In this study, the authors investigate the written feedback provided to primary and secondary pre-service teachers studying a specialisation in mathematics. The analysis focuses on 16 written reports completed by mentor teachers during the penultimate year placement of pre-service teachers. The evaluation employs a framework informed by the…

The aim of this study was to explore the potential of a service-learning immersion program to promote pre-service teachers' development of cultural competency in the area of Aboriginal education. That is, the research focused on ways the immersion program helped pre-service teachers (a) develop awareness of cultural implications in teaching in a…

As Australia heads into a new era of implementing a National Curriculum, the place of Outdoor Education in Australian schools is under question. In the initial drafts of the National Curriculum, Outdoor Education has been marginalised. The authors propose that Outdoor Education should maintain a strong role, especially as processes of experiential…

This study, commissioned by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), is designed to review current evidence on the most effective ways in which employers can support schools to improve pupil educational and economic outcomes. It is a study in three parts. It aims, first, to conceptualise employer engagement in education as a strategic tool,…

What makes a successful rural P-12 school? This paper will review the notions of a successful school and will challenge the dominant voice of quantitative data as the yardstick for such success. In doing so, this paper will focus on qualitative measures including those aspects which are ignored by the quantitative data. Reference will be made to…

Educators have identified four categories of "productive pedagogies" that are considered to lead to authentic student engagement and learning in the classroom. This study was designed to explore and extend these pedagogies in the context of learning in natural environments, in particular, through the programmes of Queensland…

Professional learning communities among teachers and schools have been envisioned as a mechanism for development, knowledge building and implementation. However the formation of an effective learning community is more complex than giving teachers a project and asking them to share a room. This paper reports a synergistic interaction between a…

Defines literacy as the ability to make good-mannered sense in reading and writing to the satisfaction of those in power with respect to the task at hand. Lists educational essentials necessary to produce a literate populace, offers a critique of current schools, and recommends an experiential approach to teaching reading and writing. (AEA)

Describes how a teacher helped transform a K-12 Christian school near Sydney, Australia, from a book-bound media studies program into a hands-on learning experience for students. Various projects allow students to operate advanced equipment, evaluate their own and their peers' work, present research results to the class, and produce live media…

Describes organizing a science day which includes having a statement of purpose, the organization of the day, details about the activities, and specific outcomes for the day. Recommends varying the activities for different levels. (DDR)

Explores the relationship between outdoor education and environmental education by examining the broad nature of outdoor education and discussing whether outdoor education and environmental education are overlapping philosophies or separate methods of instruction. Includes analysis of a survey of outdoor educators and details a process for…

Transcribes the Leon Jackman Memorial Address to the Australasian Art Educators Conference in 1996. Discusses distinctions between the formal world of pedagogy and the informal world of experiential learning in art education. Focuses on art educators as communicators, on how they talk about the arts, and on communication as sharing knowledge. (DSK)

This document presents a package of resources for planning a field trip to Maria Island, an island near Tasmania, Australia. A teacher's guide offers tips on organizing the school visit (bookings, accomodations, transport, what to bring to the island), pre-visit activities, on-site activities, and follow-up activities. Photographs, maps, a brief…

The state of Victoria (Australia) is attempting to adopt the following premises: education ought to be a continuing, lifelong process; it should take place through living, that is, in the interaction of the individual with the rest of the community; and it ought to provide experiences that benefit a person. (Author/IRT)

Discusses how teachers can facilitate greater cultural understanding and acceptance among their students. Describes activities for primary school students that are useful in promoting cultural understanding and acceptance, such as a unit on comparing folk tales and exploring cultures through art. Includes a bibliography of resources. (CMK)