Enhanced use of educational accountability data to monitor educational progress of Australian students with focus on Indigenous students

In Australia, under the National Assessment Plan, educational accountability testing in literacy and numeracy (NAPLAN) is undertaken with all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 to monitor student achievement and inform policy. However, the extent to which these data have been analysed to report student progress is limited. This article reports a study analysing Year-3 and Year-5 NAPLAN reading and numeracy data, school and student information for a single student cohort from Queensland, Australia, to examine student achievement and progress. The analyses use longitudinal multilevel modelling, incorporating an enhanced approach for missing data imputation, given that such data frequently involve large amounts of missing data and failure to account properly for such missing data may bias interpretations of analyses. Further, statistical adjustments to deal with the impact of measurement error, an aspect not previously addressed in such analyses of data, are undertaken. A special focus of analyses is achievement of Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. International and national data demonstrate a considerable achievement gap between these students. “Closing the gap” is a core Australian education equity policy, with NAPLAN data used as a primary indicator of policy impact. Overall, analyses indicate greater understanding of student progress for all students is available from Australian data if appropriate analyses are undertaken. However, analyses also demonstrate not only that the gap between Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous student progress increases as they move through school but also diversity of achievement within the Indigenous student cohort. Implications for policy are considered

Intersex awareness and education: what part can health and physical education bodies of learning and teaching play?

It is well-documented that schools fail to adequately engage with contemporary content about intersex awareness and education or inclusion of people with intersex variations. Where sexuality and relationships education are the remit of Health and Physical Education (HPE) curriculum in countries such as Australia, the learning area shows little obligation/response-ability towards the needs of students with intersex variations. It also fails to pay nuanced attention to non-dominant issues, knowledge, or people with respect to sex, gender and sexuality. Similarly, the normative endosex nature/focus of HPE/PE/sport and related professional education bodies (e.g. in teaching and coaching) ignore the need for relevant and affirming content about intersex bodies. A recent project reported here, created a collective narrative addressing how such HPE bodies of learning and teaching can advocate for and enact approaches that are inclusive, affirming, visible, and supportive in promoting and upholding the human rights and health needs of students with intersex variations. The research question driving the project was: What part can HPE bodies of learning and teaching play concerning intersex awareness and education? This original empirical research draws on the methodology and theory of narrative inquiry. The narrative was created between artefacts from a cohort of second year Australian pre-service HPE teacher education students in dialogue with teacher/researcher/expert/author bodies. The paper employs a recently developed Strategic Framework for intersex inclusion that promotes a positive whole-school approach, for educational institutions to be more inclusive, humane, safe and educationally relevant for people with intersex variations. This framework assists critical reflection on project findings. We argue that such engagement, as illustrated in this project’s scope, promotes a positive and diverse understanding about intersex in educational spaces, curriculum and pedagogies, guidelines, and policies, and ultimately reflect Australian Human Rights Commission recommendations and Australian anti-discrimination legislation

What is Known about Initial Teacher Education for Child Protection? A Protocol for a Systematic Scoping Review

Child maltreatment is a serious problem, worldwide. Children and young people who have experienced maltreatment face multiple physical and mental health challenges which hinder their success at school and these adverse experiences makes them more challenging to teach than their non-maltreated peers. Increasingly, teachers are considered as an important part of the wider the child protection workforce as they are well-placed to intervene and prevent further harm. To fulfil this role effectively, teachers require requisite training beginning in initial teacher education programs. This paper is a protocol for a systematic scoping review that asks: “What is known about preservice/initial teacher education for child protection?”  Systematic scoping reviews are worthwhile and necessary in fields where research is diverse and needing of synthesis to identify strengths in the body of evidence and identify gaps to set new research directions. We will draw on Askey and O’Malley’s six-stage scoping review methodology to assess the scope, range, and nature of research activity on this topic. We will add an innovative seventh stage involving a commitment to disseminating and applying knowledge generated from the review. The research question has been established, and key terms defined (Stage 1). The search strategy has been devised, and searches have been run (Stage 2). Round 1 screening of titles and abstracts is completed and full text screening is currently in progress (Stage 3). To our knowledge this is the first attempt to systematically map the empirical literature on child protection in pre-service teacher education. When completed, this systematic scoping review will offer a comprehensive, transparent, and replicable way to assess the full scope of empirical research on this important topic of utmost educational relevance

Teacher-child relationship quality for young children with parent reported language concerns

Previous research has demonstrated the importance of the qualities of the teacher-child relationship on children’s development. Close teacher-child relationships are especially important for children at risk. Positive relationships have been shown to have beneficial effects on children’s social and academic development (Birch & Ladd, 1997; Pianta & Stuhlman, 2004). Children with language difficulties are likely to face increased risks with regard to long term social and academic outcomes. The purpose of the current research was to gain greater understanding of the qualities of teacher-child relationships for young children with parent reported language concerns. The research analyses completed for this thesis involved the use of data from the public-access database of Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). LSAC is a longitudinal study involving a nationally representative sample of 10,000 Australian children. Data are being collected biennially from 2004 (Wave 1 data collection) until 2010 (Wave 4 data collection). LSAC has a cross-sequential research design involving two cohorts, an infant cohort (0-1 year at age of recruitment) and a kindergarten cohort (4-5 years at age of recruitment). Two studies are reported in this thesis using data for the LSAC Kindergarten Cohort which had 4983 child participants at recruitment. Study 1 used Wave 1 data to identify the differences between teacher-child relationship qualities for children with parent reported language concerns and their peers. Children identified by parents for whom concerns were held about their receptive and expressive language, as measured by items from the Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) (Glascoe, 2000) were the target (at risk) group in the study (n = 210). A matched case control group of peers (n = 210), matched on the child characteristics of sex, age, cultural and linguistic differences (CALD), and socio-economic positioning (SEP), were the comparison group for this analysis. Teacher-child relationship quality was measured by teacher reports on the Closeness and Conflict scales from the short version of the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) (Pianta, 2001). There were statistically significant differences in the levels of closeness and conflict between the two groups. The target group had relationships with their teachers that had lower levels of closeness and higher levels of conflict than the control group. Study 2 reports analyses that examined the stability of the qualities of the teacher-child relationships at Wave 1 (4-5 years) and the qualities of the teacher-child relationships at Wave 2 (6-7 years). This time frame crosses the period of the children’s transition to school. The study examined whether early patterns in the qualities of the teacher-child relationship for children with parent reported language concerns at Wave 1 predicted the qualities of the teacher-child relationship outcomes in the early years of formal school. The sample for this study consisted of the group of children identified with PEDS language concerns at Wave 1 who also had teacher report data at Wave 2 (n = 145). Teacher-child relationship quality at Wave 1 and Wave 2 was again measured by the STRS scales of Closeness and Conflict. Results from multiple regression models indicated that teacher-child relationship quality at Wave 1 significantly contributed to the prediction of the quality of the teacher-child relationship at Wave 2, beyond other predictor variables included in the regression models. Specifically, Wave 1 STRS Closeness scores were the most significant predictor for STRS Closeness scores at Wave 2, while Wave 1 STRS Conflict scores were the only significant predictor for Wave 2 STRS Conflict outcomes. These results indicate that the qualities of the teacher-child relationship experienced prior to school by children with parent reported language concerns remained stable across transitions into formal schooling at which time the child had a different teacher. The results of these studies provide valuable insight into the nature of teacher-child relationship quality for young children with parent reported language concerns. These children experienced teacher-child relationships of a lower quality when compared with peers and, additionally, the qualities of these relationships prior to formal schooling were predictive of the qualities of the relationships in the early years of formal schooling. This raises concerns, given the increased risks of poorer social and academic outcomes already faced by children with language difficulties, that these early teacher-child relationships have an impact on future teacher-child relationships. Results of these studies are discussed with these considerations in mind and also discussed in terms of the implications for educational theory, policy and practice

Family structure and change through middle childhood : the impact on children's adjustment and achievement

This research project investigated the influence of family transitions on children's adjustment and school achievement across the primary school years, in single-parent, re-partnered and two-parent families. The quality of children's relationships with parents, teachers and peers were predictive of more positive outcomes, regardless of family structure. The research analysed data from the Kindergarten Cohort participating in Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Across the age span of the children studied, cumulative effects of any residential or school changes, or decreased family income, associated with family transitions, were more likely to predict poorer child outcomes in behaviour adjustment and school achievement

STEM Education in the Early Childhood Years: Promoting Strong Foundations for Future Development

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) pedagogy provides an opportunity to engage young children in quality STEM learning experiences prior to attendance at formal school settings. Young children are capable of learning mathematics and science concepts (e.g., Baroody & Dowker, 2003; Greenfield et al., 2009) and by providing strong foundations in STEM, this learning has been associated with school readiness and academic achievement (e.g., Arnold, Fisher, Doctoroff, & Dobbs, 2002; Duncan et al., 2007). Despite this, while ECEC educators may be keen to incorporate STEM into their curriculum, more support and knowledge about developmentally appropriate STEM experiences are needed (Linder et al., 2016; McClure et al., 2017). Given the importance of smooth transitions between ECEC settings and formal schooling, it is vital primary educators understand and appreciate learning that occurs in ECEC contexts to ensure ongoing success for all children. Preliminary results from a case study provide insight into educational practice in an ECEC setting in order to identify examples of effective STEM pedagogy. Not only will this provide ECEC educators with examples of STEM experiences for young children, primary educators will be able to broaden their understanding of the knowledge and experiences of children moving into their settings. Overall, the preliminary findings of this case study will increase understandings of ECEC STEM pedagogy and help to inform strategies that strengthen STEM learning across transitions from ECEC to primary school settings

A systematic review of mindfulness interventions for in-service teachers: A tool to enhance teacher wellbeing and performance

This systematic review was conducted to report on developments in and implementations of mindfulness-based intervention research for in-service teachers, and the status of that research. The review reported on sixteen studies published up to 2015 from an initial search of 1788 records in PsychINFO, EBSCOhost, Education Source, Scopus, Google Scholar and Mindfulness, a major publication outlet for research in mindfulness. Dimensions of the review included research and intervention design, interventionists, intervention results, intervention fidelity, and measurement validity and reliability. Researchers of quantitative studies predominantly used a randomised-control trial design with a wait-list control group. Analysis of results revealed that (a) relatively few mindfulness-based intervention studies have been conducted, (b) interventions were provided primarily to enhance teacher wellbeing and teacher performance, (c) different definitions of mindfulness and components of practice were incorporated into descriptions of mindfulness-based interventions, (d) intervention fidelity was rarely reported, and (e) researchers seldom used both direct and indirect measures of effects. A secondary analysis was conducted of studies using qualitative methods. This highlighted in-service teachers' experiences of learning and practising mindfulness, and provided potential explanations for the effects of mindfulness-based interventions found in primary quantitative studies. The review results are discussed collectively within the framework of evidence-based practice in education. Limitations of the review and future research directions are discussed

Sexual abuse prevention education in Australian primary schools: A national survey of programs

In the 2017 final report of the Australia’s Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, recommendations noted the importance of school-based prevention efforts to create child-safe communities. In this study, we report on a national evaluation of the nature and availability of child sexual abuse prevention programs delivered in Australian primary schools. A survey instrument, anchored in empirical evidence, was distributed to all providers of child sexual abuse prevention programs in Australian primary schools serving children aged 4 to 13 years. Respondents were program coordinators or facilitators who provided data on 35 school-based child sexual abuse prevention programs that reached 631,720 children (approximately 26% of the Australian primary school student population) in 1 year. On average, each program reached 18,049 children in a calendar year (ranging from 200 to 80,000 children). Median child age for program exposure was 8 years. However, program duration was poorly reported so it was difficult to establish what program dosage was received. Most programs (80%-94%) covered specific item content, “always or often,” for 13 important areas of content, including five of seven items that had the strongest evidence of effectiveness, derived from a recent Cochrane Review (e.g., distinguishing appropriate and inappropriate touching). Programs less frequently addressed such content as safety in using technology and perpetrator strategies (e.g., grooming). The findings provide important information about the scope and nature of child sexual abuse prevention programs, and baseline data against which future program advancements can be tracked.</p

Effectiveness of relationships and sex education: A systematic review of terminology, content, pedagogy, and outcomes

This paper presents a systematic review on published research on universal school-based relationships and sex education for children aged 4–18 years. The review excludes papers focused solely on targeted cohorts, specific content areas and approaches such as abstinence-only education. Systematic searches were conducted with 5007 papers identified and following three rounds of screening, 134 papers were included in this review. The review sought to identify the terms used to describe sex education, the content included in programs or curriculum, the approaches forming the basis for implementation, the methods used to evaluate programs including the outcomes assessed. We conclude that the terms used in the field are vast, the content varied, approaches were wide-ranging, methods numerous and claims to effectiveness fluctuated and at times contrasted. Future research should seek to identify consistency in terminology and content, identify pedagogical approaches that are fully described building on the field of expertise in education, and engage highly rigorous methods and expertise in evaluation. The field of sex education must be recognized socially and institutionally so that appropriate funding and resources can be distributed to achieve the depth and breadth of knowledge required to progress the field. The implications of this impact on children's access to and ability to develop knowledge, skills, behaviours and critical thinking about themselves and their relationships.</p

Towards a whole-school approach for sexuality education in supporting and upholding the rights and health of students with intersex variations

It is well documented that the most effective sexuality education programmes employ a whole-school learning approach. More spe- cifically, when schools and their leaders and teachers embrace such an approach, they view student learning in the context of the whole experience of being at school – from the classroom, to the home and the partnerships schools form with the local community. In parallel to this, people born with intersex variations report the lack of a systematic and broad approach to recognition and inclusion of intersex variations in schools due to strong ‘normativity’ messaging, including that pertaining to the body. Similarly, schools fail to engage mindfully with contemporary content that promotes a positive and diverse understanding of intersex in educational spaces, guidelines, policies and the curriculum. In line with com- munity expectations outlined by the Darlington Intersex Community Consensus Statement, peer-led intersex rights-and- health-advocacy, and intersex-affirming scholarship, this paper advocates for and seeks to offer recommendations on how schools might enact a whole-school approach for sexuality education that is inclusive, affirming, visible and supportive in promoting and upholding the rights and health of students with intersex variations