My research [Masters] in comparative education and equity is leading me to many interesting and challenging topics. One of hundreds... "What are the long-term effects of class sizes on the achievement gap? In essence, this paper suggests that findings on the social distribution of the immediate and lasting benefits of small classes have been mixed. Link: JSTOR - American Journal…
Category Archives Education
A collection of vocational education and training (VET) related research and policy documents from various regions of the world are now available online on VOCED, including many of the older print-based copies. VOCED is the international research database with over 35,000 documents available. Link: New international documents available on VOCED.
On social work training. 'Degrees in social work are viewed as being "difficult to fail" - a reputation that is unacceptable, a select committee of MPs has said.' From James A: As I wrote several years ago; When I taught on social work courses, on which the majority of other tutors were former social workers, they were often exemplary tutors.…
Do Teachers Matter?. A psychology study hit the headlines last Friday under the banner ‘Teacher quality makes little difference, study shows’. AN AUSTRALIAN study has cast doubt over the “teacher effect”, by suggesting differences between teachers play only a minor role in how well a child will learn. The global study, led by the University of New England, monitored 500 pairs…
The Practical Trade off Between Class Size and Teacher Quality. My AFR oped today is on class size and teacher quality. Full text over the fold (with hyperlinks for anyone who wants more detail on the research). In a Class of Their Own, Australian Financial Review, 14 July 2009 Few education policies are more popular than class size reductions. Alongside…
Graduate school for unemployed college students Fewer college grads have jobs than at any other time in recent memory
Technology lesson one: teach the teachers. Leading technology academics have warned that the rollout of communication infrastructure in the education revolution will be wasted if teachers do not know how to use it. The Australian, 25 June 2009. [School Education Headlines]
The Black-White Test Score Gap Down-under. Andrew Leigh observes: Discussing NT schools, the CIS’s Helen Hughes writes: This week all Australian children in school years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sat numeracy and literacy tests for the second time. The tests are to give Australians an annual snapshot of basic educational progress. The first national ‘NAPLAN’ tests, held in May…
Schools That Transform. - Andrew Leigh David Brooks reports on some surprisingly large impacts from a randomised trial of New York “Harlem Children’s Zone” schools. The effects are so big that I find it hard to imagine they’re readily replicable, but it’s tantalizing stuff. The fight against poverty produces great programs but disappointing results. You go visit an inner-city school, job-training program…