Melbourne Graduate School of Education - Research Publications
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 10 of 121
-
ItemTechnology-supported classrooms: New opportunities for communication and development of mathematical understanding(Springer Spektrum, 2019-06-03)This chapter provides an overview of some themes which have emerged over two decades of Bärbel Barzel’s work related to the teaching and learning of school mathematics with technology. The themes which are discussed include technology supporting mathematical communication, technology supporting cognitive activities and technology supporting an open classroom. Overall, the focus is on the potential for technology-supported classrooms to promote students’ understanding in secondary school mathematics. Four papers are used to illustrate Barzel’s contribution.
-
ItemNo Preview AvailableA therapeutic songwriting intervention to promote reconstruction of self-concept and enhance well-being following brain or spinal cord injury: pilot randomized controlled trial(SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 2019-06-01)OBJECTIVE: To determine the size of the effects and feasibility (recruitment and retention rates) of a therapeutic songwriting protocol for in-patients and community-dwelling people with acquired brain injury or spinal cord injury. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial with songwriting intervention and care-as-usual control groups, in a mixed measures design assessed at three time points. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 47 participants (3 in-patients with acquired brain injury, 20 community participants with acquired brain injury, 12 in-patients with spinal cord injury, and 12 community participants with spinal cord injury: 23 1208 days post injury). INTERVENTIONS: The intervention group received a 12-session identity-targeted songwriting programme, where participants created three songs reflecting on perceptions of past, present, and future self. Control participants received care as usual. MEASURES: Baseline, postintervention, and follow-up measures comprised the Head Injury Semantic Differential Scale (primary outcome measure), Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. RESULTS: No significant between group pre-post intervention differences were found on the primary self-concept measure, the Head Injury Semantic Differential Scale ( p = 0.38, d = 0.44). Significant and large effect sizes from baseline to post between groups in favour of the songwriting group for Satisfaction with Life ( p = 0.04, n2 p = 0.14). There were no significant between group pre-post interaction effects for the Emotion Regulation Suppression subscale ( p = 0.12, n2 p = -0.08) although scores decreased in the songwriting group over time while increasing for the standard care group. There were no significant differences in baseline to follow-up between groups in any other outcome measures. Recruitment was challenging due to the small number of people eligible to participate combined with poor uptake by eligible participants, particularly the in-patient group. Retention rates were higher for the community-dwelling cohorts. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the challenges in recruitment and retention of participants invited to participate in a music therapy study. Findings suggest this identity-focused therapeutic songwriting protocols may be more beneficial for people who have transitioned from in-patient to community-contexts given the greater proportion of participants who consent and complete the intervention. Preliminary effects in favour of the intervention group were detected in a range of well-being measures suggesting that a larger study is warranted.
-
ItemArts programs in schools : Seven models and a decision-making matrix for school leaders(Australian Council for Educational Leaders, 2019-09-01)The provision of arts programs in Australian schools is diverse. Studies of music have shown that the quality of music education in private schools is high and well resourced, but in government-funded schools there is greater variation with schools in some states offering little to no embedded programs. Because the arts are not considered core, school leaders have the freedom and responsibility to determine how much, how often, and what kinds of programs should be offered. Without mandated guidelines, our research shows that this is often influenced by leaders' personal experiences of music in their history or family context. School leaders have also described needing to overcome significant barriers in order to justify the provision of programs. Further complicating the picture are the varying views held by school leaders and staff about exactly which benefits arts programs afford. While most agree on the intrinsic value related to artistic skills and creativity more generally, some are less sure about additional benefits such as psychosocial wellbeing benefits or community building, with a diversity of perspectives also reflected in policy documents.
-
ItemNo Preview Available
-
ItemNo Preview AvailableThe Language of Character Strengths in Early Childhood(International Positive Psychology Association, 2019)Early Childhood is fertile ground for the implementation of positive education through character strength research. A major focus and positive outcome of early childhood education, globally, is the development of pre-school children’s wellbeing (OECD, 2017). Strong psychological wellbeing for children is emergent and enables capitalization on learning opportunities, positive engagement and relationships. (Marbina et al, 2015; Pollard & Lee, 2003; Ryan & Deci, 2000; Ryff, 1989). Positive psychology can be authentically applied in formative pre-school years, but there are few evidence-based interventions for educators. The language of VIA Character Strengths is a developmentally appropriate and effective method. This intersection of literature and action research offers practical, evidence informed strategies. Explicit, formalised and planned teaching of character strengths as a language enables teachers to directly engage with children, build wellbeing literacy and deeper knowledge (Hattie, 2008; Page & Tayler, 2016). Wellbeing literacy, as the vocabulary, knowledge and skills to maintain or improve wellbeing (Oades, Slade & Jarden, 2017), can be activated through character strengths language in early childhood. VIA has been used utilised with adults and adolescents however early childhood has received little attention (Niemic, 2013; Park & Peterson, 2004, 2006; Shoshani, 2018). Opportunities for discussion, innovation and research exist.
-
ItemRepresenting Australian Indigenous Voices: Text Selection in the Senior English Curriculum(Australian Association for the Teaching of English (AATE), 2019-01-01)This paper reports findings from a study investigating trends in character, historical setting, authorship and themes across Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) text selection lists between 2010 and 2019. We address the fictionalisation and imagining of Australian history through narratives about Indigeneity and settler-colonisation. While we will describe positive trends that have emerged over time, by and large this study agrees with Leane’s (2016) and Langton’s (1993) assertions regarding the transmission of knowledge and representation of Indigeneity and Australian history in the classroom; namely, there is an under-representation of Indigenous authors, poets, playwrights, film directors, and complex, non-stereotypical charactertypes and an over-representation of non-Indigenous authors representing themes and stories of Indigeneity, reconciliation and colonisation.
-
ItemChallenges and Opportunities for a STEM Interdisciplinary Agenda(SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING AG, 2019-01-01)There are increasing calls for the teaching of STEM within inter-disciplinary settings, as a way of engaging students in authentic tasks and innovation. However there have been concerns raised about the impact of inter-disciplinary curricula on mathematics learning particularly, with a concomitant need to conceptualise how mathematics might productively interact with other disciplines in STEM settings. This chapter explores cases of interdisciplinary STEM activity that arose as part of two major Australian STEM professional learning initiatives. It focuses on the variety of curriculum structures that occurred, the challenges for schools and teachers in implementing such structures, and teacher perceptions of their experiences including student engagement. Cases of inter-disciplinary tasks/investigations are presented to explore the different ways in which mathematics is transacted, and to develop a set of principles that should govern the inclusion of mathematics in inter-disciplinary settings. The cases show evidence of increased engagement and enthusiasm of students for STEM project and investigative work, but indicate the challenge for teachers of generating productive and coherent mathematics learning in inter-disciplinary settings. The results also point to institutional and systemic barriers to the wider take-up of interdisciplinary STEM activities.
-
ItemNo Preview Available
-
ItemDeveloping Educational Leaders for the Future: New Ways to Consider Leadership Preparation(Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and Management, 2019)
-
ItemNo Preview AvailableAn artful experiment: The Child+Adult Art Response Project(InSEA, 2019)The Melbourne Graduate School of Education's (MGSE) 'Child+Adult Art Response Project' (C+AARP) involves child and adult artists visually responding to the provocation of INSIDE/OUTSIDE, with each artwork shared as a cross-generational art encounter. This iteration of the project invites middle years primary children in Victoria, Australia partnering with preservice secondary artist-teachers at MGSE, The University of Melbourne to voice personal concerns and feelings, exploring the inside self in relation to the outside world, and creatively exploring public ideas about global, national and local issues. This paper performs the intergenerational artist dialogues afforded by C+AARP, dialogues that rupture traditional notions of teacher/student-adult/child power dynamics, agency, creativity, artist relationships and knowledge transformation.