Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemLearning organisations and their educational impact in a corporate environment( 1995)This thesis is a study of learning organisations and their educational impact in a corporate environment. It provides an overview of the theory of organisational learning, and of learning organisations and describes several models of learning organisations. The important principles of holism and explicitness are established. Examples of learning organisation practices in overseas enterprises are compared with two case studies of Australian organisations which are aspiring learning organisations. These practices are then critically reviewed leading to the development of a new model for learning organisations, based upon 'empowered leadership', which explains holism and explicitness in detail. It concludes by addressing the issue of what learning organisations provide educationally, using the emerging prominence of 'life-long learning' as a focus.
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ItemEffective Catholic secondary schools : the findings of two case studies( 1996)This study utilises both qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate school effectiveness in Catholic secondary schools. While some researchers, both in Australia and overseas, tend to rely on quantitative methods when they examine school effectiveness, the current study adopts a case study approach, involving both qualitative and quantitative methods. In adopting this approach, the researcher's aim is to investigate and portray the various factors or processes in schools, which are perceived to make them effective. This process approach differs from that of many researchers, who have adopted an "outcomes" approach in investigating school effectiveness in Western education over the past thirty years, and thus sheds additional light on the various factors within schools which contribute to their overall effectiveness. Also, as this study is focused specifically on Catholic secondary schools it illustrates some of the more specific factors operating within this context. The major finding of the study is that there are several pivotal factors which influence the effectiveness of a Catholic secondary school.
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ItemHuman capital : a case study of the AMEP( 1995)This study is an investigation of the Human Capital Approach to education in Australia. It examines whether or not the Commonwealth Government is steering education towards the incorporation of policies that invest greater emphasis and resources into human beings as contributors to economic productivity than it invests in their cultural and aesthetic value. The study incorporates the philosophies of the Human Capitalists and how successive Commonwealth and State Governments apply these philosophies in education policy formulation - particularly the provision of English language to adult migrants through the Adult Migrant Education Program in Victoria. The methodology used is a questionnaire of closed and open-ended questions distributed to AMEP teachers. The researcher duly followed up the questionnaire with interviews of four AMEP teachers in an endeavour to shed more light on the reasons behind the responses given by teachers in the questionnaire. The researcher undertook an analysis of the responses in order to investigate whether or not the Commonwealth Government gives primacy to economic objectives of the migration program over its social, cultural and linguistic objectives. The findings are that the AMEP teachers surveyed believe that the Commonwealth Government does emphasize economic objectives over all other objectives of the migration program. A Human Capital approach to education, reflected in the application of Economic Rationalism, is apparent in Australia's education system according to AMEP teachers surveyed and that such has been the case since the late 1970s. The literary works of Schultz, Smith, Dawkins, Piore, Crittenden, Benovat, Green, Pusey, Kennedy, Marginson and Grubb are included in this study. These works form the literature review of the Human Capital approach. As well, the Reports chaired by Karmel, Williams, Kirby, Fitzgerald and Campbell, and a variety of Commonwealth Reports and Working Party Papers into various aspects of education in Australia are represented in an investigation of the application of the Human Capital approach to education in Australia's main education policies. The findings of this research are that the Human Capital approach to education is influencing the AMEP and that this has wider implications for the national education system in Australia. Almost all AMEP teachers surveyed believe the AMEP no longer follows its own National Plan, in which it spells out its aims and objectives, but pursues the Commonwealth Government's primary objective of pursuing the economic aims and benefits of the migration program.
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ItemThe effectiveness of the Auditory Skills Program in developing auditory skills in severe to profoundly hearing impaired children( 1997)This study assessed the effectiveness of the Auditory Skills Program (Romanik, 1990) in developing the auditory skills of a group of severe to profound hearing impaired school aged children. It also measured speech perception and speech production skills during and following participation in the program. The Auditory Skills Program is a comprehensive graded program which aims to develop the hearing impaired child's speech and linguistic skills through audition. In this study 18 severe to profound hearing impaired children ranging in age from 6 to 12 years received twice weekly sessions based on the Auditory Skills Program for a period of three months. Auditory skill development was measured at monthly intervals using the assessment tool within the program, the Placement test. The PLOTT test ( Plant and Westcott, 1983) was used to measure speech perception skills. Speech production skills were measured using the 108 single word articulation test (Paatsch, 1992) and conversational speech samples using phonological process analysis. The subjects were tested at the commencement of during, and following the cessation of, participation in the Auditory Skills Program. They were also tested 5 months post participation in the program. The Auditory Skills Program was effective in developing auditory skills in this group of severe to profoundly hearing impaired subjects. There was a significant improvement in auditory skills in the group of subjects during participation in the program. A deterioration in these skills occurred following cessation of participation in the Auditory Skills Program. Speech perception skills also improved significantly during participation in the Auditory Skills Program. Speech production skills significantly improved when measured using the 108 single word articulation test. No change occurred in speech production skills as measured by spontaneous conversational speech samples during participation in the Auditory Skills Program. This study found the Auditory Skills Program to be an effective tool for developing auditory skills and enhancing the development of speech perception and speech production skills in this group of severe to profound hearing impaired children.
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ItemCultural barriers for Chinese women studying in Australian universities( 1998)This is a qualitative study examining cultural barriers experienced by Chinese women students in Australian universities. It is found, by reviewing the literature, that no specific research has been done to explore the relationships between problems of Chinese women students in Australia and values embodied in their culture. Consequently, the present study is open to new findings, and does not proceed on a basis of a hypothesis. To collect data, four focus groups of Chinese women students were interviewed. The focus questions concentrated on Chinese women's roles, attitudes towards education, English language problems, initial adjustment, family relationships and friendships, and problems relating to ethnic and gender background. The responses from the focus groups were summarised, and cultural barriers for Chinese women students studying in Australia were identified. The discussion points raised in the above interviews led to the discovery of significant issues, such as the conflict between Chinese women's traditional and modem roles, their low English fluency and unaccustomed teaching and learning styles, the difficulty of friendships with local students, and inattention of Australian universities to the needs of Chinese females. It is concluded that Chinese women need to be made more aware of the cultural barriers facing them, and be prepared to alter their approach to learning in order to facilitate a more successful academic life in Australia. More importantly, Australian tertiary institutions need to accommodate the cultural differences in an educational context, and to be ready to provide more efficient support to minority student groups.
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ItemA study in archetypal theory : alcohol and adolescent rites of passage( 1997)The study is an archetypal approach to adolescent male alcohol use in contemporary Australia. The study deals with four families (case-studies) and their stories about the period of adolescent development, especially the often problematic process of negotiating alcohol use. The study will examine the developmental process in pre-modern rites of passage and compare it with contemporary adolescent development in the four case-studies to identify whether there are similar archetypal patterns between them. It will also examine intra-family dynamics from an archetypal perspective, especially in relation to communication and projection. Finally, the study will examine whether there are similarities between pre-modern rites of passage, in terms of transferring power and responsibility from father to son, and how this affects the son's alcohol use and maturation.
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ItemThe mind, the imagination, the feelings, the body: tertiary drama education in the 1990s( 1996)This study aims to investigate the impact of the aesthetic and aesthetic education, critical theory and critical pedagogy on tertiary drama in three Bachelor of Arts courses. The relative influence of these three areas has been principally gauged through interviewing key drama academics all of whom are involved in the design and teaching of undergraduate drama courses across three universities. Particular emphasis has been given to the first year of higher education. The overall objective of the study is to reflect on current tertiary drama education practice and to contribute to scholarship in the field of drama studies in higher education.
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ItemChanging conceptions in vocational education and training: TAFE teachers' approaches to teaching( 1995)This study undertakes a preliminary examination of TAFE teachers' approaches to teaching, with the aim of improving the quality of learning in vocational education and training. Research suggests that there are two ways of conceiving the purpose, or outcomes, of learning: quantitative and qualitative. A qualitative conception sees learning as a qualitative change in how the subject is conceived, rather than a quantitative increase in knowledge. In this conception students move from lower level conceptions of a phenomenon towards a higher level, or expert's, conception, linked to high quality learning outcomes. For conceptual change to occur students need to take a deep approach to their learning. Several factors influence learners to take deep approaches to learning. One factor is teachers' approaches to teaching, which are in turn influenced by their conceptions, or theories, of learning and teaching, which are in turn influenced by cultural and ideological forces. The study considers some of these issues within the training sector. A distinction is made between intention and strategy in teachers' approaches to teaching. The congruence between intention and strategy is examined. The study hypothesised that contextual factors in the training would influence TAFE teachers' intentions to see learning as a quantitative acquisition of skills and knowledge. While the study is only preliminary, the findings support a relationship between teachers' intentions and strategies, consistent with findings in other studies. The study identifies two other factors that influence TAFE teachers' approaches to teaching: the conception of the occupation or profession towards which their teaching is directed; and conceptions of training and competency. The study suggests that to improve the quality of learning in TAFE requires TAFE teachers to change their conception of learning and teaching to one that encourages conceptual change in learners. The study concludes with suggestions for research and teacher professional development in vocational education and training.
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ItemAn investigation into the employment expectations and experiences of arts graduates of the University of Melbourne( 1999)It is the aim of the current study to investigate the extent to which graduates have been successful in using their degree qualifications to access employment. This includes investigating the extent to which graduates have had to retrain or advance their undergraduate standing in order to secure employment, as well as to assess the extent to which current third year Arts students are aware of the difficulties in converting their undergraduate qualifications into work. This may be assessed in the extent to which they are prepared to undertake further education and training. (From chapter 1)
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ItemMentoring in a corporate environment: a model for learning outcomes?( 1995)Within the last few years more and more Australian organisations have implemented a mentoring system in their training and development programs. This thesis is an attempt at finding out whether organisations can use mentoring not only for the development of individuals but also as a model for learning outcomes. By conducting limited qualitative research into the actual relationship of six pairs of mentors and mentees working in three different industries, the length of their relationship, and their experiences of the benefits and structure of the mentoring system, the author hopes to shed some light on the possible role of the mentor in creating a learning environment in the Australian workplace and whether or not mentoring facilitates or promotes continuous life-long education and organisational learning. A review of the relevant literature and the research findings have shown that there are many benefits that can be gained from a properly managed mentoring program and that, to be effective, the mentor relationship should be loosely structured, informal, carefully matched, and based on a voluntary basis. One notable benefit is that all the mentees, who participated in the research, claimed to be more confident and knowledgeable about the formal and informal aspects of the workplace. The study also revealed that mentoring could assist in the socialisation and induction of new entry employees into the workplace culture and the creation of a corporate learning environment, in which mentors and mentees would be better prepared to be learning agents and involved in organisational learning. Organisations, which are interested in the holistic development of their employees and in promoting a learning culture, must pay close attention to the implementation and management of their mentoring program in order to obtain optimum results.