Education In Australia Research Articles

Indigenous Scientist: Digital & Health Science Transformation.

As an indigenous scientist, I have dedicated all my professional life to protecting people using informatics for public policy to the privacy of users, patients, clients, and citizens as a human right and obligation as part of the United Nations international development goals. I am reflecting on my earliest knowledge of the impact of data and information privacy on my journey as scientist. I was just a number out of many other numbers as a indigenous child. The aim of this paper is to share my own personal experience together with one of my students. Now working with data as a scientific task within the data modeling to measure poverty. As a datum with human value, I was a 1) Female child with young parents, 2) Low socioeconomic status & 3) Identified as an indigenous person within a minor language group. These three data descriptions described me as a person who needed protection of my human dignity and identity as a child, based on all the protocols of social services for providing help. In conclusion, as scientists, we need to remember when using client data in vulnerable contexts and protection of their privacy, due to the potential risk of active discrimination. Thanks to my extensive education in Australia, I became an outlying datum that deviated from the data modeling applied to me. Today, I work for Privacy digital standards to impact real life with respect to human dignity and obtain accurate scientific interpretations of human beings' realities.

STEM Education in Australia: Impediments and Solutions in Achieving a STEM-Ready Workforce

Recent government and industry priorities have led to a call to raise the quality of STEM learning to meet the future needs of industry and workforce skills. In Australia, education jurisdictions have responded to this challenge. Consequently, education is now considered critical in developing the skills required to meet these future needs. However, several significant issues have hindered STEM education’s advancement. These impediments if not resolved may impact Australia’s future STEM workforce and subsequent economic prosperity. This paper seeks to address some of the key impediments identified within the research literature by making a series of recommendations that provide insight into possible improvement to help recalibrate future STEM education initiatives and support Australia’s long-term economic growth.

Indigenous education policy, practice and research: unravelling the tangled web

An abundance of research in Indigenous education has not resulted in significant systemic change in relation to Indigenous education in Australia. In this paper we examine convergence and divergence across the policy, practice and research realms with the aim of identifying key sites of opportunity for innovation and change. Through analysing how research and evidence is produced and included/excluded in Indigenous education policy settings, the complexities of how different types of evidence are considered rigorous and relevant were found to be clearly implicated with broader social and political discourses with relation to Indigenous peoples and interests. Whilst we argue for an Indigenous based evidence approach that centres Indigenous agency and solutions, we propose that deeper conversations about Indigenous voice and diversity is needed in implementing such an approach. We re-visit some key policy cycles that resembles the new co-design approach announced by the Australian Government in 2019 and consider the implications based on published literature to date for Indigenous education.

'Maybe what I do know is wrong…': Reframing educator roles and professional development for teaching Indigenous health.

Settler colonisation continues to cause much damage across the globe. It has particularly impacted negatively on Indigenous peoples' health and wellbeing causing great inequity. Health professional education is a critical vehicle to assist in addressing this;however, non-Indigenous educators often feel unprepared and lack skill in this regard. In this qualitative study, 20 non-Indigenous nursing, physiotherapy and occupational therapy educators in Australia were interviewed about their experiences and perspectives of teaching Indigenous health. Findings from the inductive thematic analysis suggest educators require skill development to: identify their discomfort in teaching cultural safety; contextualise the sources of this discomfort and; reflect on how this understanding can improve their teaching. Additionally, educators require professional training to become practitioners of cultural humility and to be facilitators and colearners (rather than experts) of the Aboriginal-led curriculum. Of relevance to this is educator training in how to decentre non-Indigenous needs and perspectives. Educators can also renew their teaching practices by understanding what a dominant settler paradigm is, identifying if this is problematically present in their teaching and knowing how to remedy this. Crucial to improved cultural safety teaching is institutional support, which includes Indigenous leadership, institutional commitment, relevant policies, and well-designed professional development.

A Figurational Perspective on the Influence of the Sport Education Model in Australia

ABSTRACT This paper overviews the influence of Daryl Siedentop on Australian physical education research. The Sport Education in Physical Education Project (SEPEP) project provides the backdrop to explore the re-contextualization and development of the sport-based physical education in Australia. The SEM emphasizing developing movement competency as one of its three educational objectives provided a context for game-based approaches. In Australia, this led to new relationships between the SEM and game-based pedagogies being explored and expressed in hybrid developments. Figurational sociology is used to provide unique insight into the strong influence of Siedentop’s work on Australian physical education and to consider prospects for sustained influence.

Philanthrocapitalism and the State: Mapping the Rise of Venture Philanthropy in Public Education in Australia

Purpose This article maps the rise of venture philanthropy in public education in Australia, exploring how policy networks mobilize high-level systemic reform and governance technologies. This is philanthrocapitalism, a fundamental shift for policy mobility and modes of redistribution. Design/Approach/Methods Drawing upon network ethnography, I focus on a node called Social Ventures Australia (SVA), an organization committed to revolutionizing venture philanthropy in Australian education reform. SVA, the brainchild of McKinsey & Company and multinational corporations, is a useful example to map how venture philanthropy leverages resources and, in the process, fundamentally changes the shape, functionality, and form of traditional government. Findings SVA has successfully advocated for several intermediaries, such as an evidence broker (Evidence for Learning), a national charity (Schools Plus), and a national education research institute (Australian Education Research Organisation). Overlapping philanthropy and state, the intermediaries stand as a critical assemblage and technology of governance. Originality/Value Venture philanthropy and the way in which these networks achieve high-level systemic reform is under-researched in Australia. It stands as a critical lever of policy reform in public education. This article will scrutinize and map the way these networks mobilize reform and function as an identifiable form of economic exchange.

Societal, systemic, school and family drivers for and barriers to inclusive education

Inclusive education is central to achieving high-quality education for all students and is a recognised commitment of the Australian government under international human rights law. However, Australia’s lack of commitment to move away from segregation is reflected in its persistence in maintaining and funding segregated (special) settings. Queensland led the way with the introduction of an inclusive education policy in 2018; nonetheless, this does not go far enough, as there is no commitment to diminish segregated schooling for students with disability. This lack of action works against the effective implementation of the policy. Using the Framework of Drivers for and Barriers to the Closure of Special Schools, we conducted a thematic analysis focussing on societal, systemic, school and family drivers for and barriers to educational desegregation. Our findings indicate where and why discrimination, segregation and exclusion remain strongly embedded in our society and education system. We provide recommendations for future reforms to the Disability Standards for Education in Australia.

Narratives of financial assistance for university students and the emergence of HECS in Australia

ABSTRACT This article traces the development of four narratives of financial assistance for Australian university students – to encourage excellence; to meet public need; to build the stock of human capital; and as universal provision – and their effect on the development of a fifth narrative, centred on the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS). Financial support schemes have been provided by governments, industry, philanthropic and religious groups, or a combination of these. These narratives reflect deep-seated ideas about the meaning and value of education, and the emphasis placed on public or private benefits. This article shows how these narratives have affected access to university and who has attended. It shows the influence of student support schemes in shaping higher education in Australia.

Applying Mixed Methods Research in Large-scale Programs – Tracing the Long-term Outcomes of Development Scholarship Alumni

Over the past 30 years, mixed methods research has become an increasingly popular tool in the social sciences. Mixed methods research can capture a diverse range of perspectives and levels of complexities not always possible with the use of a single methodological approach. It has been effectively implemented in a range of contexts to explore program outcomes and investigate research questions. This paper explores the application of a mixed methods approach in the evaluation of large-scale, long running international development scholarship programs. The particular focus is on a project implemented to consolidate evidence relating to the long-term outcomes of alumni who completed higher education in Australia as part of an Australian development scholarship. In reflecting on five years of implementation, the paper describes the benefits, complexities and challenges of this approach, with the aim of informing others embarking on large-scale, long-term program evaluations.

Teacher presence through the lens of kindness

In March 2020, one Australian higher education provider, like many others, found itself pivoting into fully online teaching as the nation managed the COVID 19 pandemic and campuses closed. Bespoke professional learning workshops were offered to all staff, many of whom demonstrated the professional willingness to change their practices in order to offer students the highest quality learning experience that was possible in the demanding and unexpected conditions inherent in the pandemic. There were many challenges revealed through ongoing discussions amongst staff as a community of learners. Throughout the discussions, the concept of presence (Garrison, 2007, 2017) was recurring - teacher and student presence in the newly mandated online teaching context. The centrality of kindness was identified as a second concept that mediated academic discussions and emotions. Both concepts form the focus of this paper. The positioning of kindness within Garrison’s framework of inquiry (2017) will be proposed as a proposition that is worthy of further research particularly if higher education in Australia continues to be uncertain and fraught with change.

P20 - The future of Childbirth Education in maternity care; Raising the bar and changing the consumer experience of antenatal education when preparing for parenthood during a global pandemic

There is no doubt at the centre of midwifery exists the experience of the birthing woman, her connection to her midwife and the preparation she makes with her partner for parenthood. Integral to the preparation for parenthood lies childbirth education. In 2019, this question was posed by researchers Kate Levett and Hannah Dahlen. Are we doing enough to prepare women for childbirth? The answer, simply across Australia we are not. Antenatal education programmes within hospitals were said to be time poor and information heavy with scheduling fixed due to staffing pressures. The effects of teaching a broad curriculum in limited sessions were listed as- • leaving consumers of maternity services feeling unprepared • fearful • inadequate in their preparation for physiological childbirth. At St John of God Midland Public Hospital, the consumer experience has shaped our collaboration commenced in October 2021. Working together, consumers at our hospital have access to: • a standardised programme of childbirth education created and delivered by a certified childbirth educator • evidence based education during both low and high risk models of care • the benefits of clinical and non-clinical educational sessions delivered by Lesley and Elissa • an opportunity to gain knowledge and develop skill based comfort measures for labour and birth support • Next Birth After Caesarean specialist parent education during early and late pregnancy Our Presentation. A qualitative review of our innovative collaboration to answer these questions; • What has been the consumer experience of this new model of delivering parent education? • During the pandemic when staff shortages are at an all time high, what impacts have been noticed when staffing a busy public maternity service? • Are we preparing our birthing families to cope with physiological labour and birth? • Bringing outside expertise into maternity departments, could this be the future of delivering childbirth education in Australia?

Upskilling Australian registered nurses to enhance students’ clinical placement experiences: a contemporary discussion

Objective: To present and discuss options for upskilling registered nurse supervisors to ultimately improve the quality and consistency of nursing student placements. Background: Many studies have examined clinical learning in nursing, with evidence that student learning and registered nurse clinical supervision experiences can be improved. An independent review of nursing education in Australia confirmed gaps in the preparation and support of supervising registered nurses that may negatively impact students’ learning. Study design and methods: This paper discusses contemporary insights around 1) the current situation in Australian nursing student clinical placements regarding learning, 2) registered nurse clinical supervisor experiences and 3) professional options for recognising role excellence, offered by Australian and international nursing and healthcare specialities. Discussion: Nursing students’ placement experiences are at times sub-optimal. One way to improve learning experiences could be to offer clinical supervisors professional development programs. Now is the time to consider a certification process to recognise excellence in registered nurses’ education capabilities and to better support students’ clinical learning. Conclusion: Upskilling registered nurses for clinical supervision may be assisted through formal and informal education programs specific to the professional nursing context in Australia. Implications for research policy and practice: Upskilling registered nurse clinical supervisors should be a priority on the national agenda of improving students’ clinical learning experiences. This commentary provides contemporary insights to the current situation regarding Australian students’ clinical placement and supervisor experiences. The ways that some nursing specialities recognise excellence in practice are discussed as options for improving clinical supervision. What is already known about the topic? Nursing students’ clinical placements need improvement; students continue to report less than optimal experiences. There are no requirements in Australia for registered nurse clinical supervisors to undertake assessment of capability for the role. National and international processes exist to recognise supervisor capabilities and role excellence. What this paper adds: Options for recognising capability and practice excellence in nursing clinical supervision. A discussion around clinical supervisors engaging with formal and informal education and processes that recognise excellence in role capabilities.

Dividing practices: Senior English and social inequality in New South Wales

The role and significance of schooling in maintaining and renewing social disadvantage is particularly evident in upper secondary education, and especially so in the high-stakes final examination at the end of Year 12. This paper focusses on Senior English in this context, with specific regard to the Australian state of New South Wales. Building on a recent study of the outcomes of the Higher School Certificate (HSC) in 2017, it analyses what the data reveal about the relationship between Senior English and social inequality in this instance. It does so with reference to a brief account of the history of English teaching and senior secondary curriculum policy in New South Wales and also, comparatively, a now well-established comprehensive study of senior secondary schooling in Victoria. It concludes with some implications of this account for further investigations of Senior English and subject English more generally, as well as of the social meaning of senior secondary education in Australia, in particular with regard to the nexus between curriculum and assessment, knowledge, and power.

Saving Australian Social Work: The Save Social Work Australia Campaign and the Effective Use of Social Media

ABSTRACT In 2020, the Australian Government proposed a new model of higher education funding that purported to incentivise study in national priority areas. However, despite shortages of social workers, the initial proposal doubled the student fee contribution for a social work degree. The Save Social Work Australia campaign was established by the Australian Council of Heads of Schools of Social Work to redress errant assumptions underpinning the funding of social work education and to lobby for social work to be funded at the same level as other allied health programs. A successful social media campaign resulted in the reclassification of social work prior to promulgation of the legislation as one of only two academic disciplines to achieve this outcome. This article demonstrates that social media can be an effective tool for social workers engaged in political lobbying. IMPLICATIONS Social work academics successfully lobbied the Federal Government to improve the funding of social work education in Australia. Social media can be an effective tool for social workers engaged in political lobbying.

Placement educators’ perspectives of international social work students’ sociopragmatic communication skills

International students who speak English as an additional language report experiencing communication issues while completing their studies and work-integrated learning placements in a range of Anglophone countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Australia. To address this issue, accreditation and registration bodies for a number of health professions, such as social work and nursing, have advocated for increasing the test score requirements for university English language entry. However, from a sociolinguistic perspective, decisions concerning ways to address communication challenges need to take into account the unique communication skills required for functioning in specific workplace settings. It is therefore essential to identify the types of communication issues occurring during work-integrated learning opportunities (e.g. placement) and to then assess whether these should be addressed by raising general English proficiency or providing structured learning opportunities for profession-specific communication development within the course content. The present study uses sociolinguistic theory to examine placement educators’ perspectives on international students’ communication issues using the context of social work placement. It draws on the thematic analysis of interviews with 15 placement educators in Australia. One major finding is that international students’ general proficiency or ability to use specific linguistic tools (pragmalinguistic competence) is not a key area of concern for educators. The main challenge seems to involve the students’ understanding of sociocultural norms underlying workplace communication (sociopragmatic competence). This finding suggests that, rather than increasing English language entry requirements, universities need to provide international students opportunities to develop their sociopragmatic competence both before and during placement. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations aimed at supporting international students who speak English as an additional language to develop their workplace communication during their studies.

Rethinking Higher Education Unit Design: Embedding Universal Design for Learning in Online Studies

Inclusive education in Australia has resulted in a concerted push for the differentiation of pedagogical teaching approaches by educators across Kindergarten to Year 12 (K-12) learning environments. Such approaches have been shown to meet a diverse range of learner needs found in today's classrooms. While progress is evident at the primary and secondary levels of education, implementing effective inclusive practices in higher education appears stagnant. Utilising the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in a fully online pre-service teacher training unit, multiple means of representation of the learning content and multiple means of engagement were explicitly incorporated into the online unit design. This approach aimed to proactively support the engagement of all students in an online teaching and learning environment. This study provides preliminary evidence that the application of UDL principles resulted in higher levels of student engagement and lower rates of student attrition.

‘I'm broken but I'm alive’: gender, COVID-19 and higher education in Australia

ABSTRACT This paper reports on a project conducted between July 2020 and March 2021 that was developed within the context of COVID-19 and explored the ways in which Australian universities responded to the pandemic and the gendered effects of these responses. This paper demonstrates that sexist and gender discriminatory practices were amplified by the pandemic and that the gendered division of labour within higher education was made more apparent. We contribute to a growing body of work on gender and the COVID-19 crisis by reporting on a survey conducted in Australia. The survey asked participants to reflect on their experiences qualitatively. It is this qualitative element that has been missing from much of the research in the field thus far. In addition, the diversity of participants means that we bring an intersectional lens to the ongoing effects of the pandemic upon higher education, including exploring the experiences and reflections of academics who identify as culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD), LGBTIQA+, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experiences and reflections. This paper, therefore, reports on some of the key findings from the survey and focuses upon the gendered dimensions of the pandemic, domestic life and pandemic living-working, and affect, emotion and wellbeing.

TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA

The study of foreign experience is necessary for innovative modernization of domestic higher education. Education in Australia guarantees successful studying, mastering of the latest technologies, promising development, and successful employment of graduates in the future. That is why interest in the development trends of higher education in this country is justified. The purpose of the article is to outline the main trends in the development of higher education in Australia. In the preparation of the article a number of theoretical methods were used. Among them are general scientific (analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization, specification, which contributed to the identification of the main ideas for determining the key trends in the development of higher education in Australia) and specific scientific (cause and effect analysis, which helped to study the influence of international and state educational policies on the development of higher education in the country). The following main trends in the development of higher education in Australia have been identified: higher education sector is developing with state funding and on the basis of forward-looking government laws, improving conditions for the provision of educational services; the Australian system of higher education successfully cooperates with the European Higher Education Area, whose integration is based on thorough observance of national traditions and trends; there is close cooperation among enterprises and universities, support and development of scientific research; The National Workforce Strategy (2022–2027) defines a coordinated approach to solve the problem of personnel control (student employment and further professional development); lifelong learning is a link to educational success. Highlighting the main trends in the development of higher education in Australia will help to further determine the specifics of the professional training of specialists in English Philology at the country’s universities.

Australian Legal Education – A Short History

This article examines the history and development of legal education in Australia by tracing the establishment of university law schools and other forms of legal education in the states and territories from the time of European settlement in 1788 until the present day. It considers the critical role played by legal education in shaping the culture of law and thus determining how well the legal system operates in practice.
 It argues that Australian legal education can satisfactorily meet the twin objectives of training individuals as legal practitioners, whilst providing a liberal education that facilitates the acquisition of knowledge and transferable legal skills.

A passionate partnership: understanding the origins and significance of John Sinclair’s connection with K’gari (Fraser Island)

AbstractThe paper explores the transformation of environmental activist John Sinclair, OA, from a conservative member of the Country Party, through a position of cautious conservationism, to preeminence as a leading environmentalist with some very significant achievements. This paper aims to show some correlations between his work and ideas and major strands of environmental education research. His allegiance to K’gari (Fraser Island) and the way in which he was able to learn from the traditional custodians, the Butchulla people, and other leading environmentalists is described in this paper through his own memoir writing and the viewpoints of informants interviewed by the author. John Sinclair’s profound connection with K’gari, how it was formed and sustained, and its historical and environmental consequences make a remarkable story of a modern citizen turned activist. The development of John Sinclair’s ideas and practice show interesting parallels with the development of both environmental activism and environmental education in Australia. The story has importance in a range of areas connected with environmental stewardship and environmental education.