Motivation and Engagement of Boys: Evidence-based Teaching Practices: A Report Submitted to the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (Main Report)

This report is the outcome of a research project carried out between December 2004 and June 2005 by the University of Western Sydney. The project was commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) as a quality teacher initiative under the Australian Government Quality Teacher Programme (AGQTP). The aim of the report was to examine the motivation and engagement of boys, in particular those from Indigenous, low socioeconomic, rural and isolated backgrounds. These boys have historically been over-represented among those students who are under-achieving academically and/or experiencing social difficulties. The objective of this project is to inform teachers’ professional learning, knowledge and practice, and school curriculum development in relation to the education of boys in the early and middle years of schooling. In particular, the project sets out to identify and describe evidence-based teaching practices that have proved effective in improving the motivation, engagement and academic and social outcomes of boys, particularly those boys at risk of disengaging from school-based learning activities

Motivation and Engagement of Boys: Evidence-based Teaching Practices: A Report Submitted to the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (Appendices)

The first appendix in this report is the complete version of the literature review from the research project "Motivation and Engagement of Boys: Evidence-based Teaching Practices." This project was carried out by the University of Western Sydney on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) between December 2004 and June 2005. The project is a quality teacher initiative under the Australian Government Quality Teaching Programme (AGQTP) designed to strengthen the skills and understanding of the teaching profession. The review of literature into the motivation and engagement of boys has three specific focal points. The first concentrates on definitions and issues surrounding motivation and engagement. The second identifies the key issues and factors in boys' academic and social outcomes and links these back to motivation and engagement. The third focuses on research about school and classroom strategies that have been shown to be effective in improving the academic and social outcomes of boys. The second appendix in this report is the complete version of the case study reports from the research project, "Motivation and Engagement of Boys: Evidence-based Teaching Practices." The 15 case studies in this research show schools that have taken up the significant challenge of working towards improving social and academic outcomes for their boys. These case studies reveal a variety of policies, interventions and strategies, reflecting the different educational decisions that each school has made as a result of identifying its particular contextual needs. It also highlights the different stages that each school has reached on a significant educational journey