ITE Data Report 2018

Foreword

Foreword

It is my pleasure to introduce the sixth edition of AITSL’s Initial teacher education: data report. Many developments in initial teacher education have occurred since the release of the last edition in 2017. Most notably, AITSL has continued to work closely with regulatory authorities, ITE providers, and other agencies to implement the national reforms contained in the 2015 Accreditation of initial teacher education programs in Australia: Standards and Procedures.

All ITE programs in Australia have now been assessed against the new standards. As part of an AITSL grant program, two consortia of Australian ITE providers have developed high quality teaching performance assessments that will be used in a large number of ITE programs across the nation. Two forums were held in Canberra where leaders in the education sector discussed the progress of the reforms and how to capitalise on the work undertaken to date. These are just a few of the many successes that have taken place for AITSL over the past year in ITE.

A major focus of ITE reform in this country is to ensure that there is a sound evidence base through which ITE can be strengthened and the broader teaching workforce supported. AITSL has been commissioned by Education Council to implement the Australian Teacher Workforce Data Strategy (ATWD) which connects ITE and teacher workforce data from around Australia. The ATWD will deliver critical insights to inform investment and decision making and deepen our understanding of the issues we need to address together so that teachers can maximise their impact on student learning.

Once the ATWD is fully implemented, it is envisioned that the Initial teacher education: data report series will become one of the primary resources through which ATWD data on ITE students and early career teachers are presented at the national level.

The quality of the Initial teacher education: data report series has improved each year since its inception in 2013 and this year’s edition is no different. Some of the notable additions to the report include longitudinal employment outcomes, employer satisfaction of ITE graduates and additional measures of ITE student and graduate satisfaction.

A digital version of the report has also been created this year which allows users to quickly and easily navigate through the data. As with last year’s report, an interactive data dashboard and an accessible spreadsheet with all data from the tables and charts in this report can be found on AITSL’s Initial teacher education: data report 2018 home page.

The AITSL Board commends the Initial teacher education: data report 2018 as a valuable resource that highlights the scope and scale of ITE in Australia, and one that can support researchers, policy-makers and the broader Australian education community to have a more informed debate about the direction of ITE in this country.

 

 

 

 

 

Laureate Professor John Hattie

Chair, AITSL Board

Summary of key findings

Entry into initial teacher education

Commencing student numbers and characteristics:

1. In 2016, 29,961 students commenced an ITE program, which was a 3% decrease on the previous year
2. In 2016, 72% (n=21,612) of commencing ITE students were female, 64% (n=19,310) were aged 24 and under, 54% (n=15, 588) were from medium socio-economic status backgrounds, 74% (n=21,138) were from metropolitan locations and 2% (n=660) were Indigenous.

Commencing student basis of admission and ATAR:

3. There was a 5% decrease in the proportion of commencing undergraduate ITE students who were admitted on the basis of their secondary education and had no submitted ATAR between 2015 and 2016. This was a reversal of the trend seen over the past decade in which there has been a 4% increase, from 27% (n=2,066) in 2007, to 31% (n=2,262) in 2016
4. There was little change in the ATARs of commencing undergraduate ITE students who were admitted on the basis of their secondary education between 2015 and 2016. This trend has plateaued when compared to the past decade in which there has been an increase in the proportion of these students with an ATAR in the lower bands. In 2007, 30% (n=1,706) had an ATAR of 70 or lower, compared to 40% (n=2,014) in 2016. This trend has been observed across all higher education programs, although to a lesser extent.

Commencing student study characteristics:

5. Sixty-nine percent (n=20,591) of ITE students commenced an undergraduate qualification and 31% (n=9,370) commenced a postgraduate qualification in 2016. There was no change in these proportions from the previous year. However, there has been a 5% increase in the proportion of postgraduate commencements over the past decade, from 26% (n=6,729) in 2007
6. There was a 3% increase in the proportion of ITE Masters commencements between 2015 (19%, n=5,924) and 2016 (22%, n=6,623). Over the past decade, ITE Masters commencements have increased 19%, from 3% (n=879) in 2007
7. The proportion of ITE students commencing through an internal (i.e. on campus) mode of attendance has declined from 76% (n=19,937) of all commencing students in 2007, to 60% (n=17,834) in 2016. During this time, the proportion of ITE students commencing through an external (i.e. online) mode of attendance has increased from 15% (n=3,890) in 2007 to 25% (n=7,428) in 2016.

Initial teacher education programs and providers:

8. There were 358 accredited programs offered by 48 providers at 85 different locations across Australia in 2018, this was a decrease from 373 accredited programs in 2017.

Progress through initial teacher education

First to second year retention:

9. The 2015 to 2016 first-to-second year retention rate (retention from year 1 to year 2 in the same program type) in ITE was 76% (n=15,731) for undergraduates
10. Compared to other higher education programs, the 2015 to 2016 undergraduate ITE first to second year retention rate was 3% lower than the mean rate of nine undergraduate higher education program types selected for comparison.

Success rates – rate at which students successfully completed a unit of study:

11. ITE students were slightly more likely to successfully complete a unit of study (success rate) compared to students across all higher education programs in 2016. The success rate in ITE was 90% compared to 88% across all higher education programs
12. Postgraduate ITE students (94%) had a higher success rate than undergraduate ITE students (89%) in 2016.

Completion of initial teacher education

Completing student numbers and characteristics:

13. In 2016, 17,594 students completed an ITE program, a 3% (n=600) decline on the previous year
14. In 2016, 76% (n=13,442) of completing ITE students were female, 76% (n=13,292) were aged between 20 and 29, 54% (n=9,199) were from medium socio-economic status backgrounds, 75% (n=12,765) were from metropolitan locations and 2% (n=258) were Indigenous.

Completing student study characteristics:

15. Sixty-two percent (n=10,870) of ITE students completed an undergraduate qualification and 38% (n=6,724) completed a postgraduate qualification in 2016. There was a 2% decrease in the proportion of postgraduate ITE completions on the previous year, from 40% (n=7,217) in 2015. However, there has been a 5% increase over the past decade, from 33% (n=5,534) in 2007
16. The number of completions in secondary education qualifications is similar to those in primary education qualifications. In 2016, 5,846 students completed a primary qualification and 5,849 completed a secondary qualification, 33% of all ITE completions respectively. The remaining completions were in early childhood (13%, n=2,244) and combined primary / secondary / early childhood or unspecified ITE qualifications (21%, n=3,662).

Six year completion rates – proportion of students in a cohort who completed their degree within six years

17. The six year completion rate for ITE students who commenced in 2011 was 56% (n=10,984) for undergraduates and 79% (n=6,855) for postgraduates. Compared to other higher education programs, the undergraduate ITE rate was 3% higher than average, and the postgraduate rate was 11% higher than average. As such, ITE students were more likely to complete their program, compared to students from other higher education programs
18. The six year completion rate has declined 6% and 4% respectively for ITE undergraduates and postgraduates over six years (between the 2006 and 2011 commencing cohorts). This decline is steeper for ITE compared to other higher education programs
19. The following groups of ITE students had the highest six year completion rates (2011 commencing cohort):

Undergraduates:

• Commenced through a secondary education pathway with an ATAR of 81 or higher (68%, n=1,192)
• Studied full-time (60%, n=9,858)
• Studied via an internal (i.e. on campus) mode of attendance (59%, n=8,752)

Postgraduates:

• Studied via a mixed (i.e. on campus and online) mode of attendance (91%, n=743)
• Aged 24 or under when commencing (88%, n=3,123)
• Studied full-time (87%, n=5,738).

20. The following groups of ITE students had the lowest six year completion rates (2011 commencing cohort):

Undergraduates:

• Resided in the Northern Territory (33%, n=62)
• Studied part-time (36%, n=1,126)
• With an Indigenous background (37%, n=159).

Postgraduates:

• Studied part-time (55%, n=1,117)
• Resided in Tasmania (64%, n=173)
• With a non-English speaking background (67%, n=120).

21. When multiple factors were analysed, the following ITE students had the lowest completion rates (average of 2006 to 2011 commencing cohorts):

Undergraduates:

• Part-time students from a remote location (22%, n=119)
• Part-time students with an Indigenous background (26%, n=151)
• Part-time students with a disability (26%, n=209)
• Students who attended externally (i.e. online) and from a remote location (30%, n=210)
• Students who attended externally (i.e. online) and aged 19 or younger when commencing (31%, n=233)
• Students from low SES backgrounds from a remote location (39%, n=322).

Postgraduates:

• Part-time students with an Indigenous background (49%, n=46)
• Part-time students with a disability (51%, n=230)
• Students who attended externally (i.e. online) with an Indigenous background (52%, n=61)
• External (i.e. online) mode of attendance with a disability (59%, n=211).

Current student and recent graduate satisfaction:

22. Current undergraduate ITE students had a high degree (80%) of satisfaction with the quality of their higher educational experience and similar levels of satisfaction compared to current undergraduate students from all higher education programs in 2016
23. Nineteen percent of current ITE undergraduate students considered an early departure from ITE study in 2016. This figure was similar to that of current undergraduates from all higher education programs
24. Of those current undergraduate ITE students with early departure intentions, the most common reasons for leaving related to ‘health / stress’ (45%), work factors (workload difficulties = 31%, need to do paid work = 30%) and ‘study / life balance’ (30%)
25. Recent ITE graduates from both undergraduate (78%) and postgraduate (76%) programs, had high overall levels of satisfaction with their course in 2016.

Graduate perceptions of their course:

26. A significantly higher proportion of ITE graduates (undergraduate: 85%; postgraduate: 81%) reported that their qualification prepared them for employment, compared with graduates from all higher education programs (undergraduate: 69%; postgraduate: 75%).

Early career teaching

Employment outcomes of recent graduates:

27. Fifty-seven percent of ITE graduates from undergraduate programs were working full-time in schools in 2016. This was higher than the proportion of recent ITE graduates from postgraduate programs working full time in schools, at 46%
28. Recent ITE graduates from undergraduate programs had a 95% overall employment rate and an 80% full-time employment rate. This was significantly higher than the overall (86%) and full-time (71%) employment rate for recent graduates from all undergraduate programs in 2016
29. Recent (within one year) ITE graduates from postgraduate programs had an overall employment rate of 91% which was similar to the overall employment rate of 92% for recent graduates for all postgraduate programs. ITE graduates had a full-time employment rate of 74% which was significantly lower than the full-time employment rate of 80% for recent graduates from all postgraduate programs in 2016
30. Three years after graduation, undergraduates from both ITE and all higher education programs had an overall employment rate of 92%. The three year full-time employment rate for ITE undergraduates was 90% compared to all higher education undergraduates, 88%
31. Three years after graduation, postgraduates from ITE programs had an overall employment rate of 91% compared to postgraduates from all higher education programs 94%. The three year full time employment rate for postgraduates from ITE programs was 90% compared to postgraduates from all higher education programs, 92%
32. For undergraduates, the full-time employment rate was significantly higher three years post-graduation (90%) compared to within one year of graduation (70%). For postgraduates, the full-time employment rate was significantly higher three years post-graduation (90%) compared to within one year of graduation (63%)

Employer perceptions of graduate readiness for employment:

33. Eighty-nine percent of employers of recent ITE graduates from undergraduate programs were satisfied with their performance compared to 83% of employers of recent graduates from all other higher education undergraduate programs
34. Eighty-five percent of employers of recent ITE graduates from postgraduate programs were satisfied with their performance compared to 83% of employers of recent graduates from all other higher education postgraduate programs
35. Most employers (96%) of recent ITE graduates from undergraduate programs reported that the graduate’s qualification prepared them for employment compared to 91% of employers of recent graduates from all undergraduate programs
36. Most employers (91%) of recent ITE graduates from postgraduate programs reported that the graduate’s qualification prepared them for employment compared to 93% of employers of recent graduates from all postgraduate programs.

Induction experiences of early career teachers:

37. Fifty-nine percent of early career teachers on a permanent contract had received a formal induction and 17% of early career casual relief teachers
38. School leaders were more likely to indicate formal induction was provided compared to early career teachers themselves. Across all contract types, 48% of early career teachers indicated they had received a formal induction while 70% of school leaders indicated formal induction was provided to early career teachers. Sixty-five percent of early career teachers who received induction strongly agreed that their induction experience improved their knowledge and teaching practice, while 24% strongly disagreed that this was the case
39. Seventy-two percent of early career teachers who received induction agreed that their experience made them feel a part of the profession.

Career intentions of early career teachers:

40. Fifty-six percent of early career teachers indicated they were not likely to leave classroom teaching in the foreseeable future, while 15% indicated they would leave within one to five years, 4% indicated they would leave within six to 10 years and 3% after 10 years; 22% were unsure.

1. Introduction and background

1.1 Purpose

This is the sixth edition of the Initial teacher education: data report. Over the past six years, the report has presented the available data on initial teacher education (ITE) in a single resource.

The Initial teacher education: data report 2018 brings together a range of data about ITE applicants, students and graduates collected by the Australian Government that are publicly available or available upon request as customised data. Due to the timing associated with public release, mostly 2016 data are used in this report.

This report aims to inform ongoing research and policy development by providing data about ITE in an easily accessible single resource. By highlighting, describing and analysing data specific to teacher education in Australia, the report also contributes to the broader public discussion of issues related to ITE.

New to the 2018 report:

• Medium term employment-outcomes of ITE graduates compared with other higher education graduates
• Graduate self-assessed readiness for employment
• Employer satisfaction with ITE graduates
• Postgraduate and undergraduate data combined for individual providers on their course experience and employment outcomes.

1.2 Definition of initial teacher education

An initial teacher education program is a higher education program that is accredited to meet the qualification requirements for registration as a school teacher in Australia. Other education-related programs that do not lead to registration as a school teacher are also available. A Master of Education Curriculum Studies, for example, might be undertaken to extend a registered practising teacher’s education knowledge.

1.3 Towards a national initial teacher education and teacher workforce data collection

ITE and the teacher workforce are national concerns requiring the effective collaboration of many key stakeholders: state, territory and the Commonwealth Governments, teacher regulatory authorities (TRAs), teacher education providers, teacher employers, schools and their communities, representative groups and individual teachers. While there are many sets of data on ITE and the teaching workforce based largely within jurisdictions, there are currently limitations on what we know about the outcomes of ITE programs and workforce supply and demand at a national level and between states and territories.

In 2014, the Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group (TEMAG) was established, and its report, Action Now: Classroom Ready Teachers (2014) identified the compelling need for better national research and workforce planning as one of the key approaches to improving education outcomes through ITE. It found that a lack of consistent and timely national teacher data “hinders both continuous improvement in initial teacher education and workforce planning.”

In December 2016 Education Council agreed that AITSL would implement the Australian Teacher Workforce Data Strategy (ATWD). The ATWD will unite existing national and jurisdiction-based ITE and teacher workforce data sets to provide a picture of ITE and the teacher workforce at the national level. It will enable supply pipeline modelling for workforce planning and increase our understanding about the workforce outcomes of ITE and the trajectory of teaching careers. For the first time Australia will have a complete and longitudinal evidence-based picture of the teaching workforce nationally from ITE to exit.

As data from the ATWD become available, the knowledge gained will identify national and local workforce trends that will support better responses to emerging workforce developments and strengthen the positive impact of teaching on student outcomes across all systems and sectors.

The ATWD will also provide a complete picture of the employment outcomes of ITE and help us better understand teacher career pathways; this can be used to inform improvement in ITE programs and courses and allow aspiring students to make better decisions about what to study and where to work. The ATWD will build on the ITE Data Report series by extending the analysis and reporting to include workforce outcomes and trends.

Implementation of the ATWD is well underway through the collaboration of many key stakeholders including state, territory and the Commonwealth Governments and teacher regulatory authorities (TRAs) among others. Initial data for some states will be available by the end of 2018, which will build over the next three years to provide a complete, longitudinal picture of ITE and the teacher workforce.

The data collected by the ATWD will complete the minimum data set and architecture outlined in A Blueprint for Initial Teacher Education and Teacher Workforce Data (2015). This minimum data set is outlined below in Table 1. As data from the ATWD become available, it is envisioned that the Initial teacher education: data report series will become a key mechanism through which the aggregated data are disseminated.

1.4 Structure of this report

The Initial teacher education: data report 2018 is structured to conform to in A Blueprint for Initial Teacher Education and Teacher Workforce Data (Table 1). This report includes data for all ‘ITE phase’ data items of the Blueprint. Future additions of the Initial teacher education: data report series will include new data to meet data items in the ‘early career teacher workforce phase’ of the Blueprint as they become available.

In accordance with the Blueprint, the structure of this report corresponds with the successive phases of ITE: entry and progress through ITE, completion of ITE, and entry into early career teaching. This ITE lifecycle and the data relating to each phase of the lifecycle is presented in sections 2 to 5 of the report. Specifically:

• Section 2 is the ‘entry into ITE’ phase listed in the Blueprint and provides student commencement data for information about student entry into ITE as well as information on ITE programs
• Section 3 is the ‘progress through ITE’ phase listed in the Blueprint and provides data on all enrolled ITE students, first-to-second-year retention rates, and success rates to provide information about student progress through ITE
• Section 4 is the ‘completion of ITE’ phase listed in the Blueprint and provides student completion data, six year completion rates, and data on the satisfaction and engagement of current ITE students and recent graduates to provide information about completion of ITE
• Section 5 is the ‘early career teacher’ phase listed in the Blueprint and provides information about outcomes of ITE including employment rates and employment status of recent ITE graduates, and induction experiences and career intentions of early career teachers.

Section 6 includes a data report on each ITE provider in Australia. The reports outline the demographic and study characteristics of commencing and completing ITE students, six year completion rates, student and graduate satisfaction, and employment outcomes at the institution level.

Throughout the report, ITE data are compared to data across all higher education programs to provide context for the results. Where appropriate, the data are separated by undergraduate and postgraduate results.

1.5 Data in this report

Data in this report have been sourced from six national data collections and surveys.

Higher Education Student Data Collection

The Higher Education Student Data Collection (HESDC) is a census of administrative and statistical information on higher education students in Australia. Data are collected by higher education providers (HEPs) and submitted to the Australian Government Department of Education and Training (DET) through the Higher Education Information Management System (HEIMS) under the Higher Education Support Act 2003.

Once processed and signed off, HESDC data are available through the uCube or as customised data upon request. HESDC data from this report were derived from customised, aggregated tables generated by DET. The latest data from the HESDC that were available for this report are from end 2016. This is due to timing associated with the public release of this data set. Please refer to Appendix 3 for additional information about the HESDC.

University Applications and Offers Data Collection

The Applications and Offers Data Collection records all applications by domestic applicants for Commonwealth supported places in higher education undergraduate award courses through Australian Tertiary Admission Centres (TACs). Records of offers made by universities and acceptances of those offers by students are also included in the collection. The data are processed and released in the same manner as the HESDC. Please refer to Appendix 3 for additional information about the Applications and Offers Data Collection.

Student Experience Survey

The Student Experience Survey (SES) is a comprehensive survey of higher education students in Australia. The SES is administered to commencing and later-year onshore undergraduate students. It measures student satisfaction and engagement levels across five indices. The SES is part of a new suite of surveys that comprises the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT).

SES data presented in this report include 95% confidence intervals to indicate the precision of the results. Appendix 3 contains further information about the SES, including response rates and an overview of respondent characteristics compared to the in-scope population.

Australian Graduate Survey/Graduate Outcomes Survey

Data from the Australian Graduate Survey (AGS) are from three distinct questionnaires administered to graduates about four months after graduation. The Graduate Destination Survey (GDS) and Postgraduate Destination Survey (PDS) are administered to graduates from undergraduate and postgraduate programs respectively. They both collect information on graduate employment outcomes, continuing study and work-seeking status. The Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) is administered to graduates from undergraduate and postgraduate programs and focuses on the extent to which graduates are satisfied with their course. All pre-2016 data in this report was gathered from the AGS.

From 2016, the GDS, PDS and CEQ were transitioned into the Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) which is part of the suite of QILT surveys. Additionally, the GOS collects information on recent graduate readiness for employment.

AGS and GOS data presented in this report include 95% confidence intervals to indicate survey precision. Appendix 3 provides additional information about the AGS, including response rates and an overview of respondent characteristics compared to the in-scope population.

Graduate Outcomes Survey – Longitudinal

The Graduate Outcomes Survey – Longitudinal (GOS-L) is a continuation from the Graduate Outcomes Survey. The GOS-L is a cohort analysis measuring the medium-term employment outcomes of graduates, approximately three years after graduation. The data in this report follows the 2013 graduate cohort.

GOS-L data presented in this report include 95% confidence intervals to indicate survey precision. Appendix 3 provides additional information about the GOS-L, including response rates and an overview of respondent characteristics compared to the in-scope population.

Employer Satisfaction Survey

The Employer Satisfaction Survey (ESS) was developed in order to provide a measure of employer perceptions of the outcomes of graduates entering the workplace. The ESS is administered to employers (or direct supervisors) of recent graduates from higher institution including universities and non-university higher education institutions (NUHEIs).

The ESS collected data on a range of attributes, including; foundation, adaptive, collaborative, technical and employability skills.

ESS data presented in this report include 95% confidence intervals to indicate survey precision. Appendix 3 provides additional information about the ESS, including response rates and an overview of respondent characteristics compared to the in-scope population.

AITSL Stakeholder Survey

The AITSL Stakeholder Survey is undertaken by ITE students and providers, teachers, school leaders and other education organisations. It measures awareness, knowledge, attitudes and satisfaction with AITSL and its policies, tools, and resources. It also explores key issues facing teachers and school leaders.  As with all survey data used in the report, 95% confidence intervals are included to provide a measure of survey accuracy. Additional information about the AITSL Stakeholder Survey, including response rates, the respondent profile, and an assessment of data quality are provided in Appendix 3.

AITSL Accredited Programs Database

The AITSL Accredited Programs List contains information about the name, number, location and characteristics of accredited ITE programs and providers. The information in the list has been provided by the relevant teacher regulatory authority in each state and territory. More information about the list, including an assessment of data quality, can be found in Appendix 3.

2. Entry into initial teacher education

This section provides data on the characteristics of commencing students and the ways they choose to study. It also provides some early information about the potential pipeline of future teacher graduates.

Entrants to ITE come from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. Many enter teacher education programs directly from secondary education, and others after undertaking tertiary education or work. There are a variety of ways in which students can undertake their course, and there are many different types of ITE programs with different areas of focus.

This section presents information about 2016 commencing ITE students, including demographic, basis of admission, and Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) data. It includes data on different ITE qualification types and levels, study areas, and types of attendance. This section also provides data on the number and characteristics of accredited ITE programs in Australia and the names of the institutions that provide them. Please refer to Section 6 for data at the individual ITE provider level.

2.1 Key findings

Applications and offers:

• Of the 26,394 highest preference undergraduate applications to ITE programs through Tertiary Admissions Centres in 2016, 21,571 offers were made in total. The highest preference offer rate was 59%, 15,686 offers made (the number of highest preference offers as a percentage of highest preference applications).

Commencing student numbers and demographics:

• In 2016, 29,961 students commenced an ITE program in 2016, a 3% decrease on the previous year. ITE students represented 5% of total commencements across all higher education programs. This figure has remained steady over the past decade
• In 2016, 72% (n=21,612) of commencing ITE students were female, 64% (n=19,310) were aged 24 and under, 54% (n=15,588) were from medium socio-economic status backgrounds, 74% (n=21,138) were from metropolitan locations and 2% (n=660) were Indigenous
• Compared to commencing students from all higher education programs, ITE had a higher proportion of females (72% and 55% respectively), a lower proportion of students from high socio-economic status backgrounds (23% and 33% respectively), and a higher proportion of students from regional locations in 2016 (25% and 20% respectively)
• Based on the permanent home address of students, Western Australia recorded the largest (17%, n=502) within state/territory increase in commencing students between 2015 and 2016, while NSW recorded the largest within state/territory decrease (13%, n=1345) during this time.There was a significant increase in International student admissions during 2015 and 2016 (20%, n=203).

Commencing student basis of admission and ATAR:

• At the undergraduate level, 36% (n=7,482) of commencing ITE students entered from a secondary education pathway in 2016. This was a 1% decrease on the previous year. At the postgraduate level, 97% (n=9,108) entered through a higher education pathway in 2016; this was a 3% increase compared to 2015
• There was a 5% decrease in the proportion of commencing undergraduate ITE students who were admitted on the basis of their secondary education and had no submitted ATAR between 2015 and 2016. However, over the past decade there has been a 4% increase, from 27% (n=2,066) in 2007, to 31% (n=2,262) in 2016
• In 2016, 40% (n=2,014) of commencing undergraduate ITE students who were admitted on the basis of their secondary education with a submitted ATAR, had an ATAR of 70 or lower. This compares to 26% (n=21,328) across all higher education programs
• There was little change in the ATARs of commencing undergraduate ITE students who were admitted on the basis of their secondary education between 2015 and 2016. However, over the past decade there has been an increase in the proportion of these students with an ATAR in the lower bands. In 2007, 30% (n=1,706) had an ATAR of 70 or lower, compared to 40% (n=2,014) in 2016. This trend has been observed across all higher education programs, 42% (n=2,102) in 2015
• The proportion of all commencing undergraduate ITE students, those who were admitted on the basis of their secondary education and who had a low ATAR. In 2016, those who entered via a secondary education pathway with an ATAR between 30 and 50 accounted for just 1% (n=319) of total ITE commencements, while this figure was 2% (n=569) for those with an ATAR between 51 and 60 and 4% (n=1,126) for those with an ATAR between 61 and 70.

Commencing student study characteristics:

• 69% (n=20,591) of ITE students commenced an undergraduate qualification and 31% (n=9,370) commenced a postgraduate qualification in 2016. There has been no change in the proportion of postgraduate ITE commencements compared to the previous year. However, there has been a 6% increase over the past decade, from 26% (n=6,729) in 2007
• While the number of postgraduate ITE commencements has risen sharply over the past decade, the number of undergraduate commencements has increased only slightly, from 19,430 in 2007 to 20,591 in 2016
• There was a 3% increase in the proportion of ITE Masters commencements between 2015 (19%, n=5,924) and 2016 (22%, n=6,623). Over the past decade, ITE Masters commencements have increased 19%, from 3% (n=879) in 2007
• The number of students studying to become secondary teachers has increased steadily since 2008. In 2016, commencements in secondary ITE qualifications (n=9,706) outnumbered primary ITE qualifications (n=9,496)
• Commencements in early childhood qualifications have been rising steadily over the past decade and have almost doubled from 2,948 in 2007 to 4,018 in 2016
• 80% (n=23,990) of ITE students commenced full-time and 20% (n=5,971) commenced part-time study in 2016. There was no change in the proportion of commencing part-time ITE students from 2015
• 60% (n=17,834) of ITE students commenced via an internal (i.e. on campus) mode of attendance while 25% (n=7,428) commenced via an external (i.e. online) mode of attendance in 2016
• Between 2007 and 2016 there has been a 16% decline in students commencing via an internal (i.e. on campus) mode of attendance and a 10% increase in students commencing via an external (i.e. online) mode of attendance
• As at 26 February 2018, there were 358 accredited programs offered by 48 providers at 85 different locations across Australia.

2.2 Applications and offers for undergraduate places

Table 2 provides data on applications and offers to ITE programs for those coming from secondary education pathway into an undergraduate program. For 2016:

• 26,394 highest preference applications were made for ITE programs.
• 15,686 highest preference offers were made for ITE programs. As such, first round offers were made to 59% of applicants who listed that particular ITE program as their highest preference.
• 21,571 offers were made for ITE programs in total.

 

2.3 Number of commencing students

A total of 29,961 students commenced an ITE program in 2016, a decrease of 3% from 2015. Commencements across all higher education programs increased by 4% between 2015 and 2016 (Table 3).

The number of ITE commencements is further broken down by student type (Table 4) which shows:

• 28,720 domestic students commenced an ITE program in 2016 along with 83 domestic students whose home address was overseas
• There were 1,158 commencing international ITE students.

Figure 1 provides the number of commencements in ITE programs between 2007 and 2016 increased by 15% over the past decade (Figure 1). In 2016, commencing ITE students represented 5% of all commencing higher education students. This figure has remained steady over the past decade.

2.4 Characteristics of commencing students

Figure 2 details the characteristics of students who commenced an ITE program in 2016. For context, this information is also provided for all higher education students. For ITE students:

• 72% (n=21,612) were female
• 64% (n=19,310) were 24 and under.

When compared to all higher education students, ITE students:

• Were more likely to be female (ITE = 72%, all higher education = 55%)
• Were of relatively similar age.

Figure 3 shows the equity status of domestic commencing ITE students compared to all commencing higher education students.

• 54% (n=15,588) of ITE students were from medium socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds
• 74% (n=21,138) were from metropolitan locations
• 2% (n=660) identified as Indigenous.

When compared to all higher education students:

• There was a higher proportion of ITE students from medium SES backgrounds (ITE = 54%, all higher education = 49%)
• There was a higher proportion of ITE students from regional locations (ITE = 25%, all higher education = 20%)
• There was a lower proportion of ITE students from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) (ITE = 2%, all higher education = 4%)
• In ITE and all higher education, there were similar proportions of students: from Indigenous (2%) backgrounds; with a disability (5%) and from remote locations (1%).

2.5 Commencements by state/territory of home residence

Figure 4 shows the number of commencing ITE students by permanent home residence between 2007 and 2016. The data indicate that:

• Western Australia recorded the largest (17%, n=502) within state/territory increase in commencing students between 2015 and 2016, while New South Wales recorded the largest within state/territory decrease (13%, n=1,345) during this time
• Victoria has recorded the largest proportional increase of commencing students over the past decade. In 2007 Victoria was home to 20% (n=5,312) of the entire commencing population, this increased to 26% (n=7,695) in 2016.

2.6 Basis of Admission

Students enter ITE programs through a number of pathways, including from secondary education, tertiary education, VET and mature entry. The admission of students to ITE programs is at the discretion of providers and via different mechanisms, for example, ATAR, prior academic performance, interviews and written applications, can all be employed in making selection decisions.

The basis of admission data in this report refer to the admission criteria collected through the HESDC. Six categories of admission can be reported by HEPs into the HESDC:

• Secondary education undertaken at school, VET or other HEP (Australian or overseas equivalent)
• A higher education course
• A VET award course other than a secondary education course (Australian or overseas equivalent; complete or incomplete)
• Mature age special entry provisions
• A professional qualification
• Other basis - where a student was granted an offer not categorised through the remaining basis of admission categories, for example, through a school principal’s letter of recommendation.

The basis of admission data are captured as part of an ITE provider’s reporting requirements into the HESDC for commencing students. However, the data do not necessarily reveal which selection mechanism(s) was used within each basis of admission category or combination of categories. For example, a student entering via a secondary education pathway may be admitted on the basis of an interview, written application and an ATAR.

In 2016 the Higher Education Standards Panel was commissioned to provide the Australian Government with options to improve the transparency of higher education student admissions policies. Its report Improving Transparency of Higher Education Admissions Processes (2016) outlined 14 recommendations which were accepted by the Australian Government. An Implementation Working Group has been tasked with implementing the recommendations which, in summary, include:

• Adopting a standard information template for admissions information
• Creating a national admissions platform
• Ensuring common language is used between universities and sectors
• Making it easier to compare course admissions criteria across jurisdictions
• Publishing minimum entry and bonus point schemes
• Making information from admissions centres more easily available.

At this stage it is not clear how these recommendations will flow through to unit level data collection and reporting in the HESDC. Data presented in future editions of this report will be updated to reflect any changes.

Basis of admission by undergraduate and postgraduate students

Figure 5 presents the basis of admission for 2016 commencing students for both ITE and all higher education programs. For ITE students:

• 36% (n=7,482) entered from a secondary education pathway
• 28% (n=5,739) entered through a higher education pathway
• 18% (n=3,767) entered through a VET award.

When compared to students from all higher education programs, ITE students:

• Were 2% less likely to enter from a secondary education pathway (ITE = 36%, all higher education = 38%) and 2% more likely to enter through a higher education pathway (ITE = 28%, all higher education = 26%)
• Were more likely to enter from a VET award pathway (ITE = 18%, all higher education = 11%).

While not shown in Figure 5, 97% (n=9,108) of postgraduate ITE students entered through a higher education pathway in 2016.  Across all higher education programs, 89% (n=158,855) of postgraduate students entered through a higher education pathway.

Basis of admission time series

Figure 6 presents 2007 – 2016 time series data on the basis of admission of commencing undergraduate ITE students. The data indicate:

• A 4% increase in the proportion of students who commenced undergraduate ITE via a higher education pathway over the previous year, from 24% (n=5,168) in 2015 to 28% (n=5,739) in 2016
• Over the past decade there has been an increase in the proportion of students who entered through a VET award pathway from 13% (n=2,573) in 2007 to 18% (n=3,767) in 2016
• In the last several years, there has been a decrease in the proportion of students who entered undergraduate ITE through a secondary education pathway from 42% (n=8,629) in 2014 to 36% (n=7,482) in 2016.

 

2.7 ATAR

The Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) is a ranking that converts a final year secondary student’s overall achievement to a percentile ranking within each state/territory. The ATAR has been designed so that admission officers selecting entrants to tertiary programs can consider the ranking to be equivalent across states/territories. ATAR is a commonly reported measure of academic performance used by providers of ITE for the selection of students into undergraduate programs. It should not be confused with basis of admission, which can include qualifications such as a diploma or degree, secondary education or other basis.

The ATAR is currently the primary source of nationally comparable data on entry standards to tertiary education and is often used as an indicator of the standard of entrants into tertiary education. However, ATAR minimum entry figures that are published for admission to programs are affected by the levels of demand and supply for the program. The ATAR data presented in this report provide a more complete picture than the minimum entry ATARs that are published for admission to ITE programs. Comparing minimum ATARs for entry to programs does not reveal the distribution of students who meet or exceed the minimum ATAR score.

ATAR Commencements

The HESDC captures the ATAR data for all commencing students if an ATAR is available with a student’s details at the time of their commencement. However, having an ATAR available does not indicate this was the mechanism by which the student was selected for a program. For example, a student will most likely commence a postgraduate program through a higher education pathway, where they were admitted on the basis of a completed undergraduate qualification. While that student may also have a submitted ATAR in their higher education record, it is unlikely that it was considered in their selection into the program. In order to identify commencing students who were most likely selected on the basis of their ATAR, it is useful to limit analysis to students who commenced from a secondary education basis of admission pathway. This is because these entrants are most commonly offered a place in a higher education program on the basis of their ATAR.

Figure 7 provides the percentage of domestic undergraduate ITE students who were admitted on the basis of their secondary education with and without a submitted ATAR. It shows:

• In 2016, 31% (n=2,262) of ITE students who were admitted on the basis of their secondary education had no submitted ATAR. This was a 5% decrease on the previous year.

The data do not reveal the basis or bases of admission for the 31% of entrants from secondary school with no submitted ATAR. However, anecdotal information suggests some secondary education entrants are admitted into tertiary programs on the basis of interviews with the HEP and/or letters of recommendations provided by secondary school principals.

Distribution of ATAR – students who were admitted on the basis of their secondary education

Figure 8 presents the ATAR spread for domestic undergraduate students, commencements admitted on the basis of their secondary education in both ITE and across all higher education programs. The data show:

• In 2016, 40% (n=2,014) of ITE students who were admitted on the basis of their secondary education and who had a submitted ATAR, had an ATAR of 70 or lower. In comparison 26% (n=21,328) of students across all higher education programs were admitted from secondary education with a submitted enter of 70 or lower.

ATAR time series

Figure 9 presents the ATAR time series for undergraduate ITE students who entered via a secondary education pathway with a submitted ATAR:

• Between 2007 and 2016, there was an increase in the proportion of ITE students entering through a secondary pathway with an ATAR in the lower bands. In 2007, 30% (n=1,706) had an ATAR of 70 or lower, compared to 40% (n=2,014) in 2016
• There was little variation in the ATAR spread of students who entered ITE via a secondary education pathway between 2013 and 2016
• The proportion of ITE students who were admitted on the basis of their secondary education and who had an ATAR in the lower bands is low compared to all commencing ITE students. In 2016, those who entered via a secondary education pathway with an ATAR between 30 and 50 accounted for just 1% (n=319) of total ITE commencements, while this figure was 2% (n=569) for those with an ATAR between 51 and 60 and 4% (n=1,126) for those with an ATAR between 61 and 70.

Figure 10 displays the same time series across all higher education programs for undergraduates with a submitted ATAR who entered through a secondary pathway. It too shows an increase in the percentage of students with an ATAR in the lower bands, however to a lesser extent:

• In 2007, 20% (n=14,170) had an ATAR of 70 or lower, compared to 26% (n=21,328) in 2016.

2.8 Commencements by level and type of qualification

The data presented above provided an indication of the characteristics of students commencing ITE. This section focuses on the levels and types of ITE programs that students are commencing and the ways they are studying. Data on the type and number of ITE programs are also provided.

Commencements by level of qualification

Figure 11 provides the number of commencing postgraduate and undergraduate ITE students between 2007 and 2016:

• In 2016, 69% (n=20,591) of ITE students commenced an undergraduate qualification and 31% (n=9,370) commenced a postgraduate qualification
• There was no change in the proportion of postgraduate commencements compared to 2015
• There has been an increase in the proportion of postgraduate commencements over the past decade, from 26% (n=6,729) in 2007
• While the number of postgraduate ITE commencements has increased considerably over the past decade, the number of undergraduate commencements has increased only slightly, from 19,430 in 2007 to 20,591 in 2016.

Commencements by type of qualification

Figure 12 shows commencements in ITE by program type. The data show:

• Over the past decade, there was an increase in the proportion of Masters commencements, from 3% (n=879) of total commencements in 2007 to 22% (n=6,623) in 2016. There was a 3% increase on the previous year, from 19% (n=5,924) in 2015. This increase may reflect the requirement for two-year graduate entry ITE programs under the revised National Accreditation Standards
• Over the past decade, there was a decrease in the proportion of Graduate Diploma commencements, from 22% (n=5,838) of total commencements in 2007 to 9% (n=2,728) in 2016. There was a 3% decrease on the previous year, from 12% (n=3,592) in 2015. Many Graduate Diploma programs are one-year programs that are being phased out under the National Accreditation Standards and as such commencements in these programs are likely to continue to decrease.

2.9 Commencements by detailed field of education

Detailed field of education refers to the sub-categories of teacher education such as primary, secondary and early childhood. As such the number of commencements by detailed field of education highlights the specific areas of study students are entering.

Figure 13 presents the breakdown between undergraduate and postgraduate commencements by detailed field of education in ITE:

• Primary qualifications at the undergraduate level accounted for 24% (n=7,156) of total commencements
• Secondary qualifications at the undergraduate level accounted for 18% (n=5,385) of total commencements
• Early childhood qualifications were predominantly studied at the undergraduate level, accounting for 12% (n=3,505) of total commencements, compared to 2% (n=513) at the postgraduate level
• Undergraduate students were more likely to commence primary qualifications (24%, n=7,156) compared to secondary qualifications (18%, n=5,385)
• Conversely, postgraduate students were more likely to commence secondary qualifications (14%, n=4,321) compared to primary qualifications (8%, n=2,340).

Figure 14 provides commencements by ITE detailed field of education from 2007 to 2016. It shows:

• The number of students commencing to become secondary teachers has increased steadily since 2008. In 2014, for the first time in at least a decade, the number of secondary ITE qualifications surpassed that of primary ITE qualifications. In 2016 the number of secondary qualification commencements (n=9,706) was once again greater than primary qualifications (n=9,496)
• There has been a 2% decrease in commencements of early childhood qualifications over the previous year from 4,559 in 2015 to 4,018 in 2016.

Population modelling by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows there is currently strong population growth in primary school aged students. ABS population projections indicate continued growth in the next five to 10 years, and this will begin to impact demand for secondary teachers from 2018 .

2.10 Commencements by type and mode of attendance

Figure 15 presents the proportion of ITE students who commenced full-time and part-time study between 2007 and 2016. The chart shows:

• In 2016, 80% (n=23,990) of ITE students commenced full-time and 20% (n=5,971) commenced part-time study
• There was no change in the proportion of part-time students between 2015 and 2016
• The relative proportion of full-time and part-time students has remained fairly steady over the past decade.

Figure 16 displays the proportion of commencements in ITE by mode of attendance, as a percentage of total commencements between 2007 and 2016. The greatest changes that have occurred over the past decade include:

• A 16% decline in ITE students studying through an internal (i.e. on campus) mode of attendance from 76% (n=19,937) in 2007 to 60% (n=17,834) in 2016
• A 10% increase in ITE students studying through an external (i.e. online) mode of attendance from 15% (n=3,890) in 2007 to 25% (n=7,428) in 2016.

It should be noted that prior to 2015, commencing ITE students from Swinburne Online were not included in these figures because their program identifiers were not coded to the HESDC as ‘initial teacher education’ programs. In 2015, 99% (n=2,530) of Swinburne Online students commenced ITE through an external (i.e. online) mode of attendance. This represented 33% of all commencing external ITE students in 2015 and more than accounted for the 5% proportional increase in external commencements since 2014.

2.11 Student status

The HESDC collects information about the payment status of commencing students, including whether they are in a Commonwealth-supported place, full-fee paying, international full-fee paying or fee-exempt. These data provide further information about the profile of commencing ITE students.

Figure 17 provides the payment status of commencing ITE students between 2007 and 2016. It shows:

• A 5% increase in the proportion of students in a Commonwealth supported place from 89% (n=23,378) in 2007 to 94% (n=28,064) in 2016.

2.12 Initial teacher education programs

There are a number of different ways in which students can obtain an ITE qualification. The Accreditation Standards state that upon satisfactory completion, the graduate must have a four-year or longer full-time equivalent higher education qualification structured as either:

• A three-year undergraduate degree providing the required discipline knowledge, plus a two-year graduate entry professional qualification (for example, a Bachelor of Arts plus a Master of Teaching)
• An integrated qualification of at least four years comprising discipline studies and professional studies (for example, a Bachelor of Education: Primary)
• Combined degrees of at least four years covering discipline and professional studies (for example, a Bachelor of Education: Secondary and a Bachelor of Arts) .

Students who successfully complete an accredited program meet the qualification requirements for teacher registration in Australia. Institutions offer multiple programs covering both undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications and there are programs that focus on specific stages of schooling such as primary, secondary and early childhood. Opportunities for specialisations in areas such as disability studies and Indigenous education are also available. Specialisations can be incorporated into initial degrees or offered through double degree options.

An analysis of AITSL’s accredited Programs Data Base revealed the following program information:

• There were 358 accredited programs offered by 48 providers at 85 different locations across Australia
• 71% (n=255) of programs were at the undergraduate level and 29% (n=103) at the postgraduate level
• 69% (n=248) were four-year programs , 29% (n=104) were two-year programs , and 2% (n=6) were five-year programs
• The programs were classified into the following detailed fields of education:
  • Secondary (52%, n=186)
  • Primary (29%, n=103)
  • Early Childhood and Primary (14%, n=49)
  • Other (6%, n=20).

Figure 18 illustrates the number of ITE program locations across Australia by state / territory and regional classification, highlighting the accessibility of ITE programs to a broad range of prospective students. Of the 85 locations where ITE programs are offered:

• 61% (n=52) are located in metropolitan areas while 39% (n=33) are located regionally
• Most campuses are located in New South Wales (24), closely followed by Victoria (23).

Online programs are also offered by many institutions, which increases further the accessibility of teacher education programs.

2.13 Accredited initial teacher education providers

Table 5 lists the 48 providers of ITE in Australia. The list was taken from AITSL’s Accredited Programs List and included programs that were ‘accredited, and ‘accredited, but no longer offered.’ Note that data from this list are not directly comparable to ITE programs coded to the HESDC due to timing, different coding processes and data definitions.

3. Progress through initial teacher education

This section provides data on the demographic and study characteristics of all currently enrolled ITE students.

In order to indicate how ITE students are progressing through their programs, first-to-second year retention rates and success rates – the percentage of completed units as a proportion of the total number of units attempted – are included. The retention and success rates are cross tabulated with demographic and other variables to provide an insight into the factors that may influence student progression through ITE.

3.1 Key findings

Student numbers

• A total of 87,134 students were enrolled in an ITE program in 2016, an increase of 2% from 2015. Students enrolled in an ITE program represented 6% of students enrolled across all higher education programs. This figure has remained steady over the past decade.

First-to-second-year retention rates

• The 2015 to 2016 first-to-second-year retention rate in ITE was 76% (n=15,731) for undergraduates
• The undergraduate retention rate in ITE was 3% lower than the mean rate of nine undergraduate higher education program types selected for comparison. As such ITE students were less likely to be retained in ITE in their second year compared to the equivalent retention of undergraduate students from other similar higher education programs.
• The following groups of ITE students had the highest 2015 to 2016 retention rates:
  • Commenced through a secondary education pathway with an ATAR of 81 or higher (84%, n=1,353)
  • Commenced through a secondary education pathway with an ATAR between 71 and 80 (81%, n=1,053)
  • Studied full-time (80%, n=13,287)
  • Studied via a mixed (i.e. on campus and online) mode of attendance (83%, n=2,492)
  • Aged 19 or younger when commencing (79%, n=8,083)
  • Resided in South Australia (78%, n=1,490)
• The following groups of undergraduate ITE students had a retention rate at least 5% lower than the average undergraduate ITE rate of 76%:
  • Studied part-time (59%, n=2,444)
  • Resided in the Northern Territory (71%, n=157) and Tasmania (67%, n=193)
  • With an Indigenous background (68%, n=415)
  • Studied externally (i.e. online) (66%, n=3,517)
  • Aged 25-29 (69%, n=1,343), 30-39 (69%, n=1,594) and 40+ when commencing (69%, n=829)
  • Commenced via a professional qualification pathway (66%, n=67).

Success rates

• The average success rate for ITE students (90%) was slightly higher compared to students across all higher education programs (88%) in 2016.
• Postgraduate ITE students (94%) had a higher success rate than undergraduate ITE students (89%) in 2016
• The following groups of ITE students had a success rate at least 5% lower than the average undergraduate/postgraduate rate for 2016:
  
  • Undergraduate (79%) and postgraduate (89%) Indigenous students
  • Undergraduates who commenced via a secondary education pathway with an ATAR of 60 or lower (80%)
  • Part-time undergraduates (77%) and postgraduates (88%)
  • Undergraduate (84%) and postgraduate (89%) students with a disability
  • Undergraduates who studied externally (i.e. online) (82%).

3.2 Number of enrolled students

A total of 87,134 students were enrolled in an ITE program in 2016, an increase of 2% from 2015 (Table 6). There were 84,583 domestic ITE students enrolled as well as 2,312 international students (Table 7). Across all higher education programs, the number of enrolled students increased 3% between 2015 and 2016.

Figure 19 provides the number of students enrolled in ITE programs between 2007 and 2016. It shows that there has been a 27% increase since 2007. Over the past decade, the percentage of students enrolled in an ITE program as a proportion of all enrolled higher education students has remained steady, at around 6%.

3.3 Characteristics of enrolled students

Figure 20 details the characteristics of all enrolled ITE students in 2016 compared to all higher education students. The chart shows that for ITE students:

• 75% (n=65,440) were female
• 63% (n=54,740) were 24 and under.

When compared to all higher education students, Figure 20 indicates that ITE students:

• Had a higher proportion of females (ITE = 75%, all higher education = 55%)
• Had a similar age range.

Figure 21 shows the equity status of all enrolled domestic ITE students compared to all enrolled higher education students, for 2016.

• 54% (n=46,059) of ITE students were from medium SES backgrounds
• 73% (n=62,157) were from metropolitan locations
• 2% (n=1,893) were Indigenous.

When compared to all higher education students:

• There was a higher proportion of ITE students from medium SES backgrounds (ITE = 54%, all higher education = 48%)
• There was a higher proportion of ITE students from regional locations (ITE = 25%, all higher education = 19%)
• There was a lower proportion of ITE students from non-English speaking backgrounds (ITE =1%, all higher education = 4%)
• In ITE and all higher education, there were similar proportions of students: from Indigenous (2%) backgrounds, and from remote locations (1%).

3.4 First to second year retention

An analysis of the first to second year special adjusted retention rate in ITE provides information about the proportion of students who commenced an ITE program and continued with an ITE program at the same or different institution in their second year.

There are other ways to measure retention. For example, it is possible to measure the general retention rate by determining the proportion of students that continued studying in any field of education in their second year, whether at the same or another institution. Special adjusted retention was selected as the preferred method in this report because AITSL is particularly interested in the proportion of students who are retained in ITE, rather than those who are retained in higher education in general.

In this section, first to second year special adjusted retention rates (from here referred to as ‘retention rates’) show the proportion of students that commenced an ITE program and remained in an ITE program the following year, whether at the same or another institution. The first sub-section shows retention in ITE compared to other higher education program types. This is followed by ITE retention rates across a number of demographic variables to provide insight into the characteristics of students (including modes of study and attendance) that may affect continuation beyond their first year of enrolment in an ITE program.

The retention rate data represents students who commenced in one year, and shows their retention status after that year. For example the 2015 data show the proportion of students who commenced in 2015 and who were retained in 2016. Retention rates are provided for undergraduate students only. It was not possible to calculate accurate first-to-second-year retention rates for postgraduate ITE students due to the large number of one year postgraduate programs. For a full understanding of attrition and completion in undergraduate and postgraduate ITE, please refer to section 4.7.

When interpreting the retention rates it can be noted that some students may take a leave of absence in their second year and re-commence at a later date.

Retention in initial teacher education compared to other higher education program types

Figure 22 presents the first to second year retention rate for undergraduate ITE students and undergraduate students from other higher education program types for 2015 commencing students. The data shows:

• ITE undergraduates who commenced in 2015 had a retention rate of 76% (n=16,027). This was 2% lower than the mean retention rate of the nine undergraduate higher education program types selected for comparison.

Time series retention in undergraduate initial teacher education

Figure 23 outlines retention rates in ITE for undergraduate students who commenced between 2006 and 2015. The data show:

• Despite a dip in 2012 where the retention rate was 72% (n=15,398), undergraduate retention has remained fairly stable at about 76%.

Retention in undergraduate initial teacher education by various student and study characteristics

3.5 Success rates

The success rates of students within a program provide valuable insight into how students are managing the study requirements of their program. Success rates are calculated by the sum of all units passed by students enrolled in a given year, divided by all units of study attempted (passed + failed + withdrawn) by those students. Success rates are presented as a proportion of actual student load (equivalent full-time student load, EFTSL) . As such, the success rates should not be considered to represent the cumulative success of students across the entirety of their studies.

Success rate data are provided for ITE domestic undergraduate and postgraduate students across a range of student and study characteristics.

Time series success rates in initial teacher education compared to all higher education programs

Figure 30 provides success rate data for ITE students and students from all higher education programs who were enrolled between 2007 and 2016. The data show:

• The success rate in ITE was 90% in 2016, compared to 88% across all higher education programs
• Success rates in ITE have remained slightly higher than those across all higher education programs over the past decade.

Success rates by various equity status indicators are shown in Figure 33 for undergraduate and postgraduate ITE students in 2016. The average undergraduate and postgraduate rates are also provided.

For undergraduates, the data indicate:

• Indigenous students had a 79% success rate, which was 10% lower than the average undergraduate rate
• Students with a disability had an 84% success rate, which was 5% lower than the average undergraduate rate.

For postgraduates:

• Students with a disability had an 89% success rate, which was 5% lower than the average postgraduate rate.

Success rates for 2016 ITE undergraduate students who entered via a secondary education pathway by ATAR band are shown in Figure 34, along with the average undergraduate success rate. The data indicate:

• Students who were admitted on the basis of their secondary education with an ATAR between 30 – 50 had a 75% success rate, which was 14% lower than the average undergraduate rate
• Students who were admitted on the basis of their secondary education with an ATAR between 91 – 100 had a 96% success rate, which was 7% higher than the average undergraduate rate
• A higher ATAR was generally associated with a higher success rate.

Figure 35 presents 2016 success rates for undergraduate and postgraduate ITE students, by type and mode of attendance. It also presents the average undergraduate and postgraduate retention rate.

For undergraduates:

• Part-time students had a 77% success rate, which was 12% lower than the average undergraduate rate
• Students studying via an external (i.e. online) mode of attendance had an 82% success rate, which was 6% below the average undergraduate rate.

For postgraduates:

• Part-time students had an 88% success rate, which was 6% below the postgraduate average.

4. Completion of initial teacher education

This section presents demographic data on 2016 completing ITE students and data on the types and levels of qualifications they undertook. In presenting the above data it allows for insight into the potential pipeline of graduates entering into the teaching profession.

To give insight into completion outcomes in ITE, this section provides six year completion and attrition rates of ITE students compared to students from various higher education programs cross-tabulated with demographic and other variables. The impact of multiple demographic factors on completion in ITE is also examined.

4.1 Key findings

Completing student numbers and demographics

• A total of 17,594 students completed an ITE program in 2016, a 3% decline on the previous year. Completions in ITE represented 5% of completions across all fields of education. This figure has remained steady over the past decade
• In 2016, 76% (n=13,442) of completing ITE students were female, 76% (n=13,292) were aged between 20 and 29, 54% (n=9,199) were from medium socio-economic status backgrounds, 75% (n=12,765) were from metropolitan locations and 2% (n=258) were Indigenous
• Compared to completing students from all higher education programs, in 2016 there was a higher proportion of ITE students who were female, from medium socio-economic status backgrounds or from regional locations
• Western Australia recorded the largest (8%, n=141) within state/territory proportional increase of completing students between 2015 and 2016. New South Wales recorded the largest within state/territory decline (12%, n=754) during this time. These results relate to the permanent home address of the student, rather than the location of the higher education provider.

Completing student qualification levels and types

• In 2016, 62% (n=10,870) of ITE students completed an undergraduate qualification and 38% (n=6,724) completed a postgraduate qualification. There was a 2% decrease in the proportion of postgraduate ITE completions on the previous year, from 40% (n=7,217) in 2015
• Over the past decade, the proportion of completing postgraduate students has risen 6%, from 33% (n=5,534) in 2007
• There was a 4% increase in the proportion of ITE Masters completions between 2015 (18%, n=3,289) and 2016 (22%, n=3,802). Over the past decade, the proportion of ITE Masters completions has increased 18% from 3% (n=593) in 2007
• Primary qualifications represented 23% (n=4,058) of undergraduate and 10% (n=1,788) of postgraduate completions in 2016
• Secondary qualifications represented 16% (n=2,782) of undergraduate and 17% (n=3,067) of postgraduate completions in 2016
• In 2016, there was a much higher proportion of undergraduates (11%, n=1,996) who completed an early childhood qualification, compared to postgraduates (1%, n=248)
• The number of completions in early childhood qualifications has increased steadily over the past decade from 1,566 in 2007 to 2,244 in 2016
• The number of completions in secondary qualifications is similar to those in primary qualifications. In 2016, there were 5,846 completions in primary qualifications and 5,849 completions in secondary qualifications. These qualifications represented 33% each, of all ITE completions, in 2016.

Six year completion rates – proportion of students in a cohort who completed their degree within six years

• The six year completion rate for ITE students who commenced in 2011 was 56% (n=10,538) for undergraduates and 78% (n=6,265) for postgraduates
• The undergraduate completion rate in ITE was 3% higher than the mean rate of nine undergraduate higher education program types selected for comparison (2011 commencing cohort). Using the same comparison with postgraduate programs, the postgraduate ITE completion rate was 11% higher than the mean. As such, ITE students were more likely to complete their program. This was particularly the case for postgraduates
• Both undergraduate and postgraduate ITE courses have experienced a decline in six year completion rates between the 2006 and 2011 commencing cohorts (-6% for undergraduates and -4% for postgraduates). This decline was steeper compared to that of other higher education programs
• The following groups of ITE students had the highest six year completion rates (2011 commencing cohort):



Undergraduates:

• Commenced through a secondary education pathway with an ATAR of 81 or higher (69%, n=1,192)
• Commenced through a secondary education pathway (60%, n=5,068)
• Studied full-time (60%, n=9,858)
• Studied via an internal (i.e. on campus) mode of attendance (59%, n=8,752).

Postgraduates:

• Studied via a mixed (i.e. on campus and online) mode of attendance (91%, n=743)
• Aged 24 or under when commencing (88%, n=3,123)
• Studied full-time (87%, n=5,738)
• Studied via an internal (i.e. on campus) mode of attendance (84%, n=4,826)
• Female (80%, n=5,006)
• Resided in New South Wales (81%, n=2,368), Victoria (78%, n=1,832), South Australia (78%, n=392) or Queensland (78%, n=803).
• The following groups of undergraduate ITE students had a six year completion rate at least 5% lower than the average undergraduate ITE rate of 56%:
  • Resided in the Northern Territory (33%, n=62)
  • Resided in Tasmania (33%, n=153)
  • Studied part-time (36%, n=1,126)
  • With an Indigenous background (37%, n=159)
  • Studied externally (i.e. online) (41%, n=1,222)
  • From a remote location (45%, n=124)
  • Commenced via a mature entry pathway (45%, n=720)
  • Resided in ACT (46%, n=166)
  • Male (47%, n=2,049)
  • Aged 25 or over when commencing (48%, n=2,244)
  • Resided in Queensland (49%, n=1,647)
  • Commenced via a professional qualification pathway (49%, n=21)
  • Commenced through a secondary education pathway and had an ATAR between 30 and 50 (49%, n=64)
  • With a disability (51%, n=450)
  • With a non-English speaking background (51%, n=107).
• The following groups of postgraduate ITE students had a six year completion rate at least 5% lower than the average postgraduate ITE rate of 79%:
  • Studied part-time (55%, n=1,117)
  • Studied externally (i.e. online) (62%, n=1,286)
  • Resided in Tasmania (64%, n=173)
  • With a non-English speaking background (67%, n=120)
  • Aged 25 or over when commencing (70%, n=3,732)
  • With a disability (71%, n=227).
• A range of multiple demographic and study characteristics were analysed to determine whether there were any student groups that were particularly susceptible to lower completion. For undergraduates, the student groups with the lowest completion rates were (average of 2007 to 2011 commencing cohorts; completion rates and numbers provided):
  
  • Part-time students from a remote location (22%, n=119)
  • Part-time students with an Indigenous background (26%, n=151)
  • Part-time students with a disability (26%, n=209)
  • Students who attended externally (i.e. online) and from a remote location (30%, n=210)
  • Students who attended externally (i.e. online) and aged 19 or younger when commencing (31%, n=233)
  • Students from low SES backgrounds from a remote location (39%, n=322).
• For postgraduates, the student groups with the lowest completion rates were (average of 2007 to 2011 commencing cohorts; completion rates and numbers provided):
  • Part-time students with an Indigenous background (49%, n=46)
  • Part-time students with a disability (51%, n=230)
  • External (i.e. online) mode of attendance with an Indigenous background (52%, n=61)
  • External (i.e. online) mode of attendance with a disability (59%, n=211).

Student and graduate satisfaction

• Both current undergraduate ITE students and students from all higher education programs had a high degree (80%) of satisfaction with the quality of their educational experience in 2016
• In 2016, 19% of current undergraduate students seriously considered an early departure. This figure was 1% higher to that of current undergraduates from all higher education programs (18%). Of those current undergraduate ITE students with early departure intentions, the most common reasons for leaving related to ‘health / stress’ (45%), work factors (workload difficulties = 31%, need to do paid work = 30%) and ‘study / life balance’ (30%)
• Recent ITE graduates from both undergraduate (78%) and postgraduate (76%) programs, had high overall levels of satisfaction with their course in 2016.

Graduate perceptions of their course

• A higher proportion of ITE graduates (undergraduate: 85%; postgraduate: 81%) reported that their qualification prepared them for employment, compared to graduates from all higher education programs (undergraduate: 69%; postgraduate: 75%).

4.2 Number of completing students

A total of 17,594 students completed an ITE program in 2016 which was a decline of 3% from 2015. Across all higher education programs, the number of completing students increased by 3% between 2015 and 2016 (Table 8). There were 16,942 domestic and 603 international ITE completions in 2016 (Table 9).

Figure 36 provides the number of completing ITE students between 2007 and 2016. It shows there has been a 4% increase in the number of completions since 2007. Over the past decade, the percentage of students completing an ITE program as a proportion of all completing students in higher education has remained steady, at approximately 5%.

4.3 Characteristics of completing students

Figure 37 details the characteristics of all students who completed an ITE program in 2016. For context, this information is also provided for all higher education students. For ITE, the data show:

• Most completing students were female (76%, n=13,442)
• Most completing students were between the ages of 20 and 29 (76%, n=13,292).

When compared to all higher education students, Figure 37 indicates ITE students:

• Had a higher proportion of completing females (ITE = 76%, all higher education = 57%)
• Had a higher proportion of completing students aged 20-24 (ITE = 57%, all higher education = 51%).

Figure 38 provides equity status data for completing ITE students and students across all higher education programs. The data indicate:

• 54% (n=9,199) of completing ITE students were from medium SES backgrounds
• 75% (n=12,765) were from metropolitan locations
• 2% (n=258) were Indigenous.

When compared to students across all higher education programs, Figure 38 indicates:

• There was a higher proportion of ITE students with a medium SES status (ITE = 54%, all higher education = 47%)
• There was a higher proportion of ITE students from regional locations (ITE = 24%, all higher education = 17%)
• There was a lower proportion of ITE students from non-English speaking backgrounds (ITE = 1%, all higher education = 4%)
• There was a slightly higher proportion of Indigenous ITE students (ITE = 2%, all higher education = 1%).

4.4 Completions by state/territory of home residence

Figure 39 presents time series data for completing ITE students by their home residence. This provides an indication of the supply of graduate teachers around Australia.

• Western Australia recorded the largest (8%, n=141) within state/territory proportional increase of completing students between 2015 and 2016. New South Wales recorded the largest within state territory proportional decline (12%, n=-754) during this time
• Victoria has recorded the largest proportional increase of completing students over the past decade. However, between 2015 and 2016 Victoria experienced a 4% (n=-175) within state increase
• Queensland and New South Wales have recorded the largest proportional decline of completing students over the past decade. In 2007, Queensland was home to 18% (n=3,070) of the entire completing population, which has decreased to 16% (n=2,807) in 2016. Similarly, 2007, New South Wales was home to 33% (n=5,594) of the entire completing population, which has decreased to 31% (n=5,499) in 2016.

4.5 Completions by type and level of qualification

Figure 40 provides completions in ITE by program type. The data show:

• Over the past decade, there was an increase in the proportion of Masters completions, from 3% (n=593) of total completions in 2007 to 22% (n=3,802) in 2016. There was a 4% increase on the previous year, from 18% (n=3,289) in 2015. These changes are likely to continue with the requirement for two-year graduate entry ITE programs under the revised National Accreditation Standards
• Over the past decade, there was a decrease in the proportion of Graduate Diploma completions, from 29% (n=4,921) of total completions in 2007 to 17% (n=2,908) in 2016. There was a 5% decrease on the previous year, from 22% (n=3,919) in 2015. Many Graduate Diploma programs are one-year programs that are being phased out under the National Accreditation Standards and as such completions in these programs are likely to continue to decrease.

Figure 41 provides the proportion of completing undergraduate and postgraduate ITE students between 2007 and 2016. The chart shows:

• In 2016, 62% (n=10,870) of ITE students completed an undergraduate qualification and 38% (n=6,724) completed a postgraduate qualification
• There was a slight decrease in the proportion of postgraduate completions over the previous year, from 40% (n=7,217) in 2015
• There has been an increase in the proportion of postgraduate completions over the past decade, from 33% (n=5,534) in 2007.

4.6 Completions by detailed field of education

Figure 42 provides ITE completions by level of qualification and detailed field of education.

• 23% (n=4,058) of students completed an undergraduate primary qualification and 10% (n=1,788) completed a postgraduate primary qualification
• 16% (n=2,782) of students completed an undergraduate secondary qualification and 17% (n=3,067) completed a postgraduate secondary qualification
• There was a much higher proportion of undergraduates (11%, n=1,996) who completed an early childhood qualification, compared to postgraduates (1%, n=248).

Figure 43 provides 2007 to 2016 time series data on completing ITE students by detailed field of education. It shows:

• The number of completions in early childhood qualifications have increased steadily over the past decade from 1,566 in 2007 to 2,244 in 2016
• Over the past decade, the number of completions in secondary qualifications has been nearing and has now reached the number of completions in primary qualifications. In 2016, there were 5,846 completions in primary qualifications and 5,849 completions in secondary qualifications. These qualifications each represented 33% of all ITE completions, in 2016.

4.7 Six year completion and attrition rates

This section presents a series of six year longitudinal cohort analyses showing the proportion of students who completed, discontinued, or were still enrolled in an ITE program within six years of their commencement. The analyses show completion rates in ITE compared to other higher education programs, and completion rates in ITE by various student demographic and study characteristics.

A cohort analysis provides a more accurate picture of completion in ITE compared to, for example, comparing commencement and completion data across years. To determine the completion and attrition rates, by cohort analysis, a matching process using the Student ID, Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN) and field of education indicator were used to track the progress of a cohort over six years. Using this approach, the data represent completion outcomes for all commencing students within a cohort after six years of their commencement, regardless of the circumstances of their journey. For example, this approach includes the completion outcomes for students who progress straight through their course, for students who take leave periods, for students who may defer or discontinue and re-enrol in the same program type, and for those who changed higher education providers.

A six year timeframe was determined to be appropriate because previous analysis suggests only a very small proportion of students go on to complete an ITE program after six years .

Note that the six year completion rates presented in this report may differ to those in other publications that also use data from the HESDC. It is likely that any differences reflect a different approach to the analysis of the data. In AITSL’s analysis, for a student to be counted as ‘completed’, they must have completed the same field of education in which they commenced, regardless of whether or not they changed programs within the same field of education. For example, a student who commenced an ITE program at University A and completed an ITE program at University B within six years, is counted as ‘completed the same program.’ If that same student completed a non-ITE program within six years they are counted as ‘dropped out or enrolled in other program.’

Six year completion rates in initial teacher education compared to other higher education program types

Figure 44 shows the status of the 2011 commencing undergraduate cohort, by ITE and other fields of education, up to the end of 2016. That is, it provides the six year completion and attrition rates for undergraduate students who commenced in 2011 in ITE and across a range of other higher education program types. It also shows the proportion of students who were still enrolled in the same program in the sixth year. The data indicate:

• ITE undergraduates had a completion rate of 56% (n=10,538), which was 3% higher than the mean completion rate of the nine undergraduate higher education program types selected for comparison
• ITE undergraduates had an attrition rate of 38% (n=7,137), which was 3% lower than the mean attrition rate of the nine undergraduate higher education program types selected for comparison.

The equivalent data for postgraduate students is presented in Figure 45. The chart shows:

• ITE postgraduates had a completion rate of 78% (n=6,265) which was 11% higher than the mean completion rate of the nine postgraduate program types selected for comparison
• ITE postgraduates had an attrition rate of 21% (n=1,645) which was 7% lower than the mean attrition rate of the postgraduate higher education program types selected for comparison.

It should be noted that ITE postgraduate programs had the lowest proportion of students who were still engaged in their sixth year. This could indicate that the postgraduate programs selected for comparison take longer to complete than ITE, and as a result, could have higher completion rates if the analysis was extended beyond six years.

Time series six year completion rates for undergraduate and postgraduate initial teacher education students

Figure 46 provides the completion rates for undergraduate and postgraduate ITE students and the mean completion rate for undergraduate and postgraduate students from other higher education programs, six years after their commencement. These rates are presented for the 2006 through to the 2011 commencing cohorts. The data show:

• Completion rates in postgraduate ITE programs have been, on average, about 22% higher than undergraduate programs. The difference in duration between these qualifications should be considered when interpreting the results
• The completion rate for undergraduate ITE programs has decreased by 6% between the 2006 and 2011 commencing cohorts while the average completion rate of other undergraduate higher education programs decreased by 3% during this timeframe
• The completion rate for postgraduate ITE programs has decreased by 4% between the 2006 and 2011 commencing cohorts while the average completion rate of other higher education programs increased by 5% during this timeframe.

Six year completion rates for undergraduate and postgraduate initial teacher education students by various population and study characteristics

This section provides an outline of the completion rates for ITE students over time and across various student demographic and study characteristics. To enable easier interpretation of the data, this section shows the completion rate only, and does not refer to the attrition rates or proportion of students still enrolled in their sixth year (as in Figure 44 and Figure 45 above).

The results show that some characteristics are associated with particularly high or low completion rates. When interpreting the data it is important to remember that there are usually a range of factors associated with higher and lower completion rates. For example, the data indicate that students attending via an external (i.e. online) mode of attendance have much lower than average completion rates; however that does not necessarily indicate that studying via an external (i.e. online) mode of attendance causes lower than average completion. Students who study externally are older than average, more likely to study part-time and more likely to live in a non-metropolitan location. These factors are also associated with lower completion and may contribute to the lower average completion rate of students studying through an external (i.e. online) mode of attendance, and vice versa. For a more nuanced picture of completion rates, please refer to the section below on ‘multiple factors affecting completion’.

Figure 47 shows the completion rate for undergraduate and postgraduate ITE students by gender and age range (2011 commencing cohort). The average undergraduate and postgraduate completion rate is also provided.

For undergraduates:

• Females (59%, n=8,935) had a 12% higher completion rate than males (47%, n=2,049)
• Students aged 24 or under when commencing (59%, n=8,740) had a 9% higher completion rate than students aged 25 or over when commencing (48%, n=2,244).

For postgraduates:

• Students aged 24 or under when commencing (88%, n=3,123) had an 18% higher completion rate than students aged 25 or over when commencing (70%, n=3,732).

Figure 48 provides completion rates for domestic undergraduate and postgraduate ITE students (2011 commencing cohort) by various equity status indicators. The average domestic completion rates are provided for comparison.

The following groups of undergraduate students had a completion rate at least 5% lower than the domestic average:

• Indigenous students had a 37% (n=159) completion rate, which was 19% lower than the average domestic undergraduate rate
• Remote students had a 45% (n=124) completion rate, which was 11% lower than the average domestic undergraduate rate.

The following groups for postgraduates had a completion rate at least 5% lower than the domestic average:

• Non-English speaking students had a 67% (n=120) completion rate, which was 12% lower than the average domestic postgraduate rate
• Students with a disability had a 71% (n=227) completion rate, which was 7% lower than the average domestic postgraduate rate.

Undergraduate and postgraduate completion rates for ITE students by state of permanent home address (2011 commencing cohort) are shown in Figure 49. The average undergraduate and postgraduate completion rates are provided for context.

For undergraduates:

• Northern Territory had a 33% (n=62) completion rate which was 23% lower than the average undergraduate rate
• Tasmania had a 33% (n=153) completion rate which was 23% lower than the average undergraduate rate
• Queensland had a 49% (n=1,647) completion rate which was 7% lower than the average undergraduate rate
• ACT had a 46% (n=166) completion rate which was 9% lower than the average undergraduate rate.

For postgraduates:

• Tasmania had a 64%(n=173) completion rate which was 15% lower than the average postgraduate rate
• Northern Territory had a 74% (n=64) completion rate which was 6% lower than the average postgraduate rate.

Figure 50 presents undergraduate ITE completion rates by basis of admission (2011 commencing cohort) alongside the average undergraduate completion rate. The data shows:

• Students who entered via a secondary education pathway had the highest completion rate (60%, n=5,068)
• Students who entered through a mature entry pathway (45%, n=720) or ‘other basis’ (45%, n=707) had the lowest completion rates, 11% lower than the undergraduate average
• Students who entered on the basis of a professional qualification had a 49% (n=21) completion rate, which was 7% below the average undergraduate rate.

Completion rates for postgraduate students by basis of admission are not reported because about 95% of postgraduates enter through a higher education pathway.

Figure 51 presents undergraduate ITE completion rates by ATAR band for students who were admitted on the basis of their secondary education. The average undergraduate completion rate for secondary education pathway is also provided. It shows:

• Students with an ATAR of 81 or higher had a 68% (n=1,192) completion rate, which was 8% higher than the average undergraduate secondary education entry pathway rate
• Students with an ATAR 50 or less (49%, n=64) had a completion rate 12% lower than the average undergraduate secondary education entry pathway rate
• A lower ATAR was generally associated with a lower completion rate.

 

Figure 52 shows undergraduate and postgraduate ITE completion rates by mode of attendance (2011 commencing cohort), as well as the average undergraduate and postgraduate completion rates for context.

For undergraduates:

• Part-time students had a completion rate of 36% (n=1,126), which was 24% below the full-time rate and 20% below the average undergraduate rate
• Students studying through an internal (i.e. on campus) mode of attendance had a 59% (n=8,752) completion rate, which was 4% higher than the undergraduate average
• Students studying externally had a 41% (n=1,222) completion rate, which was 18% lower than the internal rate and 15% below the undergraduate average.

For postgraduates:

• Part-time students had a completion rate of 55% (n=1,117), which was 32% below the full-time rate and 24% below the average postgraduate rate
• Multi-modal students (91%, n=743) and students studying internally (84%, n=4,826) had a higher than average completion rate
• Students studying externally had a 62% completion rate which was 29% lower than the multi-modal rate and 17% below the average postgraduate rate.

Six year completion rates in initial teacher education: Multiple factors associated with lower completion for undergraduates and postgraduates

The analysis above has shown that some student demographic and study characteristics are associated with lower than average completion rates. As noted, however, it is potentially inaccurate to conclude that a particular demographic or study characteristic is responsible for completion rates when there may be multiple factors impacting the likelihood of a student completing their course.

To provide a more nuanced understanding of completion in ITE, AITSL undertook an analysis of three student groups with lower than average completion rates, namely part-time students, students studying through an external (i.e. online) mode of attendance, and students from low SES backgrounds. Six year completion rates for each of these groups were then analysed by a range of demographic and study characteristics including gender, age, Indigeneity, disability status, location, SES and type and mode of attendance.

Given the level of disaggregation in this analysis, average completion rates were calculated across five cohorts (from 2007 through to 2011). This reduced the level of outcome fluctuation that would occur if the analysis was restricted to one cohort. This variation would have been due, in part, to the small number of students belonging to multiple categories in a single cohort.

Figure 53 shows the six year completion rates for part-time ITE undergraduates along with other demographic characteristics that were found to negatively impact the likelihood of completion (average of the 2007 to 2011 commencing cohorts). While there were many demographic and study characteristics that were analysed for part-time students, Figure 53 shows only those additional factors that were at least 5% lower than the part-time average, and at least 5% lower than the additional factor itself.

Figure 53 demonstrates:

• Part-time students from a remote location had a completion rate of 22% (n=119), which was 15% lower than the rate for all part-time students (37%, n=6,848) and 23% lower than the rate for all remote students (44%, n=745)
• Part-time students with a disability had a completion rate of 26% (n=209), which was 11% lower than the rate for all part-time students (37%, n=6,848) and 24% lower than the rate for all students with a disability (50%, n=1,929).

Figure 54 shows the completion rates for undergraduate ITE students who attended externally (i.e. online) along with other characteristics that were found to negatively impact the likelihood of completion. While there were many characteristics that were analysed Figure 54 shows only those additional factors that were at least 5% lower than the average rate for external students, and at least 5% lower than the additional factor itself. Interestingly, the additional factors that resulted in the lowest completion rates for part-time students were the same for external students.

Figure 54 demonstrates:

• Students attending via an external (i.e. online) mode of attendance and who were aged 19 or younger had a completion rate of 31% (n=233), which was 13% lower than the rate for all external students (43%, n=6,751) and 31% lower than the rate for all students aged 19 or younger (62%, n=34,915)
• Students attending via an external (i.e. online) mode of attendance and from a remote location had a completion rate of 30% (n=210), which was 14% lower than the rate for all external students (43%, n=6,751) and 15% lower than the rate for all remote students (44%, n=745).

Figure 55 shows the completion rates for low SES undergraduate ITE students along with other demographic characteristics that were found to negatively impact the likelihood of completion. Again, many characteristics were analysed; however Figure 55 shows only those additional factors that were at least 5% lower than the average rate for students from low SES backgrounds, and at least 5% lower than the additional factor itself.

Figure 55 demonstrates:

• Students from low SES backgrounds who were from a remote location had a completion rate of 39% (n=322), which was 16% lower than the rate for all students from low SES backgrounds (55%, n=13,537) and 5% lower than the rate for all students from remote backgrounds (44%, n=745)
• Students from low SES backgrounds aged 25-29 had a completion rate of 47% (n=1,177), which was 8% lower than the rate for all students from low SES backgrounds (55%, n=13,537) and 5% lower than the rate for all students aged 25-29 (52%, n=5,348).

AITSL undertook the equivalent analysis for postgraduate ITE students. For part-time postgraduates, there were two additional factors that were associated with a completion rate at least 5% lower than the part-time rate and the additional factor itself.

• Part-time Indigenous students, had a completion rate of 49% (n=46). This was 9% lower than the rate for all part-time students (58%, n=6,126) and 19% lower than the rate for all Indigenous students (69%, n=195)
• Part-time students with a disability, had a completion rate of 51% (n=230). This was 8% lower than the rate for all part-time students (58%, n=6,126) and 19% lower than the rate for all students with a disability (71%, n=1,060).

For students attending via an external (i.e. online) mode of attendance, there were two additional factors that were associated with a completion rate at least 5% lower than the rate for all external students and the additional factor itself.

• External students with an Indigenous background, had a completion rate of 52% (n=61). This was 14% lower than the rate for all external students (65%, n=6,844) and 17% lower than the rate for all Indigenous students (69%, n=195)
• External students with a disability, had a completion rate of 59% (n=211). This was 7% lower than the rate for all external students (65%, n=6,844) and 12% lower than the rate for all students with a disability (71%, n=1,060).

For low SES postgraduates, it found there were no additional factors affecting completion that met the reporting threshold, that is, completion rates at least 5% lower than the average low SES rate and the additional factor itself.

4.8 Current student and recent graduate satisfaction

ITE programs are designed to prepare students to commence their professional journey in the classroom. Student and graduate satisfaction levels are useful indicators of the success of ITE programs and higher education providers in preparing classroom-ready graduates. This section presents various student and graduate perception data from the Student Experience Survey (SES) and Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ). The SES is a survey administered to commencing and later year students from undergraduate programs and captures data on their satisfaction and engagement with their higher education experience. The CEQ is administered to graduates (from undergraduate and postgraduate coursework programs) about four months after graduation and captures data on course satisfaction. Please refer to Appendix 3 for further information about the SES and CEQ, including an assessment on data quality.

Student satisfaction

Figure 56, Figure 57 and Figure 58 present data from the SES which was designed to conceptualise and measure five domains of the student higher education experience. The five domains include student satisfaction with: the skills development they experienced; the level of engagement at their institution; the quality of teaching in their course; the support they received at their institution; and the learning resources provided by their institution. There is also an overall measure of the quality of the educational experience. In total these domains comprise 46 individual survey items which can be found at Appendix 4.

Figure 56 shows the percentage of students who were satisfied across the five SES domains and the overarching ‘quality of educational experience’ measure. 2016 data are shown for ITE undergraduate students and students from all undergraduate higher education courses. Ninety five percent confidence intervals are provided to indicate the precision of the survey results. Where there is overlap between confidence intervals, it suggests there may be no significant difference between the results, however where there is no overlap, it suggests the results are statistically significant. For ITE students, Figure 56 indicates:

• There was a high degree of satisfaction with the learning resources provided (84%), the skills development experienced (83%) and the level of teaching quality (80%), while there was moderate satisfaction in relation to learner engagement (62%) and student support (72%).

When comparing responses from ITE students to students from all higher education courses, Figure 56 indicates:

• There was low variation between ITE students and students from all higher education courses across the SES domains; however skills development was rated slightly (but statistically significantly) higher by students from ITE programs, and teaching quality was rated slightly (but statistically significantly) higher by students from all higher education programs.

Figure 57 provides the percentage of ITE undergraduates who were satisfied across the five SES domains over time. The data shows that between 2014 and 2016 there have been no statistically significant changes in undergraduate satisfaction across the five SES domains.

Figure 58 presents the percentage of undergraduate ITE students who were satisfied with the quality of their educational experience from different ITE providers in 2016. Provider names have been replaced with randomly assigned numerical identifiers. Ninety five percent confidence intervals have been included to indicate the precision of the results. Where confidence intervals between providers overlap, it suggests there may be no statistically significant difference between the results. Where the confidence intervals between providers do not overlap, then the results are statistically significant. Wider confidence intervals indicate a larger degree of variance within the point estimate for a provider. The data indicate:

• There was a notable difference between the proportion of students who were satisfied with the quality of their educational experience across ITE providers
• ITE providers in the lowest quarter of the distribution appear to be significantly different to those in the highest quarter
• There does not appear to be significant differences between ITE providers in the middle of the distribution.

Students considering early departure

In addition to measuring students’ satisfaction with their educational experience, the SES also captures data on their departure intentions. Figure 59 below shows the proportion of undergraduate students who indicated they had seriously considered leaving between 2014 and 2016. The chart presents responses from ITE students and students from all higher education programs along with 95% confidence intervals. Figure 59 shows:

• The proportion of ITE students who have seriously considered leaving has remained steady between 2014 and 2016, at about 19%
• There were no substantial differences in departure intentions between ITE students and students from all higher education programs.

Students who indicated they had seriously considered leaving in 2016 were asked to select from a list of 30 options to reveal the reasons for their consideration. Figure 60 shows these results for undergraduate ITE students and students from all higher education programs, together with 95% confidence intervals. The results were filtered to show the 10 most prominent reasons for ITE students. Respondents were asked to select as many reasons that apply, hence the percentages do not add up to 100%.

• The most common reasons for leaving relate to everyday / situational circumstances, such as ‘health / stress’ (45%, n=1,048), work factors (workload difficulties = 31%, n=705, need to do paid work = 30%, n=690) and ‘study / life balance’ (30%, n=693). This may highlight the importance of student support in maximising ITE students’ higher education experience.

When compared to responses from students across all higher education courses, Figure 60 shows:

• ITE students had similar reasons for considering leaving; however ITE students were significantly more likely to nominate ‘health / stress’, ‘workload difficulties’, ‘need to do paid work’, ‘paid work responsibilities’ and ‘family responsibilities’ as a potential reason for departure.

Graduate satisfaction

Figure 61 and Figure 62 present data from the CEQ, which is administered to graduates from undergraduate and postgraduate coursework programs about four months after graduation. The CEQ asks graduates to agree or disagree to statements about aspects of their course which have been shown to influence student learning. There are three focus areas which ask graduates: whether they had experienced good teaching practices during their study; whether their studies had improved their generic skills; and whether overall, they were satisfied with their course. The three CEQ focus areas are measured through numerous individual survey items which can be found at Appendix 4. There are several differences in methodology between the GOS and AGS and therefore comparisons between 2016 and all prior years should be undertaken with caution.  Smaller response rates may also impact on the comparability of data.

Figure 61 shows the percentage of graduates who were satisfied across the three CEQ focus areas in 2016, along with 95% confidence intervals. Data are shown for ITE graduates and graduates from all higher education courses and are split by undergraduates and postgraduates.

For undergraduates:

• ITE graduates had high overall levels of satisfaction with their course (78%) and agreed their course had improved their generic skills (79%). There was moderate agreement in relation to teaching quality (61%)
• Compared to graduates from all higher education courses, ITE graduates had similar levels of agreement about the extent to which they experienced good teaching. They also had similar levels of overall satisfaction. ITE graduates had significantly lower levels of agreement about the extent to which their course had improved their generic skills.

For postgraduates:

• ITE graduates had significantly lower levels of agreement compared to their ITE undergraduate counterparts about the extent to which they improved their generic skills (67%) and their overall satisfaction (76%). They had similar levels of agreement about the quality of teaching they experienced in their course (62%)
• Compared to graduates from all higher education courses, ITE graduates had significantly lower levels of agreement across all three CEQ focus areas.

Figure 62 shows the percentage agreement of ITE undergraduates and postgraduates across the three CEQ focus areas, along with 95% confidence intervals. The Figure shows that between 2014 and 2016:

• There have been significant decreases in the proportion of undergraduates and postgraduates who agreed they had experienced good teaching in their course and had improved their generic skills
• There have been significant decreases in undergraduates’ overall satisfaction with their course
• There have been no significant changes in postgraduates’ overall satisfaction with their course.

Graduate perceptions of foundation skills, adaptive skills and team work skills

Figure 63 shows the extent to which recently employed graduates reported that their qualification provided them with the required foundation, adaptive and teamwork skills required for employment. The chart shows separate rates for graduates who completed undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications.

For undergraduates:

• The extent to which ITE graduates reported that their qualification provided the foundation (86%, n=2,908), adaptive (83%, n=2,890) and teamwork skills (81%, n=2,913) was similar to all higher education graduates (foundation, 86%, n=35,271; adaptive, 83%, n=35,210; teamwork, 79%, n=36,243).

For postgraduates:

• A lower proportion of ITE graduates reported that their qualification equipped them with foundation skills (76%, n=2,061) compared with all higher education graduates (81%, n=17,692)
• A lower proportion of ITE graduates reported that their qualification equipped them with adaptive skills (76%, n=2,066) compared with all higher education graduates (82%, n=17,675)
• A similar proportion of ITE graduates (68%, 2,069) and all higher education graduates (66%, n=17,588) reported that their qualification equipped them with teamwork skills.

Graduate perceptions of employment readiness

Figure 64 shows the extent to which recently employed ITE graduates reported that their qualification prepared them for employment. The chart shows separate rates for graduates who completed undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications.

For undergraduates:

• A significantly higher proportion of ITE graduates (85%, n=2,892) reported that their qualification prepared them for employment, compared with graduates from all higher education programs (69%, n=37,185).

For postgraduates:

• A significantly higher proportion of ITE graduates (81%, n=2,104) reported that their qualification prepared them for employment, compared with graduates from all higher education programs (75%, n=18,154).

5. Early career teaching

This section presents data on employment outcomes of recent ITE graduates and the experiences and attitudes of early career teachers about their induction and career intentions.

Data on employment outcomes are from the Australian Graduate Survey (AGS) and the Graduate Outcomes Survey(GOS) which was administered to graduates about four months after graduation. Various employment outcomes are presented including overall and full-time employment rates, the proportion of ITE graduates working in schools and in the public or private sectors. Results for undergraduates and postgraduates are presented separately.

New to the Initial teacher education: data report 2018 are data on longitudinal employment outcomes, graduate readiness for employment and employer satisfaction with graduates. The data will allow us to gain a more in-depth understanding of ITE graduate employment from various perspectives. However, the AITSL Stakeholder Survey, will take place in the latter part of the year and therefore no new data surrounding ‘Induction of early career teachers’ and ’Career intentions of early career teachers’ is available.

5.1 Key findings

Employment outcomes of recent graduates:

• Recent ITE graduates from undergraduate programs had a 95% overall employment rate and an 80% full-time employment rate. This was significantly higher than the overall (86%) and full-time (71%) employment rates for recent graduates from all undergraduate programs in 2016
• Recent ITE graduates from postgraduate programs had a 91% overall employment rate and a 74% full-time employment rate. This was similar to the overall employment rate (92%) but significantly lower than the full time employment rate (80%) for recent graduates from all postgraduate programs in 2016
• Three years after graduation, undergraduates from both ITE and all higher education programs had an overall employment rate of 92%. The three year full-time employment rate for ITE undergraduates was 90% compared to all higher education undergraduates, 88%
• Three years after graduation, postgraduates from ITE programs had an overall employment rate of 91% compared to postgraduates from all higher education programs 94%. The three year full time employment rate for postgraduates from ITE programs was 90% compared to postgraduates from all higher education programs, 92%
• For undergraduates, the full-time employment rate was significantly higher three years post-graduation (90%) compared to within one year of graduation (70%)
• For postgraduates, the full-time employment rate was significantly higher three years post-graduation (90%) compared to within one year of graduation (63%)
• 57% of recent ITE graduates from undergraduate programs were working full-time in schools in 2016. This was higher than the proportion of recent ITE graduates from postgraduate programs working full time in schools, at 46%
• Of recent ITE graduates from undergraduate programs, 60% of secondary graduates, 60% of primary graduates and 48% of early childhood graduates were working full-time in schools in 2016
• Of recent ITE graduates from postgraduate programs, 50% of secondary graduates, 42% of primary graduates and 34% of early childhood graduates were working full-time in schools in 2016
• Of recent ITE graduates working part-time in schools, 53% of undergraduates and 57% of postgraduates were seeking full-time employment in 2016
• 72% of recent ITE undergraduates working in schools were employed in the public sector while 28% were employed in the private sector in 2016
• 69% of recent ITE postgraduates working in schools were employed in the public sector while 31% were employed in the private sector in 2016.

Employer perceptions of graduate readiness for employment

• 89% percent of employers of recent ITE graduates from undergraduate programs were satisfied with their performance compared to 83% of employers of recent graduates from all undergraduate programs
• 85% of employers of recent ITE graduates from postgraduate programs were satisfied with their performance compared to 83% of employers of recent graduates from all postgraduate programs
• 96% of employers of recent ITE graduates from undergraduate programs reported that the graduate’s qualification prepared them for employment compared to 91% of employers of recent graduates from all undergraduate programs
• 91% of employers of recent ITE graduates from postgraduate programs reported that the graduate’s qualification prepared them for employment compared to 93% of employers of recent graduates from all postgraduate programs.

Induction experiences of early career teachers:

• 59% of early career teachers on a permanent contract had received a formal induction compared to 17% of early career casual relief teachers
• School leaders were more likely to indicate formal induction was provided compared to early career teachers themselves. Across all contract types, 48% of early career teachers indicated they had received a formal induction while 70% of school leaders indicated formal induction was provided to early career teachers
• Early career teachers who had received induction were most likely to indicate their school’s induction focused on orientation (96%)
• The least common focus area, according to early career teachers who had received induction, was ‘teacher wellbeing’ with 30% indicating their school induction program had no focus in this area
• Of the range of formal induction processes and strategies available, early career teachers who had received induction most commonly participated in ‘mentoring / coaching’ (73%), followed by ‘classroom observation and feedback’ (66%) and ‘collaboration with colleagues’ (65%)
• School leaders were more likely to indicate early career teachers had participated in a range of induction processes and strategies, compared to early career teachers themselves
• 72% of early career teachers who received induction agreed that their experience made them feel a part of the profession
• Of early career teachers who received induction, 65% strongly agreed while 24% strongly disagreed that their induction experience improved their knowledge and teaching practice
• About half of early career teachers who received induction strongly agreed their induction experience supported their transition to full registration (56%) and supported their personal wellbeing (55%), while about a third strongly disagreed that this was the case.

Career intentions of early career teachers:

• 56% of early career teachers indicated they were not likely to leave classroom teaching in the foreseeable future, while 15% indicated they would leave within one to five years, 4% indicated they would leave within six to 10 years and 3% after 10 years. 22% were unsure.

5.2 Employment after graduation

Data on employment outcomes of recent ITE graduates are from the AGS for data up to and including 2015. From 2016 onwards the full suite of QILT surveys which replaced the suite of AGS surveys were used in the reporting of employment outcomes. Two QILT surveys – the Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) and Employer Satisfaction Survey (ESS) – collect data on employment outcomes of recent graduate. The Graduate Outcomes Survey – Longitudinal (GOS-L) was introduced in 2016 and collects data on employment outcomes three years after graduation. Therefore, the only data currently available is from the 2013 cohort.

Consistent with the AGS, these surveys continue to measure labour market experiences and destinations. In addition, data on perceptions of employment readiness and graduate employer satisfaction will also be collected and will be included in this report onwards.

Overall and full-time employment rates

Figure 65 shows the 2016 overall and full-time employment rates for ITE graduates and graduates from all higher education programs. The chart presents separate rates for graduates who completed undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. Ninety five percent confidence intervals are provided to indicate the precision of the survey results. Overlap between confidence intervals suggests the results may not be statistically significantly different, however where there is no overlap, the results are significantly different.

For undergraduates:

• Recent ITE graduates had an overall employment rate of 95% (n=3,215), which was significantly higher than the overall rate for recent graduates from all higher education programs (86%, n=40,443)
• Recent ITE graduates had a full-time employment rate of 80% (n=2,249) which was significantly higher than the full-time rate for recent graduates from all higher education programs (71%, n=25,035).

For postgraduates:

• Recent ITE graduates had an employment rate of 91% (n=2,285), which was slightly lower than the rate for recent graduates from all higher education programs (92%, n=21,617). This difference may not be statistically significantly different
• Recent ITE graduates had a full-time employment rate of 74% (n=1,440) which was significantly lower than the full-time rate for recent graduates from all higher education programs (80%, n=15,876).

Figure 66 shows overall and full-time employment rates for ITE graduates between 2014 and 2016. The chart provides rates for undergraduates and postgraduates and includes 95% confidence intervals. Figure 66 indicates:

• There was little movement in the overall employment rate for recent ITE undergraduates and postgraduates between 2014 and 2016
• There have been significant increases in full-time employment rates for recent ITE undergraduates and postgraduates between 2014 and 2016. These increases may be attributed to the methodological changes to the survey that were implemented between the 2015 and 2016 collection years.

Employment status of 2013 ITE graduates– three years post-graduation

Figure 67 shows the longitudinal overall and full-time employment rates for both ITE graduates and graduates from all higher education programs. These are longer-term employment outcomes taken three years after graduation.

For undergraduates:

• Both ITE graduates (n=899) and graduates from all higher education programs (n=13,430) had an overall employment rate of 92%, three years after graduation
• The full time employment rate three years after graduation for ITE graduates was 90% (n=707) compared to graduates from all higher education programs, 88% (n=10,580).

For postgraduates:

• Recent ITE graduates had an overall employment rate of 91% (n=866), which was slightly lower than the overall rate for recent graduates from all higher education programs (94%, n=6,129)
• Recent ITE graduates had a full-time employment rate of 90% (n=668), which was not significantly different from the three year full-time rate for recent graduates from all higher education programs (92%, n=4,940).

Figure 68 shows the full-time employment outcomes for 2013 ITE graduates, both within one year of graduation and three years post-graduation.

For undergraduates:

• The full-time employment rate was significantly higher three years post-graduation (90%, n=707) compared to within one year of graduation (70%, n=2,849).

For postgraduates:

• The full-time employment rate was significantly higher three years post-graduation (90%, n=668) compared to within one year of graduation (63%, n=1,840).

Employment status of ITE graduates in schools – within one year of graduation

Figure 69 provides a detailed breakdown of the overall employment rate for ITE graduates, about four months after their graduation (2014 – 2016). As such it shows the percentage of ITE graduates, as a proportion of all ITE graduates, who were available for employment, by part-time / full-time and working in schools / not in schools. It also shows the proportion who were not in employment. The chart presents data for undergraduates and postgraduates separately. Ninety five percent confidence intervals are included to demonstrate the precision of the survey results. Figure 69 shows:

• The proportion of recent ITE graduates working full-time in schools was 57% (n=1,919) for undergraduates and 46% (n=1,151) for postgraduates in 2016
• The proportion of recent undergraduate ITE graduates employed full-time in schools was significantly higher compared to recent postgraduate ITE graduates between 2014 and 2016. Again, these time series changes may be a result of the methodological developments to the survey
• The proportion of recent ITE graduates working part-time in schools dropped slightly for both undergraduates and postgraduates between 2014 and 2016.

Figure 70 shows a detailed breakdown of the overall employment rate for recent ITE graduates in 2016, separated by undergraduates and postgraduates. The data are filtered by the detailed field of education of the graduate which shows whether they completed an ‘early childhood’, ‘primary’ or ‘secondary’ qualification. An additional category ‘teacher education: Other’ includes graduates who completed a combined program, special program or where the detailed field of education was not specified. Ninety five percent confidence intervals have been included in the chart.

For undergraduates, Figure 70 indicates:

• 60% (n=381) of secondary graduates and 60% (n=726) of primary graduates were working full-time in schools about four months after graduation. This was significantly higher than the proportion of recent early childhood graduates (48%, n=333). For early childhood graduates, the lower full-time in-school employment rate and higher full-time ‘not in school’ employment rate may indicate employment was gained in early childhood settings outside of the schooling system.

For postgraduates:

• 50% (n=544) of secondary graduates were working full-time in schools about four months after graduation. This was not significantly higher than the proportion of recent primary (42%, n=264) and early childhood (34%, n=30) graduates. Again, early childhood postgraduates may have sought employment outside of the schooling system.

Figure 71 shows the percentage of ITE graduates who were working part-time in schools and seeking full-time employment about four months after graduation between 2014 and 2016. Results are provided for undergraduates and postgraduates and 95% confidence intervals are included. Figure 71 shows:

• The proportion of recent ITE graduates who were working part-time in schools and seeking full-time employment was 53% (n=343) for undergraduates and 57% (n=311) for postgraduates in 2016. These figures have remained steady between 2014 and 2016 (despite an increase in the postgraduate figures, the differences were not significant).

Figure 72 shows the percentage of recent ITE graduates who were working part-time in schools and seeking full-time employment about four months after graduation in 2016. Results are provided for undergraduates and postgraduates by detailed field of education and 95% confidence intervals are included.

For undergraduates, Figure 72 shows:

• 54% (n=67) of recent secondary, 55% (n=137) of recent primary and 51% (n=71) of recent early childhood graduates working part-time in schools were seeking full-time employment in 2016. These differences may not be significantly different.

For postgraduates:

• 65% (n=101) of recent primary, 57% (n=108) of recent secondary and 57% of recent early childhood (n=12) graduates were working part-time in schools and seeking full-time employment in 2016. The wide confidence intervals in the chart suggest these differences may not have been significantly different.

Figure 73 shows the percentage of recent ITE graduates working in the public sector (i.e. government schools) and the private sector (i.e. Catholic and Independent schools). Results are shown for undergraduates and postgraduates between 2014 and 2016 along with 95% confidence intervals.

Figure 73 indicates:

• The proportion of recent ITE graduates working in the public sector was 72% (n=1,773) for undergraduates and 69% (n=1,122) for postgraduates in 2016
• The proportion of recent ITE graduates by public or private sector has remained relatively consistent for both undergraduates and postgraduates between 2014 and 2016.

Figure 74 shows the proportion of recent ITE graduates by public or private sector and detailed field of education for 2016. Data for undergraduates and postgraduates are presented separately and 95% confidence intervals are provided to indicate the precision of the survey results. For undergraduates, Figure 74 indicates:

• 77% (n=742) of primary graduates were working in the public sector about four months after graduation
• 72% of recent secondary graduates (n=354) were working in the public sector about four months after graduation
• In comparison, considerably fewer early childhood graduates (63%, n= 261) were working in the public sector about four months after graduation.

The data were similar for postgraduates:

• 82% (n=334) of primary graduates were working in the public sector about four months after graduation. This was significantly higher than recent secondary (64%, n=455) graduates, and marginally higher than early childhood (62%, n=23) graduates.

5.3 Employer perceptions of graduate readiness

The Employer Satisfaction Survey (ESS) collects data on employer perceptions of graduate readiness for employment. As part of the ESS, employers of recent graduates are asked to indicate the extent to which the graduate’s recent qualification prepared them for their job. Ninety five percent confidence intervals are provided to indicate the precision of the survey results. Overlap between confidence intervals suggests the results may not be statistically significantly different, however where there is no overlap, the results may be significantly different.

Figure 75 shows overall employer satisfaction with graduates. The chart shows separate rates for graduates who completed undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications.

For undergraduates:

• 89% (n=138) of recent ITE graduate employers were satisfied with their performance compared to 85% (n=1,409) of all higher education graduate employers. Note, the wide confidence intervals indicate this difference may not be significant.

For postgraduates:

• 85% (n=91) of recent ITE graduate employers were satisfied with their performance compared to 83% (n=1,336) of all higher education graduate employers. Again, the wide confidence intervals indicate this difference may not be significant.

Figure 76 shows employer perceptions of the extent to which the graduate’s qualification prepared them for employment.

For undergraduates:

• 96% (n=138) of recent ITE graduate employers reported that the graduate’s qualification prepared them for employment, compared to 91% (n=1,330) of all higher education graduate employers. Note, the slight overlap between the confidence intervals indicates this difference may not be significant.

For postgraduates:

• 91% (n=87) of recent ITE graduate employers reported that the graduate’s qualification prepared them for employment, compared to 93% (n=1,254) of all higher education graduate employers.Again, the overlap between confidence intervals indicates this difference may not be significant.

5.4 Induction of early career teachers

Australian and international literature about the benefits of induction for beginning teachers is extensive. The 2016 AITSL Stakeholder Survey collected data on induction from 3,736 school leaders, experienced teachers and early career teachers. The survey results are presented in this section. Please see Appendix 3 for information about the survey and for details of the respondent profile.

Provision of formal induction by contract type

The survey asked school leaders about the provision of formal induction for early career teachers by employment contract type. Early career teachers themselves were also asked whether they received formal induction and their responses were filtered according to their contract type. The results are presented in Figure 77 which shows:

• Early career teachers on a permanent contract (part-time and full-time) were most likely to have received formal induction, according to school leaders (89%, n=1,127) and early career teachers (59%, n=126) themselves
• Only 17% (n=8) of casual relief teachers indicated they had received formal induction
• School leaders (70%, n=2,665) were significantly more likely to indicate early career teachers had received formal induction, compared to early career teachers (48%, n= 212) themselves.

School induction processes and strategies

Early career teachers who had received a formal induction were asked about the focus of their school’s induction processes. So too were school leaders and experienced teachers who had acted as a mentor/coach for early career teachers. The survey questions explored the following induction focus areas:

• Orientation, including familiarisation with the school’s formal requirements (e.g. policies, procedures), and informal ways of operating (e.g. cultural, interpersonal and administrative)
• Teacher wellbeing, including teacher resilience, emotional wellbeing and connections with other professionals
• Professional practices, including developing a deeper range and sophistication of skills
• Professional identity, including developing teacher knowledge of good teaching and expectations of teachers, understanding responsibilities and the significance of teaching.

Figure 78 presents the results from these survey questions. The results show:

• Orientation was the most common focus area, with 96% (n=211) of early career teachers and 98% (n=1,394) of school leaders and teacher mentors indicating their school had at least some focus in this area
• Teacher wellbeing was the least common focus area, with 31% (n=67) of early career teachers and 15% (n=215) of school leaders and teacher mentors indicating their school had no focus in this area
• The mean scores in each focus area (i.e. the yellow dot), by respondent type, indicate school leaders and teacher mentors believed, to a larger extent, that their school’s induction processes focused on orientation, professional identity, professional practices and teacher wellbeing, when compared to responses from early career teachers.

The use of various induction strategies in Australian schools was examined in the survey. Early career teachers were asked whether they had participated in a range of induction strategies and school leaders and teacher mentors were asked which strategies were used in their school. The results (Figure 79) show:

• Mentoring/coaching was the most common induction strategy, according to early career teachers (73%, n=610) and school leaders and teacher mentors (89%, n=1,266)
• Participation in out of school networks was the least common induction strategy, according to early career teachers (31%, n=69) and school leaders and teacher mentors (37%, n=525)
• School and teacher mentors were significantly more likely to indicate early career teachers had participated in the following induction strategies than early career teachers themselves: mentoring/coaching, classroom observation and feedback, collaboration with colleagues, reflection on practice, targeted professional learning opportunities and participation in in-school networks.

Early career teachers were surveyed on four measures to provide an indication of how their induction experience supported their transition into a school. The results (Figure 80) show:

• 72% (n=159) of early career teachers agreed their induction experience made them feel a part of the profession
• 65% (n=142) strongly agreed and 24% (n=53) strongly disagreed that their induction experience improved their knowledge and teaching practice
• About half of early career teachers strongly agreed their induction experience supported their transition to full registration (56%, n=123) and supported their personal wellbeing (55%, n=120), while about a third strongly disagreed that this was the case.

5.5 Career intentions of early career teachers

The 2016 AITSL Stakeholder Survey asked early career teachers - teachers with between one and five years’ teaching experience - about their career intentions.

Figure 81 presents these results along with 95% confidence intervals. Note the wide confidence intervals which indicate a high degree of variability in the survey estimates. The data from Figure 81 indicates:

• 56% (n=254) of early career teachers were not likely to leave classroom teaching in the foreseeable future
• 15% (n=66) were likely to leave classroom teaching within 1 – 5 years
• 22% (n=98) were unsure.

6. Individual initial teacher education provider reports

This section includes a summary report on individual ITE providers presented alphabetically by provider.

Each summary report presents data on the demographic and study characteristics of commencing and completing students, time series data, completion and attrition rates, current ITE student and recent graduate satisfaction rates and recent graduate employment outcomes. The data from these summary reports are from four separate data sources:

• The Higher Education Student Data Collection
• Course Experience Questionnaire (Quality Indicators of Learning and Teaching)
• Graduate Outcome Survey (Quality Indicators of Learning and Teaching)
• Graduate Destination Survey
• Student Experience Survey.

An explanation of the data presented in each summary report, by data source, are provided below. 

6.1 Explanation of the data in the individual provider reports, by data source

Higher Education Student Data Collection

Data from the Higher Education Student Data Collection (HESDC) are presented on the first and second page of each individual provider report. The HESDC is compiled by the Australian Government Department of Education through the Higher Education Information Management System (HEIMS). Data from the HESDC is collected by HEPs and submitted through the HEIMS. Once the data is submitted it is verified and signed off . The HESDC data presented in this section is from 2016 and includes data on:

• ITE programs
• Commencing ITE student demographic, entry and study characteristics
• Completing student demographic and study characteristics
• Time-series commencement and completion data for 2006 to 2016
• Undergraduate and postgraduate longitudinal completion and attrition rate averages at each provider as well as the national average for ITE.

Data from ITE programs were filtered from other higher education programs by limiting extraction to programs with an ITE identifier: HEIMS data element E312=22. Where the data in this section have fewer than five students in a cell, it is shown as ‘<5’ to avoid any risk of disseminating identifiable data. Some cells have also been secondarily suppressed to prevent calculation of primarily suppressed cells.

The data in this report are derived from the verified and signed-off data. Revised data may be submitted by HEPs through the HEIMS at any time; however, no change will be made to the verified and signed-off data. Further, the reporting practices followed in entering data into the HEIMS may vary across HEPs.

Four key points should be considered when interpreting the data from the HESDC:

1. The basis of admission data show the main criterion on which the commencing student was granted an offer into an ITE program. The categories listed in the individual provider reports in this section include:

• Higher education course – where a student was granted an offer as a result of a higher education course they had previously undertaken
• Secondary education – where a student was granted an offer as a result of completing secondary education at a school, RTO or HEP. Secondary education is the basis of admission category in which ITE students were most likely to have been selected as the result of their ATAR
• VET award course – where a student was granted an offer as a result of a VET course they had previously undertaken
• Mature age – where a student was granted an offer through a mature age special entry provision as determined by the HEP
• Professional qualification – where a student was granted an offer through previous employment, relevant to the field of study as determined by the HEP
• Other basis – where a student was granted an offer not categorised through the remaining basis of admission categories, for example, through a school principal’s letter of recommendation.

2. The ATAR data include ATARs for ITE students who commenced through a secondary education pathway only. It should be noted that the ATARs listed may not have been the only determining factor in a student’s admission to a program, and as such the ATAR data provide an indication as to how secondary education entrants to ITE performed in secondary education, rather than a direct representation as to how they were admitted to an ITE program. Any further interpretation of the data to draw conclusions about ATAR and selection should be done with caution. These data do not represent the minimum entry ATAR scores that are published for admission to ITE programs.
3. The completion and attrition rate averages were calculated by determining the status of students, six years after their commencement. Specifically, it shows whether they: completed an ITE program at the same provider within six years; were still enrolled in an ITE program at the same provider within six years; or whether they did not complete an ITE program at the same provider within six years. The latter category includes students who may have completed an ITE program at another institution. It also includes students who re-enrolled in a non-ITE program at the same or another institution, or who discontinued from all university studies.

   A six year timeframe was determined to be appropriate because previous analysis suggests only a very small proportion of students go on to complete an ITE program after six years.

   The rates were calculated through a longitudinal analysis of data from the HESDC, where student IDs, CHESSN and special ITE course indicator were matched to follow each individual student’s progress over the six year timeframe at each individual provider.

   AITSL calculated the combined average completion and attrition rates from data across six cohorts (i.e. students who commenced an ITE program between 2006 and 2011). This analysis: enabled AITSL to publish completion and attrition rates for smaller providers whose data would have otherwise been suppressed; and provided more consistent completion and attrition rate data for smaller providers, whose rates across time may be prone to variability due to the small number of students who commenced ITE in each cohort.

   Finally it should be noted that there is a relationship between lower completion rates and some student demographic and study characteristics. This is further explained in section 4.7 of the report and should be considered in any further analysis of section 6.

4. The equity status data for completing students have been derived using the student’s state/territory of permanent home address, and NESB, Indigenous and disability status listed at the time of commencement. As a result, these data may not reflect their current equity status if their address changed or their NESB, Indigenous or disability status changed after their commencement. This should be considered in any analysis of the data.

Student Experience Survey

Data from the Student Experience Survey (SES) are presented on the third page of each individual provider report. The SES was completed by commencing and later year students enrolled in undergraduate programs. ITE students were identified using the HEIMS data element E312=22 ‘initial teacher education.’ Combined 2014, 2015 and 2016 data from the SES are presented in a column chart showing average scores for ITE students, by individual ITE provider, and the national average of all ITE providers, across the following six domains that were designed to conceptualise and measure the student higher education experience:

• Overall quality of educational experience:
• Teaching quality
• Learner engagement
• Learning resources
• Student support
• Skills development.

The chart presents the average percentage of results for respondents who were satisfied in each domain, together with the upper and lower confidence intervals. Confidence intervals are displayed to provide a measure of precision for the estimates. The precise wording of the items from which these data were derived can be found at Appendix 4.

Course Experience Questionnaire

Data from the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) are presented on the third page of each individual provider report. The CEQ was completed by graduates of Australian HEPs about four months after completion of their courses in conjunction with the Graduates Outcome Survey (GOS). The data represent responses from graduates of undergraduate and postgraduate programs. ITE respondents were identified in the CEQ by limiting the data to four specific fields of education within the broad field of ‘Teacher Education.’ Namely: Teacher Education, Early Childhood, Primary, and Secondary up to 2015. From 2016, data from ITE programs were filtered from other higher education programs by limiting extraction to programs with an ITE identifier: HEIMS data element E312=22. As the CEQ was administered in conjunction with the Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS), changes in the sampling methodology between the Graduate Outcomes Survey and the previous Graduate Destination Survey also have an impact on the CEQ. The following variances are important to note:

• The GOS is sampled and collected by a central agency whilst for the GDS, each higher education institution was responsible for their own sampling and collection of data
• GOS data collection was restricted to online methods only, while in the GDS other methods of data collection such as, paper distribution and collecting data as part of the graduation ceremony, were incorporated
• The collection period for GOS ranged between 4-8 weeks as opposed to 3-10 months for the GDS
• The scores are a combination of undergraduate and postgraduate outcomes as opposed to undergraduate only as in the 2016 ITE data report
• The scores are a combination of undergraduate and postgraduate outcomes as opposed to undergraduate only as in the 2016 ITE data report.

The survey provides information about the quality of education provided at ITE graduates’ institutions of study. The CEQ asks graduates to what extent they agree with a series of statements about their study experiences. Combined 2014, 2015 and 2016 data are presented in a column chart showing the average scores given by ITE students, by individual ITE provider, and the national average of all ITE providers, across the following three indicators:

• Overall satisfaction
• Good teaching
• Generic skills.

The chart presents the average percentage of results, together with the upper and lower confidence intervals. Confidence intervals are displayed to provide a measure of precision for the estimates.

Graduate Destination Survey/Graduate Outcomes Survey

Combined data from the Graduate Destination Survey (GDS)/Graduate Outcome Survey (GOS) are presented on the third page of each individual provider report. The GDS/GOS collect information about graduate employment outcomes, continuing study and work-seeking status. The data represent employment outcomes for graduates from both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. ITE students were identified in the GDS and GOS in the same method outlined above under ‘Course Experience Questionnaire’. Changes in the sampling and collection methodologies as outlined above also apply to the GDS/GOS.

The employment outcomes data represent the proportion of ITE respondents who were employed about four months after completing their course, by individual ITE provider. Combined 2014, 2015 and 2016 data are presented in a stacked bar chart, along with the number of responses. The chart shows the proportion of ITE graduates working full-time and part-time and further divides these groups into those working in schools and those not employed in schools. ITE providers offering early childhood ITE programs may have lower in-school employment rates because graduates may have gained employment in early childhood settings outside of the schooling system.

The precise wording of the items from which these data were derived can be found at Appendix 1.3. Please note that 2015 was the last year the GDS was administered. From 2016 it was incorporated into the Graduate Outcomes Survey.

Four key points should be considered when interpreting the data from the SES, CEQ and GDS:

1. Care should be taken when interpreting the results of the SES, CEQ and GDS/GOS. The results are estimates based on a survey which was not completed by all students. The accuracy of the figures varies with the number of students who completed the surveys. Where possible, confidence intervals and numbers of responses are displayed in the charts to provide a measure of precision for the estimates. Where a data item contained fewer than 25 responses, it has been omitted. The CEQ and SES data presented in this section allow you to compare an individual ITE provider’s average with the national average of all ITE providers. When there is an overlap between the confidence interval for an ITE provider and the confidence interval for the national average of all ITE providers, it cannot be concluded with confidence that there is a difference between an institution and the national average.
2. ITE courses could not be identified in the CEQ and GDS using the HEIMS data element E312=22 ‘initial teacher education’ for years up to 2015 because the survey did not collect student and course identifiers. Four teacher education field of study codes were used to identify ITE students in these surveys, which captured about 90% of ITE students.  However from 2016 data from HEIMS element E312=22 was used to identify ITE courses, capturing all ITE respondents. 
3. Graduate outcomes and course experience data will, for the most part, have lower response rates in 2016 due to the sampling variances between the Graduate Destination Survey and Graduate Outcomes Survey. Therefore, care should be taken when interpreting differences in graduate satisfaction and employment outcomes when compared to the 2017 ITE data report.
4. There may be a relationship between lower scores in the SES, CEQ and GDS/GOS data and certain demographic and study characteristics. For example, an external (i.e. online) mode of attendance is associated with a lower ‘learner engagement’ score in the SES. This should be considered in any further analysis of
   section 6.

6.2 Individual Provider Reports

Alphacrucis College (PDF, 466 KB)

Australian Catholic University (PDF, 581 KB)

Avondale College (PDF, 506 KB)

Central Queensland University (PDF, 488 KB)

Charles Darwin University (PDF, 489 KB)

Charles Sturt University (PDF, 489 KB)

Christian Heritage College (PDF, 485 KB)

Curtin University of Technology (PDF, 486 KB)

Deakin University (PDF, 489 KB)

Eastern College Australia (PDF, 501 KB)

Edith Cowan University (PDF, 489 KB)

Excelsia College (PDF, 478 KB)

Federation University Australia (PDF, 489 KB)

Flinders University (PDF, 488 KB)

Griffith University (PDF, 489 KB)

Holmesglen Institute (PDF, 481 KB)

James Cook University (PDF, 485 KB)

La Trobe University (PDF, 488 KB)

Macquarie University (PDF, 559 KB)

Monash University (PDF, 489 KB)

Morling College (PDF, 445 KB)

Murdoch University (PDF, 489 KB)

Queensland University of Technology (PDF, 485 KB)

RMIT University (PDF, 486 KB)

Southern Cross University (PDF, 489 KB)

Swinburne University of Technology (PDF, 481 KB)

Tabor Adelaide (PDF, 460 KB)

The Australian College of Physical Education (PDF, 485 KB)

The University of Adelaide (PDF, 489 KB)

The University of Melbourne (PDF, 483 KB)

The University of New England (PDF, 489 KB)

The University of New South Wales (PDF, 489 KB)

The University of Newcastle (PDF, 489 KB)

The University of Notre Dame Australia (PDF, 489 KB)

The University of Queensland (PDF, 489 KB)

The University of Sydney (PDF, 482 KB)

The University of Western Australia (PDF, 484 KB)

University of Canberra (PDF, 490 KB)

University of South Australia (PDF, 489 KB)

University of Southern Queensland (PDF, 526 KB)

University of Tasmania (PDF, 483 KB)

University of Technology, Sydney (PDF, 489 KB)

University of the Sunshine Coast (PDF, 489 KB)

University of Wollongong (PDF, 489 KB)

Victoria University (PDF, 486 KB)

Western Sydney University (PDF, 483 KB)

Appendix 1

Glossary

Appendix 2

Acronyms

Appendix 3

Data sources and data quality

The Initial teacher education: data report 2018 is comprised of data from eight separate data collections:

• Higher Education Student Data Collection
• University Applications and Offers Data Collection
• Student Experience Survey
• Australian Graduate Survey/Graduate Outcomes Survey
• Graduate Outcomes Survey – Longitudinal
• Employer Satisfaction Survey
• AITSL Stakeholder Survey
• AITSL Accredited Programs List.

Information about each data source is outlined below along with an indication of data quality.

Higher Education Student Data Collection

The Higher Education Student Data Collection (HESDC) is a census recording administrative and statistical information about higher education students in Australia. The HESDC includes data on commencing, enrolled and completing higher education students. Approved higher education providers (HEPs submit data about their students to the Australian Government Department of Education and Training (DET) through the Higher Education Information Management System (HEIMS)).

In this report, results from the HESDC mostly refer to students and programs from Initial Teacher Education (ITE), however some data across all higher education programs are provided for context. ITE students and programs are categorised as such in the HESDC by their HEI as HEIMS data element E312=22 ‘initial teacher education’. These courses cover the following detailed field of education categories:

• Teacher Education (Includes education programs not specifically categorised. These are usually education programs where students can be qualified in one or more different specialisations)
• Teacher Education: Early Childhood
• Teacher Education: Primary
• Teacher Education: Secondary
• Teacher Education: Vocational Education and Training (VET)
• Teacher Education: Higher Education
• Teacher Education: Special Education
• English as a Second Language Teaching
• Teacher Education not elsewhere classified (nec).

Data from the HEDSC are publically available through the uCube or as customised data upon request. HESDC data from this report were derived from customised, aggregated tables generated by DET.

The latest data from the HESDC that were available for this report are from end 2016. This is due to timing associated with data processing and public release.

Data collected, released and published by DET are subject to the provisions of the Higher Education Support Act 2003. The following statement is displayed on DET website:

Under the Higher Education Support Act 2003, sections 179-5, 10, 15, 20(c) and the Privacy Act 1988, section 14 (IPP11), it is an offence to release any information that is likely to enable identification of any particular individual.

To avoid any risk of disseminating identifiable data, a disclosure control technique called data suppression has been utilised. Cells that have values of less than five have been primarily suppressed and annotated as ‘< 5’. To prevent cells that have been primarily suppressed from being calculated, other cells may also need to be suppressed. This is known as consequential or secondary suppression. These cells are annotated as ‘np’ (not published). In the data cube (uCube), a disclosure control technique called input perturbation has been applied to the data, whereby small random adjustments are made to cell counts.

This is applicable to all of DET's Higher Education data that is either published on the DET website or custom tabular data provided to clients.

Access to the full suite of higher education student data and further information on data requests and data protocols are available from the DET website via the following links:

Data quality

The HESDC is a census of all higher education students in Australia.

HEIs are required to sign off and verify that the data they have reported to the Department are accurate and correct. Once this is done, a snapshot of the data is taken for use in the Department’s publications, in uCube and for the provision of customised data. The data in this report are derived from the verified and signed-off data. Revised data may be submitted by HEPs through the HEIMS at any time; however, no change will be made to the verified and signed-off data, which is the data used in this report. It is also relevant to note that the reporting practices followed in entering data into the HEIMS may vary across HEPs.

Applications and Offers Data Collection

The Applications and Offers Data Collection records all applications by domestic applicants for Commonwealth supported places in higher education undergraduate award courses through Australian Tertiary Admission Centres (TACs). Records of offers made by universities and acceptances of those offers by students are also included in the Collection. Data are collected through the HEIMS. This report uses applications and offers data for ITE students, which were identified using the HEIMS data element E312=22 ‘initial teacher education’.

As with the HESDC the applications and offers data are collected, released and published by DET and are subject to the provisions of the Higher Education Support Act 2003. Data from the Applications and Offers Data Collection are publically available through the uCube or as customised data upon request. The data from this report were derived from customised, aggregated tables generated by DET.

Data quality

The Applications and Offers Data Collection records all domestic applications to undergraduate award courses made through Tertiary Admissions Centres (TAC) and the offers associated with those applications. Sufficient data is collected from HEPs to obtain baseline data on the number of direct applications made each year.

There are some differences in the policies and operational procedures of TACs regarding data collection. The Applications and Offers Collection aims to minimise the number of inconsistencies by collecting a core set of common elements with agreed definitions and by declaring provision of certain data elements discretionary in the preliminary submissions to maximise the comparability of the data by aligning reference dates to comparable stages in TAC processing cycles and to make the Collection as nationally consistent as possible through the use of common data element definitions adapted from those used HESDC and the ABS Australian Standard Classifications.

As with the HESDC, HEIMS provides the mechanism for the provision of the data by TACs and HEPs as well as the data warehouse.

Student Experience Survey

The Student Experience Survey (SES) was developed in order to provide a national framework for collecting data about the experiences of higher education students.

The SES is comprised of 46 individual survey items that measure the student experience across five domains: skills development, engagement, quality of teaching, student support and learning resources. Please refer to Appendix 4 for a detailed list of the survey items from the SES. The SES is administered to commencing and later-year onshore undergraduate students in Australia. Responses from ITE students were identified by limiting the data to the linked HEIMS data element E312=22 ‘initial teacher education’. The SES is part of the suite of Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) surveys which also include the Graduate Outcomes Survey, Graduate Outcomes Survey – Longitudinal, and Employer Satisfaction Survey.

Data quality

The national response rate for the SES was 45.6% in 2016. While the overall response rate provides a measure of administrative effectiveness of the survey, the SES targets stratum-level response rates at the level of institution and field of education. These SES response rates are available in the 2016 SES National Report

Table 10 and 11 below provide the response characteristics for the SES survey data used in this report. As in the body of this report, the respondent profiles and in-scope populations for undergraduate ITE students and students from all higher education programs are presented separately.

The tables provide an indication of the representativeness of the respondent profiles in relation to the in-scope populations and therefore give a good indication of the survey error.  Total survey error is minimised when the respondent profile matches that of the in-scope population. For ITE and all higher education respondent’s females are slightly overrepresented and males are slightly underrepresented.

Australian Graduate Survey/Graduate Outcomes Survey

The Australian Graduate Survey (AGS) comprises three surveys used in this report: the Graduate Destination Survey (GDS), Postgraduate Destination Survey (PDS) and Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ). The GDS and PDS collect information about graduate employment outcomes, continuing study and work-seeking status. The GDS collects data from undergraduates and the PDS from postgraduates. The CEQ asks graduates from postgraduate and undergraduate programs about the extent to which they agree with a series of statements about their study experiences. The CEQ has three focus areas: good teaching, generic skills and overall satisfaction. Please refer to Appendix 4 for a detailed list of survey items from the CEQ. These surveys are administered to graduates approximately four months after graduation.

Responses from initial teacher education (ITE) graduates were identified by limiting the data to four specific fields of education within the broad fields of Teacher Education: Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary and Teacher Education (other). Responses from postgraduates were further filtered to show only responses from coursework graduates. Unlike the HEDSC, ITE courses in the GDS, PDS and CEQ could not be identified using the HEIMS data element E312=22 ‘initial teacher education.’ As a result, it is possible that some ITE graduate respondents were omitted from the results.

From 2016, the GDS, PDS and CEQ were transitioned into the Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) which is part of the suite of QILT surveys. While the purpose of the GOS is similar to that of the AGS, there were several differences in methodology between the surveys that are worth noting:

• The GOS is sampled and collected by a central agency whilst for the GDS, each higher education institution was responsible for their own sampling and collection of data
• GOS data collection was restricted to online methods only, while in the GDS other methods of data collection such as, paper distribution and collecting data as part of the graduation ceremony, were incorporated
• The collection period for GOS ranged between 4-8 weeks as opposed to 3-10 months for the GDS.

Data quality

The AGS surveys were censuses, not sample surveys – that is, ‘all new graduates receive a survey form or an invitation to complete one online or via a telephone interview’. A minimum response rate of 50% is required for the publication of data (though institutions may make internal use of data pertaining to their graduates with lower response rates). Each HEP conducts its own data collection. The GOS used a centralised approach to sampling based on data extracted from the Higher Education Information Management System with all graduates who completed the requirements of undergraduate or postgraduate award at an Australian during 2015.

The GOS departs from the GDS in that it conforms to the conceptual framework of the standard labour force statistics model used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The national response rate for the 2016 GOS was 39.7% . The GOS places a greater emphasis on representativeness of sample as opposed to larger response rates.

Table 12, Table 13, Table 14 and Table 15 below provide the response characteristics for the AGS / GOS survey data used in this report. As in the body of this report, the respondent profiles and in-scope populations for undergraduates and postgraduates, ITE students and all higher education students and year are presented separately. The tables provide an indication of the representativeness of the respondent profiles in relation to the in-scope populations and therefore give a good indication of the survey error. Total survey error is minimised when the respondent profile matches that of the in-scope population.  For ITE undergraduates, older graduates are marginally overrepresented and younger graduates are marginally underrepresented. This trend is seen for both ITE and all higher education postgraduates.

In general, for the GOS, sample parameters closely match the respondent profile. Please note that the in-scope population for GDS data were approximated from past university completions data as the ‘in-scope population’ file was not available.

Graduate Outcomes Survey - Longitudinal

The Graduate Outcomes Survey – Longitudinal (GOS-L) is a continuation from the Graduate Outcomes Survey. The GOS-L is a cohort analysis measuring the medium-term employment outcomes of graduates, approximately three years after graduation. Participation in the 2016 GOS-L was open to any higher education institution that participated in the 2013 AGS.

The GOS-L is comprised of 46 individual survey items that measure short and medium term outcomes similar to those collected through the GOS. Please refer to Appendix 4 for a detailed list of the survey items from the GOS-L. The GOS-L is administered to any higher education institution which participated in the 2013 Australian Graduate Survey (AGS). Responses from ITE students were identified by limiting the data to the linked HEIMS data element E312=22 ‘initial teacher education’.

Data quality

The national response rate for the GOS-L was 34.2% in 2016 . While the overall response rate provides a measure of administrative effectiveness of the survey, the GOS-L in scope population consisted of all graduates who completed a course of study at an Australian higher education institution in 2012, completed the 2013 AGS and agreed to recontact. These GOS-L response rates are available in the 2016 Graduate Outcomes Survey – Longitudinal (GOS-L) report.

Table 16 and 17 below provide the response characteristics for the GOS-L survey data used in this report. As in the body of this report, the tables present ITE and all higher education data separately.

The tables provide an indication of the representativeness of the respondent profiles in relation to the in-scope populations and therefore give a good indication of the survey error. Total survey error is minimised when the respondent profile matches that of the in-scope population. For ITE respondents, older students are slightly overrepresented whilst younger students are under-represented. For all higher education respondents females are slightly overrepresented and males underrepresented.

Employer Satisfaction Survey

The Employer Satisfaction Survey (ESS) was developed in order to provide a measure of employer perceptions of the outcomes of graduates entering the workplace.

The ESS is comprised individual survey items that measure the attributes of recent graduates from Australian higher education institutions including both university and non-university higher education institutions (NUHEIs) on a range of attributes, which included; foundation, adaptive, collaborative, technical and employability skills. Please refer to Appendix 4 for a detailed list of the survey items from the ESS. The ESS is administered to employers (or direct supervisors) of recent graduates from higher institution including universities and non-university higher education institutions (NUHEIs).

Data quality

The national response rate for the ESS was 44.5%. While the overall response rate provides a measure of administrative effectiveness of the survey, the ESS targets stratum-level response rates at the level of foundational skills, adaptive skills, collaborative skills, technical skills, and employability skills. These ESS response rates are available in the 2016 Employer Satisfaction Survey Methodology Report .

AITSL Stakeholder Survey

The AITSL Stakeholder survey measures awareness, knowledge, attitudes and satisfaction with AITSL and its policies, tools and resources amongst its stakeholders, including ITE students and providers, teachers, school leaders and other education organisations.

Data quality

A quasi-snowball sampling methodology was employed in the administration of this survey. This is a non-probability method and is prone to survey bias because not all AITSL stakeholders - particularly ITE students, teachers and school leaders – were given an equal opportunity to participate.

The 2016 Stakeholder Engagement Survey was completed by almost 5,000 stakeholders (n=4,959). The survey data used in this report was limited to respondents working in schools (n=3,736). The respondent profile presented in Table 18 below is limited to school-based respondents. No in-scope population profile was available.

AITSL Accredited Programs Database

The AITSL Accredited Programs List contains information provided by teacher regulatory authorities about the name, number, location and characteristics of accredited ITE programs and providers in their jurisdiction.

Data quality

The data base contains data on all accredited programs, including those pending accreditation. Data from the accredited programs data base are not directly comparable to ITE programs coded to the HESDC due to different coding processes and data definitions. The AITSL Accredited Programs Database can be considered the most accurate national database on the number and characteristics of ITE programs.

Appendix 4

This section presents the items for each of the following surveys:

• Student Experience Survey
• Graduate Destinations Survey/Graduate Outcomes Survey
• Employer Satisfaction Survey

Student Experience Survey

Questions to measure the overall quality of educational experience:

The percentage of students who are satisfied with the overall quality of their educational experience, based on an individual question in the SES. Note that this question also forms part of the 'teaching quality indicator'.

Questions to measure teaching quality:

The percentage of students who are satisfied with the quality of teaching they have experienced. This indicator is based on the average of a student's responses to the following 11 questions from the SES:

Thinking about your course:

1. overall how would you rate the quality of your entire educational experience this year?
2. how would you rate the quality of the teaching you have experienced?

During [year], to what extent have the lecturers, tutors and demonstrators:

3. engaged you actively in learning?
4. demonstrated concern for student learning?
5. provided clear explanations on coursework and assessment?
6. stimulated you intellectually?
7. commented on your work in ways that help you learn?
8. seemed helpful and approachable?
9. set assessment tasks that challenge you to learn?

In [year], to what extent has your course been delivered in a way that is:

10. well structured and focused?
11. relevant to your education as a whole?

Questions to measure learner engagement:

The percentage of students who are satisfied with their engagement with learning at their institution. This indicator is based on the average of a student's responses to the following seven questions from the SES:

During [year], to what extent have you:

1. felt prepared for your study?
2. had a sense of belonging to your institution?

In [year], how frequently have you:

3. participated in discussions online or face-to-face?
4. worked with other students as part of your study?
5. interacted with students outside study requirements?
6. interacted with students who are very different from you?

During [year], to what extent have you:

7. been given opportunities to interact with local students (where applicable for international students)?

Questions to measure learning resources:

The percentage of students who are satisfied with the learning resources provided by their institution. This indicator is based on the average of a student's responses to the following seven questions from the SES:

Thinking of this year, overall how would you rate the following learning resources provided by your course?

1. Teaching spaces (e.g. lecture theatres, tutorial rooms, laboratories)
2. Student spaces and common areas
3. Online learning materials
4. Computing/IT resources
5. Assigned books, notes and resources
6. Laboratory or studio equipment
7. Library resources and facilities

Questions to measure student support:

The percentage of students who are satisfied with the support they received at their institution. This indicator is based on the average of a student's responses to the following 13 questions from the SES:

During [year], to what extent have you:

1. received support from your institution to settle into study?
2. experienced efficient enrolment and admissions processes?
3. felt induction/orientation activities were relevant and helpful?

During [year], to what extent have you found administrative staff or systems (e.g. online administrative services, frontline staff, enrolment systems) to be:

4. available?
5. helpful?

During [year], to what extent have you found careers advisors to be:

6. available?
7. helpful?

During [year], to what extent have you found academic or learning advisors to be:

8. available?
9. helpful?

During [year], to what extent have you found support services such as counsellor, financial/legal advisors and health services to be:

10. available?
11. helpful? >

During [year], to what extent have you:

12. been offered support relevant to your circumstances?
13. received appropriate English language skill support?

Questions to measure skills development:

The percentage of students who are satisfied with the skills development they experienced through their studies. This indicator is based on the average of a student's responses to the following eight questions from the SES:

To what extent has your course developed your:

1. Critical thinking skills?
2. Ability to solve complex problems?
3. Ability to work with others?
4. Confidence to learn independently?
5. Written communication skills?
6. Spoken communication skills?
7. Knowledge of field(s) you are studying
8. Development of work-related knowledge and skills?

Graduate Destinations Survey/Graduate Outcomes Survey

Course Experience Questionnaire

Questions to measure overall satisfaction

The proportion of graduates who expressed overall satisfaction with their course, based on an individual question in the CEQ.

Questions to measure good teaching

The percentage of graduates who agreed they had experienced good teaching practices during their study. This indicator is based on the average of a graduate's responses to the following six statements from the CEQ:

1. The staff put a lot of time into commenting on my work.
2. The teaching staff normally gave me helpful feedback on how I was going.
3. The teaching staff of this course motivated me to do my best work.
4. My lecturers were extremely good at explaining things.
5. The teaching staff worked hard to make their studies interesting.
6. The staff made a real effort to understand difficulties I might be having with my work.

Questions to measure generic skills

The percentage of graduates who agreed that their studies had improved their generic skills. This indicator is based on the average of a graduate's responses to the following six statements from the CEQ:

1. The course helped me develop my ability as a team member.
2. The course sharpened my analytic skills.
3. The course developed my problem-solving skills.
4. The course improved my skills in written communications.
5. As a result of my course, I feel confident about tackling unfamiliar problems.
6. My course helped me to develop the ability to plan my own work.

Graduate Destination Survey

The GDS asks graduates about their employment and further study activities at a particular point in time approximately four months after completing their courses. They are asked about their employment status, the type of work gained and any further study undertaken. The main employment item reads:

What was your position regarding paid work (including permanent, contract, casual and self-employment, on <reference date>?

Please select the response which best describes your position. Were you:

1. In full-time work, or had accepted an offer of full-time work (that is working 35 hours a week or more
2. In part-time work, or had accepted an offer of part-time work (that is working fewer than 35 hours a week), or
3. Not working
4. No answer

What was your employer’s main business?
For example: medical hospital, primary education, accounting

5. Text box
6. No answer

Graduate Outcomes Survey / Graduate Outcomes Survey – Longitudinal

The GOS asks graduates about their employment and further study activities at a particular point in time approximately four months after completing their courses. They are asked about their employment status, the type of work gained and any further study undertaken. The main employment item reads:

Thinking about last week, the week starting <daystart>, and ending last <dayend>

Last week, did you do any work at all in a job, business or farm?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Permanently unable to work
4. Permanently not intending to work (only display if aged 65+)

How many hours do you usually work each week in your main job?

5. Enter hours

What is your occupation in your <main job/job/business>?

6. Enter occupation

Graduate attributes

Within the GOS a series of questions measuring the extent employment preparedness were targeted towards recently employed graduates.  Graduates were asked to indicate the extent to which they agreed with a series of statements themed under the following attributes; Foundation skills, adaptive skills and attributes and teamwork and interpersonal skills.

For each of the following skills or attributes, to what extent do you agree or disagree that your <Finalcourse> from <Institution> prepared you for this job? If the skill is not required in your role, you can answer ‘Not applicable’.

Foundation skills

• foundation1: Oral communication skills
• foundation2: Written communication skills
• foundation3: Numeracy skills
• foundation4: Ability to develop relevant knowledge
• foundation5: Ability to develop relevant skills
• foundation6: Ability to solve problems
• foundation7: Ability to integrate knowledge
• foundation8: Ability to think independently about problems

Adaptive skills and attributes

• adaptive1: Broad general knowledge
• adaptive2: Ability to develop innovative ideas
• adaptive3: Ability to identify new opportunities
• adaptive4: Ability to adapt knowledge in different contexts
• adaptive5: Ability to apply skills in different contexts

Teamwork and interpersonal skills

• collab1: Working well in a team
• collab2: Getting on well with others in the workplace
• collab3: Working collaboratively with colleagues to complete tasks
• collab4: Understanding of different points of view
• collab5: Ability to interact with co-workers from different or multicultural backgrounds

Response Frame

a. Strongly disagree
b. Disagree
c. Neither disagree nor agree
d. Agree
e. Strongly agree
f. Not applicable

Employer Satisfaction Survey

The employer satisfaction survey (ESS) asked employers about their overall satisfaction with the graduate and the extent to which they felt the qualification prepared them for employment. Employers were asked to indicate the overall satisfaction with the graduate and the extent to which they agreed with a series of statements themed under the following attributes; Foundation skills, adaptive skills and attributes, teamwork skills, technical skills and employability skills.

Overall, how well did <Recentemployee>’s <qualfinal> prepare <him/her> for their job?

1. Not at all prepared
2. Not well prepared
3. Well prepared
4. Very well prepared
5. Don’t know / Unsure

Foundation skills

1. Oral communication skills
2. Written communication skills
3. Numeracy skills
4. Ability to develop relevant knowledge
5. Ability to develop relevant skills
6. Ability to solve problems
7. Ability to integrate knowledge
8. Ability to think independently about problems

Adaptive skills and attributes

9. Broad background knowledge
10. Ability to develop innovative ideas
11. Ability to identify new opportunities
12. Ability to adapt knowledge to different contexts
13. Ability to apply skills in different contexts
14. Capacity to work independently

Teamwork and interpersonal skills

15. Working well in a team
16. Getting on well with others in the workplace
17. Working collaboratively with colleagues to complete tasks
18. Understanding different points of view
19. Ability to interact with co-workers from different or multi-cultural backgrounds

Technical and professional skills

20. Applying professional knowledge to job tasks
21. Using technology effectively
22. Applying technical skills in the workplace
23. Maintaining professional standards
24. Observing ethical standards
25. Using research skills to gather evidence

Employability and enterprise skills

26. Ability to work under pressure
27. Capacity to be flexible in the workplace
28. Ability to meet deadlines
29. Understanding the nature of your business or organisation
30. Demonstrating leadership skills
31. Demonstrating management skills
32. Taking responsibility for personal professional development
33. Demonstrating initiative in the workplace

Appendix 5

Bibliography

Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2001. Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED), 2001. [Online]
Available at: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/0/F501C031BD9AC9C5CA256AAF001FCA33?opendocument
[Accessed 13 April 2018].

Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2013. Population Projections Australia. [Online]
Available at: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/lookup/3222.0Media%20Release12012%20(base)%20to%202101
[Accessed 13 April 2018].

Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2014. Data Requests, Data Protocols and Data Privacy. [Online]
Available at: https://www.education.gov.au/data-requests-data-protocols-and-data-privacy
[Accessed 13 April 2018].

Australian Bureau of Statistics, n.d. Census of Population and Housing: Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), Australia, 2011. [Online]
Available at: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/mf/2033.0.55.001
[Accessed 13 April 2018].

Australian Bureau of Statistics, n.d. Remoteness Structure. [Online]
Available at: http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/d3310114.nsf/home/remoteness+structure
[Accessed 13 April 2018].

Australian Institute for Teacher and School Leadership, 2011. Accreditation of Initial Teacher Education Programs in Australia. [Online]
Available at: http://www.aitsl.edu.au/docs/default-source/aitsl-research/insights/re00004_accreditation_of_initial_teacher_education_programs_in_australia_standards_and_procedures_apr_2011.pdf?sfvrsn=4
[Accessed 13 April 2018].

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2011. Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. [Online]
Available at: https://www.aitsl.edu.au/docs/default-source/apst-resources/australian_professional_standard_for_teachers_final.pdf
[Accessed 13 April 2018].

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, n.d. Accredited programs list. [Online]
Available at: https://www.aitsl.edu.au/initial-teacher-education/accredited-programs-list
[Accessed 26 February 2018].

Centre for International Research on Education Systems, December 2015. A Blueprint for initial teacher education and teacher workforce data. [Online]
Available at: http://www.aitsl.edu.au/docs/default-source/aitsl-research/blueprint-for-ite-and-teacher-workforce---attachment-2.pdf?sfvrsn=2
[Accessed 2017].

Department of Education and Training, n.d. Data Requests, Data Protocols and Data Privacy. [Online]
Available at: http://www.education.gov.au/data-requests-data-protocols-and-data-privacy
[Accessed 13 April 2018].

Department of Education and Training, n.d. Higher Education Statistics. [Online]
Available at: https://www.education.gov.au/higher-education-statistics
[Accessed 13 April 2018].

Department of Education and Training, n.d. Selected Higher Education Statistics – 2015 Appendix 4 – Attrition, success and retention. [Online]
Available at: https://docs.education.gov.au/documents/2015-appendix-4-attrition-success-and-retention
[Accessed 13 April 2018].

Graduate Careers Australia, n.d. Surveys. [Online]
Available at: http://www.graduatecareers.com.au/research/surveys/

Kearney, S., 2014. Understanding beginning teacher induction: A contextualised examination of best practice, Cogent Education, vol.1, s.l.: s.n.

Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching, n.d. Graduate Employment. [Online]
Available at: https://www.qilt.edu.au/about-this-site/graduate-employment
[Accessed 13 April 2018].

Shergold, P., 2016. Improving Transparency of Higher Education Admissions Processes. [Online]
Available at: https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/revised_20161115_pm_final_accessibility_version_hesp_admissions_transparency_report.pdf
[Accessed 13 April 2018].

The Council of Australian Government's Education Council, n.d. [Online]
Available at: http://www.educationcouncil.edu.au/

---

Back to top