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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways that history curriculum has worked to legitimise dispossession through narratives that elide questions of Indigenous sovereignty, and which construct and consolidate white settler identity and possession. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses two case studies to compare history education documentation and materials at key moments where dominant narratives of settler legitimacy were challenged in public discourse: (1) the post-war humanitarian agenda of fostering "international understanding" and; (2) the release and educational recommendations of the 1997 Bringing them Home Report. Findings: The paper shows that in two moments where narratives of settler legitimacy were challenged in public discourse, the legitimacy of settler possession was reiterated in history curricula in various ways. Practical implications: This research suggests that the prevailing constructivist framework for history education has not sufficiently challenged criticisms of the representation of Aboriginal history and the history of settler-colonialism in the history syllabus. Originality/value: The paper introduces two case studies of history curriculum and shows how, in different but resonant ways, curricular reforms worked to bolster the liberal credentials of the settler state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the extent to which universities’ strategic plans affect the level of incorporation of sustainability within the curriculum design and property portfolio.Design/methodology/approach This research adopted a case study approach. The case study institution was Deakin University in Australia. This paper used a qualitative research method. Desk-top study included the review of the University’s Strategic Plan, policy agenda on sustainability and the documents on sustainability courses and units. Semi-structured interviews were held with academics who have course development and management responsibility within the university, colleagues who have a sustainability-focused role on estate management and colleagues whose roles are to manage sustainability initiatives at the institution level. All interviews were recorded and transcribed. Content analysis was used to analyse the interview data.Findings Despite the University having clear strategic aims and initiatives on the incorporation of sustainability within the curriculum design and property portfolio, there is disconnection between policy development and policy implementation. As a result, the incorporation of sustainability varies largely between curricula within the institution. The incorporation of sustainability within the property portfolio is clear and effective. However, within the curriculum, it is polarised. The level of incorporation depends on the nature of the course or unit and is largely driven by the initiatives of the individual academic. Good practice identified in the incorporation of sustainability within the curriculum is to use a problem-based approach supported by real life projects to enhance the students’ authentic learning experience. A good practice for successfully incorporating sustainability into the property portfolio is to have clear vision of what it has planned to achieve and to ensure that there is a balance between sustainability and value for money.Originality/value This is pioneering research to investigate the incorporation of sustainability into higher education in a more comprehensive way. This paper considered the impact of strategic planning on the incorporation of sustainability within a higher education, on both curriculum design and property portfolio management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper was originally presented as a keynote presentation to the annual conference of the ANZHES whose theme was “knowledge skills and expertise”. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on history as a field of study in the context of changing conditions and new debates about knowledge in the twenty-first century.Design/methodology/approach The paper reviews three important lines of sociological argument about changed conditions for knowledge: the case to “bring knowledge back in” to school curriculum; the contention that knowledge in universities is moving from “mode 1” to “mode 2” forms; and arguments about testing and audit culture effects on the practices of universities and schools. It then draws on interviews with historians and history teachers to show how they think about the form of their field, its value, and the impact of the changing conditions signalled in those arguments.Findings The paper argues that some features of the discipline which have been important to history continue to be apparent but are under challenge in the conditions of education institutions today and that there is a disjunction between teachers’ views of the value of history and those evident in the public political arena.Research limitations/implications The paper draws on a major Australia Research Council funded study of “knowledge building across schooling and higher education” which focusses on issues of disciplinarity and the fields of physics and history.Originality/value The paper is intended as a new reflection on the field of value to those working as historians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an analytical overview of the current state of entrepreneurship education (EE) in Australia; placing emphasis on programs, curricula and entrepreneurship ecosystems. Design/methodology/approach – The authors performed a contextual review of the literature by delineating entrepreneurship education programs, the entrepreneurial ecosystem and EE learning and teaching. The review was enhanced by a systematic collection of data from higher education institutions web sites, depicting the prevailing situation of entrepreneurship programs, courses, subjects and their ecosystems. Findings – A number of interesting findings emerged from this study. From a curricular perspective, Australian universities offer 584 subjects related to entrepreneurship. This includes dominance at undergraduate level, representing 24 minors/majors and specializations in entrepreneurship. In total, 135 entrepreneurship ecosystems were identified. Research limitations/implications – This paper presents findings from university web sites and as such requires introspection to validate individual university offerings. Practical implications – The study provides the status of EE in Australia, and may guide academic and policy decision makers to further develop entrepreneurship initiatives. Originality/value – This paper provides the first analytical overview of EE in Australia and paves the way for further evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to examine an experimental neo-Herbartian and Frobelian curriculum Work in the kindergarten: An Australian programme based on the life and customs of the Australian Black published by Martha Simpson in 1909. Design/methodology/approach -- The paper uses both primary and secondary sources to understand the context of production and reception of the settler narratives advocated for use in the curriculum. Simpson's curriculum and other primary literary texts provide case study examples. Findings -- The research found that colonial and imperial literary texts provided a departure point for learning activities, enabling the positive construction of white Australian identity and the supplantation of Aboriginal people in a post-federation kindergarten setting. Originality/value -- By considering the role of imperial and colonial narratives in post-federation experimental curriculum, this paper offers insight into the role such narratives played in the formation of Australian national identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; The purpose of this study is to identify student and staff experiences with online learning at higher education (HE) using the software Elluminate Live! Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; This paper adopts a qualitative approach, focusing on the reflections of participants (student and teacher) collated over a 12 month period of piloting online classes with Elluminate Live! Findings |!|#8211; A number of insightful themes and issues emerged from the data collected from the journal reflections as well as other source documents such as meetings and emails. The themes considered in the paper include: increased flexibility and cost reductions, technical challenges, resistance to online learning, extension of online facilities and student engagement, and visual literacy skills. Research limitations/implications |!|#8211; The school|!|#39;s virtual classroom strategies need to address staff and student concerns. Staff training and the establishment of effective support structures for embedding safe, secure, and rewarding virtual classrooms are required. Once these issues have been addressed, online classes can be expanded across numerous discipline areas within the school. Originality/value |!|#8211; Currently, Australian scholarly papers focussing on the use of Elluminate Live! as a teaching tool to help develop curriculum at tertiary level are scarce. The significance of this study is to share the important knowledge garnered through reflective insights (via feedback and journal writing) which can act as a guide to other higher education universities looking at undertaking online learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of development and the pilot implementation of a preventive life skills curriculum for Indigenous middle school students in a very remote community college in the West Arnhem region of North Australia. The curriculum integrates proven educational and psychological techniques with culturally informed notions of relatedness and was developed as a contribution to efforts to prevent alarming rates of suicide among remote Indigenous youth. In this paper, the term, Indigenous refers to Australians of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. Design/methodology/approach – Based on reviews of research literature on school-based suicide prevention and social and emotional learning in both general and Indigenous populations, and following detailed community consultations, a 12 week curriculum was drafted and implemented in two middle school classes (combined years 7-9). Lessons were videotaped and later analyzed and detailed commentary was sought from participating school staff. Findings – The pilot program has yielded important insights into requirements of a curriculum for young people with low English literacy levels and with variable school attendance patterns. It confirmed the need to adjust both pedagogical approach and curriculum content for the program to have resonance with students from this linguistic and cultural background and with varying levels of exposure to multiple stressors in disadvantaged community settings. Practical implications – The project has identified and resolved key questions for sustainable implementation of a preventive curriculum in challenging community circumstances. Originality/value – There are to date no examples of the systematic adaptation and design of a universal preventive intervention specifically for remote Australian Indigenous youth. The project is the first step toward the formal evaluation of the efficacy of a classroom-based approach to suicide prevention in remote community schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; Career programmes within secondary school curriculum can impact on a young person|!|#39;s sense of direction and meaning in life. The purpose of this paper is to report on an evaluation that was conducted in 2009 of the careers programmes in one secondary college in the western suburbs of Melbourne. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; The research team utilised a multi-method approach collecting 273 surveys and undertaking both focus groups and interviews, ensuring the voices of young people were at the centre of the work. Findings |!|#8211; Innovative careers and transition programmes create opportunities for young people to plan for their future. Similarly the absence of established careers programmes can compound the disadvantage that some students experience. The findings evidence how important it is for schools to support inclusive classrooms that enable young people to make informed decisions about their career pathways. Research limitations/implications |!|#8211; The research findings were used to form a model of good practice and highlight the transformational impact of career and transition programmes for young people. The current research explores student knowledge, confidence, attitudes and perceptions while they are still at school. A longitudinal study, tracking these same young people as they progress to tertiary education and/or employment, would enable more definitive evidence on actual transitions and the actual outcomes experienced by young people. Originality/value |!|#8211; This paper is of value to the education sector as it looks to respond to the need to develop a more seamless approach to young people making successful transitions to further education and/or employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the focus and practice of Adult and Community Education (ACE) as well as its conceptualization and delivery and to suggest parameters for an approach based on excellence, a balanced scorecard and performance to meet community needs. Design/methodology/approach – The review examines key aspects of the field of ACE and its strategic shaping, especially towards professionalization and a masculine-oriented approach portrayed through Australian tertiary ACE courses. Findings – A new understanding emerged that sees the practice of ACE in tertiary institutions already leading to the professionalization of work roles such as community educators, developers and counsellors. Through universities, ACE has embraced developments in information and communication technology and new productivity agendas without losing its caring approach. A proposed framework suggests that it is time for ACE to be transformed in the modern era, to become more systematized, to collaborate more deeply with universities and to strengthen its ability to balance a nurturing focus with a stronger masculine strategic approach. Originality/value – A new ACE game of hitting winners is being played by Australian universities engaged in the professionalization of ACE through their accredited programmes. These tertiary strategies are fusing the feminine aspects of ACE such as social connectedness and caring with the masculine characteristics of performativity, strategic policy agendas, standards and scientific approaches to quality. ACE should be fully reviewed, improved and integrated better with the new higher education performance approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – With large numbers of overseas students enrolled in university accounting courses in Australia, there is a growing trend in the postgraduate accounting courses to approach the problem of language and communication difficulties by offering discipline-specific language training through an embedded curriculum approach in collaboration with English language specialists. This raises a general question about the nature of evidence required to demonstrate that students' professional language skills have been enhanced by these interdisciplinary programs. The paper aims to address the basic question: what evidence is available about the effectiveness of programs that align English language with disciplinary teaching? Design/methodology/approach – The purpose of the paper is to review existing research to discover the nature of evidence that is available to address the effectiveness of programs that align English language with disciplinary teaching. Findings – In the area of accounting research, it is very difficult to unbundle the effects of improvement in communication skills from improved understanding of discipline content. Research limitations/implications – At a subject level, language interventions could pay more attention to the attributes of "good" evidence, while at a program level a suite of data sources may support a persuasive argument for improvement in students' communication skills. Practical implications – If associations between integration and language improvement can be established through quantitative and qualitative research methods and reliable evidence for this can be presented to educational policy makers, then interdisciplinary approaches may be seen as valid alternatives to the more readily available (and cheaper) "bolt-on programs" at university-wide levels, where language support is given separately from discipline content. Originality/value – The research addressed the question of whether there is evidence of the effectiveness of initiatives that align English language with disciplinary teaching in accounting. The answer is "yes". It was gathered from a variety of research methods including experimentation, use of available data, diagnostic tests and self reporting by students and staff. What is apparent from the collected evidence is the effectiveness of interdisciplinary approaches that integrate language support and accounting content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a review paper which aims to establish research-based arguments on the development of a national curriculum in Australia. It stresses the importance of stakeholders in considering certain aspects of the educational change including nature, purpose, values and implications, along with the role of politics and leadership to the national curriculum innovation. It asserts that community ownership of the process can be strongly attributed to genuine involvement of teachers and the collaborative participation among educational and political leaders.

Purpose |!|#8211; The need for |!|#34;job-ready|!|#34; graduates has catalysed the development of non-technical skills in higher education institutions worldwide. Continued criticism of business school outcomes has provoked this examination of non-technical skill deficiencies in Australian business graduates. The purpose of this paper is to compare findings with existing literature on skill gaps in other developed, culturally-similar economies, underscore the generality of identified problems, and highlight to stakeholders in undergraduate education those areas requiring curricula review. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; In total, 211 managers/supervisors of business graduates and 156 business academics assessed the typical performance levels of Australian business graduates against a comprehensive framework of 20 skills and 45 associated workplace behaviours. Ratings were examined within and across the two samples and variations analysed by work area, business activity and business discipline. Findings |!|#8211; Some differences were detected between academic and employer skill ratings of certain workplace behaviours. Respondents agreed that although graduates are confident and proficient in certain non-technical skills, they are deficient in vital elements of the managerial skill set. There were differences in employer ratings across certain business activities and work areas but none detected in academic ratings from different business disciplines. Originality/value |!|#8211; Findings broadly align with literature from previous studies, highlighting the generality of presented skill deficiencies. The study suggests that although business schools are producing well-rounded graduates, they are overlooking the development of certain non-technical skills deemed essential in managers. This urges curricula reform and raises questions on who is responsible for developing work readiness in graduates. The implications of differing perceptions of graduate performance are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, technical colleges in Australia have monopolised the delivery of vocational education and training. Industry exerted little influence over curriculum content and design and had to accept whatever colleges offered them in terms of skilled staff. Starting in the 1980s, a deregulated training market and increasingly intense competition have compelled technical colleges to "corporatize" their services to retain business. Colleges now listen closely to industry and attempt to provide what industry demands in terms of skilled people through a range of consultative partnerships. These partnerships have led to some exciting and innovative changes to the structure and delivery of vocational training programs. Companies that have proactively worked with colleges have enhanced learning opportunities for their staff and increased organizational competitiveness. This paper outlines some significant benefits realized by one company through its business partnerships with technical colleges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]