About the Authors
Dr. Rod Chadbourne taught secondary school English in Australia , New Zealand , Britain , and Canada for eight years before taking a teacher education post at Edith Cowan University in Joondalup , Australia in 1973. His current research interests include the philosophy of middle schooling, and strategies for raising the standard and status of teaching as a profession.
Patricia Kershaw has taught in primary and secondary schools in Western Australia . She currently holds a teacher education position at Edith Cowan University , and is completing post-graduate study in education.
Dr Bill Leadbetter taught secondary school history, ancient history, and religious studies. An historian and lecturer in education at Edith Cowan University , he is the author of a number of works relating to the ancient world and an active scholar in a number of areas.
Rick McMahon has been working in education for 13 years. He has worked in rural and metropolitan schools as a teacher, youth education officer, deputy principal, and learning team co-ordinator. His current position is Learning Team Leader (Society & Environment) in a large metropolitan middle school. He is also completing post-graduate study in education.
Send correspondence to:
Patricia Kershaw
Lecturer
School of Education
Edith Cowan University
100 Joondalup Drive
Joondalup WA 6027
Australia
Email: p.kershaw@ecu.edu.au
Phone: +61 8 6304 5978
Fax: +61 8 6304 5850
References
Associated Press. (2005, April 16). Textbooks or Internet? Lawmakers must decide. Chron.com . Retrieved June 7, 2005 , from http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3137992
Beane, J. (1999, March). Middle schools under siege: Points of attack. Middle School Journal, 30 (4), 3-9.
Chadbourne, R. (2001, October). Middle schooling for the middle years: What might the jury be considering . Retrieved June 24 2003 , from the Australian Education Union Web site: http://www.aeufeder a l.or g . au/Publications/Middleschooling.pdf
Chadbourne, R. (2003). Middle schooling and academic rigour. International Journal of Learning, 10, 541-550.
Curriculum Council. (2005). Curriculum framework progress maps – Society & environment. Osborne Park , Western Australia : Curriculum Council.
Daniels, H., Bizar, M, & Zemelman, S. (2001). Rethinking high school: Best practice in teaching, learning, and leadership. Portsmouth , NH : Heineman.
Denzin, N. & Lincoln, Y. (2003). The landscape of qualitative research: Theories and issues. Thousand Oaks , CA : Sage.
Doda, N. & Thompson, C. (2002). Transforming ourselves, transforming schools: Middle school change. Westerville , OH : National Middle School Association.
Gordon, R. & Elovitz, L. (2002, May). Exploring career options: The counselor's role. Principal Leadership (Middle School Ed.), 2 (9), 30-33.
Herszenhorn, D. M. (2004, March 3). City plans to eliminate most middle schools. New York Times , p. A1.
Jackson, A. & Davis, G. (2000). Turning points 2000: Educating adolescents in the 21 st century . New York : Teachers College Press.
Krause, K-L., Bochner, S., & Duchesne, S. (2003). Educational psychology for learning and teaching. Southbank, VIC: Nelson , Australia .
Lingard, B., Ladwig, J., Mills, M., Bahr, M. & Chant, D. (2001). School reform longitudinal study: Final report.1 . Brisbane : School of Education , University of Queensland .
Luke, A. (2003). Beyond the middle: A report about literacy and numeracy development of target group students in the middle years of schooling, prepared for the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training, Canberra, ACT. http:// www.gu.edu.au/school/cls/clearinghouse .
Maycut, P. & Morehouse, R. (1994). Beginning qualitative research . London : Falmer Press.
McEwin, C., Dickinson, T., & Jenkins, D. (2003). America 's middle schools in the new century: Status and progress . Westerville , Ohio : National Middle School Association.
McEwin, C., Dickinson, T. & Jenkins, D. (1996). America 's middle schools: Practices and progress – a 25 year perspective . Columbus , OH : National Middle School Association.
Newman, F. & Associates (1996). Authentic achievement: Restructuring schools for intellectual quality . San Francisco : Jossey-Bass.
Norton, J. (2003). Important developments in middle grades reform. Retrieved June 24, 2005 , from http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/klew0006.htm .
Pendergast, D. & Bahr, N. (2005). Teaching middle years: Rethinking curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. Crows Nest NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Pohl, M. (2002). Infusing thinking into the middle years . Cheltenham : Hawker Brownlow Education.
Raebeck, B. (1998). Transforming middle schools . Lancaster, PN: Technomic.
Zemelman, S., Daniels, H., & Hyde, A. (1998). Best practice: New standards for teaching and learning in America 's schools. Portsmouth , NH : Heinemann.
Appendix 1 – Curriculum Framework Progress Maps, Curriculum Council, Western Australia
| Society and Environment > Investigation, Communication and Participation |
Investigation, Communication
and Participation
Students investigate the ways people interact with each other and with their environments in order to make informed decisions and implement relevant social action. |
FOUNDATION |
LEVEL 1 |
LEVEL 2 |
LEVEL 3 |
ICP F
The student:
Displays an interest in and contributes to investigations; and responds to and uses information from an investigation. |
ICP 1
The student:
Contributes ideas and identifies relevant information in investigations; and sorts information into a form that enables presentation of a personal view of findings. |
ICP 2
The student:
When given a focus question, can identify aspects to be considered and use simple data-gathering techniques to collect information; and can select and compare relevant, literal, factual information in presenting findings and comparing own interpretation with those of others. |
ICP 3
The student:
Plans an investigation by devising questions, identifying and using information from more than one source; and makes inferences from the information collected in order to justify personal decisions . |
| Planning |
Students plan ways to organise and gather information |
ICP F.1
Displays interest in people and the environment. |
ICP 1.1
Contributes relevant ideas and suggestions from direct experience or from a stimulus provided. |
ICP 2.1
Given a focus question, identifies some of the factors to be considered in a familiar social/ environmental context. |
ICP 3.1
With guidance, plans an investigation for a topic, by devising questions, identifying possible sources of information and making simple predictions based on personal experiences. |
| Conducting |
Students conduct investigations by collecting and organising information while sources of information are located and evaluated. |
ICP F.2
Contributes to investigations. |
ICP 1.2
Assembles, collects and identifies relevant information in activities. |
ICP 2.2
Uses a range of social science techniques to make literal, factual observations and limited records of the data collected. |
ICP 3.2
Gathers information from more than one source and records useful information using a variety of techniques. |
| Processing and translating |
Students process and translate information to make findings/judgements. |
ICP F.3
Responds to information from the investigation in practical ways. |
ICP 1.3
Sorts information into simple categories and talks about ways of organising information. |
ICP 2.3
Selects, categorises and compares relevant information. |
ICP 3.3
Recognises key ideas and patterns, discards irrelevant information and transforms information into structured forms for display. |
| Applying and communicating findings |
Students reflect on, apply and communicate findings to purpose/audience. |
ICP F.4
Uses information from the investigation in practical ways. |
ICP 1.4
Expresses a personal view of the information when communicating findings. |
ICP 2.4
Presents findings and makes comparisons between own interpretation and those of others when communicating findings. |
ICP 3.4
Justifies decisions from a personal perspective using some evidence and begins to review original understandings when communicating findings. |
LEVEL 4 |
LEVEL 5 |
LEVEL 6 |
LEVEL 7 |
LEVEL 8 |
ICP 4
The student:
Identifies appropriate sources and datagathering techniques for an investigation; records information from these sources accurately; considers various perspectives and begins to generalise beyond the immediate context when presenting findings.
|
ICP 5
The student:
Analyses and clarifies the purpose of an investigation to formulate questions; selects from a range of appropriate data sources and methods of recording; and uses supporting evidence to explain patterns and draw conclusions that generalise beyond the immediate context and present a particular viewpoint. |
ICP 6
The student:
Formulates own hypothesis for an investigation; identifies the main aspects to be considered and decides on the most appropriate data sources and recording techniques; and justifies own conclusions by examining logically the viewpoints and the evidence presented by others for accuracy, bias and omission. |
ICP 7
The student: Investigates an issue or event by devising hypotheses and modifying and adapting the conduct of the investigation according to the resources and nature of the evidence available; and analyses the validity and consistency of conclusions drawn by self and others according to the sufficiency of the evidence gathered and avowed values positions. |
ICP 8
The student:
Presents a research proposal and designs and conducts a balanced investigation in the field of society and environment; forms conclusions that are not overgeneralised; and judges decisions in terms of conflicting and inconsistent information and values. |
ICP 4.1
Identifies the types of observations, data and sources appropriate to a topic and negotiates how they will be used to gain information. |
ICP 5.1
Analyses a social/ environmental issue, formulates questions and plans ways of investigating it. |
ICP 6.1
Analyses a problem, formulates own hypothesis, uses social and environmental conceptual understandings to identify the main aspects to be considered, and makes predictions. |
ICP 7.1
Devises independently one or more research tasks or hypotheses to guide the investigation of an issue or event. |
ICP 8.1
Presents a research proposal and designs a research plan using the methodologies of social and environmental inquiry. |
ICP 4.2
Applies social science data-gathering techniques to collect and record accurate information from a variety of perspectives. |
ICP 5.2
Selects from a range of appropriate data sources and methods of recording that enhance the specific purposes of an investigation. |
ICP 6.2
Selects and decides on the most appropriate data sources and recording techniques for an argument or viewpoint. |
ICP 7.2
Modifies and adapts an investigation in response to resources available and the nature of the evidence. |
ICP 8.2
Conducts a balanced investigation in the field of society and environment. |
ICP 4.3
Identifies, selects and combines information from a variety of sources and perspectives, connecting similar ideas and making generalisations. |
ICP 5.3
Collects evidence from a variety of sources and explains patterns in the evidence to draw conclusions that present a particular viewpoint. |
ICP 6.3
Develops an argument by analysing viewpoints for accuracy, bias and omission. |
ICP 7.3
Draws valid conclusions consistent with the evidence gathered, but questions whether the data are sufficient to support the conclusions drawn. |
ICP 8.3
Demonstrates awareness that conclusions show uncertainty in data and does not over-generalise. |
ICP 4.4
Develops an informed opinion and communicates this with a particular purpose or audience in mind. |
ICP 5.4
Communicates findings in ways that show consideration of the facts, opinions and motives for a particular viewpoint when justifying generalisations made. |
ICP 6.4
When communicating findings develops conclusions, justifies personal stances by discussing logically and considering viewpoints and evidence presented by others. |
ICP 7.4
Communicates findings based on evidence gathered, according to the purpose of the investigation and can justify own values stance and the validity and conclusions drawn by others. |
ICP 8.4
Communicates findings in ways that show an awareness of the uncertainty of data and have taken into account any conflicting information and values to form conclusions that are not over-generalised. |
