Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemThe effectiveness of curriculum co-ordinator networks for Catholic secondary schools in Victoria( 1990)This study into the effectiveness of curriculum co-ordinator networks for Catholic secondary schools in Victoria focused on the evaluation of a pilot project in 1989. Specifically, the researcher sought to determine whether the availability of pilot convenors would enhance curriculum co-ordinators' perceptions of professional development, curriculum information and peer support via the networks. Simultaneously, the study described the pilot convenor role, thereby identifying the characteristics ascribed to effective network convenors and attempting to isolate factors which influence network effectiveness. Under the umbrella of illuminative evaluation, a range of research instruments were used, including interviews and questionnaires. Most curriculum co-ordinators who participated in this study believed they had informally rather than formally skilled themselves for their role, despite being multiply credentialled. Prior to the study they had a limited understanding of how the network could improve their professional skills -- this consciousness was only marginally heightened during the project. Similarly evidence of peer support from within the network was scant prior to the pilot project and increased minimally during the study. Attitudes to the accessibility of curriculum information were very high prior to the project and increased slightly during the study. Curriculum co-ordinators placed a high value on information access via the network and the curriculum knowledge of convenors. There is evidence from this study that convenor commitment and accessibility affect network success : further, that professional knowledge, managerial competence and responsive, non-directive interpersonal convenor skills positively influence network effectiveness. Environmental factors such as network size, the mix of schools and the professional experience of participants also impact on network effectiveness. Conceptual flaws in the networking model being trialled were revealed during this study: namely, the use of school-based personnel as pilot convenors did not inherently add to their credibility with curriculum co-ordinators but likely detracted from their effectiveness. Further, the availability of a pilot convenor as 'critical friend' appeared to undermine peer support rather than enhance it. iii
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ItemPursuing school renewal in the midst of change( 1991)This study considers the implementation of the goals of the St. Bernard's College mission statement. The School Development Project, through which the mission statement was developed, is only considered in terms of its impact on the implementation phase. The mission statement goals are grouped under five headings: (a) faith development, (b) personal development, (c) curriculum, (d) communication, and (e) participation. The research questions group into four key areas: (a) the process of implementation, (b) ownership of the mission, (c) the achievement of goals, and (d) the impact of leadership. The literature suggested that change is difficult to create and sustain because implementing change is centrally concerned with changing people, and people find change difficult. Helping people change in loosely coupled" educational organisations is even more difficult as change then involves a political process of negotiation and agreement. A triangulation approach was adopted to collecting data. The school community was sampled using a questionnaire and those in key leadership roles were interviewed. Documentation linked to implementation was also collected and analysed. Research findings indicated that a planned strategy for implementation was not pursued and that implementation had been affected by major changes in leadership at the local and province levels. A planned strategy for implementation is now being developed at the college. The most effective strategy would require increased external assistance to develop expertise and support implementation at the local level.
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ItemCatholic Ladies' College : a case study in Catholic education in Victoria( 1990)This case study of Catholic Ladies' College Eltham Victoria shows major shifts in its style of operation from the late nineteenth century to the present. These shifts are seen as reflections of change in the philosophy and provision of Catholic education generally, as it responds to different historical and social pressures. Evidence for the Chapters dealing with the general background of Catholic education has been largely drawn from histories and sociological investigations, while evidence for the particular history of the school has been largely drawn from archival material documents, interviews and survey results. Findings are that within the school changes in style and direction can be noted which illustrate major trends and changes in Catholic education. Some evidence of differences in style of operation between Catholic, government and independent schools was found in the contemporary context, though full organization and school climate studies were not conducted.
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ItemA history of Therry Regional College, Broadmeadows( 1997)The post-war period saw secondary education in Australia in a state of turmoil. Problems of overcrowding, a narrowly academic curriculum, combined with insufficient and unqualified staff, affected both government and non-government secondary schools, The Catholic secondary system had additional problems: the declining numbers of Religious, the increased presence of lay-teachers, and the 'Catholic dream' of a Catholic education for every Catholic child. Catholic educational authorities sought an economical solution to the problems besetting secondary education. Based on an American model, regional secondary schools were established across Melbourne to provide Catholic secondary education for Catholic youth. Therry Regional College, Broadmeadows, was one such Catholic regional secondary college. This history of Therry Regional College, Broadmeadows, examines the College as a Catholic regional secondary school administered by the Christian Brothers in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne. The school's growth paralleled changes in two major areas: Government funding, and the administration of Catholic schools by the Catholic Education Office. The significance of community is examined in relation to the changing faces of the people of Broadmeadows. This history of the College reflects the history of the local community: it is a story of struggle and courage in adversity.
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ItemWomen leaders in Catholic schools : the experience of principals( 1993)The aim of this study was to examine the experiences of women who were "successful" within the Catholic school system - twelve lay women prinicipals. It aimed to correlate their experience with that of women at management level in large organisations in general and schools in particular, as explored in current literature. Qualitative investigation techniques were used to investigate the experience of these twelve women principals of Catholic secondary schools in Melbourne in 1991. This type of research is necessarily limited in that the story of their experience is told only through their own eyes. However, their professional and personal' experiences which have been integral to their career development were discussed freely by them in interviews, and these interviews collated and the resulting themes and patterns then included in this study. The findings indicate that this group of women have enjoyed a unique set of personal and professional circumstances which have enabled them to overcome the difficulties normally faced by women in trying to advance their careers. This research also suggests further investigation would be advantageous in ascertaining the best ways to redress the gender imbalance amongst principals of secondary schools.
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ItemTradition and change in the establishment of Mount St Joseph Girls' College 1964-1970( 1991)Social, political and economic influences invariably have bearing on the development of a school's philosophy, policies and practices, and must be considered integral to any school history. This is most evident in the post-war period, when the 'explosion' in numbers in post-primary schooling resulted not only in an expansion of schools but also, in a restructuring of traditional secondary school organisation and practice. For the first time post-primary schooling came to be recognised as a distinct and essential sphere of education. The establishment of Mt St Joseph Girls' College in 1964 by the Institute of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart was in direct response to changes in Australian society during the 1950s and 1960s. The Sisters of St Joseph, an Australian teaching Order, was established in the 1860s by Father Julian Tenison-Woods and Mary McKillop to provide Catholic primary education to the poor. However, in the 1960s, the Institute was prepared to adapt and meet the demand for secondary education by establishing secondary colleges. This thesis traces the establishment and development of the first secondary Josephite school in Victoria - Mt St Joseph Girls' College between the period 1964 and 1970. The recollections of students reveal that despite the Josephites' efforts to widen educational and occupational opportunities for working-class girls, school organisation, curriculum and practices, implicitly and explicitly directed girls to gender-specific educational and occupational paths; and to the notion that culturally valued womanhood was intrinsically related to marriage and motherhood. The study also indicates that it was not until 1969 that the Josephites introduced curriculum reform by replacing the multilateral form of school organisation (professional, commercial and domestic sciences), with a more integrated and comprehensive curriculum which cut across these divisions and catered for the needs and interests of a wide range of students. Although the benefits of this were not evident until the following decade, it must be emphasized that the Josephites had taken the first steps to remove the limitations placed on girls' aspirations, abilities and opportunities. v
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ItemAn education to prayer: the establishment and development of a parochial school in the Catholic parish of St. Brendan's Flemington, Melbourne. 1887 -1947( 1990)�� the present system of Catholic Education in Australia developed not from any predetermined plan but as a result of the conflicting forces in educational development in the nineteenth century and the circumstances of the times." In the latter half of the nineteenth century �conflicting forces� and �the circumstances of the times� resulted in the establishing, in 1887, of a Catholic primary school in the inner Melbourne suburb of Flemington. (From Introduction)
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ItemThe Sisters of Charity: education, independence, church and state( 1993)This thesis establishes the independence of the Sisters of Charity in Australia and examines the implications this had for their work amongst the Catholic community and their relations with the Catholic Church hierarchy. It is a history of the Sisters' response to the needs of the Catholic community, these needs often being determined by governmental action beyond the control of the Catholic Church and its servants. As the first community of Religious Sisters to arrive in the colonies the Sisters ministered to the women convicts of the Female Factory at Parramatta. With the abolition of transportation they moved to Sydney where they enlisted the support of influential citizens in the establishment of St. Vincent's Hospital. Their service to education in Victoria commenced with the Education Act of 1872 and the abolition of State aid. Such conditions led Archbishop Carr of Melbourne to invite the Sisters of Charity to found a community in the city. A consequence of this and other factors was the establishment of St. Columba's College, Essendon. Finally, this thesis considers the Registration of Teachers and Schools Act of 1905 and its influence on the Sisters of Charity in formalising already existing teacher training practices. This was also the case for other Religious Congregations involved in teacher training and education.
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ItemThe induction of beginning teachers in Victorian Catholic secondary schools( 1992)The purpose of this research is to examine the induction of beginning teachers into Catholic secondary schools in Victoria. The study examines formal induction processes, the role of the induction program within the school, and the advisability of the appointment of induction mentors. Current literature on the induction of beginning teachers was examined and wherever possible reference was made to literature originating from Australian and Victorian sources. A group of twenty-five (25) beginning teachers was surveyed in order to identify the problems that members were facing and to clarify the extent to which formal induction programs operated in their schools. The survey results reveal that nearly all of the beginning teachers experienced some difficulties and problems in their first few months of teaching. However, only a small majority of the respondents indicated that formal induction programs existed in their schools. Presently there is no firm policy requiring that all Victorian Catholic secondary schools implement formal induction programs for beginning teachers. However, the Catholic Education Office of Victoria has recommended that administrators in Catholic secondary schools establish induction programs for beginning teachers. The study proposes a number of recommendations to ensure a more consistent approach to the formal induction of beginning teachers. It suggests that a formal policy be developed and endorsed by Catholic secondary schools throughout Victoria in conjunction with the Catholic Education Office. From the results of this study, a model of induction is proposed as one way of formally inducting beginning teachers into the school and into the teaching profession.
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ItemKey factors for change in Catholic primary schools( 1995)Change is inevitable, and it cannot be avoided unless we live in a vacuum. Forces from within and from outside are continually beckoning adjustments. The complexity of change is evident as the combinations and permutations of a range of phenomena and events react to create a new dynamic, sometimes completely different from anything else. Key Factors for Change in Catholic Primary Schools attempts to recognise these forces and recommends factors that need consideration for this change to be authentic and moral. The research that I undertook reinforced the views of education writers (eg. Fullan), that change which is imposed has little chance of fruition, as collaboration is overlooked for false expediency. Conversely, change that evolves from a group that has a common purpose and driven by collegial leadership, is more likely to succeed. Yet there are still no certainties, as some factors lie beyond the control of good management. In particular, the parochial nature of Catholic primary schools, and the role of the parish priest has to be acknowledged. Seven key factors for positive change management are identified and in the light of certain contextual realities.