Faculty of Education - Theses
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 5 of 5
-
ItemInfluences at work on the shaping of a Catholic girls' secondary school( 1989)1988 is the twenty-fifth year of the existence of Ave Maria College, a girls' Catholic secondary school at West Essendon, established in 1963 by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. This thesis endeavours to trace the forces which shaped it - the sociological, religious, political and economic forces which influenced its growth. It examines the background and development of the College under the guidance of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, the handing over of the College to the the Catholic Education Office on the departure of the sisters in 1975, the subsequent administration by an Interim Board of Management and its eventual development as an autonomous College within the Catholic Education system, and the laitization of the College which is a feature of many Catholic secondary schools of the 1980's.
-
Item"Learning to be a good woman" : post-primary education for girls in Victorian state schools, 1900-1939( 1987)The analysis of the development of State post-primary schooling is based on an understanding of the role of class and gender in order to investigate the philosophy, policies and pragmatic decisions which influenced the establishment of schools for girls, 1900 to 1939. An increasing awareness of the importance of gender characterised the development of State post-primary schools in Victoria in this period, partly as a result of a widespread acceptance that schooling did not cater sufficiently for gender differences. This thesis contends that the concept of work accepted by the society was class based and within this division, gender based. Implicitly and explicitly the role of wife and mother was eulogized as the most fitting vocation for all women and used as a justification for advocating an education for girls based on the acquisition of domestic skills. This thesis describes the development of post-primary schools for girls, the concentration on training in domestic skills and the development of a philosophy of education specifically designed to produce a 'good woman'. Domestic arts schools and technical schools, designed especially for working class girls, and the role of these schools in maintaining the gender division of labour, are discussed. The thesis also analyses the introduction of single sex high schools and the lack of resources devoted to girls. The 1930s and the economic forces that affected the education of most working class and lower middle class children, but especially girls, is discussed. Schools were affected by wider social tensions, but were used as tools to influence the direction girls would take on leaving school and were caught in the struggle to define and produce successive generations of 'good women'.
-
ItemThe survival of the Victorian high school, 1929-1939( 1981)The Victorian high school has managed to survive in spite of itself. In a sense it was very nearly still born. The legislative authority allowing it to exist was riddled with restriction on its development; it was demanded that its curriculum serve the vocational requirements of the State and its geographic dispersion favour both rural interests and the independent school system. As a vehicle for the promotion of mass secondary education it was ill conceived and poorly designed. The emergence of the Great Depression found the future of the school in doubt. Departmental plans aimed at restructuring the school in accordance with the English pattern of Modern and Grammar Schools were reaching fruition while the worsening economic climate was acting to affirm the conviction of those who believed that post-primary education was a privilege to be bestowed on the few who could benefit. Throughout the decade Victorian high schools struggled to justify their right to exist. Their capacity, how-ever limited, to foster social mobility came into conflict with an established meritocratic model of social improvement in which only the recognisable and socially approved ability of individuals warranted rewarding. The right of the schools to nurture ability and the right of those within them to choose their own careers within an accessible system of subsidised State secondary education had to be won from the disciples of parsimony and the guardians of social order. Successive reductions in Government funding acted to increase the costs imposed on local school communities. As a result their commitment to their local high school was tested and their assessment of the worth of a high school education became a matter of constant review.
-
ItemRevision of the State primary school curriculum in Victoria, 1928-34: its social and educational context( 1981)In the years 1928-34, educational leaders in Victoria worked towards a comprehensive revision of the State elementary school curriculum, a process which culminated in the publication of the General Course of Study for Elementary Schools, 1934. During these years the concept of curriculum expanded. It came to include not only the content of the printed courses of study, but also expressions of belief regarding the place of the school in society, ideas related to child development and learning theory, and to the everyday events and activities which took place in schools. Educationists saw in Australia's response to World War I, her commitment to the concept of Empire, and the increase in Australian nationalistic feeling, a set of social factors which helped shape the view that the school should promote the ideal of social unification. Never precisely defined, social unification was seen to involve the production of intelligent citizens who could assist the development of a better society. Education was thus seen to be a major vehicle for instilling the "spirit of service" within children. Educationists devoted increasing attention to an identification of societal changes as they perceived them. Further, they sought to define the implications of these changes for the elementary school curriculum. The depression of the early 1930's reinforced the view that the school and its curriculum should provide pupils with the means to affect the future of society. The concept of democracy, too, was an important factor contributing to an expanded view of curriculum. Closely associated with democracy were the notions of individuality and socialisation, each of which was seen to be an important aim of educational endeavour. Despite problems of definition, the concept of democracy bolstered the view that the school and therefore its curriculum should be a means of social unification. Perceptions of the prevailing social situation inevitably led to an identification of the shortcomings of present educational theory and practice. An increasing number of Victorian educationists took the opportunity to experience, at first-hand, educational practice in the U.S.A. and Europe, with the result that access to the writings and ideas of overseas educationists was facilitated, and that the eclectic approach which typified Victorian educational developments was enhanced. A comprehensive, yet ambiguous set of aims for the Victorian elementary school was stated. It reflected the view that the school was an important socialising agent within society. Further, a set of principles for curriculum revision was identified. Derived from the English Hadow Report, it indicated the growing awareness that the discipline of psychology was crucial for the design of an appropriate curriculum for Victoria's school children. Despite the fact that an expanded view of the curriculum had emerged, imprecision of language, incomplete understandings and misinterpretations of ideas or practice led to conflicting ideas and ambiguity. In addition, within Victoria's centralised education system, there were a number of constraints which affected the outcomes of the curriculum revision movement. The 1934 Course of Study reflected these constraints. It nevertheless did indicate that significant advances in educational thought had taken place.
-
ItemAn exploration of the influence of the theories of Maria Montessori on education in state schools and free kindergartens between 1912 and 1930 in some states of south eastern Australia, with special emphasis on Victoria( 1987)While Montessori's theories appear to have had greater influence and official support in the state schools of New South Wales and in the kindergartens of South Australia, the extent of her influence in Victoria is not widely discussed in educational literature. This thesis tries to examine the ways in which Montessori's theories affected educational ideas and practices in Victorian state schools and free kindergartens between 1912 and 1930. Some comparison is made among the states of South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria as to the extent and reasons for the differing degrees of influence Montessorian ideas exerted over the educational developments in the three states. It is suggested that Montessori's ideas did influence the attitudes of some educators in Victoria but that lack of finance and over-crowding in classrooms prevented the implementation of a Montessori programme. The lasting effect of Montessori does not seem to have differed greatly in the three states.