Our stories about learning and teaching: members of a Yukon First Nations' community share their stories to assist Yukon educators in becoming responsive to the learning styles and aspirations of their communities

This document seeks to add a further 'voice' to consider what effective teaching is. It focuses on bringing a voice that, for too long, has been missing from the consideration. That voice is from the community members of a local First Nation. As teachers - as professionals - we make the decisions about what is best. But, what does effective teaching look like when it responds to the voices of community members

“I want to enable teachers in their change”: Exploring the Role of a Superintendent on Science Curriculum Delivery

This research inquiry explored the factors influencing successful science program delivery among early- and middle-years schools within a rural school division in central Canada. The study is framed by the author’s personal inquiry into how psycho-social factors at the classroom, school and school division level influence science program delivery. In line with case study methodology, the inquiry uses a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods and data sources to identify the contributors at the classroom, school and divisional level to science delivery. A validated science program delivery evaluation tool, the Science Curriculum Implementation Questionnaire (SCIQ), is used as the foundation for the quantitative data collection and ensuing teacher, administration and science education community discussions. Bronfenbrenner’s bio- ecological model and Rutter’s views on resiliency are used as a framework for interpreting the data collected and understanding the factors supporting successful science delivery. Participants identify a variety of personal attribute and environmental factors and the interplay between these factors as supportive factors contributing to effective science delivery at the classroom, school and divisional level. Implications of this inquiry are discussed, especially within the context of the role of the superintendent in influencing curriculum delivery.

Implementing Science in the New Zealand Curriculum: how teachers see the problems

[Extract] There are problems with science education in many New Zealand primary schools. Not only did the TIMSS survey show low levels of achievement by year seven and eight students [^1] but it also suggested that the actual science curriculum in many schools might not be the one set out in Science in the New Zealand Curriculum. How could the new curriculum be implemented when science takes up, on average, only seven percent of the primary school day [^2]? How effectively can teachers implement the curriculum when, as this paper will show, it has aims and a teaching approach that many teachers do not feel competent to follow

"I want to enable teachers in their change": exploring the Role of a Superintendent on Science Curriculum Delivery

This research inquiry explored the factors influencing successful science program delivery among early- and middle-years schools within a rural school division in central Canada. The study is framed by the author's personal inquiry into how psycho-social factors at the classroom, school and school division level influence science program delivery. In line with case study methodology, the inquiry uses a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods and data sources to identify the contributors at the classroom, school and divisional level to science delivery. A validated science program delivery evaluation tool, the Science Curriculum Implementation Questionnaire (SCIQ), is used as the foundation for the quantitative data collection and ensuing teacher, administration and science education community discussions. Bronfenbrenner's bio-ecological model and Rutter's views on resiliency are used as a framework for interpreting the data collected and understanding the factors supporting successful science delivery. Participants identify a variety of personal attribute and environmental factors and the interplay between these factors as supportive factors contributing to effective science delivery at the classroom, school and divisional level. Implications of this inquiry are discussed, especially within the context of the role of the superintendent in influencing curriculum delivery

From School in Community to a Community-Based School: The Influence of an Aboriginal Principal on Culture-Based School Development

This paper explores the history and processes associated with the transformation of a northern Canadian Aboriginal2 school into a culture-based community school for its Metis, Inuvialuit and Gwichin citizens. In particular, the role of the principal, a local Aboriginal, as a leader in initiating and facilitating the transformative change is examined. The factors providing the impetus for change and processes fostering change are examined through the critical lens of Kaupapa Maori Theory, a guiding framework for transformative praxis in New Zealand Maori schools. Finally, the paper examines current developments in the area of science curriculum development and delivery within this school community that are consistent with culture- and place-based education practice and the aspirations of the community.

Junior secondary school students' conceptions about plate tectonics

There are ongoing calls for research that identifies students' conceptions about geographical phenomena. In response, this study investigates junior secondary school students' (N=95) conceptions about plate tectonics. Student response data was generated from semi-structured interviews-about-instances and a two-tiered multiple-choice test instrument developed and validated by the researchers. There were three main findings: (1) students held many alternative conceptions about plate tectonics, most of which have not been reported in previous research; (2) students' alternative conceptions most commonly concerned the formation of landforms at tectonic plate boundaries; and (3) students were especially confused about the cause of subduction at an oceanic-continental convergent plate boundary. The findings of this study can assist geography teachers and researchers to develop innovative pedagogies that consider students' pre instructional alternative conceptions and promote conceptual change learning

Culturally responsive classroom management strategies: what Australian indigenous students and parents have to say

Australian Indigenous students are overrepresented in every indicator negatively that is associated with student behaviour; such as student suspension, attendance, expulsion, retention and achievement. Alarmingly absent in the effective teaching discourse in Australia is any discussion of the role culturally located teaching practices are likely to have on improving behaviour support for Indigenous students. As asserted by Sarra (2011), enacted curriculum, including behaviour support, must demonstrate links between school and the everyday realities of Indigenous Peoples life practices and cultures. The focus of this mixed methods study is to address the gap that exists in empirical research into strategies to support Indigenous student behaviour based upon what Indigenous students and their parents identify as appropriate behaviour support practices

Teacher ethics: the link between quality teaching and multi-ethnic and multiracial education

Many current economic and social challenges lead to waves of migrating people. The countries where migrants seek refuge can be ethnically homogeneous and monolingual such as Greece, or more frequently, ethnically diverse with local Indigenous populations which have been subjugated and marginalized, such as the US or Australia. In either context, a significant corollary of migration is the absorption of children into the local educational system. Migrant children, much like the local Indigenous marginalized children of the host countries, have language barriers and different customs from those of the host country. Cultural mismatches between the culture of the child and that of its teacher have been empirically shown to result in a range of negative outcomes for the child, including behavioural infractions, low academic outcomes and dropping out of school. This research illustrates findings from the second phase of an extended study. The study aim was to identify what constitutes culturally responsive pedagogy in Australia to support the needs of Indigenous Australian students. Indigenous Australian students, like their counterparts in New Zealand and North America, have the lowest academic attainment of any students in Australia. Through qualitative interviews with Indigenous parents, teachers and students, we identified a range of teacher behaviours deemed by Indigenous people to be indicators of teacher quality as indicated by culturally responsive pedagogy. From these we constructed a teacher survey which was piloted with two waves of practicing teachers. Latent Trait Analyses using the Rasch Model validated the survey and its underlying factors. Findings showed that teachers' ethic of care strongly predicted their pedagogical expertise. Implications of the research include redefining quality teaching as a pedagogy based on strong ethical standards driven by a vocational disposition which seek to benefit all students including those from ethnically diverse groups such as Indigenous students, refugees and recent migrants

Effective behaviour management strategies for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students: a literature review

This paper reports findings from a systematic literature review conducted to identify effective behaviour management strategies which create a positive learning environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The search criteria employed resulted in 103 documents which were analysed in response to this focus. Results identified eight themes underpinning strategies for effective behaviour management. Despite the suggested actions, the review highlights that little empirical research has been conducted to validate effective classroom behaviour management strategies; strategies which may also be used to inform teacher education. Considering the high representation of Indigenous students in statistics related to behaviour infringements and other negative school outcomes, this review affirms the urgent need for research to investigate and establish empirically what constitutes effective behaviour management for Indigenous students

Revising teacher candidates' views of science and self: can accounts from the history of science help?

Our inquiry uses accounts from the history of science to develop teacher-candidate (student teacher) understanding of the nature of science (NOS) in a science teacher education methods course. This understanding of the NOS is then used as a foundation for developing teacher candidate appreciation of the attributes of authentic science lessons. Based upon their understanding of the nature of science, teacher candidates plan and teach lessons and critique the experiences provided for students using their own conceptual framework of authentic science learning experiences. The study uses an instrumental case study approach in which a case is examined mainly to provide insight into an issue or for refinement of a theory; that is, does the use of the nature of science have utility for supporting teachers of science in their planning and teaching, and, in particular, for assisting them in teaching science authentically and developing a more positive perception of self as a teacher of science. Implications of this inquiry in informing the development and utility of nature of science understandings in teacher education methods courses are also considered