Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemDichotomies and paradoxes of youth unemployment : a philosophical and comparative study( 1989)Youth unemployment (YU) and unemployment by choice (UBC) have been considered from four perspectives, labour market, economic aspect, education and social sciences. First the problem of YU in general and UBC in particular is outlined. For policy-makers and job-creators this information is obviously vital to avoid disappointments of predictions and results. Workaholics and UBC have totally different goals and values and choose accordingly. Then the economic perspective is considered: The economists' views and theories are analysed and comparative profiles of some OECD countries presented. Some of the other questions asked are: is there a nexus between excessive imports and unemployment and what may this indicate, and what solutions do some of the economic theorists present. This is followed by a comparative study of educational thrusts and training in various OECD countries. Again comparative profiles in various OECD countries are used in unravelling or demystifying this complex problem, which may be seen as at least partly a matter of choice of life-style. An attempt is then made to use principles from the social sciences to explain the personal, social and economic causes and effects of UBC and some recommendations are made.
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ItemCultural preservation : the Estonian experience in Australia 1947-1987( 1987)This study is based on an historical perspective which traces the origins and development of Estonian organisations which are viewed as representing the 'conscious' attempts to preserve Estonian culture in Australia. The organisational problems and strategies to preserve the culture are examined in terms of the relationship between strategies used by the Estonian community and those used simultaneously by the wider community in response to changes in social relationships and emerging government policies. A major source for research material has been through oral history sources in interviews and contacts with several ethnic Estonians(primarily immigrants),who have been actively involved with organised Estonian cultural life : extensive interviews were conducted in Melbourne,Sydney, Thirlmere,Adelaide and Canberra; the writer has also spent almost twelve months being actively involved in some of the Estonian organisations including the Melbourne Ladies' Choir, Festivals and concerts. Other important sources of information include the Eesti Paevad Albums(Estonian Festival Albums, 1954-1986),historical writings about Estonia and Estonian people,contemporary publications, research and other projects, an original questionnaire for second generation Estonians,and the writer's participation in the National Research Conference on Ethnicity and Multiculturalism at the University of Melbourne (May 14 - 16) in 1986. Part 1 introduces the underlying concepts of 'culture', 'community' and 'ethnicity',with a section on the relevant historical and geographical background of Estonia and Estonian immigrants. Aspects of the Estonian culture within the Australian context are examined using an adaptation of Raymond Williams' interpretation of culture this study stresses the importance of creating a balanced interpretation of Estonian culture at three levels,that is,the 'living community','recorded' culture and 'selective tradition' in the argument for developing strategies for preserving the Estonian culture through the process of mainstream education. Part 11 follows on from the foundations laid by the 'Old Estonians'(pre-World War ll),and outlines the changing role of major Estonian organisations such as the Festivals,Choirs, Estonian school,the press,and to a lesser extent the Church,in preserving the Estonian culture according to emerging trends within the Estonian community and the surrounding culture. Part 111 highlights the nature of the 'ageing' and diminishing Estonian community in Australia,with - the emergence of the younger generation of ethnic Estonians in Australia as the vehicle for the creation and transmission of Estonian culture. The intercultural context and the nature of contemporary social relationships provide evidence of the change from the ethnic exclusiveness of the earlier period,to the widening framework for Estonian ethnicity and interest in preserving the Estonian culture. Many of the current developments from within the Estonian community and its wider context are presented as evidence of trends which are moving towards the realization of crucial strategies which are needed to preserve the Estonian culture in Australia through the process of education.
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ItemComing, ready or not! : predicted growth in participation in adult education over the next decade( 1989)This report identifies the expectations the adult education sector has of school leavers if a system of lifelong education is to be achieved in Australia, and predicts strong growth in participation in lifelong education. It finds that young people need to have a positive attitude towards learning throughout life and it explores how the number of students who leave school with a negative attitude towards learning might be reduced. In exploring problems with schooling it became apparent that changing schools alone would not achieve the desired outcomes. Thus the report also looks at the likely demand by adults for lifelong education and some of the policy and legislative changes as well as changes in the workplace that are necessary if lifelong education is to be a reality for all who wish to participate. The material for the report was gathered from a joint Australian Teachers Federation and Commission for the Future project and associated inquiries. This was combined with ideas and strategies outlined in a number of major recent. Australian reports to develop predictions about participation in lifelong education over the next decade. Two of the inquiries used a modified Delphi technique to achieve concensus about expectations of schooling and strategies to reduce the number of students who leave school with inadequate basic skills and a negative attitude towards learning. Ancillary material about the kind of skills adults think they will need in the next ten years was collected from simple interviews with 52 members of the general public. To predict likely demand for adult education the research combines demographic data with enrolment statistics and value segment analysis. Value segment analysis describes the population in terms of its values and has been used because of the relationship between motivation and participation in adult education. Overall the project is a descriptive piece of research developed through selective survey methods involving interviewing groups and individuals and combining this data with ideas identified through a literature review. The numbers of people involved in the two Delphi inquiries and interviews are so small that the findings can only be treated as indicative of the public's views rather than as finite statements. The report concludes by predicting a strong growth in participation in lifelong education caused by increased educational expectations in the community generally the ageing of the population increased need to continually learn and update skills for work and personal life and a growing concern generally about our social and physical environments.
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ItemAustralian studies and the Geelong College( 1988)The Geelong College pioneered the teaching of Australian Studies as part of the secondary school curriculum. The notion of teaching about Australia through an inter-disciplinary course was seen as revolutionary in its early days of the mid-1970s. Since that time, however, the teaching of Australian Studies has become increasingly widespread in schools, and also in some tertiary institutions. Over the same period, the Australian Studies course at The Geelong College has undergone review and change according to staff interests, student reaction and the contemporary situation. In the early 1980s, the face of Victorian Education was to change through the effects of the "Blackburn Report", an enquiry into post-compulsory schooling, of which a major recommendation was that all students should undertake a study of Australian society at Levels 11 and 12. The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Board has used this recommendation as the basis for introducing a compulsory two-unit course titled "Work and Australian Society" as part of the new Victorian Certificate of Education, which will be fully operational by 1991. The Geelong College, like all other secondary schools in the state, is having to prepare for the introduction of Australian Studies in this form. Although this school has had the advantage of experience with an established Australian Studies course, the present course does not fully satisfy the requirements of the VCAB guidelines; therefore some degree of modification and rewriting is necessary. This thesis will attempt to design, implement and evaluate some units of work for Year 11 Australian Studies students at The Geelong College, units which satisfy both the VCAB requirements and the needs of the student clientele of this particular school. In order to undertake such a project, this thesis initially examines the development in the study of Australian society and culture. It then attempts to identify a methodology which could be used as a model for the planning of curriculum modfications for this course. The nature of the particular institution in question will be examined as a preparatory step to the development of a curriculum. The thesis concludes with a review of the process undertaken and discusses its applicability as a general methodology.
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ItemAustralian Education Council deliberations on education and technology( 1989)In November 1983 the Australian Education Council (AEC) established the Task Force on Education and Technology to develop options for a strategy of related policy and program initiatives. The study covered AEC interest in the relationship between technology and education, the establishment and operations of the Task Force, the preparation and presentation of its final report, and the AEC's replacement of the Task Force in June 1986 with an Executive Working Group. Research centred on the process followed by the Task Force, and the extent to which the Task Force report could be considered a 'good' policy document. Consideration was also given to the importance of the chairmanship of the Task Force, and the adequacy of resources to fulfil the terms of reference set by the AEC. The policy development process was traced through AEC documentation which included minutes of meetings, correspondence, reports, and discussion papers. For analysis, a conceptual framework was provided by Caldwell and Spinks' models for the policy making process and for policy statements. Corroborative material was drawn from comments by the Chairman of the Task Force, the Hon L M F Arnold. Findings included a failure by the Task Force adequately to specify its definition of 'technology' or to limit to a manageable scale the scope of its deliberations. The chairmanship of the Task Force by Mr Arnold was seen to be significant in terms of the importance of having a Minister chairing a working group, with the potential for leverage to take place, but questions regarding the quality of the chairmanship were raised in light of the problems experienced by the Task Force in defining terms and parameters, and in producing an appropriate policy statement which would take due account of AEC attitudes to projects requiring funding. While the process followed by the Task Force could be matched to Caldwell's model for policy development, and the Task Force was well aware of 'the need for a structured approach, meetings were dominated by discussion of procedural matters rather than content, leading to frustration on . the part of some members and resulting in a relative lack of direction in the development of report content. Geographical remoteness of members, and, the, need to balance Task Force demands against continuing normal workloads, were seen as factors impeding high levels of involvement and participation in the preparation of the policy statement. It was suggested that unrealistically broad terms of reference had been set, without the AEC being,either willing or able to provide the resources necessary to fulfil them, and that Task Force members' perceptions of being inadequately resourced affected the performance of their duties. The final report to the AEC was criticised by educators and educational adminstrators particularly on grounds of excessive generality in its recommendations, and of having taken inadequate note of activity already occurring around Australia. In all categories offered by Caldwell as criteria for a good policy statement, the. report received adverse criticism. It was suggested that the Task Force failed to fulfil its terms of reference, both by offering a series of discrete recommendations in specific areas, rather than a range of options, and by failing to supply details of anticipated cost. The report's major practical recommendations were not implemented.
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Item'Ten years after' : equality and the disadvantaged schools program( 1987)In 1973 the Interim Report of the Schols Commission was published providing a blue print for educational policy and planning for the 1970's and 1980's. In particular, the report focussed on the notion of equality in its educational context and the means for the achievement of its expressed ends through specific programs. One such program is the Disadvantaged Schools Program. A full decade of implementation has taken place. This thesis attempts to examine: the theoretical and political warrants of the notion of equality expressed in the Karmel Report, and the effectiveness of its translation into action through the Disadvantaged Schools Program. The focus of the thesis is that the Karmel Report was fundamentally inconsistent in its expression of the concept of educational equality. It examines the contradictions and ambiguities in the Report and the implementation of the Disadvantaged Schools Program against original goals and intentions. The Disadvantaged Schools Program, it is argued, has been undermined by these conceptual inconsistencies, by grants to non-government schools and by the way in which the Program itself came to be administered.
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ItemSkilling the Australian community : futures for public education ; the business/industry perspective( 1988)As Australia approaches the 21st Century, the era of the information-based technological society, economic considerations dominate the Government's planning and rhetoric. Maintaining international competitiveness through a revitalised workforce is partly dependent on the education system. Initially, it must be clear what claims are being made by the outside community, so educators can take a pro-active role in determining how to supply students with the requisite skills. This study examined these issues from the perspective of the major user of the school product, the business and industry sector, which includes large corporations, small business and unions. The expectations of this sector were not narrowly vocational, but rather emphasised the need for broadly-based skills for all students. Specific skills required by the business sector in the cognitive area included literacy, communication, numeracy, scientific literacy and languages, while important attitudinal skills were those of leadership, decision-making, flexibility, initiative and excellence, group participation and positive attitudes to business. Skills required by other "user" sectors: higher education, public sector, adults, parents and students, were similarly explored; there was stiking similarity in demands and emphasis, particularly between the major users - business, public sector and higher education. The reaction to these skill expectations by the providers - the educators was positive, but general; resolutions included calling for national education goals and a national curriculum and enhanced teacher training and professional development. Detailed implications of these skill demands for educational policy and programs were examined, particularly in the essential areas of literacy, numeracy and scientific technology, all of which require upgrading in resources and teaching methodology. Positive proposals for school/business interactions were made, to promote reciprocal knowledge and attitudinal skills within the two sectors. Finally, a scenario is presented of the school world in ten years time according to projections made in this business perspective. As the Australian community is being challenged to skill itself to meet future demands; as the Government implements policies through funding mechanisms determined by economic rationalism, it is important that a balanced "value-added" approach be provided by the education sector.
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ItemPerceptions of education and the post-industrial society: a study of student attitudes( 1987)Much has been written in recent years about the emergence of the post-industrial society. The works of writers such as Alvin Toffler, Daniel Bell and Barry Jones have, over the past fifteen years, discussed the question of an emerging new economy and the implications that this will have for both individual citizens and nations. This thesis seeks to examine the attitudes of young people towards the future and to find out the extent to which they feel optimistic or pessimistic about such things as: careers, areas of study at school, the state of the world and contemporary media preoccupations such as nuclear disarmament. The thesis methodology is based on an anaylsis of 2 219 questionnaires completed by Year 10 students in four states, plus a small case study of students' own personal writing about the future. Chapter 3 presents a picture of the post-industrial state as it is popularly portrayed in the press. Chapter 4 examines the way in which education is presented by the media and looks at the criticisms that have been levelled against it by journals such as the Bulletin since 1976. Chapter 5 is an analysis of the survey findings and presents a detailed discussion of these findings. This chapter also tests the validity of hypotheses such as: * That students who intend to seek employment in agriculture and manufacturing will be more likely to feel pessimistic about the future than those who are planning to work in the information and service sector. * That students doing Maths and Science courses will be more optimistic than those doing Humanities and Creative Arts. * That girls will choose careers in more traditional occupations long associated with women, and will therefore feel more pessimistic about the world and the future than boys do.
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ItemSkilling the Australian community: futures for public education: a public sector perspective( 1989)On November 4th, 1987 a group of public sector representatives met at the University of Melbourne to consider the skills that those entering the public sector required from the public education system. However, the initial debate centred on what was perceived as a fundamental difference between private sector and public sector purposes. After an introductory chapter and the study methodology chapter, the essence of this initial debate is outlined in Chapter Three. This is followed in Chapter Four by the representative group's list of skills and requirements for those entering the public sector. The curriculum and contextual implications associated with this list are then discussed in Chapter Five. Chapter Six is a scenario about the impact on the public education system and youth policy that any resulting changes may have had by the year 1998. Chapter Seven concludes this study with some comments about the possible future problems facing education as the twenty-first century approaches.
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ItemAustralian speech pathology services and the non-native speaker of English: a national survey( 1988)A national Australia wide mail survey was conducted of 400 systematically selected, practising speech pathologists who were members of the Australian Association of Speech and Hearing. The aim of the survey was to describe the occurrence and nature of speech pathology services provided for the non-native speaker of English (N.N.E.S.) during the period January 1 to December 31, 1986. A modified version of the Total Design of Method (Dillman, 1984) was followed. The Total Design Method involved implementation of a set of procedures consisting of one initial contact for all questionnaire participants and up to two follow-up contacts for non-respondents. Using these procedures, an 87 percent response rate was achieved. The findings indicated that: 1. Sixty-nine (68.9) percent of the sample population of speech pathologists had seen one to two different N.N.E.S. clients in their clinics. 2. The speech pathologists (31.2 percent) who had not seen N.N.E.S. reported overwhelmingly that there had been no referrals of N.N.E.S. to their clinic. 3. The incidence of referral of N.N.E.S. clients for each state was related to the number of practising speech pathologists in the state and not to the proportion of N.N.E.S. in that state. 4. N.N.E.S. clients were represented predominantly by the age groups 0-9 and 55 and over. 5. The languages spoken most often by N.N.E.S clients were Italian, Greek and Chinese languages (Cantonese and Mandarin). 6. Interpreters were used by 36 percent of speech pathologists. 7. One in every three speech pathologists who provided services to N.N.E.S. clients spoke a second language. However, these second languages were used infrequently by the speech pathologist in the clinical setting. 8. Sixty-four (64.2) percent of speech pathologists were supportive of the notion that a greater amount of information should be included in undergraduate and continuing education programs in all aspects relating to bilingual/bicultural issues.