Faculty of Education - Theses

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    Defining the characteristics of a good middle school teacher in an Australian setting
    Douglas, Linda Jane ( 1995)
    The purpose of this study is to. identify the characteristics of a middle school teacher that define that teacher as a good teacher in the eyes of their Australian colleagues. A model of the good middle school teacher was developed from the North American literature. This formed the basis for interviews with Australian teachers who have been identified as good middle school teachers by their school community. This has led to the establishment of a model based on the responses from the Australian teachers. The focus centred on the characteristics of the teacher but at times has included reference to curriculum and other structures within the school. The report's results reflect the Australian teacher's approval for child centred teaching but with a subject focus. The teachers feel a need for teachers to retain a passion for a subject area in order to inspire and enthuse their students, but doing this within a context of a curriculum focussed on young people and their needs. This study clearly suggests the strong link between teaching philosophy and curriculum and the need to cater towards the needs of both the staff and students in order to educate successfully.
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    Gender awareness through discipline and welfare : how teachers change
    Whitehead, R. J ( 1995)
    This thesis explores the considerations for change processes which are effective when gender is an issue in schools. A model is developed, based on literature related to change processes in education, and this model is then tested in a primary school setting across the period of a full school year. Strategies and approaches suggested as avenues to introduce inclusive teaching practices are also trialled, using Discipline and Welfare as .a way into addressing issues around gender in schools. The Working Model for Gender and Change and the approaches used are evaluated and conclusions are drawn, related to the outcomes of the change process conducted in the school. The study shows that the developed model works and that gender issues can effectively be raised by investigating discipline and welfare issues in a primary school. Some recommendations and suggestions for further research are made.
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    "I had tried everything, but there was nothing left in teaching for me": a small scale study of teacher resignation in Victoria: 1992-1995
    Clencie, Meredith F. ( 1995)
    The investigation set out to determine reasons for teacher resignation from the Directorate of School Education in the State of Victoria, Australia between 1992 and 1994. Specifically the study examined why 20 teachers resigned from a single secondary college in the outer western region of Melbourne. The teachers selected were highly competent as judged using criteria recently developed by the Standards Council of the Teaching Profession. Participants were interviewed and the data presented as individual causal maps. These were then analysed across the cases to discover generalisations. Of greatest concern to Victorian policy makers and administrators is the quality of the exit staff and the implications for Victorian education of the loss of such a talented and able group. Lack of mobility emerged as the most prominent factor influencing the resignation decision of the exit teachers. The second most important factor was found to be unmet expectations in teaching. Lack of career structure/opportunities was the third most important factor and lack of professional development the fourth most important factor. Peripheral factors which emerged from the research included changes following the change of government, lack of collegiality, school culture and individual achievement and unsupported post graduate study. It was found that the new career structure for Victorian teachers, the Professional Recognition Program provides some solutions for the factors affecting resignation among the group of exit teachers.