What are the sources of teachers' professional knowledge for the teaching of reading? This paper reports findings from a study that investigated the role of teachers in the current Research-Policy-Praxis Nexus (RPPN). This was achieved by a specific focus upon constructions of reading in the early years in Victoria, Australia. All of the teacher…

Theatre and drama are areas of performance and inquiry which usually assume engagement and commitment to the ensemble or group process, supported by strong individual input. How can this "dynamic" be brought into a fully online distance course? In this article we analyse and reflect on the design and implementation of an online theatre…

Australian higher education increasingly relies on flexible modes of delivery as a means of attracting and retaining students in a highly competitive global education market. While education is among those disciplines that have been most actively involved in the shift from face-to-face to online learning and teaching, the transition for many…

The number of students taking online courses in K-12 has increased exponentially since the inception of virtual schools in 1996. However, K-12 virtual schooling is a relatively new concept for those involved in teacher education. As teacher education departments build pre-service preparation programs, in-service professional development…

Whole language may be described as authentic and purposeful experiences with language in a child's natural environment--it is a philosophy that combines all content area subjects into a meaningful process. The teaching of whole language over the entire spectrum of the curriculum was observed in the Catholic Primary Schools of the Archdiocese of…

This paper proposes an interactional model of education for early childhood education and compares this model to two more traditional models (subject dominated and child centered). The aim of educational services for young children should be to provide an environment within which children are able to develop towards autonomy, competence,…

This paper reports the teacher actions that promoted the development of students' mental computation. A Year 3 teacher engaged her class in developing mental computation strategies over a ten-week period. Two overarching issues that appeared to support learning were establishing connections and encouraging strategic thinking. (Contains 2 figures.)…

Summarizes the discussions and findings of a working party within the Australian Commission on Language Development, which focused on ways of promoting children's language development. (HOD)

This article describes techniques for organizing curriculum in a one-teacher rural elementary school. Flexibility in grouping and teaching strategies, thematic approaches, and independent learning activities are emphasized. (SJL)

Evaluation of effects of mandating educators to report suspected cases of child sexual assault in New South Wales, Australia, found a significant increase in the number of such reports by teachers but no change in the percentage of reported eventually verified. (Author/DB)

Discusses a teacher's perspective on the whole language approach to reading instruction, based on her observations of Australian students. Examines the theoretical frameworks, the materials used for instruction, the time allotted for instruction, the role of the teacher, the lesson format, and student motivation. (PRA)

Although research findings endorse abandonment of traditional skills-based views of literacy, governments are instituting models of literacy learning with psychometric measures and benchmarking. Literacy, learning, and teaching are being taken out of the hands of teachers. (SK)

Discusses curriculum decisions being made by science teachers in Victoria schools where there are no externally prescribed courses. Questionnaires were sent to 214 secondary schools. Concludes that science teachers are making important curriculum decisions but there is evidence of weakness in the decision making process. (MLH)

This paper discusses the present training of Australian educators and the administrative organization of Australian public education and argues that the current system stresses the technical aspects of education while undervaluing the importance of personal relationships and communication skills for teachers. The author emphasizes the importance…

This book presents an account of literacy learning based on what effective teachers and learners actually do. It demonstrates how literacy develops in social and communicative exchanges. It contends that learning to be literate--like all learning--involves negotiating meanings with others, through whom learners clarify, confirm, and expand their…