The strengths of video stimulated recall and concept mapping as tools to assist the development of reflective skills is well documented. Video stimulated recall has been shown to be an effective tool to make explicit the beliefs and implicit theories of teachers. In this way video stimulated recall allows for the elicitation of 'knowledge-in-action' or interactive cognitions. Concept mapping is an effective method for assessing conceptual change. By comparing successive maps the teacher can see how their knowledge is structured in the course of acquisition. Concept maps are regarded as particularly useful for beginning teachers who seek an understanding into how their mentor teachers construct their own concept maps. Other researchers, however, point to factors that may mitigate teachers' recall of their thoughts, while others argue that concept maps are of limited use when they are used in short term studies. In this paper the advantages of these methods for professional development are discussed. The experiences of four beginning teachers will be shared. In doing so, the possible threats that might be associated with their use will be considered.

Uralla Central School is working together with the University of New England within the Australian Government Quality Teacher Programme (AGQTP) during 2006 and 2007 undertaking the implementation of the Middle Schooling Program initiative that has been developing in its inception from 2004. During 2005 extensive consultation throughout the school's teaching and executive staff led to the opportunity to create new school organisational and structural changes necessary for the middle schooling program to commence in operation in 2006. The program initiative is framed by the school's high expectation for quality teaching and learning in the central school setting and teacher professional learning anchored on the notions of pedagogical practices has been supported through engagement with the Quality Teaching in NSW public schools (DET 2003). The middle schooling program initiative supports a 'K-12 Advantage' that is central to the school's ethos of quality teaching and learning outcomes for students. The findings show that whilst student outcomes improved, the vital role of all of the stakeholders, including academic partners, is paramount in order to build a culture of professional learning by providing teachers with high quality opportunities to expand their pedagogical practices.

The value of video stimulated recall as a tool to assist the development of reflective skills of teachers is well documented. Video stimulated recall is the least intrusive and yet the most inclusive way of studying classroom phenomena. It allows the teacher to 'relive' an episode of teaching by providing, in retrospect, an accurate verbalised account of his/her thought processes. Videotapes allows the teacher to examine their mental models in situ, study changes to their schemas during and after teaching episodes, and formulate new teaching models as a result. Furthermore, videotapes give the teacher more time to reflect on classroom events and look for answers. In short, video stimulated recall allows teachers to reflect and revisit recorded scenes at anytime; the videotapes can be examined to gather further specific evidence when necessary; it allows the teachers to decide for themselves what they want to focus on; and, others - critical friends - can watch episodes and make suggestions. Importantly, teachers can be the ones who are in control of stopping the tape at any time when they see themselves making a decision, describe what they were doing at that time, what alternatives they had considered and what they decided. In this way video stimulated recall allows for the elicitation of 'knowledge-in-action' or interactive cognitions. However, researchers report that teachers viewing a videotape of their lessons may find the experience highly stressful and may negate teachers' preparedness to report on what they have recalled. Other research indicates that teachers watching videotapes of their lessons may initially be distracted by their own physical appearance. Teachers' interactive cognitions are not always retrievable and therefore may be difficult, if not impossible to recall retrospectively. In this paper the strengths and limitations of this method for professional development are discussed. The experiences of two beginning teachers and two experienced teachers will be shared.

The Bush Tracks Research Collective formed in 2003 with the aim of addressing gaps in Australian rural education research. The initial Bush Tracks project explored 'place' as a significant factor in schooling outcomes. What images do beginning teachers have of 'the good teacher' and 'the good student' in rural schools and what are the obstacles to becoming these? What professional learning communities are available to beginning teachers in rural schools, and how effective are they in supporting beginning teachers to work through their identity issues and pedagogical challenges? What opportunities, expectations, supports and obstacles are there for rural teachers to make the transition to school leadership roles?

Many challenges exist for teachers trying to secure employment in schools, particularly for those beginning their teaching career. Expectations are high from teacher education graduates that they will make an immediate transition to their 'own' classroom, as a permanent full-time teacher, once graduated. The reality is, however, that most beginning teachers in New South Wales enter the teaching profession initially on a Casual basis. This paper highlights a number of issues that contribute to the difficulties casual beginning teachers experience by exploring the supply and demand of school teachers, the increasing casualisation of the teaching workforce, and other issues compounding on casual beginning teachers. The paper concludes with the recommendation that, inter alia, different stakeholders should share information, which will result in better supply and demand relationships within the teaching profession.

Our interest in this paper is to explore the potential for particular data gathering tools used in educational research to provide opportunities for the professional development of participants. The particular methods are video stimulated recall (VSR), concept mapping and accompanying Think Aloud Protocols (TAPs). These methods were used in a longitudinal study of ten novice social science teachers as they moved from their final year of teacher preparation to their first year of teaching. As with most educational research the impact of the researcher can never be underestimated. It is not always the case that participants experience positive outcomes of the research process. The findings of this study do suggest that the methodologies used to gather data did have a valuable role in the knowledge growth of these novice teachers. In this sense these methods may have implications as professional development tools.

From 2011 the teaching and learning of History will be expanded into all primary schools (Kindergarten - Year 6) throughout Australia under a National Curriculum, including the formal preschool/kindergarten year. History as one of four core subjects will replace current studies of society and environment curriculum taught in primary schools across. The curriculum implementation process will involve a cultural and pedagogical shift as primary teachers make adjustments to the discipline of History. This article begins with an outline of the current curriculum context. An analysis of the New South Wales Human Society and Its Environment and the Australian Curriculum: History Draft Consultation documents follows. The findings indicate that the History Draft Consultation lacks clear guidance for teachers and has a number of shortcomings compared to the NSW HSIE syllabus. There are opportunities, however, for primary teachers because of the broad similarities of content knowledge in both documents and the embedded historical concepts in the NSW syllabus document.

This paper reports the findings of a study on the lived experiences of UNE graduates from a range of Primary and Secondary initial teacher education programmes who are employed as casual beginning teachers. Data were gathered through telephone interviews and analysed using the relatively new qualitative data software called Leximancer (Smith, 2007).

This paper reports on a longitudinal study of a preservice teacher called "Peace" as she moved from her 4th (and final year) year of studies to her first year of teaching. The study investigates her understanding of behaviour management over a twelve-month period. Peace already had a Bachelor of Behavioural Science, majoring clinical psychology, and has a strong background of working with young people. Shulman (1987) outlined the categories of the knowledge teachers should possess in order to promote understanding among students. Among them is general pedagogical content knowledge ..."with special reference to those broad principles and strategies of classroom management...". (p.8) Implicit in this category is that whilst teachers need to draw on all categories during classroom teaching, a knowledge of behaviour management strategies is crucial to their effectiveness. This paper uses concept mapping and accompanying think aloud protocol to show how Peace used behaviour management strategies that moved beyond behaviour modification to incorporate a classroom climate that supports all aspects of learning.

This paper reports findings of a study on recent UNE graduates from a range of Primary and Secondary initial teacher education programs who are employed as casual beginning teachers and, specifically, their lived experiences. There are some positives, for example, lifestyle flexibility but mostly it's about on-going struggle to maintain personal motivation and well being in the face of unpredictable and transient teaching assignments, low professional status and negligible professional development and support. Given the increasing casualisation of teaching, the proportion of early career teachers leaving the profession and the need for better classroom pedagogy, there are important messages here for both employers and university teacher educators.