Research

“Across Australia it is only a small minority of students who undertake studies with content or focus on Asia”

A 2009 report by the Australian Council for Educational Research analysed the extent to which students completed Year 12 subjects with content or focus on Asia. The report used a sample of predominantly tertiary entrance subjects that included English, History, Geography, International Studies, Politics, and Arts.

While a range of Year 11 and 12 courses include an optional focus on the region, the researchers, Jenny Wilkinson and Gina Milgate concluded that “Simply making content or focus on Asia available as an option in courses does not appear to be stimulating the study of Asia.”

The researchers also found that much of the material that does have content or focus on Asia has an Australian or Western focus.

Download Studies of Asia in Year 12 (PDF: 8Mb) report.