Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemA comparative study of primary school social studies in three Australian states : Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia, 1952-1975( 1976)This study is concerned with the way in which Primary school Social Studies curricula have been revised, organized and developed from 1952 to 1975 in three Australian States - Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia. As few commercially produced Social Studies courses, or indeed Social Studies units, have been forthcoming in these States, coverage in this thesis concentrates on those syllabus revisions which have been produced by Revision Committees organized by the respective Education Departments in these States. Underlying factors which have been instrumental in Social Studies revisions and their final outcome - a Social Studies Syllabus - have been analyzed by considering those constraints which form a part of the Curriculum Materials Analysis System (1967). The constituent six part cluster questions have been used in horizontal analysis to highlight features of Social Studies courses in the 1950's as compared to those of the 1960's, and the most significant changes which have occurred in the most current revisions. From courses which presented a high degree of uniformity in their emphasis on facts, social living and citizenship, have emerged State revisions which, though differing in format and degree of inclusiveness, reflect attributes commonly associated with 'new' Social Studies.
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ItemWhat are the objectives of the State College of Victoria at Frankston courses as perceived by students, lecturing staff (education), and teachers in the field( 1975)The purpose of this study was to investigate the Objectives of the State College of Victoria at Frankston as perceived by students, lecturing staff (in Education) and teachers in the field. The number of cases used was 227, including 25 first year private students, 40 first year studentship holders, 25 third year studentship holders, as well as 23 College education staff and 114 supervising teachers, of which only 61 replies were of value. The subjects were required to complete an open ended questionnaire on what they believed 'are' the objectives of the S.C.V. and what 'should be' the objectives. An inspection of the responses was made by using Content Analysis. It appeared that the responses fell into three fairly clearly defined areas of Objectives, viz. Professional, Academic and Personal Development. Further examination of the data indicated that an item had a positive or negative valence, i.e., the respondent indicated approval or disapproval of the item as an Objective. The Objectives were raw scored, and the frequency of mention was converted to percentages of the whole group being scored. This was done for both +ve and -ve valence, thus indicating whether a respondent was critical of or favourable to the perceived College Objectives. Further data was obtained by asking College lecturers and teachers in the field to rate on a scale +5 to -5 whether the College was doing what it should be doing in achieving College Objectives. The findings indicate that there is general agreement about the current levels of professional objectives as perceived by the different groups. there is consistent demand for more professional studies, except from college lecturers in Education. Colleges are seen by all groups as having an academic content which should be decreased markedly at all levels. Colleges are recognised as having a low personal development level which all but critical teachers agree needs to be significantly increased.
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ItemThe State College of Victoria( 1977)The Martin Report's proposal that the control of teacher education outside universities should be by statutory state Boards of Teacher Education funded partly by the Commonwealth, was initially rejected. However the states gradually relinquished some control as the demands for expanded teacher education facilities became more urgent. At the same time, the Commonwealth Government, anxious to assist smaller colleges of advanced education and their growth prospects, offered substantial funding for teacher education within smaller c.a.e.'s. In Victoria, pressure from the principals and staffs of the teachers' colleges through their respective associations led to negotiations for the independence of teachers' colleges. An advisory Teacher Education Authority was proposed by the Education Department as an initial step in the evolution of teachers' colleges to independence. Later, an Education Department Committee proposed the formation of a Victoria Institute of Teacher Education, as the umbrella authority supervising independent member colleges with their own Councils. These latter proposals would finally constitute the basis of the State College of Victoria Act. In 1970, the Minister of Education established the Victorian Fourth University Committee which considered the possibility of established teachers' colleges forming a multi-campus fourth university. However the question of the relationship between a fourth university and teachers' colleges was left unresolved by a substantially divided committee, so the Minister accepted the view of the V.F.U.C., supported by the V.A.P.T.C. and the C.T.C.S.A.(V.) that the colleges establish a separate co-ordinating authority. The Minister established a Committee of Advice to help implement the proposal. In the meantime, the Commonwealth Government announced significant policy alterations to the funding of teacher education. State teachers' colleges which were being developed as self-governing tertiary institutions under the supervision of an appropriate co-ordinating authority would be funded on the same basis as universities and colleges of advanced education. By the end of 1972 the State College of Victoria Act was passed by the Victorian Government. The teachers' colleges outside Education Department control, which included Melbourne Kindergarten Teachers' College, four Catholic teachers' colleges and Mercer House (Associated Teachers' Training Institution), had actively participated in the negotiations for an independent co-ordinating authority. With the support of the State Government and the funding of the Commonwealth Government, Melbourne Kindergarten Teachers' College had little difficulty negotiating entry as a foundation member of the S.C.V. Four Catholic teachers' colleges joined together to form the Institute of Catholic Education and applied for admission as a single entity to the S.C.V. Negotiations for its entry, which extended over eighteen months, were finally successful. Its success was considerably enhanced when the Commonwealth Government offered funding to approved 'private' teachers' colleges. In the meantime, Mercer House negotiated for entry to the S.C.V. as a separate entity without success, but finally agreed to amalgamate with the S.C.V. at Toorak in 1975.
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ItemA comparative study of three state colleges of Victoria - Burwood, Frankston, Toorak, 1973-1976( 1977)On the 25 October 1972, Lindsay Thompson, the minister for Education, introduced into the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian State Parliament a Bill that was to create the State College of Victoria. Under this legislation the State Teachers' Colleges ceased to be administered by the Education Department and became an autonomous body in tertiary education. The aim of this thesis is to study the background to the formation of this institution. To look at the struggle for independence fought by individuals and associations connected with the Teachers' colleges and the lengthy enquiries and official panels established by the government. Chapters two, three and four are studies of three constituent colleges of the S.C.V., Burwood, Frankston and Toorak, in regard to their courses, staffing, organization and finance. following the gathering of this material an attempt is made to juxtapose these elements of the three colleges during the first three years of their independence, to try to establish similarities and differences in the data gathered. Comparative analysis is then attempted to draw conclusions regarding the progress, objectives, growth or setbacks the colleges have experienced and to try and establish why such results are evident. Finally two major questions are discussed. What is the future of the State College of Victoria system and what is the future of the individual colleges under study. To try and fathom out these problems the opinions of several people closely connected with the S.C.V. system and the Victorian Education Department were sought. The answers to both questions at this stage remain suppositions for they are presently under formal review by two State Government committees.
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ItemResponses of government and Catholic educational authorities to the influx of migrants, 1950-1960, with special reference to the experience of a selected group of schools conducted by the Victorian Sisters of Mercy( 1977)local parish priest; the day-to-day education was left completely to those dedicated religious and their lay assistants who faced the challenge with resolute courage. One such group of religious were the Sisters of Mercy. A major focus of this study is their efforts in the field of migrant education with special reference to three schools for which they mere responsible. With neither the time nor expertise to develop a specific philosophy of migrant education they relied on traditional methods of classroom teaching - methods in which they had fortunately been well-grounded. The effect of such teaching can be partially gauged from the responses of one hundred of their students.
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ItemTAFE staff profile: an analysis of the characteristics, attitudes and opinions of the teaching staff of Swinburne Technical College( 1977)For sometime, Technical and Further Education (TAFE) has been the most neglected area of post secondary education, not only has TAFE not been given an equitable share of available funds, but it has been prevented from meeting the demands being placed upon it, and consequently has been unable to carry out its role effectively. Swinburne Technical College (STC) is a TAFE college and it seems to represent the general depressed state of this area of education. Currently within STC are 95 full time teachers catering for 3,500 students in four major areas; Building, Business, Engineering and General Studies. However, STC has no permanent buildings, all of the teaching being undertaken in rented facilities of Swinburne College of Technology - a College of Advanced Education, or in a variety of other leased or portable buildings. As the experiences, qualifications, attitudes, opinions and expectations of teachers have a direct bearing on the type or quality of educational programs, it would appear that, in view of the constraints being imposed on the teachers of STC, knowledge of such factors is essential if STC is to carry out its role effectively. The aim of this investigation is to develop such a profile of the teachers of STC by examining three areas of teacher involvement (i) Academic, personal and career details (ii) Attitudes and opinions to employment at STC (iii) Attitudes, opinions and expectations to TAFE as a separate sector of post secondary education. In understanding such an examination consideration is given to (i) identifying the nature and extent of some of the problems facing the teachers of STC in attempting to fulfil their teaching function. (ii) presenting the expressed attitudes and opinions of the teachers towards these problem areas. (iii) attempting to identify some of the relationships that may exist between problem areas. The information necessary to develop such a profile was gained by administering a questionnaire, consisting mainly of fixed alternative items with five alternative responses, to all available teachers of STC. As 72 teachers, of a possible 87, responded to the questionnaire, giving a return rate of 83%, the information gained and the profile developed was taken to be representative of the STC.
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ItemContinuing education for farmers in Victorian agricultural colleges( 1977)The rural industries are undergoing major structural changes which are causing increasing pressures on farmers. One of the ways that farmers can cope with these changes is to become more professional in their management. Fewer young people are entering farming today and the average age of farmers is rising so tba.t the emphasis in agricultural education is shifting towards providing more continuing education for practising fanners. Post-secondary education is under increasing criticism from educators, Governments and society largely. because of its failure to provide equality of opportunity and for its emphasis on youth centred education at the expense. of adults. Lifelong education is now seen by many educators as the guiding principle which will enable everyone to have learning opportunities throughout their lifetime. Recurrent 'education is proposed as' an alternative educational strategy to permanent education and its theme is an alternation between education and other activities, such as work and. leisure, throughout life. A key feature of a system of recurrent education is that it is the Learner who controls the direction of the learning. This paper reports the results of a survey which set out to determine the needs for, and attitudes towards continuing. education amongst 200 practising farmers. It was found that educational attainment, youth, and other, farmer characteristics .were. positively related to participation and interest in continuing education. Agricultural colleges were seen as playing a vital role in providing opportunities for continuing education but that certain improvements in the planning, financing and timing of their activities would increase their use by farmers. There is an increasing need for TAFE, which is the ideal post-secondary, system for implementing the principles of recurrent education, to play a more active part than it has in supporting continuing education for farming. The big challenge Mt-Agricultural educators is. how to motivate- the- majority of farmers to participate in training. activities. This could be met initially by Government supported overbridging education.
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ItemOrigins and development of general science in Victoria 1942-1962( 1976)This thesis is a detailed study of the teaching of General Science in Victorian secondary schools during the period, 1942-1962. The beginnings of the General Science movement can be traced to investigations into science education in England in 1918. However, many ideals of the subject date back to the nineteenth century. Hence some time has been spent in researching the aims and practice of science teaching in England during these earlier stages. Similarly, it has been necessary to study early science curricula in Australia. This background allowed an analysis of effects that Nature Study courses, university science subjects and any unique aspects of Australian education may have had on the origins and implementation of General Science. Syllabuses, courses of study, examination papers and examiners' reports have been thoroughly studied to determine the nature and direction of teaching that took place. In particular, the effect of subject content, examinations, text books and teaching methods has been researched. Hence it has been possible to analyse critically the origins and evolution of General Science. This retrospective study has not only allowed close scrutiny of the ideals and actual classroom practice of the time; it has also afforded valuable insight into essential guidelines that are necessary for general curriculum evaluation and development. Many of these guidelines remain relevant today, even though some thirty years have elapsed since the first General Science course was adapted in Victoria.
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ItemA comparative survey of the teaching of mathematics in primary schools in South Australia and Victoria( 1976)During the last two decades the teaching of mathematics in Australian primary schools has experienced widespread changes in content and method. These changes were introduced, mainly, in an attempt to overcome certain problems associated with the teaching of the subject. The views of psychologists and mathematicians influenced the new approaches to a greater extent than on any previous occasion. At the outset this thesis discusses some of the problems encountered in the teaching of mathematics and outlines three areas.requiring attention. An overview is given of the place of mathematics in the primary school curriculum in South Australia and Victoria since the middle of the nineteenth century. In tracing this development, an historical setting is given for the current controversies in the teaching of mathematics. A number of important changes in the teaching of mathematics emerge. In particular the changes which have occurred during the last twenty years are considered in some detail. An attempt is made to compare these recent developments and special attention is given to the period since the Australian conference on primary school mathematics in 1964, when a major restructuring of courses was proposed. Finally, it is shown that in attempting to overcome the problems associated with the teaching of mathematics, other factors have emerged which have implications for future developments. The current claim that the 3 R's have been neglected is likely to bring about a change in emphasis.
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ItemThe Victorian agricultural high schools : origins, development and failure: with special reference to Ballarat, Sale, Shepparton and Wangaratta agricultural high schools( 1977)The concept of the vocational secondary school is not unique to Victoria and, as in other places, the questions of its origin, development and success or failure are integrally tied to the political, social and economic conditions of its environment. The agricultural high schools of Victoria, established in the first decade of this century, were not, as some would have us believe, poorly considered experiments proposed by a few optimistic educators in a fledgling State which provided education for its children only up to grade six level. Rather, they represented the first major move by an ambitious young Director of Education, Frank Tate, into a field hitherto dominated by independent interests. That they were vocational, that they were rural, was determined by the political and economic realities of the time: that they were failures was determined by the liberal philosophies and, therefore, approach of Tate and other department men, and by the social realities in a State where industrialization and resultant social mobility militated against any attempt to keep the boys "down on the farm". Poorly constructed, and unwanted by the rural populace, the vocational aspect of the agricultural high schools was, in the main, dysfunctional to the composition of Victorian society, and the thinly veiled contempt of the Education Department could be seen in the words and deeds of its administrators. But they had to pay lip-service to their political masters, and the façade was necessarily maintained until long after the passing of the 1910 Education Act, the composition of which, had Tate been so allowed, would have brought to fruition his dream of a large and integrated State secondary system. When it finally disappeared from the Victorian educational scene, the agricultural course was lamented by few. It had been, however, the necessary medium through which the initial steps along the road to a State-wide system of secondary education had been taken. The schools lived on, as district high schools, and helped to provide the model for that system.