Professional standards for teachers have become a near-ubiquitous policy tool in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development member countries in efforts to improve teacher quality and student outcomes. The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers differ from teaching standards implemented in comparable countries, with its system…

We present a cost-benefit analysis of an Australian Government sponsored 3-year supported employment program for autistic adults--the DXC Dandelion Program--in the information and communications technology sector. We explored the range of direct costs associated with running the program, benefits to participants, and avoided costs to the…

Research approaches to better engage student learning regarding the determinants of health are somewhat limited. The present study highlights the evolution of an authentic fieldwork assessment and the strategies nursing students used as they navigated the assessment for learning activity outside the classroom, and how these impacted student's…

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) clubs are gaining momentum as a means for engaging students in STEM-related activities. Despite this growth, there have been limited attempts to examine the conditions that inform practice in these informal educational spaces. This paper addresses that gap through a comprehensive literature…

This study explored the consultation practices of Learning Support Teams (LSTs) in three NSW primary schools engaged in learning and wellbeing support for diverse students. An organisational ethnographic case study approach was used to explore behaviour, language and interactions within the school sites. Participants included learning support…

Too often student services have become a provider of discrete assistance in which one-way information transactions take place between the staff/student paraprofessionals providers and the students receiving the services. Students attend academic advising appointments, listen during tutorial or small groups study meetings, and read computer screens…

Schools in rural South Australia are remote from opportunities for students and teachers to engage in music learning and professional development. This aim of this research project was to investigate the degree to which partnerships between rural schools and non-government organisations (NGOs) can be effective and meet this need. Anderson and…

This study, generated from considerations of embodied cognition, observational learning, and cognitive load theory, investigated the effect of mimicking gestures on learning to play piano tasks. Fifty university students from an Australian University, with two different levels of piano-playing experience, were randomly assigned to one of the two…

This article has recognised the need for fundamental improvements in the HRM department of the Bankstown Hospital. Through the critical analysis and evaluation of internal systems and processes we were able to identify a number of issues as areas where improvement must be facilitated, each with varying degrees of seriousness. The key problem areas…

Humans are born with the natural ability to gain skills through play. Children learn about social norms, roles and responsibilities, and language through curiosity-driven, playful interactions and activities. Learning through play harnesses the power of children's imagination and inspires active engagement with the material. The Center for…

This paper draws on facets of Foucault's theoretical resources to critique current education policy reform from within the Australian State of Victoria, namely the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development's (DEECD) discussion paper "New directions for school leadership and the teaching profession." Implicit in the reform…

This paper discusses the role of community, non-government organisations and universities in assisting secondary schools meet the needs of refugee students. On arrival in Australia, many African refugee communities experience high levels of stress particularly in adjusting to their new environment. The parents and students unfamiliarity with the…

There is increasing interest in collaborative arrangements between schools and community scientists to enhance student engagement with learning. We describe research in which we identify a wide range of such collaborations in Australia, and investigate through interviews with community participants their perspectives on the purposes of…

This paper aims to offer an evaluation of Australia's National Framework for Values Education in terms of its "educative" value. The criteria to be employed in this evaluation shall be drawn primarily from the works of UNESCO and John Dewey. In addition to a re-evaluation of values, consideration will also be given to how individual…

At the end of 2008, the Professional Standards Project (PSP) management team conducted the final scheduled Project Advisory Committee meeting. The Project was to conclude in December 2008 with a final report and evaluation informing all stakeholders of the developments and achievements of what has to be termed a major national contribution to…