Australian Journal of Education, Ahead of Print. Although the value of physical activity for physical and mental health is well accepted, benefits for learning are less clear. Research about the incorporation of physical activity in teaching practice and the benefits teachers perceive for student learning and behaviour is sparse. In the current study, Australian teachers (n = 222) completed an online survey. Over 70% of the participants reported using physical activity in their teaching practice. Activities included movement breaks, such as stretches and balancing games, or ones that were inte ..read more

Australian Journal of Education, Volume 68, Issue 1, Page 3-4, April 2024 ..read more

Australian Journal of Education, Ahead of Print. Data reporting in the Australian education system produces deficit-based comparisons of academic achievement between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. Since 2009, data from the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) have been used by the Australian government to allow it to report on ‘Closing the Gap’ policy. These data are used to justify government-funded initiatives designed to improve educational outcomes for Indigenous students. While the logic of this approach has political cachet, the ‘gaps’ have persisted. Ins ..read more

Australian Journal of Education, Ahead of Print. The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant educational disruption globally. When the pandemic forced schools to switch to emergency home-schooling, parental engagement in education became more critical. Some parents found home-schooling as an opportunity to form stronger relationships with their children. Others acquired an enhanced insight into their children’s schoolwork. However, the emerging literature shows that, as not all parents were equally positioned to support their children’s learning at home, emergency home-schooling has resulted in a ..read more

Australian Journal of Education, Ahead of Print. In this study, we investigated the perceptions of beginning teachers regarding their preparation for becoming inclusive educators. Our aim was to explore what they considered facilitators and barriers to becoming inclusive educators upon transitioning into the profession. The research was informed by the three apprenticeships model encompassing the cognitive, practical and moral dimensions of teaching that is the knowledge, skills and beliefs required to practice as an inclusive educator. We collected interview data from eight beginning teachers ..read more

Australian Journal of Education, Volume 67, Issue 3, Page 229-230, November 2023 ..read more

Australian Journal of Education, Ahead of Print. The number of times children change schools, or student mobility, is associated with multiple adverse outcomes across the life span. This study used administrative data from the Western Australian Department of Education for public primary school students who completed Year 6 between 2016 and 2019 to examine potential associations between student mobility and academic (using National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy [NAPLAN] participation and scores) and behaviour outcomes (measured through school suspensions). The odds of participatin ..read more

Australian Journal of Education, Ahead of Print. The widespread move to online schooling during the COVID-19 crisis meant that parents played a significant role in educating their children. However, there is a paucity of research relating to parents’ perceptions of online and remote learning designs. This study used multiple regression analyses and thematic analysis of parent survey responses during COVID-19 to examine which online tasks reduced parental stress and student difficulty, increased student autonomy and learning, and increased parental satisfaction. A key finding was that digital c ..read more

Australian Journal of Education, Ahead of Print ..read more

Australian Journal of Education, Ahead of Print. The visibility of female role models in science is vital for engaging and retaining women in scientific fields. In this study, we analyse four senior secondary science courses delivered across the states and territories in Australia: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, and Physics. We compared male and female representation within the science courses by examining the mentions of male and female scientists along with the context of their inclusions in the syllabuses. We find a clear gender bias with only one unique mention of a female scie ..read more