Evidence-Based Practice dominates every Australian education system facilitated through government and non-government organisations including NSW’s Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE), the national and independent Evidence for Learning, and the all-encompassing Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO). In other human fields, EBP has been questioned, challenged, and modified or even replaced while Australia’s education systems …
This post was written before Alan Tudge took leave from his position as the Minister for Education. But he’s not the only one to bang on about ‘evidence’ without really being clear what he means. There can be little argument in wanting university Schools of Education to impart to their students, knowledge premised on systematically-acquired …
An academic‘s job is, quite often, to name what others might not see. Scholars of school reform in particular are used to seeing paradoxes and ironies. The contradictions we come across are a source of intellectual intrigue, theoretical development and at times, humour. But the point of naming them in our work is often a …
This morning Noella Mackenzie and Martina Tassone helped us navigate the reading jungle We start this afternoon’s post with evidence-based instruction (EBI) and then move to a discussion of phonics/phonemic awareness. The term ‘evidence-based’ is used widely. It can be appealing even if it is not clear how the evidence being referenced was collected …
Evidence is critical in education. Topical new research findings related to child and adolescent development, learning processes, education inequities, and the outcomes of specific pedagogical and classroom approaches must be shared with teachers, leaders, and policymakers. Alongside these, stakeholders need contextual information about the quality and nature of that evidence: have findings been replicated with …
Noella Mackenzie and Martina Tassone explore structured literacy, whole language and balanced literacy. This is the fifth post on reading to celebrate Book Week. What we’ve covered so far: One: How to find your way through the reading jungle Two: What really works for readers and when Three: What is the Simple View of Reading? …
To celebrate Book Week, EduResearch Matters is publishing a six part series on reading by Noella Mackenzie and Martina Tassone. A jungle is a land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. The jungle metaphor describes the current landscape in regard to science and reading. The huge amount of research published …
Jim Tognolini: What do the results really mean Every year when results for large scale tests such as NAPLAN are released, there is a need to remind parents – and people in general – about the need to reflect judiciously on what they really mean. It is also very important to address the misconceptions that …
If you belong to a social media group for teachers, you’ve inevitably seen a post that goes like this: Jane, a twenty-something early career teacher writes… “I’ve been teaching for three years but am burnt out and ready to quit. I’m thinking I could get a job writing classroom resources for teachers. Where can I …
Dan Harris has given two keynotes at national education gatherings this year. This post is based on those keynotes and addresses a gap in education policy research – the tension between arts and education. Education in conflict with cultural portfolio? There is an urgent tension playing out between two national government portfolios, one which is …