Chapter 1
Annotated weblinks
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)
ACARA is the Australian Commonwealth authority responsible for developing and guiding the new Australian curriculum for all school children and young people. All Australian teachers should be familiar with the contents of this website, the responsibilities of the authority, and the current state of the national curriculum in their educational jurisdiction. This website provides access to ACARA matters around curriculum and assessment, including the National Assessment Program (and NAPLAN).
Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
This is the website portal for the federal government’seducation department including the early childhood, schooling and higher education portfolios.
Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians
The ‘Melbourne Declaration’ is the key point of reference for Australian educators and community members about the aims, nature of and principles underpinning the new national agenda for school education for all Australian children and young people.
New Zealand Ministry of Education
This is the central website portal to the NZ Ministry of Education, the governing body for educational school services in New Zealand. The Ministry of Education is the government's lead advisor on the New Zealand education system, shaping direction for sector agencies and providers.
Further readings
Colvin, G. (2009). Managing noncompliance and defiance in the classroom, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, Sage. [In this first chapter we introduced the Lyford model; which provides a ‘big picture’ of classroom management. Colvin’s (American) text takes you beyond this foundation to the very challenging behaviours of non-compliance and defiance. Colvin discusses the importance of understanding these behaviours in terms of their immediate triggers, their likely settings and the effects they have on teaching and learning.]
Killen, R. (2007). Effective teaching strategies: Lessons from research and practice (4th ed.). Melbourne, VIC: Social Science Press. [Killen’s (Australian) textbook describes common teaching strategies used by teachers in all instructional settings. It is useful as a theoretical reference text for pre-service teachers and as a reference source for early career teachers. Killen examines direct instruction, discussion, small-group work, cooperative learning, problemsolving, student research, role play and student writing, as well as broader topics such as reflective practice, outcomes-based education, bullying and ethical relationships between teachers and students.]
Ladwig, J.G. (2009). ‘Working backwards towards curriculum: On the curricular implications of quality teaching’,Curriculum Journal, 20(3): 271–86. DOI: [Ladwig’s journal article presents a summary of the NSW DEC Quality Teaching model and questions what implications for curriculum underpin the push for improving teaching. Ladwig’s position is that many long-standing curricular debates need to be recast if the ideals of Quality Teaching are to be taken seriously. Coming from a context where curriculum is designed and governed centrally, in very conventional terms, the curriculum implications of Quality Teaching raise a big challenge for international understandings of just what is included in school curricula.]
Manning, M. L., & Bucher, K. T. (2013).Classroom management: Models, applications and cases (3rd ed.). Melbourne: Pearson Australia. [This models-based classroom management text (for preschool, primary and secondary contexts) provides additional detailed background on pertinent research, theory and application, ultimately leading to the creation of a personal classroom management philosophy and program. This text examines the major models of classroom management to help readers build a foundation in current approaches to this essential aspect of teaching. Manning and Bucher also provide a detailed and thorough discussion of diversity, include current content on the ‘safe school movement’, along with coverage of bullying and violence prevention.]
McLeod, J., & Yates, L. (2006).Making modern lives: Subjectivity, schooling and social change. New York: State University of New York Press. [McLeod and Yates provide a research-informed explanation about how young people shape their lives as they move through their secondary school years and into the adult world. Informed by many interviews with young Australians from diverse backgrounds, it explores how they develop their dispositions, attitudes, identities, and orientations. The book reveals the effects of schooling and of local school cultures on young people’s choices, future plans, political values, friendships, and attitudes toward school, work, and sense of self. A major contribution of the book is to deliver a detailed understanding on how the culture of school can impact on the worldview and outcomes of high school students.]
Porter, L. (2007). Student behaviour: Theory and practice for teachers (3rd ed.). Crows Nest, NSW Australia: Allen & Unwin. [Chapter 1 of Porter’s comprehensive (Australian) text provides a solid introduction to the nature and place of theories and models of classroom discipline, particularly with respect to their influences on disciplinary practices in classroom and schools.]