A voluminous empirical literature has examined scale economies in public organisations, particularly in local government. By contrast, little effort has been directed at the empirical investigation of economies of scale in higher education administration, including in Australian universities. To address this gap in the empirical literature, this…

This paper presents findings from a research project which aimed to rank Australian higher education institutions on their 'equity performance'; that is, the extent to which they were accessible for, supportive of and benefiting students traditionally under-represented in higher education. The study comprised a conceptual consideration of how…

The teaching and learning that takes place in clinical settings has a significant influence on the practice of future health professionals. This article describes the use of a logic model and case study methodology to evaluate an online and face-to-face video-club, a novel professional development activity designed with the aim of improving…

This paper presents a theoretical discussion of recent policy efforts to raise the qualification levels of the Australian early childhood workforce. Pierre Bourdieu's theoretical tools enable the early childhood profession to be conceptualised as a dynamic "field" in which particular forms of "symbolic" and "cultural…

Using statistical literacy skills to determine appropriate scales to be used on graphs is an essential part of numeracy. Using several meaningful contexts, this article explains very clearly when it is appropriate and inappropriate to begin the scale of a graph at zero.

Recent research has shown how the statistical bias in Rasch model difficulty estimates induced by guessing in multiple-choice items can be eliminated. Using vertical scaling of a high-profile national reading test, it is shown that the dominant effect of removing such bias is a nonlinear change in the unit of scale across the continuum. The…

There is widespread concern about the reduction in the number of students in Australia studying calculus-based mathematics courses in the final year of secondary education. Over the last 20 years in New South Wales, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of students studying general mathematics in place of calculus courses. The concern…

While measures of resilience have been applied in university settings, progress has been hindered by the lack of a consistent measure of resilience. Additionally, results from these measures cannot be easily translated into practical curriculum-based initiatives which support resilience development. Resilience is linked to student mental health…

The current discourse in Australian languages education is that if children study languages in the early years, then languages uptake in secondary schools will increase. There has been little coherent data collection and analysis, however, to support or challenge this discourse. This article draws on findings from an ARC Linkage study in NSW…

This paper reports on a practicum partnerships pilot project between local schools and a teacher preparation program in a medium sized regional university. Whilst addressing recent governmental recommendations for improvements in the teacher education practicum, the project also sought greater suitability by connecting the professional skills of…

"Methods and Procedures in PIRLS 2016" documents the development of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) assessments and questionnaires and describes the methods used in sampling, translation verification, data collection, database construction, and the construction of the achievement and context questionnaire…

An important purpose of student evaluation of teaching is to inform an educator's reflection about the strengths and weaknesses of their teaching approaches. Quantitative instruments are one way of obtaining student responses. They have traditionally taken the form of surveys in which students provide their responses to various statements using…

Research linking university students' perceptions of their classroom environment and course experiences was conducted in one Australian university. A sample of 495 students responded to the College and University Classroom Environment Inventory (CUCEI) and the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ). Multilevel regression analyses revealed that…

Despite comprising only a small fraction of all vocational education and training (VET) in Schools enrolments, programs that count towards both national VET qualifications and university entry potentially fill an important role in the upper-secondary school curriculum. The aim of this study is to take a first step in gaining an understanding of…

With increasing complexity in the world, universities continue to face pressure to demonstrate that their graduates have acquired skills beyond discipline-based knowledge. These are generic skills like critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, problem-solving and so forth. In order to demonstrate this, universities have to show how their teaching…