Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta, in western Sydney has 56 primary and 22 secondary schools and four early learning centres. In recent years the Diocese has improved learning outcomes through a range of strategies including changing learning environments, teacher practices and focusing on personalised learning.
The Diocese is involved in research into the development of learning spaces and teaching practices as a means of informing and supporting programs within their schools:
- The Learning Exchange Website provides resources, mentoring and professional development for teachers.
- The Inhouse Inquiry Project investigated how the implementation of the concept of cohort learning had impacted upon teachers’ perception of self-efficacy in the initial stages of this innovation,
- Madden, J., et al. (2012). “Journeying together: Understanding the process of teacher change and the impacts on student learning.” International studies in educational administration 40(2): 19-36.
- Delany College in Granville, Western Sydney project was a partnership between Catholic Education Office’s Parramatta diocese, The University of Sydney, Telstra and Cisco.
Delany Connective at Delany College, Granville.
“The students are more able to see the other kids in class and gauge how they are responding to questions and the stimuli around them, so they can feel a bit more comfortable and confident about responding themselves” – Adrian Hunt (Year 7 teacher)