Staff development in the V.E.T. sector: Case studies of two providers

This paper explores attitudes about and practices in staff development within two providers of\u27 vocational education and training, focussing in particular on staff development in competency-based training (CBT). A general overview of staff development in the VET sector is provided, together with a brief discussion of the nature of CBT and an indication of some of the controversy which was associated with its introduction. Staff development in the two organisations is discussed in some detail, and it is suggested that some of the differences in staff development practices may be ascribed to variations in size and in organisational culture

Mathematics education in rural Australia: Issues for equity and success

In writing this paper, we have taken a somewhat different approach to the usual research paper. This is intentional as we recognise the great diversity of what constitutes 'rural' mathematics education internationally. Australia has been known as the 'lucky country' and this is very true when it is considered in terms of what constitutes rural education in this country in comparison with what is called "rural education" in other countries, and what is called "field education" in Brazil. As such, our first intent is to provide a description of rural education in Australia. Despite this appearance of being lucky in terms of education provision, we also note that students living in rural areas are less likely than their urban peers to do well in mathematics. Drawing on national testing data, which is our empirical data, we illuminate this status quo and this forms the basis for the remainder of the paper. In order to understand the differential success between urban and rural students in mathematics, we draw on the relevant literature as a means to explain the phenomenon. To do this, we offer a theoretical model to frame the differences in mathematics outcomes between urban and rural students. We do this as we want to make a unique contribution to understanding the situatiArts, Education & Law Group, School of Education and Professional StudiesFull Tex

Both ways strong: using digital games to engage Aboriginal learners

Engaging Aboriginal learners in the school curriculum can be quite a challenge given issues of cultural and linguistic differences. Even more so, these differences can be expanded when the students are in their adolescence. Creating learning environments that engage learners, while providing deep learning opportunities, is one of the biggest challenges for teachers in remote communities. This paper reports on a reform initiative that centred on the use of a digital game, Guitar Heroes, in a remote Aboriginal school. It was found that the digital media provided teachers with opportunities for new learning spaces and resulted in additional unintended learning outcomes

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STUDENT SURVEY ON ATTITUDES TOWARDS MATHEMATICS TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESSES

This study aimed to develop a survey instrument to measure student attitudes towards mathematics teaching-learning processes that is appropriate for the Indonesian context. This study consisted of two phases: Phase 1 (n=320) was a pilot study to assess the suitability of the instrument items for Indonesian students. Phase 2 (n=1001) was conducted to examine the construct validity of the instrument. The data collected from Phase 1 were analysed using descriptive statistics (i.e., frequency counts, simple correlation, and one-way ANOVA for item analysis). Factor analysis was utilised to select items and for scale construction. The result of the screening process (44 items) was piloted to assess its reliability and validity. The instrument, consisting of 22 items, is a reliable and valid rating scale that measures three distinct factors: Teacher Presentation, Mathematics Interest, and Mathematics Value. The data from Phase 2 were analysed by employing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and the results confirmed that the three factors identified in the previous factor analysis underlie the student attitudes instrument.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22342/jme.9.1.4193.1-1

ELPSA – Kerangka Kerja untuk Merancang Pembelajaran Matematika

Abstract. This paper describes a framework for a mathematics lesson design called ELPSA. It is comprised of five learning components, namely: Experience, Language, Pictorial, Symbolic and Applications. This framework provides assistance for students to make sense of mathematics ideas in classrooms, through sequenced activities that draw of students’ personal experiences, encourage multiple forms of representation and apply mathematics knowledge to new experiences. This paper explains the theory that underpins the framework, and highlights the manner in which the respective components promote mathematics thinking. It concludes with a demonstration on how the ELPSA framework can be used in the process of designing lessons for Number PatternsKeywords: ELPSA, framework, number pattern