Online educational research with middle adolescent populations : ethical considerations and recommendations

Adolescent populations have become increasingly accessible through online data collection methods. Online surveys are advantageous in recruiting adolescent participants and can be designed for adolescents to provide informed consent without the requirement of parental consent. This study sampled 338 Australian adolescents to participate in a low risk online survey on adolescents’ experiences and perceptions of their learning in science classes, without parental consent. Adolescents were recruited through Facebook and Instagram advertising. In order to judge potential participants’ capacity to consent, two multiple-choice questions about the consent process were required to be answered correctly prior to accessing the survey. This simple strategy effectively determined whether middle adolescents had the capacity to provide informed consent to participate in low risk online educational research

Cool Schools

The Western Sydney University Cool Schools Initiative (CSI) was launched in 2018 to develop interdisciplinary research programs for heat-resilient primary and secondary school environments and design of heat-resilient curriculum. This report summarises current research in health and environmental sciences, planning policy, legislation and standards, sustainability education, and innovative design trends. Its purpose is to inform future research into student thermal comfort and cooling solutions for schools in Western Sydney and NSW

Teaching Resource on Flooding in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley: Assessing the Impact on Student Learning

This report details the findings of research conducted for Infrastructure NSW assessing the impact of teaching curriculum resource about Hawkesbury‑Nepean Valley on students’ understanding of natural hazards, community preparedness and responses to flooding. The research comprised pre and post surveys of students’ understanding and awareness of natural hazards and emergency services and planning before and after the resource was delivered. This quantitative survey data has been analysed in the findings. A focus group to identify teacher’s perspectives and experiences of using the resource was conducted. Qualitative evidence from the focus group interviews is presented. Survey participants included a sample of 332 students from a range of schools including government, catholic and independent schools. The participants were stage 4 students (aged between 12 and 14 years) studying geography at school in NSW Stage 4 classrooms from diverse backgrounds. Focus group participants were teachers from schools who had implemented the resource within their classrooms throughout 2019. The focus group participants came from government, Catholic and independent schools and had a range of experience in teaching geography

Adolescent menstrual health literacy in low, middle and high-income countries : a narrative review

Background: Poor menstrual health literacy impacts adolescents’ quality of life and health outcomes across the world. The aim of this systematic review was to identify concerns about menstrual health literacy in low/middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs). Methods: Relevant social science and medical databases were searched for peer-reviewed papers published from January 2008 to January 2020, leading to the identification of 61 relevant studies. Results: A thematic analysis of the data revealed that LMICs report detrimental impacts on adolescents in relation to menstrual hygiene and cultural issues, while in HICs, issues related to pain management and long-term health outcomes were reported more frequently. Conclusions: In order to improve overall menstrual health literacy in LMICs and HICs, appropriate policies need to be developed, drawing on input from multiple stakeholders to ensure evidence-based and cost-effective practical interventions

Using empirical science education in schools to improve climate change literacy

Providing children with a clear understanding of climate change drivers and their mitigation is crucial for their roles as future earth stewards. To achieve this, it will be necessary to reverse the declining interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education in schools in the UK and other countries, as STEM skills will be critical when designing effective mitigation solutions for climate change. The ‘Heat-Cool Initiative’ was co-designed and successfully implemented in five primary/secondary UK schools, as a playful learning tool to unleash student interest in STEM subjects. 103 students from two cohorts (years 5–6 and 7–9) participated in five Heat-Cool activity sessions where they used infrared cameras to explore the issue of urban heat. Their learning was evaluated using a multi-functional quantitative assessment, including pre- and postsession quizzes. Climate change literacy increased by 9.4% in primary school children and by 4.5% in secondary school children. Analyses of >2000 infrared images taken by students, categorised into 13 common themes, revealed age-related differences in children’s cognitive development. At primary school age, images of the ‘self’ dominated; secondary school children engaged more with their physical environment. This novel approach demonstrated the importance of developing tailored technology-enhanced STEM education programmes for different age cohorts, leading to a high capacity for improving learning outcomes regarding climate change. Such programmes, embedded in school curricula nationally and internationally, could become a much-needed positive contribution to reaching the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goals 4 (Quality Education) and 13 (Climate Action)

School Microclimates

Outdoor school environments need to be safe, stimulate physical and cognitive development of children and encourage learning. These key requirements are jeopardised by increasing summer heat. Summer heat limits outdoor activities and has adverse effects on physical wellbeing of school children and teachers. Children are particularly vulnerable to heat as they regulate their core temperature through convection, which becomes less effective when it is hot. Based on empirical data collections, this report provides more than 20 practical recommendations on how to reduce the impacts of outdoor heat. Although these recommendations were devised based on work around a public school in Western Sydney, their universal character allows applying them to any school or other urban build infrastructure. Avoiding the use of artificial grass in unshaded spaces, shading black asphalt, allowing natural air flows and using shade materials with highly reflective upper surfaces should be fundamental principles in design and building guidelines for heat-smart schools

The teacher knowledge/classroom practice nexus : professional learning in the classroom

Teaching quality is increasingly recognised as the key determinant of school effectiveness while poor quality teaching, particularly in mathematics, is often understood as resulting from deficiencies in teacher knowledge. This paper focuses on dominant frameworks that have been touchstones for teacher knowledge in mathematics education during at least the past two decades. For example, there have been consistent references to Shulman’s Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and derivations such as Ball’s Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT). These frameworks provide a structured lens for distinguishing among various types of knowledge thought to be important for teaching. We consider shortcomings associated with focussing predominantly on such conceptions of the knowledge needed for teaching, especially given that the impact of such knowledge will always be mediated by teacher choices in relation to classroom instruction. We suggest that at least equal attention must be given to teachers’ knowledge of teaching (that is, teachers’ broad pedagogical knowledge) in the quest for improving teaching quality. In order to facilitate the translation of PCK or MKT into effective teacher action in the classroom, we suggest that teachers also need access to a comprehensive pedagogical framework to guide reflection, analysis, and improvement. We report on early findings from projects involving such a framework, known as Quality Teaching, to illustrate the potential of this broader conceptualisation of what teachers need to know if they are to succeed in the classroom

Analysis of asynchronous online discussion using the SOLO taxonomy

The online learning environment provides the opportunity for remote groups of students to interact with instructors and each other. Most web based learning platforms facilitate asynchronous online discussions between participants. These discussion forums are designed to replicate the face to face tutorial setting and provide a medium for the expression and development of student ideas. In this paper, an online discussion between twenty-eight teachers retraining in the field of mathematics will be analysed using the SOLO taxonomy. The analysis will focus on the capacity of web based learning environments to foster deep learning through the careful design of discussion tasks

"It gives you that sense of hope” : an exploration of technology use to mediate student engagement with mathematics

Despite the predicted need for a more mathematically capable workforce, the proportion of students undertaking advanced mathematics courses in Australia and other comparable countries has stagnated or fallen, in part due to a lack of student engagement with mathematics in school. In society in general, technology use is commonplace, leading some educators to speculate that technology use for the teaching and learning of mathematics can improve student engagement. In this paper, using multiple case studies, we examine how teachers (n = 10), recognised by their peers as exemplary users of technology, take advantage of technological affordances to optimise student engagement with mathematics. Data was collected from three participant groups: Teachers, Leaders (n = 10), and student focus groups (n = 6). We examine both student and teacher perspectives, through the lens of the Framework for Engagement with Mathematics (FEM), to tease out the ways in which exemplary teachers use technology to enhance pedagogical relationships with students and their pedagogical repertoires. We find that the teachers and students reported evidence of all elements of the FEM, but to differing degrees. In particular, we identified that teachers used technological tools to enhance teacher awareness of individual student learning needs and to promote student-centred pedagogies leading to greater student engagement with mathematics. We contend that a greater awareness of the nuanced pedagogical affordances of a range of technological tools could lead teachers toward practices that enhance student engagement with mathematics, leading to an increase in students wishing to extend their mathematical knowledge beyond the compulsory school years

The application of a concentration measure in assessing expenditure and tax yield implications of the distribution of Electronic Gaming Machines

Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs) are a key source of tax revenues for the Australian states and territories permitting their operation. Due to their accessibility, they are also a major contributor to problem gambling and its impacts. This paper introduces the use of a concentration measure, the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, in assessing the distribution of EGMs and the associated expenditure and tax yields that typically trigger gambling impacts. In its regulation of EGM gambling, the New South Wales (NSW) State Government has relied on 'EGM density', expressed as the ratio of resident adults to total EGMs in an area, to assess impacts. The approach proposed in this paper provides an alternative and complementary measure of distribution based on EGM numbers across venues within a defined area, which may also be applied in relation to other gambling modes and jurisdictions