Papers by Ian Teo
In today’s knowledge-based society, 21st century skills are considered important for success. As ... more In today’s knowledge-based society, 21st century skills are considered important for success. As such, the integration of these skills into education systems has become a key interest area for policymakers around the world
LITERATURE REVIEW Glossary iv LITERATURE REVIEW Glossary Collectivism Giving priority to a group,... more LITERATURE REVIEW Glossary iv LITERATURE REVIEW Glossary Collectivism Giving priority to a group, rather than individuals Co-location Placing multiple organisations within a single location Extended service model Schools co-located with partners to provide services beyond formal education that meet the needs of children, their families and the wider community Full-service model Schools which provide a comprehensive range of services, including access to health services, adult learning and community activities as well as study support and long day childcare Individualism The tendency to prioritise an individual's liberty, as against external authority and associated activity Private value Private gain or personal value that comes directly to the participants of a service Public value Value an organisation or activity contributes to society School connectedness The extent to which a person feels accepted, valued, and supported in their school environment Social capital The quality and quantity of social interaction within a community Vulnerable person Person who may be unable to take care of themselves or are unable to protect themselves against harm or exploitation, either temporarily or ongoing Wrap around Individualised services designed to meet the specific needs of the child or vulnerable person The term 'caregiver' should be read to include parents, grandparents, families, legal guardians, foster or kinship parents, and out-of-home carers.
© 2015 Dr. Ian Wei Yuan TeoThis study was motivated by the growth of the Australian international... more © 2015 Dr. Ian Wei Yuan TeoThis study was motivated by the growth of the Australian international education sector, increasing numbers of mainland Chinese students studying in Australian universities, and a lack of research relating to the Foundation Studies Programs (FSP) in which some Chinese students enrolled. In seeking to contribute to this gap in the FSP literature, this study investigated how a cohort of ex-FSP students from mainland China reflected on their transition through various stages of their education. Specifically, the main research question guiding this study asked, 'To what extent do Chinese students' higher education experiences align with their expectations as they transition from secondary schooling in China through to university in Australia?'. To address this question a mixed-methods design was utilised. This consisted of surveys being administered to Chinese and non-Chinese nationals within one FSP at entry and exit from the course, and subsequent semi-structured interviews with a cohort of these Chinese students who were now studying at university. Interview data comprised the bulk of this study's analysis, and revealed that Chinese students' expectations and experiences of education did not remain fixed as they transitioned between schooling contexts in China and Australia. The most salient feature of their transition experiences was the increased importance they placed on the social dimension seen to enhance their educational experiences. That is, where once these students viewed their entry into the FSP and gaining Australian higher education qualifications instrumentally, they later adjusted this view to include also the importance of developing and maintaining social relationships within educational contexts. This study's findings highlight the importance of social relationships across various schooling contexts, and challenge the assumption that FSPs ease international students' social transition into university
Quality Assurance in Education
Purpose This study aims to explain the primacy that rapid, centralised decision-making gained in ... more Purpose This study aims to explain the primacy that rapid, centralised decision-making gained in higher education institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on Australian universities. Design/methodology/approach This paper draws on discussions regarding policy problems of an international, purpose-convened on-line policy network involving over 100 registrations from multiple countries. It analyses emerging institutional policy governance texts and documents shared between network participants, applies policy science literature regarding traditional institutional policy-making routines and rapid decision-making, and references media reportage from 2020. The paper traces how higher education institutions rapidly adjusted to pandemic conditions and largely on-line operations. Findings The study finds that higher education institutions responded to the COVID-19 crisis by operationalising emergency management plans and introducing rapid, centralised decision-maki...
Technical paper to inform the thematic panel discussion on Learning Recovery and Addressing the L... more Technical paper to inform the thematic panel discussion on Learning Recovery and Addressing the Learning Crisis at the 2nd Asia-Pacific Regional Education Ministerial Conference (APREMC-II) in June 2022.
The purpose of this paper was to provide key recommendations for the provision and delivery of school education to facilitate post-COVID-19 learning recovery in the immediate and short-term. The recommendations focus on how education systems could provide safe schools and deliver a more equitable, inclusive and relevant education for all learners.
https://apasdg4education2030.org/apremc2022/
Pandemic, Disruption and Adjustment in Higher Education, 2022
Quality Assurance in Education, 2021
Purpose This study aims to explain the primacy that rapid, centralised decision-making gained in ... more Purpose This study aims to explain the primacy that rapid, centralised decision-making gained in higher education institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on Australian universities. Design/methodology/approach This paper draws on discussions regarding policy problems of an international, purpose-convened on-line policy network involving over 100 registrations from multiple countries. It analyses emerging institutional policy governance texts and documents shared between network participants, applies policy science literature regarding traditional institutional policy-making routines and rapid decision-making, and references media reportage from 2020. The paper traces how higher education institutions rapidly adjusted to pandemic conditions and largely on-line operations. Findings The study finds that higher education institutions responded to the COVID-19 crisis by operationalising emergency management plans and introducing rapid, centralised decision-maki...
This report describes an online course developed to support education systems to build an aligned... more This report describes an online course developed to support education systems to build an aligned and sustainable approach to integration of 21st Century Skills (21CS). 21CS are those skills that are considered particularly important to succeed in today’s knowledge-based society in which innovation and technology are predominant. Prominent examples include critical thinking, creative thinking, and collaboration, and such skills need to be better understood in order for them to be integrated. While different countries may have their own frameworks or priorities surrounding 21CS, a consistent approach to integration can still be achieved with a shared understanding from all stakeholders within the system. The course objectives focused on supporting countries to develop a strategic plan for 21CS integration, providing resources to aid that plan, and building capacity to implement the plan. The specific learning objectives were to: Understand components and steps leading to 21CS alignme...
Higher Education Research & Development, 2019
ABSTRACT Foundations studies programs (FSPs), sometimes termed pathways programs, seek to prepare... more ABSTRACT Foundations studies programs (FSPs), sometimes termed pathways programs, seek to prepare international students for an undergraduate education. While enrolments in these programs continue to grow in Australia, there has correspondingly been little research exploring how FSP students experience their transition into university life and study. In seeking to fill a gap within the literature, this study investigated this issue by focusing on international students from mainland China. 23 FSP alumni were interviewed and asked to describe their expectations and experiences of secondary schooling in China, and their subsequent FSP and university studies in Australia. The analysis revealed that the most salient feature of participants’ transition into their Australian undergraduate courses was their emphasis on interpersonal relationships and social interactions. In particular, interviewees emphasised the importance of social exchanges with local peers and teaching staff, and their general disappointment or frustration with these interactions. While this study echoes previous investigations relating to international students’ (lack of positive) intercultural interactions within HE settings, it more importantly challenges the notion that FSPs can be assumed to adequately prepare international students for the nature of these relationships at university. Recommendations regarding FSP practices and policies are posed at the end of this article.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerabilities and inequalities of national education ... more The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerabilities and inequalities of national education systems and hindered the education of millions of children globally. In response, the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Centre, which is a long-term, strategic partnership between the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), undertook a rapid review of literature to support policymakers. The research has six evidence-based outcomes that can help policymakers to build resilient education systems and thereby enhance education quality and equity during emergencies. The COVID-19 emergency provided the impetus for this research, with much of the reported data associated with this pandemic. Learnings from past education in emergencies situations have informed the understandings of the impacts and implications of the COVID-19 emergency, and have been synthesised with the COVID-19 literature to inform polic...
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerabilities and inequalities of national education ... more The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerabilities and inequalities of national education systems and hindered the education of millions of children globally. In response, the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Centre, which is a long-term, strategic partnership between the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), undertook a rapid review of literature to support policymakers. The research has six evidence-based outcomes that can help policymakers to build resilient education systems and thereby enhance education quality and equity during emergencies. The COVID-19 emergency provided the impetus for this research, with much of the reported data associated with this pandemic. Learnings from past education in emergencies have informed the understandings of the impacts and implications of the COVID-19 emergency, and have been synthesised with the COVID-19 literature to inform policymakers about how to build resilient education systems. This report presents evidence relating to two main types of emergencies affecting education: natural disasters and communicable disease, and political conflicts. Both types of emergencies can also coalesce within the same education system, resulting in complex and often protracted emergencies. This review found that emergencies impact education in two main ways: endangering children’s wellbeing, and magnifying disparities in learning outcomes.
https://research.acer.edu.au/int_research/4/
Transitions: Journal of Transient Migration
Foundation studies (or pathways) programmes (FSPs) seek to prepare international students for the... more Foundation studies (or pathways) programmes (FSPs) seek to prepare international students for their transition into university by providing bridging courses to meet their academic, sociocultural and personal needs. The growth of such programmes over the previous decade has boomed to over 1000 English-medium providers worldwide and has been valued at $1.4 billion with no indication of slowing down. While these programmes serve an instrumental purpose in terms of providing international students with a pathway into university, it has become clear that these students seek more than just a qualification by the end of their sojourn, and value also the quality of their broader relationships, preparation and participation at university. For more than 25 years, Trinity College Foundation Studies (TCFS) in Melbourne has served to prepare a wide-range of international students for their higher education (HE) studies. The present study will report on quantitative and qualitative data derived from TCFS alumni who were surveyed at the start of 2017. In particular, two branches of alumni-related expectations and experiences will be addressed. First, the types of extra-curricula activities respondents reflected upon as being important for their broader welfare or well-being while enrolled as foundation students will be discussed. Second, findings involving the types of support they sought during and after university, and the ways in which they wished to reconnect with TCFS will be described. Implications and recommendations relating to the aforementioned data will subsequently be presented.
Books by Ian Teo
Australian Council for Educational Research, 2021
Journal articles and papers by Ian Teo
Annual Journal of the Asian Cultures Research Institute, Toyo University, 2021
Studies on Social Environments, 2021
During the global coronavirus crisis that played out throughout 2020 and 2021, countries and thei... more During the global coronavirus crisis that played out throughout 2020 and 2021, countries and their internal geographic divisions sought to contain the virus’s spread. The various parts of Japan and Australia would undergo multiple spells of lockdown, and their economies would suffer greatly. Educational campuses closed for long periods, with teaching and learning going online as best educators and students could manage. The vulnerability of international students, whether cut off from families and with limited support networks, prevented from traveling for studies, or sent back to their home countries, has been particularly notable. As representatives of an increasingly interwoven globalization, international students were faced with improvised policy responses that sometimes initially overlooked their needs. Here we apply the lenses of the Japanese notion of wa —harmonious calm— and an Australia that is self-consciously girt by sea, as well contrasting a Japanese sense of insulation with Australian isolation, to explore the two countries’ notions of self-care and attitudes towards the international students they attract. Japan’s efforts to incorporate international students within their education system acknowledge the need for greater cultural exchange, while in Australia higher education is promoted as an export industry as well as offering pathways to permanent immigration. Both Japan’s and Australia’s higher education systems emerge from the pandemic with challenges and opportunities to redirect, intensify or moderate different aspects of international education strategy and rules.
Quality Assurance in Education, 2021
This study aims to explain the primacy that rapid, centralised decision-making gained in higher e... more This study aims to explain the primacy that rapid, centralised decision-making gained in higher education institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on Australian universities. This paper draws on discussions regarding policy problems of an international, purpose-convened on-line policy network involving over 100 registrations from multiple countries. It analyses emerging institutional policy governance texts and documents shared between network participants, applies policy science literature regarding traditional institutional policy-making routines and rapid decision-making, and references media reportage from 2020. The paper traces how higher education institutions rapidly adjusted to pandemic conditions and largely on-line operations.
Academia Letters, 2021
While for many, the introduction of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) foretold the end of tradi... more While for many, the introduction of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) foretold the end of traditional approaches to higher education, various settlements regarding the 'idea of a university' would not be seriously imperilled on global scale until the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) surfaced in early 2020, everywhere. Like other organisations, universities now interacted preponderantly online amidst growing economic, political and social disruption. Almost everything changed, seemingly overnight. To what extent could universities draw on the body of higher education research to pivot in the face of this shape-shifting emergency, and reconcile a COVID-normal? Preliminary academic analysis emerged quickly; international comparative education and meta-analysis grew busy with key themes and noise (Crawford et al., 2020; Daniel, 2020; Marinoni et al., 2020). It was almost immediately apparent that government health-directives restricting physical access to campuses would involve huge disruptions to practices around the student life cycle. Our tracking of media commentary, government reports and early scholarly literature since early 2020 revealed immediately obvious disruptions related to pathways into higher education from school (i.e., leaving/entrance examinations, university admissions), teaching and learning practices (i.e., online learning, participation, professional development, technology solutions) and urgent demand for health science graduates (i.e., doctors, nurses, aged/disability care staff). It also became apparent that the shift to online learning would raise issues associated with the recognition of qualifications, particularly for international students from China and India. As the health crisis spread, there was renewed government and community optimism about global science, in particular, medical science, as universities and R&D
Higher Education Research & Development, 2019
Foundations studies programs (FSPs), sometimes termed pathways programs, seek to prepare internat... more Foundations studies programs (FSPs), sometimes termed pathways programs, seek to prepare international students for an undergraduate education. While enrolments in these programs continue to grow in Australia, there has correspondingly been little research exploring how FSP students experience their transition into university life and study. In seeking to fill a gap within the literature, this study investigated this issue by focusing on international students from mainland China. 23 FSP alumni were interviewed and asked to describe their expectations and experiences of secondary schooling in China, and their subsequent FSP and university studies in Australia. The analysis revealed that the most salient feature of participants’ transition into their Australian undergraduate courses was their emphasis on interpersonal relationships and social interactions. In particular, interviewees emphasised the importance of social exchanges with local peers and teaching staff, and their general disappointment or frustration with these interactions. While this study echoes previous investigations relating to international students’ (lack of positive) intercultural interactions within HE settings, it more importantly challenges the notion that FSPs can be assumed to adequately prepare international students for the nature of these relationships at university. Recommendations regarding FSP practices and policies are posed at the end of this article.
Uploads
Papers by Ian Teo
The purpose of this paper was to provide key recommendations for the provision and delivery of school education to facilitate post-COVID-19 learning recovery in the immediate and short-term. The recommendations focus on how education systems could provide safe schools and deliver a more equitable, inclusive and relevant education for all learners.
https://apasdg4education2030.org/apremc2022/
https://research.acer.edu.au/int_research/4/
Books by Ian Teo
Journal articles and papers by Ian Teo
The purpose of this paper was to provide key recommendations for the provision and delivery of school education to facilitate post-COVID-19 learning recovery in the immediate and short-term. The recommendations focus on how education systems could provide safe schools and deliver a more equitable, inclusive and relevant education for all learners.
https://apasdg4education2030.org/apremc2022/
https://research.acer.edu.au/int_research/4/