Science, Technology and Environmental Education Teaching and Research Group

2018–2021

This international, longitudinal project aims to investigate the effectiveness of an innovative interdisciplinary learning approach in mathematics and science. Through collaborating primary schools in Australia and the US, it will investigate how students’ invention and transformation of representational systems can connect to support deeper reasoning and learning.

The project will form the bases for new curricular designs that leverage students’ representational practices across science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines to promote more robust and generative knowledge.

Research team: Russell Tytler, Joanne Mulligan, Peta White, Lihua Xu, Leona Schauble, Richard Lehrer and Vaughan Prain

Funding: Australian Research Council (ARC), $434,716

This project develops and refines a pedagogy focused around multi-literacy representation construction, to engage students in science learning in the senior school years. The approach combines Tytler’s representation construction research with a significant research program in Structural Functional Linguistics in the context of the constrained senior science curriculum context, for learners in low-SES settings.

Research team: Len Unsworth (ACU), Russell Tytler, Kay O’Halloran (Curtin), Sally Humphrey, Kristina Love, Anne Lynzaat, Sarah Moss-Holland, Emmaleen Oakley and Robert Dullard.

Funding: ARC, $500,000

2013–2017

In this innovative new centre, researchers in education, neuroscience and cognitive psychology will work together with teachers to understand the learning process. This collaboration will establish new criteria to assess the impact of different types of learning and strategies to inform teaching practices of benefit to all Australians.

While the funds have now been expended, there is ongoing analysis round a series of 8 projects that generated significant data in the SLR classroom at University of Melbourne, with a common theme of representing and modeling. Some funds are being sought for analysis work.

Research team: Ottmar Lipp, John Hattie, Michael Timms, Pankaj Sah, and others including Russell Tytler

Funding: ARC, $16,000,000

2019–2022

Established initially through a Deakin Science and Society Network (SSN) establishment grant, this is an interdisciplinary research hub that consists of Chemistry and Education lecturers and researchers who have a shared passion and commitment to promote the vital role of chemical sciences in addressing global socio-scientific issues including sustainable development. We collaborate with national and international partners, including research leaders in the international STICE project, to develop and evaluate teaching and learning resources for primary, secondary and tertiary education settings. We also facilitate professional learning workshops for secondary and tertiary educators.

Research team: Seamus Delaney, Madeleine Schultz (School of Life & Environmental Science), Joseph Ferguson, Lisa Chiavaroli, Andrew Eaton (Wollondilly Anglican College), Joanne Jamie (Macquarie University)

Funding: Deakin Science and Society Network (SSN), Australian National Commission for UNESCO, Research for Educational Impact, Chemistry Education Association

2018

Deakin researchers are working with researchers and industry experts in key ‘future of work’ clusters to identify what 100 Jobs of the Future might look like, showcasing roles in growing and developing industries to highlight the importance of STEAM education in Australia and help young Australians visualise what jobs opportunities may be open to them in STEAM industries.

Research team: Russell Tytler, Peta White, Ruth Bridgstock (Griffith), Dineli Mather, Trevor McCandless, Julian Sefton-Green and Vaughan Prain

Funding: Ford Australia

2015–2017
This initiative aims to build capacity in years 7–10 science education through teachers’ internalising learning around practicals in peer-to-peer dialogues where peers are also academics. Specific objectives are to:

• design practical work and associated resources that integrate expertise from Science, Engineering and Education in supporting a holistic consideration of all three strands (SU, SIS, SHE) of the Australian Curriculum: Science
• support the differing needs of the diverse science teaching community, including Indigenous, migrant, low SES and rural
• generate professional conversations, enabling science teachers to utilise an evaluation framework in adapting science practicals to their local contexts and to share with others
• develop Teacher Scholars who work with scientists, educators, and engineers in capitalising on practicals in their teaching, schools and professional communities
• facilitate professional dialogues within the broader community including connecting teachers, scientists, engineers and teacher educators.

Research team: Associate Professor Kieran Lim, Dr Peta White and Dr John Long

Funding: $255,250

2019–2021

Chemistry educators from both the School of Education and School of Life & Environmental Sciences are developing hands-on activities for lower secondary and upper primary school children, that illustrate the importance of chemistry for sustainability.

The International Year of the Periodic Table (2019) provided the perfect opportunity to implement community engagement activities to re-position the public image of chemistry, from one that currently suffers from the consequences of large-scale uptake of its previous successes such as plastic waste and polluting industrial plants, to one that has embraced the principles of sustainability. In 2019, a free school outreach program (Periodic Table of Sustainable Elements) was offered to schools in rural and regional Victoria, and this will continue in 2020 and 2021.

Research team: Seamus Delaney, Madeleine Schultz (School of Life & Environmental Science, Deakin)

Funding: Australian National Commission for UNESCO $16,500

2016–2017

The project aims to examine the processes by which the SSIBL pedagogy framework is conscripted by the different European teams for their purposes, and the nature of the communal negotiation and individual pathways to understanding during the project development. These case stories are seen as illustrative of change processes attendant on European innovation projects and will provide fresh insights both into the broader European union project, and the way that innovation intersects with different education and epistemological histories and beliefs.

Research team: Russell Tytler; Dr Peta White with Professor Isabel Martins, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil; Professor Pedro Reis, Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto de Educação; and Professor Doris Jorde, Professor of Science Education, University of Oslo

Funding: Research for Educational Impact, $8929

2018–2023

The Girls as Leaders in STEM (GALS) 2 Program provides opportunities for girls to engage in design-based learning experiences in STEM in order to foster their interest in STEM and entrepreneurship, develop STEM capabilities, and build their professional networks. Girls work closely with female STEM role models (science students, scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs) in a number of workshop/mentoring experiences. Teachers are provided with a Professional Learning day and participate with the girls to guide their developing understanding.

The program features:

• a 12 month program, focused on school years (5-8). Delivered in Geelong, Warrnambool and Mildura across 3 years
• industry/teacher planning session
• teacher professional learning day
• three project workshop days with girls, teachers, industry mentors
• school celebration day and community expo
• curriculum development across the three years.

Research aligned with program to determine the critical success factors for sustainable development of girls’ STEM capabilities.

Research team: Coral Campbell, Lihua Xu, Linda Hobbs, Jorja McKinnon, Chris Speldewinde

Funding: $378,900

2018–2020

The SEPS program delivers professional development in STEM and entrepreneurial thinking to primary teachers in the Geelong region. The program includes intensive professional learning days, a Maker Faire delivered, and a STEM Education Conference in November 2018 and 2020.

Research team: Lihua Xu, Coral Campbell, Linda Hobbs

Funding: Maker Fair grant 2018; Skilling the Bay 2020

2011, 2012–2014, 2014–2015 , 2016, 2018–2019

A professional development program delivered by Deakin to provide program advice and training for primary teachers to become specialists in science. Deakin has been involved in delivering this professional development since 2011. An extended research project was developed to investigate the mechanisms of leadership, mentoring, team building and strategic planning used by the participants in the Primary Science and Mathematics Specialist program.

Research team: Associate Professor Coral Campbell, Dr Gail Chittleborough, Professor Russell Tytler, Associate Professor Peter Hubber, Dr John Cripps-Clarke, Dr Wendy Jobling, Ass Pro Linda Hobbs, Dr Sandra Herbert, Dr Lihua Xu and Dr Peta White

Funding: Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 148,000; 78,000; 108,000; $8000, 10,000, 47,000

2016–2018

A professional development program delivered to teachers from Victoria’s most disadvantaged schools. Teachers undertake the Graduate Certificate of STEM Education – a new, specially-designed qualification being delivered by Deakin University. Each of the four units include five days of intensive professional learning

Funding: DEECD, $729,000

2020–2022

Over the course of a school year, current secondary chemistry teachers will be supported to co-design a classroom activity with peers and the project team, incorporating the latest chemistry education research (CER) evidence of how best to enhance critical thinking on important socio-scientific issues in chemistry.

With extensive support from the project team, the participating teachers will collect evidence from their respective classrooms on the impact of their co-designed classroom activity. Teachers will also be supported to take an active role in reporting these findings to the chemistry and science education community, encouraging them to take a future role in conducting professional development, either in their own schools or in chemistry or science education learning communities.

Research team: Seamus Delaney, Lisa Chiavaroli, Madeleine Schultz (School of Life & Environmental Sciences)

Funding: Chemistry Education Association (CEA) $17,500 in 2020 then ongoing

2015–2017

With a comparatively high percentage of out-of-field teachers, Australia is exposed to significant social, economic and educational costs. Through the development of longitudinal case studies, this project investigates the changing landscape of teacher perceptions and practices over three years, within school institutional cultures relating to teacher assignment, support, and out-of-field mathematics and science teaching.

Outcomes of the project will inform the development of system and school policy and practice in dealing with this internationally pervasive issue.

Research team: L. Hobbs, C. Campbell, R. Tytler, C. Vale, Terry Lyons, Frances Quinn and Robert Whannell

Funding: ARC Discovery, $226,900

2015–2017

This project investigated the affordances for science learning in bush kinder settings at five pre-schools in Victoria.

Principal investigators: Associate Professor Coral Campbell and Chris Speldewinde

2018

This project aims to undertake an extensive review of literature around STEM in early childhood, to inform the development of a package of STEM literacy materials.

The STEM literacy materials will be evaluated late in 2018.

Principal investigator: Associate Professor Coral Campbell

Funding: Ardoch (consultancy and research)

2018

This pilot project aims to undertake preliminary investigations into tangible coding technologies in selected pre-schools. The data will inform the development of a larger funded project.

Principal investigators: Associate Professor Coral Campbell, Dr George Aranda and Dr Karen Murcia (WA)

2019–2020

This project is investigating the use of tangible coding technologies in 4 pre-schools to enhance both teachers and children’s understandings of science and STEM underpinning inquiry-based collaborative learning. Linking with the European Project roBOTics and STEM education for children and primary schools - botSTEM, ERASMUS+ (Marie Fridberg, Björn Cronquist and Andreas Redfors), the outputs will be compared with the European results to inform cross-cultural dialogue.

Principal investigators: Associate Professor Coral Campbell, Dr George Aranda, Dr Joe Ferguson, Chris Speldewinde

Funding: REDI $2800 (2018)

2019–2023

Tech Schools provide innovative, problem-based education programs that give students practical experience and skills they need to flourish in emerging global economies. The Tech School Evaluation to be conducted by Deakin seeks to understand the effectiveness of the initiative at multiple levels to inform future development of the Tech School Initiative.

Research team: Linda Hobbs, Seamus Delaney, Peta White, John Cripps Clark, George Aranda, Russell Tytler, Christine Ure, Coral Campbell, Chris Speldewinde, Bronwyn Sutton.

Funding: Department of Education

University of Sydney, Russell Tytler, Gaye Williams

The University of Sydney STEM Enrichment Academy responds to growing concern in Australia about the engagement of students in STEM pathways and stagnation or loss of ground in student competence shown on international tests.

This evaluation utilised a series of data processes including a survey of Academy teachers after each workshop, interviews and field notes, a survey of a previous cohort concerning sustainability, and case studies of selected schools.

Overall the evaluation found substantial evidence of change in school practices and take up in particular of interdisciplinary STEM approaches. Aspects of the program that supported teacher and school change were identified, and a number of recommendations were made based on teachers’ testimony, and analysis of school processes.

2015–2018

This study aims to address the learning and wellbeing needs of over 7000 predominantly low socio-economic status students in regional Australia by researching the conditions that enable refinement and extension of a successful curricular and wellbeing program.

The current low educational performance of this student cohort has significant negative effects on individual employment prospects and broader national productivity. Their under-achievement and disengagement from schooling also contribute to many antisocial, harmful short-and long-term outcomes for individuals, with significant health and other costs to the broader community.

Outcomes from the project have the potential to improve these current outcomes and to be applicable to similar settings.

Research team: Professor Vaughan Prain, Professor Bruce Waldrip, Professor Russell Tytler, Dr Craig Deed, Professor Noel Meyers, Associate Professor Damian Blake, Dr Tracey Muir, Dr Cathleen Farrelly, Dr Amanda Mooney and Mr Damon Thomas

Funding: Australian Research Council, $424,174

2019–2020

Deakin researchers were contracted to develop the biology benchmarking report, perform the curriculum writing, and update the Advice for Teachers of the Biology study design. Research involving contemporary science practice in school was infused throughout.

Research team: Peta White, Amanda Peters, Mary Vamvakas

Funding: VCAA $20,000

Year range: Upper Primary, Secondary, Undergraduate

The team were contracted by VCAA to produce a benchmarking report comparing VCE senior secondary chemistry to other national and international senior secondary curricula. Members of the team, in collaboration with the Chemistry Education Association, also provide professional learning opportunities for in-service and pre-service chemistry teachers across Victoria. Through the Elements of Sustainable Chemistry (ESC) interdisciplinary research hub, based out of Deakin University, the team also collaborate with national and international partners to provide curriculum advice on approaches to embed a focus on sustainable development practices in chemistry teaching and learning.

Research team: Seamus Delaney, Lisa Chiavaroli, Amanda Peters, Madeleine Schultz

Funding: Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (VCAA), Chemistry Education Association

2019–2020

Australian Academy of Science’s Primary Connections project 2019 to 2020.

This project provides an embedded, ongoing connection between research and practice through the Primary Connections project, building on and maintaining the project’s reputation as a research-based approach which responds to the everyday needs and realities of classroom teachers. The key activity of the research consultants Primary Connections is to provide expert advice to the project with a focus on the area of effective, evidence-based science and technology education for Australian primary schools with a particular focus on professional learning for teachers.

Research team: Coral Campbell, Wendy Jobling

Funding: Australian Academy of Science $60,000