It is widely accepted that professional experience or practicum is "a critically important part of teacher education courses and is consistently valued highly by student teachers" (eg Ramsey, 2000; Teaching Australia, 2006; Parliament of Australia, 2007). In Australia and overseas there is a growing emphasis on teacher educators working…

Over the last decade, Papua New Guinea (PNG) has pursued educational reform in elementary teacher education. Because elementary teachers and teacher education are central to the reform agenda, there is a need to gain empirical evidence about how PNG teacher trainers' understandings about learning and teaching impact on their practice. The study…

Describes a program in which smaller class groups for socially and culturally deprived children resulted in enhanced social attitudes and more responsive, mature behavior in interaction with both adults and peers. (Author/IRT)

A new program for preservice elementary teachers at the University of Tasmania is discussed, with the mathematics and mathematics education components described. Reactions to the improved program have been very positive. (MNS)

This paper describes the experience of one primary school--Biraban Public School in Toronto--whose graduates had difficulty in finding jobs because of the poor academic preparation they received in primary grades. Parents were the first to express concern at the standard of education in the school, particularly in basic subjects. Their action led…

Describes the Queensland project, "Study Talk," concerned with the study of oral language, with special consideration given to the exploration and study of the uses and varieties of talk. (HOD)

As part of a larger Australian study on family literacy, this study obtained information about a wide range of family or community literacy initiatives currently in operation in Australia. The study was interested in how the language and literacy learning of students from a variety of schools and communities was influenced by the involvement of…

Describes an environmental education curriculum for Aboriginies of the Arnhem Land Reserve which takes into account the needs of the students, the local environment and the resources of the local community. (BR)

These proceedings of a conference sponsored by the International Biological Programme committee of the Australian Academy of Science contain the six major papers presented to the conference. An overview of the perspectives and responsibilities resulting from environmental change is followed by an outline of a strategy for curriculum development…

This report summarizes the activities, outcomes, and recommendations of a small Commonwealth Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DETYA)-funded teacher professional development project "Teachers First." Noting that the project delivered a program of professional development informed by the recommendations of the DETYA…

Describes a walkabout program that a sixth-grade teacher developed for her students from several models designed for older students. The program's basic structure revolves around five areas of personal development: adventure, creative expression, local inquiry, practical skills, and service. This voluntary program's success hinges on developing…

Presented are example activities which are typical of the topic focus and methods of approach evident in the Algebraic Thinking in Children (ATIC) project. This project is aimed at assisting children to ultimately make sense of formal algebra when it is presented. (CW)

This digest presents a description of three innovative interventions designed to support student literacy acquisition outside the classroom in low resource communities. It begins with a discussion of literacy related issues in low resource environments, noting that an increasing number of children who are not acquiring a basic education live in…

This paper describes a joint venture between the Queensland Primary Education Division and the Department of Education at the University of Queensland that has attempted to improve teacher inservice education through the use of participative decision-making processes. First stage of the program involved the collection of data from a representative…

Describes an Australian program, called Talk to a Literacy Learner, which involves parents more intimately in the literacy development of their children. Focuses on the strategies parents use to interact with their children as they read and write. Discusses program effectiveness. (SR)