Effectiveness of the Multi-campus College Model in Delivering Improved Secondary School Pedagogy and Students' Learning Outcomes: Lessons from New South Wales DET Schools

Abstract

Since their inception in New South Wales (NSW) Department of Education and Training (DET) secondary schools in 1998, multi-campus colleges have become a significant player in teaching and learning. They now provide education to 23,530 students in 10% of all the secondary schools in NSW. Students' enrolments in the participating schools have improved remarkably, student engagement and governance has improved as have academic and non-academic outcomes. The public image of DET schools in the areas where these colleges are located has received a boost. Yet in spite of such success, the multi-campus college model remains surprisingly neglected in educational research and public debate. Employing a multiple case study methodology, this paper draws on interviewees' narratives of their experiences in selected multi-campus colleges to unpack the opportunities that the multi-campus college model creates for effective pedagogic intervention, improved teaching and quality learning. With the aim of seeking to inform and to provoke research and debate on this topic, the paper concludes that the multi-campus college model has potential to be a much bigger contributor to quality teaching and active learning in secondary schools not only in NSW but also in other Australian states and overseas.