Australian Teachers Research Articles

Career change teacher: exploring perceptions from 23 Australian teacher educators

ABSTRACT Career change teachers (CCTs) are heralded in international education policies as key to addressing teacher shortages and increasing quality and diversity in the profession. Using a qualitative approach inspired by Ball’s discursive facet of policy enactment, interview responses from 23 Australian teacher educators were examined. The aim was to determine how these teacher educators spoke and thought about CCTs as well as how they discursively positioned this cohort in the profession. Findings revealed teacher educators described CCTs in multiple ways and discursively positioned them as complex. While the policies may be well intended, the authors point to three possible “perverse effects” of CCTs as a policy solution to teacher shortages: (1) the attrition rather than the retention of CCTs; (2) the valorising of personal and professional qualities over quality teachers and teaching; and (3) the further homogenisation rather than diversification of the teaching profession. Recommendations are suggested for mitigating these possible effects.

A dynamic capabilities framework for agriculture education partnerships

ABSTRACT Purpose Our study aimed to identify the characteristics required to develop effective teacher-industry partnerships in Australia. These partnerships are increasingly important in agricultural for teachers to better understand the technological careers available for their students in agriculture. To determine the dynamic capabilities required for effective partnership in agriculture, we examined how teachers and industry representatives worked in partnerships to increase knowledge and understanding of agriculture technology in schools. Design/Methodology/Approach A qualitative case study methodology was used which focussed on industry representatives’ and teachers’ experiences in the context of a teacher professional development programme. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore five purposively selected teacher-industry partnerships that were formed during the programme. Findings This study has identified specific characteristics and behaviours required for effective teacher-industry partnerships in Australia and provide a practical guide for those seeking to work together to improve the visibility of agriculture careers and support a talent pipeline into the sector. Practical Implications Our research has found that for Australian teachers to be role models for future agriculture professionals and provide up-to-date information about the career opportunities available in agriculture, they require knowledge of authentic industry practices that can be developed through partnerships with industry. Theoretical Implications This study applies the Dynamic Capabilities (Dentoni et al. 2016) framework to an agriculture education context and extends it by identifying critical characteristics for agricultural education partnerships. Originality/Value Establishing stronger ties between agriculture teachers and industry is more important than ever given the critical talent pipeline issues facing the Australian agriculture sector. This paper contributes by providing a framework of dynamic capabilities required for effective teacher-industry partnerships in agriculture education.

Sustaining the best and the brightest: empowering new early childhood teachers through mentoring

PurposeRetention of early childhood teachers in Australia is a critical issue, particularly for new teachers. The demanding nature of new teachers’ everyday work and high rates of stress and burnout have resulted in teachers leaving the sector. By designing a formal mentoring project, our aim was to support teachers to stay and flourish as respected professionals. This paper presents findings from the perspective of the mentees – new teachers in their first five years of employment in the sector.Design/methodology/approachWe designed and offered a two-phase multi-layered mentoring project to 145 new teachers (mentees) matched with 51 experienced teachers (mentors). It began with a mentor training course implemented by three experienced early childhood education academics and utilised a community of practice approach (Lave and Wenger, 1991). Data collected throughout the project included a pre- and post-survey and a needs satisfaction and frustration scale.FindingsAnalysis of survey data shows that mentee new teachers gained a better understanding of their role and built connections with peers and leaders. Survey data also demonstrates that effective mentoring can successfully contribute to addressing workforce challenges faced by early childhood teachers.Originality/valueThe project makes an original contribution through the design, implementation and evaluation of an innovative online mentoring project for teachers employed across the state of New South Wales, Australia.

Effectiveness of a locally developed cultural responsiveness tool for Australian teachers.

Australian Indigenous students are underperforming academically. Northern Territory students show the most significant underperformance. Few studies investigate resources for preparedness of teachers to cater to Indigenous students. This study aimed to test a teacher tool created to support teacher professional development. The study participants comprised of teachers, department staff, registration board representatives, and education lecturers. Most respondents believed the tool had potential to improve cultural competence and suggested other improvements. The low response rate from teachers could be considered a limitation of the study but findings contribute to literature on teacher efficacy and Australian teacher development in reducing Indigenous disadvantage.

Coping in the classroom: A study of Professional Quality of Life (ProQoL) in Australian teachers

Research has shown that teachers are at increased risk for compassion fatigue and low career satisfaction. Compassion fatigue may occur as a result of repeated exposure to traumatic experiences of someone in their care. Utilising a sample of 334 Australian teachers, the present study examined the impact of coping styles on compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction. Regression analyses revealed that avoidant coping strategies were significant predictors of compassion fatigue. Conversely, teachers who utilised problem-focused coping strategies reported lower levels of compassion fatigue and higher levels of compassion satisfaction than teachers who used other types of coping strategies. These results serve to inform future supports and strategies to promote teacher wellbeing and satisfaction.

Negotiating the structural and personal intensities of gender, affects and whiteness through culturally responsive becoming in mathematics

ABSTRACT Marked by growing cultural diversity of the student body alongside education policies grounded in whiteness, the Australian education system is both evolving while tethered to past and ongoing colonial power. Amidst these tensions, we are concerned with how schools and teachers become culturally responsive. Most Australian teachers are not only White but female, thus the White female teacher’s relation to the culturally diverse learner is structural. Utilising life history methodology, we explore how White female mathematics teacher, ‘Lara’ negotiates these relations in a learning area synonymous with exclusion. We argue: 1) culturally responsive becoming in White Australia involves disrupting whiteness; 2) whiteness in the educational encounter is not only raced but gendered and so too is school mathematics; 3) disrupting the exclusivity of mathematics has broader implications. The paper contributes to Australian scholarship on culturally responsive schooling by bringing whiteness and gender more sharply to the fore.

Predictors of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction among Australian teachers.

Research on factors that predict compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue of teachers is limited. This study aimed to evaluate predictors of compassion fatigue (as defined by burnout and secondary traumatic stress) and compassion satisfaction of Australian teachers. Three hundred and two teachers completed an online survey. It was hypothesized that teachers with prior experience with trauma-exposed students, a history of mental illness, and personal trauma history would show higher compassion fatigue. Older teachers, teachers previously exposed to trauma training, and teachers with higher perceived knowledge and confidence to manage student trauma were expected to show higher compassion satisfaction. Teachers with exposure to student trauma, a personal history of trauma, and a history of mental illness experienced higher compassion fatigue, while older teachers and those with higher perceived knowledge and confidence to deal with student trauma experienced higher compassion satisfaction. Results indicate that professional development programs should include trauma-informed knowledge and skills for teachers to enhance their well-being when responding to trauma-exposed students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Acceptance and use of Video Games for Education by Secondary School Teachers

Video games (VGs) are frequently described as a transformational force within education and the use of video game technology for learning is becoming more common across all education sectors. Despite this, most literature regarding VGs in education focuses on measuring specific learning or engagement outcomes, and there is less of an emphasis on the attitudes of teachers on the uses of VGs in the classroom. A comprehensive understanding of teacher attitudes towards VGs within education is essential for their successful implementation within the classroom. This paper will present the development and progress of a PhD project that aims to explore the factors that influence secondary Australian teachers’ attitudes towards, and intentions to use, VGs within their own teaching. An online survey was used to collect data on teacher beliefs about technology and VGs and the factors that influence VG acceptance. A subsample of participants were also interviewed about their experiences and opinions in relation to VGs. This paper focuses on the proposed thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews. Respondents were divided into groups based on their opinions of, and level of experience with, VGs in teaching. The qualitative results provide a detailed and nuanced investigation of teacher attitudes and beliefs in relation to their competencies, obstacles, and facilitators of VGs use for teaching. The findings of this research will assist in building a deep understanding of VG use in secondary classrooms assisting game developers, administrators, teachers, and policy makers in decisions relating to effective and meaningful video game use within education.

Professional experience of Chinese international pre-service teachers in Australia’s early childhood education: professional learning and belonging

ABSTRACT International pre-service teachers (PSTs) can struggle to engage with Professional Experience (PE) communities in an Australian Early Childhood Education context. This qualitative case study examines three first-year Chinese international PSTs’ PE in different early childhood settings in Australia. Framed by Bourdieu’s analytical concepts, this paper explores Chinese PSTs’ culturally shaped understanding of PE and mentoring expectations, showing how this dimension of their habitus is differentiated and differentiating. We argue that with a supportive learning community, the rich cultural and linguistic repertoire of international PSTs can add to capital and funds of knowledge of Australian Early Childhood Education.

Teacher shortages: a social justice perspective on an Australian teacher education policy

ABSTRACT Australia and much of the Global North are facing a teacher shortage crisis. In this paper, we examine the most recent (2023) Australian education policy response to the crisis that ties this crisis to Initial Teacher Education (ITE): Strong Beginnings: Report of the Teacher Education Expert Panel (TEEP). Social justice imperatives related to economic, cultural, and political justice are used in this paper not only to explore the contents of this policy but also to think about the problem beyond borders. The policy focus, we argue, has shifted towards greater government regulation and intervention into ITE programs than ever before and that such moves work to undermine teacher professionalism. Whilst issues of student and teacher diversity are raised within some aspects of the policy, systemic social justice issues for education related to poverty, ethnicity, gender, teacher and student voice, and workplace justice are not adequately addressed. There is also little recognition within this policy that some schools are much harder to staff than others. In presenting this critical analysis, we offer ways forward for social justice imperatives to be realised within Australian ITE policy and the broader global teacher shortage crisis.

An analysis of Australian teacher workforce policy: Challenges and opportunities for teacher recruitment and retention

The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the shortage of teachers worldwide. Shortages have been reported globally including in countries such as the UK, Netherlands, France, Japan, New Zealand and the United States. In Australia, persistent challenges in teacher recruitment, and retention, especially in disadvantaged schools have worsened, with rural and remote schools struggling to attract teachers, as well as urban schools in disadvantaged areas necessitating fast-tracked policy measures have been necessitated to address the teacher shortage. This paper focuses on teacher workforce policy given its prominence in the conceptualising and responding to teacher workforce shortages. The paper seeks to explore state-level teacher workforce texts with a focus on the ways workforce issues are constructed at a time of chronic teacher shortages. Utilising thematic analysis of six stated development policy texts, the paper argues state responses continue to emphasise teacher workforce planning based on a labour market perspective that prioritises teacher recruitment as the primary mechanism for addressing the teacher shortages. A delay in addressing the conditions of teachers’ work and the status of the profession as well as a notable inattention to priority areas such as hard-to-staff schools is also noted.

The effectiveness of brief workplace compassion-focussed training in improving wellbeing of stressed school employees

Australian teachers and school employees report high levels of stress-related mental health problems. Previous theory and research show that workplace training in strategies to manage stress can improve organisational productivity as well as employee wellbeing. Theory suggests that self-compassion strategies may produce better outcomes, than standard cognitive behavioural training interventions, due to activation of self-soothing. This pilot randomised controlled trial evaluated whether inclusion of a brief compassion-focussed therapy (CFT) training workshop was more effective in reducing stress-related mental health problems of school employees, than the standard professional development (PD) workshop that incorporated cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness strategies. School employees (103) were recruited and randomly allocated to either the standard PD alone or to also participate in a brief CFT workshop. There were very large reductions in burnout and clinically significant improvements in mental health problems under both conditions. The results provide preliminary evidence that CFT-enhanced training improves secondary traumatic stress and compassion satisfaction; further research needs to be conducted with a larger sample. These results may also be relevant to other occupations with a high emotional load. JEL Classification: I310

Assessing the interplay: teacher efficacy, compassion fatigue, and educator well-being in Australia

AbstractIn Australia, there is a growing concern about the well-being of teachers with many expressing their intention to leave the profession or indeed have already left. Various reasons have been suggested for this trend, with burnout being identified as one of the factors. This study investigates burnout in Australian teachers as one of the constructs which make up compassion fatigue (CF), a reduced ability to empathise with others. Moreover, it explores secondary traumatic stress (STS), which also contributes to CF and occurs when a person learns about the traumatic experiences of someone under their care. Both constructs may severely impact the ability of teachers to form close relationships with their students. As part of the present study, 1939 Australian teachers were surveyed about their quality of life, well-being, classroom efficacy, and trauma awareness. Findings demonstrate that teachers with higher levels of well-being and with higher perceived classroom efficacy are less prone to burnout, reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion and disengagement often associated with this phenomenon. Conversely, connections were found between lower well-being of teachers and educators' awareness of trauma and their susceptibility to STS. Recommendations are made for further research exploring the barriers and enablers of compassion fatigue as well as positive teacher well-being, in order to develop targeted initiatives to better prepare and protect teachers to work with a cohort of students who are increasingly demonstrating symptoms of trauma and poor well-being.

Australian Teachers’ Perceptions of Safety, Violence and Limited Support in Their Workplaces

ABSTRACT In the context of teaching workforce shortages, this study examined teachers’ perceptions of safety, role satisfaction, and their intent to remain in the profession, in Australia. Findings from two iterations of a survey of a total of 8293 teachers revealed that 20% to 25% of participants felt unsafe in their schools. The results also showed that those who felt unsafe were less likely to be satisfied with the role and more likely to intend to leave the profession. Sources of safety concerns included student and parent behaviors along with a lack of support from schools and systems. The findings highlight an urgent need to better understand how schools and education systems might foster safer, more inclusive and positive learning environments.

The Study of the Development of Educator Profiles for use in Schools, Departments, and Organisations who's Primary Focus is on the Education of Future Teachers

The education system will undergo radical change during the next decade. There will be a lot of people leaving and a lot of new people coming in, mostly because of retirements caused by people becoming older. New professional standards are being established to address the difficulties of the information society, and with that comes stricter criteria and higher expectations for educators. "The challenge is to avoid generational self-renewal," says Mayer. "The challenge is to be unconstrained by old or re-worked notions of what it means to be an Australian teacher." The MCEETYA Teacher Quality and Educational Leadership Taskforce (TQELT) commissioned a study of the teaching workforce in March 2003 to prepare for these changes and to help address the challenge, focusing on teachers in their first ten years of employment in public, Catholic, or independent schools.

A Cross-Sectional Nationwide Study of Australians' Health: Are There Differences in Health-Related Behaviors and Psychological Distress Between Teachers and Other Occupations?

Teachers' health behaviors and mental well-being are important for their chronic disease risk and reducing burnout. This study investigates the health-related behaviors and psychological distress of Australian teachers compared with other occupations. Data from the nationally representative Australian National Health Survey (NHS) were analyzed. Employed adults (20-64 years) from 2014/2015 (n = 8455), 2017/2018 (n = 9130), and 2020/2021 (n = 5753) survey waves were included. Logistic regression, adjusted for demographics, compared health-related behaviors (eg, physical activity, diet), and psychological distress among teachers, nonteacher professionals (NTPs; eg, accountants, doctors), and other general occupations (eg, laborers, beauticians). After adjusting for demographics and survey wave, teachers had similar odds as NTPs for meeting physical activity (OR: 1.12, 95% CI: 0.90-1.41), vegetable intake (OR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.52-1.00), and alcohol consumption (OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.83-1.22) guidelines. However, teachers exhibited higher psychological distress (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.01-1.75). Elevated psychological distress levels were observed in all groups in 2020/2021, compared with pre-COVID-19. Compared with NTPs, teachers showed similar or better health-related behaviors, although teachers had higher levels of psychological distress. School executives and policymakers need to implement sustainable measures to prioritise teachers' mental wellbeing.

Curriculum in conflict: influences of Australian teacher’s decision-making for students with complex disabilities

ABSTRACT This paper is an exploratory study of the personal and systematic influences over the curriculum decision-making process of teachers of students with severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties in Australia. The way in which these influences impact teacher perceptions of the mandated curriculum and its day-to-day operationalization are discussed. The paper draws from both a national survey (n = 46) and in-depth case studies (n = 5) of teachers who work in government-funded specialist educational settings. Findings show that teachers have prominent levels of emotionality, a drive for creativity and dedication to inclusive practice, but ultimately work within a context perceived through conflict and dilemma. Previous related decision-making models are used to compare results, with some distinct differences emerging. Findings indicate that rather than enabling inclusion, standardized curriculums create an environment of professional (self)exclusion and reduce access to professional support. Increases in responsibility burden and negative emotional effects are explored. Although teachers view access to standardized curriculum programs as vital to educational inclusion and the enhancement of their professional expertise, the utilization of the current offering in Australia is makeshift at best and fraught with internal conflict. The implications of these findings are discussed, and future recommendations for research are prioritized.

Listening to teachers talk about multimodality and multimodal texts: considerations for the national English curriculum

Multimodal texts are an integral part of children’s lives. Rapid advancements in media and mobile technologies have increasingly expanded children’s capability to view, share, design, and produce multimodal texts. However, Australia’s updated English curriculum falls short of offering teachers a metalanguage to help children understand the complex ways linguistic, visual, audio, gestural, and spatial modes work together to convey meaning. This article reports qualitative research on teachers talking about multimodal texts within their pedagogy and literacy practice. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews with eight early years and primary Australian teachers. Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is the analytic framework utilised in the research. From teachers’ talk, findings show that if children are to be effective multimodal text users, analysts, designers, and creators, the curriculum should not privilege particular modes and their associated metalanguage but provide teachers with a metalanguage for all modes of meaning-making.

Using systems thinking to understand the experiences of overseas‐trained teachers in Australia

Using systems thinking to understand the experiences of overseas‐trained teachers in Australia

Inclusion, equity and intellectual equality: a case of overseas educated multilingual students in an Australian teacher education programme

ABSTRACT Inclusive education is of considerable significance in Australia being politically recognised and promoted by federal and state governments. However, literature suggests conceptual gaps have contributed to a limited understanding by policy makers and practitioners concerning ‘what is’ and ‘who needs’ inclusion. The research this paper reports explores what type of inclusiveness multilingual students have experienced in an Australian university teacher education programme. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a group of pre-service teachers with overseas education backgrounds and their Anglophone academic course lecturers. An integrated inclusion model was employed in the data analysis. The research found that the teacher educators exercised efforts to demonstrate inclusiveness to this group from physical, social and psychological perspectives. However, the prior educational experience and existing knowledge of these students were ignored, either consciously or unconsciously and they were often regarded intellectually ‘less able’ than their Anglophone peers. This paper argues that engaging multilingual students from the standpoint of intellectual equality is the key to advancing inclusive teacher education in multilingual and multicultural Australia.