An innovative project of cooperative evaluation by principals and teachers of their schools was initiated in 1977 in over 70 large primary schools throughout Queensland, Australia. The background and purposes of the project are described and a schedule for a school evaluation project is suggested. A booklet "A Guide for Cooperative School…

Five papers discuss Australian education research. Issues explored include: (1) public versus private education; (2) access to and participation in higher education; (3) teacher self-evaluation; (4) test equating methods; and (5) a procedure for analyzing classroom dialogue. The validity of end-of-school assessments and the nature of teaching are…

This paper argues that evaluation of advanced skills in teaching should be based on pedagogical content knowledge that good teachers should have but nonteachers in the discipline might not. Several schemes used in Victoria (Australia) for appraisal of advanced teaching skills are examined, and an alternative to competency-based approaches is…

Issues that emerged in the evaluation of the Queensland (Australia) Review of School-Based Assessment are discussed. The effects of implementation on secondary school teachers are addressed. The legal requirements, under Section 37 of the Queensland Education Act, of the curriculum innovation have been implemented and met by teachers. (TJH)

Evaluated first use of a classroom environment instrument in a Year 1 class. Students responded to both the actual and preferred forms of the inventory. The teacher then implemented selected strategies in a practical attempt to improve the classroom environment in ways preferred by the students. Follow-up assessment indicated that the environment…

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.…

The primary function of classroom supervision is to effect changes in teacher behavior that will result in improved instructional skill. Among the problems associated with supervision are lack of time, lack of specific supervisory techniques, and poor interpersonal relations. Some observational techniques available for supervisors to employ are…

This research paper explores in depth the real causes behind underachievement among students at UAE Model Schools. The researcher suggests practical solutions to turn Model Schools into high-performance schools. He also sets out to discuss the issue of NESTs Vs NNESTs and the implications of such a distinction for the education profession. The aim…

This paper reports on part of a cross-national study of science classroom environments in Taiwan and Australia. It focuses on teachers' beliefs about science and science teaching and the effects these beliefs have on the learning environment in the science classroom. Better understanding of this relationship between teacher beliefs and learning…

This guide suggests approaches that new and experienced Technical and Further Education (TAFE) teachers may find useful in answering questions that may lead to improvement in their teaching effectiveness. In the first part of the guide, such questions are discussed, together with possible strategies for answering them and useful reference texts.…

This booklet reports on issues related to an inquiry to examine the effectiveness of Australian schools in preparing young people for the world of work, with special attention to the schools' achievement in providing youth with an adequate mastery of fundamentals. First, the evidence of an educational inadequacy is examined. Inquiry is made into…

The prevalent use of student ratings in teaching evaluations, particularly the reliability of such data, has been debated for many years. Reports in the literature indicate that there are many factors influencing student perceptions of teaching. Three of these factors were investigated at the University of Western Australia, namely the broad…

The implementation of effective science programs in primary schools is of continuing interest and concern for teacher educators. Recent Australian national initiatives have been designed to foster the teaching of science in primary schools. At the provincial level in Queensland, decisions concerning the planning and introduction of a new primary…

This paper discusses the practicum component of teacher education, particularly as it is implemented at the School of Early Childhood Studies (SECS) of the University of Melbourne (Victoria), Australia. The purpose of the practicum is to socialize students into their profession and give them the opportunity to acquire relevant skills. The three…

This document is an annual publication documenting developments in the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)'s research programs for the previous year. The 2004 edition highlights research on the following themes: (1) Helping international schools measure achievement; (2) Evaluating Australian teachers; (3) Tests of reading…