Jazz cats unmasked : revealing tales/tails of jazz education, musicians and teachers

New Zealand jazz education has come of age in the last 30 years.  The presence of a jazz curriculum in schools and universities has reflected students' desire to study this vernacular music and an adherence to international shifts in music education.  Yet, the Jazz genre commands the least market share in terms of record sales and concert attendance worldwide.  Now often described as America's true 'classical music', the cogent questions would seem to be 'why jazz', 'why now' and 'why here'?  This book explores these questions through the narrative of two New Zealand-born jazz educators who have made considerable contributions in post-secondary settigns.  It takes a critical look at their musical lives, and the influence that experience, context  and self-perception has ontheir teaching philosophies.  Stripping back the layers created by predominant binaries of musician/educator, glocal/global, history/genealogy, formal/informal and generalist/specialist, thsi book makes liberal use of a range of  arts-informed methodologies to unmask the main actors in jazz education adding to the ongoing broader international discussion of future directions of the art.

Curriculum history of business computing in Victorian tertiary institutions from 1960-1985

Fifty years ago there were no stored-program electronic computers in the world. Even thirty years ago a computer was something that few organisations could afford, and few people could use. Suddenly, in the 1960s and 70s, everything changed and computers began to become accessible. Today* the need for education in Business Computing is generally acknowledged, with each of Victoria's seven universities offering courses of this type. What happened to promote the extremely rapid adoption of such courses is the subject of this thesis. I will argue that although Computer Science began in Australia's universities of the 1950s, courses in Business Computing commenced in the 1960s due to the requirement of the Commonwealth Government for computing professionals to fulfil its growing administrative needs. The Commonwealth developed Programmer-in-Training courses were later devolved to the new Colleges of Advanced Education. The movement of several key figures from the Commonwealth Public Service to take up positions in Victorian CAEs was significant, and the courses they subsequently developed became the model for many future courses in Business Computing. The reluctance of the universities to become involved in what they saw as little more than vocational training, opened the way for the CAEs to develop this curriculum area.

History of contact and change in the Goroka Valley, Central Highlands of New Guinea, 1934-1949

The thesis traces the interaction of the Goroka Valley people with European and coastal New Guinean intruders during the pacification stage of contact and change. In this 15 year period the people moved from a traditional subsistence culture to the threshold of a modern, European-influenced technological society. The contact experiences of the inhabitants of the Valley and the outsiders who influenced them are examined, using both oral and documentary sources. A central theme of this study is the attempts by Europeans and their coastal New Guinean collaborators to achieve the pacification of a people for whom warfare has been described as 'the dominant orientation'. The newcomers saw pacification as being inextricably linked with social, economic and religious transformation, and consequently it was pursued by patrol officers, missionaries and soldiers alike. Following an introductory chapter outlining the pre-contact and early-contact history of the Goroka Valley people, there is a discussion of the causes of tribal fighting in Highlands communities and two case studies of violent events which, although occurring beyond the Goroka Valley, had important consequences for those who lived within its bounds. The focus then shifts to the first permanent settlement of the agents of change -initially these were coastal New Guinean evangelists and policemen - and their impact on the local people. A period of consolidation is then described, as both government and missions established a permanent 'European presence in the Valley'. This period was characterised by vigorous pacification coupled with the introduction of innovations in health and education, agriculture, technology, law and religion. The gradual transformation of Goroka Valley society as a result of the people's interaction with the newcomers was abruptly accelerated in 1943, when many hundreds of Allied soldiers occupied the Valley in anticipation of a threatened Japanese invasion. Village life was disrupted as men were conscripted as carriers and labourers and whole communities were obliged to grow food to assist the Allied war effort. Those living close to military airfields-and camps were subject to Japanese aerial attacks and the entire population was exposed to an epidemic of bacillary dysentery introduced by the combatants. However the War also brought some positive effects, including paradoxically, the almost total cessation of tribal fighting, the construction of an ail-weather airstrip at Goroka which ensured its future as a town and administrative and commercial centre, and the compulsory growing of vegetables, coffee, etc, which laid the foundations for a cash economy and material prosperity. The final chapter examines the aftermath of military occupation, the return of civil administration and the implementation of social and economic policies which brought the Goroka Valley people into the rapid-development phase of contact. By 1949 Gorokans were ready to channel their aggressive energies into commercial competitiveness and adopt a cash-crop economy, to accept the European rule of law, to take advantage of Western innovations in medicine, education, transport and communications, to seek employment opportunities at home and in other parts of the country and to modify their primal world view with European religious and secular values. A Stone Age people was in process of being transformed into a modern society.

The future of distance education : reformed, scrapped or recycled

A mass of under-educated people, an expanding population, major global crises and an expanding knowledge economy all combine to sustain a massive demand for basic, further, higher, continuing and lifelong education.This demand cannot be met solely in the world’s classrooms; even if there were enough classrooms, many people will be unwilling or unable to attend them to learn. In this sense, distance education is essential for the future, but the fluidity around educational terms and practices means that it is also quite possible that ‘distance education’—the term and its history—will be towed to the scrap yard for many of its useful parts to be recycled. This chapter considers three key elements of distance education—technology, students and educational institutions—and the educational possibilities that surround them by reflection on past and present changes. The future of distance education is intimately connected to broader social, economic and cultural changes. These changes are strongly influenced by the ‘disruptive’ technologies, demographic transformations in the nature of distance learners and the pressures of global techno-capitalism on educational institutions.

Diabetes risk reduction behaviours of rural postpartum women with a recent history of gestational diabetes

Introduction: For most women, gestational diabetes is temporary; however, an episode of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) confers an approximately seven-fold increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Objective: To examine readiness to adopt diabetes risk reduction behaviours and the prevalence of these behaviours among rural women with GDM during their last pregnancy.
Methods: The study design was a self-administered mailed questionnaire seeking information about demographics, stage of change, physical activity level and dietary fat intake. Setting: Regional outpatient context. Participants: Women with a single episode of GDM between 1 July 2001 and 31 December 2005 (n = 210). Main outcome measures: Stage of change for physical activity, weight loss and reducing dietary fat behaviour; meeting activity targets, body mass index (BMI) and dietary fat score.
Results: Eighty-four women returned completed questionnaires (40% response rate). Of the 77 women eligible (mean age 35 ± 3.8 years), 58% met recommended activity targets. Sixty-three percent of women were overweight or obese: mean BMI 29.6 kg/m2 (± 7.30). Women reported a high level of preparedness to engage in physical activity, weight loss and reduction of fat intake. Thirty-nine percent of women had not had any postpartum follow-up glucose screening. Women who remembered receiving diabetes prevention information were significantly more likely to meet physical activity targets (p<0.05).
Conclusions: Readiness to engage in behaviour change was high among this group of rural women for all three diabetes risk reduction behaviours measured. However, despite a high proportion of women meeting activity targets and reducing fat intake, the majority of women remained overweight or obese. Postpartum follow-up glucose testing needs to be improved and the impact of diabetes prevention information provided during pregnancy warrants further study.

A curriculum innovation framework for science, technology and mathematics education

There is growing concern about falling levels of student engagement with school science, as evidenced by studies of student attitudes, and decreasing participation at the post compulsory level. One major response to this, the Australian School Innovation in Science, Technology and Mathematics (ASISTM) initiative, involves partnerships between schools and community and industry organisations in developing curriculum projects at the local level. This project fulfils many of the conditions advocated to engage students in learning in the sciences. ASISTM is underpinned by the notion of innovation. This paper describes the findings of case study research in which 16 ASISTM projects were selected as innovation exemplars. A definition of innovation and an innovation framework were developed, through which the case studies were analysed to make sense of the significance of the ideas and practices, participating actors, and outcomes of the projects. Through this analysis we argue that innovation is a powerful idea for framing curriculum development in the sciences at the local level that is generative for students and teachers, and that these ASISTM projects provide valuable models for engaging students, and for teacher professional learning.

Journeying on the frinj of outdoor education

In this chapter we offer a conceptualisation of the construction of the pedagogical relationship between people and place. This conceptualisation considers pedagogical experiences that might prompt students to think differently about relations between people and places of learnng often utilised within outdoor education. We see ourselves as journeying on the fiinj of outdoor education in so far as we are arguing for a reconceptualisation of what constitutes good 'pedagogical' practice within this field of inquiry. This observation is based on what we believe is a troubling perception that distinguishes between outdoor activities as a site for the refinement of practical knowledge, and the classroom as a space for the 'theoretical study of environmental history, ecology and the social studies of human-nature relationships' (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2005, p.1). Our objective is to argue for the value of a pedagogical approach that situates study of these rheoretical issues while journeying in the outdoors.

Mathematics curriculum reform : reproducing social inequalities

This book is essential reading for Australasian mathematics educators and other researchers with an interest in the history of mathematics curriculum, the culture of mathematics, gender, and social justice issues in mathematics. Drawing on the results of research conducted by the Educational Outcomes Research Unit at the University of Melbourne and historical documents, Richard Teese argues that the education system fails to diffuse the economic and cultural benefits assumed to flow from the completion of secondary schooling.

Technology for mathematics education : equity, access and agency

In this chapter, issues of equity – including gender, access, and agency – with respect to the learning of mathematics with technology are examined. Research findings are not equivocal. Compared to late developing countries, where issues of access to technology can be complicated by educational and cultural values and beliefs, there seems to be greater access to technology to be used for the learning of mathematics in developed nations. There also appears to be some disparity in findings on the relationship between technology use and gender differences in mathematics achievement; in some countries the gender gap favoring males may be closing, while in other countries, where there have been little or no gender differences in the past, the gap may be widening. Areas in which more research is needed have been identified.

Mathematics: Launching Futures Proceedings of the 24th Biennial Conference of The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc.

‘Mathematics: Launching Futures’ was the theme for the 24th Biennial Conference of The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc.It was the first national conference on mathematics education since the introduction of the Australian Curriculum and so addresses the support educators will need to implement this curriculum. It also addressed concerns regarding  the low numbers of students studying higher level mathematics at school and university. A major aim of the conference was the sharing of knowledge to encourage  and support teachers at all
stages of their careers. This conference featured a joint day with the 36th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA), aiming to enhance collaboations between researchers and teachers.

The presence of mathematics anxiety in future primary school teachers and factors affecting abatement

This study reflects on the implementation of various teaching initiatives for reducing anxiety toward mathematics in students studying to become primary school teachers. We highlight similarities between these practices and those promoted by the 'Whole Teacher' approach - in particular, the aim to develop attitudes along with knowledge and skills. Here, the negative past associations with mathematics and anxiety toward mathematics that students bring with them have been a key consideration when designing the subject content and delivery. Given the important role these students will have in shaping mathematics education in the future, we suggest frameworks such as that of the 'Whole Teacher' could be extended to the university setting. We investigate four years of student feedback pertaining to a first year undergraduate mathematics unit, contending that the teaching initiatives introduced over time have helped students develop a positive attitude toward mathematics. We note, however, that the student-teacher relationship was still the most prominent factor directly identified by students who previously had a fear or negative attitude toward mathematics.