This paper presents findings from a larger, qualitative study that explored the potential of a school-based teacher community of practice as a model for a transformative form of teacher professional development. This paper reports on initial findings from a grounded theory exploration of the factors that facilitated and constrained the evolution…

With the greying of the Australian population, it has been widely recognised that active career development for early career academics is essential to the future capacities of universities (Hugo, Daysh, Morris & Rudd, 2004). However, the same has not been acknowledged for general staff, despite general staff comprising more than 50% of staff…

The proliferations of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and an increase in the number of external students and of the digital youth have put considerable pressure upon university staff to adopt ICT in their pedagogy. However, these challenges that include ICT technical skills and pedagogy require staff to continuously engage in…

Management tasks of department chairs and their perceived needs for staff development were studied in Australian Colleges of Advanced Education (CAE), U.S. state colleges, and a U.S. university. Data were obtained from 679 Australian and 98 U.S. department heads, using similar instruments developed by the Nebraska-Lincoln Task Force on Management…

This paper discusses the need, principles, types, and evaluation of professional development programs as a stimulus document for the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Council meeting. (YP)

The staff development program at the University of New South Wales (Australia) differs from traditional university programs in that it integrates professional development activities for both general and academic staff. The Professional Development Centre operates as an academic unit and performs both teaching and research functions. (MSE)

This project had three goals: (1) to seek out the policies and practices currently in place to prepare academic teaching staff to develop, write, and teach in distance education; (2) to identify effective professional preparation and staff development practices for distance education currently in use in Australian postsecondary institutions; and…

Suggests several areas in Australian adult education and training where a competency-based educational model would have application. Areas include the professional development of staff in educational institutions and industrial training establishments, training of educational administrators, vocational training of college students, and the…

Professional development for teachers is often described as a journey. This paper, using the findings from a small-scale study interrogating professional development in ICT, offers the alternate metaphor of an interwoven Celtic knot to explain this phenomenon. It will show how the four key elements identified as being critical to creating the most…

This review is presented as a supplement to the main report of the Western Australia State Inquiry into Teacher Educaton. Since most of the information included was obtained directly from primary sources, little of it is available elsewhere. Much of this information could well be of value to the institutions for their own analysis and planning,…

This issue of the Australian Early Childhood Association Research in Practice Series provides staff management strategies for directors and others involved with the management of early childhood settings and suggests ways to effectively delegate authority and tasks in order to reduce administrative pressures and workload. The booklet presents…

Emphasizing the importance of involving educators, parents, and both male and female students in improving schools' treatment of boys, this manual is designed to assist schools in improving secondary education for boys in Australia. The manual presents a six-step strategy for enhancing boys' education that obtains support from teachers, ensures…

E-learning is part of the wider debate on the changing role of higher education (HE). It is associated with the agenda on graduate employability and competencies for the knowledge economy (KE). Policy documents make explicit that participation in the KE is congruent with the acquisition of meta-skills. The role of HE is to provide for these…

This report deals with the development of a methodology with which Australian TAFE (Technical and Further Education) authorities, institutions, and staff could evaluate staff development programs and activities. It focuses on two programs that reflect the diversity in program organization and major emphases adopted--South Australian Department of…

This book is intended to provide early childhood staff members with an understanding and appreciation of the constraints and possibilities of child care settings, and to discuss the knowledge and skills that are needed to be effective professionals. Through short scenarios extracted from the work diaries of Australian early childhood staff, the…