Progress has been slow in improving health disparities between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) Australians and other Australians. While reasons for this are complex, delivering healthcare respectful of cultural differences is one approach to improving Indigenous health outcomes. This paper presents and evaluates an intercultural…

Academics in an engineering school at an Australian university participated in peer observation of a teaching program using a partnership approach. The present case study explains and discusses program aims, design, process and outcomes. The success of the program was dependent on four critical elements: educational leadership; a staged,…

Academics' development as teachers is traditionally considered independently from their development in other aspects of their work, or from their development as an academic holistically. Through the analysis of two previous phenomenographic studies of academics' experiences of: (1) their growth and development as an academic holistically; and (2)…

A pilot study was conducted in a regional university setting to promote awareness of the value of affective teaching and learning amongst staff and students. Academic staff and students from diverse disciplines at University of South Australia's (UniSA) Centre for Regional Engagement (CRE) were recruited to the study. The research investigated…

In 2008, the Council of Australian governments (COAG) agreed to a set of reforms focused on teacher quality. These reforms aim to make teaching a more attractive career, lift the quality of teacher training, retain and reward quality teachers, promote effective professional learning and support workforce mobility. Australia has made several…

This paper investigates the effects of a sustained professional development project in South Australia in which a small group of preschool educators worked with the authors to develop their own knowledge and skills in facilitating young children's mathematical learning. Through the development of an approach to pedagogy that linked the mandated…

This document reports on a 2001 Australian summit on teacher standards, quality, and professionalism. This invitational activity included approximately 50 senior policymakers, researchers, and practicing teachers who participated in two workshops involving international experts. They identified where the profession should be in relation to…

Argues that Australian inservice education policies have unintentionally controlled and deskilled teachers. Focuses on Queensland, Australia, from 1973 to 1986. Claims teacher managerial skills are emphasized over curricular and instructional skills. Contends that teachers' professional development consequently suffers. Premises arguments on…

A review of the research indicates that the interface between the findings from research on teaching and staff development of teachers is an important but neglected one. An improvement in teaching skills calls for an interactive or collaborative mode of professional development which is based on classroom interests and the needs of teachers, with…

The absence of a professional career structure for teachers is not a new problem. In 1989, Australian unions, employers, and governments negotiated the Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) classification. Three levels of AST status involving salary increases were proposed to offer teachers a professional career path in teaching comparable in status to…

This guide suggests approaches that new and experienced Technical and Further Education (TAFE) teachers may find useful in answering questions that may lead to improvement in their teaching effectiveness. In the first part of the guide, such questions are discussed, together with possible strategies for answering them and useful reference texts.…

This report presents information from a study of the Higher School Certificate (HSC) in New South Wales, Australia. The study investigated teaching strategies that led to success at the HSC. Researchers identified successful teachers, observed them teaching an HSC class, and followed up with an interview. Groups of ex-students also completed…

This executive summary describes a resource about innovative teaching that profiles and analyzes the work of eight educators working in secondary school communities in Australia. Each case study in the resource is intended as a stand-alone snapshot of good practice in which voices of students, colleagues, principals, and community members…

This report summarizes the results of a project to develop a professional competence description for teachers in technical and further education (TAFE) in New South Wales to inform the initial and continuing educational needs of the profession. Chapter 1 discusses the conception of competence that underpins professional practice and includes a…