Educational leadership that fosters 'student voice'
- Authors: Smyth, John
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International journal of leadership in education: Theory and practice Vol. 9, no. 4 (2006), p. 279-284
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- Description: This special issue focuses on a controversial topic that has been kept off the official agenda for far too long in educational circles. The question of how to pursue forms of leadership that listen to and attend to the voices of the most informed, yet marginalized witnesses of schooling, young people, has to be the most urgent issue of our times.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003001901
High stakes? The development of the Australian poker league
- Authors: Schwarz, Eric
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australasian Leisure Management Vol. 60, no. (2006), p. 58-59
- Full Text: false
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- Description: The development of the Australian Poker League
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003002144
Listening to men learning
- Authors: Golding, Barry
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: The international journal of learning Vol. 12, no. 9 (2006), p. 265-272
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- Description: This paper reports on the results of a study of the learning preferences of adult males in small, rural Australian towns. The researcher employed a survey of men in each of ten towns in 2004 to explore and compare their learning experiences and preferences-in adult and community education (ACE) programs on one hand, and in community-based volunteer organisations (fire services, landcare senior citizens and football clubs) on the other. The research confirms the considerable importance for men of regular learning experienced in less formal learning contexts as community volunteers, and highlights the barriers ICT poses for older men.
- Description: 2003002093
Researching teachers working with young adolescents : Implications for ethnographic research
- Authors: Smyth, John
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ethnography and Education Vol. 1, no.1 (2006), p. 31-51
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- Description: This paper aims to explore theoretically and practically how to better understand how it is that teachers work successfully in schools and classrooms with young adolescents. I want to explore how to undertake research that: (1) listens to the voices of young people in schools and the teachers who work with them, and (2) better understand how it is that some teachers of young adolescents are sucessfully reinventing themselves, their pedagogies and school cultures.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003008113
- Description: 2003001896
The politics of reform of teachers' work and the consequences for schools : Some implications for teacher education
- Authors: Smyth, John
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education Vol. 34, no. 3 (2006), p. 301-319
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- Description: This paper argues that we are currently experiencing a debilitating overload of political interference and media hyperbole in respect of teaching and teacher education, and that much of this blitzkrieg amounts to a 'political spectacle' and blatant neo-liberal ideology dressed up as rational analysis. The politics of disparagement being unleashed on public education, and by association teacher education, is intended to laminate over the real issue, which is a cultural war over what is officially allowed to constitute teaching and learning.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003001902
Using imagination to engage future teachers in a critical pedagogy in the tertiary classroom
- Authors: Noone, Lynne , Cartwright, Patricia
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International journal of learning Vol. 12, no. 6 (2006), p. 325-332
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- Description: This paper explores some of the possibilities and dilemmas that have arisen for us as tertiary teachers of future teachers as we attempt a critical pedagogy through literacy. We are interested in problematising both the so-called 'literacy problems' of current preservice teachers, and also the orthodox canonical understanding of academic literacies. Grounded in the constraints of contemporary neo-conservative socio-political circumstances of life, including education, we imagine the possibility that education could be otherwise. Our critical literacy pedagogical approach seeks to disrupt our students' taken-for-granted understandings of themselves, their world and what it is, and could be like, to be teachers in schools. The material on which this paper is based is derived from our reflections on students' written responses to our pedagogy as we engage in on-going action research about our teaching. Through the language used in the responses, we see evidence of students' engagement (or not) in the critical enterprise. Contradictions emerge regarding the varying discourses about learning, knowledge, teaching and academic literacies that the students and we, as teachers, live out in the tertiary classroom. In making visible our struggles to explore with our students that which is 'not yet', we foreground and celebrate tertiary teaching.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003001868
Why do Chinese universities seek foreign university partners: An Investigation of the motivating factors behind a significant area of alliance activity
- Authors: Willis, Mike
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Marketing for Higher Education Vol. 16, no. 1 (2006), p. 115-14
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- Description: Considerable research has been undertaken into the issue of Sino foreign strategic alliances in the area of higher education, particularly since the late 1990s, when universities in China signed an increasing large number of alliance agreements with foreign universities (Willis 2000, 2005a). Although there has been considerable research regarding various aspects of these alliances, including the types of activities undertaken, and the levels of alliances formed in this sector (Hayhoe 1989, 1996; Willis 2000), there has been less evaluation of the factors which have motivated the majority of Chinese universities to actively seek suitable foreign partners for collaboration particularly in regard to the delivery of activities and programs within China. This research identifies a range of factors driving the Chinese desire to form alliances with foreign universities. These in general relate to the special and somewhat idiosyncratic role of universities as agents of social and economic change in China. To effect this change they have often sought foreign partners who are able to assist China to develop a market economy. Universities within the Chinese top 100 university system have become increasingly selective in their choice of foreign universities and are requiring far higher levels of commitment than hitherto. It is now not unusual for foreign universities to deliver degree programs in China, and not just via study abroad and distance means. Gradually, over time, Chinese universities have become more discerning, particular and careful in the selection of foreign university partners. To this end, this paper identifies three distinct phases of Chinese university selection of foreign partners, dating back to 1978. The current phase, which emerged around 2000-2001 underscores the growing desire on the part of Chinese universities to select better quality, more committed and longer-term foreign partners-partly an issue of signing agreements with fewer, but better universities than in the past when a more “scattergun” approach was utilised.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003007125
Collaboration in learning at university level? An initial investigation
- Authors: Lin, Zheng , Barnett, Clem
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: The Journal Of Student Centered Learning Vol. 2, no. 2 (2005), p. 121-129
- Full Text: false
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- Description: C1
- Description: 2003001322
Counting and accounting for social justice in the devolved school: How do indigenous students fare?
- Authors: McInerney, Peter
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Melbourne Studies in Education Vol. 46, no. 1 (2005), p. 13-32
- Full Text: false
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From supervising practica to mentoring professional experience : Possibilities for education students
- Authors: Zeegers, Margaret
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Teaching Education Vol. 16, no. 4 (2005), p. 349-357
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- Description: This paper explores the possibilities presented in examining taken for granted aspects of pre-service teacher practicum practices, especially in terms of naming and positioning within teacher education, as they present at a regional university in Ballarat, Australia. The University of Ballarat has introduced a new P-10 teacher education course which is about to enter its fourth year. The course has focused some of its attention on traditional aspects of paid supervisory and assessment roles of practising teachers in relation to student teachers. As a result, changes have been made, with reconfigured foci on the roles of both practising teachers and undergraduate students, as well as those of other staff who support the new programme. One such focus is on what Schön described as "indeterminate zones of practice," and the result has been a research programme exploring those zones as part of mentorship in relation to mandated supervision and assessment requirements for graduate registration. Examination of data provided by transcripts of focus groups conducted with the students, mentors, community coordinators, and university teachers involved in the programmes suggests possibilities that may serve to inform efforts to meet a major part of the challenge to better prepare pre-service teachers in finding innovative and relevant ways to improve practicum experience from the outset of undergraduate education. Those involved in the programme at the University of Ballarat have examined assumptions underlying participants' roles in relation to partnerships within communities of practice in relation to the roles of university and educators in the field, as well as critically examining concepts of mentoring that guide reflection on practice and scaffold student learning. Such considerations go beyond concerns of individual pre-service teacher classroom performances, focusing on the generalizability of pre-service teacher experience in relation to the profession as a whole. © 2005 School of Education, University of Queensland.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003001329
Gifted are lifted higher: an exploration of the development of the higher order thinking skills of gifted playing strategy games
- Authors: Herbert, Sandra , Pierce, Robyn
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: TalentEd Vol. 22, no. 1 (2005), p. 22-30
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- Description: Strategy games can provide an opportunity to develop higher order thinking skills in students gifted in mathematics. Extending and engaging gifted students is a demanding task. This paper reports on a twelve-week project undertaken with a group of nine gifted lower secondary school students. These students played and analysed five traditional strategy games. Following this experience, they were asked to create a challenging strategy game of their own. This paper discusses the rationale for the use of traditional strategy games, outlines the methodology employed, explains the selection of specific games and describes the observed improvement in students' higher order thinking skills.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003001374
Just for them to understand better : The impact of learning difficulties at university
- Authors: Ryan, Janette , Brown, Maryann
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Learning Disabilities Vol. 10, no. 1 (2005), p. 19-24
- Full Text: false
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- Description: There has been much attention given to the needs of students with learning disabilities in Australian schools in recent years. The needs and experiences of university students with learning disabilities have received less attention. This article reports on the results of a small study of students who identified as having a range of difficulties with learning at one Australian university. Eight students across a range of discipline areas and year levels were asked about the nature of their difficulties, the kinds of adjustments they receive and their effectiveness, and for their suggestions about how these adjustments could be improved. The results pointed to the need for university lecturers to better understand the kinds of learning difficulties experienced by such students. Such an understanding can assist lecturers in knowing how to adjust their teaching and learning practices so these students can more fully participate and be successful in their university studies.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003001321
Rural nursing unit managers : Education and support for the role
- Authors: Paliadelis, Penny
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Rural and remote health Vol. 5, no. 1 (January 2005), p. 325
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- Description: INTRODUCTION: Nursing unit managers (NUMs) occupy the often unenviable position of first-line management in many health services in Australia. As such, their role is complex and multifaceted requiring an intertwining of their clinical and managerial responsibilities. While there is an abundance of studies that explore and describe the various management roles in many professions and industries, little is known about the experiences of nurses as managers, particularly in rural settings. This article focuses on the education and support needs of rural nursing unit managers. METHODS: A qualitative study design was used to explore the stories of a number of nursing unit managers in rural New South Wales, Australia. Data was collected using semi-structured individual interviews. Data was analysed using a voice-relational method as a framework for more clearly hearing the voices of participants. This method of data analysis is particularly useful for hearing from those who do not usually have a 'strong' voice, for gaining an understanding of the context of the interviews, and for acknowledging the role of the researcher in the research process. All NUMs employed in a single regional health authority in rural Australia were invited to participate. RESULTS: Out of 42 NUMs in the region, 20 agreed to be interviewed. Nursing unit managers were asked to reflect on their experiences prior to and during the early days within the position. In summary, all the NUMs: believed they were promoted because of their clinical expertise; felt unprepared for the managerial and administrative aspects of their role; continued to identify as nurses rather than as managers; found the role isolated them from their former peer group. Those employed in small facilities had limited opportunities for education and peer support. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the NUMs' experiences and suggestions, the following information would have helped them to cope with the demands of their new role: information and discussions about the role expectations of first-line manager, from both an employee and employer perspective; human resource and financial management skill development; leadership skills; negotiation and conflict resolution; a clear and realistic role description.
School leadership that is informed by students' and teachers' voices of hope : Reclaiming our lost ways from an Australian perspective
- Authors: Smyth, John
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of School Leadership Vol. 15, no. (2005), p. 130-142
- Full Text: false
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- Description: C1
- Description: 2003001468
A framework for monitoring progress and planning teaching towards the effective use of computer algebra systems
- Authors: Pierce, Robyn , Stacey, Kaye
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Computers for Mathematical Learning Vol. 9, no. 1 (2004), p. 59-93
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- Description: This article suggests a framework to organise a cluster of variables that are associated with students' effective use of computer algebra systems (CAS) in mathematics learning. Based on a review of the literature and from the authors' own teaching experience, the framework identifies the main characteristics of students' interactions with CAS technology and how these may be used to monitor students' developing use of CAS; from this, the framework may be used to plan teaching in order to gain greater benefit from the availability of CAS. Four case studies describing students' development over a semester are reported. These demonstrate a variety of combinations of technical competencies and personal attributes. They indicate the importance of both the technical and personal aspects but suggest that negative attitudes rather than technical difficulties can limit the effective use of CAS. Finally practical suggestions are given for teaching strategies which may promote effective use of CAS.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003000923
A truncated functional behavioral assessment procedure for children with disruptive classroom behaviors
- Authors: Packenham, Melissa , Shute, Rosalyn , Reid, Robert
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Education & Treatment of Children Vol. 27, no. 1 (2004), p. 9-25
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Schools are now required by law to create behavior support plans based on functional behavioral assessment (FBA) for students with behavior problems. Although FBA has been shown to be effective, there are questions as to its feasibility in the schools. In this pilot study we examined the effectiveness of a truncated FBA procedure. The FBA used a simplified procedure for the teacher to identify the function of a behavior and to formulate a hypothesis. Results suggested that the teacher was able to select the probable function of the problem behavior, formulate a summary statement and design an intervention with guidance from the researcher. Problem behavior decreased during intervention and maintenance. Teacher acceptance of the truncated FBA procedure was confirmed with a social validity questionnaire.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003006019
An evaluation of how student expectations are formed in a higher education context: The case of Hong Kong
- Authors: Willis, Mike , Kennedy, Rowan
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Marketing for Higher Education Vol. 14, no. 1 (2004), p. 1-21
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- Description: This research identifies a range of issues and factors which impact on the formation of initial expectations developed by local university students wishing to study for a foreign degree program in Hong Kong. Key factors were foreign university Internet sites, exhibitions, agents and associations, brochures and friends. This is one of the first times this kind of research has been undertaken relating to the delivery of foreign programs within the home country, as previous research has tended to focus on study abroad, where the student travels to the foreign country to undertake a degree program. The research also considers how expectations change over time, as students undertake their study for a foreign degree program in Hong Kong, and develops the concept of continuous formation of expectations whereby students mould change, rebuild and continually revisit their expectations of the university program as they undertake a wide range of subjects. This part of the research is quite new and indicates the volatile and changeable nature of the educational service encounter. Both parts of the research are of value not just in regard to the location of the data collection but potentially further afield as an indicator of formative factors regarding expectations and in regard to the concept of continuous formation of expectations.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003007130
Critical pedagogy and situated practice : An ethnographic approach to pre-service teacher education
- Authors: Zeegers, Margaret , Smith, Patricia
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Learning Vol. 10, no. (2004), p. 3455-3461
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- Description: C1
- Description: 2003000804
Critical Theory and the Human Condition
- Authors: Noone, Lynne , Davidson, Christina
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Policy Futures in Education Vol. 2, no. 2 (2004), p. 428-434
- Full Text: false
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From slogan to pedagogy : Teacher education and reflection at the University of Ballarat
- Authors: Smith, Patricia , Zeegers, Margaret , Russell, Rupert
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Learning Vol. 10, no. (2004), p. 3357-3371
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- Description: C1
- Description: 2003000806