'specialists'.

Keywords: Health and Physical Education

ASH06126    ®     PDF Paper
Languages teaching in Tasmania: A Critical Discourse Analysis perspective

Greg Ashman and Thao Le, University of Tasmania

Language teaching and learning have received great attention from researchers, teachers, and the public around the world. However, the rational for teaching languages and the associated curriculum vary a great deal depending on the discourses in which languages teaching is situated. Traditionally, languages teaching is seen as a subject which promotes intellectual development in learners. As language, society and culture are deeply linked, the traditional view does not reflect this intricate connection. Languages teaching and learning can be powerfully examined from the CDA perspective as CDA does not pay attention only to surface manifestations and explicit rationales for understanding languages teaching discourse, but more importantly it critically examines powerful messages implicitly and explicitly embedded in the discourse. This paper examines the discourse of language teaching in Tasmania. It initially focuses on the historical development of languages teaching and moves to the emerging discourses in Tasmania.

Keywords: Languages and New Literacies

ASK06453     PDF Paper
"If you are just sick you could make your own chicken soup. But if it's a mental illness - you can't fix yourself." Teaching secondary school students about mental illness

Helen Askell-Williams, Michael Lawson, Phillip Slee and Rosalind Murray-Harvey, Flinders University

This paper reports a classroom based investigation into the MindMatters curriculum resource "Understanding Mental Illness" (UMI). We observed the teaching of the UMI module in three secondary classrooms. We measured students' knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intentions in relation to mental illness both before and after the teaching of the UMI module. We also held focussed discussions with teachers about teaching the UMI module and teaching about mental illness and mental health in general. Paired sample t-tests on students' knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intentions, showed statistically significant improvements in students' scores from pre-teaching to post teaching. Students' in-class comments also indicated their increasing awareness of issues related to mental illness. Discussions with teachers raised pedagogical issues such as, finding ways to teach about profound issues such as mental illness in non-trivial ways; accommodating differing levels of development of students' conceptual understandings; and the value of stories for changing people's knowledge and attitudes. Teachers highlighted a lack of teacher expertise about mental illness and the implications this has for integrating modules such as UMI across the curriculum. Teachers also indicated a need for frameworks of scope and sequence to guide teaching about UMI in particular, and mental health in general.

Keywords: Health and Physical Education

ASK06454     PDF Paper
"Well the first thing I done was to ask my Mum to go on the internet" A classroom based investigation into Year 8 students' knowledge about learning

Helen Askell-Williams and Michael Lawson, Flinders University

Students require knowledge that allows effective self-management of their learning. When students learn they use and construct knowledge in different domains. For example, they develop knowledge about subject-matter, knowledge about themselves and others, knowledge about their learning situations and knowledge about the learning process itself. This paper reports a classroom based investigation into interactions that occur between different knowledge domains. We conducted taped, in-class interviews about learning with a class of Year 8 students before, during and after their engagement with a self-selected independent investigation that ran during a whole school term. We used NUD*IST data analysis software to thematically code the students' statements. Certain themes were well represented, such as personal interest, planning and organising, information gathering and asking questions. Other themes were less well represented, such as metacognitive monitoring and higher order thinking about the gathered information. Students focussed upon the collection and presentation of gathered information, but did not appear to engage in thinking that allowed them to "go beyond the information given". More precise knowledge about the interactions between students' knowledge domains, such as between subject matter knowledge and learning process knowledge, will enable teachers and students to act more effectively during teaching and learning.

Keywords: Learning and teaching

AUH06592    ®     PDF Paper
Perceptions of Primary School Teaching by First Year Education Students

Myung-sook AUH, University of New England

The purpose of the study was to investigate first-year Education students' perceptions of selected aspects of primary school teaching. This information can be useful for teacher educators to understand where the first-year Education students stand in terms of their views on primary education, and to provide appropriate support system if their perceptions change over the four year program. Participants were 99 first-year Education students in Bachelor of Education in Primary Education at a regional university in NSW, Australia. Data were collected using the Primary Teaching Questionnaire (PTQ), devised by the investigator, and were analyzed using statistical analysis and coding methods. Results showed that their perceptions about primary school teaching were positive, and in some cases, idealistic. They wanted to make an impact on children's life and make a difference as future leaders. They listed personal qualities appropriate for primary school teachers, such as a caring mind, enthusiasm, humour, passion for teaching, patience, flexible, engaging, open-minded, and rated themselves highly for these qualities. They think creativity is important in order to motivate children and to develop creative potential in children. Many students think they will be happy staying in primary teacher positions for many years to come.

Keywords: Pre-service teacher education programs

AUH06593    ®     PDF Paper
Developing a Model for Primary Music Pedagogy Course to Build Student Teachers' Confidence in Teaching Music

Myung-sook AUH, University of New England

The purpose of the study was 1) to determine whether a primary music pedagogy course utilizing two research-based pedagogical approaches significantly improve primary student teachers' confidence in teaching music, and 2) to develop a model for a primary music pedagogy course based on findings of this study. The National Review of School Music Education (Australian Government, DEST, 2005) pointed out the urgent need for quality teacher education for primary music due to the poor quality of music education in schools. Participants were 83 student teachers enrolled in Bachelor of Education at a university in NSW, Australia. Data were collected using the Primary Music Teaching Questionnaire (PMTQ), administered as pretest and posttest, and from student teachers' reflection notes. Results showed that: 1) Student teachers' confidence improved significantly at the end of the course (p < .05). 2) Many student teachers wrote that the group singing performances in front of peers were enjoyable and made them confident in music. 3) Individual teaching presentations gave them an opportunity to actually teach music. 4) Their posttest responses showed that the primary music pedagogy course provided them with sufficient music teaching skills, strategies, and resources. A model for a primary music pedagogy course is suggested.

Keywords: Pre-service teacher education programs

AUL06613    ®     PDF Paper
Reconsidering study guides for distance education: A methodological framework for digitising study guides

Glenn Auld and Holli Tonyan, Monash University

Kress and Van Leuwen's (2001) theory of multimodality identifies elements of discourse, design, production and distribution in multimodal texts. This study uses the above-described four elements to analyse the digitisation of study guide materials for a group of Singaporean students studying in off-campus mode for a Master of Education (Early Childhood). The study guide was presented on CD with digital videos, quotes from assigned readings and stimulus questions to which the students could type in their responses and save to a disk. Although some students had problems accessing the study guides in Singapore, this research highlights the strengths in using the four elements of multimodality as a methodological framework for transforming tertiary study guides from print to digital media. Understandings of Rogoff's (1993) concept of guided participation and Feenberg's (2002) critical approach to technology strengthened the methodological framework by providing a strong social justification for embarking on multimodal transformations of study guides for tertiary students.

Keywords: Languages and new literacies

AZA06731     PDF Paper
Use of portfolios for assessing practice teaching of prospective science teachers

Saiqa Azam and Hafiz Iqbal, University of the Punjab, Pakistan

The present study is an effort to see the impacts of an effort of introducing portfolios as a part of assessment during teaching practice in a pre-service science teacher education program. The present assessment model for practice teaching is based upon classroom observations. This pilot study was designed to see the impact of including portfolio as an assessment tool to assess and hence to make student teachers to reflect and learn from their own practice. One of the purposes was to minimize the disturbance caused by classroom observation during practice teaching and to prepare students teachers to take responsibility of their own learning. One of the purpose behind this effort was not only to assess the teaching practice but to develop an increased interest in teaching practice and hence in the profession of teaching. This study also intended to develop among prospective science teachers the confidence of teaching and reflect on their teaching experiences as well as to understand teaching as an innovative and creative endeavour to develop them as professional science teachers to take up challenging role of science teaching and hence become an instrument for educational reform in a developing country like Pakistan.

Keywords: Pre-service teacher education programs

B

BAG06488      ®        PDF Paper
Collaboration: The Prodigal Process

Margaret Baguley, University of Tasmania

Collaborative processes are beginning to play an increasingly important part in global efforts to control pollution, population and more recently, the threat of terrorism. Technological advances in communication have resulted in a greater sense of the global community in which we live and interact. Traditional concepts and roles are being overturned at a progressively faster rate, resulting in us living in a period of 'necessary interdependence', (Brufee, 1993: 172). As a result, society has become increasingly aware of and more willing to accommodate difference. Socialisation in Western society emphasises competitiveness and self-promotion, factors which do not prepare individuals wishing to undertake a collaborative process characterised by interdependence and mutual compromise. The increasing acceptance and extent of collaborative practice in areas such as contemporary arts is all one reflection of this global situation. An understanding of the creative and innovative approaches, utilising the arts will contribute to an ever-increasing interest, and relevance in contemporary society, particularly as the benefits of collaborating link to creativity in problem-solving. This paper will investigate why collaborative processes are being encouraged in various sectors such as education, and why such processors have appeared only in recent times.

Keywords: Curriculum and specific curriculum areas - arts

BAG06504   ®      PDF Paper
Nurturing the research spirit: Confessions of a Generation X-er.

Margaret Baguley, University of Tasmania

Keywords: Post graduate and early career researcher

BAI06026     PDF Paper
Teacher education for effective literacy teaching

Joyce Bainbridge, University of Alberta

This paper presents the findings from the first year of a three-year study that aims to determine the factors that support or hinder the preparation of teachers to teach literacy, specifically reading and writing, at the elementary (Kindergarten to Grade 6) level in Canada. The study, conducted at two large Canadian universities, explored the connections between the literacy courses students are required to take in their basic teacher education program, the students' field experiences, and their expectations and needs as beginning teachers. The study was framed by the following question: What impact does a teacher education program have on beginning teachers' theory and practice of literacy teaching?

The study applied both qualitative and quantitative methods. A total of 721 undergraduate students volunteered to complete a paper and pencil survey instrument, and 40 of them volunteered for in-depth interviews, 20 at each institution. Questions addressed areas such as course assignments and readings; links between the campus program and the field experience; the emerging views and practices of student teachers in the literacy area; and supports and challenges. The presentation highlights the findings and the challenges teacher educators must overcome. Program changes and new ways of working with pre-service teachers will be explored.

Keywords: Pre-service teacher education programs

BAK06505    ®     PDF Paper
Nurturing the research spirit: The ivory tower and the teaching-research nexus in developing early career research

Bill Baker, University of Tasmania

After 17 years as a school music educator I feel that I am only now commencing my career as a researcher. Whilst teaching I completed my postgraduate studies out of a sense of personal curiosity and a professional desire for challenge, but also with a view to possibly entering the tertiary sector at some stage in the future. The catalyst for that change came as my role became increasingly that of an administrator and human resource manager - labels that removed me further from the areas of teaching, scholarship and inquiry. In my first year in the tertiary environment starting the research journey has however proven to be more complex than I thought, and I have entered an environment in which my previous perceptions of the 'ivory tower' have been seriously challenged. The need to get "runs on the board" with articles and conferences before applying for grants, the need to generate data in order to do either, and the pressure to "teach more" whilst developing a research profile contribute to this complexity. In this paper I will explore some of the ways in which I have sought to solve this dilemma through optimising the teaching-research nexus.

Keywords: Post Graduate and Early Career Researcher

BAR06191    ®     PDF Paper
A leadership enrichment program for Research Higher Degree Students: an experiential learning approach to leadership training.

Deirdre Barron, Swinburne University of Technology and Margaret Zeegers, University of Ballarat

Enrichment programs for Research Higher Degree (RHD) students are an endeavour undertaken by all Australian Universities. Most of these enrichment programs have in the main been centred on the generic skills required to expedite the research program, for example software skills, information gathering and collating skills, language development programs and seminars on various methodologies. There are some examples where enrichment programs have focused on leadership. These programs often assume not only that leadership can be taught, but also that a traditional seminar/lecture approaches to such a curriculum is a practical, efficient and effective approach to leadership education. This paper questions these assumptions by arguing for a more experientially-based approach to leadership education at the RHD level. This approach has demanded a consideration of pedagogical approaches outside, or peripheral, to the traditional approaches of RHD training. A specific example of a leadership program that incorporates experiential learning in is presented. The paper delineates a brief overview of experiential approaches to education, followed by a more specific review of the potential role these approaches can play in leadership education.

Keywords: Doctoral Education Research

BAR06280     PDF Paper
Case study of a senior executive group in a NSW state secondary school

Kerry Barnett and John McCormick, University of New South Wales

It is widely acknowledged that effectively leading a small group (fewer than twenty members) differs from leading many followers. Most views on small group leadership have emphasized the role of a leader in the development of group processes relevant to social interaction as well as those relevant to task interaction.

A case study of a Senior Executive group comprising the principal and two deputy principals was conducted in a NSW state secondary school which was going through a process of renewal. The purpose of the case study was to investigate the role of leadership within this small group. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The results suggest leadership processes influenced cognitive, motivational, affective and, coordination aspects of group processes and the latter, in turn, influenced leadership processes in this Senior Executive group.

BAR06568   ®     PDF Paper
Science, technology in its teaching and learning in rural South Australia: Problems and prospects

Alan Barnes and Bruce White, University of South Australia, Carol Aldous and Julie Clarke, Flinders University, and Jim Davies, Australian Science and Mathematics School

Metropolitan students achieve higher scores at year 12 in areas of mathematics, the sciences and technology than their rural counterparts. The exact nature of these relative deficits, and their origins in rural schooling is less well understood, as is an understanding of the types of interventions that can redeem them. This paper ex examines the South Australian situation, outlining aspects of under achievement as identified by staff, students and teachers in the four rural schools. It identifies major priority areas for interventions and suggests some prospects for improving learning outcomes. The work is part of an ongoing initiative supported by the National Centre of science, ICT and mathematics education for Rural and Regional Australia (SIMERR).

Keywords: Education policy

BAR06851    ®     PDF Paper
Interactions between students' goal orientations and academic self-concept: A more comprehensive model of student motivation

Katrina Barker, Martin Dowson and Dennis McInerney, University of Western Sydney

This study aims to unify two substantial literatures relating to student motivation by proposing a more comprehensive model of students' motivation than has recently been provided to date. Notably, students' goal orientations, as operationalised by the General Achievement Goal Orientation Scale (GAGOS), and students' academic self-concept as operationalised by the Academic Self Description Questionnaire II (ASDQ II); are combined in one instrument in order to: (a) examine the psychometric properties of the combined instruments and (b) investigate the interrelated multidimensional and hierarchal structure of motivation and self-concept. Data collected over three years from 535 Australian High School students confirm the hypothesis that students' goals and academic self-concepts are interrelated components of an overall model of student motivation. Furthermore, this model remains stable and invariant across sex and over time. The model presents a unified framework within which the interaction among students' goals and academic self-concept may be investigated more fully.

Keywords: Motivation and self-concept

BAR06866    ®     PDF Paper
Investigating flexible delivery strategies that meet the needs of Remote Area Teacher Education Program (RATEP) Diploma of Education (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) students

Claire Bartlett, Charles Darwin University

This paper reports on the findings of research which investigated RATEP Diploma of Education (ATSI) students' opinions, attitudes and perceptions of flexible delivery strategies. The three students who participated in this qualitative research studied the Diploma of Education (ATSI) between 2003 and 2004. Data was collected via semi-structured, open ended interviews and presented as case studies.

The research findings highlight the complexities of student-centred flexible delivery. This study found that all participants needed regular interaction, support and feedback from peers and teaching staff, however, the focus on self paced, independent learning inhibited this. Each case highlighted a preference for different delivery modes and strategies, however, participants could cope with delivery modes and strategies that did not match their preferred way of learning if there were high levels of support, convenience and flexibility. Conversely, timelines for participation were necessary in order for participants to develop independent learning skills.

In conclusion, recommendations for practice are suggested. These include increased group paced delivery in order facilitate regular interaction, support and feedback. Strategies include more face to face block delivery and the facilitation of an online community of learners. Production of a student handbook containing course information, delivery plans and due dates for assessment needs would assist students to develop independent learning skills.

Keywords: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education

BEA06516     PDF Paper
Leaning into our fears: A new masters course prepares principals to engage with the emotions of leadership

Brenda Beatty, Monash University

In response to Department of Education and Training Victoria's tender call for a new Master in School Leadership, Monash created its pathway to the principalship. Sergiovanni's leadership philosophy prompted the creation of a transformational delivery design based on the author's theoretical framework of emotional epistemologies which positions emotional silence and resilient emotional relativity at opposite ends of a continuum. A cohort structure supports the developmental unit sequence: Inner Leadership, Leading Learning Communities, Understanding Environments and Leading Change Through Professional Action Research.

Reported on are connections among course and theoretical framework elements and corresponding impacts upon participants' personal, professional & scholarly development and changes in their views and practices of leadership.

Data drawn from interviews, written reflections and open-ended survey responses suggest participants are reframing leadership as highly relational, trust oriented work. Emotional meaning making processes help leaders identify and lean into fears and create relationally safe spaces by working in new ways with others. Increased leadership self-efficacy, promotion success, inner well being and optimism about making the principalship a place for their authentic selves is associated with modelling and making explicit, the role of emotion in evidence based school improvement that relies on resilient teams and whole school community learning.

Keywords: Educational leadership

BEL06236    ®     PDF Paper
Voices of lay principals: Promoting a Catholic character and culture in schools in an era of change

Angelo Belmonte, Catholic Education Office, and Neil Cranston and Brigid Limerick, University of Queensland

This paper reports a qualitative study of the practice of leadership in Catholic schools to ascertain the perceptions of lay principals, who as positional leaders play a critical role in embracing and creatively rebuilding the Catholic vision of life within the reality that the Catholic school principalship is now a ministry of the laity. The methodology included semi-structured interviews, field notes, reflexive journals, direct observation, and document analysis. The study examined both individual human behaviour and the structure of the social order in Catholic schools.

The findings point towards successful leadership in Catholic schools being highly influenced by the cultural and spiritual capital that a principal brings to a school signifying a fundamental importance of appointing principals who are not only professionally competent but spiritually as well. In an era of unprecedented social, educational and ecclesial change, and with an ever widening role description, lay principals are challenged to redefine and re-articulate their Catholic character and identity, and will need to look for new ways to make this explicit. Embracing a new leadership paradigm of shared leadership, the preparation and on-going formation of lay principals were identified as critical for the continuance of the Catholic school's distinctive mission in the future.

Keywords: Educational leadership

BER06304    ®     PDF Paper
Ethics of Care - A dilemma or a challenge in education?

Ulrika Bergmark and Eva Alerby, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden

Daily there are a vast number people within educational systems around the world. The school can be regarded as a meeting place for both adults and children with different backgrounds and expectations. A meeting between humans means for example that we are talking and acting together. Consciously or unconsciously one of the factors that govern our actions are our values - the morals or ethics one has.

The aim of this paper is to elucidate, interpret and understand ethical situations in a Swedish secondary school. To develop an understanding of this, teachers were invited to formulate in writing their reflections on ethical situations in their profession. The phenomenology of the life-world is the theoretical basis in this study.

During the analysis of the empirical data different themes gradually crystallised, and the picture of ethical situations in a learning community that emerged consists of three themes: Relations to the Other, Conflicts of Values, Ethical Maturity. The findings are discussed according to the philosophers Emanuel Levinas and Nel Noddings. The comprehensive understanding of the results is thatn the teachers are trying to achieve ethics of care. Finally we raise the question if ethics of care can be considered as a dilemma or a challenge in education.

Keywords: Teachers' work

BEU06809    ®     PDF Paper
Teachers' understandings of pedagogic connectedness

Denise Beutel, Queensland University of Technology

This doctoral thesis is an attempt to operationalise the productive pedagogy initiative of Education Queensland. The study identified qualitatively different ways in which middle years teachers may experience pedagogic connectedness with their students. Mentoring relationships between teachers and students were found to be the optimum approach to increasing and sustaining student engagement and consequently improving the educational outcomes of boys in the middle years of schooling. The findings also provide insight into nature of teacher-student interactions that may lead to pedagogic connectedness, a useful set of data to guide the design, development and implementation of pre-service teacher education programs.

Five categories of pedagogic connectedness emerged from the phenomenographically-inspired study. These categories should be seen as developmental and teachers should be encouraged and supported to progress through these stages as they mature professionally. The emergent categories in order of increasing complexity are information providing, instructing, facilitating, guided participation and mentoring.

Keywords: Doctoral education research

BEV06625     PDF Paper
Motivational implications of problem-based learning for the preparation of social workers

Alexander Beveridge and Jennifer Archer, University of Newcastle

A cross-sectional study was undertaken with Social Work students. Achievement goals formed the theoretical basis of the study which examined the extent to which a problem-based (or experience-based) approach influenced students' motivation to learn and approach to studying. Thirty-six first-year Social Work students (96% of intake) and thirty-four fourth-year Social Work students (98% of intake) completed two questionnaires, one about their Social Work courses and an identical questionnaire about a compulsory Psychology course. The questionnaires focused on students' perception of the achievement goals encouraged by lecturers, reported study strategies, and attitude towards the course. Fourteen first-year and twelve fourth-year students also participated in interviews about their reaction to Social Work and Psychology courses. Analyses of the data showed that students perceived a stronger mastery achievement goal in the Social Work courses and a stronger performance goal in the Psychology course. Perception of a mastery goal was associated with reported use of effective study strategies and a positive approach to studying. The interview data supported the questionnaire data and provided additional information about motivational factors associated with PBL. The study concludes with a discussion of the relative contribution of long-term personality factors and situational cues to students' motivation to learn.

Keywords: Motivation and self-concept

BEZ06674     PDF Paper
Engagement in action: University - School system partnership for teacher development

Michael Bezzina, Catholic Education Office, and Jude Butcher and Wendy Moran, Australian Catholic University

Over a period of over 15 years, the system of schools in the diocese of Parramatta and the Australian Catholic University have built a partnership which is significant for its scope and its penetration. It has involved the individual schools and the system as a whole in a wide range of initiatives with three of the university's schools within the Faculty of Education - Educational Leadership, Education and religious Education. The partnership has touched on innovative delivery of preservice methodology courses on school sites, support for classroom teachers, jointly delivered post graduate courses (and programs), international study tours, extended residential leadership programs, secondments and joint appointments, adjunct appointments, joint research initiatives (including Linkage grants), review activities and innovative school focused leadership for learning programs.

In the context of increasing interest in university engagement, this paper will describe the key joint activities and will seek to determine the factors which have contributed to the evolution of such a rich and textured relationship, which has found expression in so many different ways. It will explore, among other factors, the significance of commitment of key personnel, a sense of the importance of mutual benefit, strong ongoing structures for communication and a capacity to support innovative practice.

Keywords: School - University engagement

BLA06053     PDF Paper
Overcoming disadvantage through the innovative classroom

Rosalyn Black, Education Foundation Australia

Australia is recognised as a high performing but low equity country with regards to educational attainment. Low socioeconomic background students and schools with large numbers of these students perform less well than higher socioeconomic students and schools. Yet some schools are turning around student learning outcomes despite the impact of disadvantage.

Reforms to curriculum and pedagogy are under way in Victoria and a number of other states. What is missing in the reform picture are proven and transferable models of how schools in our most disadvantaged communities are breaking the pattern of low student engagement and achievement.

Informed by a review of research and practice and case studies of ten schools, the Education Foundation Australia is documenting what classroom strategies schools are employing to engage low socioeconomic background students in the crucial middle years, what supports or hinders them in their work and how successful models can be implemented across other schools serving high poverty communities.

Keywords: Learning and teaching

BLA06548     PDF Paper
Leadership development in UAE undergraduate programs

Peggy Blackwell, Zayed University

Zayed University was founded to prepare leaders who will envision the possibilities and create the opportunities for the future of the UAE. Students take increasing responsibility for their own learning, become active participants and leaders in the learning community and master the art of learning with others and from self reflection. The specific leadership learning outcome states that ZU graduates will be able to assume leadership roles and responsibilities in a variety of life situations and accept accountability for the results. To this end students have a range of opportunities to develop leadership capabilities. This paper will identify and discuss formal and informal leadership learning experiences. These include the University's formal leadership program, University clubs and societies, specific course work assignments, the internship program, the final Capstone project and the contribution of internal and external mentors.

Keywords: Educational leadership

BLO06777     PDF Paper
A new discourse of teacher professionalism: Ramsey, standards and accountability

Di Bloomfield, University of New England

The release of the policy document Quality Matters - Revitalising Teaching: Critical Times, Critical Choices (Ramsey 2000) in retrospect served to signal an escalating agenda to fashion new versions of the teacher and teacher education as well as a new discourse of professionalism. This discourse serves to link teacher professionalism with quality teaching and learning within mandated structures and processes of explicit accountability and standardisation. The establishment of the NSW Institute of Teachers and the development of its Framework of Professional Teaching Standards are serving to demand new versions of student teacher and teacher subjectivities as well as new pedagogical orientations and responses within teacher education. Drawing on a policy-as-discourse approach, a critical reading of the Ramsey Report provides the foundation for discerning the disciplinary effects of such changes in policy and practice. In constructing a binary between what is termed 'a quality profession' and 'a mass profession', a version of the (student) teacher as strongly individualistic yet standardised, entrepreneurial yet accountable and self-accounting has been created. Whilst teacher educators need to productively respond to this standards agenda, it can be argued that an imperative exists at this time to establish and maintain counter discursive and pedagogical spaces within teacher education.

Keywords: Education policy

BOO06088     PDF Paper
A comparison of trained and untrained science teachers' views about certain aspects of the nature of science

Hong Kwen Boo and Hoh Yin Kiong, Nanyang Technological University

This paper reports on results of a simple paper-pen questionnaire study involving certain key aspects of the nature of science. The questionnaire covers, among other things, aspects such as uniqueness of the scientific method, objectivity of scientific data, and immutability of scientific laws. The survey was given out to trainee teachers enrolled in the pre-service post graduate diploma in education (secondary) i.e. PGDE (S) programme while they were doing their curriculum studies at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Singapore. A similar questionnaire was given out to in-service teachers at the beginning of their in-service courses at the same institute. These trained teachers comprised two groups. One group was enrolled in a diploma in departmental management (DDM) course in secondary science. The other group comprised teachers enrolled in the part time Master in Education (Science Education Specialization) i.e., the MEd (Sc Ed) course. The views of these trained or in-service teachers were compared with those of the trainee teachers in this paper.

Keywords: Curriculum and specific curriculum areas - Sciences

BOU06655     PDF Paper
Relationships of PhD candidate, candidature and examination characteristics with thesis outcomes

Sid Bourke, Allyson Holbrook and Terence Lovat, University of Newcastle

This paper provides information relevant to the increasing interest in studies of PhD candidates, candidature and thesis examination in Australia in the past five years. The introduction of the research training scheme and more general funding pressures on universities has meant that myths and claims about relative success of higher degree research candidatures are increasingly likely to drive university and government policies, without the benefit of supporting evidence. The paper provides data in support or denial of various claims made.

The characteristics of 804 completed PhD candidates across eight universities included here are age on commencement, gender, whether a scholarship was held, whether a local or overseas candidate, and English proficiency. Candidature information includes discipline, entry qualification, nature of enrolment, number of supervisors, and two measures of enrolment time - total elapsed time and candidature time expressed in equivalent full-time semesters of enrolment. Examination information consists of the number and locations of examiners, time taken for the thesis examination process, and length of examiner reports. Thesis outcomes are assessed by examiner recommendations and the university's decision on the thesis. Relationships of candidate, candidature and examination characteristics with thesis outcomes are considered.

Keywords: Doctoral education research

BOW06172    ®     PDF Paper
Curriculum design in Vocational Education

Helen Bowers, Macquarie University

The future of competency-based training may well contain surprises and the results of strategic planning can only be faintly seen through future misty proposals. Knowledge of the learning approaches by students, the benefits of communities of practice in the classroom and the quality of competency-based curriculum in Vocational Education and Training is the epistemological key to applied learning. This has to be combined with an ontological focus to ensure that curriculum encourages teaching, knowing and learning and becomes part of who we are rather than just something a teacher must follow. Curriculum designers are urged to limit the content so students can be led to investigate, explore and draw inferences from their own research. However, it is important that curricula retain links with the real world while at the same time retaining flexibility that allows ideas to be expanded and explored in a scholarly way. The curriculum design also needs to accommodate varied learning styles while stimulating the learner to evoke interest in the content. The curriculum is an essential and important element in the educational environment and the supporting assessments act as a driving force in capturing the objectives of the educator. If well designed and developed, then vocational curriculum will provide the basis for good learning and teaching.

Keywords: Curriculum and specific curriculum areas - Technology Education

BOY06081    ®     PDF Paper
The role of face and perception of self in the Arabic maritime learner

Anthony Boyle, Australian Maritime College

This paper will report on a study conducted during 2006 at the Australian Maritime College (AMC) involving native Arabic speaking students. The initial phase of maritime training undertaken by these students is their first experience of tertiary education in their second language. It has been observed that difficulties have been experienced by some students in adapting to the English speaking maritime learning environment. These difficulties have sometimes resulted in the manifestation of negative behaviours including lack of engagement in the learning process, defiant behaviour, an unwillingness to socialise with class peers, poor academic performance, and non-participation in remedial student support programs. This study has been conceived in order to identify and better understand relevant cross cultural issues that may be underlying the negative behaviours observed to date. Data will be gathered using semi-structured interviews with student focus groups. A sample will be selected from current Arabic AMC students who have completed, or are currently enrolled in their first phase of maritime training. It is anticipated that the findings of this study will provide information on the role factors such as student identity and face, as well as the way in which they contribute to the observed behaviours in maritime training context.

Keywords: Post-compulsory education

BRA06135    ®     PDF Paper
Living by the clock: the tyranny of the secondary school timetable

Kathy Brady, Flinders University

This paper focuses on how the secondary school timetable impacts on the lives and work of a group of women teachers in secondary schools. It is based on interviews with six women secondary teachers of various ages, teaching career profiles and family circumstances, and begins with an explanation of why they chose to become secondary teachers. Their daily work is then investigated, highlighting in particular, the ways in which the secondary school timetable mediates their relationships with the students and other staff, and their careers. This theme is continued in the third section of the paper which describes how the secondary school timetable influences other aspects of these women's lives outside of their paid workplace. More broadly, the paper is underpinned by three notions: that teaching is work, secondary schools are work places and that some of the workers are women.

Keywords: Teachers' work

BRA06511    ®     PDF Paper
Physical self-concepts and gender differences in children, adolescents and young adults

Nicki Brake, Australian Catholic University

Objective: The purpose of this research was to examine physical self-concepts in children, adolescents and young adults and to observe gender differences between groups. Physical self-concepts included thoughts and feelings about the body, physical activity and appearance.

Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design with several groups, including children (N=84), adolescents (N=103) and young adults (N=68). Cognitive and affective self-evaluations were elicited through self-report questionnaire.

Results: There was little difference for children in the relationship of physical self-concepts with gender, with only movement self-concepts being slightly higher for boys. There were some differences in adolescent physical self-concepts in relation to gender, with boys yielding higher scores than girls in relation to body image and physical activity. There were only slight differences in physical self-concepts between the sexes for young adults enrolled in Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) degrees.

Conclusions: Overall there appeared to be a steady decline in physical self-concepts from childhood to adolescence, particularly for girls, and then an increase in physical self-concepts in young adulthood for those enrolled in PDHPE degrees. The outcomes of this research contribute to understanding how children, adolescents and young adults think and feel about their bodies, physical activity and appearance.

Keywords: Health and Physical Education

BRE06378     PDF Paper
Addressing the needs of at-risk students in middle years numeracy

Margarita Breed and Jo Virgona, RMIT University

Recent research has identified an 'eight-year' range in student mathematical achievement in any one year level in the middle years of schooling. In particular, it has identified the learning needs of at-risk students and the critical importance of finding ways to address those needs. This paper will share some of the findings from a recently completed teaching experiment with 9 'at-risk' Year 6 students conducted as part of the overall study over an 18 week period spanning terms 2 to 4, 2005 in two of the participating schools. Results indicate that the program was successful in improving at-risk students' ability to engage in tasks requiring multiplicative thinking. Shifts in students' understanding from inefficient additive approaches to more efficient multiplicative strategies and hurdles to student learning will be illustrated. The implications of adopting this program more broadly will be explored.

Keywords: Mathematics; Assessment and measurement

BRO06187    ®     PDF Paper
The public construction of values in education: A synthesis of case studies.

Raymond Brown, Annette Woods, Elizabeth Hirst and Debbie Heck, Griffith University

This paper identifies the approaches taken by a selection of schools in the South-East region of Queensland to values education as explicated in public texts freely available on school web sites. Documents such as Behaviour Management Policies and the School Prospectus are subjected to a multi-level analysis to determine how schools construct values education to the public and what approach/es to values education are being advocated. A suite of case-studies are presented that employ qualitative methodologies in the identification of how value-laden texts and curricula offerings are deployed by schools to endorse preferred identities. A synthesis of the findings of the cases studies presented provides evidence that schools employ the repertoires of language/practice used in public texts to develop cultural identities suitable for marketing themselves as being values rich in competitive times. Possible refinements to the methodologies used in the case studies are discussed in order to identify opportunities to develop a qualitative methodology for identifying school approaches to values education.

Keywords: Primary schooling; secondary schooling

BRO06198     PDF Paper
Queensland teachers' conceptions of teaching, learning, curriculum, & assessment : Comparisons with New Zealand Teachers

Gavin Brown, University of Auckland and Robert Lake, Lake Corporate Consulting

In 2003, Education Queensland conducted a survey of over 1500 primary and secondary teachers into their conceptions of teaching, learning, curriculum, and assessment. Four different inventories were used (Pratt's Teaching Perspectives Inventory, Entwistle, Tait, & Velda's Approaches to Learning, Cheung's Conceptions of Curriculum, and Brown's Conceptions of Assessment) and the fit of each inventory to the data was established with confirmatory factor analysis. The relationship of the conceptions to each other was determined using multi-battery factor analysis and validated with confirmatory factor analysis.

Initial analyses suggest that the teachers had four major conceptions: (a) surface learning is transmitted and accountability assessments measure it validly, (b) invalid assessment is ignored, (c) deep humanistic, nurturing learning is assessed for improvement, and (d) curriculum and teaching is about social change. Small but statistically significant differences were found between primary and secondary teachers. This paper will report these findings and compare them to similar data collected in 2001 in New Zealand and reported by Brown in 2003 at the AARE/NZARE conference in Auckland.

Keywords: Post-graduate research and supervision

BRO06369    ®     PDF Paper
Numeracy in a reform-based learning environment

Natalie Brown, Jane Watson, Kim Beswick and Noleine Fitzallen, University of Tasmania

Curriculum reform in Tasmanian schools centres around the implementation of an Essential Learnings framework. This framework has provided a catalyst for pedagogical change; for teachers to work collaboratively and in cross-curricular ways and; for assessment to be authentic and to support learning. The place of numeracy in this reform-based learning environment is the focus of a research project which commenced in 2005. A Professional Learning program for Middle years' teachers with a goal to improve student outcomes in numeracy has been co-constructed with participants and will be evaluated at several stages through the project. An important component of the project involves working with teachers as they continue to implement the Essential Learnings. This paper reports on the baseline data received via a teacher profile and discusses teachers' responses to questions on planning and implementing units of work in the area of numeracy.

Keywords: Curriculum and specific curriculum areas - Mathematics

BRO06609    ®     PDF Paper
Planning for flexible approaches

Natalie Brown, University of Tasmania

The changing demands on tertiary students together with increasing advancement in technology have provided the impetus for growth in tertiary units and courses which are available in flexible delivery mode. Although flexible is often synonymous with 'on-line', the adoption of the term at the University of Tasmania (UTas) is applied more broadly. Here, flexible teaching is about good teaching and learning practices for all students, which are necessarily learner-centred yet are less time and place dependent than more traditional forms of teaching. At UTas, there is encouragement for all teaching to adopt more flexible approaches however, this goes beyond simply adding to what is currently offered. Reviewing offerings to choose the most appropriate learning, teaching and assessment methods for subject and students is therefore necessary. This paper describes a planning model for designing units using flexible approach. Curriculum content, including skills and understandings are taken as a starting point from which appropriate delivery and assessment options can then be determined.

Keywords: Educational change and innovation

BRO06630    ®     PDF Paper
Singing for real: Using high stakes assessment strategies as authentic learning experiences in the development of vocalists at the tertiary level

Judith Brown, Central Queensland University

This paper considers the results of a preliminary investigation into the way that high stakes assessment strategies can be used as authentic learning experiences in the development and training of vocalists within a tertiary music environment. The paper begins by defining the nature of live performance and the way that high stakes assessment strategies emulate live performance experiences. They can therefore be used as authentic teaching and learning tools through both formative and summative assessment processes that can positively contribute to the development of the student vocalist as they strive to achieve their performance goals. Finally, the paper suggests areas for future research to optimise the performance outcomes of these authentic learning experiences in the context of the tertiary music environment.

Keywords: Motivation and Self-Concept

BRO06796     PDF Paper
Health and physical education as an essential learning in contemporary school education: Issues in curriculum making

Ross Brooker, University of Tasmania and Anne Clennett, Mount Erin College

Elsewhere (Brooker & Clennett, 2006a, b) it has been argued that Health and Physical Education as an area of school learning is being redefined in the context of contemporary school education where traditional learning areas are being expected to contribute to the development of more generic curriculum outcomes. Such expectations create new spaces and challenges for schools and teachers (and systems) with respect to curriculum design. Schools and teachers are required to think differently about how the curriculum is structured and the processes of curriculum making to support the implementation of the new curriculum. In these circumstances where teachers, curriculum leaders, and school administrators may have had little or no history of involvement in curriculum making, the challenges are significant. The purpose of this paper is to explore a number of key discourses that frame curriculum making for contemporary school education.

Keywords: Health and Physical Education

BRO06797     PDF Paper
Teaching physical education in contemporary Australian school education: Rethinking teachers curriculum and pedagogical work

Ross Brooker, University of Tasmania and Anne Clennett, Mount Erin College

Traditional approaches to teaching Physical Education (PE) in schools have been characterised by content structured around popular sports and recreational activities and teaching approaches that have focused on the development of prerequisite skills (techniques) and tactics and strategies. More recently in some school contexts, approaches such as Teaching Games for Understanding (Bunker & Thorpe, 1982) and Sport Education (Siedentop, 1994) have challenged traditional approaches to teaching PE. However, in contemporary school education in Australia, the role of PE has been redefined and expected to contribute to more generic outcomes for schooling (Brooker & Clennett, 2006a, b). The purpose of this paper is to explore the ways in which teachers' curriculum and pedagogical work is being redefined and to suggest how teachers might be better prepared to respond to teaching PE in new times and in new spaces.

Keywords: Health and Physical Education

BUR06132     PDF Paper
Using reflective practice to inform school based change and innovation

Ashley Burnett and Rick Baldock, Department of Education and Children's Services

'Be active - Let's go', is a South Australian Department of Education and Children's Services initiative developed to engage inactive children and young people in physical activity and, investigate the effects of physical activity on other aspects of learning engagement.

This presentation will report findings from the project investigating pedagogical change using reflective practice with educators in ten preschools, primary and secondary schools. The project known as the 'be active Innovation Sites Project', uses qualitative research methods with a case study approach. Teacher participants in the project are engaged in a reflective spiral process to initiate multidimensional change in their teaching pedagogies to support change that is sustainable beyond the life of the project. Semi-structured interviews, participant journals and researcher field notes are providing data for qualitative analysis throughout the project. A framework for professional learning has been developed to support teacher participants by using a cycle of generative conferences and site meetings. This paper will present a preliminary analysis of the project and emergent findings from the overall initiative informing the future development of professional learning for newly qualified teachers, specialist educators in secondary settings and educators across Districts in the field of physical activity.

Keywords: Educational change and innovation

BUR06182     PDF Paper
Does spiritual wellbeing have a place in public education?

Leigh Burrows, Department of Education and Children's Services

Increasingly, when we talk about 'learner well-being' in education circles the dimension of spiritual well-being is included along with the physical, cognitive, emotional and social dimensions (DECS, 2005). While many policy makers and educators appear to wish to retain the of spiritual well-being, there is by no means universal agreement as to what it is what it means for education.

The need for an inquiry into spiritual well-being emerged as a result of feedback to the DECS Well-being is Central to Learning Working Paper circulated in 2005. A number of respondents asked for clarification on what was meant by the term and what implications its inclusion might have in the future for educators.

This led the Steering Committee to commission a discussion paper that could help to facilitate a deeper consideration of the issues and implications of the inclusion of spiritual well-being in the overall Wellbeing Framework. The purpose of the discussion paper was to encourage readers to contribute to an inquiry into the dimension of spiritual wellbeing in relation to education. Feedback was sought at site, district and central levels, via surveys, focus groups and workshops.

The richness and diversity of responses highlighted the complexity and sensitivity of the topic under inquiry. This paper outlines the issues in the literature on spirituality and spiritual wellbeing in relation to education, including indigenous understandings, and reports on the outcomes of the inquiry project conducted in 2006.

Keywords: Educational change and innovation

C

CAM06102    ®     PDF Paper
Theorising Habits of Mind as a framework for learning

John Campbell, Central Queensland University

In recent years, learning and the attributes of successful learners have re-emerged as key issues in educational research. Although a capacity to learn has been identified as an individual's key to future success, 21st century learners represent particular challenges to teachers and schools who strive to remain relevant to new kinds of learners in a constantly changing world. In this context, Habits of Mind has emerged as a framework of attributes that, proponents (Marzano, 1992; Costa & Kallick, 2000) claim, comprise the myriad of intelligent thinking behaviours characteristic of peak performers, and are the indicators for academic, vocational and relational success. The issue for this paper is that, despite its importance for understanding how successful learners learn, HOM are presented as an a-theoretical body of knowledge, underpinned by little more than 'intuitive common-sense' and experts' testimonials. In this paper, the theoretical underpinnings for HOM are explored and linked with existing learning theories.

Keywords: Learning and teaching

CAM06468     PDF Paper
The National Partnership Project in England: Dilemmas and difficulties in commissioned evaluation research

Anne Campbell, Liverpool Hope University, Olwen McNamara and Sarah Lewis, Manchester University, John Furlong, Oxford University, and John Howson, Education Data Surveys

The Teacher Training Agency (TTA) was established in 1994 as a non-departmental public body, accountable to the government for the recruitment of teachers and the funding and administration of teacher training. Since then there has been a period of radical change when almost every aspect of teacher education in England has been transformed and brought under the direct control of the TTA.

The TTA launched the National Partnership Project (NPP) in October 2001. The project was designed to support the development of school partnerships and increase their effectiveness in the delivery of ITT. The evaluation, conducted by the authors, commenced in March 2004 and aimed to:

• evaluate the impact of the NPP against its objectives:
• involve stakeholders in developmental ways in the project's evaluation;
• work within an ethical and professional code of practice that recognised the importance of equality of opportunity.

Currently, most large-scale government programmes in the UK are subject to evaluation research, though the results of some are more visible and influential than others. The programmes and evaluations themselves are also subject to political influences and this was evident in the case of the NPP. This paper will discuss some of the dilemmas and difficulties encountered in commissioned evaluation research.

Keywords: Pre-service teacher education

CAO06288     PDF Paper
Student attrition at a new generation university in Australia

Zhongjun Cao and Roger Gabb, Victoria University

The issue of student attrition has become a focus in Australian higher educational institutions for a number of reasons: firstly, the costs of attrition for tertiary institutions themselves, including student recruitment costs, tuition income, financial aid, and staff are considerable, secondly, the attrition rates are used as a performance indicator by the Department of Education, Science, and Training (DEST) for the allocation of the Teaching and Learning Fund in higher education.

A higher education institution needs to have a better understanding of its own issues in student attrition in order to address them effectively. This paper will report the findings from a recent project exploring student attrition at Victoria University, a New Generation University in Australia. The focus of the project is on the patterns of attrition of bachelors students at Victoria University. Attrition rates of students from different year levels, disciplines, and socio cultural backgrounds will be presented. The reasons for withdrawal indicated by students will be explored. The findings in this project will not only provide insight on student attrition in Victoria University, but will also help other universities to better understand the attrition issues.

Keywords: Post-compulsory education

CAR06476     PDF Paper
Engaging Queensland students and teachers in school review and development using The Index for Inclusion

Suzanne Carrington, Queensland University of Technology

This presentation will give examples of processes initially established by The Staff College, Inclusive Education to facilitate reinvigoration of school communities from within, to achieve enhanced outcomes for students and teachers. As the Queensland State Education 2010 reform agenda unfolds, schools are challenged to review their organisational structures, their approach to curriculum and their pedagogical practices to ensure that all students are truly included in the school community. The processes developed from The Index for Inclusion (Booth, Ainscow, Black-Hawkins, Vaughn & Shaw 2002) stimulate a culture where teachers and students can work together as citizens for a life of learning and development. The processes develop more inclusive ways of working, critical thinking, independent and group judgement and action. They encourage participants to question personal assumptions that structure views about schools, teachers, students, teaching and learning; and the interconnectedness between individuals, education and society. This research is innovative in that it brings the principles of democracy and citizenship to life through the use of innovative tools. This presentation will illustrate how and why the Index for Inclusion has become a significant and effective tool to develop school community and how it has become used in the school review process.

Keywords: Inclusive and Special Education

CAR06575    ®     PDF Paper
Cognitive tools of ClassSim: Building connections between theory and practice

Lisa Carrington, Brian Ferry and Lisa Kervin, University of Wollongong

This paper reports on the incorporation of an embedded tool within a virtual classroom environment (ClassSim) and the use of this by pre-service teachers as they engage with the software. The classroom simulation reported on in this research was developed to provide pre-service teachers with a safe virtual environment in which they are able to explore 'authentic' and practical classroom scenarios. The embedded tool, referred to as the 'Thinking Space', was developed to support pre-service teachers in capturing their reflections about the complex role of a teacher as they move through the experience. Encouraging reflection has long been acknowledged as an important strategy in the development of new understandings. Our trials of the software have shown that pre-service teachers have used the tool to reflect upon issues within the classroom, articulating their rationale at decision points and to identify underlying influences that affect their use of the classroom simulation (ClassSim) and their understandings of the role of a teacher. Our findings also reveal that the 'Thinking Space' provides a framework in which pre-service teachers are able to build connections between the theory of their pre-service training and practical experiences.

Keywords: Information communication technology; Pre-service teacher education.

CAV06798    ®     PDF Paper
The effect of classroom learning environment on information and communication technology learning: Rasch model instrumentation and structural equation modelling

Robert Cavanagh and Joseph Romanoski, Curtin University of Technology

Link linked data from statements in the classroom learning environment and information and communications technology (ICT) learning were collected using to Rasch model instruments. Structural equation modelling was applied to test for dependency between learning environment and ICT learning variables. The paper reports on the fit of data to the Rasch Rating scale Model and also on fit to a structural model developed by latent variable path analysis (LISEL). Findings showed ICT learning variables were dependent on classroom learning environment variables.

Keywords: Assessment and measurement

CAV06799    ®     PDF Paper
Development of a model of school principal behaviours: Rasch Model and structural equation model analyses of teacher observations

Robert Cavanagh and Joseph Romanoski, Curtin University of Technology

A linear scale eliciting teacher ratings of their principal's leadership behaviour was administered to 389 teachers in 48 primary and seven high schools in the Canning Education District of Western Australia. Eleven variables were measured. Data were first analysed using the Rasch Rating Scale Model to ensure the scale complied with the requirements for objective measurement. This analysis also produced item difficulty locations which were interpreted as evidence of common and uncommon principal behaviours as observed by teachers. Next, latent variable path analysis using LISREL structural equation modelling was applied to test for dependencies between the eleven variables. This process led to confirmation of a structural model comprising higher order and lower order principal leadership variables.

Keywords: Educational leadership

CAV06800    ®     PDF Paper
Structural equation modeling of associations between classroom learning environment and parental involvement variables using linked data from Rasch Model instruments

Robert Cavanagh and Joseph Romanoski, Curtin University of Technology

Data were collected from parents about their involvement in their child's education and from their children about the classroom learning environment using two Rasch Model instruments. Associations between parental involvement variables and classroom learning environment variables were tested by structural equation modelling. The paper reports on the psychometric properties of the data (fit of data to the Rasch Rating Scale Model) and on the paths in a structural model developed through latent variable path analysis (LISREL). Findings indicate dependency of child's perceptions of the learning environment on parent views of their child as a student and on their view of teacher(s) and the school.

Keywords: Assessment and measurement

CHA06057     PDF Paper
Revisiting the trichotomous achievement goal framework for Hong Kong Secondary Students: A structural modeling analysis

Kwok-wai Chan, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

Recent studies in the late 1990s have led researchers argued that performance goals can be split up into performance- approach and performance-avoidance goals and that performance goals are not totally maladaptive in learning. Research of the trichotonomous goals framework by Elliot, McGregor and Gable (1999) found that mastery goals are positive predictors of deep processing, performance - approach goals are positive predictors of surface processing and exam performance, and performance-avoidance goals are positive predictors of surface processing and negative predictors of deep performance and exam performance. The present study examined a structural model outlining the relationship of the three achievement goals, learning strategies and achievement of Hong Kong secondary students. The model was confirmed by LISREL with satisfactory goodness of fit index. The results showed that mastery goals were significantly and positively related to deep learning strategy but negatively related to surface strategy. Both performance- approach and avoidance goals were significantly related to surface strategy. Both mastery goals and performance - approach goals were significantly and positively related to academic achievement but performance-avoidance goals were significantly and negatively related to achievement.

Keywords: Learning and teaching

CHA06495     PDF Paper
College faculty's perceptions of their teaching efficacy

Te-Sheng Chang, National Hualien University of Education, and Mei-Mei Song, Tamkang University

This study was to investigate faculty perceptions of teaching efficacy and their relation to faculty characteristics. The sample included 433 faculty members from 15 universities in Taiwan. The instrument, Faculty Perceptions of Teaching Efficacy Scale, consisted of five dimensions: Content Material, Teaching Method, Learning Assessment, Classroom Management, and Information Technology. The result indicated that faculty in this sample felt efficacious, from the greatest to the least, in the following areas: Content Material, Classroom Management, Information Technology, Learning Assessment, and Teaching Method. No statistical significances were found between male and female faculty members in their perceptions of teaching efficacy for each of the five constructs. The type of institutions (private vs. public) also had little impact on the faculty's perceptions. However, faculty with less than five years of teaching experience showed lower perception of teaching efficacy in Content material than did other faculty. Faculty teaching courses matching their speciatity felt more confident in all five teaching efficacy constructs than did faculty teaching unfit courses. In the area of Content Material, full professors showed a higher level of efficcy perception than did lecturers. Teacher educators felt less confident than faculty at research-oriented 4-year public institutions in both Content Material and Information Technology.

Keywords: Learning and teaching

CHO06049   ®     PDF Paper
The effects of stimulus control on the performance levels of children with intellectual disabilities

Renée Chong, Monash University

The present study examines the effects stimulus control on the eye contact of learners with intellectual disabilities. The three participants with severe intellectual disabilities were aged between six and eleven years old. A within-subjects repeated measures design or issues, and this design consisted up to five phases. The first two phases, for each participant were a baseline and an immediate prompt phase. Depending on the data, the subsequent phases of delayed prompts were introduced before the reintroduction of the baseline phase. This final return to baseline was designed to assess whether the components of the treatment phases were exerting stimulus control over attending all aware that the participant had simply become "better" at paying attention, regardless the stimulus. The results of this study, provide the evidence that stimulus control can improve the eye contact of the subject.

keywords: inclusive and special education

CHO06106     PDF Paper
Assessing Taiwanese students' English ability: Semantic competence versus pragmatic competence

Tungshan Chou, National Hualien University of Education, Hiewu Su, National Donhwa University, and Gordon Woodbine, Curtin University of Technology

The problem of current English assessment in Taiwanese classroom settings was visited. A recommendation to assess English ability in the notion of semantic and pragmatic competence was made. An instrument was constructed in line with our recommendation and administered to 341 middle school and college students. We hypothesized that in terms of item percent correct, items measuring both semantic and pragmatic competence will become easier as students progress from middle school to college; whereas in terms of item discrimination, semantic items are more discriminating than pragmatic items in the current context. Empirical analyses confirmed our hypothesis and the implication discussed.

Keywords: Assessment and measurement

CHO06178    ®     PDF Paper
Multidimensions of perfectionism and self-concept in school aged children

Grace Choy and Valentina McInerney, University of Western Sydney

Perfectionism is a personality construct that involves striving for flawlessness and setting high standards. Self-concept is an individual's self-perceptions of personal attributes and competence. This study investigated the relationship between the multidimensions of perfectionism and self-concept in Australian students. Over 300 children in grades 4 to 6 completed the Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS, Flett & Hewitt, 1990), the Adaptive/Maladaptive Perfectionism Scale (AMPS, Rice & Preusser, 2002) and Self Description Questionnaire I (SDQ-I, Marsh, 1990). CAPS focused on the sources of perfectionism (i.e., self-oriented perfectionism and socially-prescribed perfectionism). AMPS focused on perfectionistic behavioral tendencies such as sensitivity to mistakes and compulsiveness (i.e., preference for order and persistence). SDQ-I examined academic self-concept, non-academic self-concept and general self-worth. It had been suggested that self-oriented perfectionism and compulsiveness were adaptive, whereas socially-prescribed perfectionism and sensitivity to mistakes were maladaptive. Unlike adult studies, the present results indicated that all perfectionism dimensions were positively correlated with most self-concept domains in school-aged children. Self-oriented perfectionism was significantly associated with academic self-concept. Compulsiveness was significantly associated with both academic and non-academic self-concept. Socially-prescribed perfectionism and sensitivity to mistakes were not significantly associated with general self-worth. Implications of these findings are discussed within the education context.

Keywords: Motivation and Self-Concept

CLA06513     PDF Paper
Assessing the impact of cultures and structures on organisational capability

Berwyn Clayton, Canberra Institute of Technology

Schein (1992) suggests that organisational culture is even more today than it has previously been before. Globalisation, increased competition and technological change have created a greater need for innovation, coordination and integration across organisations in order to improve efficiency and meet the expectations of increasingly more sophisticated clients. It is suggested that the key is to identify and effectively manage the varying cultures that exist within organisations, to develop synergies between them and, where possible, prevent them from conflicting with each other. At the same time, traditional organisational structures are being tested by demands for greater adaptability and flexibility and mechanistic organisational structures are making way for more organic structural approaches.

This paper presents the findings of research into Australian vocational education and training providers and the impact that cultures and structures have on their organisational capability. The study is a component of the DEST funded consortium research program Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future.

Keywords: Vocational Education and Training

CLE06566    ®     PDF Paper
Engaging pedagogies and facilitating pedagogues: Communities of practice among novice online tutors and secondary vocational teachers at the forefront of systemic tensions and change

Kaye Cleary and Patrick Danaher, University of Southern Queensland, and Roberta Harreveld, Central Queensland University

Much contemporary teachers' work is located at the interface of complex systems of policy and provision. That interface is increasingly the site of broader discursive tensions as change is enacted, with profound implications for individual classes and courses.

If pedagogies are to be engaging in such a context, teachers need to be simultaneously facilitators and facilitated. Yet often those teachers are at both the forefront and the frontline of educational change, without sufficient ammunition in their armoury as they battle to enhance students' learning outcomes and find meaning in their work.

The paper illustrates this argument by reference to two cases of engaging pedagogies and facilitating pedagogues: graduate research students working as novice online tutors in a Masters management program; and experienced secondary teachers implementing new vocational education subjects for senior secondary students in schools in a Queensland regional community.

Deploying the concept of communities of practice (Wenger, 2000; Yamagata-Lynch, 2000), the paper traces some of the professional and personal challenges experienced by both groups of educators, as well as their respective strategies for making the pedagogies engaging for their students. They gain from these communities the support that is often absent from the systems that employ them.

Keywords: Teachers' work

COL06784    ®     PDF Paper
Ethical inquiry as central to the Society & Environment learning area

Carol Collins and Sue Knight, University of South Australia

The argument of this paper forms part of an ongoing project, The Cultivating Reason Giving Project, grounded in both philosophy and cognitive psychology. The project's aim is the development of a program for fostering logically cogent and ethically grounded thinking. Part of this project involves work within the Society & Environment curriculum area. It seems clear that the fundamental goal of Society & Environment is one of helping students to develop the abilities and disposition to participate fully as citizens in a just democratic society. We argue that making significant progress towards this worthy goal depends crucially on engaging students of all ages in the processes of ethical inquiry; in asking questions such as 'Is the off-shore processing of asylum seekers morally right?' and 'Should we allow tourism to expand in Antarctica?' These ethical questions cannot be resolved solely by empirical investigation. Yet, on the whole, teachers are neither prepared nor equipped to go beyond resource-based learning, to raise or tackle such questions with their students. In order to meet the fundamentally important goal of Society & Environment then, the current curriculum focus must shift from empirical investigation to ethical inquiry. This paper outlines a way forward.

Keywords: SOSE and citizenship education

COL06785    ®     PDF Paper
The role of ethical inquiry in educating for a just democracy: An intervention study

Carol Collins, University of South Australia

This paper describes the implementation of a project designed to assess the effectiveness of a Community of Inquiry approach in developing the skills, capacities and dispositions requisite for engaging in the processes of ethical justification. The intervention study used a matched-group design and involved approximately 250 South Australian upper primary level students from a diverse range of social and educational backgrounds. The intervention class groups participated in a 22 week program in which the researcher facilitated weekly dialogue-based ethical inquiry sessions as part of the students' Society and Environment curriculum. The impact of the intervention was assessed using both qualitative and quantitative measures. Findings indicate that the educational program is both functional, that is, worked well within the constraints of prevailing educational structures, and effective in developing students' abilities and readiness to engage in the processes of ethical justification.

Keywords: SOSE and citizenship education

COR06432    ®     PDF Paper
Australian VET policy and the role of business and industry

Ian Cornford, University of Technology, Sydney

Vocational education needs to be closely linked to the requirements of business and industry both in terms of policy and educational practice. However, over the past fifteen years the wants of business have come to dominate VET policy to the exclusion of any other stakeholder interests. This has led to seriously inadequate policies in the VET area that are responsible for the current skills crisis. It is more than two years since two major reports concluded the VET policies in Australia are not working yet to date there has been little indication of substantial shifts in government thinking and policy to create a more effective VET system. This paper looks at the need to reposition other stakeholders in the policy equation and reduce the influence of business and industry to some degree to produce a VET system more closely aligned to the needs of Australian society. It is argued that focus upon quality rather than quantity needs to be a central consideration in any new policy realignment.

Keywords: Education policy

COR06433    ®     PDF Paper
Making generic skills more than a mantra in Vocational Education policy

Ian Cornford, University of Technology, Sydney

The need to retrain workers when there are changes in technology is seemingly circumvented by the teaching of generic skills in VET. Generic skills have moved on and off the Australian VET policy agenda since the early 1990s and in the form of the Mayer Key Competencies they have been given much attention from time to time. However there is little evidence that policy makers have any real understanding of what generic skills involve and their link to transfer of learning. Recently there has been a move to focus upon another set of generic skills, employability skills, with this seeming to be an acknowledgement of the failure of the Mayer Key Competencies in policy terms. This paper looks at what needs to be done to ensure the effective teaching and transfer of generic skills and to move beyond mere policy rhetoric. Employers have key roles to play and in this there may lie an opportunity for establishing an appropriate, practical relationships between on- and off-site workplace education.

Keywords: Education policy

COR06437     PDF Paper
(Re)conceptualising middle years pedagogy

Phillip Cormack and Sam Sellar, University of South Australia

Much has been made recently of the importance of reinvigorating the middle years of school as a way of addressing ongoing problems in Australian education such as adolescent disaffection from schooling and differential outcomes from schooling between different socio-cultural groups. A number of reform projects-notably the productive pedagogies project (Hayes et al., 2006; Luke et al., 2002)-have sought to turn policy attention to pedagogy. The Beyond the Middle study (Luke et al., 2002, p.12) recommends that, 'there is a need to focus systemic activities on renewing mainstream pedagogy in middle years schooling', citing a need to build 'quality and diversity' in middle school teaching. However, we have found that teachers in disadvantaged middle schools we are working with experience difficulty engaging with the pedagogical foci of these reports and in this paper we explore the reasons why tackling issues of pedagogical reform in these terms can be problematic. We propose a supplementary framework for working with teachers on pedagogy, drawing on historical models and the work of Garth Boomer. This framework gives as much attention to what teachers must do with students-the pedagogical practices teachers employ-as it does to the kinds of learning outcomes being sought.

Keywords: School renewal and pedagogic improvement

CRA06025    ®      PDF Paper
Doom and gloom or a time for optimism: Potential aspirants' views about school leadership - now and for the future

Neil Cranston, University of Queensland

Principal recruitment has attracted national and international attention in recent years (eg. Barty et al, 2005 in Australia; Earley et al, 2002 in the UK; Brooking et al, 2003 in New Zealand; Williams, 2003 in Canada). Importantly, Australian research in both state and non-state schools suggests that potential principal aspirants are less enthusiastic than might be expected in their desire to become principals (D'Arbon et al, 2002; Cranston et al, 2004; Lacey, 2002).

Given the importance of ensuring we have quality leaders for our schools in the future, the research reported here (which is on-going and involving follow-up interviews) examined the views of potential aspirants (primary and secondary deputies) from one large government education system in Australia about the principalship and their intentions in seeking promotion (or otherwise) to such positions and the reasons driving these intentions. Data were collected via the Aspirant Principal Questionnaire (APQ) - especially developed for the study - comprising 38 closed items mainly of a Likert type format, 5 open-ended items linked to particular closed items allowing participants to add their own suggestions/ideas, expand/elaborate on responses; and 4 further more general open-ended items.

A number of system-level policy and practice recommendations have been developed from the findings.

Keywords: Educational leadership

CRO06043    ®     PDF Paper
Developing teaching as a profession and the professional development of teachers: discourses, demographics and life long learning

Brian Crossman, South Australian Institute of Business and Technology

Ironically, in an era of life long learning a number of countries face a teacher shortage, recruiting and retaining staff in a profession that is not seen as particularly attractive. At times teachers have been the recipients of the 'discourses of derisiF06674on' and 'teacher bashing' by governments and the media, however the argument presented here is that discourse of educators themselves has also done little to help teachers' status. Expanding upon the notion that higher education postgraduate programs can position teachers as 'novice academics' this multimedia article goes further to suggest that a significant portion of educational discourse unwittingly situates teachers simply as novices. To support this, video data from the keynote addresses of two conferences is examined followed by an examination of a teacher-educator text on professional development. It suggests caution and a re-examination of the discourses of education and professional development is needed in order to develop teaching as a profession.

Keywords: Teachers' work

CRO06597     PDF Paper
Identity and language teacher education: The potential for sociocultural perspectives in researching language teacher identity

Russell Cross, Monash University

The knowledge base upon which language teacher education relies has tended to confine studies of identity to language learners and learning (e.g., Ricento, 2005; Norton & Toohey, 2002), rather than to studies of language teachers or teaching. Thus, although I concur with Varghese, Morgan, Johnston, and Johnson's (2005) call for further research on language teacher identity, and their assertion that it take into account both "poststructural and postmodern sensitivities to discourse and agency that the theory of the image-text provides [as well as] the nuanced conception of learning in social settings that community of practice theory offers" (p. 40), this paper problematises the "identity-in-discourse" and "identity-in-practice" (p. 39) dichotomy they offer for theorising language teacher identity. Instead, I consider the potential of a framework for understanding language teacher identity that draws on Vygotskian sociocultural and activity theory (Vygotsky, 1978; 1987; Leontiev, 1981; Engeström, 1987), in the notion of "identity-in-activity".

Keywords: Languages education

CUR06195     PDF Paper
Post-compulsory VET sector participation: Who benefits?

David Curtis, Australian Council for Educational Research

Using data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) the labour market status, hours worked and income earned by young people (to age 24) who had participated in VET sector programs have been examined. VET programs considered are apprenticeships, traineeships and TAFE courses. VET sector participants are compared with school leavers who enter the workforce directly. The outcomes for young people who either completed or did not complete their VET programs are compared. Young men benefit most from apprenticeship programs and young women from traineeships. Young men benefit substantially more from apprenticeship programs than do any other combinations of gender and course type. There is a net benefit to program completion, but it is not uniformly distributed. Possible implications for career advisors and for policy makers are discussed.

Keywords: Education policy: Vocational Education and Training

D

DAN06682     PDF Paper
Learning and teaching

Jeannie Daniels, University of South Australia

This paper is developed from a study of women's experiences as mature learners in Vocational Education and Training (VET). Most recent research into student expectations of VET is measured in terms that dictate a particular kind of response: terms such as measurable outcomes, competencies and of course, employment. Whilst these terms are integral to VET's commitment to the labour market, they do not encourage a broader perspective from which to explore the complex issues surrounding VET practice and purpose.

What if we were to ask VET students to tell us, in their own words, what their VET learning experience means to them? What would they talk about? How would they describe their learning? What values and meanings would students attribute to the experience of vocational learning in their own 'VET stories'?

My PhD research seeks answers to these questions, and uses a story-telling approach to collect and present data from a group of mature women students in an Adelaide VET Course. These women's stories about their learning tell of pedagogical practices and outcomes that are more complex than current VET discourse would suggest, and offer possibilities of different starting points from which to investigate the role and purpose of VET.

Keywords: Vocational Education and Training

DAR06284    ®     PDF Paper
Journeys through a research landscape: Lessons in doing multi-partner research

Tony d'Arbon and Jack Frawley, Australian Catholic University and Lyn Fasoli Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education

Linking Worlds is a three year project funded by the Australian Research Council and awarded in 2005. The project brings together the concerns for enhancing Indigenous educational leadership and the research interests of Australian Catholic University, and Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, as research partners, and the collaborating organisations of the Australian Principals' Associations Professional Development Council, Catholic Education Darwin, and the Northern Territory Department of Employment and Education and Training.

Through the stories of project participants, this paper documents and describes the complexity of doing multi-partner research. Added to this complexity in Linking Worlds is the difficulty of working with partners over vast geographical distances. These stories deal with the new problems, new roles and new strategies that emerged from the research landscape and as such address the issues of project governance, management and administration. What emerges from these stories is the imperative for multi-partner research to be based on openness and flexibility, especially in relation to issues of power and control. The stories in this presentation will provide some suggestions in addressing the challenge of organising for creativity and flexibility in multi-partner research.

Keywords: Educational leadership

DEC06140     PDF Paper
Changing transitions from early childhood to school. Perceptions of German children, parents, and teachers

Heike Deckert-Peaceman, PSdagogische Hochschule Ludwigsburg

There is an ongoing and increasing debate worldwide over the best time to start formal education and on how to deal with the transition from a play-based learning to the foundation stage of a formal curriculum. Crucial aspects being discussed are: readiness for school, curriculum concepts, institutional differences between early childhood education and school, and the cultural understanding of what it means to be a child. Modern societies vary in their answers to these questions. Known for its late start of formal schooling with little pre-primary academic training, Germany lately faces a paradigmatic transformation. A demand for improved academic school entry preparation has been called for, often in the form of training certain skills. Currently, daily practices in early childhood education as well as within family settings are in the process of changing and show a wide, sometimes contradictory conceptual spectrum.

The paper presents a study of such practices and discusses first results as well as methodological questions, in comparison with equivalent research projects in Australia. It highlights the perspectives of children, viewed as co-constructors of their school career, and draws upon participatory observation, children's conversations, photographs, and film.

Keywords: Early childhood education

DEH06045     PDF Paper
Problems in teaching non-Roman script to English speakers

Yavar Dehghani, Australian Defence Forces School of Languages

Reading and Writing are the two macro-skills in learning a language. The student should be able to put the concepts into words and sentences and paragraphs in order to write, and he should be able to analyze the written text into concepts. And moreover, a good writer and reader should consider the appropriate genre, register, mode, theme, rheme, cohesion and so many other features of a good written text. Considering these features, writing and reading even in the native language are delicate tasks. These tasks become more delicate when the writer wants to write and read in the second language where he should translate his mind (concepts) into the second language words and sentences and vice versa. This becomes even more complicated when the student wants to write and read in a script, which is different from his own. This paper tries to discuss this problem and present Persian script as an example of a non-roman script and make suggestions for teaching the script.