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There is a paucity of research in Australia about educators' use of differentiated instruction (DI) to support the learning of students with ADHD. This study reports on a small-scale, qualitative research using interviews with teachers and school leaders to identify how they use DI as an effective teaching instruction for students with ADHD. Findings showed that teachers and school leaders have a good understanding of ADHD, teachers use DI as an effective teaching practice to enhance learning for this student group and ensure the classroom environment is safe and secure. However, they do not adjust assessments for students with ADHD. School leaders are not clear how teachers differentiate assessments or adapt the classroom environment. These results highlight the need for further research at the teacher and teacher educator level teachers to ensure teaching practices are effective in reducing unwanted behaviours that prevent students with ADHD achieving to their full academic potential.

This study is the second in a planned series of qualitative inquiries to investigate how some Australian educators use differentiated instruction (DI) in a secondary school setting. A small-scale study was conducted using individual, semi-structured interviews with seven teachers and two school leaders via Teams, a video conferencing platform. Using thematic analysis, two major themes were identified in the data, namely: perceptions of DI and key guiding DI principles. Results indicated that teachers and school leaders have a good understanding of differentiation and are responsive to the needs of the diversity of student abilities in this educational setting. This includes pedagogies such as designing learning activities to maximise educative opportunities for all students, pre-planning lessons and collecting student data to inform teachers' understanding and capacity to plan for student readiness differences, using scaffolded formative and summative assessment, arranging flexible learning groups, and employing adaptable teaching processes that support all learners. The findings are a starting point to further explore and expand on how Australian educators use DI strategies and approaches in their mainstream schools.

Over recent decades, teacher aides (TAs) have had an increasing presence in mainstream classrooms internationally, providing vital support to students and teachers on a daily basis. Although the evolution of the role has given rise to many implicit and explicit shifts in TAs' responsibilities, opportunities for TAs to develop and shape their own identities within school contexts remain limited. Set in Australia, our study responds to calls for TAs to be afforded 'a voice' to contribute to the improvement of the teaching pedagogy used in their schools. We sought to investigate TAs' perspectives on their school's pedagogical framework, based on the TAs' lived experiences of carrying out their roles in the classroom. A total of 23 TAs from a primary school in Queensland completed an online survey, which included questions that invited the TAs' views on the main approaches and strategies embedded in the school's pedagogical framework, and their reflections about the strengths and challenges of using it. Descriptive statistics were produced from the survey data and open responses were analysed qualitatively. The analysis suggested that the TAs felt they had good knowledge and understanding of the teaching pedagogy and were confident and supportive of its use in the school. Participants cited student self-confidence in their learning, and improved academic results for children with diverse learning needs and those working beyond year-level expectations, as key strengths of the pedagogy. However, time constraints and student behaviour were seen as challenges to the success of the teaching pedagogy. Whilst these findings are focused on one school, understanding TAs' perspectives on their school's teaching pedagogy as they go about their classroom work offers a starting point for further study into an important but insufficiently explored area of research. It highlights the need for TAs to be included as valued partners in their schools' pedagogical journeys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partnerships with local public sector agencies, enterprises and tertiary institutions offer a means to inform young people about post-school pathways into working life and occupations that schools alone cannot achieve. Informing about those pathways is an important, yet, complex educational goal for schooling. This is because much of schooling effort privileges and is directed towards higher education entry. Often advice provided to young people through schools is by teachers and administrators who are, understandably, unacquainted with the range of post-school pathways other than higher education. School guidance officers report being ill-equipped and unable to provide students personalised advice. Consequently, sources of advice and experiences beyond the school are now being utilised, particularly through the growing role of partnerships. These partnerships take diverse forms and comprise different kinds of institutional alignments and are increasingly being viewed as essential bases for supporting effective and informed post-school transitions. This article presents and discusses a review of literature and a recent investigation to advance principles and practices of how such partnerships can be best initiated, enacted, and sustained over time and they can meet the goals of informing and guiding young people's pathways, including options other than progression to higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3-DIMENSIONAL ANATOMICAL SOFTWARE IN TEACHING GROSS ANATOMY FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS Courtney B. Langston, Nic Pierce, Eldridge Johnson, Paul Madubuonwu, Andrea Elberger, Kathy Gibbs, and Becky Saulters, The University of [...]