Book Review

Andrews, H.A. (2006). Awards and recognition for exceptional teachers: K-12 and community college programs in the U.S.A., Canada and other countries. Ottawa, IL: Matilda Press.

Preparing Teachers for Rural Appointments

Education authorities continue to experience difficulty in recruiting and retaining teachers in rural and remote schools. In Western Australia (WA), a state noted for its vastness and number of schools located in rural and remote settings, a scheme developed by the Western Australian Department of Education and Training (DET) and the WA Chamber of Minerals and Energy aims to address this challenge by offering financial support to student teachers who wish to undertake their final practicum in a remote or rural education district in which they hope to work after graduation. The Student Teacher Rural Experience Program (STREP) assists with return travel costs and a weekly stipend for the duration of the practicum. The DET specifies the particular districts to which the STREP will apply and applicants need to satisfy a number of selection criteria. In 2005 a survey involving 2004 and 2005 STREP participants was undertaken to ascertain their opinions about how effective the program was in preparing them to teach in rural locations. This article discusses the quantitative data and participant comments on issues not adequately covered by STREP and how the program might be improved

The Establishment of an Effective Communication System in Schools

One of the emerging trends in Australian education in recent years has been the increasing amount of interaction between schools and their communities. Such a trend is no better exemplified than in the establishment of school-based decision-making groups. The closer relationship which has begun to exist between schools and their communities necessitates an improvement in communication. As part of an investigation into increasing community participation in school decision-making processes, the issue of school community communication procedures was examined, and its importance ascertained. This article will suggest methods by which school-community communication can be improved and briefly outline the implications that these suggestions have for classroom teachers

The prevalence and sources of perceived occupational stress among teachers in Western Australian government metropolitan primary schools

The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence and sources of self- reported occupational stress among primary school teachers in Western Australian Government schools. Five specific objectives form the basis of this study. First, the study develops an instrument which measures the perceived levels of occupational stress and reveals the sources of such stress. Second, the study applies this instrument to determine the perceived levels, and sources, of occupational stress among primary school teachers in metropolitan Perth. Third, the study investigates differences in the perceptions of stress and stressors when categorised by socio-biographical characteristics of teachers. Fourth, the study investigates the relationship between occupational stress and satisfaction. Fifth, path analysis techniques are used to test the adequacy of a stress-stressor model derived from a priori assumptions and temporal sequence. A qualitative meta-analysis reveals characteristics of the literature which discursive reviews may omit. Such characteristics include trends in research interest in the topic of teacher stress over time and geographical area, the balance between types of studies, the relationship between types of studies, aspects of teacher stress and geographical area, findings of the studies, and determining categories into which the findings can be examined. Definitions of stress and burnout, definitions of teacher stress and teacher burnout, reasons for concern about teacher stress and teacher burnout, the prevalence of stress in the teaching profession, sources of stress in the teaching profession, perceptions of stress and stressors when categorised by socio-biographical characteristics, and the relationship between stress and occupational satisfaction are the areas from which information is accessed for the literature review. Prior to the development of a conceptual framework, the purpose of such a framework is discussed. The conceptual framework itself is developed from two broad areas. These include teacher stress and corporate management theory. The role of and contribution made by the present study to each of these areas is explained. The methodology of the present study is discussed in six broad areas. These include the preparatory phase, the sampling procedure, development of the research instrument ethical considerations, data collection, and data analysis. The process of structural equation or causal modelling forms the final section of this chapter. The outcomes which emerged from the study are analysed in relation to both the quantitative and qualitative data obtained during the investigation. In respect to the former these outcomes include the prevalence of stress among the teachers who participated in the study, differences in the numbers of responses in stress level categories, the perceived sources of stress, the identification of stress factors, differences In responses to perceptions of stress and stress factors when categorised by socio-biographical characteristics, analyses of the multi-item scales used in research instrument, the relationship between occupational stress, satisfaction and attitude towards teaching, and the development of a causal model of teacher stress. The qualitative information is discussed initially in terms of the socio-biographical characteristics of the teachers who were interviewed, as well as their perceived levels of occupational stress and satisfaction. Other information which is examined includes the perceived attitude of the Ministry of Education and/or Government of Westem Australia towards teachers, the nature of the identified stressful events, the incremental nature of normally non-stressful events, assessment of the research instrument and other information obtained during the data collection phase. The study concludes by summarising the entire research process, making implications based on the findings and suggesting areas for further research

Parenting for Character

Mullins, A. (2005). Parenting for Character. Sydney: Finch Publishing. 176 pages

Strategies for increasing community participation in school decision-making processes

The aim of this study is to develop, by a deductive approach, a framework of strategies which would assist school administrative teams to form a school-based decision making group. Specifically, the strategies are aimed to increasing the participation of non-school-based community members in decision–making processes. Three focusing themes - the need for an overall plan the availability of adequate time and the provision of sufficient financial resources - are used as the structure for the literature review. Within these themes a number of strategies are identified which are relevant to the purpose of this study. Using a deductive approach, these strategies are assembled into a conceptual framework. The developed conceptual framework is suitable for most school situations in systems where much of the administrative functions of schools has been devolved to the school level. Some of the significant strategies in the conceptual framework were found to be the formation of an implementation team; organization of a timetable; the development, implementation and consideration of a community analysis; anticipation of difficulties; the establishment of an effective communication system; the development and implementation of specific motivational strategies; and evaluation of the change process. Although the conceptual framework is suitable for most schools, there may be some schools with certain characteristics where implementation of the outlined strategies would not be appropriate. In these cases modifications should be made to the conceptual framework of strategies. This study examines two situations where modifications could be required. In discussing the suggested modifications, the versatility of the conceptual framework is established as well as its validity reliability

Complying with School Accountability Requirements and the Impact on School Leaders

Within an era of seemingly ever-increasing school accountability to both Federal and State jurisdictions in Australia, the impact of such requirements has received little attention in the literature. This research project was designed specifically to investigate the impact of compliance requirements on school leaders’ workloads. The literature reviewed finds that detraction from the key role of leading teaching and learning due to spending so much time on compliance requirements leads to disenchantment with the role of the principal and is a leading contributor to why so few aspirants are pursuing a career as a principal. Eleven semi-structured interview questions were developed and analysis of the data revealed three broad themes: the use of resources required to meet compliance; the perceived value of the request for compliance; and, the impact of compliance on the independent nature of the school, educational leadership and personal cost. The findings not only have implications for current school leaders, but also undergraduate and postgraduate course structures, particularly in educational leadership units, as the nature of the demands revealed in this study should be considered within course content

Education Direct: An Alternative Entry Pathway to Pre-service Teacher Education

Universities in Australia are offering alternative entrance pathways to attract students from a range of backgrounds. These alternative pathways will undoubtedly be reviewed due to the recommendation in the Review of Australian Higher Education (Bradley, Noonan, Nugent & Scales, 2008) concerning increasing the diversity of university entrants. This paper discusses an alternative entry pathway, Education Direct (ED), offered by the School of Education at Edith Cowan University, and commences with a review of the literature about such pathways. The next section explores the development and nature of the ED pathway, before outlining the research design and identifying the research questions, which concentrate on retention, academic achievement, and progression rates of ED students. The findings indicate that students who have entered pre-service teacher education via ED are enjoying academic success at comparable levels to students who enrolled through more traditional pathways. Furthermore, their retention and progression rates are not notably different to those of other students. The paper concludes by suggesting that further research of a similar nature would contribute to what should become an area of research interest for universities as the Bradley era approaches

Student Perceptions of Effective Foreign Language Teachers: A Quantitative Investigation from a Korean University

Abstract: The present study uses a questionnaire instrument to measure the importance that students from a Korean university place on a wide range of effective foreign language teacher attributes. Respondents to the present study placed high importance on rapport attributes such as friendliness, care, and patience; and delivery attributes which included the provision of clear explanations, error correction, and a participatory mode of instruction. Impartiality, target language knowledge, and good preparation were attributes also rated highly. The results also provided insights into student opinions about various instructional issues, such as the selective use of the students’ first language, explicit grammar instruction, and particular questioning techniques. This knowledge can be used by foreign language teachers and student teachers to improve the efficacy of their instruction

The Attributes of Effective Lecturers of English as a Foreign Language as Perceived by Students in a Korean University

This study, conducted in a Korean university setting, examines student beliefs about the attributes of effective lecturers[1] of English as a foreign language. Student opinions about rapport and delivery type attributes are particularly informative. Rapport attributes were the major focus of discussion and viewed as particularly important in Korean university contexts where student anxiety about interacting in English often inhibits effective English language learning. Discussion about delivery attributes was generally supportive of participatory modes of instruction, but contained different views about how aggressively lecturers should enlist participation. The beliefs of Korean university students revealed in this study can, if seen as appropriate, be used by existing practitioners and teachers in training to guide instructional approache