This paper reports on the external evaluation of a two-year project aimed at improving educational opportunities for Aboriginal Education Workers (AEWs) through technology-based pedagogy. A design-based approach was selected by the research team to increase the relevance of the research for both praxis and practice, with emphasis on improvement of…

This paper focuses on our experience of researching the influence of ResourceSmart Schools, a sustainable schools programme in Victoria, Australia. Drawing on ideas from programme theory and realist synthesis, we illustrate and reflect upon our approach to conceptualising, investigating and generating evidence about the programme's…

A "citizen science" outreach program was aimed at high school students in Western Australia with a focus on agricultural sciences. The program had two main objectives: the collection of samples and the mapping of the distribution of the leaf disease powdery mildew of barley across the state; and support for the teaching and learning of…

This paper examines the development of data infrastructure in Australian schooling with a specific focus on interoperability standards that help to make new markets for education data. The conceptual framework combines insights from studies of infrastructure, economic markets and digital data. The case of the Australian National Schools…

Although there is a recognised need for effective practices to support students on the autism spectrum in mainstream schools, there is a research to practice gap in the area of autism and education, whereby evidence-based intervention may take decades to translate into mainstream classroom practice. Thus, current recommendations are that, rather…

Beyond Grey Pinstripes is a research survey and alternative ranking of business schools that spotlights innovative full-time MBA programs leading the way in integrating social and environmental stewardship into their curriculum and scholarly research. These schools are preparing today's students--tomorrow's leaders--for future market realities by…

The Parents Returning to Work Program (PRTW) is a Victorian government initiative which commenced in 2003. It provides grants to assist eligible parents who wish to return to paid employment after a period of caring for children to participate in training that will increase their work skills and job prospects. This evaluation aimed to review the…

In 2004 the Australian Flexible Learning Framework developed a suite of quantitative and qualitative indicators on the uptake, use and impact of e-learning in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. These indicators were used to design items for a survey to gather quantitative data for benchmarking. A series of four surveys gathered…

Not all data for a program evaluation may be equally valuable, and costs of collection may vary when using several methods to obtain data from several sources. An approach to maximize information yield for a fixed, limited budget using a mathematical technique known as linear programming is described and generalized. (Author/CM)

This collection of chapters presents research focused on emerging strategies, paradigms, and theories on the sources, experiences, and consequences of stress, coping, and prevention pertaining to students, teachers and administrators. Studies analyze data collected through action research, program evaluation, surveys, qualitative interviewing,…

This interim report on the implementation of Australia's Child Support Scheme and its short-term effects analyzes the entry experiences of a sample of the first 6,000 registered Child Support Agency cases. In November, 1989, after 18 months of operation, commonwealth authorities had established an infrastructure that facilitated the continued…

Data from five outdoor education programs in the United States and Australia indicate relatively low injury and illness rates and suggest a need to focus on hygiene practices and the prevention of athletic injuries. Documenting and analyzing injuries, illnesses, and "near misses" can enhance the safety of outdoor education programs.…

This report deals with the development of a methodology with which Australian TAFE (Technical and Further Education) authorities, institutions, and staff could evaluate staff development programs and activities. It focuses on two programs that reflect the diversity in program organization and major emphases adopted--South Australian Department of…

This document evaluates the Australian Contingency Program for Refugee Children (mainly from Vietnam, Laos, and Kampuchea), which aimed to assist the children's English language acquisition and enable them to be integrated as soon as possible into regular classrooms. Chapters cover the following topics: (1) a description of the program; (2) areas…

This report examines issues related to the performance indicators used for international comparisons of Australia's vocational education and training (VET) system. Chapter 2 examines main sources of international comparisons of VET and main features of indicator frameworks used for comparisons. Chapter 3 presents an outline of these two main…