Research Developments - Articles online
Raising the standard in Civics and Citizenship
The results of Australia’s first national Civics and Citizenship Assessment program revealed surprising gaps in students’ knowledge of key historical events and concepts of democracy and citizenship. Suzanne Mellor describes the assessment and suggests that more targeted teaching of civics and citizenship is required.
In December 2006 the results from the National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship for years 6 and 10, prepared by ACER for the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training, and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA), was released into a storm of media controversy when it was revealed most students could not answer questions about key democratic events in Australian history. Further, while students seemed to appreciate their democracy, their level of knowledge and understanding of civics and citizenship was considerably less than was expected by practitioner experts who contributed to the study.
Getting performance pay right
Performance based pay has recently swung into the political spotlight as one way to 'revitalise' Australia’s teaching profession. Dr Lawrence Ingvarson reviews current pay structures in Australia and around the world, the impact of performance pay schemes already in existence, and the possibilities for performance pay.
Recognition, remuneration and reward in teaching came under extensive review in an ACER report commissioned by the Australian Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST). The report examined current pay systems for teachers and evidence on the impact of different kinds of performance pay arrangements in Australia and several countries around the world, and looked at further investigation required of performance pay possibilities in Australia.
The migration of non-metropolitan youth towards the cities
Rural communities in Australia have long felt concern about the rate at which young people leave home to head for major cities, many never to return. Kylie Hillman explores the extent of this problem.
The latest results from the long-running Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY), published in late February, show that more than one third of young Australians from non-metropolitan areas relocate to a major city in the years immediately after leaving school. Although some return in the years to come, non-metropolitan areas experience a net loss of a quarter of their young people.
Towards a national core curriculum for Year 12
In February this year Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop released the report, Year 12 Curriculum Content and Achievement Standards, prepared by ACER. This provides a strong case for a common curriculum core in at least some senior school subjects after a review of curricula found there is already a high degree of consistency in what is being taught, as Gabrielle Matters writes.
This study, undertaken in the second half of 2006, provides the first Australia-wide picture of what is expected of students taking five subjects – English (including Literature), mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Australian History – in the final years of secondary school.
