Using a matrix in life transition research

Life transitions can be planned or can occur unexpectedly. They can cause a major change to a person's life patterns and well-being. Older adulthood is a time for many life transitions as a result of changes in life roles and health status. In this exploratory study, the authors investigate the transition involved in driving cessation for older people. In analyzing and organizing the data, they develop a matrix that incorporated descriptive and temporal factors associated with the transition. This matrix is useful in organizing and communicating the findings as a whole and could be used in describing individual experiences. It might be of use for the organization of qualitative data about other life transitions such as illness, retirement, and the development and adoption of new behaviors.

Middle Schooling Teacher Education: Where are we at in Australia?

Commonwealth and State bodies have made substantial investments into curriculum initiatives, research, and reform with a focus on middle schooling. To a considerable degree, the success of middle schooling is dependent upon teachers' preparedness to enact and embrace initiatives and research. Research has shown that the success of school improvement and reform initiatives hinges, in large part, on the qualifications and effectiveness of teachers (Killion, 1999; Garet, Porter, Desimone, Birman, & Yoon, 2001). While some research and professional development in Australia has targeted the school site, pre-service teacher education is clearly a vital yet under-researched area due to its relatively recent introduction. Recent research that includes middle years teacher education (MYTE) (Killion, 1999; Mertens & Flowers, 2004; NCES 2001; NMSA, 2003) and reports from a system that has been working with middle schooling for some time indicates that teachers need specific teacher preparation before they enter the middle level classroom and continuous professional development as they pursue their careers. In Turning Points 2000, one of the seven recommendations is to staff middle grades schools with teachers who are expert at teaching young people in their middle years, and engage teachers in ongoing, targeted professional development opportunities (Jackson & Davis, 2000). Given there are now two dedicated programs towards MYTE (Edith Cowan University and The University of Queensland), other institutions containing elements of MYTE, and others considering MYTE this symposium will summarise current initiatives and research in MYTE, critique the state and place of MYTE in Australia and begin discussions towards teacher education programs that improve the efficacy of middle schooling.