International student mobility & study tours as a tool for social justice
- Authors: Roffee, James , Burns, Kate
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Teaching in Higher Education Vol. 28, no. 1 (2023), p. 1-16
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- Description: Universities value the provision of opportunities for students to undertake international mobility experiences. Contemporaneously, they often highlight their commitment to social justice through international experiences, though it is not always clear how their educational activities fulfil this commitment. There has been little focus to date on the intersection of student mobility and the desire to include socially just pedagogy into university curricula. Drawing on narratives from semi-structured interviews with academics and professional staff, we explore the utilisation of study abroad within criminology. We argue that student mobility experiences have the potential to be socially just pedagogy through increasing access to new forms of education for a broad range of students. In turn, this positions mobility as a pedagogy for social justice by providing experiential learning opportunities that encourage critical engagement of students and increase their capabilities to act on social justice when in their home country. © 2020, © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Evaluating sociocultural influences affecting participation and understanding of academic support services and programs (SSPs): Impacts on notions of attrition, retention, and success in higher education
- Authors: Weuffen, Sara , Fotinatos, Nina , Andrews, Tulsa
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice Vol. 23, no. 1 (2021), p. 118-138
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- Description: While no major change in relation to student attrition and retention data has been recorded over the past 20 years, the increasingly neoliberal agenda imposed on Australian higher education institutions has led to increased scrutiny around such data. In this case study, we explore discourses of attrition and retention to understand better the unique needs of students, and influences of targeted student support programs, as they transition to a regional higher education learning environment. We applied a mixed methods approach via a poststructuralist lens to identify frequency of nodes in relation to dimensions of the Kahu’s conceptual framework of engagement, antecedents and consequences model and present staff (n=6) and student (n=7) perceptions about the tangible value of knowledge, engagement, participation, and reportable outcomes of student support programs. Our findings indicate that staff tend to view student support programs from deficit discourses, whereas students view them as empowering. © The Author(s) 2018.
Fundamental movement skills and physical activity of 3–4-year-old children within early childhood centers in New Zealand
- Authors: Ali, Ajmol , McLachlan, Claire , McLaughlin, Tara , Mugridge, Owen , Conlon, Cathryn
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Children Vol. 8, no. 9 (2021), p.
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- Description: We sought to describe and explore relationships between fundamental movement skills (FMS) and level of physical activity (PA; light-, medium-, vigorous, and kCal/hour) in preschool children, aged 3–4-years-old, across four early childhood education (ECE) settings. Children’s FMS were assessed using the Test for Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2; n = 81) and PA via accelerometers (S = 53). Eighty-four children participated, with 50 in both assessments. The TGMD-2 showed as the children got older, their locomotor skills (p < 0.001, r = 0.512) and object control motor skills (p < 0.001, r = 0.383) improved. Accelerometry showed children were primarily inactive at ECE (78.3% of the time). There were significant correlations between kCal/hour and light (p < 0.001, r = −0.688), moderate (p < 0.001, r = 0.599) and vigorous (p < 0.001, rs = 0.707) activity, and between gross motor quotient and locomotor (p < 0.001, r = 0.798) and object control (p < 0.001, r = 0.367) skills. No correlation was observed between gross motor quotient and kCal/hour. To conclude, children in this cohort were primarily inactive during ECE center hours. Moreover, gross motor quotient was significantly correlated to locomotor and object control skills. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Claire McLaughlin” is provided in this record**
Imagining the possibilities of a cross-cultural oral narrative portraiture method: Stepping beyond binary discourses
- Authors: Weuffen, Sara , Pickford, Aunty
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Indigenous Education Vol. 50, no. 1 (2021), p. 71-79
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- Description: Contemporary scholarly critique in Indigenous research spaces has tended to focus on binary dualities, including the purpose of Indigenous-focused research, and the legitimacy of researcher identity, research knowledge and truth. Yet, perhaps unintentionally, such interrogation has led to the continued (re)construction and maintenance of false race-based dichotomies. In this paper, one way in which we seek to step beyond binary race-based discourses is by advocating for the advancement of cross-cultural research practices that interweave traditional and contemporary communication practices. We put forward the case that by knitting together Eurocentric and Indigenous research methodologies, Lawrence-Lightfoot's (2005, Qualitative Inquiry 11, 3-15) portraiture method, and Aboriginal practices of storytelling/yarning, the cross-cultural oral narrative portraiture method enables co-construction of more holistic, culturally nuanced and responsive stories, where meaning, context and reason resonate. In the 21st century research space, we open dialogue for thinking about data as stories, and advocate for contemporary intercultural research processes that are inclusive, engaging and promote co-construction of narratives for storying. Copyright © The Author(s) 2019.
Recalling childhood : transformative learning about the value of play through active participation
- Authors: Adamson, Gracie , Rouse, Elizabeth , Emmett, Susan
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education Vol. 42, no. 4 (2021), p. 362-380
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Short-term forecasting of load and renewable energy using artifical neural network
- Authors: Srinivasan, Ram , Balasubramanian, Venki , Selvaraj, Buvana
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International journal of engineering trends and technology Vol. 69, no. 6 (2021), p. 175-181
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- Description: Load forecasting is a technique used for the prediction of electrical load demands in battery management. In general, the aggregated level used for short-term electrical load forecasting (STLF) consists of either numerical or non-numerical information collected from multiple sources, which helps in obtaining accurate data and efficient forecasting. However, the aggregated level cannot precisely forecast the validation and testing phases of numerical data, including the real-time measurements of irradiance level (W/m2) and photovoltaic output power (W). Forecasting is also a challenge due to the fluctuations caused by the random usage of appliances in the existing weekly, diurnal, and annual cycle load data. In this study, we have overcome this challenge by using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) methods such as Bayesian Regularisation (BR) and Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) algorithms. The STLF achieved by ANN-based methods can improve the forecast accuracy. The overall performance of the BR and LM algorithms were analyzed during the development phases of the ANN. The input layer, hidden layer and output layer used to train and test the ANN together predict the 24-hour electricity demand. The results show that utilizing the LM and BR algorithms delivers a highly efficient architecture for renewable power estimation demand. © 2021 Seventh Sense Research Group®
The expansion and contraction of the apprenticeship system in Australia, 1985-2020
- Authors: Smith, Erica
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Vocational Education and Training Vol. 73, no. 2 (2021), p. 336-365
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- Description: This paper chronicles and analyses the expansion and contraction of the Australian apprenticeship system from 1985 to 2020. The system expanded from a small number of occupations, mainly in craft and manufacturing areas, to include many other occupations, notably in the different types of service sectors. The expansion was achieved primarily through a new type of apprenticeship, known as a traineeship, to augment the existing more traditional apprenticeships. Since 2012, the system has contracted considerably, and the participation rate of women has been affected disproportionately. The period of expansion of the system was book-ended by two major government-instigated documents, in 1985 and 2011. In 1985 a Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry into Labour Market Programs proposed the introduction of traineeships, and in 2011 an Expert Panel on Apprenticeships sought to reduce numbers through the application of specific criteria for government support, which primarily affected the occupations served by traineeships. Two sources of evidence are used to examine the expansion and contraction of the apprenticeship system: data from the national apprenticeship statistics collection maintained by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) and key government reports over the 35 years. A brief overview of COVID-19-related developments in 2020 is included. © 2021 The Vocational Aspect of Education Ltd.
The women’s shed movement : scoping the field internationally
- Authors: Golding, Barry , Carragher, Lucia , Foley, Annette
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Adult Learning Vol. 61, no. 2 (2021), p. 150-174
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- Description: Our paper focuses on delineating and scoping international Women’s Sheds, a movement that has emerged within the past decade, mainly in Australia, Ireland and the UK. It addresses two main research questions. Firstly, what is the origin, distribution, nature and intent of Women’s Sheds internationally to March 2021? Secondly, how might Women’s Sheds be located within a typology inclusive of Men’s Sheds and a range of community development models? We employed a systematic search via the internet in 2020-21, followed up by attempted email or phone contact to publicly reported Women’s Sheds and like organisations internationally. In the process, we created a publicly shareable blog including a database of 122 existing, previously active, developing or planned Women’s Sheds and like organisations to 13 March 2021. We identify four nations where self-identified Women’s Sheds have operated or commenced within the past decade: Australia (61), the UK (30), Ireland (28) and New Zealand (3), particularly during the five years between 2014 and 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic seriously curtailed this previous momentum and development after March 2020. We identify some similarities but also important differences between Women’s and Men’s Sheds. We propose a typology that accounts not only for the different ways in which Women’s Sheds operate and women participate within their communities but also the different ways in which they locally collaborate (or not) with Men’s Sheds in different countries. We conclude that Women’s Sheds have largely been created by women in order to claim the shed as a positive female gendered space, in order to create an alternative community of women’s hands-on practice. © 2021, Adult Learning Australia. All rights reserved.
Community learning through adversity and disaster : an Australian case study of rural adaptation and resilience beyond paid work
- Authors: Golding, Barry , Foley, Annette , Weadon, Helen
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Adult Learning Vol. 60, no. 3 (2020), p. 515-537
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- Description: Our paper uses a qualitative, case study approach to critically examine the role of community involvement in learning to adapt and develop resilience in the face of disaster. Within a decade, the already disadvantaged, small, Australian rural community of ‘Bellbird’ faced three catastrophic, human induced disasters: the Millennial Drought (1996 to 2010), a March 2013 bushfire and the COVID-19 epidemic of 2020. Our interviews were conducted during late 2019 and early 2020 with men and women shedders as well as their significant others in the usually vibrant and unusually gender inclusive ‘Bellbird Men’s Shed’. For at least six months following the interviews, the Bellbird Men’s Shed was shut as a consequence of the COVID-19 lockdowns. We opportunistically reflect on the data from our interviews and emerging literature on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to critically interrogate the role local community learning plays in responding to and developing resilience in the face of locally experienced global disasters. We conclude that Bellbird is a good example of a small, rural community where formal, top down decision making approaches to adult and community education in 2020 in Australia are sometimes impossible or inappropriate. Bellbird in effect exercised agency to create its unique, place and needs-based form of lifelong and lifewide learning ‘bottom up’ at its atypical community Men’s Shed. The practices and commitments the Shed adopted have provided the community with opportunities for developing personal and collective wellbeing and the necessary resilience for adapting to likely future shocks. © 2020, Adult Learning Australia. All rights reserved.
Developing a case-based experiential learning model at a program level in a regional university : reflections on the developmental process
- Authors: Patil, Tejaswini , Hunt, Michelle , Cooper, Kimberlea , Townsend, Rob
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Adult Learning Vol. 60, no. 2 (2020), p. 225-244
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- Description: This article reflects on the developmental process of a case-based experiential learning model: the Federation University model, in an undergraduate community and human services program at a regional university. There is abundant literature that addresses the use and need for introducing experiential learning at the subject/unit level in community and human services/social work content. However, despite the expansion of research on experiential learning, there is limited literature that bridges the gap between course/program level teaching philosophy and using experiential learning activities in individual subjects. The article will demonstrate how Kolb’s four stage cycle (Kolb, 1984) and case-based experiential learning were integrated to develop curriculum at a program level. It will also demonstrate how a move to experiential learning facilitated better alignment with face-to-face and online learning. As a way of argument, we suggest that case-based experiential learning is very relevant and useful to human services/ social work education because of its emphasis on bridging the theory and praxis nexus and providing graduates with an opportunity to work effectively in a complex, fluid and ever-changing sector. © 2020, Adult Learning Australia. All rights reserved.
Finding passion and purpose in the teaching of reading in secondary school English through critical readings of practice : A huge kind of spider web
- Authors: McGraw, Amanda , Mason, Mary
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Language and Literacy Vol. 43, no. 3 (2020), p. 205-213
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- Description: We argue in this paper that the experience of reading is an intricate and dynamic weaving of connections much like the tentative construction of a spider's web. We also use the metaphor of the web to examine a professional learning experience for Australian secondary school English teachers who over the course of a year, and by working in Communities of Practice, find and renew passion and purpose in their teaching of reading. The professional learning project, beginning in 2015, is conducted in Victorian schools under the auspices of the Victorian Association for the Teaching of English (VATE) and is funded for six years by the Victorian Department of Education and Training. In five years it has involved 36 schools. In this paper we focus on the experiences of teachers involved in the first three years of the project. The project begins by drawing attention, through an examination of literature, to disturbing levels of disengagement with reading at school and to a culture of pedagogy in English that has shifted over recent times toward transactional teaching and away from a focus on meaning-making. Drawing upon teacher interviews, the paper examines how teachers find passion and purpose in their teaching of reading through an initial focus on student experience revealed in drawings, which they find surprising and moving. In Communities of Practice and with the support of an external Critical Friend, the teachers explore a complex understanding of reading that has imaginative, dialogic, emotional, critical, metacognitive and embodied dimensions and design and trial reading activities with the aim of deepening students' reading experiences. Through a focus on what teachers say, the paper explores what is learned through this experience and examines some of the challenges associated with sustaining change in schools.
Misconceptions in the knowledge of vocational fitness students and graduates
- Authors: Jolley, Daniel , Davis, Melissa , Lavender, Andrew
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Adult Learning Vol. 60, no. 1 (2020), p. 66-88
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- Description: The use of non-academic sources of health information is popular among both the public and exercise professionals. However, the quality of this information varies and without the application of critical thinking skills, may lead to misconceptions forming. This research aimed to compare the knowledge, presence of misconceptions, and critical thinking ability of vocational education and training (VET) fitness students at the beginning and end of their training, and qualified personal trainers (PTs). It also examines differences in the sources of information used by students and professionals. An Exercise Science Knowledge Survey was developed to assess knowledge and misconceptions about ten areas of exercise and nutrition. VET students were assessed at the beginning and end of a personal training qualification and PTs were surveyed once. Though VET students’ knowledge improved and misconceptions decreased from pre-to post training, PTs did not differ from post-VET students in knowledge, misconceptions, or critical thinking ability. PTs reported using more varied sources of information and were more likely to trust reliable sources. Critical thinking ability correlated with higher knowledge scores and lower misconception scores. Instruction in critical thinking should be embedded at lower levels of VET, and exercise professionals should be encouraged to undertake higher levels of study. © 2020, ADULT LEARNING AUSTRALIA INC. All rights reserved.
New kindergarten teachers' career development trajectories in China : A problem-solving perspective
- Authors: Wan, Dan , Gu, Rongfang , McLachlan, Claire
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australasian Journal of Early Childhood Vol. 45, no. 3 (2020), p. 228-240
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- Description: Since the 1960s, concerns for beginning teachers have attracted extensive attention. High attrition rates among beginning teachers have been an international challenge, which is costly for a nation's budget. To improve the retention of new teachers, it is imperative to understand what beginning teachers have experienced in their professional practice. This qualitative research examined the career development trajectories of beginning kindergarten teachers in China. The experiences of 23 kindergarten teachers from Nanjing were investigated through semi-structured interviews. Using grounded theory, this research identified four main themes and four career development trajectories. Themes include orientation, mastery, re-examination and self-validation, while career development trajectories reveal that teacher career development is not unilinear, but diverse. These findings are crucial in raising the awareness of researchers and practitioners about the diversities and possibilities of teacher career development trajectories. Further implications for researchers, teacher educators and kindergarten teachers are discussed.
- Description: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was funded by MOE (Ministry of Education in China) Project of Humanities and Social Sciences (Grant Number: 17YJA880025), The 13th Five-year Plan for Educational Science in Jiangsu Province (Grant Number: B-a/2016/01/34), and Excellent Preschool Teacher Preparation Program of MOE.
Promoting quality learning and teaching pedagogy : evaluating a targeted localised academic induction program (AIP) for the impact on continuing professional development
- Authors: Weuffen, Sara , Andrews, Tulsa , Roberts, Kate
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Adult Learning Vol. 60, no. 2 (2020), p. 245-267
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- Description: Despite their position as providers of tertiary education, universities sit beyond normalised discourses of education where qualifications, registration, and continuing professional development are concerned. In this case study, we explore how participation in an academic induction program (AIP) builds foundational andragogy knowledge and skills and fosters individual commitment to continuing professional development (PD) for the critical engagement, maintenance, and enhancement of quality teaching practices. Through a poststructuralist lens, we gathered triangulated evidence via surveys (n=32) and attendance data (n=190). Our findings indicate a positive correlation between AIP attendance and initial PD engagement but identifies a 35% decline in PD uptake six-month post-AIP. Survey responses indicate that while an AIP is a valuable tool for prompting initial engagement in learning and teaching PD, the role and function of teaching within universities needs to be elevated in order to support a career-long commitment to academic enhancement. © 2020, Adult Learning Australia. All rights reserved.
Understanding the implementation of early childhood policies around cultural competencies : teachers' and Indian parents' partnership in engaging young children
- Authors: Tatineni, Vijaya
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Early Childhood Learning Vol. 27, no. 1 (2020), p. 25-44
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- Description: In Australia, early childhood education is framed by federal and state policies which advocate cultural, racial and social differences through different approaches to pedagogy. Cultural competencies of early childhood teachers, their critical dispositions, and understanding of policies and practices in partnership with parents indicate multiple barriers. This paper uses a multiple case study: first to understand how twelve teachers across six kindergartens in Melbourne understand and implement in particular cultural policies and secondly how they work in partnership with Indian parents to engage young children. Findings show a disparity in cultural understanding amongst teachers in ways they engage and collaborate with culturally and linguistically diverse Indian parents. Teachers often face communication problems that affect collaboration in creating more inclusive learning communities with Indian immigrant parents and their children. Similarly, parents expressed difficulties and anxiety in approaching teachers in regards to the transition and integration of their children into the kindergarten community. The discussion highlights a lack of communication and a greater need for an understanding of cultural policies and partnerships at the practice level. The paper calls for more flexibility in identifying strategies for better engagement of Indian immigrant children and their parents within early childhood settings. © 2020 Common Ground Research Networks, Vijaya Tatineni. All Rights Reserved.
Horse talk : Equine based learning programs and their engagement with individuals
- Authors: Townsend, Rob , Hood, Michelle
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Adult Learning Vol. 59, no. 2 (2019), p. 254-268
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- Description: Studies about equine therapies or equine experiential learning recommend that significantly more research, specifically longitudinal research, across age groups, genders, contexts and client cohorts needs to occur in diverse contexts. There exists diverse equine-related programs which engage with a range of cohorts, specifically; young children who have experienced abuse; adolescents who have experienced abuse and family violence and adults who have experienced family violence, psychiatric disorders, social anxiety and social isolation. The most common outcomes from the equine learning program studied for this article, from the case-studies and the thematic analysis includes; behavioural changes, stress relief, mind and body awareness and control, forming a relationship with an intuitive practitioner, guided meditations as a means of creating independent meditation techniques and re-engagement with education, work, friendships and family relationships. The mind-body awareness that is gained by participants of the program provides skills and techniques for individuals (and families) to utilise in every-day, with lifelong learning a crucial aspect of the program.
Surveying the landscape five years on : An examination of how teachers, and the teaching of Australia's shared-history, is constructed within Australian academic literature
- Authors: Weuffen, Sara
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Teaching and Teacher Education Vol. 78, no. (2019), p. 117-124
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- Description: The purpose of this paper is to conduct a literature review of academic debates relating to the Australian Curriculum: History (ACH), in particular subjective constructions of teachers, and the teaching of Australian History and Aboriginal peoples' and Torres Strait Islanders’ histories. The literature reviewed from a socio-political lens, examines functions of power/knowledge operating in discourses of education to illuminate how teachers, Aboriginal peoples, and Torres Strait Islanders, take up and/or resist subjectivities constructing them. Drawing from the toolbox of post-structuralism, this literature review troubles the notion of the non-Indigenous perspective as dominant, and the teacher as an active, non-critical participant in the process.
Classroom assessment as a reciprocal practice to develop students’ agency : A social cognitive perspective
- Authors: Fletcher, Anna
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Assessment Matters Vol. 12, no. (2018), p. 34-57
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- Description: The links among theory, teaching practice, and evidence of student learning have increasingly gained traction in the public discourse in much of the Western world, as educational policy makers seek to bring together accountability demands with the push for improvements in student learning. This article draws on the notion of teaching and assessment as generations informed by diverse theoretical viewpoints. The article pursues three goals. First, it identifies distinct elements of social cognitive theory and the concept of triadic reciprocality in relation to the concepts of student agency and reciprocity between teachers and students’ in-classroom assessment as a learning process. Secondly, the article outlines the transformation of assessment practice over three generations of pedagogical theory. Thirdly, it argues that social cognitive theory offers a recalibrated understanding of assessment as a student-centred learning process.
Māori Children’s Biliteracy Experiences Moving from a Kōhanga Reo Setting to a Kura Kaupapa Māori, Bilingual, and Mainstream Education Setting: An Exploratory Study
- Authors: Rona, Sariki , McLachlan, Claire
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies Vol. 53, no. 1 (2018), p. 65-82
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- Description: This research explored the biliteracy experiences of three kōhanga reo children as they started school in one of three school settings: a bilingual unit, a mainstream classroom, and kura kaupapa Māori. A Kaupapa Māori approach underpinned this research and guided the case study methodology employed. The children’s literacy experiences were observed on school entry and parents and teachers from each setting were interviewed regarding their aspirations for children and approaches to literacy. Key findings include the importance of effective teaching strategies, relationship building, the classroom environment, the reading programme employed, and approaches to assessment. The study highlights the importance of teachers who have culturally responsive pedagogies and can adapt pedagogies to meet the literacy learning needs of kōhanga reo children as they transition to school. It also highlights the need for further understanding of biliteracy learning in Aotearoa New Zealand schools, and the importance of assessment tools appropriate for bilingual children. © 2018, New Zealand Association for Research in Education.
Selection and rejection in teacher education: qualities of character crucial in selecting and developing teacher education students
- Authors: McGraw, Amanda , Fish, Tim
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education Vol. 46, no. 2 (2018), p. 120-132
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- Description: The focus of recent Australian political and media reports on the selection of candidates for initial teacher education programs has focused on the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) score as one of the key indicators of worth. This narrative study conducted in an Australian regional university focuses on the life stories of twelve pre-service teachers (PSTs) who received lower ATAR scores and who may well have been rejected by other universities. The PSTs’ narratives highlight that low achievement levels in the final years of schooling did not prevent them from being able to succeed in teacher education programs. We argue that high stakes tests as gatekeeping devices are simplistic measures that fail to recognise important qualities of character crucial to effective teaching. We suggest that qualities of character such as these are hard to quantify but are central to both selecting entrants to, and developing PSTs during, their teacher education programs.