Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemFundraising in seven independent schools in Victoria : a pilot study( 1996)Structured fundraising is being formalised in independent schools through the establishment of development offices. Money raised through development aims to fill the gap between incoming money from fees and government grants and programs and resources considered necessary to provide exemplary education. However, development in schools is not only concerned with monetary gain. To achieve financial success, development officers must identify their supporters. To this end, friend raising is assuming greater importance in schools. Alumni and parents are nurtured to form a solid donor base within the school community. This study was designed to look at the development work being undertaken in seven independent schools in Victoria. The various fundraising strategies of these schools are described in the contexts of each of the selected schools' histories. Much of the development work being undertaken is influenced by the American experience. Australian independent schools can learn from the American experience. A model of the events and stages that appear from this pilot study is proposed as a contribution to ideas and concepts to offer interesting points for further study. The question of who constitutes the donor base and how development officers can identify this group is investigated. The types of programs to which donors give are also explored. Libraries are one area of schools which are likely to require substantial injection of funds, particularly as the use of new information technology is adopted in schools. Librarians need to be aware of the fundraising process within their school and any likely budgetary implications for their department. They can advise on aspects of fundraising where they have special expertise. The logistics of fundraising in schools frequently involves the use of volunteers. The study investigates the attitudes of development officers to this unpaid workforce, and if and how it can be used most effectively to assist development in schools. Librarians can be useful in this aspect because they have a long history of effective volunteer use in library programs. This is a descriptive study of development and fundraising practices in seven independent schools in Victoria. The study examined how fundraising is conducted by means of structured interviews with development officers responsible for implementation of development tasks and questionnaires to librarians in the same schools to expose specific aspects of the fundraising process in a school situation. Findings from this purposive sample of the population are not representative of all independent schools and refer only to the schools concerned. The data sheds light on aspects of fundraising and development practices and may be useful as reference for other independent schools. The study contributes to a better understanding of some of the factors that would be useful to explore further in a larger study of development and fundraising in schools. The issue of philanthropy in Australian schools is one which is currently of great importance given that an increasing number of independent schools are considering getting involved in development offices and fundraising activities.
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ItemSchools of the Future and curriculum development and implementation : an investigation( 1995)Restructure of the Ministry of Education has ensured that schools are no longer centrally administered but are self-managing within the Schools of the Future program under the Directorate of School Education. As a result, changes have occurred in many areas including administration, financial management, staffing structure and teacher support in areas such as curriculum. This study investigates three schools that are members of the Schools of the Future Pilot Program and seeks to find the effect that the changes from the Program, have had on Curriculum Development and Implementation. The study reviews the literature available on the topic, in particular the notion of self-managing schools in Victoria. Therefore it reviews information on the Schools of the Future Program. It also seeks to understand the effect of changes in curriculum policy and the provision of professional development. The study also seeks to explore the effect of leadership style on the implementation of curriculum within a school. Qualitative research methods were employed when data was collected from the three participating schools. The schools were selected for the following reasons: (i) they are members of the Schools of the Future Pilot Program(or Intake 1); (ii) they are situated in a similar socio-economic area; (iii) the author had ready access to those schools. By applying grounded theory technique to the data a model was developed - The Curriculum Triangle. This model is a suggested representation of what is occurring in the selected schools and could be used further to analyse data from schools, and thus generate the possible areas requiring professional development and curriculum leadership.
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ItemA case study of multi-school evolution: the development of Caulfied Grammar School, Wheelers Hill - the process of restructuring at work( 1990)In the 1980's there has been, and continues to be, an unmistakable trend for the restructuring of the framework of Australian Education as depicted by the various autonomous State and Territorial Authorities of Education. Indeed, it has been pointed out somewhat prophetically as time has revealed that of the nine systems represented at the Conference of Australian Directors-General of Education, seven faced substantial restructuring during 1981"(1), and that the consequences of these proposals could well see the 1980's being regarded as the period of the structural reform movement in Australian education.(From introduction)
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ItemThe impact of positions of leadership in Catholic primary schools( 1997)This research emanated from an interest that was developed in leadership roles and how these have impacted on Victorian Catholic Primary Schools, especially in the North Central Zone. Questions that were used as the main focus for this study were: How does the role of the Catholic Primary Principal impact on Positions of Leadership? And Does the existence of Positions of Leadership make Catholic Primary Schools more effective? In order to find the answers to these questions both quantitative and qualitative research was undertaken in the form of a Case Study. The study involved gathering data from Principals, teachers with Positions of Leadership and teachers without Positions of Leadership in the North Central Zone. The data for this research came from collated responses in the form of questionnaires from eighteen schools and transcripts of interviews from six people at two schools within the zone. Whilst writings from a variety of sources have been used to clarify and add meaning to this research, several writers were used as a basis for the study including; Bolman and Deal (1991), Fullan (1991), Fullan and Stiegelbauer (1991), Hargreaves (1994) and Little and McLaughlin (c1993). This research highlighted several areas that need to be addressed if Positions of Leadership are to have a positive impact on Victorian Catholic Primary Schools. 1) Schools need to incorporate ongoing review of all aspects of school operations through the School Development Plan. In particular, this could seek to ensure that the school is operating effectively both administratively and educationally. 2) The role of principals should not be underestimated as they have responsibility for all aspects of the running of the school. The leadership style used by the principal will directly impact on the effectiveness of Positions of Leadership operating within the school. It is only through the use of a collaborative style of leadership that POLs will be able to have maximum effect. 3) Personnel chosen for Positions of Leadership need to be carefully screened ensuring that they have not only an enthusiasm and understanding of the area for which they will have responsibility but that their disposition allows for open communication.
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ItemSources of knowledge used in the development of school charters( 1995)The Department of School Education, Victoria, introduced an innovative program of reform which it titled "Schools of the Future." A critical document in this program is the School Charter, an agreement between the Department of School Education and the local school and its community. The School Charter outlines the schools operation over the succeeding three years. A School Charter is a totally new concept in Victoria, which creates some difficulties in selecting sources of knowledge to be used in its development. This thesis explores the ways in which eight Victorian primary schools, from a similar geographic area, went about the task of creating their school charters. It looks at types of knowledge most used, identifies patterns of use of knowledge and differences in patterns of use between schools in the first intake to the Schools of the Future program and schools in the second intake. A theoretical framework, outlining links between change processes and available sources of knowledge is presented. This framework serves as a basis for the analysis of research data.