Newsletter of the Australian Association for Research in Education

President's Report

I am writing the President's Report just prior to the Ryan by-election. I live in the electorate but not in one of the palatial homes imagined as standard by Kim Beasley in a recent radio interview. I drive a 1987 Falcon. Good condition, new tyres (offers accepted). One of my neighbours is a retired single grandmother who drives a Hyundai Excel, and the other neighbour is a policeman (4-wheel drive, bull-bar) with a young family - I am on very good terms with him (just in case). By the time you read this we will know whether the opinion polls were correct in predicting that the Liberal blue-ribbon seat will be won by Labor.

Lobbying/Engagement with Policy-makers

The Ryan campaign has demonstrated that policy backflips and rethinks are very likely in the lead-up to the federal election later in the year. This provides an opportunity for organisations such as AARE to lobby both the Labor opposition and the Coalition regarding the importance of funding for education research and for public support of universities. While both parties are committed to increased funding for the "knowledge nation", it remains unclear in what ways and to what extent this is likely to benefit the education research community. For example, the recent "Innovations" statement from the Government, and the changes to the processes and funding of the ARC, appear to provide new funding opportunities for education researchers - particularly those with interests in science, technology and innovation, or perhaps those with close to ties to "industry". Suddenly we all have these interests - hmm. Clearly, we need to consider ways to engage policy makers in discussion about the particular interests of the education research community.

Jenny Gore, Jill Blackmore, Shaun Rawolle and I have been working on a proposal for a research directors/postgraduate coordinators forum mid-year as one concrete step we could take to place AARE at the centre of these emerging issues. Of particular importance at this proposed meeting, will be the effects on Education Faculties of the government's reallocation of research higher degree student places, and the increased importance of completion rates for maintaining such places. We know that research students are crucial for the research culture and research productivity of faculties so it is vital for us to monitor and respond to these government initiatives. Given that education research students are often full-time professionals with other responsibilities as well, the changes to funding regimes may impact the education research community negatively.

The Executive has also decided to initiate a process of data gathering so that we can monitor the way funds are distributed to researchers through federal and state agencies. We are also planning a number of forums at the annual conference where the politics of education research funding can be discussed with politicians, other policy makers and managers.

I will be working with Jill Blackmore and Bob Lingard and other executive members on this lobbying task throughout the year. "Lobbying" may be a limited framework within which to conceptualise and plan this process of attempting to influence education policies and funding priorities. "Lobbying" implies a limited and uniform common group-interest, and positions the lobbyist on the outside of the process. In fact, some AARE members have been policy insiders at times and many of us are engaged as consultants and advisors to government and private institutions. This complicates our relationships to each other and suggests a more complex process of engagement in working within as well as against particular policy formulations and plans. So - some dilemmas here. We would like to hear from you if you have ideas and strategies for effective lobbying/engagement.

Survey of Members

You will notice [I hope!] a survey of members that has been distributed with this News. We decided at the recent Executive meeting to conduct the survey for two main reasons. First it provides a means for members to let us know what the Association is doing well and what areas of service and activity we need to improve (we are heavily into self- regulation and self-assessment). Second, it is a subtle form of advertising and promotion. Without trying to prejudice your responses to the survey (hmm), as we compiled the questions we were struck by the number and variety of services and activities that the Association now provides. But we do need your feedback, so please take a few minutes to fill in the survey and return it so we can "improve our game".

Executive Diversity

I think it is important to highlight the diversity of research interests of Executive members. We mirror to a large extent the variety of research interests and scholarly/disciplinary backgrounds of the membership, and we are keen to maintain an inclusive and participatory culture within the Executive and the Association. The point I am making here is illustrated by noting the diverse interests of the four new Executive members who were elected recently. Jenny Gore, as Professor of Teacher Education at Newcastle University brings a valuable perspective on pre-service teacher education, and professional development. Professor Jane Kenway is a senior member of a research group at the University of South Australia that is examining current education policies and programs within a social justice framework. Dr Jennifer Sumsion is from the Early Childhood Institute at Macquarie University and brings a particular research interest in early childhood policies and educational programs. The early childhood research community is a large group of researchers, and hopefully AARE will be seen as increasingly relevant to this research community. Finally Shaun Rawolle, a doctoral student from UQ, is researching recent policy initiatives regarding science funding and science education, and will be representing the interests of postgraduate student members. It is worth noting also that the Executive has representation from every mainland State (sorry Tas.).

APERA

There are a number of other important issues we are following up this year including the implications of the meeting in Japan in October last year (see the final News No.33, 2000) regarding the establishment of the Asia Pacific Education Research Association. We are the examining the immediate and longer term implications for AARE playing a leadership role in promoting this association.

Annual Conference

On a related matter, we are delighted that ERA Singapore will be participating in the Perth conference later in the year. Rather than an official joint endeavour (similar to the 1996 conference we held in Singapore) it will be organised by AARE with a sizeable delegation from Singapore joining in the conference program and activities. I would also like to thank Rod Chadbourne from Edith Cowan University for stepping in to convene the conference after Clive Dimmock had to withdraw (Clive accepted a position back in the UK - congratulations Clive).

Research Training

Under the leadership of Jenny Gore (Research Training Coordinator), we are also reassessing our approach to research training. Our evolving model has included a variety of activities including conference workshops, travelling experts, regional seminars, and international scholars sponsored by AARE. We are examining which aspects of this model are still relevant, and how new approaches might be initiated.

To conclude -

The Association, I believe, is in good shape. Financially, we are in a sound position; membership remains high; postgraduate student numbers are growing; the journal (AER) has attained a high standard; the administration of the affairs of the Association through Ruth Jeffery (AARE Office Services) is efficient and meticulous (thanks Ruth); our web site is lauded as exemplary in providing a wealth of research articles and information; the annual conference remains well-attended; and while the Executive is not exactly young (Shaun apart) it remains energetic and enthusiastic. You may or may not agree with this summation - so why not immediately fill in the survey. Looking forward to seeing you in Perth.

Cheers.
Peter Renshaw

AARE Members Research Papers accessed via AARE web site

The latest statistics on usage of AARE web site suggest about 16,000 meaningful visits from around the world every month. Meaningful visits are people who do more than just "hit" the site such as download files. AARE Conference 2000 - Sydney papers that were handed in on disk to AARE Office at the conference have been on the web site from mid January 2001. To see detailed statistics go to AARE web site and through the Index to the statistics section. If you want to fully understand the returned information, follow the link to the Webalizer site and read the definitions of terms.

AARE Brochure Available

If you are running any sort of meeting for colleagues, you are invited to ask for a bundle of AARE brochures to put on a table or hand out. The Association gains strength and economies of scale the more members we have. Please extol the virtues of membership at every opportunity.

How new AARE NEWS works

AARE Executive approved a new style NEWS which will cut costs but provide members with a more frequent supply of information about AARE and educational research. The new format as you can see gives brief headlines plus one-liners and a URL for the full document which is located on the AARE web site in its subject matter classification. Also given in each short entry is the name and email address of the person responsible for the matter. If you opt to receive the NEWS by email the URLs and email addresses will be hypertext links to the document or the person. Every second AARE NEWS will be a mixture of 'full reports" and brief notices leading to full documents on the web. If you opt to receive AARE NEWS by email as well as paper, you will have clickable links to the files on the web.

Publications Received and available on request.

AARE Office receives publications from various places. We forward books to the Editor of the AER to arrange a review. We list items received and invite members to ask for any they want. This a "display and destroy" operation - unrequested items are put into recycling after a month.

CD of papers 2001 Conference

AARE Conference 2001 - Fremantle is committed to publishing a CD of the papers presented at conference that are handed in on disk. To be counted in the 'research quantum' for Australian universities DEETYA requires fully refereed papers to be published in fixed electronic format as in on disk or CD. Full details of AARE compliance with requirements to allow members to get their DEETYA credits are given on AARE web site.

AARE Executive Committee - NEXT MEETING

Canberra is the venue for the next meeting of AARE Executive. When an Agenda and details are formulated, they will be published on the AARE web site. All members are welcome to contact the Executive via Hon. Sec. Debra Cunningham and the Committee will welcome any chance to speak with members close to Canberra when it is there.

AARE 2001 - Fremantle

With this issue [hard copy] there is a brochure setting out all the arrangements for the AARE 2001 Conference. Please read it carefully and act promptly. The same material is available on AARE web site.

Advertising on AARE web site

We receive a range of advertisements for jobs, opportunities, courses, publications and services. See them on the web at the following link.

AARE Privacy Statement for Website

AARE Executive considered and approved a privacy statement for AARE web site. Read it at

AARE 2000 Conference - Sydney Report

[This is an edited version of the report compiled by Brent Corish and presented by Judyth Sachs, Convenor of the AARE 2000 Conference].

1. Ultimately there were a total of 607 registrations. This figure included a very small number of subsequent withdrawals and 21 working students who received free registration in return for work.
2. Very positive comment was received about the quality of presentations in general. The small number of speaker "no-shows" also received positive comment.
3. Due to a lack of a viable number of registrations (15 spread over a range of workshops) the pre-conference workshops were cancelled.
4. Due to a lack of a viable number of registrations (3) the proposed Women's Day cancelled and a dinner substituted. We were fortunate to be able to get Wendy Macarthy as guest speaker.
5. Both advertised keynote speakers had to withdraw - Professor Ivor Goodson (early enough for participants to be advised) and Professor Sarah Michaels (who fell ill at the departure airport).

The conference is able to immediately repay the AARE $10,000 float and, in addition, operated "in the black" and will be able to transfer further funds to AARE. Accounts are still being received and paid so it remains difficult to provide an accurate figure at this time.

Potential bad debt is currently also being actively followed-up. Almost all of this results from declined credit cards or slow payment by institutions. It is anticipated that almost all of this will be recovered.

270 new AARE memberships (or renewal of existing memberships) were received by the University acting as agent for AARE. This figure comprised 190 full memberships and 80 student memberships. A total of $30,360.00 (including GST) is available for immediate transfer to AARE.

A percentage breakdown of attendance category -

AARE joins Australian Digital Alliance

The March AARE Executive meeting decided to join ADA for at least a year. We are now seeking a suitable person to attend the inaugural meeting of the ADA Board in Canberra.

ABOUT TRUST

AARE has commenced an e-commerce arrangement to save costs for members and provide better service. The service has been started with arrangements for registration for the AARE 2001 Conference - Fremantle. It applies to credit card payments which are a high and growing proportion of individual and institutional payments to AARE.

We all know that credit card fraud has to be guarded against at all times and especially when using the Internet. So, members will be happy to know that AARE Office has proceeded very carefully with the introduction of e-commerce to make sure that members can trust our system and the systems of our service providers.

At a recent seminar on trust factors in e-commerce given by Associate Professor W S [Vincent] Chow, School of Business, Hong-Kong Baptist University, we learned of several factors which will encourage trust in e-commerce.

Among these was the integrity of the business providing the service.

We trust AARE members have the highest confidence in the integrity of AARE.

Another factor was a business' ability in delivery and performing promises.

We trust AARE members have the highest confidence that services [registrations] ordered through AARE e-commerce web site will be delivered in full as promised.

Another factor was the quality of the goods or service when delivered.

We trust AARE members are confident that the services promised by the Association will be provided in as near perfect condition as AARE can achieve.

Another factor was confidence in the electronic [IT/Internet] system.

AARE has gone out of its way to leave no stone unturned to get the best security service on its web site, then to employ a contractor for e-commerce that has impeccable qualifications and very, very secure encrypted links to the banking system.

AARE will strive to protect your personal information, but AARE cannot absolutely ensure the security of any information you transmit in connection with the general AARE web site except for the e-commerce operations via DirectOne which are completely secure.

Please refer to DirectOne's web site for full details of their security system.

AARE utilizes a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal information. All user contact information is only accessible by a limited number of employees who have special access rights to the system. Passwords and credit card numbers are encrypted in DirectOne's secure database which is located behind a firewall. All sensitive/credit card information supplied by users is transmitted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology and then encrypted in DirectOne's databases as stated above. Because password and credit card information has been encrypted, it is completely invisible to any employee who accesses it, including AARE Office Services staff.

AARE Executive has seen a demonstration of the e-commerce system for AARE 2001 Conference and any member of the Executive will be happy to answer questions about the e-commerce system if asked. There are plenty of documents to be read about these matters on AARE web site and an email to aare@aare.edu.au will be answered promptly.

Peter Jeffery

Postgraduate Postings

Greetings all postgrads. Welcome to new members and hello to continuing members. Given the current political climate, with the Kemp White Paper and the Batterham Report having specific implications for postgraduate education and research, it would appear that the role of postgraduates and their concerns are under a rather massive flux. The need for voices to respond to the impacts and effects of these changes is imperative on a number of levels, not least of which lies in the upcoming federal election. This appears to be an ideal strategic lever for holding all parties accountable for the current funding levels for postgraduates, and the hints at moves to fund postgraduates in specific areas in a more strategic and instrumental way.

As the postgraduate member of the AARE Executive elected at the Sydney conference, I would like to update some of the issues that have arisen since December. Given some of the difficulties arising at the election last year, at a recent executive meeting it was decided that a more democratic and transparent process would be embarked upon to ensure that all postgraduate members have their vote on the election of the representative to the executive. Towards this end, an electronic ballot will be held near the end of the year, with potential candidates invited to submit policy statements addressing a set of criteria on which postgraduate students may base their votes. Further information about this will be forthcoming in a future newsletter.

Another outcome of the executive meeting was the decision to formalise the general role and responsibilities of the postgraduate representative. This role statement will be placed on the AARE web site and will form part of the criteria to which nominations for the role of postgraduate representative will respond.

In order to ensure a greater sense of communication between the postgraduate members of AARE an email message board has been flagged as a possible way to discuss current postgraduate issues. This would be for raising general postgraduate issues and also to have a more substantive role in raising policy issues and interests to which the postgraduate community would like to respond and be involved with. If anybody has particular issues that they would like to start this discussion with, please email these to my address below.

As will become more apparent as preparations for the Fremantle conference are more widely circulated, the post-graduate presence at this conference has acquired a greater visibility through the support of a number of initiatives to raise and promote postgraduate concerns within the association. The first AGM of post-graduate students of AARE will be held in Perth, a postgraduate breakfast with the President, Dr. Peter Renshaw is scheduled and a postgraduate room for networking and refreshments are all planned. Of particular note is a half day, Australian Educational Researcher sponsored and run research and training workshop for postgraduate and early-career researchers, actively supported by Professor Jane Kenway and Professor Jenny Gore. This workshop will deal with the processes of getting published and so should be of interest to all postgraduate students.

On a wider set of issues, motions are underway to connect and coordinate the postgraduate foci of AARE with other associated bodies.

Shaun Rawolle

Special Interest Groups (SIGS)

Revitalising the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) will be a major focus for 2001. Currently, there are only two active SIGs; it would be great to see more. SIGs provide a wonderful forum for bringing together people with similar interests, as well as an opportunity for members to have input into the conference program. If you would like to see more people who share your interests at AARE conferences, why not submit a proposal to establish a SIG? Proposal forms will be available soon on the AARE web site. Up to $300 is available to support the formation of new SIGs and the activities of existing SIGs. Funds can be used to host a SIG reception, organise a panel discussion, fund an invited speaker, or for any number of other possibilities. For further information please contact Jennifer Sumsion [02 9850 9864; jennifer.sumsion@mq.edu.au].

Research Training

Research development is one of the central functions of AARE. This year, the following key initiatives are planned. Each initiative is designed to support a different constituency within our organisation. I'd suggest that you put the relevant dates below into your diaries so as not to miss out on these events.

Research Training Workshops: Members are invited to submit proposals for funding to partially support workshops or seminars by visiting scholars. A proposal form to expedite this process will shortly be available on the Web. In general, some financial return to AARE is required (in the form of new memberships and/or recouped costs following a small charge for participation in the workshop). The Executive would also like presenters to make available their paper or some other material that can be distributed more widely and thus benefit members in others locations. If you have a visitor coming to your campus, please let me know so that I might be able to circulate the information and perhaps facilitate a "travelling roadshow".

Educational Research Leaders' Forum: AARE proposes conducting a one day forum on Wednesday June 13 in Canberra to bring together research directors, postgraduate coordinators, and others interested in policy and strategic matters. Details of this forum will be made available soon. We hope this event will provide an important opportunity for collective consideration of recent changes to national research and research training policy and that education faculties/schools/divisions will be able to send at least one representative to this meeting.

Pre-Conference Workshop on Publishing: This half day workshop in Fremantle on Sunday December 2 is designed to assist research students and early career researchers to write for publication in academic journals and books. Leading researchers and experienced journal editors will share "insider stories" and their knowledge of the "tools of the trade". They will also consider examples which participants bring along. Preliminary details will be available in the conference brochure and updated on the AARE website.

If there are other issues that you think AARE ought to address in the name of research training, please let me know and I'll see what can be arranged within the limits of our resources.

Jenny Gore

REVIEW of AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH in EDUCATION [RARE]

We are proposing a new initiative for RARE. Why? Well, a few years ago at a conference in Sweden (EARLI), I attended a number of sessions where Australian based researchers were presenting papers as part of expert international panels. I realised that it is not uncommon for us to know little about the research of Australian-based colleagues - we have to travel to the other side of the world to hear about their research. There are many structural and cultural reasons for this state of affairs no doubt - cultural cringe? research quantum? desire to travel? It seemed to me, however, that we should do more to promote our own outstanding scholars, particularly younger academics. So, I proposed to the AARE Executive the following set of procedures:

(i) we identify three or so researchers each year, preferably younger and/or not well known, to contribute a scholarly overview of their field of research, reviewing both Australian and international research, and highlighting the relevance of their research for current educational policies and practices.

(ii) we invite the researchers to present their review at the annual AARE conference. AARE would cover the registration costs of the chosen researchers.

(iii) in addition, the researcher be requested to nominate two discussants to provide commentary on the review. The assumption here is that the discussants would reflect on the research from a different theoretical perspective and seek to highlight complementary and conflicting aspects of the specific issue under focus

(iv) after the conference, we compile the reviews and the discussants' commentaries into a RARE to be published in the subsequent year.

So, this is a call for identifying researchers, topics and possible discussants. If you would like to contribute a review, or would like to nominate a colleague to contribute a review as outlined above, please contact me, Peter Renshaw, at School of Education, University of Queensland, 4072, or e-mail p.renshaw@mailbox.uq.edu.au

What to send
Title of the proposed review paper
500 word summary of the review
List of recent articles that you have published on the topic
Names and contact details of two other researchers to provide commentary.

RECENT DOCTORAL THESES IN EDUCATION

Since reinstituting this column in AARE News I have been continually reminded of the wealth of research conducted by doctoral students across the country in education faculties and departments, and their substantial contributions to Australian education. This issue's sample is a good example of these contributions and, as it happens, several reveal a distinctive Foucauldian influence. I wonder what, if anything, this says about the ways we currently understand the social world of education that Foucault's critique and concepts should appear as useful tools for researchers.

Over a similar period I have become increasingly aware of some disenchantment with educational research; the claim that, by and large, educational research has not delivered measurable differences in terms of students' educational experiences and outcomes. Certainly, 'making a difference' is an important aspect of social research yet such negative evaluations have tended to define the contributions of research and research itself in particular ways and, hence, what counts as a valuable outcome. That is, current definitions that dominate the broad field of inquiry tend to be narrow and to privilege certain forms of research over others. To rework a familiar analogy, apples are easily dismissed as not research or not valuable research when research is defined only in terms of oranges and only in the interests of their producers and consumers.

For all its merits, the recent statement by the Chief Scientist (Robin Batterham) carries a similar message about the nature of research. The danger for educational researchers and those in the social sciences more generally is that the entirety of their research effort might be measured against criteria with more validity in the physical sciences. By way of illustration, in a 1996 address to the London Teacher Training Authority, David Hargreaves - informed by positivist explanations of research -suggested that educational research has not figured significantly in changing or reinforming teachers' practices, that it has failed the test of performativity. Of course, Hargreaves' address was part of a much broader push in the UK - with similarities in the Australian context - to frame educational research in terms of government research agendas, those that meet its short term goals. For those interested, Jenny Ozga (2000) critiques this development very well in her recent book, Policy Research in Educational Settings.

Perhaps it was such claims that prompted the Australian Government around two years ago to commission four research teams to investigate the outcomes of Australian educational research. The reports have never been released yet it is widely believed within the academic community that they paint a picture of its substantial impact. It is possibly not a research outcome that the government wanted to hear and certainly not justification for any reduction in funding such research. Yet even at current levels, financial support for educational research is under considerable pressure (see Lingard & Blackmore, 1997, AER 24(3)). And, more than any other field (46%), the vast majority (87%) of this expenditure on educational research occurs within the higher education sector. Clearly, a reduction to research funding in universities has far more impact on Australian educational research than any other field of inquiry.

Still, I can imagine that some might read accounts of educational research, such as those below that champion the likes of Foucault, and remark along with the Scottish brogue in an old TV ad. for instant oats, 'Aye, it's delicious, but it's no how ye make porridge!' Despite these narrow conceptions it would seem that educational research in all its forms is having significant influence in Australian education. (Certainly, the government has chosen not to release research that might suggest otherwise.) This includes the research of doctoral students, which often forms a substantial part of the research activity in faculties and departments of education, also under threat by funding arrangements regarding completions and the distribution of places across the sector.

I am pleased, then, to be able to celebrate with the authors of the following doctoral theses. Their work represents a more general celebration of the contributions of educational researchers in Australia. We should celebrate, too, the federal government's recent increase to funding Australian research, including educational research. To utilise the discourse of Batterham, the 'success' of research needs to be measured in more than its contribution to a knowledge economy in order to include and foreground how it contributes to a knowledge society.

Again, the following two titles and four abbreviated abstracts constitute a very opportunistic sample, largely contingent on my 'supply lines'. If you are willing to pass on current details (of doctoral theses completed within the last six months) from your institution please email me at t.gale@cqu.edu.au. Alternatively, you might be able to pass on this request to the person(s) at your institution who regularly handles this data.

Congratulations to the authors. For all the reasons above, I encourage them to seek out public forums in which to make the value of their research known. Apologies for the truncations of abstracts for reasons of space.

Trevor Gale

Some interesting titles:

Dr Lolita Andrada (PhD), University of South Australia, Teaching with a difference: Profiling for instructional leadership.

Dr Ruth Reynolds (PhD), University of Newcastle, Geography, history and the social sciences: The evolution of secondary school syllabuses in New South Wales 1967-1989.

Some abbreviated abstracts:

Dr Dianne Bills (PhD), University of South Australia, Adolescents' talk in class: the social and institutional work of being a student.

This study of adolescent students' talk in school examined the social and institutional relations assembled in and around peer talk in the classroom. A sociocultural approach to literacy learning encouraged the teacher-researcher to hear multiple discourses, genres and literacies in her students' talk as it was shaped by the social and institutional contexts and relations of school activity. An ethnomethodological perspective enabled her to hear their talk as social action and as a resource through which they accomplished the job of being a student. Fourteen students were recorded talking in the subjects of English, Technology Studies and Pastoral Care, on the many occasions during three months of school when talk unfolded in the everyday contexts of classroom activity. ... The analysis focused on the sequential order of talk on a turn-by-turn basis and the inferential order of talk as it was evoked through turn design and categorisation devices. ... The study found that students' talk is a prime resource for doing the social and institutional work of being a student and showed how such work demanded continuous creative effort from the students as they drew on emotional and intellectual resources as well as funds of social, cultural and institutional knowledge. The findings suggest that peer talk in the classroom is a site for the mediation of various social and student identities, in particular gendered, age-related and (in this case) rural identities, which need to be negotiated and performed anew on each occasion. Adolescents are often portrayed as using social and peer discourses to resist or undermine the discourses of schooling, but this study shows how expertly students can 'play out' various institutional discourses and genres at the same time they are 'playing with' familiar social and peer discourses that help them do the work of being a student.

Dr Valerie Harwood (PhD), University of South Australia, Truth, power and the self: A Foucaultian analysis of the truth of Conduct Disorder and the construction of young people's mentally disordered subjectivity.

For some young people, being young can involve being told they are mentally disordered. In the lives of some this can involve the diagnosis of Conduct Disorder, a mental disorder specified in the American Psychiatric Association's (1994) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). This study analyses how 'Conduct Disorder' is made truthful and authoritative, and considers how mentally disordered subjectivity is constructed. The central question asks: How is it that a young person can state with certitude that they are mentally disordered? Linked to this are three subquestions: How does Conduct Disorder achieve the status of scientific knowledge? How does Conduct Disorder function as an authoritative knower of young people? and How do young people construct their mentally disordered subjectivity? This study draws on the Foucaultian notions of 'games of truth', 'relations of power' and 'technologies of the self' to fashion a conceptual framework for the analysis of Conduct Disorder and the formation of mentally disordered subjectivity. Methodologically, the genealogical tools of contingency, discontinuity, emergence, subjugated erudite and subjugated disqualified knowledge are engaged to build a style of analysis that directs scrutiny at Conduct Disorder and mentally disordered subjectivity. The consideration of mentally disordered subjectivity involves close research with the subjugated disqualified knowledges of young people who have experienced the effects of being 'mentally disordered' and being made 'other'. To conduct this research I devise what I term my 'grid of sensibility', an approach that draws on genealogy and narrative research literature to provide a theoretical landscape for research with young people who have experienced subjugation and disqualification. The proposition is advanced that Conduct Disorder occurs as a valid scientific knowledge because it subjugates 'alternate knowledges' and, in concert with technologies of the self and relations of power, produces mentally disordered subjectivity. The argument is made that technologies of the self form the pivotal site in the relationship with truth and power. It is proposed that just as technologies of the self are instrumental in the making of mentally disordered subjectivity, so too they are instrumental in 'unmaking' this subjectivity. Through providing a critical perspective of the truth of Conduct Disorder, this study offers an analysis of how psychiatric truth is implicated in the construction of mentally disordered subjectivity, and significantly, argues the possibility for disagreement with its persuasion.

Dr Faye McCallum (PhD), University of South Australia, The effectiveness of training as professional development: Teachers as mandated notifiers of child abuse and neglect.

Teachers in South Australia are mandated to notify suspected child abuse and neglect. The literature highlighted various reasons why teachers under-report such suspicions. This research sought to investigate mandatory notification training as one of the contributing reasons to this under-reporting. Conclusive findings suggest that a collaborative and supportive model of teacher professional development would significantly enhance teacher reporting of suspected child abuse and neglect.

Dr Erica Southgate (PhD), University of Newcastle, Remembering school: Mapping continuities in power, subjectivity and emotion in stories of Australian school life.

This thesis stems from a resurgence of interest in theorising memory as a socio-cultural and collective phenomenon. In line with postpositivist conceptions of memory, I undertook an analysis of experiential stories of school life in twentieth century Australia. Publicly circulating memories of school were collected from numerous sources including published sources such as school magazines, newspapers, autobiographies and anthologies and through in-depth interviews. In all, stories of school were gathered from 289 storytellers. This collection of stories comprised a discursive field in which those power relations, subject positions and emotions most commonly associated with school could be traced. The major aim of this process was to map continuities in power, subjectivity and emotion in the memories of storytellers, across generations. Michel Foucault's theories of power and subjectivity are employed throughout the thesis. Other theoretical influences include materialist, poststructuralist and Foucauldian feminisms. A custom-made theoretical and methodological tool, the "powerplay", was developed in order to trace micro-practices of power at the emotional, subjective and bodily levels. A number of thematic continuities across generational stories were identified. Three were explored in detail. These are punishment, bullying and pleasure. Within each theme there were a number of remarkably stable operations of power, subject positions and emotional repertoires. This thesis provides a micro-analysis of these enduring phenomena, with a focus on making familiar, normalised or commonsensical aspects of schooling, strange. After Foucault, the analysis also unmasks operations of power that are simultaneously productive and repressive. The thesis concludes by arguing that histories of difference and discontinuity should always be accompanied by histories of continuity, if the workings of institutional power are to be better understood.

New AARE Executive Listed

A new Executive has met for the first time in 2001. New members Rod Chadbourne [AARE 2001 Conference Convenor], Jennifer Gore [AARE RTW], Jane Kenway [AARE AER Editor], Shaun Rawolle [AARE P/G Students Representative] and Jennifer Sumsion, enjoyed their way through 2 days of debating AARE programs and furthering research in general. See the full list on the web.

AER Reviewers Wanted:

Availability to Review Research Papers Submitted for Publication in Australian Education Researcher [AARE Journal] or to Review books sent to AER for reviewing.
Name
Address (including Fax and email)
Research Expertise and Interests

AER c/- University of South Australia
Division of Education, Arts & Social Sciences
GPO Box 2471
Adelaide SA 5001

AARE 2001 CONFERENCE - FREMANTLE INFORMATION

Enclosed with AARE NEWS No. 34 March 2001 [this issue] is a comprehensive brochure on the 2001 conference. This information is also available on-line on the WWW at http://www.aare.edu.au

ALL CREDITCARD PAYMENTS ARE TO BE MADE VIA THE SECURE ON-LINE E-COMMERCE FACILITY at http://www.aare.edu.au

Please tell all of your colleagues in Australia and overseas about the Fremantle conference and register early. All the dates are in the brochure and on the web. All Abstracts must be sent typed or pasted into an email to aare@aare.edu.au The due date for all proposals/abstracts is 30 April 2001.