Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemAn action research study into the effects of the introduction of a peer mediation program on a school community( 1999)This project set out to explore the effects of peer mediation training on individual students and, more generally, the effects of the introduction of a peer mediation program on a school community. The study emerged as a result of shared concerns of a group of teachers over their observations of the inappropriate ways many of the students treat each other in conflict situations and their lack of conflict management skills. The study focused on the students who were involved in mediation either as trained mediators or disputants. Using Kemmis and McTaggart's (1988) model for action research, three action cycles were conducted. The research explored whether there was a change in trained mediator's attitude towards conflict and how they behaved when in conflict. It also examined the level of satisfaction for mediation amongst mediated students. Data was gathered from interviews, participant- observer notes, minutes of meetings and journal notes. It was found that students trained in mediation do undergo a change in attitude towards conflict. They saw conflict in a more positive light and no longer tried to avoid conflict situations. They transferred their conflict management skills to situations outside formal mediation sessions although they did not want to be seen by their peers to be behaving differently, particularly when in conflict themselves. Disputants found mediation to be an effective method for handling their disputes and accepted it as a valid conflict management process. However, students in conflict who did not use mediation believed it would not have helped settle their disputes. It was found that in the short term, a peer mediation program has a limited impact on the conflict management behaviour of the wider student population. Only those students who directly participated in mediation sessions accepted mediation as a valid conflict management process and learned more positive ways of handling conflict.
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ItemProgram evaluation of an alternative school( 2003)This program evaluation aims to identify the strengths and the areas that require improvement in an alternative school. The alternative school involved in this study was established to cater for 'at risk' students. The design of the study utilises both qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative data collection involved the use of standardised semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews. Questionnaires were the research instruments used for the collection of the quantitative data. Analysis of the results of this study indicated that the strengths of the alternative school related to the school culture/ethos, support for parents and students, relationship and connectedness and, student development and learning. The areas that require improvement involved the length of time for the students in the alternative setting, the transition from the alternative school back into mainstream, and the support for students after returning to mainstream education.
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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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ItemParticipatory evaluation: recording one school's experience in using evaluation as a process to support development( 1998)A participatory evaluation was conducted over a period of two terms to review an Early Intervention Program in an independent school. Using the framework developed by Cousins and Leithwood (1993) an evaluation was initiated with the author as the internal evaluator. Four 'primary users' of the program were recruited as members of the Evaluation Team and collaborated with the evaluator in the evaluation design and implementation. The negotiated focus for the evaluation was the adequacy of the program design and to support this outcome the Evaluability Assessment model (Smith, 1989b) was incorporated into the evaluation design. The evaluation was conducted over a 16 week period and after the conclusion of the project the four Evaluation Team members were interviewed using a semi-structured interview format. The data indicated that the evaluation was seen as effective in initiating change and as a process of professional and personal learning for those involved. From this information, some of the factors that were seen as assisting the effectiveness of the evaluation process and in supporting the utilisation of the information generated were identified. These were used to develop a broad framework of guidelines for the operation of participatory evaluation context within the school context.