In 2001, 6,821 employers across Australia were surveyed regarding their views of vocational education and training (VET). The survey was the fourth such survey since 1995. In 2001, 80% of employers of VET graduates (compared with 83% in 1995) rated their satisfaction with VET as 6 or higher on a 10-point scale. The proportion of employees at the…

Data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) were analyzed to assess the viability of using the LSAY study data for national reporting of outcomes by geographic location and to identify variations in young Australians' education participation and outcomes by geographic region. The analysis revealed several sample distribution…

Attracting and retaining staff in rural and remote schools has been a perennial problem n Australia virtually since federation in 1901. In this report the author uses a mixed method approach of an on-line survey, unstructured interviews and policy analysis to develop a comprehensive overview of approaches to overcome these staffing problems…

The extent and nature of Australia's school-industry programs in 1996 were examined through a survey of 1,868 government and nongovernment schools and programs. It was conducted using a questionnaire similar to that which had been used in 1995. According to the 1,453 completed questionnaires (response rate 78%) by 11th and 12th grade students, 62%…

The attrition of both new and experienced teachers is a great challenge for schools and school administrators throughout the United States, particularly in large urban districts. Because of the importance of this issue, there is a large empirical literature that investigates why teachers quit and how they might be better induced to stay. Here we…

The last in a series of reports on nine prominent foreign languages in Australia reviews the status of Spanish, particularly as it concerns public policy and second language teaching. The first chapter describes the research and survey methodologies that are the basis for this report. Subsequent chapters summarize the results and draw conclusions.…

Practices and policies regarding graded assessment in vocational education and training (VET) in Australia were examined. Data were collected through a literature review; focus groups involving approximately 120 stakeholders in 5 states; interviews with 49 representatives of registered training organizations (RTOs); and surveys of RTOs, students,…

The longer-term employment and training outcomes of enrollment in vocational education and training (VET) were examined. The study analyzed data from the 1993 "Survey of Training and Education Experience" (STE) and the 1997 "Survey of Education and Training Experience" (SET) which were conducted by the Australian Bureau of…

Professional development for teachers in information and communication technology (ICT) is currently a major priority for school systems in Australia and internationally. The metacognitive and reflective approach to professional development described in this paper is a response to the limitations of directive approaches to ICT learning within a…

The report details the results of a 2-year followup study of immigrant students in South Australia high schools. The students (n=91) had all been participants in a New Arrivals transitional program, then scattered in different high schools. The study focused on the status, 2 years later, of students leaving the New Arrivals program in the second…

A report on the teaching of modern languages in Australian higher education is presented in two volumes. The first volume contains the text of the report. An introductory section describes the aims and methodology of the national review and places it in a historical context. The remainder of this volume is in three parts. The first part identifies…

The question of what makes 'good' literacy and numeracy provision was examined by reviewing interview data from a project on the role of vocational education and training that was conducted by the University of Tasmania's Centre for Research and Learning in Regional Australia. The study dataset included the findings from 541 structured interviews…

Adult Learning in Australia (ALA), the lead organization in the field of adult learning in Australia and the national organization for adult learners in Australia, reviewed the current state of lifelong learning in Australia and identified why and how Australian policymakers should develop and finance a national strategy for lifelong learning. The…

The attitudes and experiences of 18 vocational education and training (VET) practitioners considered to be at the leading edge of online education in technical and further education (TAFE) in South Australia were examined to determine how leading-edge VET practitioners engaged in designing, developing, and facilitating online learning understand…

This two-volume document reports on a study of globalization and Australia's training market. Volume 1 begins by examining debate on globalization and industry training in Australia. Discussed next is the study methodology, which involved field studies of the metals and engineering industry in South West Sydney and the Hunter and the information…