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The Correlation between ‘Teacher Readiness’ and Student Learning Improvement
David Lynch, Richard Smith, Steve Provost, Tony Yeigh and David Turner, Southern Cross University, Australia (Pages 1 to 12)
This article reports the findings from a study that compared states of ‘teacher readiness’ with the learning performance of students. The central proposition is that high states of ‘teacher readiness’ in a school would be an indicator of improvement in whole of school student learning. This proposition is based on research evidence implicating the teacher in student learning outcome success and the key role played by school leaders. As an adjunct to this proposition we also sought to compare socio-economic values and funding levels per school in an attempt to identify other improvement considerations. The findings of this study indicate that high levels of ‘teacher readiness’, as defined by the ACE approach, are associated with effective teaching and improvement in student outcomes. The study also drew attention to the idea that ACE focused leadership within a school has more impact on student achievement outcomes than external factors, such as school funding or even the socio-educational positioning of the school.
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Leading Learners: A view from the trenches
Maree Garrigan, Teacher Education Board, Northern Territory, Australia (Pages 13 to 25)
With the Australian national agenda focused on quality teachers as a strategy for improving student learning, this paper reports the author’s personal interaction in leading change in three school precincts. In citing research around effective teaching and learning the author provides examples of how research influences not only decision making practices within schools but also offers insight into how the first building block for whole school change is the value of relationships.
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Unpacking the Effective School Leader
Tina Doe, Editor, IJICC, Australia, Paul Fradale, Aoba International School, Japan, David Lynch, Southern Cross University, Australia, Shane Mason, Education Queensland, Cathy Quinn, Education Consultant, Australia, and Ken Sell, Aoba International School, Japan (Pages 39 to 54)
So, what constitutes effective school leadership? In this article, educational researchers, experienced school leaders and education practitioners share their insights into school leadership. These insights culminate the 2016 Tokyo International Education Conference (IJICC, 2016) themed on Global Leadership. To explore such a question, the authors have chosen five elements for discussion. These themes centre around leaders embracing a moral purpose and creating conditions for change; leading learning in the school; the changing role of leadership in a complex and multi-facetted context and finally leading collaboration of all stakeholders. This detailing provides a foundation for the exploration of school leadership from the perspective of all stakeholders.
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Design Thinking: The Search for Innovation, Creativity & Change
Philip Whiting, Torrens University and Griffith College, Australia (Pages 55 to 64)
Innovation, Creativity and Change reside in Design Thinking methodology. Design thinking in turn deals with complex or wicked problems using a variable mix of scientific analysis and design intuition. Innovation is a keyword for business today - ‘innovate or die’, the argument being that markets have now become so volatile. Business needs to Change to meet new challenges, as new competitors appear with Creative or Innovative business models to disrupt markets. The questions thus raised in commerce - what are Innovation, Creativity and Change? What is the meaning of this terminology for business? Is there a difference between Innovation and Creativity and how does one recognise Innovation in the first place? Understanding Change may be more easily recognised and deciphered, but what is the relationship between each and does Innovation and/or Creativity lead to Change or is it the other way around?
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Effective literacy instruction for all students: A time for change
Bruce Allen Knight, Central Queensland University, Townsville, Australia and Susan A. Galletly, Central Queensland University, Mackay, Australia (Pages 65 to 86)
DOI: 10.53333/IJICC2013/3105
Australia’s 2016 Senate report is highly critical of current Australian government support for children with disabilities, including children with reading and literacy difficulties, and children with language weakness and communication difficulties (Senate Standing Committee on Education and Employment, 2016). It reveals serious inadequacies of current instructional supports, inappropriate lack of transparency by education systems, and a major need to improve instruction and increasing government transparency. This paper explores the Senate report in the context of children’s rights and Australian legal requirements for supporting children with literacy learning difficulties. It discusses the complexities facing Australia and other Anglophone nations endeavouring to provide effective instruction for at-risk and struggling readers.
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Building the Future School
Jake Madden, Southern Cross University, Australia and Al Yasat Private School, UAE (Pages 87 to 96)
For the 21st century educator the delivery of learning is not solely centred on the attainment of knowledge and skills. They define the needs of the learner and focus on the pedagogies needed to foster 21st century learning and readiness for college and careers. Once defined, the choice of curricula, learning experiences, types of assessments and teaching strategies are planned. Al Yasat Private School in Abu Dhabi, is one example of a successful twenty-first century school. In this paper, the authors describe the elements of this exemplary K-8 school, outlining how a purpose built learning environment can activate twenty-first century student learning.
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Social Work Students’ Perceptions of Peace and Social Justice
Venkat Pulla, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane Australia, Rajendra Baikady Channaveer R.M Central University of Karnataka, Gulbarga, India (Pages 97 to 104)
The aim of the paper is to understand the perceptions and beliefs of Master of Social Work students towards the concepts social justice and peace. The paper explores: (i) various perspectives on how peace and social justice are perceived; (ii) implications for teaching peace and social justice in future social work studies; and (ii) the place of these in the content and methods of peace education, and practice approaches to social justice. The current exploratory study was conducted in four schools of social work in India. In two schools a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to the Master of Social Work students, while in the other two schools of social work responses were collected through focus groups discussions.
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Razzle-dazzle and Razz-ma-tazz: A Report into Creative Writing in a Taipei University
David Pendery, National Taipei University of Business, Taiwan. (Pages 105 to 140)
This paper reviews and examines the results of a Creative Writing class conducted at National Taipei University of Business. The goal in this research is to examine student response to creative writing methods and ideas, to review their output for actual creativity, and to measure the advancement of their writing skills. This skill can be of great use to young students, as creative writing “can be an education in the craft of writing in a larger sense” (Morley 1). Creative Writing is for the most part an unusual course in Taiwanese academia, where there is often a focus on the “practical” and “vocational.” Because of their closeted and rote upbringing in Taiwanese schools, my students reacted in very positive ways to this course. In their leap into this creative activity, they endeavor to improve their output and writing skills, which of course is the bottom line for any writing teacher. In sum, the paper reveals that creative writing is a rich study for students in Taiwan that strengthens their productivity, develops self-confidence, and improves skills they will be able to use in their future.
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