Use and perceptions of worked example videos for first-year students studying mathematics in a primary education degree

Worked example videos have great potential to be useful for students when learning mathematics as they can work through the questions at their own pace, pausing as needed, but still learn from the way the demonstrator thinks and solves problems. We created worked example videos each week for a mathematics subject taught in the first year of a primary education degree and investigated student perceptions and their usage patterns. An additional aspect of this undertaking was the inclusion of subtitles to make the videos accessible to hearing impaired and ESL students. This report will reflect on the process of creating these videos, as well as some initial findings on their success.

Women’s cycling participation in Australia: examining influences and the role of cycling education

Cycling education programs were found to provide much needed support to Australian women as they commenced participation in different forms of cycling. To further encourage women’s participation, a network of cycling education providers, social riding groups and bicycle retailers could be established make cycling a less daunting prospect for new participants.

Enriching interdisciplinary connections : student engagement in theory and practice in higher education programs in Australia and the UK

This paper provides insight into how postgraduate students in two pre-service disciplines, namely medicine and education, identify and make meaning of their circumstances in the globalised era of tertiary education.
Drawing on elements of Giddens’ theory of structuration, we discuss some of the tensions students have reported encountering in an era which is characterised by greater internationalisation of the student body and more globalised curricula.

Australia's response to sexualised or sexually abusive behaviours in children and young people.

Responding to children and young people with sexualised or sexual offending behaviours presents significant challenges across the allied health, child protection, education and juvenile justice sectors. This report maps the specialised therapeutic services designed to effect positive behavioural change and thus divert young people with sexualised behaviours from the juvenile justice system. Accurate numbers on children with sexualised or sexual offending behaviours are difficult to determine. There are several factors contributing to this gap in understanding. These include entrenched ideals about children as inherently innocent, widespread ignorance about developmental sexuality, and the tendency of both young people and parents to deny or minimise incidents when they do occur.

In Australia, data on children with sexualised behaviours are not collected uniformly and nondisclosure contributes to what might be large numbers of offences going undetected. Mandatory reporting requirements apply where children display sexualised behaviours and are thought to be at risk of harm. Yet a general lack of knowledge as to what constitutes appropriate behaviour means that many may respond inappropriately to incidents of sexualised behaviours. This context of confusion, denial and non-disclosure creates a hidden population of children that continues to be at risk. Attention to redressing the contexts for non-disclosure is urgently required to ensure that children in need are provided with specialised therapeutic care.

This report presents qualitative data from interviews with specialised clinicians as well as submissions from service providers in both community and youth justice settings. In mapping the availability of therapeutic services, this report highlights a number of geographic and demographic gaps in service provision, including difficulties with eligibility criteria, referral pathways, funding arrangements and specialised workforce development. There are multiple challenges facing the tertiary services sector, yet the comprehensive provision of specialised services is just one part of the response required. This study emphasises the need for effective primary and secondary prevention to effect a reduction in the numbers of young people requiring counselling in the future. Consistent with the public health model, this report prioritises professional and community education strategies that would ultimately necessitate fewer tertiary services for young people and fewer places in juvenile detention centres.

Science teacher educator partnerships with schools (STEPS): developing an interpretive framework for primary science teacher education

The STEPS Project responds to international concern about primary teachers’ lack of science knowledge and confidence to teach science, and recent questioning of the effectiveness of traditional approaches to teacher education. The project reviews and builds on established, innovative and successful practices at five universities, to develop and promote a framework supporting school‐based approaches to pre‐service teacher education. This paper will outline the processes involved in developing an Interpretive Framework, which will be a key outcome of the project. The Interpretive Framework identifies key elements to assist teacher educators in planning, implementing and sustaining school-based approaches to teacher education.

The role of teachers in delivering education about respectful relationships: exploring teacher and student perspectives.

The focus of this article is a school-based respectful relationships (RRs) pilot project involving grade 8 and 9 students. The project sought to develop a primary prevention approach to gender-based violence (GBV) in Australia. Of particular concern is the curriculum delivery component of a whole school approach that was piloted over a 10-week period in four High Schools in Melbourne, Victoria in 2010. Using data collected from teachers and students through survey, focus group interviews and student written reflections, the article identifies the key role of the teacher, the curriculum materials and the curriculum context in assisting teachers to teach about GBV. Although there was opposition to teaching specifically about GBV by some male teachers, the data indicate that this did not detract from teachers exploring these issues under a 'RRs' framework. Through 'supported risk taking', and the adoption of participatory teaching approaches and affirming and inclusive classrooms, teachers and students ended up with a positive experience of teaching and learning about GBV.

Associations between socioeconomic status and primary total knee joint replacements performed for osteoarthritis across Australia 2003-10: data from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry

Relatively little is known about the social distribution of total knee joint replacement (TKR) uptake in Australia. We examine associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and TKR performed for diagnosed osteoarthritis 2003-10 for all Australian males and females aged ≥30 yr.

Australian primary in-service teachers’ conceptions of geography

This paper reports on the second part of a two pronged qualitative investigation that examines the ways in which Australian primary teachers conceptualise geography and geography teaching. In the first part of the project, 47 pre-service primary teachers were surveyed. In this paper, I draw on interviews with six in-service primary teachers to explore their experiences, conceptions and perceptions of geography. The findings indicate a noticeable difference between the conceptions of geography held by experienced teachers and those of early career, in-service teachers. Similar to the pre-service teachers studied in part one of this study, the early career teachers had a narrow, information-oriented conception of geography and geography education. Conversely, the experienced teachers portrayed more complex, relational and process-oriented perspectives. The paper concludes by exploring some of the implications for the implementation of the new National geography curriculum in Australia.

Australian primary pre-service teachers’ conceptions of geography

This article reports on the results of a survey of Australian primary pre-service teachers’ experiences, conceptions and perceptions of geography. Research was conducted with two cohorts of undergraduate primary pre-service teachers; one group in second year and another in the final year of a four-year teacher education course. The findings show congruence with similar studies conducted in the UK and indicate that pre-service teachers had a very narrow conception of geography and geography education; a conception that was information-oriented and focused on broad knowledge about the world and locational knowledge and skills. The article concludes by exploring some of the implications for the implementation of the new national geography curriculum in Australia and for primary pre-service geography teacher education more broadly.

Science teacher education partnerships with schools (STEPS): partnerships in science teacher education

This paper reports on the STEPS project which addressed international concerns about primary teachers' lack of confidence to teach science, and on-going questions about the effectiveness of teacher education. The five universities involved had each independently established a science education program incorporating school-based partnerships between the university and local schools to enable primary pre-service teachers (PSTs) to teach science. The diversity of the programs enabled an examination of the relevant literature underpinning the approaches and comparison of data from participants to identify key features and success factors for establishing and maintaining working relationships with schools. This preliminary analysis of learning from STEPS uses case studies and feedback from PSTs who participated. These findings indicate that authentic teaching experiences build the confidence of PSTs to teach science. Ultimately, the project will develop an Interpretive Framework which will articulate the characteristics of partnerships to be validated through feedback from other science educators from Australia and overseas.

Positive youth development in the United States: History, efficacy, and links to moral and character education

This paper reviews specific conceptual frameworks and focuses on the evidence from evaluations of program applications delivered prior to age 21 that have the common aim of encouraging Positive Youth Development.

Engineering Distance Education at Deakin University Australia

Increasing numbers of engineering departments are interested in offering their programs by distanceeducation. These schools grabble with several difficulties and issues associated with distance education:course structure, communication with students, delivery of course material, delivery of exams,accreditation, equity between on-campus and off-campus students, and especially the delivery ofpractical training.In the early 1990’s, Deakin University faced these same problems when it commenced teachingundergraduate engineering by distance education. It now offers a full Bachelor of Engineering degreein both on-campus and off-campus mode, with majors that include civil, mechanical,electrical/electronics, and mechatronics. Student cohorts are approximately 72% on-campus, 28% offcampus.Accredited by Engineers Australia and part of the Washington Accord, Deakin has adapted toadvances in communications technology and changes in education design. The future direction of theSchool includes an emphasis on design-oriented, project-based learning and “flipping the classroom”.As a result, differences between the more traditional off-campus and on-campus cohorts are becomingincreasingly blurred.