Academic literature on the topic 'Primary school teachers Victoria Melbourne Attitudes'

This paper shows that bilingual education has a long tradition in Australia. In the 19th century, primary and secondary schools operating German-English, French-English or Gaelic-English programs, or ones with a Hebrew component, existed in different parts of Australia. The most common bilingual schools were Lutheran rural day schools but there were also many private schools. They believed in the universal value of bilingualism, and some attracted children from English-speaking backgrounds. Bilingual education was for language maintenance, ethno-religious continuity or second language acquisition. The languages were usually divided according to subject and time of day or teacher. The programs were strongest in Melbourne, Adelaide and rural South Australia and Victoria. In Queensland, attitudes and settlement patterns led to the earlier demise of bilingual education. The education acts led to a decline in bilingual education except in elitist girls or rural primary schools and an increase in part-time language programs. Bilingual education was stopped by wartime legislation. It is intended that bilingualism can flourish unless monolingualism is given special preference.

Des English was a person of great charm, innovation, and inner strength. His early death at the age of 44 in 1977 came as a bitter blow not only for his family but for the many teachers and parents he had influenced and guided in respectively providing and in seeking educational opportunities for children with disabilities. Des grew up in a small town in Victoria called Donnybrook, north of Melbourne. He was educated by the Marist Brothers at Kilmore College, and in the 50’s trained as a primary teacher at Geelong Teachers College, from which he gained an extension of one year to study as a Special Teacher at Melbourne Teachers College. His first appointment was as an Opportunity Grade teacher at North Melbourne State School. His talent for leadership surfaced early and in his second appointment he became Principal of Footscray Special School for children and adolescents with intellectual disability. Throughout the rest of his career he gained one promotion after another to the Principal positions at Ormond, Travencore and St. Alban’s Special schools. I was fortunate to work as a deputy principal with him throughout his last two appointments.

Abstract This study investigates achievement in second language learning (Chinese) in primary school in relation to learner variables such as amount and duration of instruction and home language background.1 Currently in the State of Victoria it is recommended that all students learn a second language from the beginning of primary school to the end of Year 10. As the majority of students in some LOTE (Languages Other Than English) classes such as Chinese are background speakers, some parents and teachers are concerned that non-background learners can be disadvantaged compared with classmates who have some exposure to the LOTE outside school. In order to examine whether home language use has any impact on achievement, we developed a test of four skills and administered it to Year 6 students in two primary schools in Melbourne. The results showed that Chinese background students scored much higher than non-Chinese background students in all four areas. However a close examination of the data revealed that other variables such as Chinese study outside school and the number of years of study at school also influenced the test scores. This research has strong implications for developing a LOTE curriculum for both background and non-background speakers.

BackgroundHumans are by nature a social species, with much of human experience spent in social interaction. Unsurprisingly, social functioning is crucial to well-being and quality of life across the lifespan. While early intervention for social problems appears promising, our ability to identify the specific impairments underlying their social problems (eg, social communication) is restricted by a dearth of accurate, ecologically valid and comprehensive child-direct assessment tools. Current tools are largely limited to parent and teacher ratings scales, which may identify social dysfunction, but not its underlying cause, or adult-based experimental tools, which lack age-appropriate norms. The present study describes the development and standardisation of Paediatric Evaluation of Emotions, Relationships, and Socialisation(PEERS®), an iPad-based social skills assessment tool.MethodsThe PEERS project is a cross-sectional study involving two groups: (1) a normative group, recruited from early childhood, primary and secondary schools across metropolitan and regional Victoria, Australia; and (2) a clinical group, ascertained from outpatient services at The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne (RCH). The project aims to establish normative data for PEERS®, a novel and comprehensive app-delivered child-direct measure of social skills for children and youth. The project involves recruiting and assessing 1000 children aged 4.0–17.11 years. Assessments consist of an intellectual screen, PEERS® subtests, and PEERS-Q, a self-report questionnaire of social skills. Parents and teachers also complete questionnaires relating to participants’ social skills. Main analyses will comprise regression-based continuous norming, factor analysis and psychometric analysis of PEERS® and PEERS-Q.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval has been obtained through the RCH Human Research Ethics Committee (34046), the Victorian Government Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (002318), and Catholic Education Melbourne (2166). Findings will be disseminated through international conferences and peer-reviewed journals. Following standardisation of PEERS®, the tool will be made commercially available.

07–91Almaguer, Isela (The U Texas-Pan American, USA), Effects of dyad reading instruction on the reading achievement of Hispanic third-grade English language learners. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.3 (2005), 509–526.07–92Almarza, Dario J. (U Missouri-Columbia, USA), Connecting multicultural education theories with practice: A case study of an intervention course using the realistic approach in teacher education. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.3 (2005), 527–539.07–93Arkoudis, Sophie (U Melbourne, Australia), Negotiating the rough ground between ESL and mainstream teachers. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism (Multilingual Matters) 9.4 (2006), 415–433.07–94Arteagoitia, Igone, Elizabeth R. Howard, Mohammed Louguit, Valerie Malabonga & Dorry M. Kenyon (Center for Applied Linguistics, USA), The Spanish developmental contrastive spelling test: An instrument for investigating intra-linguistic and crosslinguistic influences on Spanish-spelling development. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.3 (2005), 541–560.07–95Branum-Martin, Lee (U Houston, USA; Lee.Branum-Martin@times.uh.edu),Paras D. Mehta, Jack M. Fletcher, Coleen D. Carlson, Alba Ortiz, Maria Carlo & David J. Francis, Bilingual phonological awareness: Multilevel construct validation among Spanish-speaking kindergarteners in transitional bilingual education classrooms. Journal of Educational Psychology (American Psychological Association) 98.1 (2006), 170–181.07–96Brown, Clara Lee (The U Tennessee, Knoxville, USA), Equity of literacy-based math performance assessments for English language learners. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.2 (2005), 337–363.07–97Callahan, Rebecca M. (U Texas, USA), The intersection of accountability and language: Can reading intervention replace English language development?Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 30.1 (2006), 1–21.07–98Cavallaro, Francesco (Nanyang Technological U, Singapore), Language maintenance revisited: An Australian perspective. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.3 (2005), 561–582.07–99Cheung, Alan & Robert E. Slavin (Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education, USA), Effective reading programs for English language learners and other language-minority students. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.2 (2005), 244–267.07–100Courtney, Michael (Springdale Public Schools, USA), Teaching Roberto. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.2 (2005), 475–484.07–101Creese, Angela (U Birmingham, UK), Supporting talk? Partnership teachers in classroom interaction. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism (Multilingual Matters) 9.4 (2006), 434–453.07–102Davison, Chris (U Hong Kong, China), Collaboration between ESL and content teachers: How do we know when we are doing it right?International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism (Multilingual Matters) 9.4 (2006), 454–475.07–103de Jong, Ester (U Florida, USA), Integrated bilingual education: An alternative approach. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 30.1 (2006), 22–44.07–104Domínguez, Higinio (U Texas at Austin, USA), Bilingual students' articulation and gesticulation of mathematical knowledge during problem solving. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.2 (2005), 269–293.07–105Duren Green, Tonika, MyLuong Tran & Russell Young (San Diego State U, USA), The impact of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, language, and training program on teaching choice among new teachers in California. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.3 (2005), 583–598.07–106García-Nevarez, Ana G. (California State U, Sacramento, USA), Mary E. Stafford & Beatriz Arias, Arizona elementary teachers' attitudes toward English language learners and the use of Spanish in classroom instruction. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.2 (2005), 295–317.07–107Gardner, Sheena (U Warwick, UK), Centre-stage in the instructional register: Partnership talk in Primary EAL. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism (Multilingual Matters) 9.4 (2006), 476–494.07–108Garza, Aimee V. & Lindy Crawford (U Colorado at Colorado Springs, USA), Hegemonic multiculturalism: English immersion, ideology, and subtractive schooling. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.3 (2005), 598–619.07–109Hasson, Deborah J. (Florida State U, USA), Bilingual language use in Hispanic young adults: Did elementary bilingual programs help?Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 30.1 (2006), 45–64.07–110Helmberger, Janet L. (Minneapolis Public Schools, USA), Language and ethnicity: Multiple literacies in context, language education in Guatemala. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 30.1 (2006), 65–86.07–111Johnson, Eric (Arizona State U, USA), WAR in the media: Metaphors, ideology, and the formation of language policy. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.3 (2005), 621–640.07–112Kandel, Sonia (U Pierre Mendes, France; Sonia.Kandel@upmf-grenoble.fr),Carlos J. Álvarez & Nathalie Vallée, Syllables as processing units in handwriting production. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance (American Psychological Association) 32.1 (2006), 18–31.07–113Laija-Rodríguez, Wilda (California State U, USA), Salvador Hector Ochoa & Richard Parker, The crosslinguistic role of cognitive academic language proficiency on reading growth in Spanish and English. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 30.1 (2006), 87–106.07–114Langdon, Henriette W. (San José State U, USA),Elisabeth H. Wiig & Niels Peter Nielsen, Dual-dimension naming speed and language-dominance ratings by bilingual Hispanic adults. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.2 (2005), 319–336.07–115Lee, Steven K. (Portland State U, USA), The Latino students’ attitudes, perceptions, and views on bilingual education. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 30.1 (2006), 107–122.07–116Leung, Constant (King's College London, UK; constant.leung@kcl.ac.uk), Language and content in bilingual education. Linguistics and Education (Elsevier) 16.2 (2005), 238–252.07–117Lindholm-Leary, Kathryn (San Jose State U, USA) & Graciela Borsato, Hispanic high schoolers and mathematics: Follow-up of students who had participated in two-way bilingual elementary programs. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.3 (2005), 641–652.07–118López, María G. & Abbas Tashakkori (Florida International U, USA), Differential outcomes of two bilingual education programs on English language learners. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 30.1 (2006), 123–144.07–119Lung, Rachel (Lingnan U, Hong Kong, China; wclung@ln.edu.hk), Translation training needs for adult learners. Babel (John Benjamins) 51.3 (2005), 224–237.07–120MacSwan, Jeff (Arizona State U, USA) & Lisa Pray, Learning English bilingually: Age of onset of exposure and rate of acquisition among English language learners in a bilingual education program. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.3 (2005), 653–678.07–121Monzó, Lilia D. (U California, Los Angeles, USA), Latino parents' ‘choice’ for bilingual education in an urban California school: language politics in the aftermath of proposition 227. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.2 (2005), 365–386.07–122Mugaddam, Abdel Rahim Hamid (U Khartoum, Sudan), Language status and use in Dilling City, the Nuba Mountains. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (Multilingual Matters) 27.4 (2006), 290–304.07–123Napier, Jemina (Macquarie U, Australia; jemina.napier@ling.mq.edu.au), Training sign language interpreters in Australia: An innovative approach. Babel (John Benjamins) 51.3 (2005), 207–223.07–124Oladejo, James (National Kaohsiung Normal U, Taiwan), Parents’ attitudes towards bilingual education policy in Taiwan. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 30.1 (2006), 147–170.07–125Paneque, Oneyda M. (Barry U, USA) & Patricia M. Barbetta, A study of teacher efficacy of special education teachers of English language learners with disabilities. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 30.1 (2006), 171–193.07–126Proctor, Patrick C. (Center for Applied Special Technology, USA), Diane August, María S. Carlo & Catherine Snow, The intriguing role of Spanish language vocabulary knowledge in predicting English reading comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology (American Psychological Association) 98.1 (2006), 159–169.07–127Ramírez-Esparza, Nairán (U Texas, USA; nairan@mail.utexas.edu), Samuel D. Gosling, Verónica Benet-Martínez, Jeffrey P. Potter & James W. Pennebaker, Do bilinguals have two personalities? A special case of cultural frame switching. Journal of Research in Personality (Elsevier) 40.2 (2006), 99–120.07–128Ramos, Francisco (Loyola Marymount U, USA), Spanish teachers’ opinions about the use of Spanish in mainstream English classrooms before and after their first year in California. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.2 (2005), 411–433.07–129Reese, Leslie (California State U, USA),Ronald Gallimore & Donald Guthrie, Reading trajectories of immigrant Latino students in transitional bilingual programs. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.3 (2005), 679–697.07–130Rogers, Catherine, L. (U South Florida USA; crogers@cas.usf.edu),Jennifer J. Lister, Dashielle M. Febo, Joan M. Besing & Harvey B. Abrams, Effects of bilingualism, noise and reverberation on speech perception by listeners with normal hearing. Applied Psycholinguistics (Cambridge University Press) 27.3 (2006), 465–485.07–131Sandoval-Lucero, Elena (U Colorado at Denver, USA), Recruiting paraeducators into bilingual teaching roles: The importance of support, supervision, and self-efficacy. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 30.1 (2006), 195–218.07–132Stritikus, Tom T. (U Washington, USA), Making meaning matter: A look at instructional practice in additive and subtractive contexts. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 30.1 (2006), 219–227.07–133Sutterby, John A., Javier Ayala & Sandra Murillo (U Texas at Brownsville, USA), El sendero torcido al español [The twisted path to Spanish]: The development of bilingual teachers’ Spanish-language proficiency. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.2 (2005), 435–452.07–134 Takeuchi, Masae (Victoria U, Australia), The Japanese language development of children through the ‘one parent–one language’ approach in Melbourne. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (Multilingual Matters) 27.4 (2006), 319–331.07–135Torres-Guzmán, María E. & Tatyana Kleyn (Teachers College, Columbia U, USA) & Stella Morales-Rodríguez,Annie Han, Self-designated dual-language programs: Is there a gap between labeling and implementation? Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.2 (2005), 453–474.07–136Wang, Min (U Maryland, USA; minwag@umd.edu),Yoonjung Park & Kyoung Rang Lee, Korean–English biliteracy acquisition: Cross-language phonological and orthographic transfer. Journal of Educational Psychology (American Psychological Association) 98.1 (2006), 148–158.07–137Weisskirch, Robert S. (California State U, Monterey Bay, USA), Emotional aspects of language brokering among Mexican American adults. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (Multilingual Matters) 27.4 (2006), 332–343.07–138You, Byeong-keun (Arizona State U, USA), Children negotiating Korean American ethnic identity through their heritage language. Bilingual Research Journal (National Association for Bilingual Education) 29.3 (2005), 711–721.

Handwriting is an important subject in primary schools, especially in the Early Years. The importance of writing skill is now seen as a debate with the increasing demand on children to learn technology skills to help them with 21st Century learning—how to write on the keyboard effectively. The topic is important because handwriting is an essential life skill to have with or without technology. In this study, I looked at the importance of both in the context of the qualitative case studies in three schools in Melbourne, Australia. The aim of the research is to explore how do students understand the learning of handwriting and keyboarding in schools? This qualitative case study employed a Thematic Analysis approach in which the central intention was to understand the lived experience of six Year 6 boys across three schools and their attitudes to writing and technology. In this article, I addressed the importance of teaching handwriting to primary school students, especially in the first four years of their school life from Foundation to Year 3. The findings suggest that teachers should continue explicitly teaching handwriting to their students despite the heavy reliance on technology in today’s lifestyle.

05–267Aitchison, Claire (U of Western Sydney, Australia), Thesis writing circles. Hong Kong Journal of Applied Linguistics (Hong Kong, China) 8.2 (2003), 97–115.05–268Allison, Desmond (The National U of Singapore), Authority and accommodation in higher degree research proposals. Hong Kong Journal of Applied Linguistics (Hong Kong, China) 8.2 (2003), 155–180.05–269Bazerman, Charles (U of California, Santa Barbara, USA), An essay on pedagogy by Mikhail M. Bakhtin. Written Communication (Thousand Oaks, CA, USA) 22.3 (2005), 333–338.05–270Belanger, Joe (U of British Columbia, USA), ‘When will we ever learn?’: the case for formative assessment supporting writing development. English in Australia (Norwood, Australia) 141 (2004), 41–48.05–271Bodwell, Mary Buchinger (Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, USA; mary.bodwell@bos.mcphs.edu), ‘Now what does that mean, “first draft”?’: responding to text in an adult literacy class. Linguistics and Education (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 15.1–2 (2004), 59–79.05–272Broadley, Guy, Seeing forward looking back: the New Zealand literacy picture. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy (Norwood, Australia) 28.1 (2005), 8–18.05–273Bruton, Anthony & Emilia Alonso Marks (Universidad de Sevilla, Spain), Reading texts in instructed L1 and FL reading: student perceptions and actual selections. Hispania (Exton, PA, USA) 87.4 (2004), 770–783.05–274Chandrasegaran, Antonia (Nanyang Technical U, Singapore), Mary Ellis & Gloria Poedjosoedarmo, Essay Assist: developing software for writing skills improvement in partnership with students. RELC Journal (Thousand Oaks, CA, USA) 36.2 (2005), 137–155.05–275Chujo, Kiyomi (Nihon U, Japan; chujo@cit.nihon-u.ac.jp) & Masao Utiyama, Understanding the role of text length, sample size and vocabulary size in determining text coverage. Reading in a Foreign Language (Honolulu, HI, USA) 17.1 (2005), 1–22.05–276Cromley, Jennifer G. & Roger Azevedo (U of Maryland College Park, USA), What do reading tutors do? A naturalistic study of more and less experienced tutors in reading. Discourse Processes (Mahwah, NJ, USA) 40.1 (2005), 83–113.05–277Crompton, Peter (crompton@fastmail.fm), ‘Where’, ‘In which’, and ‘In that’: a corpus-based approach to error analysis. RELC Journal (Thousand Oaks, CA, USA) 36.2 (2005), 157–176.05–278Day, Richard (U of Hawaii, Manoa, USA) & Jeong-suk Park, Develop ing reading comprehension questions. Reading in a Foreign Language (Honolulu, HI, USA) 17.1 (2005), 60–73.05–279Dunlosky, John & Katherine A. Rawson (U of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA), Why does rereading improve metacomprehension accuracy? Evaluating the Levels-of-Disruption Hypothesis for the Rereading Effect. Discourse Processes (Mahwah, NJ, USA) 40.1 (2005), 37–55.05–280Guillot, Marie-Noëlle (U of East Anglia, UK), Il y a des gens qui disent que…‘there are people who say that…’. Beyond grammatical accuracy in FL learners' writing: issues of non-nativeness. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching (IRAL) (Berlin, Germany) 43.2. (2005), 109–128.05–281Haan, Pieter de (p.dehaan@let.ru.nl) & Kees van Esch, The development of writing in English and Spanish as foreign languages. Assessing Writing (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 10.2 (2005), 100–116.04–282Hitosugi, Claire Ikumi & Richard R. Day (U of Hawaii, Manoa, USA), Extensive reading in Japanese. Reading in a Foreign Language (Honolulu, HI, USA) 16.1 (2004), 21–39.05–283Hunt, Alan (Kansai U, Osaka, Japan) & David Beglar, A framework for developing EFL reading vocabulary. Reading in a Foreign Language (Honolulu, HI, USA) 17.1 (2005), 23–59.05–284Jackson, Sue & Susan Gee (Victoria U of Wellington, New Zealand; sue.jackson@vuw.ac.nz), ‘Look Janet’, ‘No you look John’: constructions of gender in early school reader illustrations across 50 years. Gender and Education (Abingdon, UK) 17.2 (2005), 115–128.05–285Kaplan, B. Robert (U of Southern California, USA) & Richard B. Baldauf, Jr., Editing contributed scholarly articles from a language management perspective. Journal of Second Language Writing (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 14.1 (2005), 47–62.05–286Keen, John (Manchester U, UK; john.keen@man.ac.uk), Sentence-combining and redrafting processes in the writing of secondary school students in the UK. Linguistics and Education (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 15.1–2 (2004), 81–97.05–287Liu, Lu (Purdue U, USA), Rhetorical education through writing instruction across cultures: a comparative analysis of select online instructional materials on argumentative writing. Journal of Second Language Writing (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 14.1 (2005), 1–18.05–288Liu, Yongbing (Nanyang Technological U, Singapore), The construction of pro-science and technology discourse in Chinese language textbooks. Language and Education (Clevedon, UK) 19.4 (2005), 281–303.05–289McCarthey, Sarah J. & Georgia Earnest García (U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA), English language learners' writing practices and attitudes. Written Communication (Thousand Oaks, CA, USA) 22.2 (2005), 36–75.05–290McCarthey, Sarah J., Yuey-Hi Guo & Sunday Cummins (U of Illinois, USA), Understanding changes in elementary Mandarin students' L1 and L2 writing. Journal of Second Language Writing (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 14.2 (2005), 71–104.05–291Mills, Kathy, Deconstructing binary oppositions in literacy discourse and pedagogy. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy (Norwood, Australia) 28.1 (2005), 67–82.05–292Mišak, Aleksandra, Matko Marušić & Ana Marušić (Zagreb U School of Medicine, Croatia), Manuscript editing as a way of teaching academic writing: experience from a small scientific journal. Journal of Second Language Writing (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 14.2 (2005), 151–172.05–293Misson, Ray (U of Melbourne, Australia), What are we creating in creative writing?English in Australia (Norwood, Australia) 141 (2004), 132–140.05–294Nelson, Cynthia D. & Caroline San Miguel (U of Technology, Sydney, Australia), Designing doctoral writing workshops that problematise textual practices. Hong Kong Journal of Applied Linguistics (Hong Kong, China) 8.2 (2003), 116–136.05–295Oller, Jr., John W., Liang Chen, Stephen, D. Oller & Ning Pan (U of Louisiana at Lafayette, USA), Empirical predictions from a general theory of signs. Discourse Processes (Mahwah, NJ, USA) 40.2 (2005), 115–144.05–296Paltridge, Brian (U of Sydney, Australia), Teaching thesis and dissertation writing. Hong Kong Journal of Applied Linguistics (Hong Kong, China) 8.2 (2003), 78–96.05–297Pantaleo, Sylvia, Young children engage with the metafictive in picture books. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy (Norwood, Australia) 28.1 (2005), 19–37.05–298Pearson, Lynn (Bowling Green State U, USA), The web portfolio: a project to teach Spanish reading and Hispanic cultures. Hispania (Exton, PA, USA) 87.4 (2004), 759–769.05–299Peterson, Shelley & Theresa Calovini (Toronto U, Canada; slpeterson@oise.utoronto.ca), Social ideologies in grade eight students' conversation and narrative writing. Linguistics and Education (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 15.1–2 (2004), 121–139.05–300Reynolds, Dudley W. (U of Houston, USA), Linguistic correlates of second language literacy development: evidence from middle-grade learner essays. 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As a former teacher and current researcher, I have personally heard as well as read about many different reasons why homosexuality, bisexuality, and, more generally, sexuality other than heterosexuality should not be discussed in the classroom. There is the argument that sexuality is the domain of the parent, not the teacher, and about the numerous religions that do not condone homo/bisexuality. I have read about teachers’ sense of discomfort with discussing sexuality and sexual orientation. Most frequently, I have come up against the argument that students are not certain of their sexual orientation until adulthood, that teaching about the range of sexualities might confuse ‘impressionable’ adolescents and that there are ‘no gay students in my class’ so such education is unnecessary. Contrary to this last point, research with same-sex attracted (SSA) adolescents has shown that they are first aware of their attractions to members of the same sex as early as 10 years of age (D’Augelli, Pilkington, and Hershberger) and begin to feel concrete about their sexual orientation between the ages of 14 and 16 years old (Rosario, et al.). As far as numbers of young people who are attracted to members of the same sex, recent research using random samples of secondary-school aged students has placed percentages between 2.5% (Garofalo, et al.) and 6.3% (Smith, Lindsay, and Rosenthal). However, as Savin-Williams points out, ‘the vast majority of youths who will eventually identify themselves as lesbian, bisexual or gay seldom embrace this socially ostracized label during adolescence…’, leading to speculation that reported percentages of SSA young people are actually conservative estimates rather than true figures (Savin-Williams 262). To date, no research has shown that adolescents have become homosexual because they were exposed to homosexuality as a topic within the school curriculum. In fact, it is quite the opposite, with many SSA students coming to terms with their homo/bisexuality despite it being pathologised within the curriculum and punishable by sanctioned victimisation within the school environment. The fact that heterosexuality is ‘policed’ and reinforced with the school context is not surprising. In his History of Sexuality, Volume 1, Foucault writes about sexuality as a locus of social control and points out that throughout history individual’s sexual thoughts, beliefs, and, ultimately, actions have been impacted by socially constructed sexual norms. Educational sociologists have taken this idea into the classroom, viewing heterosexuality as a part of the ‘hidden curriculum’, the social norms that students learn without them being part of the formal lesson (Plummer). In this sense, heterosexuality becomes part of students’ unspoken and assumed identity in the classroom and, because of socially sanctioned homophobia/heterosexism, being heterosexual becomes a form of cultural and social capital. In line with some teachers’ reluctance to discuss homo/bisexuality in the classroom are their attitudes toward homosexuality. A number of studies have highlighted the homophobic attitudes of pre-service teachers, primary and secondary school teachers, and counsellor trainees as well as their reluctance and discomfort with discussing homo/bisexuality in the classroom (Sears; Warwick, Aggleton, and Douglas; Barrett and McWhirter; Cahill and Adams). These negative attitudes can manifest themselves in a variety of ways detrimental to SSA students, from simply avoiding homosexual topics or issues to discussing these issues or topics in a negative manner. Recent research with same-sex attracted secondary school students spoke to this trend. When asked about ways in which homosexuality was discussed in the classroom, three main points were consistently raised: sexuality which is not heterosexuality is presented in a reduced form (i.e., male homosexuality); homosexuality is pathologised as either a mental illness or a precursor to infection; and, teachers exhibited prejudice against non-heterosexual sexualities that would not be tolerated in the instance of a racial or gender issue (Ellis and High, 221-2). Research in this area has also investigated the attitudes of secondary school students toward homosexuality, with results showing high levels of homophobia and strict gender role beliefs (Van de Ven; Price; Smith; Hillier; Thurlow); however, recent research has shown some improvement in students’ attitudes (Smith, et al.). Knowing what we know about the ways in which homosexuality is presented within the school setting (or in many cases simply not presented), coupled with the attitudes of the school community members toward homosexuality and gender roles, as reflective of societal norms, it is not surprising these sentiments manifest themselves in the form of victimisation for SSA students and students who are perceived to be SSA. While the ‘hidden curriculum’ reinforces heterosexuality as a covert form of victimisation, overt forms of victimisation of SSA students occur with alarming regularity. Research has highlighted stories of SSA students’ experiences of verbal and physical abuse, property damage, and social isolation within the school setting with a common theme being a lack of intervention on the part of the adult school staff (Jordan, Vaughan, and Woodworth; Flowers and Buston; Kosciw and Cullen). A good deal of research has positioned SSA young people as ‘at-risk’, using data which places heterosexual-identifying adolescents as a ‘control group’ and citing elevated drug and alcohol use, suicide attempts/ideation, and risky sexual practices among the population of SSA young people. This type of research problematises the SSA young people themselves, rather than the environments which they are subject to and the harassment they may be experiencing therein. A far smaller body of research has examined correlates of victimisation for SSA students, the results being exactly what one would expect. At-school victimisation of SSA students has been positively correlated with general risk outcomes such as negative mental health effects (D’Augelli, Pilkington and Hershberger; Rivers), drug and alcohol abuse, and suicide attempts (Bontempo and D’Augelli). Smaller still is the body of research that examines school-related outcomes for SSA students. Victimisation of these students has been positively correlated with their frequency of missed school days as a result of personal safety fears (Bontempo and D’Augelli) as well as their reported academic outcomes and educational aspirations (Kosciw). In light of the body of literature on how SSA students experience the school environment, a logical path seems to emerge. Societal norms surrounding sexuality contribute to adult school staff members’ attitudes toward homosexuality. These norms, coupled with the palpable attitudes of staff, effect the overall tenor of the school environment toward homosexuality which, in turn, contributes to students’ attitudes toward homosexuality. The sentiments of students and staff undoubtedly have a significant impact on how or if sexuality is discussed within the classroom, victimisation of SSA students, and whether or not this victimisation is punished or ignored by staff members. Consequently, victimisation of SSA students has been found to be correlated with both general risk outcomes as well as decreased academic outcomes. Clearly there is cause for concern. If SSA students are more likely to report decreased school outcomes and higher risk behaviours the more they report being victimised within the school setting, then the solution seems rather obvious – protect SSA students from incidences of at-school victimisation. Without doing so, schools are allowing an inequitable school experience for SSA students and students who are perceived to be SSA as well as breaching their classroom duty of care. That said, adolescents cannot be told simply to stop ‘teasing gay kids’. Instead, a school culture must be created wherein homophobia is not tolerated, and heterosexism is recognised as such and the power it has over individual’s thoughts and actions is brought to light. Towards that end, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender topics, issues, and historical/prominent figures must be discussed in the classroom and the historical discrimination of SSA persons should be taught in the same way that racial/ethnic histories of discrimination are part of the curriculum. Through education, homophobia can begin to be viewed in the same way as racism and religious discrimination are viewed – as ignorant and entirely unacceptable. Perhaps this sounds like some gay utopian dream, but I believe that at a future date society will progress to this level and that education is fundamental to the process. By silencing sexualities, educators are marginalising and disenfranching a definite population of their SSA students, not to mention the effects this has on students who have SSA family members or friends. Teachers are uncomfortable discussing homosexuality in the classroom? I am uncomfortable with SSA students missing school because they are afraid, leaving school early because they do not feel that they belong, and reporting decreased marks and lowered aspirations for tertiary education. Silencing (homo)sexualities is a bad idea, not only for SSA persons but for any society which has illusions of being civilised, modernised, or unified. References Barrett, Kathleen, and Benedict McWhirter. “Counselor Trainees Perceptions of Clients Based on Client Sexual Orientation.” Counselor Education and Supervision 41.3 (2002): 219-30. Bontempo, Daniel, and Anthony D’Augelli. “Effects of at-School Vicitimization and Sexual Orientation on Lesbian, Gay, or Bisexual Youths’ Health Risk Behavior.” Journal of Adolescent Health 30 (2002): 364-74. Cahill, Betsy, and Eve Adams. “An Exploratory Study of Early Childhood Teachers’ Attitudes toward Gender Roles.” Sex Roles 36.7/8 (1997): 517-29. 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Warwick, Ian, Peter Aggleton, and Nicola Douglas. “Playing It Safe: Addressing the Emotional and Physical Health of Lesbian and Gay Pupils in the U.K.” Journal of Adolescence 24 (2001): 129-40. Citation reference for this article MLA Style Mikulsky, Jacqueline. "Silencing (Homo)Sexualities in School ... A Very Bad Idea." M/C Journal 8.1 (2005). echo date('d M. Y'); ?> <http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0502/06-mikulsky.php>. APA Style Mikulsky, J. (Feb. 2005) "Silencing (Homo)Sexualities in School ... A Very Bad Idea," M/C Journal, 8(1). Retrieved echo date('d M. Y'); ?> from <http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0502/06-mikulsky.php>.

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This research project examines perceptions and attitudes towards science of a group of Technical and Further Education students studying Beauty Therapy at Victoria University. Many members of this group displayed a high level of science anxiety as described by Mallow, (1978). They lacked confidence in their science ability and were very anxious about passing the science units in their Beauty Therapy courses, despite having successfully passed science subjects at school. Previous observations on Beauty Therapy students showed that most succeeded in their science units but still lacked confidence in their ability to apply their knowledge. The science units in Beauty Therapy are complex and require a detailed knowledge of Human Biology, Anatomy, Physiology, Skin Biology, Cosmetic Chemistry, and Microbiology. The participants in the study were interviewed using a semi-structured interview working together with a questionnaire to establish background information. The probes covered the participants’ experiences in science at school together with their attitudes towards science and influences from other areas. The aim was to identify factors which undermined the confidence of these participants. The interviews were recorded and the transcripts were analysed for themes using a progressive coding process. The themes were grouped into clusters. The study showed clearly that the participants’ confidence in their science ability was undermined by their school experiences in science. It related to attitudes and pedagogies employed by a particular science teacher in their secondary school. Participants described enjoying science previously. Particular aspects identified were an inability to get help when they needed it; the use of sarcasm or derogatory remarks to discourage questions; boring lessons mostly composed of copying notes from the board or textbooks; lack of relevance and a lack of enthusiasm displayed by the teacher. This led to a situation where participants dreaded their science lessons and in some cases truancy.

This thesis seeks to make a contribution to the debate about the role of ICT in education, by exploring schooling and pedagogical perspectives, identifying elements demanding systemic attention and defining a vision that is relevant and challenging to Australian education. Examining the notion of what e-confidence means for students, teachers, school leaders and schools enables a consideration of what strategies can be deployed for achieving this in all Australian schools.

The Australian Catholic University (ACU National at www.acu.edu.au) is a public university funded by the Australian Government. There are six campuses across the country, located in Brisbane, Queensland; North Sydney, New South Wales; Strathfield, New South Wales; Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT); Ballarat, Victoria; and Melbourne, Victoria. The university serves a total of approximately 27,000 students, including both full- and part-time students, and those enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Through fostering and advancing knowledge in education, health, commerce, the humanities, science and technology, and the creative arts, ACU National seeks to make specific and targeted contributions to its local, national, and international communities. The university explicitly engages the social, ethical, and religious dimensions of the questions it faces in teaching, research, and service. In its endeavors, it is guided by a fundamental concern for social justice, equity, and inclusivity. The university is open to all, irrespective of religious belief or background. ACU National opened its doors in 1991 following the amalgamation of four Catholic tertiary institutions in eastern Australia. The institutions that merged to form the university had their origins in the mid-17th century when religious orders and institutes became involved in the preparation of teachers for Catholic schools and, later, nurses for Catholic hospitals. As a result of a series of amalgamations, relocations, transfers of responsibilities, and diocesan initiatives, more than twenty historical entities have contributed to the creation of ACU National. Today, ACU National operates within a rapidly changing educational and industrial context. Student numbers are increasing, areas of teaching and learning have changed and expanded, e-learning plays an important role, and there is greater emphasis on research. In its 2005–2009 Strategic Plan, the university commits to the adoption of quality teaching, an internationalized curriculum, as well as the cultivation of generic skills in students, to meet the challenges of the dynamic university and information environment (ACU National, 2008). The Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) Program at ACU Canberra Situated in Australia’s capital city, the Canberra campus is one of the smallest campuses of ACU National, where there are approximately 800 undergraduate and 200 postgraduate students studying to be primary or secondary school teachers through the School of Education (ACT). Other programs offered at this campus include nursing, theology, social work, arts, and religious education. A new model of pre-service secondary teacher education commenced with the introduction of the Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) program at this campus in 2005. It marked an innovative collaboration between the university and a cohort of experienced secondary school teachers in the ACT and its surrounding region. This partnership was forged to allow student teachers undertaking the program to be inducted into the teaching profession with the cooperation of leading practitioners from schools in and around the ACT. In the preparation of novices for the teaching profession, an enduring challenge is to create learning experiences capable of transforming practice, and to instill in the novices an array of professional skills, attributes, and competencies (Putnam & Borko, 2000). Another dimension of the beginning teacher experience is the need to bridge theory and practice, and to apply pedagogical content knowledge in real-life classroom practice. During the one-year Graduate Diploma program, the student teachers undertake two four-week block practicum placements, during which they have the opportunity to observe exemplary lessons, as well as to commence teaching. The goals of the practicum include improving participants’ access to innovative pedagogy and educational theory, helping them situate their own prior knowledge regarding pedagogy, and assisting them in reflecting on and evaluating their own practice. Each student teacher is paired with a more experienced teacher based at the school where he/she is placed, who serves as a supervisor and mentor. In 2007, a new dimension to the teaching practicum was added to facilitate online peer mentoring among the pre-service teachers at the Canberra campus of ACU National, and provide them with opportunities to reflect on teaching prior to entering full-time employment at a school. The creation of an online community to facilitate this mentorship and professional development process forms the context for the present case study. While on their practicum, students used social software in the form of collaborative web logging (blogging) and threaded voice discussion tools that were integrated into the university’s course management system (CMS), to share and reflect on their experiences, identify critical incidents, and invite comment on their responses and reactions from peers.