Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemTowards a model for colleague support : matching support to needs and contexts( 1999)This thesis explores the issue of colleague support in schools observed in five case site schools over several years. The study sought to ascertain how colleagues perceive, rate, utilise and value colleague support and the effect of colleague support across a school culture. The research study is predominantly qualitative using participant observation and interviews, over several years. The interviews are based on an earlier pilot study (conducted in 1995-96) and a later survey of each of the five case site schools that make up this research study. The thesis outlines how colleagues describe, value, and utilise colleague support and proposes a typology of support based in grounded theory. This typology asserts that schools have definable `colleague-shape; based in characteristics and protocols of support that have an increasing degree of school-wide consciousness. The typology, and emerging protocols, it is hoped, have both a descriptive and diagnostic facility and an adaptive utility. This thesis concludes with a chapter on adaptive facility proposing suggestions, arising from this study, that might increase a school's conscious awareness and use of colleague support.
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ItemThe politics of curriculum( 1999)This thesis seeks to document the development, establishment and subsequent demise of Victoria's first independent regulatory body of senior secondary curriculum and assessment, the Victorian Institute of Secondary Education. Analysis of the origins of VISE helps reveal the implicit social conflicts at work within the senior secondary curriculum. The thesis investigates the response of policy makers to the shift in senior secondary education from an 'elite' system to a 'mass' system in light of this conflict. The thesis argues that these responses in general, and VISE's in particular, while significantly expanding school control over the curriculum and pedagogical autonomy, failed to moderate social patterns of success and failure by not challenging the implicit rationale behind the curriculum hierarchy - the needs of the university for selection - and by failing to base curriculum policy on a wider understanding of the origins of such patterns.
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ItemLearning to live over again : the resettlement stories of refugees from the former Yugoslavia( 1999)This thesis followed the resettlement in Australia, specifically Victoria, of three refugee families from the former Yugoslavia. The three families arrived here in 1995, and have made a new life for themselves. The settlement process was the key issue under examination, as the assumption was that if new arrivals can find a sense of belonging, then this is of benefit to themselves and the Australian community. The examination of this process focussed on the role of education, and coming to the conclusion as to which factors have helped them and which factors have been more difficult to contend with. In-depth, case study interviews were conducted, with an emphasis on a limited number of open-ended questions, so as to maximise the families' conclusions about their situation after discussion. Specifically the key research questions concerned: firstly, key information about the biography of the families; secondly, the circumstances of their move out of the former Yugoslavia; thirdly, what happened when they arrived in Australia - with respect to key services, such as education. The thesis findings illustrate that refugees need to be assisted in their grieving process before a satisfactory sense of belonging can be achieved. This sense of belonging is necessary in order to make adequate progress in a new culture.
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ItemThe Eleanor Davis Memorial Project : one piece of the jigsaw..( 1999)This study is primarily concerned with the Eleanor Davis Memorial Project, a mentoring program for women teachers aspiring to the Principal Class in the Victorian Department of Education. To understand more fully the nature of this unique mentoring program, it is first necessary to explore issues pertaining to women's under representation in leadership positions, particularly in the Victorian teaching service. A number of obstacles confronting women generally, such as culture of educational systems and traditional domestic roles of women are identified and discussed. Whilst mentoring has been noted as an excellent vehicle for career advancement, associated gender issues and obstacles still restrict women from taking full advantage of opportunities. The Victorian Department of Education, in an attempt to increase the number of women seeking and successfully gaining principal class positions, introduced the Eleanor Davis Memorial Project in 1992, along with numerous other 'Women in leadership' initiatives. This study examines the perceptions of ten women, all former mentee and mentor participants, who today hold varied leadership positions within the Leading Teacher, principal class and higher Regional levels. Their views on women's inequality, mentoring and the Eleanor Davis Memorial Project are discussed and interpreted in light of related literature.
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ItemEnvironmental stewardship through public education programs in waste and litter reduction in Victoria and its significance for Fiji, 1989-1999( 1999)This ethnographic research investigated the educational network of the litter and waste minimisation program that has been developed and implemented in Victoria, Australia; since 1989, and its place in the Environmental Education movement. It looks specifically at the autonomy and accountability of environmental agents and agencies in the Waste Wise program. The Government of Victoria's statutory funding body for waste management is EcoRecycle Victoria. The research examines documentation on how EcoRecycle's initiatives have been collaboratively managed and delivered by experienced local environmental action organizations such as the Gould League of Victoria, the Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies (CERES) and the Merri Creek Management Committee (MCMC), through providing appropriate teacher development, the production of curriculum resources and direct community action. The researcher also interviewed key network agents employed in the various organisations through the Waste Wise program.
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ItemA study of religious education in Catholic secondary schools : attitudes of students, content, methodology and gender issues( 1999)The subject of Religious Education (RE) is the one feature distinguishing Catholic Schools from Government Schools. It is a unique subject because its impact on students' lives is long-lasting and important. The factors influencing students' attitudes and perceptions of RE are examined in this study. Two of the main factors researched here include the content of Religious Education lessons and the methodology employed by teachers, as perceived by students. Marked differences in the gender responses of students were observed to be very significant and these are discussed and explored. Recommendations for possible ways of addressing these disparities are also included.
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ItemThe role of curriculum coordinators in state secondary schools : implementing the Moneghetti Report : democratic process and curriculum deliberation : an interactive ethnography( 1999)In Victorian Government state Secondary Schools, the position description of Curriculum Coordinator, in conjunction with the Principal, generally includes the responsibility of leading and managing the implementation of whole school change. Shared decision making is much more an established expectation amongst staff in state secondary schools than it is in independent schools where executive authority is clearly the prerogative of the Principal, and the management structure has traditionally been hierarchical. In a climate of teacher disenchantment with restructuring, competitive marketing and centrally directed change, it is important that the Curriculum Coordinator is skilled in securing agreement on key curriculum decisions. Ling (1998) and Vivian (1997) have shown that the successful management of curriculum change depends to a large degree on the deliberative as well as strategic skills of the Curriculum Coordinator in enlisting the support and cooperation of teachers. They found that this depends to a large degree on the personal propensities and moral capacities that the Curriculum Coordinator brings to the role which is defined to a considerable extent by their relationship with the Principal. Weiss (1998), however, identifies teachers as inhibitors of change if the change adversely affects them or if it is perceived to be contrary to the prevailing interests of the students or to the ethos of the school. Schwab (1983) has presented an argument for the centrality of the deliberative role of Curriculum Coordinator (or Chairmen as Schwab calls them). This study, written by an experienced Curriculum Coordinator, explores the knowledge, skills and propensities employed by three practising Curriculum Coordinators in Victorian State Secondary Schools in Melbourne when leading the deliberations of their curriculum committees to consider the implementation of a State-mandated change. This research in the form of historical ethnographies presents each Curriculum Coordinator's understanding of the role through their retelling and evaluation of the strategies that they used in dealing with the implementation of a compulsory Sport program. As a reference point for evaluating these strategies, I have discussed the participant's stated position model of the relevant skills and propensities, my own understanding of the role as a practising Curriculum Coordinator and compared them with Schwab's paradigm. The assumption was that through reflection and narrative construction these experienced teachers would be able to identify critical issues and explore areas of their middle management position. It was felt at the outset by the author and participants that sharing of reflection would benefit both the mentor and others in curriculum management positions in State schools (Weiss 1995). Potentially the collaborative reconstruction of their experiences as interactive ethnographies constitutes professional development for both the subject and for those with whom they are willing to share their experiences. In the planning, interpretation and evaluation of the change processes that they used, the subjects of these interactive ethnographies were mindful of the obligations of the role and how their management of the task would reflect on their credibility and moral capacity. On the one hand, they and the Principal were obliged as part of their appointed duties to implement Department of Education policy. On the other, there was a zone of moral freedom in which they felt they could impact positively or negatively on the educational culture of the school and on the professional lives of their colleagues. These studies suggest that the Curriculum Coordinator's position is more complex than Schwab suggests in his account of the deliberative arts and functions of the Chairman. The Curriculum Coordinator's role is shown to be far more complex than simply leading the deliberations of the curriculum group. The interactive ethnographies illustrate the critical role that the Curriculum Coordinator plays in mediating, maintaining and promoting the basic principles upon which the school's curriculum is predicated. Meaningful curriculum reform necessitates the redefining the local working rules, tasks and obligations of the teaching staff and students. The Curriculum Coordinator's ability to retain a moral capacity in the face of mandated change is seen to strongly influence the degree to which the organisational capacity for reform is maintained in their schools. Each Curriculum Coordinator felt ultimately responsible for insuring that the needs of the students, and the values and vision of the school as a learning community were not lost in the continuous process of externally mandated change and accountability which has characterised State education in the late 1990's.
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ItemJourneying towards an effective learning organisation( 1999)According to current educational literature, viewing the school community as a Learning Organisation is the ultimate vision for schools because it enables these communities to respond creatively and adaptively to changes in society. Providing a means by which communities can handle change is critical if communities are to be effective, because change is the major aspect of daily life in a school. Effective Learning Organisations display certain characteristics and operate in distinctive ways. In schools, teachers play a vital role in establishing and maintaining the culture of the community. So, from their viewpoint, where their personal and professional lives often dovetail, this means creating a culture where a balance is achieved between the teachers' PERSONAL and PROFESSIONAL needs and thus, the individual and organisational learning of the school. The purpose of this study was to investigate where on this journey towards an effective Learning Organisation did my own school community stand. To this end, an original survey was designed which was based on the Key Issues arising from the literature about systematic approaches to developing effective Learning Organisations. This was administered to the teachers of my school to investigate the perceptions they had of themselves at work, both personally and professionally. The findings from the survey indicated that overall, the staff were very committed to their work at the school and were positive and comfortable about PERSONAL aspects of their work. They were less positive about PROFESSIONAL issues relating to the systems operating both inside and beyond the school community, particularly about those issues concerning their relationships with the Administration. This imbalance of PERSONAL and PROFESSIONAL perceptions is the most important outcome of the study. Linking individual learning to organisational learning is a vital feature of developing a view of an effective Learning Organisation. It would seem then, that this area in particular is a critical one for this school to address on its journey towards a more effective Learning Organisation.
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ItemReflective practice in the early childhood practicum( 1999)There is much evidence in the current literature to indicate a movement towards a restructuring of teacher education, which emphasises reflection (Campbell-Evans & Maloney, 1996). University courses in teacher education are moving away from the technical model of teacher evaluation towards a reflective approach to teaching and learning which focuses on assisting pre-service teachers to develop reflective practices (Fairbanks & Meritt, 1998). The early childhood practicum is increasingly seen as an opportunity for students to engage in critical reflection with journal writing, frequently used as a tool for reflection. This project studied the practicum journals of nine final year Melbourne University Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies students. Analysis and interpretation of the reflective journals focused on two aspects. The first aspect related to the issues, which the students reflected about. The second aspect related to the cognitive processes the students engaged in when reflecting. The investigation found that students reflected in complex ways on complex issues throughout the practicum. The process of reflection, however, did not empower students to reflect in their own way about their own concerns. The study found that for this group of early childhood students, it was the location of power in student - supervisor relations that functioned to empower students to reflect in their own way about their own concerns or to disempower students by silencing them.
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ItemConfucian confusion: a western analysis of the efficacy of contemporary workplace training methods in a multicultural environment( 1999)This research investigated the extent to which experiential training techniques are appropriate for use with multicultural groups by testing an assumption that a dissonance exists between the perception of training efficacy assumed by "Western" adult education methods, and the concomitant perceptions of training participants of Asian/Confucian background. Data relating to the research question was collected through a process of interpersonal interviews with adult educators working in Victoria and from focus groups involving people of Confucian background who have participated in workplace based training. The responses of the two groups were compared and contrasted. The research found that significant difference of perception exists between the two groups. The research identifies opportunities to render training programs more culturally inclusive through adaptations to program structure, processes, attention to learning styles, the level of interpersonal interactivity and the training environment. The research proposes that we are often unaware that our accepted notions and most ethically based intentions are often blinkered by our subconscious cultural socialisation. The implications of these findings are significant for those who have the responsibility to design, implement and coordinate workplace education and training. The research concludes with suggestions for changes in practice and recommendations for future research.