Current research

Teachers researching communities in Priority Schools 

Teachers Researching Communities (TRC) in Priority Schools is a joint project between the NSW Department of Education and Training and The University of Sydney, funded by the Priority Schools Programs (PSP) and the Aboriginal and Training Directorate (AETD).

The aim of TRC is to develop, evaluate, and refine a set of practical strategies that teachers in Priority Schools can use to conduct systematic research in the communities to better serve the needs of teachers, students, parents and school leaders. Resources will be developed, including a Community Inquiry Template as a result of this research.   Download the information flyer here.   For further information contact Margaret Hunter, Coordinator PSP, Partnerships Development on (02) 9244 5360 or margaret.hunter@det.nsw.edu.au

Listen to Professor Peter Freebody and Dr Kelly Freebody discuss the project.

Teachers for a fair go 

Exemplary teachers of students in Priority Schools

Teachers for a fair go is a joint research project between the NSW Department of Education and Training and the University of Western Sydney and is based on the UWS Fair go project. The project is funded jointly by Priority Schools Programs and the Australian Government through an Australian Research Council grant.

Teachers for a fair go builds on the Fair go project where student engagement was seen to be a critical factor in improving outcomes for students from low socio-economic status backgrounds. Read about the project's research ideas and findings in the publication School is for me: pathways to student engagement.

Teachers from Priority Schools across the three stages of schooling: early (K - Year 4), middle (Years 5 - 9) and later (Years 10 -12) are invited to apply to become co-researchers in the project, along with a team of academic researchers from UWS and officers from the Priority Schools and Equity Coordination unit. Thirty teachers will be selected (15 rural, 15 urban, 10 from each of the three stages).

The project is to run for three years, from 2008 - 2010. The first 9 months will be taken up with developing the criteria and identifying the 30 exemplary teachers from Priority Schools across the three stages of schooling.

The next 15 months will begin the research associated with the development of intensive case studies of the teachers and the initial analysis and writing up of the 30 case studies.

The following 6 months will involve cross case analyses and the final 6 months will finalise the project, and will involve dissemination through written reports, journal publications and conference presentations.

Read more about the aims of the project.   Read the information flyer and FAQs proforma to find out more about the application process and criteria.   Download the single page information sheet to display in your school or distribute to stakeholder groups.   Applicants are still required in some areas.   Contact Kerry Johnson on (02)9244 5666 or kerry.johnson@det.nsw.edu.au for details.

Listen to Associate Professors Geoff Munns and Wayne Sawyer discuss the project.

Student Equity Action Research (SEAR)  

Background and aims

SEAR is a pilot project jointly funded by Sydney region and Priority Schools Programs (PSP).

The project builds on student equity forums held in the Sydney region during 2007 at Dulwich High School of Visual Arts and Design and Matraville Sports High School. The purpose of these forums was to provide opportunities for students in Years 5 to 11 from Priority Schools in the Sydney region to have a voice on issues that impact on their learning, to learn more about the NSW Quality Teaching framework and to explore social justice and equity principles that underpin the work of PSP.

The SEAR project aims to build leadership capacity in young people from low socio-economic (SES) status communities by supporting them to engage in student led action research projects in their schools. It is informed by international research in the area of student voice, particularly work carried out in the United Kingdom on Consulting pupils about teaching and learning.

SEAR has been planned in collaboration with the regional coordinator Equity Programs and Distance Education, regional Student Equity Advisory Team (SEAT) members, the Sydney region PSP consultant and partnership officer and PSP state office coordinators. The project will provide the impetus for student leaders to share research about issues and ideas raised in their own school communities with other Priority Schools in the region and across the state.

Implementation

Priority Schools in the Sydney region were invited to nominate a research team of four or five students and one teacher to participate in the project. Research teams from seven Priority Schools met at Yaama Dhiyann for a planning conference on 5 June to learn about action research and data collection and develop an initial research question.

Since SEAR aims to promote and develop student voice, leadership and research skills in order to improve student learning outcomes in Priority Schools, a key component of the planning conference was to revisit the PSP focus areas of literacy, numeracy and participation and the three interrelated action areas: quality teaching and learning, home/school/community partnerships and classroom and school organisation and school culture. This ensured that research teams remained focussed on issues that impact on student learning.

Download the planning conference presentation and action research support sheet.

Research questions

Each of the schools participating in the project came up with a research question they would like to explore further. Read more about the school research teams and their questions here.

How will research teams share their findings?

Students complete action plans and written evaluations of the network meetings, showcase celebration and action research. SEAT members report about achievements and issues raised in projects at SEAT meetings. Feedback to participating school communities at meetings and via school assemblies and newsletters. The working party will provide a written report summarising the project’s achievements to be provided to region and participating schools and posted on the PSP website.

Resource development to support the action research projects will be determined by individual research teams. Resources will be shared in shopfront presentations at the sharing conference.

Items about SEAR will be posted on the Sydney Region website and made available to be used on the PSP website. These could include snapshots, photographs, reports, videos and podcasts that could be shared with Priority schools at school and regional events.

Changing schools in changing times

Stabilising and sustaining whole school change in communities experiencing adverse conditions

Changing schools in changing times was a major three year research project to support schools serving high concentrations of students from low socio-economic status backgrounds. The project was funded by an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant, in partnership with the NSW Department of Education and Training, Griffith University, Queensland and the University of Technology, Sydney. Over 2005-2007, the research team worked with teachers and principals in four secondary Priority Schools to promote student learning throughout their schools.

Read the Project overview.

Read the paper - Telling stories: Sustaining improvement in schools operating under adverse conditions by Debra Hayes, Associate Professor, Griffith University, Queensland.

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Australian Association for Research in Education Annual Conference, University of Western Sydney, 27th November - 1st December, 2005 within the symposium Changing Schools in Changing Times: the first year.

Read the Report on Field work 2006.

Read the paper presented by Deb Hayes as a Keynote Address at the Priority Actions Schools Program (PASP) conference in November 2006.