Enrolments in school arts subjects are falling in both England and Australia. There are various arguments made in an attempt to reverse the situation. The arts are said to be vital for the economy, linked to success in core school subjects, are educationally inclusive and important for their disciplinary knowledges. In this paper, based on my…

The mandated Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) has guided early childhood education and care (ECEC) since 2009. The EYLF is intended to support improved learning and development outcomes for all children within a nationally consistent regulatory system. Since the implementation of the EYLF, the quality ratings of ECEC services…

High quality, evidence-based professional learning for schoolteachers and school leaders is recognised globally as an essential component of effective school systems. In Australia, governments invest significantly in professional learning. Savage and McLean Davies (2023) noted that one of major reasons why professional learning for school…

Over the past 30 years, mixed methods research has become an increasingly popular tool in the social sciences. Mixed methods research can capture a diverse range of perspectives and levels of complexities not always possible with the use of a single methodological approach. It has been effectively implemented in a range of contexts to explore…

In this paper we report on a study of the impact of digital technology (DT) innovations on students' learning in a Western Australian University. The innovations were implemented by 42 course coordinators (CC) following two days of learning design workshops. In collaboration with nine CCs, we conducted an evaluation of their innovations. Data were…

Background: As a curriculum learning area, physical education (PE) has continually struggled to gain status within an increasingly crowded curriculum. This frequently leads to a reduction in available time within the curriculum for PE. In Australia and internationally, this may be explained by a focus on standardised testing, though questions are…

Universities have an important role to play in developing 21st century competencies in graduates. Literature shows that Emotional Intelligence (EI) could be crucial in developing these graduate attributes. This study used an exploratory thematic analysis in which we integrate information from 40 Australian universities' websites that outline their…

Cultural-Historical Activity Theory has contributed significantly to studying and promoting educational change. Its distinctive concepts inform an approach to interventionist research called the Change Laboratory This paper reports on a Change Lab in an Australian secondary school resulting in major changes for students studying for the Higher…

Research educators, scholars, and employers often debate the nature and purpose of doctoral training. Should doctoral degrees exist only to make new knowledge and replenish the academic workforce or are they part of broader societal-enhancement and employment agendas? Or both? This study aimed to identify and analyse tensions in Australian…

Despite the vast body of research surrounding collaborative group work (CGW) and its potential to enhance learning and engagement, questions persist in relation to the effectiveness of CGW initiatives in the development of teamwork skills amongst students in higher education. Prior studies have tended to measure the effectiveness of teamwork and…

This publication presents completion and attrition rates for apprentices and trainees four years after commencement for contracts and individuals. (1) Contract completion and attrition rates are derived by tracking the outcomes of contracts of training over time; and (2) Individual completion rates account for individuals recommencing; or ceasing…

Learning outcomes and assessment frameworks guide educators in curricular decisionmaking, impact assessment, gap identification, and equity evaluation, aligning with anticipated learning objectives. Common frameworks include Bloom's taxonomy, Kirkpatrick's model, Fink's taxonomy, and Moore's Outcomes model. The authors identified a lack of focus…

Purpose: Universities have recognized their rich endowments in research, academic skills and facilities, as uniquely suited to finding "green" solutions. Moreover, the campus setting itself presents as a microcosm of greater society through which to investigate and test innovations. Thus, the "living lab" was born, a means of…

In immersive block models students learn over shorter teaching periods and with fewer concurrent units than in typical semester or trimester models. A core aim of many such innovations is to enhance students' learning outcomes; however, there are few investigations of student satisfaction at scale in immersive block models. This paper reports on…

Purpose: This paper draws on two studies from a wider research program exploring the long-term graduate outcomes of Australia's international development scholarships, the Australia Awards. The paper's focus is on exploring how soft power can be identified through international scholarships and outlines conditions for success in achieving such…