Tony Yeigh

School leadership and school improvement : an examination of school readiness factors

ABSTRACT This article reports on an investigation into the influence stemming from school leadership as an important consideration in relation to school improvement. School readiness, based on [Schiemann, W. A. 2014. “From Talent Management to Talent Optimization.” Journal of World Business 49 (2): 281–288. doi:10.1016/j.jwb.2013.11.012]. Accountability, Capability and Engagement (ACE) leadership model, was assessed through self-reported school leader behaviours, attitudes, perceptions, and school improvement attributes. To clarify, school readiness refers to how a school principal optimises staff and other school resources to best achieve school improvement agendas. School readiness survey results and student achievement outcomes for one entire school district were analysed, indicating that school readiness did indeed impact student achievement. Findings reveal a need for school leaders to focus more clearly on overall school alignment and optimisation behaviours, and these are discussed in relation to specific leadership recommendations and how leadership can better support and encourage school improvement in terms of educational accountability.

Influences on purposeful implementation of ICT into the classroom: An exploratory study of K-12 teachers

Teachers are increasingly required to incorporate information and communications technologies (ICT) into the modern classroom. The implementation of ICT into the classroom should not be seen as merely an add-on, however, but should be included with purpose; meaningfully implemented based on pedagogy. The aim of this study is to explore potential factors that might predict purposeful implementation of ICT into the classroom. Using an online survey, skills in and beliefs about ICT were assessed, as well as the teaching and learning beliefs of forty-five K-12 teachers. Hierarchical multiple regression revealed that competence using ICT and a belief in the importance of ICT for student outcomes positively predicted purposeful implementation of ICT into the classroom, while endorsing more traditional content-based learning was a negative predictor. These three predictors explained 47% of the variance in purposeful implementation of ICT into the classroom. ICT competence was unpacked further with correlations. This revealed that there is a relationship between teachers having ICT skills that can personalize, engage, and create an interactive atmosphere for students and purposeful implementation of ICT into the classroom. Based on these findings, suggestions are made of important focal areas for encouraging teachers to purposefully implement ICT into their classrooms.

Enhancing science and mathematics teacher education: evaluating an enhancement module for science pre-service teachers

Motivated and well-trained science and mathematics teachers are a requirement for sustaining an industrialised economy. The Australian government has funded several projects to satisfy this requirement designed to improve pre-service teacher (PST) education in regional and rural Australia. One such project uses a collaboration nexus model with lesson feedback and Reflection Module in an iterative process using a repeated sequence comprised of an Enhancement Module, a subsequent Teaching Lesson and a Reflection Module. This paper reports on qualitative investigations of the effectiveness of the collaboration nexus in the Enhancement Module and comments on the value of the iterative process. Results from small-scale trials with PSTs indicate that the module positively engages participants, PSTs, university scientists and specialist educators. The module and its iterations appear to be effective in grounding PST education in targeting regional contexts relevant to the daily lives of both PSTs and their classroom students.

Controlability, information-processing and learning motivation: the moderation of working memory by perceptions of control

Abstract This study investigated the effects of perceived controllobility on information processing within the attributional model of learning (Weiner, 1985, 1986). Attributional style was used to identify trait patterns of controllability for 37 university student. Task-relevant feedback was then manipulated to test for differences in working memory function between participants with high versus low levels of trait controllobility. Trait controllability occurred differently for hi-trait and lo-trait types. Results supported the hypothesis that it exerts a moderating effect on the way task-relevant feedback is processed. This selective encoding of information appeared to involve limitations inherent to the working memory system that affect processing efficiency, marking an important consideration for the way in which information is presented during the learning process.