Youth Research News Vol 8 No 4; September 1998

In this issue:

• YRC Web Pages Revisited
• Conferences
• Publications
• Project Update
• P D Unit
• Around the Centre

YRC Web Pages Revisited

The Youth Research Centre has recently updated its web site to add more information about current and recent research projects. These newsletters will also be included on the site - and some previous issues are already there.

Many thanks to Rohan Parkes who worked with us to provide a 'new look' for the YRC.

We invite you to visit and wander round. Any comments or queries would be appreciated.

http://yarn.edfac.unimelb.edu.au/yarn/yrc-home.html

Mind Matters Web Site

The Mind Matters project has also shifted its web site to the YARN server. It can now be found at:

http://yarn.edfac.unimelb.edu.au/mindmatters/index.htm

There are links to other resources, information about the pilot schools and the project materials and an electronic version of the first Mind Matters newsletter.

Conferences:

International Sociological Association Conference

Johanna and Peter - as well as some of our graduate students - met up with Dianne Looker (who had been a visiting scholar with the YRC in 1996) when they attended the International Sociological Association Conference in Montreal, Canada during the last week of July. Their paper on Changing Life-Patterns of the Post-1970 Generation was well received and is to be published by the Research Committee on the Sociology of Youth. Johanna was elected the Vice-president of the International Sociological Association's Research Committee on Youth (RC 34), for the region of Oceania.

National Rural Education Conference

Helen Stokes and Debra Tyler are conducting a workshop at the National Rural Education Conference titled "Is improved service delivery the only benefit inter-agency collaboration can offer rural areas?"

Discussions around inter-agency collaboration have tended to focus on the improvement of service provision and the capacity to prevent young people deemed “at risk” from falling through the gaps.

Their recent research demonstrates there are a number of levels in which young people are involved in the collaborative process. These range from treating the young person as a recipient of services, that is passively, to programs where young people are actively involved and seen as a key stakeholder in the process.

In a number of rural communities young people are now being actively and integrally involved in the collaborative process. Helen and Debra will look at a range of strategies both in and out of schools to see how this is being achieved.

Inter-agency collaboration can offer the young person an opportunity to engage in processes which will empower them to more confidently negotiate their pathways during their school years and beyond.

10th World Congress of the World Council of Comparative Education Societies

Roger Woock, Senior Associate, attended the 10th World Congress of the World Council of Comparative Education Societies in Capetown, South Africa from July 12-17th. The conference was ground breaking in several respects. It was the first world-wide education conference held in South Africa with some 800 delegates attending. In addition, approximately 400 of the delegtates were from black Africa.

The conference theme Education, Equity and Transformation was particularly appropriate for this site. South Africa has an enormous task ahead of it to provide education equity, especially for its African and Coloured young people. Roger and Fiona Clyne presented a paper “Globalisation from Below and Global Civil Society: the Promise of Student Exchange”. Major papers were presented by Tom Popkewitz (University of Wisconsin), Anthony Welch (University of Sydney), Martin Carnoy (Stamford University), Harold Herman (University of Western Cape), Anne Hickling-Hudson (Queensland University of Technology) and Jill Blackmore (Deakin University).

For abstracts of papers please contact Roger on 03 9344 9647

Achieving Together Conference 1998

Helen Stokes and Debra Tyler will be conducting a workshop at the Achieving Together Conference titled "Strategies towards developing inter-agency collaboration based on a community development model".

Inter-agency collaboration can be developed under a number of guises. The experience of the research work completed by the Youth Research Centre would suggest that the community based model of development puts in place an infrastructure which allows for a number of positive elements to be demonstrated. Examples of these could be the empowerment of the community involved, a respect for and active, inclusive involvement in the process of all key stakeholders (especially young people and their families) and the development of locally initiated and shared protocols.

In the workshop Helen and Deb will explore some theory behind a community development model of inter-agency collaboration, some of the barriers to achieving this and some examples of community based models of inter-agency collaboration which have successful elements. The report by Stokes and Tyler: Rethinking Inter-agency Collaboration and Young People (Youth Research Centre and Language Australia, 1997) will provide the basis for part of the discussion in this workshop.

Upcoming Conference...

Annual Conference of the Australian & New Zealand Comparative and International Education Society (ANZCIES)

6 - 9 December 1998

Auckland, New Zealand

Theme: Looking to the future: Educational Change in Comparative Perspective.

More details in next newsletter will follow

Publications:

Negotiating Staying and Returning

Earlier this year, the Youth Research Centre undertook a project for the Victorian Department of Education about the impact of the Commonwealth Government's Youth Allowance changes on Victorian education. The Centre's component looked at 'young people's perspectives on schooling and the Youth Allowance'. The report of this research has now been published by the Department of Education under the title: Negotiating Staying and Returning. (ISBN 0 7306 9089 X; Multimedia and Cross Sectoral Programs Branch, 1st floor, 2 Treasury Place, East Melbourne Victoria 3002)

The report provides a general context for the potential impact of the Youth Allowance on schools, summarises the national and international literature, discusses possible scenarios for the numbers of young people likely to be affected and then presents the results of a series of interviews and focus groups in four locations in Victoria. Eight short case studies illustrate issues arising from the interviews.

Finally, the report suggests some underlying principles for the ways in which both systems and schools need to respond to the un-met needs of students either staying on at school or returning to school as a consequence of Youth Allowance changes.

The Centre is advised that copies of the Report has been made available to schools in areas targeted for Commonwealth Full Service School funding, and that the recommendations and discussion have been drawn to their attention.

Connect 112

Connect is the journal supporting student participation. Issue 112 (August 1998) contains a long article by Jan Osmotherly about the Country Connections Youth Participation Project conducted in Wangaratta (Victoria) over the past five years. The article outlines details of a series of youth forums, the process for organising these, evaluations and issues, and the background to a district SRC that developed from the experience.

Other articles in this issue of Connect report on the SRC student visit to the National Association of Student Council Conference in Kansas (USA), on the Talkback Classroom project operating through the ABC and on the development of a regional SRC conference in Melbourne's eastern region.

Copies of Connect are available from the Youth Research Centre for $4, or subscriptions from 12 Brooke Street, Northcote 3070 cost $20 pa for individuals and $30 pa for organisations/libraries.

Youth 98 Public Spaces: Public Voices

A report from the Youth Reference Group of the Youth 98 Conference is now available. Copies are available from the Youth Research Centre (call on 9344 9633) or from the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (call YACVIC on 9419 9122). Copies are limited, so hurry.

Project Updates:

Vocational Integration ARC Project

As previously announced, a progress report (Research Report 17) has been published which draws together the information covering all the surveys and interviews from 1991 to 1998. Currently the 1998 round of interviews are being done, and the 1998 questionnaires have been returned and are now being scanned.

Mindmatters

Helen Cahill has presented workshops on a whole school approach to Enhancing Resilience and Dealing with Bullying and Harassment for the Teacher Learning Network, and at Health Promoting Schools workshops in Melbourne, Bendigo and Mildura.

Combining School and Work Project

An interim report on the findings from TAFE students in Box Hill, Adelaide and the Riverina has been sent to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research. As many students as possible are trying to combine study and work (often unpaid). Many do it for the money, but there is a growing number who see it as important for future employment, with comments like “it'll look good on the resume” and “what else can you do?”. Currently a follow up questionnaire on their attitudes to work-related content in their courses is being distributed.

P D & Training Unit:

Training and Facilitation

Helen Cahill continues to offer training in communication and facilitation skills with a range of groups including parents groups, teachers and health professionals, and to work with young people using roleplay technology and dramatisation to provoke audience response and engagement with a range of issues. Recent workshops include: Drug education workshops at Portland, Frankston and Melbourne; Group facilitation workshops at Mentone Girls; Interactive teaching strategies at St Paul's, Baxter; and Roleplay skills for Drug Educator for Life Education, Sydney.

Here and Now Theatre

Helen Cahill will work with a group of 17 Tasmanian students aged 12 to 17 in preparation for a theatre based presentation at a plenary session of the Australian Secondary Principals' Conference in Hobart in September. The theme of the conference is “Adolescents - The Future is Theirs to Shape”. The youth participants will present a session encapsulating their views on issues affecting their health, education and participation.

Get Wise: teaching about illicit drugs to schools and their communities

The final draft materials have been submitted for departmental approval prior to publication. The Get Wise resource consists of seven booklets:

1. Illicit Drug Education - The Key Issues: answering frequently asked questions about school drug education;
2. The Principal's Guide: offering advice on leadership as it relates to curriculum, student welfare, legal issues and the management of drug related incidents;
3. Communicating with Parent: providing strategies and advice in the area of school- community partnership
4. The Student Welfare Action Manual: providing information, strategies and advice for welfare coordinators;
5. The A to Z of illicit drugs: a dictionary of information about illicit drugs;
6. The Secondary Classroom Activities: 14 lesson plans to guide the classroom teacher;
7. The Primary Classroom Activities: 5 lesson plans for grades 5 and 6 students.

Materials for Parents

Helen facilitated a workshop for the Victorian Parents Federation annual conference on the theme of “What is our Vision and how do we bring it to action?”

Helen has completed the final draft of a booklet commissioned by Life Education to support and guide those facilitating parents on drug related issues. The booklet provides three agendas, with supporting text, resources and activities .

In association with Ruby Pictures, Helen has developed a video to accompany the booklet. The video comprises six scenarios involving teenagers and their parents and is designed to trigger discussion around situations involving the use of alcohol or other drugs.

Around the Centre:

Gambling Education

Heather Hebron is a full time Ph.D. student at the Youth Research Centre, under the supervision of Johanna Wyn. Her thesis is investigating gambling education in Victorian schools.

Three findings prompted this research:

• The recent growth in the Victorian gambling industry has resulted in Victorian children and adolescents being exposed to social and environmental precursors known to promote and sustain gambling behaviours, namely, family and peer gambling, media promotions, visible gambling venues and political support of gambling. Most Victorian adolescents are regular gamblers with many gambling prior to entering secondary school.
• Many Victorian minors are effected problem gambling. Some are incurring problems associated with their own gambling behaviour while others are experiencing problems caused by the gambling of others. Excessive gambling has health implication that include financial, social, legal and psychological problems for both gamblers and their families.
• Some Victorian schools are currently implementing gambling education programs and policies, some using resources developed by community groups. However, research has not been conducted to determine what constitutes effective gambling education. It may be the case, like with previous approaches to drug education, that some gambling education programs and teaching strategies may not be reducing the harmful effects of gambling but inadvertently contributing to them.

The aim of this study is to produce gambling education guidelines that assist teachers and community educators to develop and implement effective gambling education programs and policies in schools. The three main components of the research are:

• A statewide audit of current gambling education practices involving teachers and community educators to determine the extent and nature of gambling education in Victorian schools (August-December 1998) .
• In the absence of research in this field and the public controversy surrounding gambling issues in Victoria, the guidelines will be developed and evaluated incorporating participatory research methodology. An extensive community consultation process involving professional and community representatives with expertise in gambling issues and/or education is in the planning with the intention that the final product is supported by all sectors of the community and not disadvantage any group (January-June 1999)
• The guidelines will be piloted and evaluated in schools involving the provision of teacher professional development, linking schools with community organisations, trialing the guidelines and evaluation (June-December 1999).

If you would like further information about the project, contact Heather Hebron at the Youth Research Centre (Ph) 03 9344-9636; (Fax) 03 9344-9632

Bob Semmens

Bob is currently engaged in the evaluation of an innovative behaviour management program at the Melbourne Juvenile Justice Centre. Staff and young men are being interviewed about their experience of the program which is based on the premise that non-confrontive management strategies promote a more cooperative working environment for everyone. The project should be completed by the end of this year.

An international literature review of vocational education and training programs in correctional settings is about to begin. This project is being conducted in association with the University of Melbourne TAFE Connection (UMTC) and a report to the Office of Training and Further Education with recommendations about world's best practice is expected by the end of the year.