Aristotle on wisdom

Referring to Atistotle's Ethics and Politics, the thesis argues that knowledge of wisdom entails knowledge of how to acquire it. Accordingly, becoming wiser involves the development of one's virtues, and becoming a good human. It argues that Aristotle's ethical and political theory is applicable to present liberal democratic society: being a good citizen/administrator entails being a good human.

Human nature in Hobbes's political thought

This study of Thomas Hobbes's political thought maintains that, in Hobbes's abstract and historically presented view, short-sighted and self-absorbed people engaged in war to their ultimate harm. In Hobbes's societal remedy, citizens submissively obeyed centralised rule. Their compliance, and detachment from the political process, satisfied their wish for peace.

50 years of the Australian journal of political science

2015 marks the 50 year anniversary of the journal we now know as the Australian Journal of Political Science (AJPS). The Australian Political Studies Association (APSA) was established in 1956 and for a decade provided members with ‘a cyclostyled quarterly (newsletter), carrying articles, reviews and news and notes’ (Marchant 1966: 1). In 1965, at its annual conference the Association decided to change its name to include the adjective ‘Australasian’ ‘in order to take into account the increasing participation in APSA activities by political scientists in New Zealand’ (Marchant 1966: 1). The Association also decided to replace the newsletter with a new journal, Politics, a title it retained until 1990, when it became the AJPS.1 The secretary of AJPS, P.D. Marchant, expressed the aspirations for the new journal in the first ‘Foreword’.

Experiential learning in social science theory: an investigation of the relationship between student enjoyment and learning

This paper provides an analysis of student experiences of an approach to teaching theory that integrates the teaching of theory and data analysis. The argument that supports this approach is that theory is most effectively taught by using empirical data in order to generate and test propositions and hypotheses, thereby emphasising the dialectic relationship between theory and data through experiential learning. Bachelor of Commerce students in two second-year substantive organisational theory subjects were introduced to this method of learning at a large, multi-campus Australian university. In this paper, we present a model that posits a relationship between students' perceptions of their learning, the enjoyment of the experience and expected future outcomes. The results of our evaluation reveal that a majority of students:

•enjoyed this way of learning;
•believed that the exercise assisted their learning of substantive theory, computing applications and the nature of survey data; and
•felt that what they have learned could be applied elsewhere.

We argue that this approach presents the potential to improve the way theory is taught by integrating theory, theory testing and theory development; moving away from teaching theory and analysis in discrete subjects; and, introducing iterative experiences in substantive subjects.

A teacher`s attempts at change in a science classroom

This paper reports on a range of issues that arose when one teacher attempted to introduce change in a science classroom. A case study approach was used to identify and investigate the effects of change on student attitudes and responsiveness to science through the change process. Using strategies informed by a Victorian Government initiative, the Science in Schools Project (SIS), the teacher implemented a range of teaching ideas. Students' and the teacher's responses were tracked and highlighted some of the issues for a practising teacher. Data were gathered from surveys, interviews and observation of, and participation in, classroom sessions. Despite intense effort, student attitudes to science remained essentially unchanged. However, one of the most revealing aspects of the research was the isolation felt by the teacher in attempting to implement change

Wholly online learning in environmental science

In recent years there has been a significant shift in the way courses and subjects are delivered to students in tertiary institutions. Advances in technology have resulted in a change to the traditional face-to-face lecture and tutorial teaching format, with many subjects in tertiary education now available online. Although research has explored the advantages and disadvantages of online learning, there has been little attention paid to this teaching format in the field of environmental science. In particular, there is little evidence in the literature to suggest that this method of teaching is appropriate for studies in environmental science or for environmental science students. This study examined the outcomes from a wholly online subject in environmental science at Deakin University, Australia. More specifically, the study aimed to investigate student views about online learning in environmental science as well as online group work. Questionnaires were distributed to all students who completed the core second year subject Society and Environment in semester 1, 2005. Although many of the responding students (n = 48) recognised the benefits of wholly online learning, the findings suggest that most prefer to learn in a face-to-face environment. This paper examines the implications of these findings for future online teaching methods in this discipline.

The all for Australia league in New South Wales : a study in political entrepreneurship and hegemony

In 1931, the All for Australia League and other 'citizens movements' mounted a major challenge to the established conservative parties. Traditional views of the League saw it as a reflection of economic group interests, whether of the business establishment or dissident capitalists such as manufactures. More recent scholarship has stressed middle-class concerns with 'sound finance' as the inspiration of the League. This paper instead situates the League in the historical context of centre party projects in New South Wales, and of progressivism, in particular industrial psychology. The economic crisis and the rightward shift of the nationalists enabled a group of political entrepreneurs to transform the League from a front group for business into a populist movement. However, the shift of mainstream conservatism back to the political centre fatally undercut the League's support base.

Engaging students in authentic science through school - community links : learning from the rural experience

There is an increase in school-community linked initiatives in school science. A substantial proportion of these involve rural schools. This article asks the question: In what ways do these initiatives offer possibilities for better engaging rural students with school science? The paper draws on information from a number of school-community linked science initiatives in rural areas, including exemplars from the recent Australian School Innovation in Science, Technology and Mathematics (ASISTM) project, which were obtained primarily through interviews with participants. The initiatives are analysed in terms of an 'innovation framework', concerning the ideas and purposes underlying them, the knowledge and pedagogies used, and the experiences of the participants in the initiative. The paper concludes that these initiatives differ in significant respects from traditional school science, and offer the possibility of productive future directions. The authors discuss the challenges and policy directions that need to be pursued to represent these practices in mainstream curricula.

Effectiveness of recording in primary science : a study of the ability of junior primary school pupils to use drawing as an effective method of communication in science lessons

Drawing as a means of recording is a very common practice in junior primary science lessons. This is largely due to the availability of necessary materials. Also, most youg children have some degree of drawing skill and enjoy drawing activities. Since 1956 the science curriculum to be implemented in primary classrooms in Victoria has changed from one that was based largely on nature study (biological) to one that includes physical and technological aspects. Further, there have been changes in the teaching methodologies advocated for use in science lessons. A modified Interactive Teaching Approach was used for the studies. Drawing was the main means by which the children recorded information. The topic of 'shells' was used to enable collection of data about the children's enjoyment of the activity and satisfaction with their achievement. This study was replicated using the topic 'rocks'; again data were collected concerning satisfaction and enjoyment. During a series of lessons on 'snails' data were collected concerning the achievement of 'process' and 'objective' purposes that teachers might have in mind when setting a drawing activity. In addition to providing data about purposes the study stimulated some questions regarding the techniques the children had used in their drawings. Accordingly, data concerning the use of graphic techniques by the children were collected during a series of lessons on 'oils'. The data collected and analysed in the various studies highlighted the value of drawing in junior primary school science lessons. It also validated strategies developed by the author and designed to help teachers and children use drawing effectively in science activities.