Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T04:17:33.005Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Direct Instruction in very remote schools: a rejoinder to Guenther and Osborne (2020)

Part of: A dialogue about the role of Direct Instruction (DI) in very remote schools

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 September 2020

Jennifer Buckingham
Jennifer Buckingham*
Affiliation:
MultiLit Pty Ltdm, Level 7, Building C, 11 Talavera Rd, Macquarie Park, NSW2113, Australian
*
Author for correspondence: Jennifer Buckingham, E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

In an article published in this journal, Guenther and Osborne (2020) use data from the reading test of the National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) to evaluate the effectiveness of the Flexible Literacy for Remote Primary Schools program in its first 3 years of implementation. However, their analysis has some serious flaws, including that the ‘post-intervention’ data were actually collected from the start of the implementation period. This calls their conclusions that the program was ineffective into question.

Keywords

Direct instructionreading
Type
Article Response
Information
The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education , Volume 49 , Special Issue 2: Critical conversations on higher education as an enabler to building an Indigenous health workforce , December 2020 , pp. 171 - 172
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Assessment, Curriculum and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (2016) Minimum Standards – Reading. ACARA. Available at https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/reading/minimum-standards (Accessed 11 May 2020).Google Scholar
Coughlin, C (2011) Research on the effectiveness of Direct Instruction (NIFDI Technical Report 2011–4). Eugene, OR: National Institute for Direct Instruction.Google Scholar
Dawson, GK, Clinton, J, Koelle, M and McLaren, P (2018) Evaluation of the Flexible Literacy for Remote Schools Program: Main Report. June 2018. Melbourne: Centre for Program Evaluation, the University of Melbourne. Available at https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/flexible_literacy_evaluation_2018_final_accessible_0.pdfGoogle Scholar
Grossen, B (2013) Evaluation of the Academic Progress of Children Served by the Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy. Oregon: Centre for Applied Research in Education. Available at https://goodtogreatschools.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/CYAAA-Grossen-2013-Evaluation-of-CYAAA-students-academic-progress-v1.0-20130718.pdfGoogle Scholar
Guenther, J and Osborne, S (2020) Did DI do it? The impact of a programme designed to improve literacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in remote schools. Australian Journal of Indigenous Education Online First. https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2019.28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hattie, J (2009) Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Hattie, J (n.d.) Cape York Aboriginal Australia Academy NAPLAN Results Analysis 2009 to 2013. Cairns: Good to Great Schools Australia. Available at https://goodtogreatschools.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/CYAAA-John-Hatties-report-NAPLAN-2009-2013.pdf.Google Scholar
Kimberley Development Commission (2020) Kimberley Schools Project. Available at https://kdc.wa.gov.au/the-kimberley/kimberley-schools-project/ (Accessed 11 May 2020).Google Scholar
National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI) (2015) DI vs di: The term ‘Direct Instruction’. Available at https://www.nifdi.org/what-is-di/di-vs-di.html (Accessed 11 May 2020).Google Scholar
Pyne, C (2014) Improving literacy in remote schools. Media release 15 December, 2014. Ministers’ Media Centre, Department of Education, Skills and Employment. Available at https://ministers.dese.gov.au/pyne/improving-literacy-remote-schools (Accessed 11 May 2020).Google Scholar
Rosenshine, B (2012) Principles of instruction: research-based strategies that all teachers should know. American Educator 2012, 12–29; 39. Available at https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/Rosenshine.pdfGoogle Scholar
Stockard, J, Wood, TW, Coughlin, C and Khoury, CR (2018) The effectiveness of Direct Instruction curricula: a meta-analysis of a half-century of research. Review of Educational Research 88, 479–507.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tehan, D (2018) Helping improve indigenous literacy rates. Media release 5 December, 2018. Ministers’ Media Centre, Department of Education, Skills and Employment. Available at https://ministers.dese.gov.au/tehan/helping-improve-indigenous-literacy-rates (Accessed 11 May 2020).Google Scholar