Who is conducting educational research in Australia and how can their work be supported?

Educational research has long been the subject of lively and agitated debate, not least because of its diversity. Ranging in scope from academic development and broad-scale policy research through to student engagement and discipline-specific research, it includes methods of traditional academic inquiry and investigations and also less traditional modes of research. However, the topography of Australian educational research and the characteristics of the people who undertake this complex body of work are currently unclear. This paper explores some of the complexities of the Australian research community, drawing on the findings of a national online survey of academics who identified as researching in the field of education from within and outside education schools and faculties. The survey attracted 504 responses from 38 of Australia’s 39 universities, and just over two-thirds of respondents were located in a school or faculty of education. We draw on the results to answer the questions of who is undertaking educational research and who how they might be supported. We utilise a conceptual model that ‘segments’ the educational research workforce represented by the survey respondents, and we conclude by indicating strategies that might be utilised to address research barriers indicated by educational researchers.     

Tackling social exclusion at third level: A profile of participants on access programmes

Abstract

There is considerable evidence of substantial class inequalities in the education system in Ireland. Studies point to the overemphasis on academic achievement leading to an under‐representation of certain class groups at third level institutions. Significant resources have been allocated to establish targeted access initiatives to address this form of social exclusion. This paper reports the findings of a survey of 266 access students from four third‐level institutions in Ireland. The survey identifies the socio‐economic background of access programme participants, their pre‐programme education level and the primary influences, which motivated them to avail of the access tiative. The paper examines the role, which financial considerations play in the initial decision to participate and the sustained participation of access students. The paper proposes some additional policy directions for the access programme. It recommends that the projected reduction in the numbers attending third‐level institutions should be seen as an appropriate opportunity to expand the access initiative and target those experiencing educational disadvantage.     

OLDER ADULTS,COMPUTER TRAINING,AND THE SYSTEMS APPROACH: A FORMULA FOR SUCCESS

Adults over the age of 65 are the fastest growing segment of computer users. Due to this increased demand, effective training programs are essential. Although previous research findings illustrate the importance of older adults’ goals, abilities, and experience levels in learning to use computers, these factors are often neglected in the development of computer training courses. We apply a systems approach to help bridge this gap between research and practice to address the disparity between what older adults would like to learn and the content of computer training courses. We review the literature on training older adults to use computers and report data from a set of structured interviews to illustrate the criticality of each step in the systems approach. Lastly, we provide the means to evaluate existing computer training programs and suggest modifications for improvement. Our purpose is not to evaluate specific programs, but to educate developers about an approach that has proven successful. Specifically, we provide suggestions for effective computer training for older adults.     

DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A TRAIN‐THE‐TRAINER CURRICULUM ON SUCCESSFUL AND PRODUCTIVE AGING

Despite the fact that Japan has developed many exemplary social policies for their expanding older population and programs to foster elderly workforce participation, shortage of personnel with a comprehensive understanding of gerontology has limited these efforts. In response to the need for greater gerontological education among the Japanese who will work in the allied health professions, we developed an intensive training program on “Successful and Productive Aging,” with two associate degree colleges in Japan. Emphasizing lessons learned from the United States experience, the three‐week program covered issues in health promotion/ disease prevention, health maintenance/independence, mechanisms of formal/ informal caregiving, and preparations for retirement. Instructional methods included didactic presentations by a multidisciplinary faculty, case‐based problem‐solving exercises, and field visits to various agencies and geriatric facilities in the greater Boston area. The educational program was field‐tested with 5 faculty from Japan who were asked to evaluate the program based on whether the learning objectives were met, perceptions of relevance of subject matters to students in Japan, and perceptions of teaching methods’ effectiveness. We present the results of this successful cross‐national collaboration, with emphasis on how information gathered is being integrated into teaching plans upon returning to Japan.     

INFUSING GERONTOLOGICAL CONTENT INTO CURRICULA: EFFECTIVE CHANGE STRATEGIES

This paper presents a review of curriculum-change literature with a special focus on curricular infusion and an analysis of curriculum-change strategies. These strategies were used by 62 social work education programs involved in the national gerontological infusion project supported by the John T. Hartford Foundation. Best practices to achieve gerontological infusion in foundation courses are identified. Curriculum-change strategies that focus on involving all faculty members appear to be strongly supported by the curriculum-change literature and positive outcomes, as shown by the results of the study reported in this paper. The training of faculty and field instructors, the involvement of the foundation faculty as a whole in changing foundation curriculum, and the encouragement of faculty by accepted academic leaders to complete the infusion process, all appear to be key in successfully achieving this kind of curriculum change.     

Collegiate Grading System: Traditional or Non-Traditional

This article shares an explanation regarding why disciplined study should be introduced to pre-service teachers early in their coursework, specifically through methods courses. Next, it shares two studies conducted regarding perceptions of curriculum: one with pre-service teachers and one with veteran teachers. Then it provides five suggestions for improving pre-service teacher methods courses in order to assist pre-service teachers with their own concepts of curriculum and pedagogy. It ends with implications and final thoughts.     

Facing Disaster: A Tale of Two Colleges,One System,and Their Response to Hurricane Katrina

This article presents three situations (a community college, a technical college, and a state system) and describes the responses to substantial hurricane storm damages sustained by the physical infrastructure in each case. A disaster readiness checklist is provided.     

PROC LCA: A SAS Procedure for Latent Class Analysis

Latent class analysis (LCA) is a statistical method used to identify a set of discrete, mutually exclusive latent classes of individuals based on their responses to a set of observed categorical variables. In multiple-group LCA, both the measurement part and structural part of the model can vary across groups, and measurement invariance across groups can be empirically tested. LCA with covariates extends the model to include predictors of class membership. In this article, we introduce PROC LCA, a new SAS procedure for conducting LCA, multiple-group LCA, and LCA with covariates. The procedure is demonstrated using data on alcohol use behavior in a national sample of high school seniors.