(2018). Using Linked Data to Investigate Developmental Vulnerabilities in Children of Convicted Parents. Developmental Psychology, v54 n7 p1219-1231 Jul. There is evidence that children of incarcerated parents are at risk of poor developmental and educational outcomes. However, much of this evidence is limited by biased samples, as studies must rely on opt-in recruitment. Administrative data present an opportunity to overcome this challenge, as they capture information on all incarcerated individuals. This study used administrative data on convictions of the parents of 19,071 children aged 5-6 years in Western Australia. Records of parental convictions (starting from 1 year prior to the child's birth) were linked to children's scores on the Australian Early Development Census, which is a teacher-reported measure of children's physical, social, emotional, communicative, and cognitive development. Logistic regression models estimated the odds of children of convicted parents being developmentally vulnerable. Models were adjusted for child, parent, and neighborhood sociodemographic factors. Compared to children in the comparison group,… [Direct]
(2018). Generating Positive Outcomes by Years 5 to 8 Priority Learners in Writing: An Inquiry into Effective Teacher Practice. Teaching and Learning Research Initiative Writing is a demanding, multidimensional process that is, cognitively and socially, highly complex. Success in writing is vital to success in education and in the workforce. Writing is increasingly used to demonstrate learning through schooling and has the potential to contribute toward understanding and learning in the content areas. The project presented in this report identified the most important elements for the effective teaching of writing for Year 5-8 priority learners. The authors worked with five diverse schools in Auckland and Wellington. In 2016, 13 teachers participated in the project; in 2017, 15 participated. All were typically performing teachers. They inquired into their practice for its impact on student engagement, progress and achievement. We used the information collected from assessment data, observations and teacher reflection to identify what leads to positive movement. The aim was to identify the key elements for effective teaching of writing for priority… [PDF]
(2011). Transitioning Traditions: Rectifying an Ontario Camp's Indian Council Ring. Pathways: The Ontario Journal of Outdoor Education, v23 n2 p6-9 Win. Council Ring has always been a very special event, remembered fondly by generations of campers. Taylor Statten Camps (TSC) are not the only camps to cherish such an activity. Across Canada there are dozens of camps that have supported "Indian" assemblies in the past, but a select few still do. Most organizations abandoned them during the 1960s or changed focus to themes that do not risk racist interpretation. This trend outlines the struggle camps have faced to appropriately represent the culture of the First Nations at events–a struggle or, better yet, a challenge people at TSC have just begun to accept. As a long-term camper and senior staff member last summer, the author had the opportunity to participate in reviving the program and observing the progress and obstacles that evolved…. [PDF]
(2013). Structures of Participation in the "University of Local Knowledge". International Journal of Progressive Education, v9 n3 p70-90 Oct. "Structures of Participation" concerns a recent media arts project, the University of Local Knowledge (ULK). ULK is simultaneously a critique of established academic institutions and disciplines and a system for self-organized learning among the residents of Knowle West, an area of south Bristol (UK). Beginning in 2009, the Knowle West Media Centre (KWMC) in Bristol facilitated this digital and face-to-face collaboration, aiming to uncover and celebrate local skills, talents and wisdom. While phase one of ULK focuses on making tacit knowledge explicit in videos, phase two is particularly concerned with how the content areas of the videos are organized or restructured by those who shared their experiences and ideas. This article examines ways in which ULK creates structures to invite Knowle West residents to participate in knowledge-sharing and self-organized learning…. [Direct]
(2013). Working the "Shady Spaces": Resisting Neoliberal Hegemony in New Zealand Education. Policy Futures in Education, v11 n5 p523-531. While the chill winds of neoliberalism blow, it seems some cultures are better equipped to weather the storm. The London fog raincoat or the American Levi's denim jacket has left little insulation against the effects of a quarter century of so-called "reforms". New Zealand's Swanndri bush shirt, though not as efficient as the Finnish Arctic parka, has provided surprising insulation against the policies heralded as "the New Zealand experiment". This article explores the nature of neoliberalism and its relation to education policy, and considers the inherent inhibitors, or intuitive cultural resistors, to neoliberalism within New Zealand culture. It argues that rather than focus solely on the negative impacts of neoliberal reform on New Zealand education — a valuable and critical tool for our understanding — research should also focus on those aspects of New Zealand culture, Maori and Pakeha, which blunt the excesses of neoliberalism that can be seen in such… [Direct]
(2014). Infusing Traditional Knowledge and Ways of Knowing into Science Communication Courses at the University of Hawai'i. Journal of Geoscience Education, v62 n1 p5-10 Feb. We describe a philosophy and process by which cultural awareness and traditional ways of knowing were incorporated into courses on communicating ocean sciences for college and graduate students in Hawai'i. The result is a culturally relevant framework that contextualizes the course for Hawai'i audiences while also enabling students to better understand the host culture. We offer an overview of the similarities and differences between Western and Native Hawaiian worldviews as they relate to science, exploration, and explanation. Our approach focused on two main elements of science communication and pedagogy in Hawai'i: (1) people and relationships, and (2) place and culture. As the foundation for all scientific endeavors–Western or Native Hawaiian–people and relationships were used as a natural and critical starting point for bringing cultural context to science education and communication. Similarly, the significance of place in Native Hawaiian and other traditional knowledge… [PDF]
(2014). White Resentment in Settler Society. Race, Ethnicity and Education, v17 n1 p88-102. Teaching about the history and culture of aboriginal peoples in schools of white settler societies can serve as a counter to the dominant story that serves as the national narrative. Even though the actual teaching may well be among the least political and least disruptive type of curricular knowledge on offer, the inclusion of counter stories can meet with resistance and resentment. This article offers that the politics of resentment enacted in a white settler society complicates the potential for equitable schooling for aboriginal and racial minority students. Public acts of resentment on the part of white settler parents mark schools as white spaces even in the midst of claims of multicultural inclusion. The politics of resentment are used to normalize emotional belonging on the part of a white settler society that sees itself as beleaguered by its excessive generosity and inclusivity. This article examines the ways that white supremacy and white racial knowledge are reasserted… [Direct]
(2016). "Knowing Your Students" in the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Classroom. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, v41 n4 Article 5 Apr. The population movement of globalization brings greater cultural and linguistic diversity (CALD) to communities and education systems. To address the growing diversity in school classrooms, beginning teachers need an expanded set of skills and attitudes to support effective learning. It is an expectation today that teachers know their students and how the students learn. It follows that lecturers and tutors should also know something of the cultural and linguistic profile of their pre-service teacher education students. This article reports a study in a university which examined its teacher education practice in this light. It assessed the curriculum provision of material related to cultural and linguistic diversity, the profile of the CALD characteristics of the undergraduate cohort, and attitudes and perceptions of the students, to teaching in a CALD classroom. The article considers initiatives that the teacher education program could introduce, to expand pre-service teacher… [PDF]
(2016). Undermatched? School-Based Linguistic Status, College Going, and the Immigrant Advantage. American Educational Research Journal, v53 n2 p263-295 Apr. Considerable research investigates the immigrant advantage–the academic benefit first- and second-generation students experience relative to native-born peers. However, little work examines how school-based linguistic status may influence this advantage. Contradictory patterns exist: Research identifies both an immigrant advantage and a language minority disadvantage in college going. Although not all immigrant youth are language minorities, many do speak other languages. U.S. educators group immigrant students into three discrete linguistic categories: native English speakers, language minorities not in English as a second language (ESL), and English learner (EL) students. We employ multivariate methods to investigate immigrant college going by linguistic status using the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002. Results suggest an immigrant advantage only among immigrant groups not in ESL and evidence of undermatching–wherein students choose postsecondary options for which they are… [Direct]
(2016). Creating Learning Environments for Indigenous Students through Cultured-Based Math Modules. Universal Journal of Educational Research, v4 n8 p1809-1814. The main purposes of this one-year case study are to create learning environments for indigenous students through culture-based mathematics instructional modules, and what teachers' responds are in two tribes. The researcher leads sixteen in-service teachers and seven pre-service teachers to enter two indigenous tribes- "Cado" and "Jayama," and design culture-based math modules for indigenous students of tribal elementary schools. Through five stages of guidance, including "preparation and planning," "exploration and understanding," "reading and design," "comment and revision," and "practice and reflection," the participants work together to develop seven sets of culture-based math modules in total. Based on observation, interview, and analysis of related documents, it is shown that the implementation through culture-based mathematics instructional modules could motivate students' interest in learning math, and… [PDF]
(2016). Wider Field Experience and Supervised Professional Experience in Rural Schools as Operative Segues from Pre Service Teacher to Graduate Teacher. Australian Association for Research in Education, Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Australian Association for Research in Education (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Nov 27-Dec 1, 2016). Graduate teachers generally experience an array of emotions and self negotiations about beliefs, values, personal and professional identity and their ability to evidence the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) at graduate stage when they commence as new classroom teachers. Much has been said about developing pre service teachers' knowledge and sense of rural awareness to meet the expectations of teaching in rural contexts. This small study explored four new graduate teachers' rural experiences during Wider Field Experience (WFE) in an Aboriginal Community School, their Supervised Professional Experience (SPE) in rural schools and everyday classroom teaching experiences they engaged in as classroom teachers. These varied experiences were used to evidence the APST at graduate stage. A participatory action research approach was used because the quality of shared communication and collaboration exchanged was considered beneficial in developing confidence and teacher… [PDF]
(2015). North Dakota Native American Essential Understandings. North Dakota Department of Public Instruction In the spring of 2015, the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction brought together tribal Elders from across North Dakota to share stories, memories, songs, and wisdom in order to develop the North Dakota Native American Essential Understandings (NDNAEU) to guide the learning of both Native and non-Native students across the state. They are: (1) Sacred Relatives; (2) Learning and Storytelling; (3) Sharing and Generosity; (4) Sense of Humor; (5) Tribal Policies, Treaties, and Sovereignty; (6) Native Contributions; and (7) Native Identity. Similar Essential Understandings have been developed and are being used in several other states already, and more are making plans to begin a similar process. Many tribal Elders have had input into these understandings, and it is hoped that the NDNAEU themselves will open up many more additional opportunities for tribal Elders and Educational Leaders to impact North Dakota classroom practice with important tribal stories, songs, and cultural… [PDF]
(2013). Towards a Pedagogy of Land: The Urban Context. Canadian Journal of Education, v36 n2 p34-67. This article examines the possibilities when shifting what we have come to call a pedagogy of Land from rural to urban contexts. The authors explore some persisting questions around what it means to bring a pedagogy of Land into classrooms and communities in urban settings. The authors consider the ways a pedagogy of Land might translate from rural to urban contexts while addressing some of the ways this work may move forward in a good way. Further, the authors share various aspects that have allowed Land to inform both pedagogy and praxis in teacher education focusing on student success, particularly Aboriginal students within schools…. [PDF]
(2013). Towards Educational Advantage in Very Remote Australia. An Analysis of 2012 NAPLAN Data: What Does It Tell Us about Remote Education in the Last Five Years?. Australian Association for Research in Education, Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) (Adelaide, Australia, 2013). For five years, a national testing program has been conducted in Australia. The National Assessment Program provides a basis for measuring improvement against the goals of the 2008 Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians and subsequently the National Education Agreement, which embodies a range of Council of Australian Governments (COAG) goals and targets, including Closing the Gap targets. After five years it might be expected that the data would show some change. The Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation's Remote Education Systems has used existing publicly available data drawn from the MySchool website to determine what has happened for schools in very remote Australia. The analysis shows that for very remote schools attendance rates have not changed significantly over the five years. Reading scores at any year have not changed significantly. Numeracy scores have declined significantly for year 3 in schools with greater than 80 per… [PDF]
(2018). ACER 2016-2017 Annual Report. Australian Council for Educational Research The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) is one of the world's leading educational research centres. ACER's mission is to create and promote research-based knowledge, products and services that can be used to improve learning across the life span. This annual report describes ACER's milestones and accomplishments for the 2016-2017 school year. During 2016-17 ACER continued to create and promote research-based knowledge, products and services to improve learning. Following years of cooperative work in global education monitoring, ACER was admitted to official partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). ACER's Centre for Global Education Monitoring is currently working with the UNESCO Institute for Statistics Global Alliance to Monitor Learning to produce common, coordinated and sustainable learning assessments across the world. ACER's focus on improving learning in the South-Asia region was strengthened with the… [Direct]