Copyright (c) 2009 All rights reserved. http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates Recent documents in Dr Hamish Coates en-us Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:21:24 PST 3600 http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/48 http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/48 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:30:33 PST This report presents findings from the first national study in Australia of bachelor degree graduates five years after degree completion. It details the design, development, implementation and outcomes of the Graduate Pathways Survey (GPS). Findings from the 2008 GPS are wide ranging. They must be read within the context of the project's methodology which is detailed in Appendix B, but it is clear that the findings have the capacity to shape university education and the development of Australia's economy and professional workforce. Findings from the 2008 Graduate Pathways Survey are of interest to a wide range of audiences. Potential university learners need timely and relevant information they can use to inform study and hence career choices. Ensuring that recent graduates are aware of work options and career pathways is important for them as individuals and for the Australian economy more generally. Graduate employers can make more informed recruitment and professional learning decisions given further information on medium-term graduate experiences. It is important, in turn, that careers and other advisors at institutions are well informed about the contexts and opportunities that shape graduates' employment trajectories. With greater insight into learners backgrounds, experiences and outcomes, university teachers, managers and leaders can redesign and enhance programs and student supports. The findings provide government with information on the economic and social contributions made by institutions and graduates. Hamish Coates http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/47 http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/47 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:30:32 PST This analysis of data from the inaugural Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE) sheds light on the engagement and experiences of undergraduate international students in Australia. This paper first examines the differences in individual characteristics of international and domestic students, and explores disparities in specific areas of course engagement and university experiences of international students when compared to their domestic classmates. The paper then focuses on the six scales of student engagement used in the AUSSE and shows that there are differences within the international student cohort depending on field of study, year level and family education history. It concludes by showing that when university engagement measures are examined in a multiple regression model, student characteristics other than international student status appear to have the most substantial impact on engagement. Daniel Edwards http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/46 http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/46 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:30:02 PDT This briefing provides an analysis of challenges facing the sustainability and development of the academic workforce in Australia. It draws together insights from national statistics collections and a number of recent studies, sheds light on current characteristics of the academic profession, and identifies key problem areas. From a review of the evidence, we argue that now is the time for both policy action at the national and institutional level to address these problems, and for further research that can inform workforce planning and development in the years to come. Hamish Coates http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/45 http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/45 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:36:29 PDT This report analyses the course experience perceptions of those graduates who completed the requirements for a coursework degree from an Australian higher education institution in 2006 and who responded to the 2007 Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ). It is the fifteenth report in a series that began in 1993 but it may also be considered to be the sixth in a new series of reports on the expanded CEQ because the structure of the questionnaire since 2002 differs considerably from earlier versions. Several further revisions have been incorporated into this report, such as a greater emphasis on results pertaining to postgraduate coursework degrees. Daniel Edwards http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/44 http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/44 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:49:34 PDT This research has been undertaken for the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research by researchers from the Australian Council for Educational Research. It was conducted during May and June 2009. Its focus is on identifying the higher research degree (HDR) population in Australia, examining the characteristics of this population, and the levels of demand and supply for people with these qualifications now and into the future. This research also catalogues a number of existing data sources that can be utilised for research into this population and identifies key gaps in the current collections which inhibit some areas of analyses into this level of qualification. The HDR qualifications - the doctorate by research (or PhD) and the masters by research - provide important skills and knowledge that can be effectively used to build the innovation and research capacity of the Australian economy. As the developed world becomes more reliant on knowledge as a vital part of economic growth and development, the importance of highly skilled workers who can create, disseminate and use new knowledge becomes integral. The role of those with the skills and competencies provided through higher research degrees is therefore of increasing importance to the future development of the Australian economy. Daniel Edwards http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/43 http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/43 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:24:56 PDT ACER produces AUSSE Institution Reports for participating universities, providing details about the responses from students in their institution and selected benchmark groups. These reports provide a basis for publication and presentation of analyses within higher education communities, at conferences, and in magazines and journals. ACER also produces this Australasian Student Engagement Report (ASER), a series of AUSSE Research Briefings, and a series of AUSSE Enhancement Guides. These public documents are intended to convey general results to wider audiences. Hamish Coates http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/42 http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/42 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:21:06 PDT Hamish Coates http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/41 http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/41 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:09:57 PDT Research carried out the University of Western Sydney and the Australian Council for Educational Research into leadership at the higher education level reveals the challenges faced by educational leaders. The study, 'Learning Leaders in Times of Change', surveyed higher educational leaders to explore the challenges they face in their roles and the capabilities involved in leadership of teaching and learning. The study lists a series of core recommendations - identified by the 513 leaders involved in the study and validated by an additional 600 higher educational leaders from Australia and across the world - designed both to help address the leadership succession and capabilities crises, and to secure the Australian education system during the challenging times that lie ahead. The next phase of 'Learning Leaders in Times of Change' project, building on the study results, is to develop an Online Leadership Learning System resource. [Author abstract, ed] M Anderson http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/40 http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/40 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:07:42 PDT This Briefing looks at participation in VET in Schools programs by members of three groups of young people who have been part of LSAY since 1995, when VET in Schools offerings experienced sustained growth. The first group comprises young people who were in Year 9 in 1995 and included VET subjects as part of their Year 11 or Year 12 studies in 1997 and 1998. The second group comprises young people who were in Year 9 in 1998 and included VET subjects as part of their senior secondary studies in 2000 and 2001. Both of these groups participated in VET in Schools while the program was still developing and have provided valuable data on their post-school pathways. The third group included in this Briefing were 15 years old in 2003. At the time, some were in Year 11, but most were in Year 11 in 2004. For this group, data are available for Year 11 only. The three cohorts provide an opportunity to examine changes in participation in VET in Schools between 1997 and 2004 and their outcomes. In LSAY, participation in VET in Schools was assessed from responses to questions asking students in Years 11 and 12 whether they were enrolled in vocational education and training subjects at school, TAFE or another training organisation; and, secondly, whether any of the subjects studied while at Years 11 and 12 on which they had provided information were TAFE or vocational education and training subjects. Among members of the LSAY cohorts, 17 per cent of Year 11 students stated that they were enrolled in a VET subject in 1997. This figure grew to 27 per cent of Year 11 students in 2000 and to 30 per cent of Year 11 students in 2003-2004. These estimates are lower than those reported by MCEETYA up to 2004 but closer to the figure of 37 per cent reported in the 2005 National Report on Schooling. The lower participation figures from LSAY probably also reflect the fact that some students do not recognise that they are participating in VET in Schools subjects. Hamish Coates http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/38 http://works.bepress.com/hamish_coates/38 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:54:49 PDT It is difficult to manage and enhance students' learning and development without knowing how they engage with education, yet student engagement is a relatively underexplored aspect of Australasian higher education. The idea of student engagement is underpinned by a simple premise: student learning and development is influenced by participation in activities that contribute directly to desired outcomes, and institutions, teachers and support staff play an important role in stimulating such engagement. In 2007, this premise underpinned the first Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE). The AUSSE was administered at 25 Australian and New Zealand institutions to representative samples of first and later year students. Highlights from the 'Australasian Student Engagement Report' scheduled for release in March, provide new insights into key areas of university education. [Author abstract] Hamish Coates