Pupil mobility in schools and implications for raising achievement

This paper examines the causes of pupil mobility and good practice in schools to address mobility issues. Pupil mobility is defined as ‘a child joining or leaving school at a point other than the normal age at which children start or finish their education at that school’. The first part draws upon evidence of a survey, which explores the views of headteachers on the nature and causes of pupil mobility in schools and the priority they give to addressing pupil mobility issues in their schools. It examines the cause of mobility in schools in the context of mobile groups. This is followed by the challenges for managing mobility and strategies to address pupil mobility in schools. The second part of the paper outlines successful strategies that minimize the effects of mobility in schools. Evidence is drawn from case‐study research and focuses on the school systems, pastoral care and access to learning which combine to support the induction, assessment and monitoring of newly arrived pupils in school and effective use of data for self‐evaluation. Examples of flexible curriculum organization, innovative approaches to additional support and effective administrative procedures are drawn upon. Evidence reflects the views of a range of school staff, parents/carers and pupils in the case‐study school, as well as the judgements of senior researchers. Policy implications for government and for all concerned with school performance are highlighted, as well as many practical suggestions for raising achievement of mobile pupils     

The health and wellbeing of international students at an Australian university

A representative sample of undergraduate and postgraduate international students at a large Australian university (n=979, 64% females) completed a mail-back survey of their health and wellbeing. Most students evaluated their current and previous physical and mental health positively. Health-related risk practices such as unprotected sexual activity, drug use, smoking and gambling, were reported by few students. There was little change in health or risk behaviours since coming to Australia and few changes that were health compromising. Few demographic or situational variables, including age and gender, had a significant impact on students' wellbeing. This study has revealed that few international students find the experience of studying in an overseas country detrimental to their wellbeing. Nevertheless, for those students who encounter difficulties or are at increased risk of health-compromising outcomes, we must ensure better delivery of health promotion education, and access to, and use of, available counselling and health services.

Process over product: the next evolution of our quest for technology integration

Educational technology research and development - The purpose of this paper is to introduce the next evolution of our quest for technology integration, one that moves away from the product of...     

Does calibration reduce variability in the assessment of accounting learning outcomes?

Reliable, consistent assessment process that produces comparable assessment grades between assessors and institutions is a core activity and an ongoing challenge with which universities have failed to come to terms. In this paper, we report results from an experiment that tests the impact of an intervention designed to reduce grader variability and develop a shared understanding of national threshold learning standards by a cohort of reviewers. The intervention involved consensus moderation of samples of accounting students’ work, with a focus on three research questions. First, what is the quantifiable difference in grader variability on the assessment of learning outcomes in ‘application skills’ and ‘judgement’? Second, does participation in the workshops lead to reduced disparity in the assessment of the students’ learning outcomes in ‘application skills’ and ‘judgement’? Third, does participation in the workshops lead to greater confidence by reviewers in their ability to assess students’ skills in application skills and judgement? Our findings suggest consensus moderation does reduce variability across graders and also builds grader confidence.     

Social Interaction in Same and Cross Gender Preschool Peer Groups: a participant observation study

About a third of play groups observed in a part‐time and full‐time early childhood centre were of mixed gender and two‐thirds were same gender. Mixed gender groups were larger than same gender groups and kindergarten (part‐time) groups were larger than childcare (full‐time) centre groups. In the kindergarten, outdoor play was much more common and there was a significant difference in boys preferring to play outdoors, followed by mixed groups and then girls. In both centres boisterous play was more likely in boys’ groups than girls’ groups, with mixed groups more similar to boys’ groups in the predominance of boisterous play. Boys’ groups in both centres exclusively used male themes for pretend play, while girls mostly used female themes and an occasional male theme. Mixed gender groups used male themes almost as much as male groups, but rarely or never used female themes. There was more physical conflict and rejection in mixed groups, than boys’ groups and none in girls’ groups in the kindergarten. There was more adult involvement in girls’ groups than in boys'groups in both centres, but mixed groups had an intermediate amount in the kindergarten and slightly more than girls in the childcare centre. Boys enjoyed noisy, rough and tumble play, competition for dominance, stereotyped male themes and sometimes actively rejected the presence of the researcher. Girls preferred quiet adult‐structured table activities and supportive conversations over activities with peers and adults. While there were examples of successful cross‐gender co‐operative play, there were also examples of the breakdown of reciprocity due to contrasting styles of play.     

New Challenges and Opportunities for Institutional Researchers in Assessment and Accreditation

Increased focus on assessment of student learning in the accreditation of higher education institutions offers new, challenging opportunities for institutional researchers. This article explores how institutional researchers can maximize these opportunities by offering methodological guidance in the assessment process and by designing new studies to produce assessment results. The article discusses the importance of methodological expertise, highlights the relevance of lessons learned from assessment literature, and provides a model for designing studies relevant for assessment.

     

Sharing Roles and Responsibilities in Initial Teacher Training: Perceptions of some key players

This paper examines perceptions of roles and responsibilities in primary and secondary initial teacher education following a sustained period of increase in the involvement of schools. The paper reports findings from a survey of higher education staff, school-based mentors and student teachers, which sought information about their perceptions of roles and responsibilities. A postal survey was followed up by telephone interviews. We found broad levels of agreement between all three partners in the training process and across primary and secondary phases. We found no evidence of a wish on the part of schools to assume greater responsibility for training student teachers. All three parties involved in the survey were able to articulate clearly areas of student professional development where they see complementary roles for school and higher education.