This article provides a classroom resource for identifying, assessing and promoting one aspect of reasoning--analysing--through the Assessing Mathematical Reasoning Rubric. Practical examples of student work and rubric levels are offered.

Standardised testing regimes, including the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) in Australia, have impacted on relationships between and within schools, and on teachers' work and on pedagogies. Previous analyses of the effects of NAPLAN have been generated outside of the test situation: frequently through attitudinal surveys…

The early years are significant in optimising children's educational, emotional and social outcomes and have become a major international policy priority. Within Australia, policy levers have prioritised early childhood education, with a focus on program quality, as it is associated with lifelong success. Longitudinal studies have found that high…

This paper reports on the development and implementation of the first unit in an Australian university undergraduate journalism program to specifically examine the gendered nature of both news content and production processes. The paper outlines why such a unit is important to addressing entrenched industry bias, the core content, and student and…

In 2008, the authors worked with a range of schools to trial ideas that assisted young Indigenous students to engage with mathematics as they enter the school environment. This article highlights some key pedagogical strategies that assisted classroom teachers to improve Indigenous students' understanding of mathematics, particularly in the area…

This paper describes the use of handheld computers in the Science classrooms of four Tasmanian schools over a year. Analysis was informed by theories of innovation and assisted by ecological perspectives. Teachers demonstrated a range of attitudes to innovative pedagogies associated with the devices, and these corresponded to student achievements.…

Documents some issues surrounding the development of the Grand Diploma in distance education at the South Australian College of Advanced Education and contrasts critical features of this program with that offered at the Fernuniversitat in Hagen, Federal Republic of Germany. Outlines of the two distance education courses are included. (MBR)

Explores the language learning experiences of a class of adult learners of Chinese in Australia who were all teachers of English as a Second Language or a language other than English. The study examined the learners' response to their learning environment and their response to the target language. (nine references) (Author/CK)

Suggests that the distinction between "genre" and "text type" is important and useful. The article presents an analysis of various texts from two genre-based coursebooks, one which focuses on adult second-language literacy development, and another which focuses on writing in academic context. The article also suggests ways to…

Numerous reports over recent years emphasise the importance of teamwork training in undergraduate programs in environment education at tertiary level. This paper describes a project undertaken by a team of final year undergraduate environment students from four faculties at RMIT University in Australia working on a multi-disciplinary environment…

Discusses the purpose, design, implementation, and value of an issues-based role play exercise in a first year Australian university undergraduate topic. Explains that the exercise requires students to consider implications for environment, economy, and culture of a large-scale tourist development on Rarotonga (Cook Islands). (CMK)

Describes the development and validation of a questionnaire, the Teacher Communication Behavior Questionnaire (TCBQ), that assesses student perceptions of five important teacher behaviors: (1) Challenging; (2) Encouragement and Praise; (3) Non-Verbal Support; (4) Understanding and Friendly; and (5) Controlling. (Contains 49 references.)…

A detailed description of a three-year project investigating the kinds of writing produced by Australian students in grades 10 through 12 is provided in this report. The various sections of the report describe the aims, objectives, and rationale for the project; some of its major assumptions and influences; a description of the student and teacher…

This paper explores the understanding one teacher constructed of his pedagogy as he taught his high school students using a "PEEL approach" (Baird and Mitchell, 1987; Baird and Northfield, 1992). He returned to high school teaching in order to experience first hand the daily struggles associated with attempting to teach for…

The authors of this article coordinate and teach different core subjects within a course of preservice teacher education in the Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne, Australia. Both subjects are obligatory, and are taught to the same cohort of students. The first author coordinates the subject Learning and Teaching; the second author…