Family Mobility : Reconciling Career Opportunities and Educational Strategy

Family mobility decisions reveal much about how the public and private realms of social life interact and change. This sociological study explores how contemporary families reconcile individual members’ career and education projects within the family unit over time and space, and unpacks the intersubjective constraints on workforce mobility. This Australian mixed methods study sampled Defence Force families and middle class professional families to illustrate how families’ educational projects are necessarily and deeply implicated in issues of workforce mobility and immobility, in complex ways. Defence families move frequently, often absorbing the stresses of moving through ‘viscous’ institutions as private troubles. In contrast, the selective mobility of middle class professional families and their ‘no go zones’ contribute to the public issue of poorly serviced rural communities. Families with different social, material and vocational resources at their disposal are shown to reflexively weigh the benefits and risks associated with moving differently. The book also explore how priorities shift as children move through educational phases. The families’ narratives offer empirical windows on larger social processes, such as the mobility imperative, the gender imbalance in the family’s intersubjective bargains, labour market credentialism, the social construction of place, and the family’s role in the reproduction of class structure.

An evaluation framework for educational reform projects for teacher quality improvements in developing countries : a case study of Egyptian education reform

The role of the evaluation for Official Development Assistance (ODA) enterprises including educational development has become critical after increasing “aid fatigue” experienced by the international community in the 1990s. To date, however, monitoring and evaluating outcomes of the projects has been limited to the project life. Consequently these have been mainly through the international aid agencies. Furthermore, the monitoring and evaluation led by international aid agencies have paid little attention to aspects of the sustainability of technical cooperation in educational development. To sustain the impact of technical cooperation, the reinforcement of evaluation has drawn increasing attention in light of the emerging modalities in international development. Therefore this research was inspired to investigate alternative evaluation frameworks for an educational reform project for teacher quality improvement that may increase possibilities for long term sustainability. Importantly, the new modalities in international development and educational issues provide new options. In addition, the research reviewed theoretical and practical issues surrounding evaluation in general, and highlighted the evaluation of education reform projects. The research reported explored via case studies, the evaluation processes employed by the Egyptian education reform projects implemented by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The case studies used three data sources (archival and relevant documents, a survey questionnaire and interviews) to illuminate the contextually-embedded evaluation processes. The research found that process evaluation is a potential alternative method since it is likely to be locally institutionalised, which may yield long-term sustainability of the projects.

Practice briefing : Is BOT the best financing model to procure infrastructure projects? A case study of the Hong Kong-Shuhai-Macau Bridge

Abstract: Purpose – Several major infrastructure projects in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) have been delivered by the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model since the 1960s. Although the benefits of using BOT have been reported abundantly in the contemporary literature, some BOT projects were less successful than the others. This paper aims to find out why this is so and to explore whether BOT is the best financing model to procure major infrastructure projects. Design/methodology/approach – The benefits of BOT will first be reviewed. Some completed BOT projects in Hong Kong will be examined to ascertain how far the perceived benefits of BOT have been materialized in these projects. A highly profiled project, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, which has long been promoted by the governments of the People's Republic of China, Macau Special Administrative Region and the HKSAR that BOT is the preferred financing model, but suddenly reverted back to the traditional financing model to be funded primarily by the three governments with public money instead, will be studied to explore the true value of the BOT financial model. Findings – Six main reasons for this radical change are derived from the analysis: shorter take-off time for the project; difference in legal systems causing difficulties in drafting BOT agreements; more government control on tolls; private sector uninterested due to unattractive economic package; avoid allegation of collusion between business and the governments; and a comfortable financial reserve possessed by the host governments. Originality/value – The findings from this paper are believed to provide a better understanding to the real benefits of BOT and the governments' main decision criteria in delivering major infrastructure projects.

A QUT experience in combining sustainability research with educational activities and professional practice

The paper discusses the development and delivery of a university subject on sustainable construction, using related research projects as case studies and learning materials. It exposed students from a variety of disciplines to real life scenarios, to group around project cases, and learn to work with one another in solving sustainable development problems. The problem based learning approach directly responds to the new trends of learning by practising which, in the area of sustainability education, is particularly appropriate because of the need for multidisciplinary approach to complex issues, and the impetus for research and development to provide timely input for education in this growing discipline with a relatively short history. Collaboration of students from cross-disciplines, the engagement of industry and practitioners, the concept of using project cases and student design competition, and the tangible improvement of students’ comprehension of the sustainability phenomenon as a whole, have been the highlights of this Australian experience.

Joining the dots : piloting the work diary as a data collection tool for educational research

This paper demonstrates the affordances of the work diary as a data collection tool for both pilot studies and qualitative research of social interactions. Observation is the cornerstone of many qualitative, ethnographic research projects (Creswell, 2008). However, determining through observation, the activities of busy school teams could be likened to joining dots of a child’s drawing activity to reveal a complex picture of interactions. Teachers, leaders and support personnel are in different locations within a school, performing diverse tasks for a variety of outcomes, which hopefully achieve a common goal. As a researcher, the quest to observe these busy teams and their interactions with each other was daunting and perhaps unrealistic. The decision to use a diary as part of a wider research project was to overcome the physical impossibility of simultaneously observing multiple team members. One reported advantage of the use of the diary in research was its suitability as a substitute for lengthy researcher observation, because multiple data sets could be collected at once (Lewis et al, 2005; Marelli, 2007).

APS grant enhances educational psychology’s impact in Bangladesh

The APS Grant for Intercultural and/or International Projects of up to $10,000 supports innovative projects that have an intercultural and/or international focus, particularly in countries where psychology is an emerging discipline. Associate Professors Linda Gilmore MAPS and Marilyn Campbell MAPS from Queensland University of Technology were awarded the APS Grant in 2010-11. Their project aimed to promote and advance the profession of psychology in Bangladesh by supporting the newly introduced specialisation of educational psychology. With a population of 159 million in a country only twice the size of Tasmania, Bangladesh is one of the poorest and most densely populated countries in the world. Yet at the time this project commenced, there was only one school psychologist in the entire country. Linda Gilmore shared her experiences and insights about the project with InPsych.

Constructing Technology Projects with Young Children : Four Detailed Case Studies of Mounting Constructivist Learning Projects Using Dimple Technologies for Young Children

The work by graduate teachers in this volume represent intentional design of learning experiences using technology for Early Childhood settings. They were given a two-part design task: a sequence of lessons organised around a themed project; and the collection of resources to support such activities. The project had to be constructive in nature where the children built objects and representations that were meaningful to them. The excellent works presented here offer a range of approaches that would be suitable in a variety of contexts. Because they are reasoned, these projects offer flexibility in implementation along with confidence that they would be effective.

Australian learning and teaching council projects in the mathematical sciences : a retrospective

Since 2004, the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) and its predecessor, the Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, have funded numerous teaching and educational research-based projects in the Mathematical Sciences. In light of the Commonwealth Government’s decision to close the ALTC in 2011, it is appropriate to take account of the ALTCs input into the Mathe- matical Sciences in higher education. Here we present an overview of ALTC projects in the Mathematical Sciences, as well as report on the contributions they have made to the Discipline.

AITSL pilot projects [Queensland University of Technology : The existing school-based practices and processes for the use of NAPLAN data] Final report

This pilot project investigated the existing practices and processes of Proficient, Highly Accomplished and Lead teachers in the interpretation, analysis and implementation of National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) data. A qualitative case study approach was the chosen methodology, with nine teachers across a variety of school sectors interviewed. Themes and sub-themes were identified from the participants’ interview responses revealing the ways in which Queensland teachers work with NAPLAN data. The data illuminated that generally individual schools and teachers adopted their own ways of working with data, with approaches ranging from individual/ad hoc, to hierarchical or a whole school approach. Findings also revealed that data are the responsibility of various persons from within the school hierarchy; some working with the data electronically whilst others rely on manual manipulation. Manipulation of data is used for various purposes including tracking performance, value adding and targeting programmes for specific groups of students, for example the gifted and talented. Whilst all participants had knowledge of intervention programmes and how practice could be modified, there were large inconsistencies in knowledge and skills across schools. Some see the use of data as a mechanism for accountability, whilst others mention data with regards to changing the school culture and identifying best practice. Overall, the findings showed inconsistencies in approach to focus area 5.4. Recommendations therefore include a more national approach to the use of educational data.

Educational action research in Singapore: To prove or improve?

The rise of educational action research amongst schools in Singapore can be attributed to the government’s belief that educational research and reform can improve school performance and help Singapore keep pace with the impact of globalization. However, against a backdrop of neo-liberal educational reform where efficiency, accountability and demonstrable outcomes are valued, the underlying intent of the action research projects would seem to be inconsistent with the emancipatory intent normally associated with action research. A systematic review was conducted of 71 action research projects submitted to a local educational conference in 2006. Of concern to us is how action research has been narrowly interpreted and recruited simply as an evaluative tool with the emancipatory potential largely ignored. The paper is theoretically framed by governmentality and performativity to explore the embedded power relations that may “fabricate” the action research projects. The findings and discussions suggest a need for the government, schools and teacher-researchers to reflexively question the current expectation of action research and to be clear about its broader purpose

The pedagogic prosthetic: Augmented learning as content-in-motion in hybrid educational spheres

This article draws on the design and implementation of three mobile learning projects introduced by Flanagan in 2011, 2012 and 2014 engaging a total of 206 participants. The latest of these projects is highlighted in this article. Two other projects provide additional examples of innovative strategies to engage mobile and cloud systems describing how electronic and mobile technology can help facilitate teaching and learning, assessment for learning and assessment as learning, and support communities of practice. The second section explains the theoretical premise supporting the implementation of technology and promulgates a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. The third section discusses mobility, both in terms of the exploration of wearable technology in the prototypes developed as a result of the projects, and the affordances of mobility within pedagogy. Finally the quantitative and qualitative methods in place to evaluate m-learning are explained.

Knowledge Sharing within IT Projects

Even though today’s corporations recognize that they need to understand modern project management techniques (Schwalbe, 2002, p2), many researchers continue to provide evidence of poor IT project success. With Kotnour, (2000) finding that project performance is positively associated with project knowledge, a better understanding of how to effectively manage knowledge in IT projects should have considerable practical significance for increasing the chances of project success. Using a combined qualitative/quantitative method of data collection in multiple case studies spanning four continents, and comprising a variety of organizational types, the focus of this current research centered on the question of why individuals working within IT project teams might be motivated towards, or inhibited from, sharing their knowledge and experience in their activities, procedures, and processes. The research concluded with the development of a new theoretical model of knowledge sharing behavior, ‘The Alignment Model of Motivational Focus’. This model suggests that an individual’s propensity to share knowledge and experience is a function of perceived personal benefits and costs associated with the activity, balanced against the individual’s alignment to a group of ‘institutional’ factors. These factors are identified as alignments to the project team, to the organization, and dependent on the circumstances, to either the professional discipline or community of practice, to which the individual belongs.