Teaching and learning history in Australian primary schools: pedagogical shifts, complexities and opportunities

From 2011 the teaching and learning of History will be expanded into all primary schools (Kindergarten – Year 6) throughout Australia under a National Curriculum, including the formal preschool/kindergarten year. History as one of four core subjects will replace current studies of society and environment curriculum taught in primary schools across. The curriculum implementation process will involve a cultural and pedagogical shift as primary teachers make adjustments to the discipline of History. This article begins with an outline of the current curriculum context. An analysis of the New South Wales Human Society and Its Environment and the Australian Curriculum: History Draft Consultation documents follows. The findings indicate that the History Draft Consultation lacks clear guidance for teachers and has a number of shortcomings compared to the NSW HSIE syllabus. There are opportunities, however, for primary teachers because of the broad similarities of content knowledge in both documents and the embedded historical concepts in the NSW syllabus document

Colombia: Doctoral Excursion, Earth Sciences Department ETH Zurich, August 21 – September 5, 2018

Field guide of Doctoral Excursion to Colombia, co-organized by Luz M. Mejia, R.Ott, L. Echeverria-Pazos, E. Erlanger. Chapter 11: Climate Change Effects on Colombian Biodiversity written by Luz M. Mejia and B. Revels

Development aid and international migration to Italy: Does aid reduce irregular flows?

In recent years, donors have claimed to tackle the root causes of migration from low‐income countries using aid. While others have studied the effects of aid on regular migration, we test whether aid deters irregular migration to Italy using two innovative dependent variables: asylum applications and apprehensions at border. For asylum applications, the largest significant effect size implies we should expect one extra application for an additional $162,000 in bilateral aid. For border crossings, the only significant effect implies the marginal cost in bilateral aid is$1.8 million per deterred migrant. The conclusion that effect sizes are small is robust to different types of aid, measures of migration and various controls. We find robust evidence that irregular migration flows are significantly affected by conflict, poverty, and the pre‐existing stocks from that country. Comparing our results to the existing aid‐migration literature, we find similar effect sizes. The cost per deterred (regular) migrant is in the range $4‐7 million. Statistically significant estimates for the effect of aid on regular migration are only found for sub‐samples or specific specifications. In short, aid does not deter regular or irregular migration, so should be used for other purposes

Mapping expertise in social science teaching: the professional development of a beginning teacher

This paper reports on a longitudinal study of a preservice teacher, Johannes, as he moved from his 4th (and final year) year of teacher education studies in an urban university in Australia, to his first year of Social Science teaching in a secondary school. From the outset of the study Johannes indicated a passion, commitment and understandings of good social science teaching. The study used concept mapping and think aloud protocol to elicit Johannes' evolving understandings over a twelve-month period. The findings indicate that he was well on his way to becoming an accomplished teacher in the social sciences. Johannes acknowledged that the concept mapping exercises assisted him in reflecting on his knowledge structures and facilitated him in making explicit his implicit understandings of classroom teaching

History: time and place where context matters

This paper presents an analysis of data collected during the stages of an ARC Linkage Grant exploring the teaching and the learning of History in early years and primary classrooms located in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Aoki (1991 in Berman) and other postmodern colleagues argue that school curriculum is not simply a technical document specifying content to be covered, outlining prescribed learning outcomes, detailing teaching strategies and stipulating assessment procedures. Curriculum is not static, not an unmoving form that teachers can systematically implement or students can passively receive. Curriculum is the lived experience of teachers and students as they engage together in the learning process. Aoki's work alerts us to our responsibility to ask questions and seek understanding about curriculum implementation and the nature of the educational experience for school communities. As curriculum inquirers, the research team is working within the many layers of the Australia Curriculum (History) context: across three States in urban, regional and remote locations, and among stakeholders - policy makers, professional association members, syllabus developers, school leadership and management, teachers and students. The paper will first discuss the Framework for data collection and analysis. The Framework combines a stage theory of curriculum with Harré & van Langenhove (1999) Positioning Theory, which has been adapted by our colleagues Mary Dixon and Kim Senior. Data have been analysed individually and collectively by the research team. In drawing upon the Framework, we recognize our responsibility to uncover more experientially holistic and sophisticated theoretical understandings. The paper will then share a visual depiction of the findings to date as a way to emphasize the complexity of the many layers of the Australia curriculum (History) context, and the ways in which the storylines and positioning of stakeholders cannot be understood in isolation from current curriculum development, implementation and enactment

Using Video Stimulated Recall And Concept Mapping In Reflective Teaching Practices: Strengths, Limitations And Potential Threats

The strengths of video stimulated recall and concept mapping as tools to assist the development of reflective skills is well documented. Video stimulated recall has been shown to be an effective tool to make explicit the beliefs and implicit theories of teachers. In this way video stimulated recall allows for the elicitation of 'knowledge-in-action' or interactive cognitions. Concept mapping is an effective method for assessing conceptual change. By comparing successive maps the teacher can see how their knowledge is structured in the course of acquisition. Concept maps are regarded as particularly useful for beginning teachers who seek an understanding into how their mentor teachers construct their own concept maps. Other researchers, however, point to factors that may mitigate teachers' recall of their thoughts, while others argue that concept maps are of limited use when they are used in short term studies. In this paper the advantages of these methods for professional development are discussed. The experiences of four beginning teachers will be shared. In doing so, the possible threats that might be associated with their use will be considered

The behaviour management strategies of one beginning teacher: A study of conceptual change

This paper reports on a longitudinal study of a preservice teacher called "Peace" as she moved from her 4th (and final year) year of studies to her first year of teaching. The study investigates her understanding of behaviour management over a twelve-month period. Peace already had a Bachelor of Behavioural Science, majoring clinical psychology, and has a strong background of working with young people. Shulman (1987) outlined the categories of the knowledge teachers should possess in order to promote understanding among students. Among them is general pedagogical content knowledge ..."with special reference to those broad principles and strategies of classroom management...". (p.8) Implicit in this category is that whilst teachers need to draw on all categories during classroom teaching, a knowledge of behaviour management strategies is crucial to their effectiveness. This paper uses concept mapping and accompanying think aloud protocol to show how Peace used behaviour management strategies that moved beyond behaviour modification to incorporate a classroom climate that supports all aspects of learning

Tracing the knowledge growth of beginning Geography teachers: A study of conceptual change

The paper reports on an investigation of eight preservice teachers who studied a nine-week unit of secondary Geography in their 4th (and final) year of education studies. The focus of the study was to look at participants' conceptions of effective Geography teaching, over a period of time, that is, a study of conceptual change. Participants constructed concept maps in their first and last tutorial of the course. A number of studies have shown that concept mapping is an effective method for assessing conceptual change. It is regarded as particularly useful for those researchers who seek an insight into how teachers construct their concepts. By comparing successive concept maps as the teacher develops mastery of the domain, researchers can see how knowledge is structured in the course of the acquisition. Importantly, concept maps can provide teacher education students with valuable feedback on their knowledge, and show both the extent and organization of students' knowledge. Whilst results of the study indicate a broad growth in students' conceptual understanding of effective Geography teaching, a number of concepts were generic to effective teaching. The paper also highlights the importance of modelling concept map construction before students attempt their own, and for the need for students to inform themselves and others in class through analysis of their maps in class

The Value of Video Stimulated Recall in Reflective Teaching Practices

The value of video stimulated recall as a tool to assist the development of reflective skills of teachers is well documented. Video stimulated recall is the least intrusive and yet the most inclusive way of studying classroom phenomena. It allows the teacher to 'relive' an episode of teaching by providing, in retrospect, an accurate verbalised account of his/her thought processes. Videotapes allows the teacher to examine their mental models in situ, study changes to their schemas during and after teaching episodes, and formulate new teaching models as a result. Furthermore, videotapes give the teacher more time to reflect on classroom events and look for answers. In short, video stimulated recall allows teachers to reflect and revisit recorded scenes at anytime; the videotapes can be examined to gather further specific evidence when necessary; it allows the teachers to decide for themselves what they want to focus on; and, others - critical friends - can watch episodes and make suggestions. Importantly, teachers can be the ones who are in control of stopping the tape at any time when they see themselves making a decision, describe what they were doing at that time, what alternatives they had considered and what they decided. In this way video stimulated recall allows for the elicitation of 'knowledge-in-action' or interactive cognitions. However, researchers report that teachers viewing a videotape of their lessons may find the experience highly stressful and may negate teachers' preparedness to report on what they have recalled. Other research indicates that teachers watching videotapes of their lessons may initially be distracted by their own physical appearance. Teachers' interactive cognitions are not always retrievable and therefore may be difficult, if not impossible to recall retrospectively. In this paper the strengths and limitations of this method for professional development are discussed. The experiences of two beginning teachers and two experienced teachers will be shared