Faculty of Education - Theses

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End date: 2004 × Start date: 2004 × Subject: Melbourne × Subject: Victoria × Subject: education ×

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    Ask a parent: investigating the need for a parent 'ask an expert' service in schools
    Houlihan, Gerard ( 2004)
    'Ask an Expert' (AskA) services are question-answer based Internet services where questions can be asked of individuals with specialist knowledge. There appear to be no examples of AskA services localised to a school community and provided by parent volunteers (here termed ‘AskA-Parent’). This research utilised a needs assessment methodology to explore the potential for constructing such a service at an independent Australian school. Data sources included school documents, government statistics and individual interviews with purposeful sampling of teachers, parents and student prefects; four in each group. Based upon the interview responses, a survey was completed by teachers (n=62), students (n=44) and the students' parent/guardians (n=74). Four main themes emerged from the data in the context of the literature. They were related to the usage of information and communications technologies (ICT); pedagogy; learning communities; and general ICT issues. The findings indicated that a particular strength of the AskA-Parent program was an ability to further develop schools as learning organisations and to facilitate links between members of the school community. A cautionary finding was related to the importance of clear guidelines in order to lessen obstacles to the success of the program. The findings of this study suggest that there would be benefit in trialling an AskA-Parent program.
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    Cultural mission of the sisters of St Joseph
    Farquer, Aileen M. ( 2004)
    This research study examines the history of Sacred Heart Catholic School, Newport, Victoria, established within the tradition and application of the educational philosophy of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, founded by Mary MacKillop in 1866. The work includes three distinct areas of research which are: 1. The MacKillop System of Education in its early stages. 2. The growth of multicultural theory and practice in Australia and in Catholicism. 3. The story of one school, Sacred Heart Catholic School, Newport, situated in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria. These areas connect up and illuminate one another throughout the thesis, evoking a sense of school life as it was experienced by members of the school community at different stages of the school's development and within a variety of social and educational contexts. The research appreciates the integral vitality of the founding spirit manifest in Mary MacKillop, especially as it was reflected in the Sisters appointed to the school at Newport as administrators and as teachers. The study examines the long-term adaptation of the mission of the Church, namely the evangelisation of cultures in the local community of Newport throughout its hundred years history. Focus is brought to bear on the interpretation of Mary MacKillop's philosophy of education in its first fifty years and the changes perceived during the later period of massive and fundamental transformation in the ethnic composition of the local community as well as the broader Church and State. By reconstructing the past this study provides a reference point for those involved in education by shedding light on the present and raising questions for the future.