Theoretical and Practical Perspectives for the Future of Educational and Vocational Guidance in Australia

This article highlights therelationship between social change andeducational and vocational guidance provision,and emphasises the theoretical and practicalimperative to renew and refocus educational andvocational (career) guidance services. Afterdescribing the major influences on a changingeducational and vocational guidance nature andprovision, it describes a number of specificdevelopments in Australia.     

Designing STEAM Education: Fostering Relationality through Design‐Led Disruption

A significant contention underpinning the commentary around STEM / STEAM is the evidence of discipline hierarchies, and inherent binary perspectives and/or biases that lend themselves to privileging one or more disciplines over another in an interdisciplinary education context. The current focus on increasing engagement with STEM in Australian schools provides opportunities to explore how the creative and liberal arts, and arts‐based approaches to teaching and learning are being adopted to significantly enhance teaching and learning outcomes in and for STEM education. This article examines how design for a STEAM education programme evolves and is adopted in an Australian context. Tasmania represents one of the most vibrant creative communities in Australia. At the same time it has one of the lowest levels of educational attainment. Entrenched teaching habits and disciplinary hierarchies often create significant barriers to the implementation of STEAM despite genuine goodwill and enthusiasm for STEAM among teachers and within schools. This article argues that, despite the contrasting dynamics extant in the Tasmanian educational context, it is here that some of the nation’s most curious and exciting examples of STEAM teaching and learning have emerged. It offers an example of an innovative learning project and proposes the means by which these disciplinary strands have been effectively entwined.     

Scaling Performance Assessments: A Comparison of One-Parameter and Two-Parameter Partial Credit Models

In one study, parameters were estimated for constructed-response (CR) items in 8 tests from 4 operational testing programs using the l-parameter and 2- parameter partial credit (IPPC and 2PPC) models. Where multiple-choice (MC) items were present, these models were combined with the 1-parameter and 3-parameter logistic (IPL and 3PL) models, respectively. We found that item fit was better when the 2PPC model was used alone or with the 3PL model. Also, the slopes of the CR and MC items were found to differ substantially. In a second study, item parameter estimates produced using the IPL-IPPC and 3PL-2PPC model combinations were evaluated for fit to simulated data generated using true parameters known to fit one model combination or ttle other. The results suggested that the more flexible 3PL-2PPC model combination would produce better item fit than the IPL-1PPC combination.     

Using the newspaper to support children's emerging literacy

Young children's literacy development involves emerging knowledge, skills, and attitudes about both written and oral language. However, until relatively recent years, children's oral language development has received the lion's share of attention in most early childhood programs. What young children know about written language and their natural ability to learn about writing and reading have been underestimated and misinterpreted and so have received little developmentally appropriate support from early childhood program administrators, teachers, parents, and the public.June Rose Richie is Associate Professor of curriculum and instruction, while Janet E. Foster is Assistant Professor and John M. Johnston is Professor of early childhood education, at Memphis State University, Memphis, TN.     

Coloured overlays and their benefit for reading

Children in mainstream schools compared text on white paper with identical text covered in turn by each of ten differently‐coloured plastic overlays. More than 50% reported improved perception with one or more colours, and were given the best colour to use. About half used the overlays for more than three months and their reading speed increased when the overlays were used. In Study I children were examined twice using different methods and examiners. 47% chose the same colour on both occasions, and showed the greatest improvement in reading fluency, reliable at retest. In Study II children were issued with a random colour, and the greatest improvements in reading speed occurred when the random colour was the same as that previously chosen. Phonological reading strategies were not related to visual symptoms, or the benefit from overlays. Across individuals, reading speed varied by a factor of more than three, for good and poor readers. Study III provided estimates of the prevalence of improvements based on a sample of 426 children from 12 schools: 5% of children read more than 25% faster with a coloured overlay.     

More Than Manga

This paper describes a partnership project between Hazel Grove High School, Stockport and Cornerhouse Gallery, Manchester, during June 2001. In celebration of National Children’s Art Day, all year 10 students (14–15 year olds) spent a full day at the Cornerhouse, engaging with different types of manga (the Japanese word for comic). Pupils explored its diversity and developed their own storyboards and graphic styles. Pupils worked alongside artist, Adela Jones, with each pupil making their own sculptural comic book at school the following week. All artwork produced was exhibited either at the Cornerhouse or at school in celebration of the project. This was a unique experience for all pupils and staff, and the outcomes of the project exceeded all expectations.     

Managing course design

Any complex activity, such as course design, which involves group work must be managed. In universities, where academics are not always familiar with managing, it is often unsystematic. A modest attention to management can help a project, and may pay dividends in the avoidance of waste, conflict, overruns of time or budget or other potential disasters. The author presents a comprehensive framework for the various aspects of managing that may be needed and offers an extended checklist.     

The Relationship Between Career Maturity and Work Commitment in a Sample of Australian High School Students

The present study reports on a study conducted with 377 Australian students enrolled in grades 9 through 12. The Australian version of the Career Development Inventory (CDI-A; Lokan, 1984) and a work commitment measure modified for the Australian context (Rowley & Feather, 1987) were administered. Analyses were conducted with the four subscales of the CDI-A as the dependent measures, and two levels of work commitment (high/low), four levels of age (14–17) and gender (female/male) as the independent variables. Work commitment was moderately correlated with all subscales of the CDI-A. Gender differences were evident on work commitment and career maturity. A striking finding was the strong relationship between work commitment and the knowledge component of career maturity for females. Findings are discussed in the context of changing educational and labour market opportunities and the role of education programs in career maturity development.