Why 'that' question? Reimagining classroom reading activities from the basis of what we understand about engaged reading
- Authors: McGraw, Amanda , Mason, Mary , Lee, David
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Literacy learning Vol. 27, no. 3 (2019), p. i-vi
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- Description: The authors offer a series of strategies around re-engagement of students in reading, framed by the findings from a 6-year project. Listening carefully to what younger readers themselves say about reading, they interrogate ways that a number of school practices work against the pleasure of immersing readers in books. [Author abstract]
Understanding young children's attitudes towards reading in relation to their digital literacy activities at home
- Authors: Ozturk, Gulsah , Ohi, Sarah
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of early childhood research : ECR Vol. 16, no. 4 (2018), p. 393-406
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- Description: The effect of digital literacy practices upon young children's learning is a contentious and growing area for research and debate. Nowadays, children encounter many different types of texts through their everyday engagement with digital technologies. The study reported here investigated the relationships between 6 and 7-year-old children's home digital literacy practices, parental views about the use of technology and children's attitudes towards reading as perceived by the children and their parents. A total of 105 children and their parents, from two primary schools in Istanbul participated in this study. Parents completed a questionnaire about their views on the use of technology, their children's digital literacy experiences and their perceptions of their children's reading attitudes, while the children engaged in individual interviews. The results from this study indicate that children's attitudes towards reading are significantly related to both the frequency of their engagement in digital literacy activities in their homes and their parents' perception of their child's attitudes to reading. The findings suggest that parents can support children's enjoyment in reading by engaging in both digital and non-digital print experiences with their children. [Author abstract]
Power through the semiotic landscape
- Authors: Yao, Xiaofang , Gruba, Paul
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development Vol. 43, no. 5 (2022), p. 373-386
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- Description: The aim of this paper is to advance an understanding of power in linguistic landscape research. After setting out and discussing the concepts of ‘power over’, ‘power to’ and ‘power through’, we present a case study of Chinese semiotic assemblages in the Australian regional city of Bendigo. Our research includes ethnographic details of the processes of sign production and consumption, and illustrates the ways in which power relations have been experienced through semiotic objects specific to the Chinese culture. Importantly, such objects are contextualised as to provide insights into inclusion, values, ownership and literacy by those in this specific linguistic landscape. To conclude, we argue that a close examination of the linguistic landscape can inform various forms and interpretations of power relations in diasporic contexts. © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Daring not to lead : a poetic self-study examining the tensions of teacher educator identity
- Authors: McDonough, Sharon
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Studying Teacher Education Vol. 18, no. 3 (2022), p. 334-348
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- Description: This article simultaneously explores the dynamic nature of teacher educator identity and highlights the methodological potential of poetic inquiry in self-study. Using tensions as a conceptual framework to explore identity as a process of becoming, I draw from a series of found poems to examine my identity as a mid-career teacher educator working in a leadership position at an Australian university. In this article, I assert that poetic inquiry is a vehicle for representing the embodied, emotive aspects of ongoing identity development. I contend that poetic inquiry is a doorway to sharing experiences and understandings of identity in authentic, lived ways that speak back to metanarratives of academic work. Poetic self-study enables us to map the otherwise hidden tensions mediating our identity development and generate collective knowledge of what it can mean to be a teacher educator in higher education contexts. © 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
A longitudinal study on a place-based school-university partnership : listening to the voices of in-service teachers
- Authors: Ma, Hongming , Green, Monica
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Teaching and Teacher Education Vol. 129, no. (2023), p.
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- Description: This paper reports on a longitudinal place-based study by two Australian teacher educators investigating their three-year science-based school-university partnership. The study examined key benefits, challenges, and tensions within the partnership. Data collection was drawn from focus group interviews with in-service teachers across each partnership year. While findings portray the partnership as a catalyst for increased science learning opportunities for school students, teaching opportunities for pre-service teachers, and new in-service teacher roles and responsibilities, the study highlights the evolving nature of partnership development, including the need for continuous negotiation of labor division and stakeholder expectations. © 2023 The Authors
Learning communities and physical education professional development: A scoping review
- Authors: Parker, Melissa , Patton, Kevin , Gonçalves, Luiza , Luguetti, Carla , Lee, Okseon
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: European Physical Education Review Vol. 28, no. 2 (2022), p. 500-518
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- Description: Learning communities (LCs) in a variety of formats are touted as an effective strategy for continuing professional development (CPD) in physical education. This study’s purpose was to provide an overview of the research on LCs in physical education for professional development between 1990 and 2020. A scoping review undergirded the research process and search parameters included full-text empirical studies in 12 languages. Ultimately 95 studies were found. A descriptive analysis revealed teachers as the focus in 75% of the studies fewer studies focused on initial teacher education students, teacher educators, and facilitators. The largely qualitative studies reflected an international database (18 countries four multinational studies) with South Korea, the US, and England dominating the literature. Four features spotlight thematic findings: (a) facilitation, (b) the process of community development, (c) the focus of the group and (d) the product(s) of the group. Learning communities as a CPD approach in physical education appear to be effective in a variety of ways. Little evidence, however, exists regarding their sustained nature over time, or how teacher engagement in LCs may result in substantive student learning. Contributing to the scattered nature of literature to date was the interchangeable use of communities of practice (CoP) and other forms of LCs. Often communities were not theoretically aligned, the development process of communities not explained, nor evidence provided as to how the community studied contained the qualifying features of a CoP or LCs. Future research, therefore, should detail the nature of community and fidelity to the theoretical framework.
An online critical thinking course reduces misconceptions in the knowledge of personal trainers
- Authors: Jolley, Daniel , Davis, Melissa , Lavender, Andrew , Roberts, Lynne
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Studies in Continuing Education Vol. 44, no. 1 (2022), p. 39-54
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- Description: Personal trainers are a popular source of exercise guidance for the public but have been shown to have fundamental errors in their knowledge, and hold misconceptions about some exercise and nutritional concepts. Critical thinking skills have been found to relate inversely to misconceptions in other populations but this has not been examined in personal trainers. This study assessed the impact of an online, domain-specific, critical thinking course on the misconceptions and critical thinking ability (CTA) of personal trainers. One hundred and twenty-five participants were recruited into a randomised control trial. Participants completed measures of knowledge, misconceptions, CTA, and their use and perceived trustworthiness of sources of information about exercise and nutrition, then were allocated to either an intervention or control group. The intervention group completed the course over six weeks, while the control group waited six weeks before being surveyed again. Participants showed reduced endorsement of misconceptions and increased trust in reliable sources after completing the intervention. CTA improved in both the intervention and control groups. These results provide evidence that targeting critical thinking skills tailored to relevant content may contribute positively to the professional development of personal trainers. © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Young children’s design thinking skills in makerspaces
- Authors: Hatzigianni, Maria , Stevenson, Michael , Falloon, Garry , Bower, Matt , Forbes, Anne
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction Vol. 27, no. (2021), p. 100216
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- Description: The maker movement, expansion of makerspaces in schools and design activities utilising 3D apps and 3D printing technologies, allow educators to foster creativity through play and experimentation. However, little research exists to inform practice in makerspaces, particularly with young children, under eight years of age. This study adopted constructivist-referred methodology and examined how thirty-four children from Kindergarten to Grade 2 classrooms (5–8 year olds, three classrooms) designed and printed 3D objects using tablet devices, 3D printers, physical materials and IDEO’s five-stage design thinking model. Primary data comprised video screen recordings from separate episodes of pairs of children working together. Across the 16 h of analysed video, different manifestations of design thinking were observed. A range of makerspaces activities invoked creative, critical thinking, problem solving and decision-making skills, aligning with the IDEO design process. This study opens a powerful new door to rich learning potential for young children engaging in maker activities, and paves the way for teachers of young children to explore innovative approaches such as a design thinking, in their everyday practice.
Setting priorities for health education research : a mixed methods study
- Authors: Palermo, Claire , King, Olivia , Brock, Tina , Brown, Ted , Crampton, Paul , Hall, Helen , Macaulay, Janet , Morphet, Julia , Mundy, Matthew , Oliaro, Louise , Paynter, Sophie , Williams, Brett , Wright, Caroline , Rees, Charlotte
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Medical Teacher Vol. 41, no. 9 (2019), p. 1029-1038
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- Description: Introduction: Identifying priority research topics that meet the needs of multiple stakeholders should maximize research investment. Aim: To identify priorities for health education research. Methods: A three-stage sequential mixed methods study was conducted. Priorities for health education research were identified through a qualitative survey with 104 students, patients, academics, and clinicians across five health sciences and 12 professions (stage 1). These findings were analyzed using framework analysis and transposed into a quantitative survey whereby 780 stakeholders rated and ranked the identified priorities. Descriptive statistics identified priorities, exploratory factor analysis grouped priorities and differences between stakeholders were determined using Mann–Whitney U tests (stage 2). Six individual or group interviews with 16 participants (stage 3) further explicated the results from previous stages. Results: Of 30 priorities identified, the top were: how best to ensure students develop the required skills for work; how to promote resiliency and well-being in students; and ensuring the curriculum prepares students for work. For the majority of priorities, no significant differences were found between different stakeholder groups. Conclusions: These findings will be used to inform health educational research strategy both locally and nationally. Further research should explore if setting priorities can be translated effectively into education research policy and practice. © 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Policies and practices of early childhood education and care during the COVID-19 pandemic: Perspectives from five countries
- Authors: Visnjic-Jevtic, Adrijana , Varga Nagy, Anikó , Ozturk, Gulsah , Şahin-Sak, İkbal , Toran, Mehmet , Sánchez-Pérez, Noelia
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Childhood, Education & Society Vol. 2, no. 2 (2021), p. 200-216
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- Description: The COVID-19 pandemic, which affects all areas of life, has also affected children in need of education and care. It is of great importance to develop policies that take into account the best interests of children in this process. In this review article, the policies developed for early childhood education and care during the pandemic period in five countries (Australia, Croatia, Hungary, Spain, and Turkey), how they are implemented, the problems that arose, and the solutions produced are discussed. As a result, the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that we need to focus on eliminating the educational inequalities, set policies for the welfare of children on foundations that are more realistic, rebuild teacher training, and improve the welfare of families. Priorizating the best interests of the child in the policies to be developed and building the social ecology on justice will ease overcoming the crises that will be faced.
Data Praxis : Teacher educators using data to inform and enhance pre-service teacher mathematics
- Authors: Peter, Sellings , Robyn, Brandenburg
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Mathematics teacher education & development Vol. 20, no. 3 (2018), p. 61-79
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- Description: This paper explores how data can shape and enhance mathematics learning and teaching in an initial teacher education Learning and Teaching Mathematics Course for First Bachelor of Education Students in a Regional University. The implementation of a 'data praxis' approach to research, required the development of a custom-designed suite of data gathering tools and approaches to inform our mathematics teaching and enhance pre-service teacher mathematical learning, underpinned the conduct of the study. Praxis required the teacher educators to constantly and systematically interact with the data sets and refine the pedagogical approaches to mathematics teaching and learning. The results of this research highlight the gains that students made and the challenges for teacher educators who choose a data based approach. [Author abstract]
Teamwork and regional universities : the benefits for women of a third space (AUR 63 02)
- Authors: Goriss-Hunter, Anitra , White, Kate
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Universities Review Vol. 63, no. 2 (2021), p. 11-21
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- Description: This article reports on the findings of a study that explored the benefits and challenges for women of working at an Australian regional university in early 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines whether living and working at a regional university with dispersed campuses presented particular challenges for women and whether it had an impact on their career progression. Twenty-one women supplied written responses to a list of questions provided by the researchers. The main finding was that women enjoyed working in teams and preferred flexibility, autonomy and positive teamwork environments. To address challenges identified in the study about working across dispersed campuses and the limitations of virtual communication, particularly in the current pandemic, the article investigates the feasibility of a blended approach to teamwork using the concept of a third space. © 2021 National Tertiary Education Union. All Rights Reserved.
What do they do digitally? Identifying the home digital literacy practices of young children in Turkey
- Authors: Ozturk, Gulsah , Ohi, Sarah
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Early years Vol. 42, no. 2 (2022), p. 151-166
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- Description: Young children develop understandings about literacy from birth through experiences of print in their home environments. Today, written text is often present in children's homes in both print and digital forms. What kind of technologies are young children accessing at home and for what purposes? This paper discusses research findings from questionnaires completed by parents about the home digital literacy practices of 105 Turkish children aged 5-7 years and the nature of parental support for digital technology use at home. Parent interviews with five families further identified the technologies used, the children's repertoire of digital literacy practices and issues confronting parents about children's use of technology. The study revealed that children were actively engaged in multimodal practices through the use of digital technologies in play and learning in their homes. The main implications of this study are that it is important that educators be aware of children's existing digital home literacy practices as a foundation for further literacy learning and that parents may need support in understanding how technology use can contribute to children's literacy learning. Further research is warranted in this area.
The impact of an outdoor learning experience on the development of English creative writing skills : an action research case study of year 7 and 8 secondary school students in Australia
- Authors: Neville, Ian , Petrass, Lauren , Ben, Francis
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning Vol. 23, no. 2 (2023), p. 132-145
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- Description: Standardized literacy assessments that place emphasis on testing and attainment of results have caused many students, particularly in middle years schooling to be disenfranchised by literacy teaching and learning practices. This study employed an action research methodology to investigate whether an outdoor learning experience in a Year 7/8 English Writers Workshop course (including students aged 13–14 years) at a secondary school in Victoria, Australia enhanced creative writing capacity and engagement. This study was conducted in three stages, with qualitative and quantitative data collected. Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann-Whitney U tests demonstrated significant improvement in creative writing from pre-intervention to post-intervention (z =
An analysis of the nature of young students’ STEM Learning in 3D technology-enhanced makerspaces
- Authors: Forbes, Anne , Falloon, Garry , Stevenson, Michael , Hatzigianni, Maria , Bower, Matt
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Early Education and Development Vol. 32, no. 1 (2020), p. 172-187
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- Description: Research Findings: This study was undertaken to investigate learning processes and outcomes from using 3D design and printing technologies with children aged 5–8 years, in three schools in a metropolitan city in Australia. Data were collected from five sources (teacher interviews, surveys, journals; student interviews; and iPad screen recordings) and analyzed to identify themes responding to the question: What is the nature of students’ learning and learning processes in technology-enhanced Makerspaces? Findings report the perspectives of teachers and students, supplemented by screen recordings from the iPads. Students were found to have significant engagement in learning through involvement in these technology-enhanced Makerspaces, and to have developed skills and understanding in a number of areas including: digital technical proficiency, design thinking, problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. Findings are conceptualized using a research-informed Maker Literacies Framework, to better understand the nature of students’ learning and work processes while engaged in these environments. Practice or Policy: Findings imply that Makerspaces with 3D design and printing could be used to promote young children’s STEM literacies although teachers need to be mindful of the need to explicitly plan for and teach important STEM concepts, if learning in these disciplines is a goal. © 2020, © 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Global challenges : South African and Australian students’ experiences of emergency remote teaching
- Authors: Joubert, Michelle , Larsen, Ana , Magnuson, Bryce , Waldron, David , Sabo, Ellen , Fletcher, Anna
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice Vol. 20, no. 4 (2023), p.
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- Description: The COVID-19 pandemic forced universities worldwide to move their teaching online within an unprecedentedly short timeframe. Whilst the move online learning has increased the reach of tertiary educational delivery it has also raised significant issues of equity, accessibility and student engagement. This includes concerns around access to technology and reliable internet connectivity, academic and digital literacy, and other factors such as mental health and work-life balance. This paper examines two studies of student engagement with online learning during 2020 when then pandemic began. One study was conducted in South Africa the other in a small regional university in South-Eastern Australia. A mixed method approach was used in both studies and then student responses were analysed using the student engagement framework presented by Kahu and Nelson (2018). A key focus in this analysis is the critical importance the educational interface and shared mutually formative experience of learning between students and universities. Findings show that despite the two different contexts, student concerns around digital literacy and engagement in an online learning environment share many similarities. © 2023, University of Wollongong. All rights reserved.
Enriching research practices through knowledge about Indigenous research methodologies
- Authors: Bolton, Joanne , Remedios, Louisa , Andrews, Shawana
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Focus on health professional education Vol. 24, no. 2 (2023), p. 163-175
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- Description: Learning about Indigenous research paradigms and methodologies offers insights and reflexive opportunities for those who seek to improve their research practice. This paper explores how research at the "interface" can enrich scholarly inquiry across the academy. Whilst a single paper cannot do justice to the sophistication and nuance of Indigenous methodologies, as an authorship team of one Indigenous and two non-Indigenous academics and through our established relationship and subsequent conversations, we present in this paper seven distilled methodological learnings that can enrich standard qualitative research practice. We predominantly explored the work of Indigenous scholars worldwide and, where relevant, have drawn on non-Indigenous scholars when there may be "interface" compatibilities. We also build off some of our previous work, such as Andrews (2020a, 2020b, 2021) and Bolton and Andrews.
Exploring emotional and social competencies in undergraduate students: Perspectives from CALD and non-CALD students
- Authors: Yu, Mong-Lin , Brown, Ted , Hewitt, Alana , Cousland, Robert , Lyons, Carissa , Etherington, Jamie
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Educational Researcher Vol. 50, no. 3 (2023), p. 601-624
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- Description: With the internationalisation of higher education, students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds represent a significant proportion of the university student body in Australia. Research literature indicates that the unique cultural and linguistic challenges experienced by these students may adversely impact their academic performance and social integration in university settings. However, less is known about how the socio-emotional competencies of undergraduate CALD and non-CALD domestic English-speaking students compare. This cross-sectional quantitative study compares the emotional and social competencies in a cohort of CALD and non-CALD occupational therapy undergraduates. Data were collected at one Australian university from a group of 360 students enrolled in the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) course. Participants completed the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory– University edition (ESCI-U). Multivariate regression analyses were used to compare between CALD and non-CALD students, controlling for students’ year level of study, age, and gender. Key findings from the regression analysis included the observation of indicate that non-CALD students having significant higher scores than CALD students on all the ESCI-U socio-emotional subscales, especially the Emotional Self-control, Achievement Orientation, Empathy and Teamwork from western perspectives. No difference was found between CALD and non-CALD student on two cognitive competencies- systems thinking and pattern recognition. These findings should be interpreted with caution considering CALD students may interpret the questions differently and demonstrate the competencies in different ways. Specific emotional and social competencies that need to be strengthened in students are discussed and recommendations are made to inform the preparation of evidence-based curricula.
A gendered therapeutic learning landscape : responding creatively to a pandemic
- Authors: Foley, Annette , Weadon, Helen , McDonough, Sharon , Taylor, Rachel
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Adult Learning Vol. 62, no. 1 (2022), p. 8-30
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- Description: Crafting has occupied the hands and minds of women over many centuries providing vital connections with cultural skills and with community. While the COVID-19 pandemic has isolated women in their homes, it has also provided opportunities for women to reconnect to crafting through virtual spaces. This paper draws on a thematic analysis of a focus group interview examining the experiences of regional women participating in a crafting group and identifies the ways in which they used craft to support their wellbeing. Drawing on the concept of therapeutic landscapes, the paper highlights that connection in a virtual craft group supports lifelong learning and wellbeing, brings women together in support through a community of women’s practice and facilitates opportunities for producing meaningful and commemorative quilting projects This finding has implications for a society experiencing unprecedented levels of stress, mental illness and anxiety about the future. © 2022, Adult Learning Australia. All rights reserved.
The search for computer science concepts in coding animated narratives: tensions and opportunities
- Authors: Woo, Karen , Falloon, Garry
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Educational Computing Research Vol. 61, no. 7 (2023), p. 1335-1358
- Relation: https://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP190100228
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- Description: Coding is increasingly popular in schools around the world and is often taught by non-specialist teachers as an integrated task with other subject areas. In this article, we explore the relationship between computer science (CS) concepts and students’ multimodal expression in a coding animated narrative (CAN) task in the context of an integrated English-Technology unit of learning. Through this collective case study, we explore how CS concepts underpin semiotic elements of an animated narrative, analyse the factors that influence the extent to which students exercise those concepts, and reveal the tensions and opportunities that a CAN task may present for learning computer science concepts in regular, non-specialist, cross-curricular classrooms. The findings suggest that CAN tasks are unique in presenting opportunities for students to learn challenging CS concepts such as synchronisation and parallelism. At the same time, CAN tasks present tensions for teaching CS concepts in non-specialist classrooms, where student projects are often judged on their visual qualities. In such settings, procedural, rather than conceptual knowledge, may be a more efficient route to creative outcomes. It also means that drawing skills need to be prioritised. Role specialisation often led to better quality projects but at the expense of individual students’ conceptual development in computer science. © The Author(s) 2023.