Our research culture is school‑level and principled. We teach students to frame answerable questions, construct replicable methods, collect and analyse data responsibly, and present findings plainly. We do not promise publication in external venues; instead, we host school‑appropriate dissemination through showcases, internal journals, and community briefings.
Ethos and Scope
- Integrity: ethics approvals at school level, data privacy, consent, and accessibility.
- Method: replicability, controls, error bounds, and transparent limitations.
- Relevance: projects often connect to Mount Victoria’s ecology, urban design, community needs, and digital wellbeing.
- Interdisciplinarity: CS collaborates with DAD for visualisation; AMPS supports EFT in modelling; BSES informs EBS with environmental datasets.
Student Research Streams
- Empirical Investigations (AMPS/BSES): hypotheses, sampling plans, instruments, data cleaning, statistical inference, and reproducible notebooks.
- Design Research (DAD/CS): user studies, prototypes, usability tests, accessibility audits, and versioned documentation.
- Engineering Trials (EFT): design‑build‑test cycles, risk assessments, bill‑of‑materials, and performance benchmarking.
- Policy & Enterprise Studies (EBS): literature mapping, case comparisons, cost‑benefit frames, and impact narratives aligned with school‑level rigour.
Teaching Research Literacy
We explicitly teach the difference between observation and inference, between correlation and causation, between results and conclusions. Students learn to present null results without embarrassment and to specify where their method might have introduced bias. When a project is imperfect—as many are—we treat that as an occasion to refine technique, not to inflate claims.
Outputs and Recognition
- School Showcases: poster sessions, demonstrations, and short talks assessed with rubrics that weigh clarity, accuracy, and ethical conduct.
- Internal Journal: a curated compilation of articles with editorial feedback emphasising structure, references as appropriate, and reproducibility statements.
- Community Briefings: accessible summaries written for non‑specialist audiences, with attention to inclusive language and responsible data presentation.
Staff Inquiry
Teachers engage in professional inquiry focused on pedagogy, assessment design, and inclusive practice. Findings inform curriculum improvements and are shared internally. We are careful not to overstate external impact; our goal is faithful, incremental enhancement of student learning.