New ways forward: results and recommendations from an exploratory research project about mainstream students with learning difficulties in Queensland secondary schools

The research reported in this paper was conducted in Queensland in 2004/2005\ud and utilised the Education Queensland definition of students with learning difficulties.\ud These students are those 'with short and long term difficulties in literacy, numeracy and\ud learning how to learn' (Education Queensland, 1996, Introduction). Little research has\ud occurred nationally or internationally into student secondary students with learning\ud difficulties despite their experience of failure and underachievement in schools (Watson\ud & Boman, 2005,). Students with learning difficulties have been shown to be\ud overrepresented in the juvenile justice system (Juvenile Crime in New South Wales\ud Report, 2000), in mental health institutions (Raphael, 2000) and as the long term\ud unemployed (Lamb & McKenzie, 2001).\ud The stud