Describes a family intervention and support program which uses counseling, behavior management, and skills-development. The program provides support for parents, addressing their emotional needs and helping them learn and then teach problem-solving skills. Discusses techniques, such as active listening skills, team training procedures, and…

Shaped by a survey that reached between 40,000 and 50,000 parents and teachers in Australia, this book identifies the main features of elementary schooling about which parents seek information and explains what is happening in Australia's classrooms at the present time. The book is presented as a resource and a stimulus for fostering the essential…

This report is the sixth in a series of evaluations of the Queensland (Australia) Pre-School Correspondence Program (PSCP), a preschool program conducted by mail for families living in remote or isolated areas. This report represents teachers' perceptions and evaluations of the program. The introduction to the report outlines the administrative…

A study examined six aspects of learning communities in early childhood settings in rural New South Wales (Australia). These aspects are reflection, individual development, diversity, conversation, caring, and shared responsibility. Surveys of 15 directors of early childhood programs indicated that the reflective component of the learning…

In 1994, Australian Catholic University personnel and 14 K-12 Catholic school teachers collaborated on an action research project to promote professional growth. The K-12 Professional Development Program involved classroom teachers in action research through which they could identify ways to create partnerships with parents. The action research…

This discussion (1) briefly describes several projects that have successfully trained parents to be informal teachers of their children and (2) lists guidelines for effective parenting. Initially, a discussion of parent/child interaction reports evidence of the teaching role of parents. Findings of recent research are also reported regarding the…

Discusses recent Australian research on parental attitudes regarding gender equity in early childhood programs. Reports that parents have extremely mixed attitudes toward these programs. Examines the behavior of three boys exhibiting either cross-gender play or extreme aggression and their parents' attitudes, and plans a teacher-parent…

This paper presents the Australian perspective on a study conducted by the Consortium for Cross-Cultural Research in Education. Only 23 percent of the Australian teachers in the sample perceived the main objective of significant change as relating directly to their own work context. While most respondents saw themselves as "adapters" (63…

A study examined the value of six theoretical aspects of learning communities in rural New South Wales (Australia) preschools. Surveys of nine preschool directors indicated that they recognized the value of shared decision making, reflection, and delegating power, and that open communication was necessary for developing a learning environment…

This study compared teacher beliefs before and after participation in a pilot project designed to promote parental involvement in Catholic schools. The project, K-12 Professional Development Program: Parent Teacher Partnerships through Personal Development Education, involved K-12 teachers from six primary and secondary Catholic schools in a…

The document contains proceedings from a seminar on the education of gifted and talented children in Australia. The keynote address, "Expectations for Educating the Gifted and Talented" delivered by R. Strom, is divided into five main sections: school expectations (goal setting and motivation, scope of learning, mental health and…

This study considers one way to make more productive use of information in a recognised survey instrument, the "Parental Attitudes to Inclusion" (PATI) scale and, thus, to enhance inclusive classroom practice for students with special needs. The instrument, designed to elicit views about inclusion, was initially administered to a large…

The focus on parent participation in the Australian school community has intensified over the last few years, but both parents and teachers still hold many erroneous notions with regard to their shared responsibilities. Rather than viewing parents and teachers as two separate camps with children in the middle, it must be recognized that…

Questions theoretical assumptions underlying current provision of Australian early childhood distance education and proposes an alternative attitudinal base dependent on these assumptions: There are differences in settings, role, and role relationships in home-based programs; parent is main educator; and teachers' role and interpersonal skills…

This study examines some of the issues and channels of communication between a Catholic secondary school for girls in Melbourne (Australia) and a sample of 187 of the girls' parents. Administrative strategies are suggested to enable the school to remain open to parents' ideas, preferences, and expectations. (Author/MLF)