ACER Research Conference 2008
Information for journalists
Quick links
Media releases and individual papers
Contact details for media enquiries
Introduction
The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) thirteenth annual Research Conference takes place at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on 11 and 12 August. The theme of this year's conference is Touching the Future: Building skills for life and work.
Approximately 250 delegates will attend the conference. There will be three keynote addresses and 12 concurrent sessions during the conference.
The Hon Julia Gillard MP, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Minister for Education, Minister for Social Inclusion will also deliver a special address to the conference on Monday 11th August.
Conference program
The conference program (PDF: 1MB) provides times and locations for all of the conference sessions.
Conference proceedings
The full conference proceedings (PDF: 4.07MB) include all papers to be delivered at the conference. Not all speakers are available for media interviews.
Media releases and conference papers
The following information provides media releases, copies of conference papers and details of speakers' availability for interviews. Please use the hyperlinks below to go directly to information about individual speakers or scroll down the page to browse summaries of each media release.
Please observe the release dates for each paper. If you have any queries about this please call Louise Reynolds on 0419 340 058.
| Jim Athanasou | Sheldon Rothman and Kylie Hillman |
| Geoff Masters | Terri Seddon |
| Gabrielle Matters and David Curtis | Richard Slaughter |
| Julius Roe | Richard Sweet |
Chief Executive, Australian Council for Educational Research
Students must meet minimum standards to complete schooling, says ACER chief executive
Issued Friday 8 August 2008
After 13 years of schooling all students must have fundamental skills and understandings essential to successful functioning as an adult member of Australian society and the workforce according to Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) chief executive Professor Geoff Masters.
Professor Masters will tell delegates to ACER’s Research Conference 2008 in Brisbane on Monday that the skills and knowledge students need for life beyond school go well beyond proficiency in the traditional ‘3 Rs’.
Download media release (PDF: 49 KB)
Download conference paper (PDF: 135 KB)
Speaker's availability - Please phone Louise Reynolds on 0419 340 058 to arrange interviews.
Foresight International
Educators urged to respond to 'civilisational challenge'
Issued Friday 8 August 2008
The single most significant omission from educational thinking and practice is the absence of any kind of effective futures studies according to futures expert Professor Richard Slaughter.
In an address to the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) annual conference in Brisbane on Monday, Professor Slaughter will argue that this situation has become indefensible. Professor Slaughter insists educators must begin to take very seriously what he describes as the ‘civilisational challenge.’
Download media release (PDF: 50 KB)
Download conference paper (PDF: 162KB)
Speaker's availability: Professor Slaughter can be reached on 0419 134 900. Please note he is attending other events in the lead up to the conference and his phone may be switched off for periods of time in the days preceding the conference.
Links:
Foresight International website
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR JIM ATHANASOU
University of Technology, Sydney
Career preferences don’t match workforce needs, says vocational expert
Issued Friday 8 August 2008
The interests and preferences of young people are not satisfied either by the curriculum offered to them or the work opportunities available in modern Australia, says vocational education expert Dr James Athanasou.
Interest is as important to student outcomes as ability, and more important than the quality of teaching, he says. He will present his views at the ACER research conference on Monday.
Download media release (PDF: 50 KB)
Download conference paper (PDF: 640 KB)
Speaker's availability - Please phone Louise Reynolds on 0419 340 058 to arrange interviews.
Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union
Market-based policies not best for education and training
For release Sunday 10 August 2008
The market-based policies applied to education and training, labour market and industry over the past decade have had negative consequences, according to Mr Julius Roe, National President of the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union.
Australian governments should develop an integrated approach to industry, the labour market, and education and training to decrease inequality, and increase participation in the labour market and productivity, Mr Roe said at the ACER Research Conference in Brisbane tomorrow.
Download media release (PDF: 50 KB)
Download conference paper (PDF: 182 KB)
Speaker's availability: Mr Roe can be reached on 0419 293 114, preferably during the afternoon of Sunday 10 August.
Sweet Group, NSW, and The University of Melbourne
Secondary school reform to lower youth unemployment
For release: Monday 11 August 2008
The education system pumps far too many poorly qualified and inadequately skilled young people onto a labour market that has little need for them, and only reform to the model of secondary education can address the problem, says education expert Professor Richard Sweet.
Download media release (PDF: 48KB)
Download conference paper (PDF:143 KB)
Speaker's availability: Please contact Louise Reynolds (ACER Corporate Communications) on 0419 340 058 to arrange an interview
Monash University
Teaching citizenship skills may prevent civil conflict
For release Monday 11 August 2008
Australia must build people’s skills for citizenship as well as work, says Monash University Professor of Education Terri Seddon. Recent policy reform has emphasised skills for work but forgotten to consider how people develop skills for citizenship, Professor Seddon will tell the ACER research conference on Monday.
The primary goal of schooling is to prepare young people for productive and responsible adult lives as workers and citizens, she contends.
Download media release (PDF: 50 KB)
Download conference paper (PDF: 155 KB)
Speaker's availability - Please phone Louise Reynolds on 0419 340 058 to leave a message for Professor Seddon
DR SHELDON ROTHMAN AND MS HILLMAN ROTHMAN
Australian Council for Educational Research
X, Y and Z: Research charts education across three generations
For release Monday 11 August 2008
Three decades of research into young people’s education and post-school transitions reveals trends for future generations. ACER researchers Dr Sheldon Rothman and Kylie Hillman will present their findings at the
annual ACER research conference on Monday.
Young people’s literacy or numeracy levels have remained constant since 1975, showing no decline, according to the researchers. Average literacy scores have improved for females and for students with language backgrounds other than English.
Download media release (PDF: 273 KB)
Download conference paper (PDF: 191 KB)
Speakers' availability: Please contact Louise Reynolds (ACER Corporate Communications) to arrange interviews.
Links:
Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) website
Australian Council for Educational Research and
DR DAVID CURTIS
National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)
Social and civic skills key for future workforce
For release Tuesday 12 August 2008
Education must teach key personal, social and civic skills if young people are to succeed in the
workplace, say education experts Drs Gabrielle Matters and David Curtis.
Narrow education that delivers specific skills for particular occupations will not equip young
people for inevitable but unpredictable changes caused by a changing labour market,
globalisation and information technology, say the researchers.
Dr Matters, of the Australian Council for Educational Research, and Dr Curtis, of the National
Centre for Vocational Education Research, will address the ACER research conference on
Tuesday.
Download media release (PDF: 45KB)
Download conference paper (PDF: 200KB)
Speakers' availability - Please phone Louise Reynolds on 0419 340 058 to arrange interviews.
Media enquiries
For further information and media enquiries regarding Research Conference 2008 please contact
Louise Reynolds
Corporate Publicity and Communications Manager
Australian Council for Educational Research
Tel: (03) 9277 5582 (until 5pm Friday 8 August).
Mobile: 0419 340 058 (From Saturday 9 until Tuesday 12 August please direct all calls to the mobile number).
For non-media enquiries please contact the ACER switchboard on (03 9277 5555) during business hours.