Australian Government Department Of Education Research Articles

Addressing the teacher shortage in Australia: what do the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) completion data tell us?

With projections from the Australian federal government indicating an impending exacerbation of the teacher shortage by 2025, it is timely to explore potential approaches that could help mitigate this imminent national crisis. In teaching, there is an historical tendency for the teaching profession to attract more women than men and this study therefore aims to analyse trends in female completion rates of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) degrees. The study objective was to identify the specific teaching degree levels (undergraduate and postgraduate) and modes of attendance that are most likely to continue attracting women to pursue careers in teaching. This research relies on non-identifiable open access data obtained from Australian ITE providers between 2001 and 2021, which have been collected by the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment. The study findings reveal an upward trend in female completions of ITE programs offered through external and multimodal study modes, while the internal mode of attendance show a decline. These findings hold significant implications for policy and practice, suggesting the need to enhance the accessibility of external and multimodal ITE degrees for women.

168-LB: Prediction for Risk-Stratified Care for Women with Gestational Diabetes: The PeRSonal GDM Study

Objective: To develop and validate a prediction model for adverse pregnancy outcomes at the time of gestational diabetes (GDM) diagnosis to stratify care. Research Design and Methods: A prediction model development and validation study was conducted on data from a retrospective population-based study. The outcome to be predicted was a composite for adverse pregnancy outcome: hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, large-for-gestational (LGA) age neonate, neonatal hypoglycaemia requiring intravenous therapy, shoulder dystocia, perinatal death, neonatal bone fracture and nerve palsy. Results: Predictors of the composite adverse pregnancy outcome were: fasting and 1 hour glucose from the diagnostic OGTT, gestational age of GDM diagnosis, previous macrosomia, previous pre-eclampsia or eclampsia, previous LGA, ethnicity, weight at GDM diagnosis and parity. The apparent performance of the model was reasonable: c-statistic was 0.691 (95% CI, 0.662 - 0.720) and the calibration plot showed near perfect agreement between predicted and observed risks (Figure 1). Conclusions: A promising prediction model for adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with GDM was developed. Model estimation using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator method is currently underway to correct for over-optimism. External validation and decision curve analysis will determine suitability for clinical application. Disclosure S. Cooray: None. J. Boyle: None. G. Soldatos: None. J. Zamora: None. B.M. Fernandez-Felix: None. J. Allotey: None. S. Thangaratinam: None. H. Teede: Other Relationship; Self; Roche Diagnostics France. Funding National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (APP1151242); Australian Academy of Science; Diabetes Australia Research Program; Medical Research Future Fund of Australia; Australian Government Department of Education and Training (7167_2019)

Twin enzymes, divergent control: The cholesterogenic enzymes DHCR14 and LBR are differentially regulated transcriptionally and post‐translationally

Cholesterol synthesis is a tightly regulated process, both transcriptionally and post‐translationally. Transcriptional control of cholesterol synthesis is relatively well understood. However, post‐translational regulation has only been examined for a few of the ~20 enzymes in cholesterol biosynthesis. Two of the four sterol reductases, DHCR14 and LBR, share evolutionary ties with a high level of sequence homology, and they uniquely share the same delta‐14 reductase activity in cholesterol biosynthesis. However, the post‐translational regulation of these twin enzymes is poorly understood. Using CHO‐7 cells stably expressing epitope tagged DHCR14 or LBR, we investigated the post‐translational regulation of these enzymes. We found that DHCR14 and LBR undergo differential post translational regulation, with DHCR14 being rapidly turned over, triggered by cholesterol and other sterol intermediates while LBR remained stable. DHCR14 is degraded via the ubiquitin‐proteasome system and via mass‐spectrometry we identified several E3 ligases that modulate basal DHCR14 levels. Significantly, we found that gene expression across an array of human tissues showed an inverse relationship between the C14‐sterol reductases; one enzyme or the other tends to be predominantly expressed in each tissue. Overall, our findings indicate that while LBR tends to be the constitutively active delta‐14 reductase, DHCR14 levels are tuneable, responding to the local cellular demands for cholesterol.Support or Funding InformationThis work was supported by Australian Research Council Grant DP170101178. PhD Candidates were funded by the Research Training Program from the Australian Government Department of Education.

How do Educators of Students With Disabilities in Specialist Settings Understand and Apply the Australian Curriculum Framework?

Despite aspirations to be a world-class national curriculum, the Australian Curriculum (AC) has been criticised as ‘manifestly deficient’ (Australian Government Department of Education and Training, 2014 p. 5) as an inclusive curriculum, failing to meet the needs of all students with disabilities (SWD) and their teachers. There is a need for research into the daily attempts of educators to navigate the tension between a ‘top-down’ system-wide curriculum and a ‘bottom-up’ regard for individual student needs, with a view to informing both policy and practice. This article is the first of two research papers in which we report the findings from a national online Research in Special Education (RISE) Australian Curriculum Survey of special educators in special schools, classes, and units regarding their experience using the AC to plan for and teach SWD. Survey results indicated (a) inconsistent use of the AC as the primary basis for developing learning objectives and designing learning experiences, (b) infrequent use of the achievement standards to support assessment and reporting, and (c) considerable supplementation of the AC from other resources when educating SWD. Overall, participants expressed a lack of confidence in translating the AC framework into a meaningful curriculum for SWD. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.

Educator Decision Making about Outdoor Learning Spaces in Early Childhood Education and Care Services

In Australia, the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) invites educators in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services to view children as learners who are confident and involved (Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, 2009) while the National Quality Standard (NQS) contends that the “educational program and practice of educators are child-centred, stimulating and maximise opportunities for enhancing and extending each child’s learning and development” (Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority [ACECQA], 2017, p. 95). Additionally, article 12 of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) advises that it is a child’s right to contribute and their opinions need to be considered in decisions that affect them (United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF], 1996). Nonetheless, limitations appear to exist in supporting educators’ decisions and provisions in the environment and use of the outdoor learning spaces that contrast with the documents that underpin educator practice. This literature review examines the tensions between the ideal and the reality of children’s and educators’ decision making in outdoor learning spaces. It shows that strong policy alone is not sufficient unless underpinned by an environment in which educators are able to make decisions without fear of litigation and children’s perspectives are heard, respected, and enacted.

Contemporary perspectives of the child in action: an investigation into children’s connectedness with, and contribution to, the world around them

ABSTRACTChildcare within Australia has undergone significant reform as a result of the implementation of the nationally mandated Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework [EYLF] (Department for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations [DEEWR]. 2009. Belonging, Being and Becoming. The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Canberra: Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations). The EYLF articulates contemporary perspectives of the child through its principles, practices and learning outcomes. Educators are required to promote these principles, practices and learning outcomes with children aged from birth to 5 years. This paper reports the findings from a research project that sought to investigate how educators applied their understanding of learning outcome two of the EYLF (children are connected with and contribute to their world). The focus of this research was educators working with children aged two to three years within childcare centres operating on school sites, in metropolitan Western Australian. The research design was qualitative and situated within the interpretivist paradigm. Observations were used as the method for gathering data and these were analysed through a process of coding. This paper presents the observational findings of educators’ practices within learning outcome two. Composite vignettes from the voice of the child are included to present the observational findings. In centralising the voice of the child, contemporary perspectives are made explicit.

Characterization of alginate-polypyrrole composites for tissue engineering scaffolds

Event Abstract Back to Event Characterization of alginate-polypyrrole composites for tissue engineering scaffolds Cassandra J. Wright1, Binbin Zhang2, Melissa Kuester3, Paul J. Molino2 and Timothy W. Hanks3 1 University of Washington Bothell, Engineering and Mathematics, United States 2 University of Wollongong, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, Australia 3 Furman University, Chemistry, United States Statement of Purpose: Alginic acid and its salts (alginates) are block copolymers of β-D-mannuronate (M) and α-L-guluronate (G)[1]. Ca2+, and other multivalent ions, act as efficient cross-linkers, which results in gels with variable viscoelasticity. The rigidity of the material is largely a function of the ion density and distribution in the host polymer. We are interested in alginate-based composites of containing polycationic intrinsically conducting polymers, particularly polypyrrole (PPy) that do not need additional dopants such as polystyrene sulfonate. These composites can be developed as 3D printable conducting polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering. Methods: Sodium alginate (ALG, 2% w/v), pyrrole, and sodium persulfate were dissolved in deionized water and stirred for 6h in an ice bath to allow the polymerization of PPy in the presence of ALG. This was followed by 48h of dialysis for purification. Concentration of pyrrole was investigated to enhance conductivity. Initial molar ratios of 1:1, 1:1.5, 1:2, and 1:3 molar equivalents ratios of alginate to polypyrrole were used (further referred to as 1:1, etc.). The resultant materials were analyzed using FTIR for composition, rheometer for viscosity, 4-point probe for conductivity, and SEM for structure. Crosslinking was performed on the materials for 4-point probe and SEM experiments using calcium carbonate and glucono-delta-lactone. Preliminary cell studies were performed using rat PC12 cells cultured on tissue culture polystyrene, alginate, and 1:2 ALG-PPy. Proliferation and differentiation conditions (t=24, 48, & 72h) were assessed using live-dead stain & immunofluorescence staining (β-tubulin and DAPI) for cell count and morphology, respectively. Results: Polymerization of the pyrrole in the presence of alginate did result in a significant decrease in the viscosity of all ALG-PPy solutions compared to ALG only solutions (Fig 1). Conductivity was found to increase from 1:1 and 1:1.5eq to 1:2. No statistical difference was found between the 1:2 and 1:3 (Fig 2). 1:5 formed fractured films and thus was not suitable for some measurements. SEM images suggest that the PPy is polymerizing directly onto the framework of the alginate as higher pyrrole content corresponded to increased wall thickness (Fig 3). Preliminary cell studies indicated decreased cell clustering on the ALG-PPy compared to ALG. Figure 1: Viscosity measurements of ALG and ALG-PPy hydrogels. Figure 2: Conductivity of crosslinked ALG-PPy films using 4-point probe Figure 3: SEM (1000X Mag) SEM (1000x Magnification) showing the pore structure of each of the crosslinked substrates (a) Alginate, (b) 1:1 ALG:PPy, (c) 1:1.5 ALG:PPy, (d) 1:2 ALG:PPy Conclusions: This work serves to show that alginate can serve as a direct framework on which PPy can polymerize without the need for additional dopants. Alginate has been shown to serve as an ionomeric dopant for polypyrrole, resulting in a conducting composite possessing electronic conductivity. Acceptable physical properties are obtained up to relatively high polypyrrole loading, offering a promising approach to a unique cellular scaffold. This work was supported through a GEAR:RE award from South Carolina EPSCoR/IDeA.; CJW was supported by SC-INBRE PACD fellowship (P20GM12345 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences).; CJW was also supported by an Endeavour Research Fellowship (Australian Government Department of Education and Training).

Participation in higher education in Australia among under-represented groups: What can we learn from the Higher Education Participation Program to better support Indigenous learners?

In 1988 the release of the Higher Education: A Policy Statement White Paper focused Australia’s national higher education equity policy on “changing the balance of the student population to reflect more closely the composition of society as a whole” (Dawkins 1990, 2-3). While improvement in access and participation has been noted for women, people from non-English speaking backgrounds, and people with disabilities, the interventions has remained less effective for people from Lower Socio-Economic Status (LSES backgrounds), Indigenous peoples; rural, regional and remote residents; (Gale & Tranter, 2011; Koshy & Seymour 2014). In 2009, in response to the Bradley Review (2008), the Australian government set a new agenda again focused on equitable participation in higher education, along with associated equity targets (which have since been abandoned), and funding to enable this reform as well as increased participation. Funding was delivered through the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP), renamed the Higher Education Participation Program (HEPP) in 2015 (Australian Government Department of Education and Training, 2015). A range of national partnerships, policy initiatives and programs has been used to facilitate improved achievement in schools as well as enable access, participation and achievement in higher education. These actions have included targeted programs through the use of intervention strategies aimed at widening participation in, and improving access to higher education.

Reduced corticomotor excitability and motor skills development in children born preterm

The mechanisms underlying the altered neurodevelopment commonly experienced by children born preterm, but without brain lesions, remain unknown. While individuals born the earliest are at most risk, late preterm children also experience significant motor, cognitive and behavioural dysfunction from school age, and reduced income and educational attainment in adulthood. We used transcranial magnetic stimulation and functional assessments to examine corticomotor development in 151 children without cerebral palsy, aged 10-13 years and born after gestations of 25-41 completed weeks. We hypothesized that motor cortex and corticospinal development are altered in preterm children, which underpins at least some of their motor dysfunction. We report for the first time that every week of reduced gestation is associated with a reduction in corticomotor excitability that remains evident in late childhood. This reduced excitability was associated with poorer motor skill development, particularly manual dexterity. However, child adiposity, sex and socio-economic factors regarding the child's home environment soon after birth were also powerful influences on development of motor skills. Preterm birth was also associated with reduced left hemisphere lateralization, but without increasing the likelihood of being left handed per se. These corticomotor findings have implications for normal motor development, but also raise questions regarding possible longer term consequences of preterm birth on motor function.

Far away from home: the housing question and international students in Australia

It has become commonplace for scholars and education managers to talk of the globalisation of higher education. How to provide housing for the growing numbers of international students, however, remains contentious. This paper presents the situation in Australia by analysing the results of two large surveys and official reports published by student associations, housing authorities, the University of Sydney, and the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. It shows that the authorities have not succeeded in providing an answer to the international student housing question. In turn, accommodation remains a difficult issue for most international students and threatens to undermine the quality of higher education. Understood only as an accommodation problem, it may be argued that the situation could be improved if more affordable student housing was provided. However, this paper argues that until the problem is framed in socio-economic terms and analysed from a broad perspective, a solution will remain elusive.

The relationship between parents' responsiveness to their infant's early communication and its subsequent growth, within the current societal context: A comprehensive systematic review.

Review question/objective The quantitative objective of this review is to determine the best available evidence on the relationship between parents' responsiveness to children's prelinguistic and early communication and their subsequent communication development. More specifically, the questions are: 1. What are the attributes of parental responsiveness? That is: To delimit the attributes of parents’ verbal and behavioural responsiveness and directiveness that influences children's preverbal and early communicative development. 2. Do some attributes of parent responsiveness have more consequence to children’s early communication development than others? 3. Is the amount or frequency of parent responsiveness important? That is: Do varying levels of parent responsiveness impact differently on children’s communication development? 4. Are there parental factors (e.g. education level) within the well population that predict or influence responsiveness quality and quantity? If so, what are they? The textual objective is to identify the current social context within Australia, regarding the topic of parental responsiveness and children’s communication development. More specifically, the questions are: 1. Does current government policy on child development reflect the research evidence identified in the quantitative component of this systematic review? 2. What is society’s current awareness and standing (perception) on this topic, as identified through policy, expert and public opinion? 3. Are there preventative universal or selective health promotion measures in place relating to the review question? 4. If the answer to question 3 is ‘yes’, then what are they? Inclusion criteria Types of participants The quantitative component of this review will consider studies that include parents as the primary independent variable and children as the secondary, dependent variable. The textual component of this review will consider discourse and opinion reported or published by government agencies, experts, the public and media, about the systematic review question, that is of direct relevance or interest to Australia. Types of intervention(s) The quantitative component of the review will consider any studies that evaluate parent verbal and behavioural responsiveness and directiveness to their children's preverbal and or early linguistic communication. Studies may investigate parent responsiveness and or directiveness in the context of a home or clinical/education environment. TRUNCATED AT 350 WORDS

Beyond Articulation: A Sustainable Model for Collaboration

This report summarises the achievements of the Beyond Articulation project, funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. The report summarises research into the benefits of collaboration between vocational and higher education providers in terms of: improved teaching and learning arrangements; enhanced outcomes for students and the development of sustainable solutions for cross-sectoral collaboration.

The effectiveness of interprofessional education in university based health professional programs: A systematic review

The effectiveness of interprofessional education in university based health professional programs: A systematic review

The meaningfulness and appropriateness of using human patient simulation manikins as a teaching and learning strategy in undergraduate nursing education: a systematic review.

Review question/objective Objective The aim of this review is to identify the best available evidence on the meaningfulness and appropriateness of integrating human patient simulation manikins (HPSMs) into undergraduate nursing education. Review Questions This review will systematically examine the evidence to answer the following questions: 1. What are the perspectives and experiences of students and academics on the appropriateness and meaningfulness of the use of HPSMs in undergraduate nursing education? 2. What teaching and learning practices with HPSM are considered appropriate and meaningful by students and academics? Inclusion criteria Types of participants The review will consider studies that include undergraduate nursing students and academics who are involved in undergraduate education. Studies that consider other allied health care professionals will be excluded unless data for undergraduate nursing students are included and analysed separately. Types of intervention(s)/phenomena of interest The review will consider as phenomena of interest the experiences, values, opinions, beliefs and interpretations of undergraduate nursing students and academics using HPSM for teaching and learning purposes.

The effectiveness of interprofessional education in university based health professional programs: A systematic review.

The effectiveness of interprofessional education in university based health professional programs: A systematic review.

Editorial

Editorial

Longitudinal Studies of Australian Youth

This report forms part of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth, a research program jointly managed by ACER and the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST). The views expressed in this report are those of the author and not necessarily of the Department of Education, Science and Training.