The Teacher Education and Development Study (TEDS-M) is the first crossnational study to examine the mathematics preparation of future teachers for both primary and secondary school levels. The study, conducted under the auspices of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), collected data from…

In 2011, the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) commissioned a Consortium led by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and including the University of Melbourne's Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE) and the Griffith Institute for Higher Education (GIHE) to develop an instrument and…

This report is the culmination of a project carried out for the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in collaboration with the Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE). The main findings of this report are based on the outcomes…

This document is an annual publication documenting developments in the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)'s research programs for the previous year. The 2004 edition highlights research on the following themes: (1) Helping international schools measure achievement; (2) Evaluating Australian teachers; (3) Tests of reading…

This annual report examines recent changes in Australian education. Two strong emerging trends emerging are: increasing participation rates as more young people stay in the formal education system beyond the compulsory years and a shift in focus from the input in education to outcomes and sharpening of the way in which the outcomes are defined.…

This paper reviews research literature on cognitive load measurement in learning and neuroimaging, and describes a mapping between the main elements of cognitive load theory and findings in functional neuroanatomy. It is argued that these findings may lead to the improved measurement of cognitive load using neuroimaging. The paper describes how…

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) Spelling Test is designed to measure levels of achievement in spelling and comprises Test Cards, Answer Sheets, Class Analysis Charts and Handbook. The test itself is divided into four parts, one part for each of years 3 through 6 with each part consisting of 50 words. Directions for…

This report focuses on a group of young people who were living in non-metropolitan areas in their final years of secondary school, and the pathways they followed in the years following secondary school, including their geographic mobility and participation in education, training and employment. Rural communities have long felt concern about the…

The Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics (TEDS-M), conducted under the aegis of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), was designed to inform policy and practice in mathematics teacher education. For educational policymakers, TEDS-M contributes data on institutional arrangements that…

This study examines non-completion of Year 12 at school for a nationally representative sample of young people who were 15 years old and still attending school in 2003. The study explores relationships between non-completion and selected socio-demographic and school-related factors, and changes in rates of school non-completion from the early…

The development of strong foundational literacy and numeracy skills for all students is a very high priority for schools, education systems and governments. The ways in which children develop these skills during the crucial years of primary education are of major interest to all concerned with students' learning and development. The ACER…

The differences in raw scores between two versions of the Standard Progressive Matrices Test (SPM) and differences in available norms for one version and the currently studied population were investigated. The SPM was originally designed to measure the general factor of intelligence unrestrained by language. Scores for the untimed SPM version…

This assessment package consists of a checklist for teachers, a checklist for parents, a class record sheet, and a manual designed to be used by teachers to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of individual children soon after their entry into school or during their last term in preschool or kindergarten classes. The Checklist for Teachers…

The Number Test of the ACER Mathematics Profile Series, contains 30 items, for each of three suggested grade levels: 7-8, 8-9, and 9-10. Raw scores on all tests in the ACER Mathematics Profile Series (Number, Operations, Space and Measurement) are converted to a common scale called MAPS, a major feature of the Series. Based on the Rasch Model,…

Examines the English language standard of a group of Hong Kong science undergraduates using the ACER Word Knowledge Test Form F. Results show a significant difference in apparent English skill levels between Hong Kong, American, and Australian students.(Author/VWL)