This paper identifies differences in educational outcomes for rural students in South Australia compared to their metropolitan peers. This information was compiled by a task force whose aim was to develop an action plan to achieve equality of educational opportunities for rural students. Available information suggests that students in country…

The nine papers in this anthology present cases studies showing how culture influences the social role of higher education in various nations. It examines how environments get defined and how they shape universities , and how knowledge and academic work interact in national contexts. This book focuses on how both developed and developing…

The effects of academic self-concept and the learning environment on science and mathematics achievement were studied in remote and rural Western Australia. The Western Australian School Effectiveness Study explored achievement in 28 urban and rural high schools. In the first phase, survey instruments were developed and piloted in two schools, and…

This book contains papers presented at a conference on educational promise, performance, and expectations. Papers included in this volume are: (1) "Education in Australia: We Get What We Deserve" (S. Ball); (2) "The Size and Scale: What is Expected" (J. G. Owen); (3) "The Search for Educational Quality and Equality: A U.…

In the form of a diary, an educational consultant describes the highlights of three months of organizational development at an Australian high school. The intervention involved staff, administrators, teachers, students, and parents in the goal of improving the quality of life and learning at the school. Change strategies are described and the…

This paper comprises four case studies that illustrate the State Library of New South Wales' (Australia) commitment to learning. The first section describes a shared learning environment for graduate information studies students that was collaboratively developed by the State Library and the University of Technology, Sydney (Australia). The second…

The collection of articles in this volume provides a review of research and scholarly work in the field of education that has been undertaken in Australia during the past 30 years. Part 1, "Background Perspectives," includes (1) "Social Context of Education" (Kevin Majoribanks); (2) "Politics of Education" (Grant…

This document is comprised of volume 2 of a quarterly bulletin for educators in Australia providing a practical focus to improving boys' schooling. The April 1999 issue focuses on the role of school executives, or administrators, on supporting educational initiatives. This issue includes articles describing the development of a program-based…

Young people growing up in rural and isolated areas of Australia face particular challenges because structural change to the rural economy has dramatically affected their communities. Structural challenges include limited transportation, health and community services that are difficult to access and not confidential, scarcity of affordable…

Staff interviews addressed the changing roles and relationships between principals of one-teacher schools and administrators of the North West Region of the New South Wales Department of School Education. Over a five-year period, the approaches employed by administrators to implement departmental policy changes altered significantly and resulted…

Examines how teachers' perceptions of gender affect classroom discipline in Australia using case studies at 4 high schools and 2 secondary institutions; interviews with 86 students, 40 teachers, and 10 support staff; and questionnaires from 720 students and 110 teachers. Stereotyped masculinity and femininity attitudes exist in classroom…

In response to appeals for empirical data on culture-specific differences and developmental pathways of acculturative stress among young migrants and refugees, the present study examines the cultural adjustment patterns of ethnically diverse migrants to Australia. Two hundred and seventy three primary and high school students (comprised of…

This study aimed to examine views, concerns and expectations of immigrant Bangladeshi parents and children in Sydney concerning transition to kindergarten (the first year of school). This study builds on the previous work of the Starting School Research Project at the University of Western Sydney by: (1) deriving data from families and children…

In Australia the internationalization of education implies an increasing amount of "non-Anglo", predominantly South-East Asian, students from different ethnic and language backgrounds in the classroom. This impacts on the effectiveness of action learning of professional skills, which is highly valued and supported by Australian…

The development of quality learning materials using new technology requires the use of a wide range of skills beyond those possessed by many academic staff. Obtaining quality online learning experiences may require academics to work in teams with others who provide educational design support and technical expertise. The effective management of a…