Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemVedic education (Gurukula) in a contemporary context : considerations for a Krishna conscious thinking curriculum( 1997)This thesis presents the Vedic system of education (Gurukula) in a contemporary context. By means of a detailed description and analysis of the essential characteristics underlying the rationale of Vedic education, the Gurukula system is defined from within the tradition it has evolved. I examine the social dimension of Vedic education and consider the importance of a supportive culture. The organisation of society according to varna-asramadharma is described within this thesis and the original intent of its conception defined. Education is described in terms of its purposive nature, the goal being to develop consciousness. Krishna consciousness is described as a state of reality which enables the soul to identify as spiritual, and in that capacity discriminate between spirit and matter. Individuality in this analysis is defined as the constitutional position of the soul. The sanctity of the individual is maintained throughout human life by recourse to the proper use of intelligence. The Gurukula endeavours to provide a framework within which its members can develop the capacity to cultivate a level of consciousness suitable for participation in the culture represented by the Vedic world-view. I have argued a case for developing appropriate curriculum, which enhances both the culture and the process. The educational implications of teaching children to discriminate within a religious framework, while at the same time maintain their independence and power of critical thinking is a challenge. An appropriate program for providing children with the power of discrimination is considered an essential element of education in this thesis. The Philosophy for Children program established by Lipman and colleagues provides educators with a process for encouraging better thinking in the classroom. An essential element in this program is the development of "the community of inquiry". Religious education delivered according to the philosophical inquiry model is recommended in this thesis. This research specifically aims to assist the development of primary curriculum.
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ItemVCE course development days, 1991 : an appraisal( 1992)This minor thesis traces the evolution and rationale of the development and implementation of the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) from its inception in 1987 to its first full year of operation in 1992. It outlines the design and operation of the professional development program undertaken to assist the implementation of the certificate. Its focus is an appraisal of the major element of the professional development program - the 1991 course development days. Three perspectives are offered in this account of the effectiveness of the 1991 course development days - a district evaluation, individual presenter's responses and a regional survey. The appraisal concludes with an overview and a set of recommendations for continuing professional development for VCE teachers beyond 1992.
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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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ItemCan the incorporation of a structured pre-primary curriculum improve primary scholastic performance?( 1996)Primary and secondary educational reforms seeking quality and accountability are placing top-down pressure on early childhood education to become more defined and assessable in preparation for future learning. State and Federal government policies advocate set curriculum with definable results. Such trends are also observed overseas. The aim is for early childhood education to be more relevant to the rest of the child's learning and to the demands of the time. A large body of professionals within early childhood education view this as an intrusive, restrictive and regressive approach which is inconsistent with what years of research have taught us about early childhood education. They maintain that early childhood education is a stage in its own right and does not need to be altered to match another. Their main view is that each child learns individually to full potential via firsthand experiences through play under the guidance of a qualified educarer. Frameworks, and curricular continuity are seen as restrictions of such freedom. Generally accepting this premise, the study seeks to investigate the viability of concepts that will provide quality, continuity and smooth transition from pre-prep education to primary school while remaining true to a free early childhood educational philosophy. Theories of prominent educators, psychologists and sociologists, current overseas research and practise, as well as guidelines contained in developmentally appropriate publications, were used as foundations and substantiations for the concept of a structured learning component through which social skills, cognitive skills and internalised learning are developed. This is seen to enable the incorporation of continuity of learning into early schooling and beyond. Play remains the medium of the child's learning experiences. The research established that a structured learning component can be valuable provided it is carried out by experienced professionals. A survey of community opinion indicated that such a component can be beneficial to future learning. Literature across the ideological continuum as surveyed, and most authors advocated the need for some structure in the early childhood curriculum.
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ItemEffect of congruence in measured interests on self-perceived academic competence in Australian Year 12 students( 1999)The link between interest and quality of learning experience in school has attracted voluminous research in recent years. Varied conceptions of interest, however, lead to gaps in our knowledge about the nature of the empirical linkage between interest and the quality of learning. In the light of Holland's theory of interest and model of person-environment interaction, the present study, unlike the previous studies, conceptualises interest as an interaction between generic interest as an individual characteristic and the nature of the learning environment. Subject-level interest is thus seen as resulting from the congruence of generic interest and the content of the individual school subjects chosen for study. Several recent Australian investigations have shown strong links between Holland's RIASEC (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional) generic interest themes and students' subject and course choices. These links make it possible to investigate the effect of congruence between generic interests and school subject choices on the learning experience of students. The data of this study derives from a 1993 National Survey on school subject choice in approximately 10,000 Australian Year 12 students. The perception of academic self-concept in students, as a facet of quality of learning experience, is focused upon as a criterion for testing the effect of congruence between generic interest and school subject choices of the students. Investigation of the empirical relationship between congruence and students' perception of academic self-competence is facilitated by the mathematical expression of congruence which is formulated by Hesketh and Myors (1997) as a multiplicative term in a multiple regression analysis which also includes terms for student background characteristics, interests and curriculum fields studied. Further, to control for the possibility of clustering effects at the school level, multi-level regression modelling was used. The study found a positive relationship between congruence in interest and improvement in students' perception of academic self-competence, net of background (gender and socio-economic background), interest, and curriculum field participation, for four of the six congruence terms investigated. It was interesting to note that the effect of congruence was mediated through self-perceived interestingness in the curriculum studied. That is to say, students who chose school subjects congruent with their generic interest found their studies more interesting and their belief in their academic self-competence stronger than their non-congruent peers. It is recommended that curriculum planners and counsellors take account of the positive psychological impact of congruence between generic interest and school subject choice in designing 'interest congruent' learning experiences and in assisting students make congruent choices in Year 11 and 12.
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ItemThe impact of year twelve restructuring in Victoria on teaching and learning in three urban schools( 1995)In this study Year Twelve teachers were surveyed to determine whether they believed the educational needs of their Year Twelve students were better served by the earlier public policy of multiple Year Twelve courses, or by the current policy of a common course and certificate for all Year Twelve students in Victoria. The study was based on the experience of eighteen teachers in three schools which had developed strong alternative Year Twelve courses in the 1980s. An attempt is not made in this thesis to construct public policy, but rather to offer a critique of policy formation which appears to have been largely separated from socially responsive policy development at the school level. The Year Twelve teachers surveyed in this study believed that the final form of the Victorian Certificate of Education, settled under the influence of social functionalism, individualism and expertism, has failed to enhance motivation, commitment or competence in either themselves or their students.
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ItemJewish visual literacy: a practical approach( 1995)The intention of this study is to show that Jewish Studies can and should be taught with a major visual component. The research and investigative nature of this study deals with the qualitative aspects of Jewish education and visual literacy and the presentation of a case for a visual component as an integral part of Jewish Studies. Jewish Studies teachers are interviewed and visual education is discussed in light of the problems revealed in a survey. The assumption is that there are important teaching concepts of a visual nature that can be of benefit to the teaching of Jewish Studies and that these are not being addressed by the present curriculum. There are several approaches which are examined which have a visual basis for learning. All of these are proposed for inclusion in a sample program, with an emphasis on the visual arts. The concept of visual literacy is emphasised as a platform for this study. The role of the Jewish artist in society and education is examined. It is often pointed out that because the Bible was written without illustrations, all of the later teaching appeared to strengthen the assumption that Israel is a nation without images. In terms of the Jews' contribution to the visual arts and the visual nature of much of Jewish law and lore this is not so. Classical Jewish texts have an infrastructure which can be an educational tool used to enhance learning, however this is not utilized to any real degree in contemporary Jewish education. The sources for modern Jewish education are discussed and the results of the survey reinforce the assumptions stated in the study. These are analysed and evaluated. Several curriculum models are examined and modified for use in a Jewish Studies environment. As a result of this, several factors as guiding principles are evolved and a basis established for the design of a curriculum framework. A sample program is designed with a basis in several of the curriculum models, it is then evaluated and suggestions made for further development.