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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ItemAn analysis of John Dewey's philosophy on 'education as growth'( 1989)This thesis' approach to John Dewey's philosophy, specifically his ideas on 'education as growth', while aiming to provide a critical analysis, is also sympathetic. Hence it is not entirely committed to another school of thought. Rather it leads to the criticisms which are set forward in two ways. First in attempting to state his thought clearly, we are forced to note that, at times, there are crucial ambiguities in Dewey's use of key terms. These ambiguities are of special importance in considering what Dewey has to say about the empirical method and what he has to say about the nature of events. Second, and more important, in attempting to state the relationship between his views on fundamental topics, we find conflicting 'intellectual tendencies which are not resolved by Dewey. John Dewey's educational writing has been analyzed with a view to determining his views about the aims and general character of education. This thesis has examined whether Dewey's basic recommendations about educational. aims and methods are logically connected with his technical philosophical formulations or are 'rendered more likely by them. At almost every point, the upshot of this analysis has been to suggest that the logical or philosophical links that Dewey claimed or assumed between his technical philosophical formulations and educational recommendations do not in fact exist.
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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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ItemRegionalisation and organisational effectiveness in state education in the mid 1980s : a study in the evolution to the mid 1980s of an organisational form( 1989)The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions held by incumbent Regional Directors in the mid 1980s about the contribution of the regionalisation process to the organisational effectiveness of the then Education Department of Victoria. Regionalisation practice since its introduction in 1971 was reviewed in order to demonstrate that the process was an evolving one in terms of its scope and complexity and to frame a focus question to direct the overall direction of the research to be undertaken. The literature relevant to the key concepts perception and organisational effectiveness was reviewed extensively to secure a specific conceptual framework to underpin the research project and its instruments of investigation. The instrument selected was a semi-structured interview schedule administered to the twelve Regional Directors and the Executive Director (Schools). Conceptually, the instrument's design was based upon the work of Lawrence Mohr (1973) The perceptions of the thirteen respondents were schematically arranged and the research focus question was then analysed in depth. No attempt was made to test the perceptions of the respondents about the organisational effectiveness of the Education Department against some assumed objective reality. A number of additional discoveries were discussed in detail. The theory and practice of regionalisation were reviewed in depth in the light of the research outcomes. Particular attention was paid to the predictions of the respondents as to the amount of "thrust" the regionalisation process would be able to effect for itself in the period 1985-88. The actual development of this thrust in the context of the re-organisation of the Education Department of Victoria into the Ministry of Education was compared with the respondents' predictions. The vehicle for this final and extra piece of analysis was an additional preface and retrospect annexed to the body of the thesis. A brief analysis of the rationale for regionalisation as practised in 1989/1990 was essayed at this point.
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ItemA comparison of the difficulties of algebra, fractions and decimals for Year 9 students( 1989)Skills tests in arithmetic and algebra were administered to 222 Year 9 students in two schools in Melbourne. Students, who were given one of four test papers, attempted twelve core questions, and three pairs of questions, the second of which was a j ump in difficulty from the first. These jumps in difficulty were expressions of the difference between working with fractions or decimals as opposed to whole numbers, and algebra as opposed to arithmetic. The results for the paired questions were firstly analysed using McNemar's test for changes. It was found that there is a jump in difficulty when moving from settings not involving fractions and decimals to settings where operating with fractions and decimals is necessary. Although the situation involving the addition of algebra is not as clear, it appears as well that the movement of a question from are arithmetic to an algebraic setting poses difficulties for students. Rasch analysis was used to give a measure of difficulty for all items, and the differences in difficulty for each of the paired questions calculated. The Newman-Kuels procedure was used to test if there was a difference in the difficulty jumps for the three areas. It was found that the jump in encountering fractions or decimals as opposed to whole numbers is significantly greater than the jump in coping with algebra as opposed to arithmetic. It is suggested that emphasis on acquiring a thorough conceptual, knowledge of rarional number needs to continue through the junior years of secondary school.
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ItemPaulo Freire : the implementation of his theory( 1989)Paulo Freire achieved mythic stature in many educational and theological circles in the 1970s after the publication of his work in the Western world. He was welcomed by many for his philosophy of compassion and social change. His philosophy stems from his personal experience of struggle for survival in the Depression, and his theory of education was derived from his practice of teaching adult illiterates in north-east Brazil. Freire regarded literacy as the means by which oppressed people could become aware of and actively control and change their historical and social conditions. Literacy, for Freire, could thus never be a neutral activity. His early political aims were to educate people for the practice of democracy. However personal experience in Brazil led him to advocate revolution. For Freire literacy underpins revolution. Freire refuted traditional methods of teaching and learning, and so found much acceptance by Marxist educators and the youth of the 1970s anxious to change the world. They embraced his work for its view of human possibilities and for its revolutionary demeanour. Many supporters bestowed on him a god-like status for his radical views. Most of his supporters, however, applaud aspects of his theory but do not fully embrace it. Many conservative adult educators criticised Freire for his language and his view of human nature and society. Some contend that Freire has nothing new to say and that his theory is based on contradictions. They deplore the lack of academic rigour in his books. Many critics concede that Freire adds some valuable insights to the debate on literacy but claim that his hidden political agenda obscures these. He is also criticised for not offering people specific advice on how to utilise his theories in other contexts. Freire does not satisfactorily answer his critics, nor does he explain the discrepancy between his evaluation of his programme in Guinea-Bissau and that of the Guinea-Bissau government in 1980. However in self-defence he claims that he never wanted the adulation he received in the 1970s and that he never claimed universality for his work as a whole. He reiterates constantly that his theory must be re-interpreted in every situation. Some of his ideas are indisputable but no evidence is provided of a successful total implementation of his theory.
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ItemLearning to follow a rule( 1989)It has been claimed by some that it is a defining property of teaching that it has, at least as its partial aim, the development of rule-guided conduct in others. I shall maintain that learning to follow a rule presupposes that one is already familiar with, and has participated in, rule-governed practices. I will try to develop an exposition of Wittgenstein's conception of following a rule in the context of the paradigm case of following a rule, which is the set of related activities, which, taken together, amount to speaking a language. In the course of advancing my interpretation of what Wittgenstein says about following a rule, I will discuss the implications which the accounts of Ryle, Kripke and Dummett respectively have for the Wittgensteinian conception of following a rule. In a separate discussion of the notion of a convention, which is one of the key concerns in Wittgenstein's analysis of following a rule, I will look at Lewis's explanation of a convention and consequently try to assess its value in throwing light on Wittgenstein's idea of a convention. If, as I argue, Wittgenstein's conception of following a rule must be accepted, then we must also accept its most important implication for teaching rule-guided conduct: teachers do not initiate pupils into the general practice of following rules, for that practice is one in which both teacher and pupil already share; rather, the teacher can only extend the pupil's repertoire of rules.
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ItemThe integration of a Down's Syndrome child into an independent school( 1989)Integrating students with impairments, disabilities or problems in schooling does not only mean that these students participate in the educational programmes and the social life of regular schools. It also necessitates the development of procedures and programmes to ensure that their participation is maintained and continued. Integration of these students represents a change in Ministry of Education policy in Victoria, but due to the complexity of social implications involved when adapting to the alterations of any value system, the change becomes multi-dimensional. This thesis examines the impact the enrolment of a five year-old girl with Down's Syndrome had on one Independent Girls' School in Melbourne, Victoria. The thesis is presented as a case study over a three year period, and focuses on the changes made by the staff members involved with the child; changes within the infant area of the school, and school policy changes made as a result of the child's enrolment. In analysing these changes, the issues that were examined and the findings that were made have been discussed, and the responses made by the staff and the school have been recorded.
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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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ItemGreek educational system : 1900-1987( 1989)Examining the history of the Greek Educational System in the twentieth century, we discover widespread and constant demands for reform in order to meet the challenges of a modernizing nation-state. Politicians, administrators, parents and students at every period expressed the need for educational reform although fundamental differences in the. proposed remedies-can be observed. Yet, for a variety of reasons - political, economic, ideological, and social - most reforming proposals had very limited success, even though in some cases the related measures were legislated for. Generally, the educational reform impetus in every. period reflected the theoretical and ideological -perspectives and practical concerns of the governments in' power, as well as the 'conflicts ' and contradictions of a rapidly developing society with deeply rooted historical traditions. From its foundation to the present reforms, although it appeared that great efforts had been made to reform the structure and content of the Greek education system, because of circumstances or because of successful counter-reforms following changes in the ruling party, things remained basically unaltered. The movement for educational reform in Greece can be examined in terms of six historical periods when major attempts were made by the government to change the structure and content, of the educational system: (a) 1913 and 1917, under the administration of Eleftherios Venizelos' government; (b) 1929, under the administration of the Liberal Party headed by E. Venizelos; (c) 1957-63, under the first administration of Premier C. Karamanles; (d) 1964-65, under the government of G. Papandreou; (e) 1974-77, under the administration of Premier C. Karamanles and the "New Democracy" political party; (f) 1981-86, under the recent administration of the PASOK (Panhellenic Socialist Movement) government headed by A. Papandreou. Throughout the twentieth century educational reform has been considered imperative for the country's social and economic development. It is significant to note that the major thrust of educational reform has been to bring changes in the elementary and secondary sectors of the school system. Since 1974, however, there has been considerable pressure for the reform of university and other tertiary level institutions. An overview of the reform movement during the twentieth century will provide the necessary historical background and conceptual framework against which the contemporary educational reforms can be analysed and assessed.