1,720,970 research outputs found
Curriculum is overcrowded, neglects national heritage: review
No full textThere has been a mixed reaction to a review that has found the national school curriculum is \u27overcrowded\u27, and neglects the importance of western civilisation.
The review, which was commissioned by the Abbott Government, was conducted by conservative education commentator Kevin Donnelly and public administration professor Ken Wiltshire.
While it found that there is too much in the curriculum - particularly in the primary years - it also finds that there is too little focus on the nation\u27s Judeo-Christian heritage.
Presented by Fran Kelly, with guest Dr Libby Tudball, member of the review\u27s advisory panel on civics and citizenship, and senior lecturer at the Faculty of Education at Monash University
Improving teaching and learning in a middle school English faculty
No full textThis thesis investigated the way in which a group of teachers worked collaboratively to form a professional learning community (PLC) in a middle school English department, with the aim of improving their teaching and their students' learning in English. The case study captured and evaluated the impact of involvement in the PLC on the individual teachers' attitudes towards their teaching and how the process led to changes in the quality of their teaching practice. Literature reveals that professional learning communities are an effective form of professional development when teachers work collaboratively with a shared vision, common goals, clear structures, a focus on student learning, and sharing of expertise to improve practice. It was my intention to utilise this framework of a PLC in an attempt to improve our practice. In this research I adopted a qualitative approach, through the development of a case study of a PLC with elements of action research. I worked with the participants in a series of PLC sessions as we developed a shared vision and purpose and de-privatised our practice to learn through shared reflection. Data was collected during these sessions through observation and semi structured interviews. I was a participant observer in this process and recorded my own reflections. The participants were volunteers from the English Department in an urban private school. The wider purpose of the research was to heighten the understanding within the case study school of what constitutes professional learning, how it can be developed through shared practitioner research and to document and understand the importance of a PLC as a means of improving teaching practice within the school. The study found that teachers who are motivated to work collaboratively in a professional learning community, to develop a shared vision and a focus on student learning, can improve their teaching practice and become more engaged and motivated professionals as a result of their collegial involvement, reflection on their practice and sharing of pedagogy, and this process can help to develop pedagogy that can improve student learning
Tensions in developing international mindedness in international Baccalaureate schools
No full textThis thesis aimed to investigate how international mindedness is developed by adolescent learners at the school level, in order to develop new knowledge and understanding of this process. The research focused on students studying the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) in two schools, in Australia and in an Indian Ocean Island Nation (a pseudonym used for de-identifying reasons). The study investigated the students’ understandings and experiences of international mindedness, the tensions they experienced in developing it, and the formation of their identities as part of this process. Schools worldwide are increasingly interested in internationalisation and how learners develop international mindedness, with a sense of connectedness with the local and the wider global world. But there has been a dearth of grounded research on international education at the school level which focuses on the ways students develop a sense of international mindedness within an international curriculum like the IBDP, as well as through their broader schooling experiences in different contexts. The literature review found that international mindedness is a highly valued commodity as well as a determining philosophical leitmotiv on the international education agenda. The two school case studies in this thesis were analysed through a socio-cultural lens, and learners’ development of international mindedness was explored through their sense of being, belonging and becoming. First, IB students from two schools in Australia and Indian Ocean Island Nation were surveyed to their perceptions of international mindedness across different socio-cultural and historical contexts. Second, students from the two schools were interviewed to develop insights into their individual experiences of developing international mindedness. The findings from the survey and case studies provided evidence that students’ background, family upbringing, the socio-cultural contexts of the schools, the school ethos and enacted IBDP curriculum are important factors and forces that shape students’ sense of international mindedness in varied ways. The study found that students experience significant tensions in their development of international mindedness in the IBDP programme and in their sense of identification with the cultures and knowledges of the host school and nation. Students have a highly personal and individual understanding of international mindedness because of the uniqueness of their experiences. The study concluded that the development of international mindedness is a complex and multi-faceted experience that is significantly influenced by context. It found that students require further opportunities for developing their understanding of their local communities and the wider world within their studies, so they can develop the intercultural and global competencies and sense of personal identity that are so central to international mindedness in the 21st century
New schools of thought - developing thinking and learning communities
No full textThis thesis aimed to develop new knowledge and understanding of how the characteristics of professional learning communities (PLCs) affect their everyday functioning through an investigation of teacher learning in schools developing a thinking curriculum centred on the Habits of Mind. The research project focused on two major case studies of schools engaged in the introduction of the Habits of Mind; exploring the structures, systems and dynamics that influenced teacher learning, collaboration and the growth of the PLCs. The research investigated the learning experiences of the teachers and school leaders involved in the PLCs that were established in each setting to support this process. For this reason, within each of these major studies, a number of smaller case studies were also examined, focusing on the individual experiences of these educators. As I was an active participant in the research, through my joint role as researcher and school leader responsible for leading these initiatives in each school, my own experiences are explored alongside those of the other participants in the study. The core characteristics of the PLCs explored included: the evolution of shared vision and mission; sustained action learning and experimentation; shared reflection and the collaborative exploration of mental models; distribution of leadership amongst teachers for action and change; investigation and application of systems thinking; and the development and diversification of professional practice. The findings from the study provided evidence that the characteristics of the PLCs worked to support professional learning in relation to both the Habits of Mind and school improvement in each setting, but found that variables in the implementation of these characteristics, such as leadership support for the vision and mission of the PLC, had a marked impact on the results. The wider adoption of distributed leadership models and consistent engagement with systems thinking approaches within the schools were also found to be highly significant influences upon the efficacy and durability of the PLCs. In addition, the study concluded that teacher inquiry into the Habits of Mind in each setting worked to not only deepen understanding of teaching and learning in relation to the development of effective learning dispositions, but also play an important formative influence on the growth and dynamics of the PLCs themselves. Conclusions and recommendations from the study were made to help inform the further development of PLCs focused on the Habits of Mind, skilful thinking and effective learning dispositions in schools; as well as contributing to understanding of effective models for the professional development of teachers, organizational improvement and school-based, practitioner research
Civics and Citizenship Education in Australia: Developing Authentic and Engaging Pedagogies to Empower Young Citizens
No full textTheoretical Perspectives and Pedagogical Possibilities in the New Civics and Citizenship Curriculum
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Developing Student Wellbeing Through Education for Sustainability: Learning from School Experience
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