List of Titles

STEM in the Making? Investigating STEM Learning in Junior School Makerspaces

- Falloon, Garry, Forbes, Anne, Stevenson, Michael, Bower, Matt, Hatzigianni, Maria

Authors: Falloon, Garry , Forbes, Anne , Stevenson, Michael , Bower, Matt , Hatzigianni, Maria
Date: 2022
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Research in science education (Australasian Science Education Research Association) Vol. 52, no. 2 (2022), p. 511-537
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Description: Makerspaces are recent additions to schools and have been promoted as a means of developing STEM knowledge and skills. According to literature, the practical nature of making supports deeper engagement with STEM concepts and enhances development of STEM capabilities such as creativity, critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration. However, to date, limited empirical work has been completed investigating STEM learning in school makerspaces. This article reports outcomes from a study of 24 classroom makerspaces, where 5-8-year olds used 3D printing technology to design and develop artefacts responding to different problems, needs and opportunities. Findings were mixed, with evidence supporting makerspaces as effective for STEM skill and disposition development but more limited in their capacity to build STEM knowledge, unless this was explicitly identified and targeted by teachers. This paper questions assumptions about makerspaces as implicitly effective for STEM knowledge-building, arguing that teachers must specifically target conceptual outcomes in planning and teaching if makerspaces are to be effective for this purpose. Also, findings suggest the need to rethink how makerspaces contribute to holistic STEM literacy development, moving beyond current perspectives focused on learning about STEM, to one where makerspaces are viewed as epistemic environments beneficial to knowledge-building, of STEM. Findings will be of value to educators considering makerspaces as a component of STEM curriculum and infrastructure development. [Author abstract]

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The experiences of New Zealand-based children in consuming fruits and vegetables

- Dresler, Emma, Whitehead, Dean, Mather, Aimee

Authors: Dresler, Emma , Whitehead, Dean , Mather, Aimee
Date: 2017
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Health Education Vol. 117, no. 3 (2017), p. 297-309
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Description: Purpose: It is known that the consumption of fruits and vegetables in children is declining despite wide-spread national and international policy attempts to increase consumption. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiences of children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables so as to facilitate better health education targeting. Design/methodology/approach: In this qualitative descriptive exploratory study, peer group interviews were undertaken with 18 girls and 18 boys, aged 8-11, from schools in the Manawatu region of New Zealand. Findings: The results show that children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables is dependent on balancing risk and reward. Children know and understand the importance of eating fruits and vegetables; however, the perceived risks are typically the prevailing determinant of consumption. These perceived risks often stem from children’s uncertainty about whether the fruits and vegetables will meet the child’s sensory preferences. To mitigate the risks perceived in eating fruits and vegetables, children employ a range of avoidance strategies. Originality/value: This study’s results indicate that a model of “associated” risk is a valuable tool to explain children’s fruit and vegetable consumption and preference behaviour and to assist in the development of future health education intervention campaigns. © 2017, © Emerald Publishing Limited.

Nagging, noobs and new tricks - students' perceptions of school as a context for digital technology use

- Bulfin, Scott, Johnson, Nicola, Nemorin, Selena, Selwyn, Neil

Authors: Bulfin, Scott , Johnson, Nicola , Nemorin, Selena , Selwyn, Neil
Date: 2016
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Educational Studies Vol. 42, no. 3 (Jul 2016), p. 239-251
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Description: While digital technology is an integral feature of contemporary education, schools are often presumed to constrain and compromise students' uses of technology. This paper investigates students' experiences of school as a context for digital technology use. Drawing upon survey data from three Australian secondary schools (n=1174), this paper considers the various ways in which students use digital devices and applications in school and for school. After highlighting trends and differences across a range of digital devices and practices, the paper explores the ways in which students perceive school as a limiting and/or enabling setting for technology use. The findings point to a number of ways that schools act to extend as well as curtail student engagement with technology. This paper concludes by considering the possible ways that schools might work to further support and/or enhance students' technology experiences.

Children's enjoyment of play during school lunchtime breaks : An examination of intraday and interday reliability

- Hyndman, Brendon, Telford, Amanda, Ullah, Shahid, Benson, Amanda, Finch, Caroline

Authors: Hyndman, Brendon , Telford, Amanda , Ullah, Shahid , Benson, Amanda , Finch, Caroline
Date: 2014
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Journal of Physical Activity & Health Vol. 11, no. 1 (January 2014 2014), p. 109-117
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Description: Background: Enjoyment and play during school lunchtime are correlated with children's physical activity. Despite this, there is an absence of studies reporting children's enjoyment of play during school lunchtime breaks. The purpose of this study was to examine the intraday and interday reliability of children's enjoyment of school lunchtime play. Methods: Surveys used to assess children's enjoyment of lunchtime play were distributed to and completed by 197 children (112 males, 85 females), aged 8-12 years attending an elementary school in Victoria, Australia. Children completed the surveys during class before lunch (expected enjoyment) and after lunch (actual enjoyment) for 5 days. The intra- and interday enjoyment of school lunchtime play reliability were determined using a weighted kappa. Results: Intraday kappa values ranged from fair (0.31) to substantial (0.75) within each of the 5 days (median kappa = 0.41). In comparison, "expected" (0.09-0.40; median 0.30) and "actual" (0.05-0.46; median 0.28) interday enjoyment of lunchtime play displayed low reliability. Conclusions: Children's enjoyment of lunchtime play appears to be more consistent within days than across days. The findings suggest that assessment of children's enjoyment of lunchtime play once on a single day would be representative of a particular day but not necessarily that particular school week.

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School Centres for Teaching Excellence (SCTE): understanding new directions for schools and universities in health and physical education

- Lynch, Timothy

Authors: Lynch, Timothy
Date: 2013
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Asia-Pacific Journal of Health, Sport and Physical Education Vol. 4, no. 3 (2013), p. 249-266
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Description: This paper critically analyzes a community collaborative approach for implementing Health and Physical Education (HPE) lessons within Gippsland primary schools (Victoria, Australia). The rural community collaborations reflected upon are embedded within the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) ‘School Centres for Teaching Excellence’ (SCTE) initiative and are timely with the current curriculum reform in Health and Physical Education. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on and share the experiential learning offered where the curriculum is relevant, engaging, contemporary, physically active, enjoyable and developmentally appropriate for all stakeholders; namely university pre-service teachers, primary school children and primary teachers. It is envisaged that through sharing the various dynamics involved in a SCTE program, educators may benefit and subsequently consider the suitability and possibility of establishing similar collaborations within their context.

Effectiveness of a 16 week gymnastics curriculum at developing movement competence in children

- Rudd, James, Barnett, Lisa, Farrow, Damian, Berry, Jason, Borkoles, Erika, Polman, Remco

Authors: Rudd, James , Barnett, Lisa , Farrow, Damian , Berry, Jason , Borkoles, Erika , Polman, Remco
Date: 2017
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 20, no. 2 (2017), p. 164-169
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Description: Abstract Objectives Internationally, children's movement competence levels are low. This study's aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of a 16 week gymnastics curriculum on stability, locomotive and object control skills and general body coordination. It was hypothesised that the gymnastics intervention group would demonstrate significant improvements beyond a PE comparison group. Design This study used a non-randomised control design. The intervention and comparison groups were drawn from three primary schools. The study followed the Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Nonrandomized Designs (TREND) statement for reporting. Methods A total of 333 children (51% girls, 41% intervention) with a mean age of 8.1 years ( sd = 1.1) participated. Intervention children (16 weeks x 2 hrs of gymnastics) were compared to children who received (16 × 2 hrs) standard PE curriculum. Children's movement competence was assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development–2, Stability Skills Assessment and the Körper-Koordinationstest für Kinder. Multilevel linear mixed models, accounting for variation at the class level and adjusted for age and sex, were used to assess intervention relative to comparison differences in all aspects of movement competence. Results Stability and object control skills showed a significant ( p < .05) intervention x time interaction effect. No difference was found in locomotor skills or general coordination. Conclusions Gymnastics is effective at developing stability skills and object control skills without hindering the development of locomotor skills or general coordination. Accelerated learning of stability skills may support the development of more complex movement skills.

The Deakin experience: discovery crafting and finessing a critical perspective with which to speak back

- Smyth, John

Authors: Smyth, John
Date: 2011
Type: Text , Book chapter
Relation: Education, social justice and the legacy of Deakin University: Reflections of the Deakin Diaspora p. 173-185
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Description: I will start at the beginning—even though I am sorely tempted to start from where I am at the moment and work backwards. There is a bit of history that is important to understanding my story.
Description: 2003009321

Understanding K-12 STEM Education: a Framework for Developing STEM Literacy

- Falloon, Garry, Hatzigianni, Maria, Bower, Matt, Forbes, Anne, Stevenson, Michael

Authors: Falloon, Garry , Hatzigianni, Maria , Bower, Matt , Forbes, Anne , Stevenson, Michael
Date: 2020
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Journal of science education and technology Vol. 29, no. 3 (2020), p. 369-385
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Description: In recent years, arguments have signalled the value of STEM education for building discipline knowledge and an array of capabilities, skills and dispositions, aligned with the needs of young people functioning productively and ethically in dynamic, complex and challenging future work, social and political environments. This combination has been termed STEM literacy and positioned as a desired outcome from STEM education programs. However, knowledge is limited on ways this can be developed in K-12 schools. This article introduces a framework that conceptualises the integrated nature of the characteristics of STEM education. It identifies and maps key characteristics of STEM education, recognising different entry points, curriculum designs and pedagogical strategies for school programs. The framework provides practical guidance for planning and implementing STEM education in schools.

Risk, education and culture: Interpreting danger as a dynamic, culturally situated process

- Hope, Andrew

Authors: Hope, Andrew
Date: 2018
Type: Text , Book chapter
Relation: Risk, Education and culture Chapter 1 p. 1-18
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Description: This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses upon the definition of key terms and the consideration of different cultural risk perspectives. It defines the terms culture, education and risk, and discusses the links between these three concepts. The book considers risk and culture, focusing on four different risk theories, namely the psychometric risk paradigm, the 'risk society' perspective, cultural hermeneutic approaches to risk and risk discourse analysis. The 'risk society' approach attempts to understand hazards that operate at a macro-political level. Drawing upon social anthropology and interpretative sociology, cultural, hermeneutic approaches maintain that risk is always social. Therefore, any understanding of risk needs to be situated within the cultural and political settings that gave rise to it. Educational researchers need to adopt the cultural risk perspective that best suits their research question and theoretical disposition.

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Investing in sustainable and resilient rural social space: Lessons for teacher education

- White, Simone, Lock, Graeme, Hastings, Wendy, Cooper, Maxine, Reid, Jo-Anne, Green, Bill

Authors: White, Simone , Lock, Graeme , Hastings, Wendy , Cooper, Maxine , Reid, Jo-Anne , Green, Bill
Date: 2021
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Australian and International Journal of Rural Education Vol. 31, no. 2 (2021), p. 46-55
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Description: Attracting and retaining effective education leaders and teaching staff for regional, rural and remote schools in Australia is a major sustainability and quality issue facing every State and Territory. It is also a major concern in pre-service teacher education, particularly for those universities which have a commitment to rural and regional areas.

Shaping science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum in Australian schools: An ecological systems analysis

- Falloon, Garry, Powling, Markus, Fraser, Sharon, Hatisaru, Vesife

Authors: Falloon, Garry , Powling, Markus , Fraser, Sharon , Hatisaru, Vesife
Date: 2022
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: The Australian journal of education Vol. 66, no. 2 (2022), p. 171-195
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Description: Improving young people's engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is being promoted worldwide as a means of addressing projected shortfalls in expertise needed to further nations' economic, social and environmental goals. Responding to this, schools are reforming traditional discipline-based curricula into interdisciplinary approaches based on problem and project-based designs, to make STEM learning more relevant and meaningful for students. This study drew on a dataset of 449 Australian principal and teacher interviews, to identify factors influencing STEM curriculum in their schools. It utilised Ecological Systems Theory to build understanding relating to the influence of activities and outputs originating at macro, exo and meso system levels, on STEM curriculum and practices in classrooms. Results demonstrated how many innovative schools were able to successfully leverage community, business and national resources to enhance their STEM curriculum, while others struggled due to limitations imposed by geographic or socio-economic factors, or limited access to resources, expertise or advice. Central to achieving this was the powerful influence of principals' and teachers' 'proximal processes and developmental assets' in establishing effective and engaging interdisciplinary STEM curricula, despite constraints imposed by, at best, ambiguous national and state curriculum and policies, rigid assessment regimes and compliance-focused reporting requirements.

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Investigating pedagogical, technological and school factors underpinning effective ‘critical thinking curricula’ in K-6 education

- Falloon, Garry

Authors: Falloon, Garry
Date: 2024
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Thinking Skills and Creativity Vol. 51, no. (2024), p.
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Description: Objective: This study investigated factors underpinning a successful technology-supported classroom curriculum, specifically designed to promote K-6 students’ critical thinking. Methods: Video and audio data illustrating 41 students’ application of critical thinking were collected using a unique display recording app installed on iPads. These were timeline analysed using a literature-generated framework comprising Indicators of critical thinking. Interview data were thematically analysed to build knowledge of teacher pedagogical and school factors supporting the curriculum. Results: Data indicated students mostly applied critical thinking for defining and clarifying concepts, presenting reasoned arguments and conclusions, questioning and challenging others’ perspectives, seeking evidence for claims made, and identifying and critiquing assumptions. Results highlight the important contribution of teacher theoretical knowledge, school-wide commitment to a ‘critical thinking’ curriculum, and common understanding of the broader purpose schooling, as foundational to the curriculum's success. Conclusion: Teaching for critical thinking was facilitated by close alignment between pedagogical, technological, and school environment factors. It was underpinned by a school-wide learning virtues and values framework emphasising students’ future competencies developed from extensive reading of research and learning theory, and was deliberately planned for. It reflected in theory-informed task design, technology selection, and pedagogy. Practice: Critical thinking has been identified in school curricula as an important capability. However, while imperatives and general principles promoting critical thinking in schools are detailed in official documents, few examples exist illustrating how critical thinking can be fostered in K-6 education. Implications: Explicit teaching for critical thinking should be considered a priority by teachers at all school levels. Given rapid technological advances such as AI, and implications these hold for students’ critical information literacy, this study provides timely guidance on how explicit teaching for critical thinking might be approached in K-6 education. © 2023 The Author(s)

Communities of interest: Three unique studies in wider university and school partnerships in Australia

- Barron, Deirdre, Zeegers, Margaret

Authors: Barron, Deirdre , Zeegers, Margaret
Date: 2012
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Proceedings of World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology Vol. 6, no. 6 (June 2012 2012), p. 1009-1013
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Description: In this paper we canvass three case studies of unique research partnerships between universities and schools in the wider community. In doing so, we consider those areas of indeterminate zones of professional practice explored by academics in their research activities within the wider community. We discuss three cases: an artist-in-residence program designed to engage primary school children with new understandings about local Indigenous Australian issues in their pedagogical and physical landscapes; an assessment of pedagogical concerns in relation to the use of physical space in classrooms; and the pedagogical underpinnings of a costumed museum school program. In doing so, we engage issues of research as playing an integral part in the development, implementation and maintenance of academic engagements with wider community issues.

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