The Ripple Effect Issue 2, 2015 by RIPPLE

December 2015

The RIPPLE Effect FROM THE DIRECTOR

OPINION PIECE Learning to write, writing to learn PhD scholar, Tessa Daffern

This issue of The RIPPLE Effect coincides with the release of the results of the 2015 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) research quality evaluation. Education research at Charles Sturt University has again been rated as ‘at world standard’, with one component—Curriculum and Pedagogy—rated as ‘above world standard’. RIPPLE members have made a major contribution to this very creditable achievement. This issue conveys the diversity and interdisciplinary nature of RIPPLE’s contribution to education research within Australia and internationally. More importantly, though, it highlights RIPPLE’s commitment to working in partnership with a wide range of organisations to make a ’real world’ difference. Thank you for your support and interest in the work of RIPPLE. We look forward to another productive year in 2016 with a number of interesting new projects commencing. We wish you all the best for the festive season and hope you have a safe and relaxing holiday. Professor Jennifer Sumsion

writing may be lagging behind that of reading. Students who experience difficulty with writing are less likely to use writing to support and extend their learning across several disciplines (Cutler & Graham, 2008). Adults with poor writing skills may also be disadvantaged as writing literacy is considered a gateway for higher education and employment (National Commission on Writing, 2004). While educators should be able to make a positive difference to student achievement through evidencebased practice, it appears somewhat problematic in regards to success with writing. This may be attributed to the minimal research available in the area of writing compared to that of reading. Nevertheless, comprehensive understandings of the cognitive processes and predicting factors associated with writing are mounting, thus potentially paving the way to writing success. Continued on page 2

Being a literate writer encompasses an important set of culturally specific skills and processes that facilitate communication, expression and intellectual curiosity. Although writing is a fundamental communication tool, it is a complex cognitive, physical, social and cultural endeavour. Interactions between several skills and metacognitive and cognitive processes are required when writing (Berninger, Nagy, & Beers, 2011). Skills may include handwriting, touch-typing, spelling, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary, while processes may involve planning, sequencing and categorising. Learning to write at school is undoubtedly important; however, Australian national testing data indicate that student progress in

CONTENTS From the Director

Opinion Piece Tessa Daffern

Research Feature Early Years Education

Researcher Feature Stephen Kemmis

Research News

Researcher Feature Graham Daniel

PhD Scholars

New Funding

Achievements

New Publications

Contact RIPPLE

Predictors of writing success Although research is still needed to unpack the complex web of influential factors associated with writing competence, key predictors of success with writing in the early years of formal schooling have been demonstrated in the literature (see, for example, Mackenzie & Hemmings, 2014). Some of these include children’s: • Attitude towards writing; • Knowledge of concepts about print (e.g., letter identification); • Oral vocabulary; • Phonemic awareness; • Spelling proficiency; • Handwriting fluency; and • Working memory. Little is known about the predictive capacity of specific language convention skills on compositional writing, particularly as children progress beyond the early childhood years of schooling. In response to this gap, my doctoral research utilised National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) data to investigate the joint and independent contribution of spelling, grammar and punctuation on compositional writing in Year 3 and Year 5. Results from four different cohorts (totalling 819 students) showed that between approximately 24 and 43 percent of the variance in written composition is explained by the three language convention measures and that spelling is the main predictor of written composition. These findings are thought provoking, particularly in a digitallydriven age where computer software and tools, designed to assist with the writing process, are increasingly relied upon (Figueredo & Varnhagen, 2006). Despite rapid advances in computer technologies, tools—such as grammar and spellcheckers—are not able to fully substitute for the human cognitive processes and linguistic complexities involved in writing. Spelling: An important part of writing literacy When students have inadequate spelling skills, they consciously devote attention to the task of spelling rather than on other cognitive resources required for The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015

composing quality texts. As demonstrated in my research and highlighted by Graham and Santangelo (2014), if spelling is a laborious and cognitively demanding process, the writer is less likely to use words that cannot be confidently, automatically and accurately encoded.

“When students have inadequate spelling skills, they consciously devote attention to the task of spelling rather than on other cognitive resources required for composing quality texts.” Accurate spelling within a written text not only helps to convey the author’s intended message, but it may also influence the way in which the author is perceived by the reader. If spelling difficulties persist, issues beyond poor spelling may arise. For example, research has shown that low-achieving spellers in the primary years of school tend to have greater levels of anxiety and are less motivated to learn than higherachieving spellers (Sideridis, 2005). My doctoral research also demonstrated that low-achieving spellers seem to be reluctant readers while high-achieving spellers are avid readers. Individuals who continue to experience difficulty with spelling may also intentionally avoid writing and develop a mindset that they cannot write. This may then stifle their writing development. Learning and instruction in spelling My research found that learning to spell is a complex and gradual process of building autonomy in the coordination of three linguistic components: phonology (knowledge of speech sounds to letters); orthography (knowledge of plausible letter sequences); and morphology (knowledge of meaningful word parts such as prefixes, suffixes, homophones and root words). Like effective readers, effective spellers are able to draw on a comprehensive repertoire of strategies to spell less familiar words. For example, skilled spellers

are aware that not all words in the English language can be ‘sounded out’ and they will often adapt their strategy according to the function or meaning of a word. Teaching students to coordinate phonological, orthographic and morphological processes is fundamental. However, teachers should be responsive to specific linguistic skills and strategies that demand attention and this does not always require a ‘sounding out’ approach. Teachers also need to provide regular and ongoing opportunities for students to explore how words might carry different meanings, how they might be constructed in different social and cultural contexts, and how such contexts determine the way words and word parts could be manipulated in a written text. Critically, effective instruction requires teachers to have explicit and deep knowledge of the linguistic components that underpin the language. Back to ‘basics’ but don’t let the pendulum swing too far While a careful balance in teaching a range of processes associated with writing is needed, basic language convention skills should constitute an important part of literacy learning. In particular, spelling should not become an antiquated concept in the current digital age. Rather, teaching spelling, like grammar, should be explicit and involve culturally embedded linguistic problem solving processes.

“Spelling should not become an antiquated concept in the current digital age.” Indeed, when considered in this way, spelling and grammar are more than ‘basic’ skills. Reassuringly, the Australian Curriculum: English acknowledges the importance of explicitly teaching specific language conventions; however, there is a need to better support and extend teacher’s linguistic knowledge and ensure that it is adequately addressed in pre-service teacher education.

The focus of Tessa’s PhD research is on spelling acquisition in the middle and upper primary school years. Her study has involved almost 1,400 students (from Years 3 to 6) across 17 schools in the Australian Capital Territory. Tessa’s supervisors are Dr Noella Mackenzie and Dr Brian Hemmings. She recently presented her doctoral research findings at conferences in Cyprus and Budapest. Her research has also received national attention, including on ABC Radio National.

References Berninger, V., Nagy, W., & Beers, S. (2011). Child writers' construction and reconstruction of single sentences and construction of multi-sentence texts: Contributions of syntax and transcription to translation. Reading and Writing, 24(2), 151182. doi: 10.1007/s11145-0109262-y Cutler, L., & Graham, S. (2008). Primary grade writing instruction: A national survey. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(4), 907-919. Figueredo, L., & Varnhagen, C. (2006). Spelling and grammar checkers: Are they intrusive? British Journal of Educational Technology, 37(5), 721-732. doi: 10.1111/j.14678535.2006.00562.x Graham, S., & Santangelo, T. (2014). Does spelling instruction make students better spellers, readers, and writers? A metaanalytic review. Reading and Writing, 27(9), 1703-1743. doi: 10.1007/s11145-014-9517-0 Mackenzie, N. M., & Hemmings, B. (2014). Predictors of success with writing in the first year of school. Issues in Educational Research, 24(1), 41-54. National Commission on Writing. (2004). Writing: A ticket to work ... or a ticket out: A survey of business leaders. Retrieved from http://www.collegeboard.com/pro d_downloads/writingcom/writingticket-to-work.pdf Sideridis, G. (2005). Attitudes and motivation of poor and good spellers: Broadening planned behavior theory. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 21(1), 87-103. doi: 10.1080/10573560590523685

The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015

Vale Associate Professor Roslin Brennan Kemmis In this issue we pay tribute to our much-loved colleague and friend, A/Professor Ros Brennan Kemmis, who passed away from an illness on Tuesday 28 July. Ros was a long-time member of RIPPLE and she continued her research with us as a RIPPLE Adjunct following her recent retirement. Her contribution will be greatly missed: she was an articulate researcher, powerful education advocate, thoughtful colleague, and always a welcoming host for visitors and new staff to her research team and our Institute. We will miss her energy and sense of fun. Our thoughts are with her husband, Professor Emeritus Stephen Kemmis, and with their family, her RIPPLE research team, the CSU Faculty of Education, and her international network in pedagogy, education and praxis (PEP International) and vocational education and training.

PHOTO GALLERY

Ronelle Hutchinson (SPA Policy), Senator Sue Lines (Chair), Gaenor Dixon (SPA President) and Sharynne McLeod prepare for the Australian Government Senate Inquiry on students with disability in the school system

Kate Crowe (centre) and Sharynne McLeod (right) with David Trembath, Editor of the Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology, receiving the Editor’s Prize for their paper which translated Kate’s PhD research to a professional audience

Lisa Given prepares to launch her new book, 100 Questions (and Answers) About Qualitative Research, on the CSU Wagga Wagga campus in August

Helen Blake (front) about to present her PhD endorsement of candidature session to a supportive audience

Christine Edwards-Groves presenting at a project launch hosted by the Primary English Teaching Association Australia in November

RESEARCH FEATURE Australia’s largest research collaboration in early years education looks to the future

The three-University partnership that began in 2011 to transform Australia’s fragmented early childhood education research landscape wraps up at the end of this year. Researchers in the Excellence in Research in Early Years Education Collaborative Research Network (CRN) are reflecting on a highly successful collaboration that brought together the largest ever group of Australian experts in early childhood education research. The team included 20 senior, 15 mid career, 17 early career and 33 higher degree student researchers from Charles Sturt University, the Queensland University of Technology and Monash University. The CRN focused on the life stage of birth to age 8 and on the national priority of participation in education. It has been a catalyst for significant cross-sector and cross-institution relationships, drawing together the diverse efforts of researchers, practitioners, industry partners, government and employers. The team divided their work into three Research Programs to guide them in boosting the national evidence base in key areas: Program 1: Children’s learning, development and wellbeing in the early years Program 2: Early years curriculum, pedagogy and professional practice Program 3: Social justice, access, inclusion and policy (including provision for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities; integrated services; and rural and remote communities)

The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015

Within and across these Programs, a significant amount has been achieved, including: • Leadership of, or participation in, seven externally-funded joint research projects totalling almost $1.5m. These projects were supported by Category 1 (Australian Competitive Grants), Category 2 (public sector) and Category 3 (industry) funding. Three additional joint research proposals are currently under development or review. • Establishing and strengthening partnerships with key stakeholders. In 2013, five meetings across five states involving 43 stakeholder organisations were held to identify the sector’s research priorities. In 2014, a Showcase event, attended by 98 participants, highlighted the CRN’s contributions and achievements and invited feedback from the sector. In 2015, more than 20 prospective Partner Organisations from around Australia participated in a research planning workshop towards a possible future funding bid to establish an Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence focused on the early years. Thirteen Partner Organisations are currently involved in joint ARC grants, or ARC proposals under review. • A focus on skills development, with 35 workshops either led or attended by CRN members. Quantitative skills development was a particular focus and the high quality of the work produced (e.g., analyses of large data sets such as the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children, and NAPLAN) has attracted considerable interest from government departments and international researchers. • The development of innovative methodologies, such as a timeuse app to assist early childhood educators track and articulate the complex, multifaceted nature of their work. • The development and release of a Standpoint Statement on

researching with Indigenous children, their families and communities. • The release of over 60 joint research publications, with more underway. • New research collaborations established with other universities, including Flinders University and the University of Wollongong. Research capacity was built at all career levels. The leadership capacity of senior researchers was strengthened, and mentoring and career development opportunities for early and mid career researchers has facilitated generational renewal. “CRN funding has been an invaluable boost to building a sustainable, world class research grouping of early years education researchers,” said CRN Co-Director Professor Jennifer Sumsion from CSU. [Her Co-Directors were A/Professor Kerrynann Walsh from QUT and Professor Marilyn Fleer from Monash.] “The researchers’ expanded and strengthened skill sets will continue to enhance their ability to contribute to improving early childhood outcomes.” Professor Sumsion has recently accepted a five-year secondment as Director of RIPPLE. Sustaining and extending the collaborations fostered through the CRN will be a primary focus. “We are confident of the sustainability of these increases in research capacity following the completion of the CRN,” she said. “As far as possible, it is intended that the commitment to collaborations established through the CRN will continued unchanged.” Administrative support A small group of highly committed administrative staff also formed a strong collaborative relationship as they supported the CRN. The administrative team was led by Project Officer Vanessa McFarland (CSU) and included Jasmine Evans (Monash), Kylie Newton (QUT) and Michelle Wilkinson (CSU). Vanessa’s high-level project management skills were an asset to the CRN as she organised, negotiated and tracked the extensive amount of work required to support such a large Network. 4

“Vanessa was the lynchpin of the CRN,” commented Professor Sumsion. “Our achievements would not have been possible without her expertise, guidance and dedication.” Collaborations support Special thanks, also, to Collaborations Facilitator, Gerry Mulhearn, who capably nurtured stakeholder relationships and engagement, and mentored CRN researchers. “Gerry’s insights from her previous role as a senior public servant with major responsibilities for securing the national reforms to early childhood education have been invaluable,” said Professor Sumsion.

She has interviewed parents, educators and other members of the Centre team in order to understand their experiences and insights into the program, taken numerous photographs of the learning spaces and teaching elements, and conducted focus group discussions with the educators to unpack some of the Program's unique features in greater depth.

Visit the CRN website. Funding of $5.4m for the CRN was generously provided by the Australian Government through its Collaborative Research Network scheme.

Documenting and sharing quality education and care practices for vulnerable children and families In Issue 2 2014 (p. 4), The RIPPLE Effect reported on a postdoctoral research study being undertaken by Dr Loraine Fordham to determine the impact of high quality education and care on vulnerable children’s long-term social and educational outcomes. Loraine is carrying out her ethnographic study at a Child and Family Centre operated by the Children's Protection Society in Melbourne.

Loraine observing in the Centre (photo taken by one of the children)

Loraine made her final visit to the Centre in November, where she was able to talk with some of the children who had been in the Program for three years and who are now transitioning to school. She has also already produced an extensive literature review backgrounding the research study, a parent feedback booklet, and two large posters—copies of which have also been given to the Children’s Protection Society.

During 2015 she presented early findings from her study at three Australian early childhood conferences (Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth, Early Childhood Management Services, and Wollongong University's inaugural Early Start Conference); written three articles for Australian early childhood professional magazines (Reflections, Roundtable and Every Child); and has a journal article co-authored with Dr Anne Kennedy under review.

“...a key aim of Loraine’s research study is to share findings with the wider early childhood education and care sector in order to support their work with vulnerable children and families.” Loraine was awarded a prize for the poster on early childhood nutrition she presented at the Early Start Conference, detailing the nutritional element of the Program. She will go on to present her poster at the International Society on Early Intervention Conference in Stockholm in June next year. Her project concludes in early 2016.

The literature review and parent feedback booklet from Loraine’s study

The CPS Child and Family Centre where Loraine’s study is taking place

Over the past two years Loraine has spent many weeks embedded in the Centre observing and documenting the everyday high quality education and care practices that occur in their Early Years Education Program.

The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015

As well as gaining a deep understanding of what occurs in the everyday practice of the Early Years Education Program and describing its unique elements, a key aim of Loraine’s research study is to share findings with the wider early childhood education and care sector in order to support their work with vulnerable children and families.

Loraine preparing to spruik her poster at the three-minute interactive poster session at the ARACY conference 5

RESEARCHER PROFILE In conversation with Professor Emeritus Stephen Kemmis

of teaching to another—how do you change the tools that teachers have in order to allow them to do the job?” This is particularly important given the move to a National Curriculum along with standardised testing such as the National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). Stephen’s research shows that ‘site-based education development’, rather than a onesize-fits-all approach, is what is required for our classrooms. “I think teachers are ill-supported. One of the reasons for studying the ways practices are supported by these practice architectures is to say: if you want to improve educational practice in Australia, you’ve got to show how you’re going to change the conditions under which practice is done, and that means spending money on new resources and opportunities for professional learning.”

Professor Emeritus Stephen Kemmis has spent his career furthering social justice through education. He believes in the value of education to expand a child’s sense of what is possible, and advocates for the proper resourcing of professional educators to best meet individual needs within their classrooms. Growing up in Sydney next door to a Professor of Anthropology and with a mother who read Persian poetry to him at bedtime opened Stephen’s eyes early to a rich world of learning and possibility. But no matter where a person is born, Stephen firmly believes in the power of education— tailored to the diverse needs of a child’s school and community—to provide opportunities for personal growth and options for the future. His work in recent years has focused on the theory of practice architectures in professional practice, so that policy makers and educators alike can better deliver curriculum in a way that works for students in classrooms right around Australia. “The reason for studying professional practice in this way is to find out what holds practices in place and what allows them to change,” Stephen explained. “Moreover, if you want to change—say from one kind The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015

“You might have a national curriculum that rolls out, but every single classroom has to change. You might give everybody the curriculum and a few days of professional development, but every single classroom is affected by those changes. In order for those changes to be sustainable in every school and in every classroom, you need a huge effort locally, and you depend on professional teachers to make those changes.” In their book, Changing Practices, Changing Education (Springer, 2014), Stephen and his co-authors were able to demonstrate how successful change has been achieved in some Australian schools. “In some places, successful change has been achieved, but over very long time scales—10 or 20 years—of highly consistent professional learning, that involves all the people in the school hierarchy who are being affected by the changes. It takes a really sustained effort. You don’t just have people in for a week or a day and give them an injection of professional development and off they go.” Stephen believes that a barrier to the innovation and flexibility required for teachers to successfully implement broad-based programs into local schools is the standardisation of teaching as a profession. “In most

public sector professions there is huge pressure from neoliberal policies and reduction of expenditure, as well as pressure to practice in ways that meet various types of criteria,” he said. “Such standardised systems leave it open to systems leaders to blame professional practitioners if they don’t practice according to whatever the conventional standards are at the moment. There’s a huge focus on the practitioner and not enough focus on what needs to be provided for the practitioner to do a good job.”

“There’s a huge focus on the practitioner and not enough focus on what needs to be provided for the practitioner to do a good job.” Stephen is concerned not only about the standardising of our teachers, but also about narrow and uniform student testing. He asserts that our expectations of student performance are largely based on tests such as the NAPLAN. “These standardised tests are sometimes said to be tests of individual differences, but they might better be called tests of individual degrees of similarity; how similar you are to the norm as opposed to how different.” “Indeed, although Australia does quite well in PISA, we tend to forget that we’re not statistically different from those coming out on top. Politicians are forever worried about changes like us slipping from third to sixth place internationally in some curriculum area, but in fact we’re still not statistically significantly different from others in the top band.” “Australia does very well with its best students and well with its middle students, but it does much more poorly than others with those in the tail. Students who are poor performing are performing poorly for a great variety of reasons. To deal with those different kinds of kids you need very flexible and locally adaptable pedagogies, and we’re particularly bad at it in Australia.” He added, “And to deal with the kids who have difficulties in schools, alongside the other kids in the classroom, you need to have super6

competent teachers who are able to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. It’s been wonderful doing some of the fieldwork we’ve been doing in classrooms watching some autistic kids working away alongside other kids and to see how skilful the teachers were in keeping them engaged, enthusiastic and committed.” Stephen draws on international examples of how schools can better meet the individual needs of their students. “In Finland, for example, every child will be seen by a special educator within each three-year period,” he explained. “It’s a genuine interest in every individual child. But it also means that the learning difficulties faced by every kind of child are being dealt with.” He acknowledges the difficulty in adapting such a system to Australia. “First of all you have to have a lot more special educators than we do and special education needs to be something that’s ordinary in mainstream schools; it’s not just for the kids that are, from the point of view of conventional schools, maladjusted to the school and its routines. You’re treating everybody as a special case. The kids are much more responsive and that means that they often then perform more in accordance with expectations.” Australia is exceptionally diverse across its school system—educating children from different cultures in metropolitan, regional, rural and remote areas. Stephen points out that a singular approach is never going to suit every child. “The institution of school doesn’t serve everybody equally well,” he said. “What we should have is much more diversity in the way we do education.” “There’s a famous distinction between different ways of viewing individualisation in education. One is: some people take longer to get to the required goals, and the other view is: different kids have different goals. So are our students being helped to get to their own goals, or are they only being helped to get to the school’s goals for them? I think education requires a negotiation to make sure that kids are getting their needs met and one of the ways you The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015

do it is by having a diverse curriculum to capture the interests of young people and to give them a sense that they could learn and develop confidence and skill.” “There has to be a negotiation between what teachers can teach, what the state wants of its citizens, and what parents, families, children and communities want out of education for themselves. We need to do much better at that negotiation and I think teachers are trying to do that all the time, but I think we need different kinds of tools than a national curriculum and uniform professional standards nationally.” He offered the example of outdoor education, which unfortunately is declining in importance in the curriculum. “Kids who were troublesome in the classroom often turn out to be exemplary when they’ve got practical tasks in the outdoors; they get to shine.” When you consider Australia’s rural and remote areas, as well as Indigenous education, the educational challenges intensify. “Trying to meet the diverse needs of diverse learners—but also the diverse interests and goals of diverse learners who have different aspirations in their own lives—is especially important in rural Australia,” Stephen said. “For so many people in the bush, life opportunities locally are going to be relatively limited. Education has such an important role in giving people a sense of the diversity of life, but also you want education to be really relevant to the here-and-now so that you have a sense that people have a commitment to coming back to those areas and strengthening and developing the community locally.”

“Education has such an important role in giving people a sense of the diversity of life, but also you want education to be really relevant to the here-and-now…” Stephen related examples from his work in Indigenous education as another way of illustrating how important community and site-based education is.

“I was interested in Aboriginal education for Aboriginal people, not just white fella’s education for Aboriginal people,” he explained. “People very generously talked to me about Aboriginal pedagogy and the content of Aboriginal education so that I could understand what people were learning and how they were learning it.” Amongst many Indigenous educators, Stephen worked closely alongside Mandawuy Yunupingu (of Aboriginal rock group Yothu Yindi). “Mandawuy was one of the first cohort from our Deakin-Batchelor College Aboriginal Teacher Education program,” Stephen said of the time he worked at Deakin University. “It was music that opened his eyes, but also education. He gave me quite an education about Aboriginal pedagogy and also traditional Aboriginal Australia and that was hugely important in forming my views, especially but not only about Indigenous education, and also about Indigenous issues in Australia.” While Mandawuy trained and worked as a teacher—including becoming a school principal—in his local community, he went on to focus on his band full time—despite Stephen’s warnings of the potential difficulties of the performing lifestyle. Stephen laughed as he related the moral to the story. “When I asked him to come and speak at the World Congress on Action Research that we held in Ballarat after I’d been Deputy Vice-Chancellor there, he recounted that story to everybody in his keynote speech. He said: ‘Stephen said it could be dangerous, but instead I ended up with a much bigger classroom!’” This ability to immerse himself in the life experiences of the communities he conducts research in and with— along with his own rich life experiences—have shaped Stephen’s deeply considered views on how best we can deliver education in Australia. Even though he has recently retired, Stephen continues to research, write and speak on educational issues. To cap off a long and productive career, he was awarded two honorary doctorates in 2009 for his services to international educational research. 7

RESEARCH NEWS Research and classrooms collide with new writing tool

While the tool was originally designed for research purposes, it has been widely adopted by teachers as a practical way to not only assess students' writing and map their progress, but also to assess their own teaching practices. “The tool guides the teacher's decisions in terms of feedback to the child, reporting to a parent and making decisions regarding what the child needs to be taught next,” Dr Mackenzie said. “By examining a class set of samples using the tool, a teacher will be able to reflect on the strengths of their teaching program and identify dimensions that may need further attention.”

Dr Noella Mackenzie

An online tool developed by researchers at Charles Sturt University is helping teachers assess, monitor and report on their students' writing skills development. RIPPLE researcher Dr Noella Mackenzie and her research team collected over 3,000 writing samples from 1,799 Year 1 students in New South Wales and Victoria. Close analysis of the samples revealed key areas of learning and the range of ability among students in regards to spelling, punctuation, handwriting, text structure, sentence structure and vocabulary. The Writing Analysis Tool the researchers developed allows teachers to compare their students' writing to the samples collected and then track their development over time. “Mapping children's writing journeys allows a teacher to respond to their learning needs, celebrate milestones, teach effectively and build on what children know and can do,” Dr Mackenzie said. “This tool is designed to map shifts over time in the range of skills and competencies young writers use to communicate intended meanings and messages using standard writing conventions.”

The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015

“Mapping children's writing journeys allows a teacher to respond to their learning needs, celebrate milestones, teach effectively and build on what children know and can do.” Dr Mackenzie said the feedback received from teachers so far has been overwhelmingly positive and demonstrates potential for the tool to be rolled out further. “The feedback we have received from teachers so far has been great, they love it,” Dr Mackenzie said. “Our research, and this feedback from teachers, demonstrates that teachers need efficient ways to monitor progress, identify learning needs and guide their teaching decisions. This is a great example of how research can directly impact on classroom practices and student learning. There is definitely scope to implement tools like this across all grades.” The Writing Analysis Tool was developed in partnership with researchers from Monash University. It is available to all teachers here. [Please note that supported web browsers for the online tool are Firefox, Safari and Google Chrome.] First published on CSU News 06/11/15

The following articles provide further insight into the development of the tool and its application: Mackenzie, N. M., Scull J., & Bowles, T. (2015). Change over time: An analysis of texts created by Year One students. Australian Educational Researcher. doi: 10.1007/s13384-015-0189-9 Mackenzie, N. M., Scull, J., & Munsie, L. (2013). Analysing writing: The development of a tool for use in the early years of schooling. Issues in Educational Research, 23(3), 375-391.

NAPLAN scores an ‘F’ on communication disabilities

Gaenor Dixon (Speech Pathology Australia President) and Sharynne McLeod presenting at the Senate Inquiry

Speech Pathology Australia has released ground-breaking research (conducted by RIPPLE researchers Professors Sharynne McLeod and Linda Harrison and Dr Audrey Wang) based on thousands of Australian children that shows NAPLAN is failing children with speech and language disorders. The research shows that students with speech and language problems achieve significantly lower scores on every NAPLAN test (reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy) for school years (grades) 3, 5 and 7, than do students without these problems. The research also exposes for the first time that students with speech and language problems are more likely to be excluded from NAPLAN testing than those without these problems. Many of these children with communication impairment have no access to speech pathology services. 8

Professor McLeod, along with SPA President, Gaenor Dixon, presented the research to a public hearing of the Senate Education and Employment Committee on 25 September 2015. Read more here: Education: NAPLAN testing regime failing students with speech, language disorders The Sydney Morning Herald NAPLAN bias: Schools exclude children with communication impairments The Australian

No disadvantage to being multilingual, Australian study finds Under the mentorship of Professors Linda Harrison (Charles Sturt University) and Sue Walker (Queensland University of Technology), several RIPPLE members from the Excellence in Research in Early Years Education Collaborative Research Network have undertaken a series of analyses of data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Reports of these analyses have attracted considerable media interest, including an article on the link between being multilingual and academic outcomes in The Sydney Morning Herald.

Children’s speech and language public lecture

Sharynne McLeod talking to Michael Spooner from ABC North Coast Radio

Professor Sharynne McLeod delivered a sold-out Public Lecture and early childhood educators’ workshop in Port Macquarie during August 2015. She addressed the group on the topic of children’s speech and language. The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015

“Children master most of their speech and language skills in their first five to six years of life,” said Professor McLeod. “Many children around the world become competent communicators in more than one language. However, some children have difficulty with speech and language, regardless of the number of languages they speak. Communication is a basic human right, and it is important to facilitate children’s communicative capacity.”

“Communication is a basic human right, and it is important to facilitate children’s communicative capacity.” The presentation offered a world tour of the research undertaken during Professor McLeod’s five‐year Australian Research Council Future Fellowship. Insights were provided about supporting children’s communication based on her work with Indigenous and non‐Indigenous Australians, as well as with children from Vietnam, Fiji, Turkey, Zambia, Hong Kong, Germany, the United States, Iceland and other countries.

One of the highlights of Professor Sumsion’s visit was a morning in an early childhood program for infants and toddlers. The program was staffed almost entirely by degreequalified educators, several of whom have or are studying for Masters qualifications. It was salutary to hear that this level of staff qualification is not unusual in New Zealand early childhood centres.

“…this sobering crossTasman contrast reinforces the importance of RIPPLE’s early childhood policy research and advocacy.” At a time when the Australian Productivity Commission has recommended winding back qualification levels for educators working with children aged under three to Certificate III, this sobering cross-Tasman contrast reinforces the importance of RIPPLE’s early childhood policy research and advocacy.

Human development over the lifespan conference

Visiting Scholar at the University of Auckland Professor Jennifer Sumsion spent several days in September as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Education and Social Work, where she was involved in discussions with senior early childhood academics about research capacity-building, as well as meetings with early career academics and PhD candidates. Professor Sumsion also gave a wellattended public lecture on understanding and learning from infants and toddlers’ experiences of early childhood settings. Her talk drew on the two Australian Research Council Linkage Projects (20092011; 2013-2016) about life for very young children in early education settings that were awarded to RIPPLE researchers and that involved several RIPPLE PhD candidates and Partner Organisations.

L to R: Catherine Easton, Linda Harrison, Audrey Wang, Sue Walker, Sarah Verdon and Sarah Masso

A number of our early career researchers and PhD candidates attended the Australasian Human Development Association 2015 conference in Wellington, New Zealand, during July. The conference provided a venue for the latest research on human development at all stages of the lifespan. CSU researchers presented at a symposium on supporting the development of children with speech and language difficulties in the early years, which was chaired by Professor Sue Walker from the Queensland University of Technology. 9

Opening keynote at international pedagogy and learning conference

Dr Christine Edwards-Groves presented the Opening Keynote for the Third International Conference on Leadership in Pedagogies and Learning for the International Society for Leadership in Pedagogy and Learning (islPAL), which was held on 25 and 26 September in Toowong, Queensland. Christine spoke about ‘Pedagogies for participation: Opening up communicative spaces for productive learning’ as a framework for addressing important educational issues centred on inclusive teaching practices.

Understanding communication diversity in Fiji

Researchers at CSU are examining childhood speech and language diversity in Fiji with the goal to help develop culturally and linguistically sensitive services for Fijians with communication disabilities. The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015

PhD candidate Suzanne Hopf, who is supervised by Professor Sharynne McLeod and Dr Sarah McDonagh, was recently awarded the 2015 Gerhardt Laves Scholarship from the Australian Linguistic Society. The scholarship encourages postgraduate researchers in the field of Indigenous languages by helping cover fieldwork expenses. “Understanding Fiji's unique culture and communication environment is essential to providing best-practice services to support the speech and language development of Fijian children,” Suzanne said.

“Understanding Fiji's unique culture and communication environment is essential to providing best-practice services to support the speech and language development of Fijian children.” “My research will describe Fijian children's multilingual spoken and written language, and determine whether there are differences in language use and proficiency due to children's age, gender, school year and home language. It will describe the community's beliefs, attitudes, and support for children with speech, language and literacy needs.” Suzanne returned to Australia in 2015 after six years living in Fiji. During this time, she observed a complex cultural and linguistic environment, and a lack of speechlanguage pathology services. She became interested in how she could use her expertise to guide the community in the development of sustainable and evidence-based practices for supporting Fijians with communication disabilities. Since beginning her PhD, Suzanne has undertaken fieldwork with 75 children, their caregivers, 22 teachers, and over 100 community members in Fiji. The next phase of fieldwork will see her return to the South Pacific nation in early 2016 to interview key community members about Fijian cultural practices for supporting children's speech, language and literacy development.

“The 2015 Gerhardt Laves Scholarship will help fund this next phase of research to understand and appreciate the unique nature of Fijian communication so that I can support educators and clinicians around the world working with Fijian children,” Suzanne said. First published on CSU News 17/07/15

Software for preschoolers’ speech and pre-literacy skills

Dr Yvonne Wren from the Bristol Speech and Language Therapy Research Unit and University of Bristol visited the NSW Department of Education Rural and Distance Education Unit in November. She demonstrated the Phoneme Factory software designed for teachers and assistants to support children with speech sound difficulties. Phoneme Factory consists of two programs: Phoneme Factory Phonology Screener provides teachers with a tool to individually assess children’s production of speech sounds and to determine if they need additional support (e.g., intervention using the Sound Sorter software, or further assessment and intervention by a speech pathologist). Phoneme Factory Sound Sorter provides games for children to play to support their speech and phonological awareness skills. The software enables teachers to individualise activities to a child’s particular needs. The software was developed in the United Kingdom by Dr Wren and Professor Sue Roulstone. The Sound Sorter has been adapted for the Australian context with support from the Rural and Distance Education Unit. It has been trialled in public and private preschools in NSW over the past three years in the Sound Start Study in association with researchers from CSU (Prof Sharynne McLeod, A/Prof Jane McCormack, Dr Kate Crowe, Sarah Masso) and The University of Sydney (Dr Elise Baker). 10

RESEARCHER PROFILE Dr Graham Daniel

“In my families and schools research I work closely with [RIPPLE Research Fellow] Dr Audrey Wang,” Graham explained of their work on parent involvement in children’s educational development in an Australian context. The researchers are publishing a series of papers as they build a research foundation for family-school partnerships in Australia. “Family-school partnerships is one of the four pillars of Federal Government educational renewal and I’m aiming to feed into that space,” Graham explained. “It’s important that schools and families work together in supporting kids in the early years of formal education.”

Building strong and positive relationships between families and schools drives the research agenda of RIPPLE Affiliate Dr Graham Daniel. With the Federal Government focusing on the area of family-school partnerships as part of its policy of educational renewal, Graham’s research is a timely and welcome addition to the limited Australian evidence base in this area. Graham’s pathway to becoming a researcher began in the classroom. After working for 17 years as a primary school teacher—including a stint as head of junior school— Graham decided to take on the challenge of studying for a full-time doctoral degree. He obtained an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) to complete his PhD, which focused on the connection between families and schools, a theme he continues to research today. During the time of his doctoral studies, Graham became an academic with Charles Sturt University in Bathurst. He joined the School of Teacher Education in 2003, where he still lectures in educational psychology and child development. Graham informs his teaching with research. His interests include family-school partnerships, parent involvement, and children’s experiences of schooling and teacher education, with a particular focus on the early years of schooling. The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015

“There is limited evidence in Australia; we’re relying on US and UK evidence. There is a need for us to establish an Australian approach to family and school partnerships that recognises and meets the diverse needs of different school communities.” Graham and Audrey are drawing on data from Growing up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children—a major study that is following the development of 10,000 children and families from around Australia. Their work has been facilitated by the Excellence in Research in Early Years Education Collaborative Research Network, led by CSU and in collaboration with the Queensland University of Technology and Monash University. “We’re looking at different aspects of family-school partnerships,” Graham said. “We’ve looked at school-based parent involvement, the association between parent involvement and children’s self-regulated learning, as well as descriptive work about what parents and schools in Australia’s do, and most recently we looked at links between school choice and parent involvement—parents selecting what kind of school they enrol their children in.” “We’ve established that there are associated benefits to family involvement and particularly schoolbased parent involvement in the early years of schooling,” Graham said, explaining that they have connected school involvement by parents with improved academic outcomes for their children.

“We’ve established a model that shows that school-based parent involvement works. The next step is to say: let’s find out why it works? And, why would it be associated with student success in different ways to home-based parent involvement?” Graham is currently looking for funding to conduct a small-scale qualitative study that includes interviews with children, parents and teachers to define exactly what it is about school-based involvement in the early years (from Kindergarten to Year 3) that provides benefits.

“We’ve established that there are associated benefits to … schoolbased parent involvement in the early years of schooling.” Another project Graham is working on, with fellow academic Mr Greg Auhl, focuses on how best to transform teacher education students into professional teachers. He recently investigated the development of practice, which included following a group of 46 students through their four years of study to become teachers. A book is planned which will include case study chapters written by seven of the final-year students who have returned from their final classroom placements. Demonstrating his cross-disciplinary ability, Graham is also in the process of concluding a series of publications with speech-language researcher and RIPPLE strand leader Professor Sharynne McLeod, from a project focused on children with speech sound disorder in schools. “We looked at the children’s experiences socially and educationally, as well as the families’ experiences,” Graham said. The research helps children, parents and teachers to navigate challenges in the classroom. “It’s about the classroom and school needs of the children and advocating for their specific needs in the classroom context.” It is clear that the strands of Graham’s research are coming together to make a valuable contribution to many different facets of Australian classrooms. 11

PhD SCHOLARS New PhD scholar Stephanie Garoni

Stephanie and Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann: receiving her recent VC Award for Excellence in Sessional Teaching

Get to know our scholars RIPPLE normally sponsors two new PhD candidates each year, supporting them during full time study as they further research into our key themes related to professional practice, learning and education. However, our researchers also supervise many other Higher Degree by Research candidates who use their doctoral studies to explore these themes. In this issue, we introduce you to two of these PhD scholars: Becky Willson and Helen Blake. Rebekah (Becky) Willson

Thesis title: Accomplishing transition: Investigating talk practices as students move between primary and secondary school Supervisors: Dr Christine EdwardsGroves and Dr Christina Davidson RIPPLE is pleased to welcome Stephanie Garoni as a new PhD scholarship recipient. Stephanie has already commenced her PhD candidature on a part time basis and the RIPPLE scholarship will allow her to study full time. “I am very pleased and excited to start my RIPPLE scholarship and feel grateful for the opportunity,” Stephanie said. Her study explores the transition between primary and secondary school. It addresses a gap in the field of research around how talk is accomplished in and across Year 6 and Year 7 settings by exploring how classroom talk can reveal practice as students transition from primary to secondary school. Stephanie’s project is designed to increase understanding of how talkin-interaction unfolds, how it reveals the nuances of practices as a way of tracing why particular actions (or sayings, doings and relatings) come to be in particular practices in particular places at particular times, and also to increase understanding of what the practice architectures look like in Year 6 and 7 classrooms and how they shape and are shaped by the process of transition. Welcome Stephanie!

The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015

Becky is a full time, on-campus PhD candidate in the School of Information Studies based at the Wagga Wagga campus. She is nearing completion of her doctorate and has recently accepted a position as Lecturer in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, where she will start in 2016. Thesis title: Information in transition: Examining information behaviour of university faculty as they transition in academe Supervisors: Professors Lisa Given and Annemaree Lloyd Tell us about your research My research examines early career academics as they move from doctoral education to academic positions in Australia and Canada. The study explores academics’ information needs related to teaching, research and service as they transition from student to staff roles; the goal is to better

understand the complexities of new academics’ professional, personal and research-related development. Existing published research explores doctoral students’ experiences and scholars’ research/teaching needs; however, this literature does not examine the implications of transition between roles. The study uses a grounded theory methodology and qualitative research design (multiple in-depth interviews, check-ins, and document analysis) to capture academics’ information activities in the context of doctoral preparation for academic work. The results will inform the scholarly literature in education and information studies and will also guide university administrators and academics’ understandings of the supports needed for successful career transition.

“The results will inform the scholarly literature in education and information studies and will also guide university administrators and academics’ understandings of the supports needed for successful career transition.” What led you to undertake a PhD? I was working as a librarian and realised that I didn’t have the skills to do the research I was really interested in. I knew that to do that, I’d have to go back to university to do a PhD.

“Make sure you get some experience in every area before you’re finished your PhD.” What is your top tip for potential PhD candidates? Think about the job you want and make sure your CV can get you that job. For academic positions, you need to have publications, as well as teaching and service experience. Make sure you get some experience in every area before you’re finished your PhD. 12

Helen Blake

People from these countries usually came to the college in England to study, however I was sent to Kazakhstan twice to teach. My experiences teaching aviation English reinforced my growing interest in the implications of English proficiency not only for individuals, but also for society.

Helen Blake (right) providing intervention with a multilingual speaker

Thesis title: English proficiency, intelligibility and participation of multilingual speakers in Australia Supervisors: Professor Sharynne McLeod and Sarah Verdon Tell us about your research Globalisation has necessitated a clear need for effective communication skills specifically in English. In multilingual international environments, such as education, business and aviation, English acts as a lingua franca, facilitating crosscultural communication. In Australia 23.2% of the population reported speaking a language other than English at home in the 2011 Census. Moreover, 13% of these individuals reported speaking English 'not well' or 'not at all' (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011). This mixed methods research will investigate the relationship between multilingual speakers’ proficiency and intelligibility in English and their participation in Australian society and provide insight into whether intelligibility enhancement has an effect on that participation. The study will investigate this population's ability to participate in education, employment and leisure activities as well as their ability to access goods and services needed for daily living. What led you to undertake a PhD? I truly believe my entire work and life experience has led me to conducting this research. Growing up in a small country town, I was always fascinated by foreign languages and, at the time, the far off possibility of travelling overseas. The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015

My first step was to complete a Bachelor of Arts where I majored in English and German along with some French and Spanish. When I completed my degree, my path took an alternative—although as it turned out relevant direction—when I joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as an Air Traffic Controller. Over the following 15 years, I worked in numerous education and education management roles where my interest in language continued to develop. I was also deployed for a short time to South-East Asia where I saw the effect of English proficiency on the success of aviation transmissions and the resulting safety implications. When I left the RAAF, I travelled to England, completed a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Certificate, and worked in England and Poland teaching general English. I was frequently moved by my students’ motivation and gratitude for their English language education. They strongly believed that learning English would allow them to improve their lives by participating in further education, more lucrative employment and potential emigration. I also worked in an aviation college teaching aviation English to air traffic controllers from countries that spoke a language other than English. The International Civil Aviation Organisation regulated that all international aviation transmissions be in English by 2008 and many countries such as Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Algeria and Georgia were rushing to comply.

When I returned to Australia, I enrolled at the University at Newcastle and completed a speech pathology degree with honours investigating communication skills in job interviews. In 2011, I was Project Officer for a University of Newcastle Teaching and Learning Project Grant to establish a clinic to provide an intelligibility enhancement service to multilingual staff and students. I now have four years’ experience providing intelligibility enhancement in my role as the Clinical Educator in the Speech Intelligibility Clinic. I continue to be moved by my students’ motivation and gratitude for the training we provide. I began my PhD in 2015 while working one day a week in the Speech Intelligibility Clinic. I also volunteer at a fortnightly playgroup for children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. I decided to undertake a PhD in this area as there is a minimal evidence base to support intelligibility enhancement for university students. Anecdotally, there is a lack of understanding among potential service providers as to what intelligibility enhancement involves but a high level of interest among potential recipients of such services. I also really enjoy working with students from CALD backgrounds and am excited about the possibility of my research making a difference in their lives. What is your top tip for potential PhD candidates? I suggest taking advantage of the professional development programs provided by the CSU Research Office. As a distance education student, I have participated in as many relevant sessions as I could. These sessions have not only provided me with valuable skills, but they have also made me feel part of a community of scholars and reduced the sense of isolation indicative of distance education. 13

Graduations Three RIPPLE doctoral candidates will graduate in December this year. Congratulations to Tamara Cumming, Sarah Verdon and Tina Stratigos on successfully completing their PhD journeys! Below, our graduates tell us about their research projects, the highs and lows of their doctoral experiences, and what’s next for them. Tamara Cumming

Tamara (centre) with her supervisors Jennifer Sumsion and Sandie Wong

Thesis title: Making visible early childhood educators’ ways of negotiating complexity Supervisors: Professor Jennifer Sumsion and Dr Sandie Wong My doctoral project was concerned with educators’ ways of negotiating complexity in early childhood practice (birth to five years). I wanted to explore these micro-politics of practice as a way of generating new possibilities for effectively supporting and sustaining the early childhood workforce. This issue matters because a stable early childhood workforce has been recognised as an important contributing element to high quality early childhood education. However, existing efforts—especially through largescale policy initiatives—have not been very successful in Australia, or overseas. I came to focus on the micro-politics of practice via literature concerned with ways discourses and subjectivities might inform educators’ practice; and that (along with policy documents) often mentioned “the complexity of early childhood educators’ practice”. The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015

There had been little elaboration or exploration of the nature or experiences of complexity in educators’ practice though, nor the multiple, sometimes competing discourses that inform and shape subjectivities, and practice itself. To investigate these concerns, ten educators participated in my doctoral research project. The research involved four phases of data generation: an initial focus group discussion; individual participant generation of visual materials; individual interviews and a follow-up focus group discussion. Data were analysed using rhizoanalytic strategies, drawing on the work of Deleuze and Guattari. The findings suggested that attention to the interrelatedness of policy, work environments, educators and families could provide a productive basis for approaches aimed at sustaining the early childhood workforce. What were the highs and lows of the doctoral experience for you? The greatest highs of doctoral study were those “A-ha!” moments, when I could suddenly see how pieces of data might fit together to illuminate the questions I was interested in. These moments were sometimes solitary but more often, came through conversations with my supervisors and my doctoral peers. There is something about ‘speaking’ your thinking, and having colleagues ask you informed questions that seems to bring new insight. The lows came in moments of frustration, when despite expending every bit of mental energy I had, I just didn’t seem to ‘get it’—especially when analysing data. Trying to manage life and family—which didn’t just politely continue in the background while I did my PhD— also led to some lows as well. What are your future plans? I’m currently teaching a subject called Diversity and Difference in Early Childhood Education with the School of Teacher Education. It’s great, because I actually get to interact with educators and encourage them to see the ways discourses might be shaping their beliefs, biases and practice.

I’m also developing an application for an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. I want to continue my focus on early childhood educators— especially ways that work environments might contribute to the sustainability of the workforce. Sarah Verdon

Thesis title: Embracing diversity, creating equality: Supporting the speech, language and communication of culturally and linguistically diverse children Supervisors: Professor Sharynne McLeod and Dr Sandie Wong My PhD was a mixed methods research project, which focused on supporting the speech, language and communication development of culturally and linguistically diverse children. The first component was a quantitative study of three largescale Australian datasets: the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC); the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC); and the Speech Pathology Australia membership database. The findings of this component described the cultural and linguistic diversity of Australia’s children from birth to 5 years and identified factors which support multilingualism and language maintenance in the early years. The services available to support children’s speech, language and communication development in Australia were also considered, highlighting a mismatch between the languages Australian children are speaking and the languages in which services are offered in Australia.

The second component used ethnographic observation of 14 international sites in five different countries to document current practices being used to support culturally and linguistically diverse children in different social, cultural, geographical and political contexts around the world. Analysis of these data identified six overarching principles, which can be used to support culturally competent practice with children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

Tina Stratigos

What were the highs and lows of the doctoral experience for you?

What were the highs and lows of the doctoral experience for you? There were many highlights along my PhD journey. The biggest would certainly be my six-month world trip in which data collection for the second component of my research was undertaken. I visited Brazil, Italy, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Canada, and the United States. I got to meet very inspirational practitioners and researchers in my field and learned a lot from their expertise and experience. Another highlight was being included in the Excellence in Research in Early Years Education Collaborative Research Network (CRN). Through this Network I was given many opportunities to strengthen my skills as both a qualitative and quantitative researcher and I had the opportunity to meet and work with a number of excellent Australian researchers in the field of early childhood. Many of these connections have been ongoing and are now helping me to forge my research path post PhD. What are your future plans? I am currently enjoying the challenges of the transition period from PhD student to early career researcher. I am in the process of publishing the last of my nine PhD papers and very much looking forward to my graduation in December. I now have a three-year Research Fellow position with RIPPLE and am enjoying applying the knowledge gained from my PhD to new projects both individually and within existing teams from the CRN and RIPPLE. On top of this, I am expecting my first baby in March 2016 so I think I will have lots to keep me busy in the near future. The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015

politics of belonging. The study affords new possibilities for understanding the social lives of infants and reconceptualising belonging in early childhood education and care.

Thesis title: A case study of belonging for an infant in family day care Supervisors: Professors Jennifer Sumsion and Ben Bradley My doctoral project was embedded in the Infants’ Lives in Childcare study. I conducted a longitudinal case study examining how belonging worked in the everyday experiences of an infant between the ages of 8 and 18 months in a multi-age family day care setting. The importance of fostering a sense of belonging is recognised in early childhood curriculum internationally, including in the Australian Early Years Learning Framework. The notion of belonging, however, is often used in a simplistic, everyday sense. In my doctoral project I conceptualised belonging as a complex, multidimensional and dynamic political (in the sense that it involves the exercise of power) process. Thus, belonging was conceptualised as never finalised, but negotiated, performed, challenged and constructed in daily life. For the infant, belonging was negotiated through interactions and relationships among the multi-age group of children and the educator. This negotiation involved diverse aspects such being categorised by the older children as ‘baby’, and the use of material objects and spaces to challenge and perform particular belongings. His experiences suggest that even young infants are capable of playing an active role in the

I really enjoyed generating and working with the data. It was a privilege to be given access to people’s homes and lives so generously and enthusiastically. I feel very lucky that at no point in the process did I feel isolated. Through my association with the Infants’ Lives in Childcare study I had the opportunity to work and write with a team of experienced and respected researchers. My involvement in the Excellence in Research in Early Years Education Collaborative Research Network meant I had further opportunities to network with experienced researchers and other PhD students. In the latter stages of my PhD the support of a wonderful group of fellow PhD students was invaluable. We were all being supervised by Jennifer and all presenting our theses as a series of publications. We had regular meetings where we shared ideas and writing and supported each other through the highs and lows of the PhD journey. A number of us also engaged in ‘shut up and write’ sessions. What are your future plans? Since completing my PhD I have been busy with sessional tutoring and working on two Australian Research Council studies: Babies and Belonging, and Education Meets Play (a joint collaboration between CSU, Monash and QUT). I’d love to be able to follow up on some of the ideas for future research identified through my PhD and I would also like to write for professional journals translating my PhD into practical ideas to stimulate educators’ thinking about the social worlds of infants and the powerful potential of the concept of belonging in early childhood education and care. Most of all, however, I’m simply looking forward to graduation day when my daughters will finally get to see mummy wearing the silly hat! 15

NEW FUNDING

Studying research in the library and information profession Professor Lisa Given is CoInvestigator on an Australian Research Council Linkage project led by Professor Helen Partridge from the University of Southern Queensland, along with industry partners, the Australian Library and Information Association and National State Libraries Australasia.

ARC grant for wine research at CSU A new two-year study led by a RIPPLE researcher will aim to change the way the Australian wine industry puts research into practice. The Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Project was announced in July and will receive funding of $191,394. The study, Information seeking and research adoption: Assessing communication strategies will be led by Professor Lisa Given. It is designed to determine the best ways to communicate wine research and to design tools to support the industry in its adoption of research. Professor Given said, “Research into employees' information practices in the workplace has been conducted in other areas such as health care and education but the wine industry's use of information and technology for adoption is unexplored.” “We plan to assess the strategies used to share research with winemakers and grape growers, such as seminars, websites and social media, from information behaviour or web usability perspectives, to ensure industry needs are being met appropriately.” “This project aims to have a direct and immediate impact on the wine industry. In addition to the immediate impact of new research innovations that will be implemented by our partner wine companies, the project will also change industry-wide approaches to extension.” The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015

Partners in the CSU-led project include: the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning; Australian Wine Research Institute; Wine Grape Marketing Board; Wine Australia; Cumulus Estate Wines; Philip Shaw Wines; McWilliam's Wines; Lallemand Australia; Treasury Wine Estates Vintners Ltd; De Bortoli Wines; and Jarrett Agricultural Trust.

“This project aims to have a direct and immediate impact on the wine industry.” The project's Co-Investigator is Professor Alain Deloire, Director of the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre, an alliance between CSU, the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the NSW Wine Industry Association. CSU Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Development and Industry) Dr Mary T. Kelly congratulated Professor Given on securing the ARC funding. “The opportunities provided through this project are at their core based on the sharing of expertise across disciplines and an exemplar of how Charles Sturt University is strongly positioned to engage in research vital to our region and to Australian industry more broadly,” she said. First published on CSU News 08/07/15

“[The] project will help Australian libraries contribute … to national productivity by developing a national database of research evidence and creating a framework to help professionals to make tough decisions.” Studying ‘research’ in Australia’s library and information profession is a three-year ($219,959) project that will help Australian libraries contribute in a more powerful way to national productivity by developing a national database of research evidence and creating a framework to help professionals to make tough decisions.

Information practice in non-profits Professor Lisa Given will commence a two-year project in 2016— Information practice in non-profits: Knowledge management and technology use—funded by the Australian Research Council Discovery scheme ($145,000). Professor Given will lead the project, and will work alongside CoInvestigator A/Professor Dinesh Rathi from the University of Alberta in Canada. The project will study the potential for non-profit organisations to adopt low-cost tools and emerging technologies to share knowledge and support their missions. In an increasingly competitive environment, NPOs must maximise productivity by using low-cost, appropriate technologies, and it is hoped that the study’s results will inform the design of new tools and staff training to support NPOs’ goals. 16

Grant to examine impact of classroom practices on literacy

other teachers and for us to use at Charles Sturt University to support the development of quality teacher education graduates.”

Researchers at CSU have received a national research grant to examine the impact of classroom practices on students' oral language and literacy development.

Dr Edwards-Groves and Dr Davidson will be supported by PhD scholar Brooke Scriven, Mark Diamond, Monica Cheung and Tina Roworth from the Department of Education, and Carey Menz-Dowling from the Catholic Schools Office in Wagga Wagga.

The research team based at RIPPLE in Wagga Wagga has received a $75,000 grant from the Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA) to complete the project, Researching dialogic pedagogies for literacy learning across the primary years. The PETAA Research Grant was awarded for the first time this year to Dr Christine Edwards-Groves and Dr Christina Davidson from CSU's School of Education. Stage one, two and three teachers from New South Wales primary schools will collaborate with the researchers to identify, describe and represent quality teaching of English, oral language and literacy. “The project has the potential to spark a new era in evidence-based practice in Australia by allowing teachers to use their own research to develop practical classroom tools which will directly impact on student's oral language and literacy development,” Dr Edwards-Groves said.

“The project has the potential to spark a new era in evidence-based practice in Australia by allowing teachers to use their own research to develop practical classroom tools which will directly impact on student's oral language and literacy development.” The PETAA Research Grant is offered annually to enable researchers to study the teaching of English in primary classrooms and aims to involve teachers and schools as research partners. For more information visit the PETAA website. First published on CSU News 03/09/15

Project launch

“The explicit and learning-focused teaching practices developed with teachers will improve student literacies by building both students' practical knowledge and high-level communication skills.” The project will involve working closely with 12 teachers from regional and metropolitan NSW schools representing diverse geographical, cultural and socioeconomic settings. “The teachers will work with the research team to achieve two goals,” Dr Davidson said. “Firstly, teachers will develop pedagogies which will support students to develop their oral language through acquiring and communicating knowledge with clarity and a high degree of intellectual focus. Secondly, we will produce digital examples of the pedagogies to share results with The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015

As the inaugural recipients of the grant, Dr Edwards-Groves and Dr Davidson spoke to those present in response to introductory remarks offered by A/Professor Cox and Professor Freebody about the role of such a grant in the advancement of pedagogical change and development in literacy education across Australia.

Christine speaking at the launch

Dr Edwards-Groves provided an overview of the research project, the participants and the expected deliverables in relation to practice development and action research. She spoke of their two days of field work with teacher participants from ten schools from across the Riverina region and in southwest Sydney. Dr Davidson (as past PETAA President) spoke about the role of PETAA in the advancement of literacy education through such initiatives. To conclude, Dr Lambert not only offered congratulations but also spoke about the importance of the project’s potential findings for the successful implementation of the Australian Curriculum.

Evaluation of a program for parents with mental health issues Christine Edwards-Groves, Peter Freebody, Christina Davidson and Robyn Cox

On 28 November, Dr Christine Edwards-Groves and Dr Christina Davidson were invited guests at the official launch of their project in Erskineville, hosted by the Primary English Teaching Association Australia. In attendance were the PETAA Board of Directors; PETAA research mentor Professor Peter Freebody; Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority Manager Dr Phil Lambert; and PETAA President A/Professor Robyn Cox.

RIPPLE researchers Dr Laura McFarland, Dr Amy MacDonald and Dr Angela Fenton have received funding from the Hume Partners in Recovery Innovation Fund. In partnership with Gateway Health, their project will evaluate the impact of a re-designed community parenting program for parents with mental health issues. The parenting program will be strengths-based, person-centred and recoveryfocused. The project will gather program facilitators’ and participants’ perspectives on the new program’s effectiveness, particularly in relation to parenting self-efficacy.

CareWest funding for preschool research

Awards for Research Excellence

RIPPLE has recently received funding from CareWest to conduct a research project to investigate the benefits of preschool education for children's learning, social emotional wellbeing, and school readiness in the year prior to commencing formal schooling. The project will also document and gain insights from educators' practices. Data will be collected from four rural New South Wales preschools that provide services to children from low socioeconomic families and will be undertaken during 2016. The project will be led by RIPPLE Research Fellow Dr Audrey Wang, along with Tamara Cumming, Dr Libbey Murray and Professor Linda Harrison. CSU Honours student Jenny Dwyer has been awarded the inaugural CareWest Honours Scholarship to undertake her Honours project as part of the larger project.

Congratulations to RIPPLEconnected recipients of the 2015 Vice-Chancellor’s and Faculty and Division Awards for Excellence. These awards were established by CSU to acknowledge outstanding contributions to research by individuals and teams. The 2015 awards were presented at ceremonies on the Wagga Wagga and Bathurst campuses during August. Here are a few photos celebrating the RIPPLE researchers and professional staff who received awards for their contribution to research.

ACHIEVEMENTS Principal Fellow award Professor Joy Higgs, our Strategic Research Professor in Professional Practice, has been appointed as Charles Sturt University’s first Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), UK. Principal Fellowships are awarded to highly experienced staff with a sustained and effective record of impact at a strategic level in relation to learning and teaching, within and beyond their institution. The HEA Fellowship is an internationally recognised badge of professional competency for those who teach and support learning in higher education. Professor Higgs received the award for her sustained contributions at a strategic level to the achievement of high quality teaching and learning and academic practice. Her influence has occurred across institutional and (inter)national contexts. She has demonstrated effective implementation of wideranging academic strategic leadership responsibilities, including organisational development, educational policy making, and enhancement of professional education extending beyond her institution. The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015

Lisa Given (second from left) received the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Research Supervision Excellence

Presenting the 2015 Bob Meyenn Public Lecture

Philip Hider (acting Dean of Education), Sharynne McLeod and Bob Meyenn (past Dean of Education)

Professor Sharynne McLeod presented the 2015 Bob Meyenn Public Lecture in Albury on 9 September. “Bob Meyenn was an inspirational and entrepreneurial Dean of the Faculty of Education at Charles Sturt University for many years,” said Professor McLeod on her Speaking My Languages blog. “He was instrumental in allowing my transfer from Albury to Bathurst in 2003, and has supported my work in the Faculty of Education ever since.” “It was a great honour to present this lecture. During the lecture I focused on the competence of children across the world as they learn to communicate. It was wonderful to have many friends, colleagues, and ex-students in the audience.”

Speech Pathology Australia research grant

Graham Daniel (right) received a Faculty of Education Research Excellence Award

The RIPPLE administrative support team received a Faculty of Education Performance Excellence Team Award (L to R: Andrew Stockman, Kim Woodland, Jo-Anne Masters, Vanessa McFarland, Acting Dean of Education Philip Hider)

Congratulations to Sarah Masso, a PhD candidate who was awarded the Higher Degree Research grant from Speech Pathology Australia (worth $5,000). Sarah is supervised by Professor Sharynne McLeod from CSU, Dr Elise Baker from the University of Sydney and Dr Jane McCormack from the University of Sheffield, UK (previously CSU). Sarah’s doctorate investigates how children say long words (known as polysyllables, e.g., ‘elephant’ and ‘hippopotamus’) and whether children’s polysyllable production accuracy provides insight into their emergent literacy skills. She will use the grant to complete a longitudinal analysis of children’s polysyllable productions based on data collected as a part of the Australian Research Council funded Sound Start Study. 18

NEW PUBLICATIONS Introduction to Speech, Language and Literacy

Sharynne McLeod and Jane McCormack have released an edited book, Introduction to Speech, Language and Literacy, published by Oxford University Press. The book contains chapters written by a number of Charles Sturt University and RIPPLE researchers: Noella Mackenzie, Sarah McDonagh, Catherine Easton and Sarah Masso.

The book is written for Australian and New Zealand students and professionals in education, speech pathology and linguistics, fields with a strong focus on communication. It provides readers with a theoretical understanding of speech, language and literacy acquisition, and the ability to apply this understanding to individuals of different ages and developmental stages, including those who are developing typically and those with speech, language and literacy difficulties (e.g., as a result of structural or functional impairments such as hearing loss, social–pragmatic difficulties such as autism, or acquired conditions such as aphasia after a stroke). Throughout, Indigenous people and languages of Australia and New Zealand are included, as well as people from other cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015

100 Questions (and Answers) About Qualitative Research

Lisa Given officially launched her new book, 100 Questions (and Answers) About Qualitative Research (Sage Publications), on 25 August at the CSU Wagga Wagga campus during a Higher Degree by Research forum for Arts and Education candidates.

As well as a handy reference for those who may need a refresher on specific areas in qualitative research, the book is also a great resource for those who are entirely new to qualitative research practice and need quick answers to questions that may arise when they are taking other courses and need a little more background. It is intended for graduate students preparing for comprehensive exams, researchers who need a quick reference guide, undergraduates in affiliated programs who will not be taking a primary course in qualitative research methods, practitioners (such as teachers, nurses or librarians) engaged in research, or anyone curious about how qualitative research approaches can be used most effectively.

Supporting refugee students at university

RIPPLE Adjunct Jane Wilkinson, along with CSU colleagues Jae Major and Kip Langat, and former Head of the School of Teacher Education Ninetta Santoro have completed a research project— funded by the Office for Learning and Teaching—examining the resources and practices that are most effective in facilitating refugee students’ educational success in rural and regional settings.

Despite sharing similar aspirations to receive a university education with mainstream society, many refugee students fail to make that transition. The project described pathways that enable the successful transition of students from refugee backgrounds from secondary school into tertiary study. It also investigated what successful university-school collaborations might look like and established how universities can work with schools to facilitate tertiary pathways for students from this distinct, low socioeconomic group. The study findings are published in a report, Supporting School-University Pathways for Refugee Students’ Access and Participation in Tertiary Education, which is available on the RIPPLE website as both a Case Study Report and an Implementation Guide for Universities. 19

The RIPPLE Effect is the biannual newsletter of the Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education. It is published in June and December. The newsletter is also available to read online (with active links) at www.csu.edu.au/research/ripple/news To subscribe or unsubscribe please contact ripple@csu.edu.au

Editor: Kim Woodland Printer: CSU Print

About Us The Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education is a research institute that addresses education-related problems, frequently from transdisciplinary perspectives. It conducts highquality applied research into, and consultation about, professional practice, learning and education.

Contact RIPPLE RIPPLE Charles Sturt University Locked Bag 588 Boorooma Street Wagga Wagga NSW 2678 Australia Tel: +61 2 6933 2966 Fax: +61 2 6933 2962 Email: ripple@csu.edu.au www.csu.edu.au/research/ripple Follow RIPPLE on Twitter

The RIPPLE Effect: December 2015