Students in construction technology (n=65) described their general and subject-specific conceptions of learning. Among general conceptions were lifelong and self-directed leaning; subject-specific conceptions included self/career development and obtaining grades to get a degree. Differences between the two were influenced by context and…

The poor health status of Australia's Indigenous people is well-documented, as are the links between health and education. Aboriginal communities recognise the utmost importance of improving educational, physical, social and economic well-being in an environment where disproportionate numbers of Aboriginal students fail to complete secondary…

Among the barriers to learning for Aborigines are rigid institutional structures, focus on learning for gaining knowledge rather than application, and the individualistic framework of formal education. The population would be better served by two-way learning through relationships (knowledge sharing) and self-determination and control. (Contains…

The deficient preparation of Australian college faculty for participation in college administration is contrasted with evidence of increased administrator participation in professional development activities. The use of films to trigger opportunities for administrative development in peer group situations is discussed and evaluated by…

Examines the external motivation for and attitudes toward acquiring a second language. Coming from the community at large, this type of motivation is not from the classroomand, thus, out of the hands of individual teachers. Rather, vocational usefulnes is one of the key reasons students pursue foreign language study. (SL)

An attempt was made to compare Indian and Australian students' answers to questions concerning their attitudes to teachers, courses, choice of occupations and their beliefs in certain aspects of proverbial wisdom. (Author/RK)

Reports on a study of foreign language learning in Australia's primary schools in the mid-seventies. The role of immigration in the development of second language programs is discussed, along with the extent of federal government involvement. A state-by-state analysis of language programs is also given. (PJN)

This research investigated social and academic outcomes from single-sex classrooms in a Tasmanian coeducational government primary school. Interviews, observations and surveys formed the basis of the evidence. Teachers, parents and children reported positive benefits from the class organisation, but these differed according to gender. Staff…

The results of this issue's series of articles are summarized, and implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed. Initial academic achievement was the strongest predictor of student achievement. The impact of attentiveness, motivation, student background, sex, and time on task were also described. (GDC)

Out of 92 New South Wales pupils identified as talented in primary schools, 3 left school before the end of year 11, and 15 failed to place in the top 25 percent on Australian Higher School Certificate tests. Affective patterns leading to inappropriate study habits and lack of motivation were gleaned from questionnaire responses. (Author/PB)

This report examines how immigrant students performed, mainly in mathematics and reading, but also in science and problem-solving skills in the PISA 2003 assessment, both in comparison with native students in their adopted country and relative to other students across all countries covered in the report (the "case countries"). In…

The study investigated whether performance levels of employed students receiving financial aid increase singnificantly as a consequence of monetary incentive, and whether there are result differentials for some students and not for others. The assumption concerning the incentive value of financial aid was not supported by the study's results.…

The question examined by this study was: Are the traditional reinforcers common to many planned programs of reinforcement in the classroom relevant and meaningful to the pupils themselves? Data is reported from a questionnaire administered to seven-year-old pupils, ten-year-old pupils, and their teachers. A discrepancy was found between reward…

Motivation that arises from a genine interest in the field of study being undertaken is examined. This Australian university professor suggests that most students do not have a real zeal for academic study and offers ideas for improving that motivation in science students. (LBH)

This article questions the stereotyped picture of the Asian university student as relying heavily on rote learning. A survey comparing Hong Kong students (n=2,143) with Australian norms found similar study processes in the two groups, suggesting that tendencies toward reproductive study approaches may be a function of teaching practices rather…