Amy MacDonald
Biographic Data
| ID | 6154676 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Amy MacDonald |
| GIVEN NAMES | Amy |
| FAMILY NAME | MacDonald |
| SIGNATURE | MACDONALD A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Charles Sturt University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5983-4980 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 9 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 2 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 9 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2014 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
What is known about simulation technologies and their application to Initial Teacher Education
Simulation technologies are emerging as a possible solution to prepare Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students for the classroom and reduce undue pressure on supervising teachers. This paper presents a scoping review that reports on what is currently known regarding simulated technologies and their application to ITE programs. The review scoped the literature published between January 2013 and March 2023, with 16 studies identified for inclusion…
Communicating in primary science
In recent decades a body of research has emerged supporting the effectiveness of a plethora of science teaching practices in improving learners' science achievement and scientific literacy.However, if the benefits of evidence-based science practice are to be realised consistently and at scale we need to improve our understanding of how teachers use and develop language as part of authentic primary science teaching.To this end, this exploratory pr…
Relations between Australian primary teachers’ approaches to student choice and their reported science teaching efficacy beliefs and teaching practices
As a myriad of student-centred practices in primary science education have been established as valuable, effective cornerstones of teachers’ repertoires, there is now space to further consider student choice in science education. This paper seeks to examine the role of student choice in primary science education by exploring the relationship between primary teachers’ attitudes towards student-choice (minimal, emergent, and planned) and their scie…
Australian teachers’ views on how primary science education can be improved
Teachers are crucial to bridging the theory-praxis divide in science education by utilising evidence-based teaching practices to improve outcomes for their learners. However, the perspectives of primary teachers have seldom been considered beyond the confines of specific professional development programs. This paper aims to explore Australian primary teachers’ beliefs about how primary science education could be improved. A sample of 165 primary …
“What's the Big Idea?”
Relations between early childhood educators’ qualifications and experience and their beliefs about mathematics education for babies and toddlers
Cognition research has demonstrated that babies, from birth, can detect numerical correspondences and abstract properties of objects and events. However, this limited existing research is often distant from educational practice, and thus, this information may be inaccessible to early childhood educators; most of whom hold pre-Bachelor level qualifications. This quantitative study reports on a survey of 466 Australian early childhood educators to …
Contextual influences on children's mathematical understandings
Mathematics education beliefs and practices of Under 3s educators in Australia
There is general agreement that young children are capable of accessing mathematical ideas and should be given the opportunity to do so in their early childhood educational settings. However, existing research has established a range of challenges for early childhood mathematics education; in particular, related to educators’ confidence and competence in teaching mathematics. This article presents data from a national survey to address the resear…
Predictors of numeracy performance in national testing programs
This article is based on an exploratory study that examines factors which predict children's performance on the numeracy component of the Australian National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy ( NAPLAN ). Utilizing an ecological theoretical model, this study examines child, home and school variables which may enable or constrain NAPLAN numeracy performance. Data are presented from a nationally‐representative sample of 2450 children particip…
Predictors of numeracy performance in national testing programs
This article is based on an exploratory study that examines factors which predict children's performance on the numeracy component of the Australian National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy ( NAPLAN ). Utilizing an ecological theoretical model, this study examines child, home and school variables which may enable or constrain NAPLAN numeracy performance. Data are presented from a nationally‐representative sample of 2450 children particip…
Predictors of numeracy performance in national testing programs
This article is based on an exploratory study that examines factors which predict children's performance on the numeracy component of the Australian National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy ( NAPLAN ). Utilizing an ecological theoretical model, this study examines child, home and school variables which may enable or constrain NAPLAN numeracy performance. Data are presented from a nationally‐representative sample of 2450 children particip…
Mathematics education beliefs and practices of Under 3s educators in Australia
There is general agreement that young children are capable of accessing mathematical ideas and should be given the opportunity to do so in their early childhood educational settings. However, existing research has established a range of challenges for early childhood mathematics education; in particular, related to educators’ confidence and competence in teaching mathematics. This article presents data from a national survey to address the resear…
Contextual influences on children's mathematical understandings
“What's the Big Idea?”
Relations between early childhood educators’ qualifications and experience and their beliefs about mathematics education for babies and toddlers
Cognition research has demonstrated that babies, from birth, can detect numerical correspondences and abstract properties of objects and events. However, this limited existing research is often distant from educational practice, and thus, this information may be inaccessible to early childhood educators; most of whom hold pre-Bachelor level qualifications. This quantitative study reports on a survey of 466 Australian early childhood educators to …
Communicating in primary science
In recent decades a body of research has emerged supporting the effectiveness of a plethora of science teaching practices in improving learners' science achievement and scientific literacy.However, if the benefits of evidence-based science practice are to be realised consistently and at scale we need to improve our understanding of how teachers use and develop language as part of authentic primary science teaching.To this end, this exploratory pr…
Relations between Australian primary teachers’ approaches to student choice and their reported science teaching efficacy beliefs and teaching practices
As a myriad of student-centred practices in primary science education have been established as valuable, effective cornerstones of teachers’ repertoires, there is now space to further consider student choice in science education. This paper seeks to examine the role of student choice in primary science education by exploring the relationship between primary teachers’ attitudes towards student-choice (minimal, emergent, and planned) and their scie…
Australian teachers’ views on how primary science education can be improved
Teachers are crucial to bridging the theory-praxis divide in science education by utilising evidence-based teaching practices to improve outcomes for their learners. However, the perspectives of primary teachers have seldom been considered beyond the confines of specific professional development programs. This paper aims to explore Australian primary teachers’ beliefs about how primary science education could be improved. A sample of 165 primary …
What is known about simulation technologies and their application to Initial Teacher Education
Simulation technologies are emerging as a possible solution to prepare Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students for the classroom and reduce undue pressure on supervising teachers. This paper presents a scoping review that reports on what is currently known regarding simulated technologies and their application to ITE programs. The review scoped the literature published between January 2013 and March 2023, with 16 studies identified for inclusion…
Psychology (9 works) · Mathematics education (8 works) · Pedagogy (8 works) · Developmental psychology (4 works) · Science Education and Pedagogy (4 works) · Mathematics (3 works) · Science education (3 works) · Sociology (3 works) · Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills (2 works) · Computer Science (2 works)