Projects - ARC Linkage Grants

The Faculty has enjoyed a long history of success at winning national competitive grants. The following are current ARC Linkage grants, for which members of the Faculty are principal researchers:

Using Data for School Change: Improving Literacy Achievement In Secondary Schools

Dr Joanne Deppeler, Dr Jane Mitchell and Dr Janette Ryan

ARC Linkage Grant 2007-2010, with industry partners: Catholic Education Office, Melbourne

Project Summary

Highly effective schools and improved outcomes for all students are key objectives of the Australian Government.  A central equity issue and key goal is to improve outcomes of Australia's most educationally disadvantaged students, including those with disabilities and others who are at risk of not achieving national benchmarks of literacy. The proposed project has the potential to make a strong contribution to national benefits by developing a model for improving literacy achievement and by providing new data on the future likely requirements of 21st century educational systems and schools which will play a leading role in promoting Australia's educational standards and priorities.

Examining the relationship between the documented curriculum, classroom tasks, and the learning of mathematics

Professor Peter Sullivan, Professor Douglas Clarke (Australian Catholic University) & Associate Professor Barbara Clarke

ARC Linkage Grant 2007-2009 - $410,000, with industry partners: Catholic Education Commission of Victoria & Department of Education & Training, Victoria.

Project summary:

There is an obvious connection between maximizing mathematics learning of young people and the nation's future. Currently many young people are missing opportunities for learning mathematics at school, and this not only reduces their own opportunities, but also increases their risk of long term dependence on government services. At the same time, mathematics is increasingly necessary for tertiary study in a range of fields, and the number of students choosing the highest level of mathematics is declining. The project will evaluate the types of tasks that teachers can use to engage all students in learning mathematics effectively, while preserving options for those students who may choose to specialise in tertiary mathematics study.

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Influences on students' learning goals and their capacity for self-regulation

Professor Peter Sullivan; A/Prof VR Prain; Ms C Campbell; Dr CG Deed; Dr AM McDonough; Dr CJ Smith; Dr B

ARC Linkage Grant 2006-2009 - $240,000, with industry partners: Catholic College Bendigo, Weeroona College Bendigo, Sandhurst Catholic Education Office

Project Summary:

There is an obvious connection between maximizing learning of young people and the nation's future. Currently many young people are missing opportunities for learning at school, and this not only reduces their own opportunities, thereby increasing their risk of long term dependence on government services, but also reduces overall social capital. The project will evaluate teaching strategies that have potential to enhance the participation of students in learning in the middle years.

The project will be of direct benefit to regional and rural communities since it is conducted in regional and rural schools with their particular challenges, including community pessimism, reduced vocational aspirations, and limited role models.

Learning to be safe: Developing children's perceptions of safety and risk

Dr Janette Ryan  & Professor Joan Ozanne-Smith (Monash University Accident Research Centre)

ARC Linkage Grant 2006-2009 - $73,950, with industry partner: K.I.D.S Education Pty. Ltd.

Project summary:

Injury is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Australia in the 0 to 29 age group. Child‑centred safety education programs have the potential to establish lifelong changes in behaviour and attitudes towards safety and risk management. The study will develop a model for best practice for school safety education programs that can be transferred and adopted nationally and internationally, with the anticipated long‑term outcome of a decrease in injury rates in young people. Child‑centred safety education programs will have benefits for individuals not only during childhood but also throughout their working lives and across their life span.

Enhancing mathematical learning for Indigenous students in remote communities: A design research approach

Professor Robyn Zevenbergen (Griffith University); Professor Peter Sullivan; Professor Steve Lerman (London South Bank University); Professor Jo Boaler (University of Sussex)

ARC Linkage Grant 2007-2011 - $249,656, with industry partner: Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia. Administered by Griffith University

Project summary:

Students attending schools in remote community schools need to have quality learning practices that aresustainable in hard‑to‑staff regions. Indigenous students are not performing at acceptable levels in many measuresof mathematical achievement so the project is of national significance in addressing this social phenomenon. Thecultural‑mathematical approach of the project is novel and offers new potential for learning. The project takes aholistic approach to this issue to include teachers, students and Aboriginal Education Workers in a partnership oflearning mathematics. The principles developed through this project can be applied to learners and learningmathematics in other contexts.