International Journal of Lifelong Education, Sep 1, 2007
This article argues that 'transition' offers a limited and outmoded conceptual frame fo... more This article argues that 'transition' offers a limited and outmoded conceptual frame for understanding young people's engagement with work and learning. It draws on two studies of young people to provide insights into the study and work experiences of older and school-aged youth. ...
A number of popular theories about trauma have suggested rhythm has potential as a mechanism for ... more A number of popular theories about trauma have suggested rhythm has potential as a mechanism for regulating arousal levels. However, there is very little literature examining this proposal from the perspective of the young people who might benefit. This action research project addresses this gap by collaborating with four groups of children in the out-of-home-care system to discover what they wanted from music therapists who brought a strong focus on rhythm-based activities. The four music therapy groups took place over a 12 month period and each cycle of action and reflection led to adjustments in what activities were offered, as well as exploring different levels of structure and ways of building relationships in the groups. The initial group incorporated a strong emphasis on highly structured rhythm-based activities, but young people found the format difficult to engage with. The second cycle included more opportunities for creativity and selfdirection within semi-structured activities which children reported enjoying, but too much freedom also became overwhelming at times. The two groups in the third cycle seemed to balance structure and responsiveness successfully but were also influenced by the introduction of individual sessions prior to group commencement, which was designed to contribute to safety and trust building. Final reflections on the role of rhythm in supporting young people who have had adverse experiences were centred around the ideas of co-regulation. This was qualitatively different to our expectations that practicing rhythm-based activities would lead to an expanded window of tolerance that resulted in less time being spent in either hypo-arousal or hyper-arousal. Instead of entraining to an external rhythm, young people felt safe when their rhythms were matched, even if they were irregular, out of time and unpredictable. The small moments of co-regulation resulted in pleasure, comfort, satisfaction and peace and these moments were highly valued by the young people, who described just wanting to be relaxed and happy. Although not as rhythm-specific as the literature might suggest, music making with trusted adults helped the young people in this study feel more content.
This qualitative study focused upon ways teachers make meaning when working with students who are... more This qualitative study focused upon ways teachers make meaning when working with students who are affected by trauma. An 11-month longitudinal design was used to explore teachers' perspectives (N = 18 teachers) as they reflected upon the impacts of trauma within their classrooms and as they learned about trauma-informed practice strategies. Data from group interviews and participant journals were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results emerged that suggested common pathways in the ways teacher perspectives evolved; and these pathways were then analyzed in light of the meaningful work literatures to further suggest how work became more meaningful to these teachers when learning trauma-informed practice strategies. Teachers fostered a greater sense of meaning at work via two pathways: first by increasing their own wellbeing via personal use of trauma-informed strategies; then second, by incorporating trauma-informed strategies into their pedagogy to more effectively engage their students with learning. Increasing meaningful work for teachers who are working with trauma-affected students has promising implications for teacher professional development and workforce sustainability in schools experiencing high rates of teacher turnover and burnout as a result of teacher exposure to adverse student behavior.
Advances in trauma-informed practices have helped both researchers and educators understand how c... more Advances in trauma-informed practices have helped both researchers and educators understand how childhood trauma impacts the developmental capacities required for successful learning within school. However, more investigation is required to understand how leaders can implement trauma-informed practices in targeted areas of their schools. This paper is a case study of one school who intentionally implemented a trauma-informed instructional practice approach after undertaking trauma informed positive education professional learning over a period of two and a half years. The research was guided by three questions: how are students supported in their learning and wellbeing; how can teachers be supported to develop consistent trauma-informed practice in their classrooms; and what is the role of leadership in this process? To research the approach, quantitative measures of staff and student perceptions and qualitative strategies centering the voices and experiences of students, teachers, and school leaders, were employed. Implications for school leaders suggest that when implemented as a whole-school approach through multiple and simultaneous mechanisms, trauma-informed positive education instructional practices have the possibilities of yielding enhanced outcomes for wellbeing and enable students to be ready to learn.
The Education Benalla Program (EBP) is a largescale community project that collaboratively works ... more The Education Benalla Program (EBP) is a largescale community project that collaboratively works with public and private sectors, agencies, businesses and community groups in order to improve educational outcomes for young people in the Benalla district in north-east Victoria. Responding to concerns of the impact of social disadvantage on educational attainment and aspiration in the district, the EBP delivers, coordinates and supports a suite of sub-programs and related activities within the key areas of school readiness, student well-being and student transitions. The program is committed to effecting measurable improvement in literacy and numeracy levels, rates of Year 12 completion, transition to tertiary education and training or apprenticeships, and familial expectations of education.
Throughout the world, increasing attention is being paid to the relationship between a general ed... more Throughout the world, increasing attention is being paid to the relationship between a general education and vocational training. This paper presents a brief and provocative overview of options in relation to vocational education in the Northern Metropolitan region of Victoria. It ...
National Centre for Vocational Education Research, 2006
This document was produced by the author(s) based on their research for the report Schools, vocat... more This document was produced by the author(s) based on their research for the report Schools, vocational education and training, and partnerships: Capacity-building in rural and regional communities:, and is an added resource for further information. The report is available on NCVER's website: <http://www.ncver.edu.au> The views and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government, state and territory governments or NCVER. Any errors and omissions are the responsibility of the author(s).
On the first of July 1998, the Commonwealth Government introduced the Youth Allowance which repla... more On the first of July 1998, the Commonwealth Government introduced the Youth Allowance which replaced unemployment benefits such as the Youth Training Allowance (YTA) for those under 18 years and Newstart allowances for those over 18. To be eligible for the Youth ...
Student Action Teams (SATs) were established in 20 Victoria, Australia, secondary schools in 1999... more Student Action Teams (SATs) were established in 20 Victoria, Australia, secondary schools in 1999, with 11 of those schools continuing with their teams in 2000. The Student Action Teams are comprised of groups of students who identify a school or community issue, research it, make plans and proposals about it, and take action on it. Such initiatives, as part of the school curriculum, engage students in purposeful activities that are valued by the students, that have broader community value, and that meet or exceed mandated curriculum goals. An evaluation, based on progress reports and issues papers, an extensive database, and case studies, found that the SAT program resulted in positive outcomes, including a high identification of students with SATs, flexibility of the teams to work on local issues in a responsive way, integration of the SAT concept into the curriculum, and community links to safety and crime prevention initiatives. Personal and educational outcomes for students included increased awareness of community safety issues, enhanced communication and teamwork skills, and school credits. Issues to consider include the following: (1) understanding of community safety and the "at-risk" requirement of the program; (2) training in leadership, team work, community, and safety; (3) program support and accountability; (4) organizational sustainability; and (5) integration of SAT into the curriculum. Appended are: Initial Program Information, Schools Involved list, and Reference list. (Contains 11 references.) (KC) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
International Journal of Lifelong Education, Sep 1, 2007
This article argues that 'transition' offers a limited and outmoded conceptual frame fo... more This article argues that 'transition' offers a limited and outmoded conceptual frame for understanding young people's engagement with work and learning. It draws on two studies of young people to provide insights into the study and work experiences of older and school-aged youth. ...
A number of popular theories about trauma have suggested rhythm has potential as a mechanism for ... more A number of popular theories about trauma have suggested rhythm has potential as a mechanism for regulating arousal levels. However, there is very little literature examining this proposal from the perspective of the young people who might benefit. This action research project addresses this gap by collaborating with four groups of children in the out-of-home-care system to discover what they wanted from music therapists who brought a strong focus on rhythm-based activities. The four music therapy groups took place over a 12 month period and each cycle of action and reflection led to adjustments in what activities were offered, as well as exploring different levels of structure and ways of building relationships in the groups. The initial group incorporated a strong emphasis on highly structured rhythm-based activities, but young people found the format difficult to engage with. The second cycle included more opportunities for creativity and selfdirection within semi-structured activities which children reported enjoying, but too much freedom also became overwhelming at times. The two groups in the third cycle seemed to balance structure and responsiveness successfully but were also influenced by the introduction of individual sessions prior to group commencement, which was designed to contribute to safety and trust building. Final reflections on the role of rhythm in supporting young people who have had adverse experiences were centred around the ideas of co-regulation. This was qualitatively different to our expectations that practicing rhythm-based activities would lead to an expanded window of tolerance that resulted in less time being spent in either hypo-arousal or hyper-arousal. Instead of entraining to an external rhythm, young people felt safe when their rhythms were matched, even if they were irregular, out of time and unpredictable. The small moments of co-regulation resulted in pleasure, comfort, satisfaction and peace and these moments were highly valued by the young people, who described just wanting to be relaxed and happy. Although not as rhythm-specific as the literature might suggest, music making with trusted adults helped the young people in this study feel more content.
This qualitative study focused upon ways teachers make meaning when working with students who are... more This qualitative study focused upon ways teachers make meaning when working with students who are affected by trauma. An 11-month longitudinal design was used to explore teachers' perspectives (N = 18 teachers) as they reflected upon the impacts of trauma within their classrooms and as they learned about trauma-informed practice strategies. Data from group interviews and participant journals were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results emerged that suggested common pathways in the ways teacher perspectives evolved; and these pathways were then analyzed in light of the meaningful work literatures to further suggest how work became more meaningful to these teachers when learning trauma-informed practice strategies. Teachers fostered a greater sense of meaning at work via two pathways: first by increasing their own wellbeing via personal use of trauma-informed strategies; then second, by incorporating trauma-informed strategies into their pedagogy to more effectively engage their students with learning. Increasing meaningful work for teachers who are working with trauma-affected students has promising implications for teacher professional development and workforce sustainability in schools experiencing high rates of teacher turnover and burnout as a result of teacher exposure to adverse student behavior.
Advances in trauma-informed practices have helped both researchers and educators understand how c... more Advances in trauma-informed practices have helped both researchers and educators understand how childhood trauma impacts the developmental capacities required for successful learning within school. However, more investigation is required to understand how leaders can implement trauma-informed practices in targeted areas of their schools. This paper is a case study of one school who intentionally implemented a trauma-informed instructional practice approach after undertaking trauma informed positive education professional learning over a period of two and a half years. The research was guided by three questions: how are students supported in their learning and wellbeing; how can teachers be supported to develop consistent trauma-informed practice in their classrooms; and what is the role of leadership in this process? To research the approach, quantitative measures of staff and student perceptions and qualitative strategies centering the voices and experiences of students, teachers, and school leaders, were employed. Implications for school leaders suggest that when implemented as a whole-school approach through multiple and simultaneous mechanisms, trauma-informed positive education instructional practices have the possibilities of yielding enhanced outcomes for wellbeing and enable students to be ready to learn.
The Education Benalla Program (EBP) is a largescale community project that collaboratively works ... more The Education Benalla Program (EBP) is a largescale community project that collaboratively works with public and private sectors, agencies, businesses and community groups in order to improve educational outcomes for young people in the Benalla district in north-east Victoria. Responding to concerns of the impact of social disadvantage on educational attainment and aspiration in the district, the EBP delivers, coordinates and supports a suite of sub-programs and related activities within the key areas of school readiness, student well-being and student transitions. The program is committed to effecting measurable improvement in literacy and numeracy levels, rates of Year 12 completion, transition to tertiary education and training or apprenticeships, and familial expectations of education.
Throughout the world, increasing attention is being paid to the relationship between a general ed... more Throughout the world, increasing attention is being paid to the relationship between a general education and vocational training. This paper presents a brief and provocative overview of options in relation to vocational education in the Northern Metropolitan region of Victoria. It ...
National Centre for Vocational Education Research, 2006
This document was produced by the author(s) based on their research for the report Schools, vocat... more This document was produced by the author(s) based on their research for the report Schools, vocational education and training, and partnerships: Capacity-building in rural and regional communities:, and is an added resource for further information. The report is available on NCVER's website: <http://www.ncver.edu.au> The views and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government, state and territory governments or NCVER. Any errors and omissions are the responsibility of the author(s).
On the first of July 1998, the Commonwealth Government introduced the Youth Allowance which repla... more On the first of July 1998, the Commonwealth Government introduced the Youth Allowance which replaced unemployment benefits such as the Youth Training Allowance (YTA) for those under 18 years and Newstart allowances for those over 18. To be eligible for the Youth ...
Student Action Teams (SATs) were established in 20 Victoria, Australia, secondary schools in 1999... more Student Action Teams (SATs) were established in 20 Victoria, Australia, secondary schools in 1999, with 11 of those schools continuing with their teams in 2000. The Student Action Teams are comprised of groups of students who identify a school or community issue, research it, make plans and proposals about it, and take action on it. Such initiatives, as part of the school curriculum, engage students in purposeful activities that are valued by the students, that have broader community value, and that meet or exceed mandated curriculum goals. An evaluation, based on progress reports and issues papers, an extensive database, and case studies, found that the SAT program resulted in positive outcomes, including a high identification of students with SATs, flexibility of the teams to work on local issues in a responsive way, integration of the SAT concept into the curriculum, and community links to safety and crime prevention initiatives. Personal and educational outcomes for students included increased awareness of community safety issues, enhanced communication and teamwork skills, and school credits. Issues to consider include the following: (1) understanding of community safety and the "at-risk" requirement of the program; (2) training in leadership, team work, community, and safety; (3) program support and accountability; (4) organizational sustainability; and (5) integration of SAT into the curriculum. Appended are: Initial Program Information, Schools Involved list, and Reference list. (Contains 11 references.) (KC) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
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