Research into university study abroad programs suggests that while students may have some experience of local culture(s) and practices, they may be achieving no more than a superficial understanding of the host society. Alternatives to the standard study abroad models are thus essential to encourage students to engage more deeply with the host…

This study demonstrates the use of metaphor analysis in needs assessment for developmental support and shows how it can be used to critically examine assumptions in the literature about the ways emerging researchers conceptualize their career trajectory. We investigated the professional development needs of a group of science, technology,…

This paper presents a study of two international doctoral students' perspectives on preparing to formally present the thesis proposal, which we conceptualise as a threshold in the PhD journey. They participated in a thesis writing group (TWG) that aimed to support international doctoral students to develop aspects of their scholarship in the early…

Making sense of theory plays an essential role in the life of a doctoral student. This autoethnographic study explores how I made sense of educational theory while conceptualizing the theoretical framework for my PhD proposal. A diary that I kept while designing the proposal serves as the data source to examine how my thinking about theory…

A focus on academic performativity and a rationalizing of what academics do according to measurable outputs has, in the era of higher education's (HE) neoliberalization and marketization, engendered debate regarding the "authenticity" of academic identity and practice. In such a context, a "performative" prioritization of…

This article reports on the experiences of a novice researcher undertaking a National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) scholarship programme. A summary of the research is provided, which involved a survey of international students completing vocational education and training (VET) courses in Tasmania. Whilst many students reported…

The authors reflect on the nature and experience of the process of ethics approval applied to educational research in Australia. Drawing on examples, dysfunctional aspects are identified, which impact most powerfully on particular individuals and groups. Possible explanations for the current situation are discussed, and an argument is made for a…

Evaluated the peer review process used to fund Australian university research across all disciplines, relating peer reviews of 2,989 research proposals (6,233 external reviewers) to characteristics of the researchers and of reviewers. Findings lead to suggestions for improvement, especially that researcher-nominated reviewers should not be used…

Transdisciplinarity has been a veritable mantra, especially in the humanities and social sciences, for twenty years or more. Yet academic structures and research application requirements still struggle to come to grips with cross-boundary research and teaching. Making universities more trans-discipline-friendly is a tricky task, however. As Wendy…

Research in Indigenous Australian education is at a dead-end. Researchers are still heading out into the field to look for new knowledge to answer old questions. The same epistemology dominates how we look, and where, while the methodology provides the researcher with a forced choice, one where either the student or the teacher is blamed for the…

The process and criteria by which the Humanities and Social Sciences panel of the Australian Research Council evaluates research proposals are described and discussed. Peer review is the primary method of evaluation, and the primary criteria are the potential of a given proposal for significant conceptual advance and research/researcher quality.…

The SACE Review proposes that a set of knowledge, skills and dispositions called capabilities should form the core of the new SACE. As the Review emphasises, there must be widespread, systematic research and discussion on the range and nature of the capabilities. The SACE Review suggests five capabilities as a basis for discussion. This paper is…

The place of peer review in the process by which the Australian Research Council allocates funds under the Large Grants Scheme, the primary funding source for basic research, is examined. Validity and reliability of peer review, the decision-making process, and cost effectiveness of the procedures are considered. (MSE)

This first volume in a two-part report reviews completed and proposed research studies on learning needs and problems in primary education and describes research proposed for Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, India, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Thailand. An introductory chapter considers the following…

A regional workshop on "The Study of Secondary Education in Asia and the Pacific" was attended by 18 participants from Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Western Samoa. The major objective of the…