Abstract:
A significant trend in both Australian and international contexts is the decline (relative to females') of males' academic results. This trend is noticeable particularly, although not exclusively, in results obtained from secondary school 'exit' examinations. In Australia this trend appears to be national. The paper describes an investigation into the elements of school renewal which have resulted in a significant improvement in the 'exit' academic achievement scores of students attending a secondary boys school in the Sydney metropolitan area. Elements of school renewal identified and assessed include: developing an academic culture, enhancing teacher professionalism, improving students' academic self-efficacy, and balancing student management and pastoral care responsibilities. The paper focuses on elements of the renewal process in this school which may be portable to other schools/contexts. Specifically, the paper suggests that, despite their effectiveness in a 'males only' educational context, the positive effects of these renewal elements on students' academic achievement scores are not necessarily gender specific. Finally, the paper demonstrates the usefulness of the case study approach in examining school renewal issues.