A survey of over 500 teachers and trainers in the Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector was carried out to examine whether their teaching practices and approaches varied with their qualification levels. The survey, carried out with teachers and trainers from different types of training providers -- public and private -- formed…

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to examine whether there really is a shortage of VET teachers, and if so, whether there are links to the salary offered and to the qualifications required. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses three main approaches to examine the narrative of a shortage of VET teachers in Australia. Findings: There was no…

This paper shows how system-level data can generate useful insights into the profile of first-year graduates who are teaching out-of-field (OOF). Understanding in-school demand and impacts on first-year graduates teaching OOF is important, especially when the first years of teaching are complex, busy, and involve a steep learning curve. A mixed…

This paper employs Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as an analytical heuristic in exploring the internationally prevalent situation of teaching out-of-field. Drawing on interview transcripts, we use CHAT to frame the activity of a young teacher teaching mathematics out-of-field in a small rural K-12 school in Australia. We identify and…

Cognition research has demonstrated that babies, from birth, can detect numerical correspondences and abstract properties of objects and events. However, this limited existing research is often distant from educational practice, and thus, this information may be inaccessible to early childhood educators; most of whom hold pre-Bachelor level…

The efficacy of the Australian Disability Employment Services (DES) for autistic jobseekers has not been examined and is currently undergoing Government reform. To help inform the new DES strategy, we sought the views of: 24 autistic individuals; seven family members of autistic individuals, and; 46 DES employees. Data were collected using surveys…

Teacher registration is increasingly utilised as a governance mechanism to audit teachers' work and drive professional practice. There is limited and mixed empirical evidence, however, as to whether registration drives teaching quality. Our study extends this limited empirical base by critically examining the policy trajectory in Australia to…

In Australia and elsewhere, aged care and disability services are being transformed by the introduction of person-centred approaches. This radical reform to prioritise the dignity and needs of the people receiving care or support is an urgent matter of justice. Person-centred approaches are also transforming the organisation and conditions of…

Purpose: In the wake of a skills shortage in Australia and its impact on the economy, the need for students to complete their vocational education and training (VET) programmes and enter the workforce is critical. This study aims to identify to what degree student programme choice and perceived personal benefits as well as various confounders act…

Managers in the sport management industry sector expect graduates from undergraduate sport management programs to have extensive practical experience and to demonstrate employability. This Australian-based study explored how practical experience can align undergraduate sport management industry sector learning with associated graduate employment.…

Many countries have a diverse early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce, comprising educators with a range of qualifications and backgrounds. This diversity creates challenges for professional development, as educators with different qualifications (including university degrees and vocational qualifications) may have different strengths…

For refugee migrants, proficiency in the language of their host country is a significant factor affecting their chance of integration and employment in their new society. For this reason, many Western nations provide host-country language training for such migrants. Australia thus offers English language training within its Vocational Education…

Australian early childhood education and care [ECEC] has faced a series of change and reform since 2009, including the introduction and later revisions of key curriculum and qualify frameworks, increased qualifications, shifting theoretical knowledge and pedagogies, and challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, early childhood…

Concern regarding the prevalence of out-of-field teaching continues to grow, as does the body of literature calling for a better understanding of the nuanced complexities associated with out-of-field teaching. In this paper, we extend our previous analysis of data from a survey of the profession teaching Years 7-10 mathematics in South Australia.…

In addition to aligning with context-specific expectations of policymakers, initial teacher education of secondary English teachers can consider schools' needs. Furthermore, schools may decrease attrition when they recruit teachers who meet their role requirements. To explore the learning area-specific role preferences and requirements of…