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This is a support document to the "Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) 2009 Cohort User Guide" report. Developed for users of LSAY, the user guide consolidates information about the LSAY 2009 cohort into one document. This support document provides post-school information for the guide. [For the main report, "Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) 2009 Cohort User Guide. Technical Paper 74," see (ED536971). For other support documents, see "Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) 2009 Cohort User Guide: Data Elements A--Demographics. Technical Paper 74A" (ED536979); "Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) 2009 Cohort User Guide: Data Elements B1--Education (School and School Transition). Technical Paper 74B1" (ED536973); "Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) 2009 Cohort User Guide: Data Elements C--Employment. Technical Paper 74C" (ED536974); and "Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) 2009 Cohort User Guide: Data Elements D--Social. Technical Paper 74D" (ED536972).]

The Student Outcomes Survey is an annual national survey of vocational education and training (VET) students. Since 1995, participants have been asked to rate their satisfaction with different aspects of their training, grouped under three main themes: teaching, assessment, and generic skills and learning experiences. While the composition of the bank of satisfaction questions has remained fairly constant over time and the suitability of the three overarching satisfaction categories has been validated statistically on several occasions, little progress has been made on creating summary measures that encapsulate the three main themes of student satisfaction. Such summary measures would be much more useful to researchers than responses to the bank of 19 satisfaction questions, which are very detailed. This paper compares three methods of creating a composite score and evaluates their statistical veracity. These methods are Rasch analysis, weighted means and simple means. This report finds that all three methods yield similar results and so recommends using the simple means method to create the summary measures. (Contains 7 tables, 2 figures and 2 footnotes.) [Funding for this paper was provided through the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education.]

There are many factors which might cause a student to drop out of a course of study; some of these are preventable. This paper describes the piloting of a survey tool designed to identify students at risk of not completing. Attendance was found to be the strongest predictor of module completion; low or declining scores on the survey were also predictive of students dropping out. The research for this paper was undertaken by a novice researcher in the Community of Practice Scholarship Program, which is funded through National Centre for Vocational Education Research's (NCVER's) Building Researcher Capacity initiative. Appended are: (1) Defining completion; (2) Surveys; (3) Comments from student surveys; and (4) Correlation values--survey scores (all measures). (Contains 5 tables, 7 figures, and 6 footnotes.)

A survey was conducted through the School of External Studies and Continuing Education at the University of Queensland in 1985 to ascertain the extent of foreign language teaching at a distance in Australian higher education institutions, and to seek information on a wide range of services and facilities provided to students. Of the 868 students surveyed, 358 (41%) responded to questions presented under the headings of General Information, Student Characteristics, Course Information, Seminar/Tutorial Attendance, Library Facilities, Study Centers, Assignments, Method of Assessment, Teaching, Objectives, and Assessment of Courses and Comments. Students were invited to comment on any aspect of their courses and to express their opinion on the efficacy of teaching languages at a distance. Data on programs in 14 languages at six universities and the students enrolled in them are presented in 27 tables with a minimum of interpretative comment. (DB)

The Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) program studies the progress of several groups of young Australians as they move from school into post-secondary education and work. This technical paper contains the frequency tables for the LSAY 2003 cohort Wave 7 (2009) data set. [For the related questionnaire, see ED512164.]

This technical paper contains information about the variables in the LSAY (Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth) Y95 cohort data set. It groups each variable into data elements which identifies common variables within and across waves. Information is provided about each data element including its purpose, values, base populations and relevant. [For the main report, "Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY): 1995 Cohort--User Guide. Data Elements A: Demographics. Technical Report 49A," see ED536756. For related reports, see "Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY): 1995 Cohort--User Guide. Data Elements B2: Education. Technical Report 49B2" (ED536759); "Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY): 1995 Cohort--User Guide. Data Elements C: Employment. Technical Report 49C" (ED536762); and "Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY): 1995 Cohort--User Guide. Data Elements D: Social. Technical Report 49D" (ED536760).]

In this paper, findings from two new instruments measuring the extent to which mathematics is stereotyped as a gendered domain are reported. The instruments were administered to Australian secondary students (grades 7-10) and to pre-service teachers. Comparisons were made with data from similar American samples of students and pre-service teachers who completed the same instruments. The Australian results revealed that students' beliefs about mathematics as a male domain were inconsistent with previous findings in the field; the pre-service teachers' views of the students' beliefs were more in-line with earlier research. There was remarkable similarity in the patterns of the results from Australia and the USA. (Author)

To collect data about the first-year university experiences of rural students, 15 students were drawn from a pool of 125 Riverina (Australia) students who had participated in an earlier study on factors that influence academic persistence. The sample consisted of approximately equal numbers of males and females, about equal proportions of students residing on and off campus, and a representative mix of Australian universities. Each student was interviewed for 30 minutes and was asked 16 questions concerning perceived successes and failures encountered during the first year of university study. Among the challenges faced by first-year rural students were developing new friendships, forging an independent identity, a lack of direction from others, an intimidating large campus environment, financial pressures, and homesickness. Successful strategies for meeting these challenges included quickly initiating close friendships, residing on campus, maintaining motivation, using orientation week to full advantage, retaining contact with high school friends attending the same university, being willing to leave home setting, participating in rural student awareness programs, and deferring studies temporarily. Advice for potential university students includes being outgoing, residing on campus, being strongly committed to one's goals, being prepared to leave family and friends or staying close to home, and realizing that other students are experiencing similar difficulties. Implications for administrators and academics are discussed. Questions and responses are presented in 13 tables. (TD)

Noting that each individual chooses his own way of making sense, this collection of essays by Australian educators focuses on helping adult learners in literacy programs increase their self-confidence. The essays share a common idea--that the most significant points of departure for learning are students' own messages--their past experiences, present capacities, and views of the world. Following an introduction by the editor, the articles and their authors are as follows: (1) "Doing It Outselves" (Patricia Murphy); (2) "Composing Meaning or 'Football Ain't Just Football'" (Margie Leys); (3) "Aborigines in Gaol" (Ralph Foulds); (4) "Reading Inside" (Roslin Brennan); (5) "Reading: The Role of the Trade Teacher" (Robert Mealyea); (6) "'Teach Me To Spell': A Dilemma" (Pamela Osmond); and (7) "Fear, Resistance and Change in Adult Literacy Learners" (Audrey Grant). (ARH)