Factors in Instructional Decision-Making, Ratings of Evidence and Intended Instructional Practices of Australian Final Year Teacher Education Students

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jasmine

Growing interest in evidence-based education in Australia has outpaced research on how final-year teacher education students understand evidence strength for instructional practices. Surveying N=290 students across 15 Australian tertiary institutions, the study assessed knowledge of evidence for 14 instructional strategies, intended post-graduation frequency of use, and the importance of factors in instructional decision-making. Evidence mattered, but personal preference and especially practicum experiences were weighted more heavily.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Factors Considered in Instructional Decision-Making

Knowledge of Evidence-Based Practices

Conclusion and Implications

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 40 | Issue 6 | Article 5 | | --- | --- | 2015 Factors in Instructional Decision-Making, Ratings of Evidence and Intended Instructional Practices of Australian Final Year Teacher Education Students Mark Carter Macquarie University, [mark.carter.mq@gmail.com](mark.carter.mq@gmail.com) Jennifer Stephenson Macquarie University, [jennifer.stephenson@mq.edu.au](jennifer.stephenson@mq.edu.au) Toni Hopper Macquarie University, [toni.hopper@mq.edu.au](toni.hopper@mq.edu.au) Recommended Citation Carter, M., Stephenson, J., & Hopper, T. (2015). Factors in Instructional Decision-Making, Ratings of Evidence and Intended Instructional Practices of Australian Final Year Teacher Education Students. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40 (6). Retrieved from [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol40/iss6/5](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol40/iss6/5) This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol40/iss6/5](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol40/iss6/5) Australian Journal of Teacher Education Factors in Instructional Decision-Making, Ratings of Evidence and Intended Instructional Practices of Australian Final Year Teacher Education Students Mark Carter Jennifer Stephenson Toni Hopper Macquarie University Special Education Centre Abstract: There has been increasing interest in an evidence-based approach to education in Australia, but relatively little research has provided relevant data on knowledge of the evidence base for instructional practices among teachers preparing to enter the profession. Final year teacher education students (N = 290) in 15 Australian tertiary institutions were surveyed on their understanding of the strength of evidence for 14 instructional strategies and their intended frequency of use of the strategies following graduation. They were also asked to rate the importance offactors they considered in instructional decision-making. Empirical evidence was important in selection of instructional practices but personal preference and, in particular, practicum experiences were considered more important. Students were very confident in their ability to make judgements regarding the evidence base for a range of instructional strategies and tended to rate all strategies as relatively effective. Their judgements, however, did not correlate strongly with available evidence. Intended use of strategies correlated highly with strength of evidence ratings. Implications of these findings for teacher preparation and future research are considered. Keywords: evidence-based practice, teacher education students, instructional practices. Introduction The presence of a research to practice gap in education is widely asserted (e.g., Everett, Luera, & Otto, 2008; Gable, Tonelson, Sheth, Wilson, & Park, 2012; Jones, 2009) and in this context, there has been increasing interest in the concept of evidence-based practice in education in Australia (Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation, 2013; Rowe, 2005; Stephenson, Carter, & O’Neill, 2013). The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (2011), which accredits teacher education courses in Australian tertiary institutions, is committed to building on research evidence about “what works in teacher education”(p. 3) and has noted that teacher education programs should take account of“authoritative educational research findings”(p. 12) . Ingvarson and Rowe (2008) have argued that teachers are the most valuable resources available to schools, and the goal of raising the quality of teaching “can only be realised by ensuring that teachers are equipped with subject-matter knowledge and an evidence-and standards-based repertoire of pedagogical skills that are demonstrably effective in meeting the developmental and learning needs of all students”(p.6) . Vol 40, 6, June 2015 85 Australian Journal of Teacher Education Factors Considered in Instructional Decision-Maki

FAQs

What did the study measure about final-year teacher education students?

It measured students’ understanding of evidence strength for 14 instructional strategies, the importance of factors in instructional decision-making, and their intended frequency of using the strategies after graduation.

How did students weigh evidence compared with other influences?

Empirical evidence was important, but personal preference and especially practicum experiences were considered more important in selecting instructional practices.

Did students’ judgments match the available evidence?

Students were confident that they could judge the evidence base, tended to rate most strategies as effective, but their judgments did not correlate strongly with the available evidence.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jasmine