Discussion of the impact of information literacy programs on student learning focuses on a study in a Sydney (Australia) high school that tested the assumption that information skills instruction, integrated into the science curriculum, contributed to student achievement as well as to overall student attitudes and motivation. (13 references) (LRW)

Data on 3397 students from 28 high schools in the Western Australian School Effectiveness Study revealed that self-concept had a mitigating effect on student aspirations and achievement; urban students had higher aspirations and achievement than rural students, but similar self-concept; and classroom environment was a powerful determinant of…

While some comfort can be taken from the figures which indicate a growing retention rate, there is considerable concern over the very large percentage of students who do not complete full schooling. In the first experiment in order to address the question of the differential effects of variables on school retention across a range of cultural…

This guide is designed to provide a basis for the effective design of instructional materials for distance education. Organized around a model of instructional development which encompasses both external structural factors (factors that are largely outside the direct control of the individual instructor but which must be investigated) and internal…

The validation of a set of attitude scales developed for use with Australian school students, especially using teacher's ratings, is reported. The four scales measure: motivation to achieve in school learning; respect and confidence in self; attitudes toward school and school learning; and attentiveness in science lessons. (MSE)

A stocktake of issues and activities in vocational education and training in schools through the perspectives of the published literature and policy documentation between 1997 and 2003 is the subject of this report. It identifies progress made and concludes that vocational programs in schools are meeting expectations and have achieved a legitimate…

Whether goals held by students from diverse cultural backgrounds differ and the relationship of these goals to school motivation and achievement were studied with 2,156 Australian (Anglo, immigrant, and Aboriginal), 529 Navajo, and 198 Canadian Montagnais Betsiamite Indian secondary school students. Cross cultural and educational implications are…

A research project using a non-random sample of seven high schools within metropolitan Melbourne during 1985-86 aimed to establish whether prejudice and discrimination were affecting the occupational socialization of senior students. Three sources of discrimination were hypothesized: curriculum, interactions between non-English-speaking and…

Examines in broad terms the Science with Japanese Program at Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, and evaluates the success of this program in terms of academic achievement and relevance to future employment. (12 references) (GLR)

A study of the Wimmera (Victoria, Australia) Adult Literacy and Basic Education Group (WALBEG) surveyed 30 participants to identify reasons people undertook courses, assess the impact of WALBEG programs on the individual and on the community, and investigate possible use of new learning technologies in future delivery of adult programs. (CDS)

A survey of 281 rural Australian high school students in grades 10-12 found that academic achievement was the most important predictor of continuation to university. A survey of 125 of these students who attended college found that high school academic achievement and college course satisfaction predicted success in first-year courses. Contains 15…

In order to evaluate the effects of an integrated curriculum on the learning of popular music, the Sting Curriculum was designed for senior secondary students of mixed ability. This nine-week program was presented to a sample of students aged between 16 and 18 years in urban Sydney (Australia). This article draws on some of the results from this…

As online learning continues to be utilised in diverse ways from courses being delivered fully online through to class websites used to supplement face-to-face classes, and as the technologies continue to develop, research into the effectiveness of this mode of online delivery needs to be an ongoing process. These research findings need to be fed…

A study explored whether mature age students' conspicuous academic success could be partially explained by motivation. It compared motives of a sample of mature "graduate mothers" to those of a sample of mature age "student mothers" who had interrupted a program of study. The 117 graduate participants were randomly chosen from…

A study to determine the degree of vocational awareness of Australian students leaving school and entering the world of work was carried out using a printed questionnaire. A sample of fourth formers in four different schools was used (281 boys and 162 girls): (1) 53.0% of the sample--co-educational school, largely executive-type suburb outside…