Faculty of Education - Theses
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 3 of 3
-
ItemAdolescent perceptions of the concept of randomness( 1994)An investigation into adolescents perceptions of concepts of randomness, with a questionnaire trialled on 75 adolescent boys between Year 7 and Year 11 in Catholic schools in Melbourne, Australia.
-
ItemThe place of non-verbal tests in a battery used for school purposes in Years 6 and 7( 1997)This thesis examines the power of a battery of tests to predict student success in Mathematics and English at the Year 7 level. The battery comprises The Progressive Achievement Test of Mathematics, The Progressive Achievement Test of Reading Comprehension, a Creative Writing Test and a non-verbal test. The researcher seeks to establish the value of including a non-verbal test in such a battery, to determine whether the capacity of the battery is enhanced by the inclusion of a non-verbal test. Two non-verbal tests are considered: the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices and the Jenkins Non-Verbal Test. The outcome measures used in this study are the Semester 1 Mathematics and the Semester 1 English Assessments. The participants are 97 female students aged between 11.08 years - 12.92 years entering the secondary level of a K-12 private girls' school in the metropolitan area of Melbourne. Participants are tested in groups of approximately 25 students in controlled test conditions. Their scores are recorded and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences is used to derive summary statistics and correlation co-efficients, and to perform multiple regression analyses. The findings indicate that student success, as reflected by the Semester 1 assessments in Mathematics and English, can be effectively predicted by the PAT Mathematics and PAT Reading Comprehension Tests alone, and that the Creative Writing test also predicts reasonably well the Semester 1 English results. The achievement tests in the battery appear to be measuring "g", the factor of general intelligence. However, the non-verbal tests, whilst redundant, for predicting achievement in Mathematics and English, have an important part to play in the battery based on their inherent value as culture-fair tests. Not reliant on language ability or literacy proficiency, non-verbal tests do not discriminate against students from non-English speaking backgrounds or against those who are experiencing learning difficulties. These tests appear to have the capacity to pick up discrepancies between a student's potential to learn and her actual academic achievement. The results indicate that the Jenkins non-verbal test may be particularly good at highlighting students whose low general ability places them at risk for learning, whilst the Raven's SPM may be superior at highlighting those of very high general ability whose school achievement levels are not matching their potential for learning. Both non-verbal tests may have the ability to highlight learning potential in foreign students. Although it is suggested by the literature, and pointed to by the present study, the worth of including a non-verbal test in the battery, and the superiority of the Raven's SPM in relation to the identification of students of exceptional ability, require clarification by means of further research. The results of this study have implications for teaching practice and the programming of appropriate curricula for students. Efficient and effective identification of less able students, very highly able students, students who have English as a Second Language needs, and students with learning difficulties appears to be facilitated by the battery. Such identification demands a closer look at these students whose learning appears at risk. Further investigation, including a full intellectual assessment and the gathering of more information regarding the student's learning style and home background may then provide valuable information on which to base decisions regarding appropriate class placement, suitable curricula as well as the effective pace and style of teaching which should be adopted. It is clear therefore, that the test battery is working: results demonstrate that the battery is useful in predicting student success at the Year 7 level. In conjunction with other means of investigation the battery promises to yield information to school personnel which may facilitate the design of programmes whose aims include the maximising of every student's potential for learning.
-
ItemThe challenge of the new: a study of the impact on teachers of an externally mandated system wide curriculum change( 1995)This study aimed to examine aspects of the introduction, in the state of Victoria, Australia, of an externally mandated, system wide, curriculum change, the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). More specifically, the emphasis was on changes to the study of Mathematics. Three questions were investigated. How did the teachers respond to this change? What was the influence of the extensive public debate that arose over the VCE ? What were the factors which helped or hindered the implementation of this change? The investigation was a longitudinal study taking place over the four year period from 1989 to 1992. The focus was on the changes to Mathematics, seen through the lens of a group of teachers in a school charged with implementing the change through a series of phases. Qualitative methodological techniques were used to gather data. These included a case study approach collecting data from the school where I, as a researcher, took the position of a participant observer. In addition a content analysis of published articles in the popular press and official publications was undertaken. The study found that the VCE was successfully implemented due to its adoption by teachers and their willingness to work hard to ensure its success which arose from a commitment to their students. Also that two of the underlying tenets of the VCE remained intact, despite other changes. These tenets were that the VCE remained a single certificate and that a breadth of subject choice for students was available. Factors which hindered the successful implementation were the lack of professional development, funding, resources, support and consultation, while at the same time teachers were expected to carry a significantly increased workload. The public debate over the introduction of the VCE, set in the context of an impending election, was a major influence in causing changes to some aspects of the VCE. Changes which occurred in consultation with teachers tended to aid implementation while other imposed changes tended to hinder or slow implementation. An unpredicted outcome of the introduction of the VCE was that the work requirement approach to teaching was accepted as a valuable process and was incorporated into lower levels in schools.