Australia and New Zealand have participated in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Programme for International Student Assessment since 2000. Reading literacy was the main focus of the Programme for International Student Assessment in 2000, and at that time both countries' students generally performed well above the…

Teachers use assessment to ascertain and enhance student learning, thus the importance of assessment literacy. One of the instruments that has been used to examine teachers' assessment literacy is the Assessment Literacy Inventory developed by Mertler and Campbell. The Assessment Literacy Inventory has been validated using pre-service teachers and…

Previous research has established that student outcomes are strongly associated with the socioeconomic composition of a school, also known as school socioeconomic status. Less is known, however, about the ways in which the relationship varies for different students, schools and national education systems. Here, we conduct a secondary analysis of…

There has been a major and growing international focus on improving the quality of teaching for decades. In Australia, there have been numerous key national initiatives introduced since 2007 with the aim of improving school, teacher and student performance. These include national testing and reporting of student achievement, national professional…

In recent decades, governments and universities in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries have relied on six major mechanisms to safeguard quality in university research. More recently, many countries have added new quality-assurance mechanisms, particularly reviews of disciplines and academic audits. Two recent…

A study investigated the extent of burnout among high school teachers in Victoria (Australia) and public and private school teachers in North America. Findings reveal teachers are coping fairly well, but Australian teachers are experiencing higher burnout because of lack of professional recognition and career advancement. (Author/MSE)

One of the outcomes of regular education reform in Australia has been the development of a national testing program for school students. This article examines the degree to which students with a disability participate in this testing, and the extent to which the testing of students with a disability may help to achieve the National Goals of…

A methodology is demonstrated through which significant change patterns in an education system can be identified and then interpreted in terms of the political, social, and economic contexts of those years. Data for the New South Wales system have been used for this study. (MSE)

Teaching styles in New Zealand and Queensland, Australia, are considered within the framework of basic value orientations--industrial, social, academic, and humanistic. (Editor/RK)

Provides brief accounts of significant current innovation and research in Australia. Topics covered include administration, curriculum and objectives, teaching and learning, measurement and research methodology, student development and personnel services, social context of education, and history. (Author/RK)

This study explored the curricular differences between five public and five private schools in Hobart, Australia. The probable effects of such differences, educationally and socially, are discussed and also related to studies in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Alternatives are proposed to reduce the sociocultural schism.…

It is argued that Australian elementary mathematics curricula have been influenced by earlier British and United States educational movements and theories and are out of touch with current research emphasizing a constructivist approach. A new model of young children's numerical development is offered, and recommendations for improving mathematical…

Policy mandating decentralization of schools is examined for Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The system in Western Australia is used as an example, and the ways in which decentralization will affect both regular and special education are discussed. It is argued that decentralization will work only through a coordinated and…

Modernising the teaching profession has become one of the main goals of contemporary educational system reform. The evaluation of teachers has been integral to the new teacher quality policies and programs. This article provides a comparative and critical analysis of the evaluations that teachers now confront during their professional careers.…

A study in Victoria (Australia) investigated integration of students with severe intellectual disabilities into three educational settings. It was found that, although these students are better integrated in Victoria than in the United Kingdom or United States, integration has proceeded with inadequate support services, particularly professional…