CREEW Major Projects - Educational Policy Analysis/Critique
Current Projects
Development of e-journal: Journal of Student Wellbeing
Researcher: Bruce Johnson
Future pathways: Aspirations and destinations
Funding body: Association of Independent Schools of SA (AISSA)
Researchers:
Tom Stehlik, Clare Hay & Carl Dreisener
This $60,000 project aims to survey
around 600 Year 12 students from seven independent secondary schools to
determine their post-school career and study aspirations before completing their
final year exams in 2006. This will be followed up in March and September 2007
with two telephone surveys conducted by the university’s Ehrenberg-Bass
Institute for Marketing Science to determine the actual destinations and study/
work patterns of this cohort. The project is a follow up to a pilot project with
AISSA undertaken by CREEW in 2001.
The contribution of adult and vocational education to social sustainability
Funding body: University of South Australia
Researchers: Peter Willis, Roger Harris, Tom Stehlik, Michele Simons & Sue Gelade
The project explores existing and possible contributions of Adult and
vocational Education (AVE) to social sustainability in parts of Australia,
Europe and the Asia Pacific region.
Choosing VET: an evaluation of career development services
Funding body: NVETRE
Researchers: Michele Simons, Linda Rainey, Carmel McCarthy (with Berwyn Clayton,
Canberra Institute of Technology)
A national study to evaluate the effectiveness of the range of careers
development services available to and utilized by young people, up to 24 years,
at the transition point of post-compulsory schooling and in the early years of
their careers, with a particular focus on outcomes relating to VET. This study
evaluates a selection of career development services available for young people.
It examines the characteristics of the services provided, with a focus on career
decision-making and the provision of information about vocational education and
training (VET) options. The education providers and young people surveyed were
generally satisfied with the services provided. However, it was agreed that
information about Vet options could be improved. A better understanding of the
ways in which young people seek help will enhance accessibility to services.
Unsettling pedagogy and knowing: Producing new knowledge in old and new world practices
Funding body: UniSA
Researchers: Elaine Butler & Sue Shore
Recently Completed Projects
Evaluation of the ‘Sexual Health and Relationships Education’ program
Researcher:
Bruce Johnson
Learning pathways for young people
Funding body: NVETRE
Researchers:
Roger Harris, Bob Sumner, Linda Rainey (with Jill Albrecht, Hunter Institute)
This study builds on the recently completed 'Student Traffic' project and will
explore the extent and nature of the movement of clients (including young
learners) between available learning pathways. It will analyse policy
initiatives and national statistics, as well as qualitative research of the
individual pathways of young people who have transferred between VET and HE, in
either direction.
Funding body: SA Primary Principals’ Association
Researcher: Judy Gill
Learning collaborations between ACE and VET providers: Good practice partnerships
Funding body: NVETRE
Researchers: Sue Gelade, Tom Stehlik , Peter Willis & Julian Moore
This project report, along with its separate Good Practice Guide: creating effective ACE & VET partnerships examined partnerships between ACE and VET sectors in Australia where organisations come together initially to expedite delivery of courses to vocational students. The research was aimed at identifying those good practices which support and promote both formal and informal partnerships and how such practices, in turn, benefit the communities in which they operate. The research also sought to identify 'not so good' practices that have been found to either hinder or cause failure in partnerships.
The investigation was conducted through a series of telephone interviews and site visits across 26 organisations in regional and urban NSW, Qld, WAS SA, Tas and Vic. The separately published Good practice guide was aimed at assisting organisations planning future partnerships and collaborations and addressing policy-makers who may auspice and promote such plans.
An exploratory study of the geographies of school choice of primary
parents
Funding body: ARC Small Grant
Researchers: Alan Reid & Pat Thomson (LPLC)
Student traffic: two-way movement between VET and HE
Funding body: NCVER
Researchers: Roger Harris, Bob Sumner & Linda Rainey
The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent and nature of the
two-way traffic of students between VET and higher education institutions in
South Australia. It describes the complexity of this movement, highlights
the differences and describes the implications for policy and practice.
Evaluation of the 'Australians Working Together' pilot program at Regency
TAFE, Elizabeth, SA
Funding body: Regency TAFE; prime funding body is DFEEST
Researchers: Linda Rainey
The AWT program is a six month training program designed to expand
employment and further study options for the long term unemployed. This
research project evaluates the effectiveness of the program in terms of the
development of resiliency and employability in the participants.
Past Projects
Rethinking senior secondary education, and developing a system-wide
culture of inquiry
Funding body: DECS
Researchers: Alan Reid
Participation of students in independent schools' VET programs
Funding body: Contract with the SA Branch of the Association of Independent
Schools (AISSA)
Researchers: Sue Gelade, Tom Stehlik (with Marketing Science Centre)
Part of the AISSA School to Work Program, the study will evaluate whether
further education, training, employment and career pathways of students are
influenced by their participation in vocational education and training in
independent schools' programs.
Reconceptualising approaches to the official public curriculum
Funding body: Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST)
Researchers: Alan Reid
This project involves an exploration of dominant approaches to the official
curriculum for the compulsory years of schooling in Australia, and an assessment
of the extent to which they are able to meet the challenges facing education
systems in the 21st century. It concludes by proposing alternative ways to
conceptualise and structure the official curriculum and grounds these in the
Australian context.
The community sector and skills formation
Funding body: State Government SA Skills for the Future Inquiry
Researchers: Roger Harris, Michele Simons (with Pam Carden)
This working paper is a selected review of the literature on the role of the
community sector in skill formation in South Australia. It discusses the scope
of the sector, focusing on family, volunteers, and adult and community education
(ACE). It explores the role of government in supporting the community sector in
skill formation and examines the building blocks for effective
community-government partnerships.
Exploring locality: The impact of context on indigenous vocational education
and training aspirations and outcomes
Funding body: National Research and Evaluation Committee Grant with UniSA
Aboriginal Research Institute
Researchers: Tom Stehlik, Sue Gelade, M. Nakata & Von Sanderson (ARI)
Involves field work in metropolitan, regional and remote communities where
indigenous people are undertaking various forms of vocational education and
training, including Murray Bridge, Loxton and Berri and the Anangu/Pitjantjatjara
communities of Amata and Indulkana.
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