Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemInvestigating the relationship between self-concept and sexual behaviour of Singaporean gay men( 2005)Through a process of cooperative inquiry and interpretive ethnographic research, this thesis sets out to explore and reflect on the experiences of Gay Asian Men (GAM) in order to draw out possible implications for work around aiming to minimize the transmission of HIV/AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). At its core is the journey of six GAM from Singapore who settled in Australia; who shared their experiences pertaining to their lifestyles in Singapore; and who shared their experiences in relation to their new lifestyles after settling in Australia. This thesis highlights the factors involved in their life experiences using a discourse/thematic analysis and issues such as family, "coming-out" and dealing with their sexual orientation were identified as significant. This is achieved through the use of semi-structured interviews that explored the participants' experiences and journey. The participants' stories are analysed thematically, revealing multiple layers of meaning and perspective. As well as examining the development of a sub-cultural identity and sexual risk taking behaviours relevant to HIV/AIDS, this project aims to give an insight into the possibilities of reducing such behaviours. This project will aim to honour the experiences of participants and shed some light on the cultural identity of these Singaporean gay men. While this research reflects on the experiences of the participants and their environment, it is ultimately about the meaning-making journey and their experiences while living in Singapore and Australia. The cultural context an individual inhabits can play a significant role in providing an environment for the individual that is either affirmative and encouraging or disapproving and judgmental. My initial interest was to examine the implication this might have around sexual behaviour and this thesis moved on from this initial concern.
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ItemWhy do they/we laugh? A study of theories of humour and the manifestation and interpretation of humour in multicultural classrooms( 2006)This study has been an examination of the everyday occurrence of laughter in the contemporary school classroom where students of many cultural backgrounds can be found. The laughter was taken as an indicator of humour, and the study was an attempt to ascertain the link between humour and culture in the generation of and responses to humour. The episodes of laughter that were the subject of the study were recorded in a post primary school of culturally diverse population. The episodes were written as a series of Critical Incidents with the known cultural aspects of each episode included in the written construction of each Incident. Responses to the Critical Incidents were taken from members of the staff of the school, and the cultural backgrounds of the staff were recorded. The Critical Incidents and the staff responses were analysed and comparative tables were assembled, in order to determine in what way and to what extent culture was a factor in the episodes of laughter that indicated humour in the school setting. Humour and culture were investigated through the study and analysis of writing about them. Written theories of humour were analysed, and a comparative measurement of cultures that had been undertaken by international research was investigated for its relation to humour. The study has proposed that culture affects both the generation of humour and its reception, and that staff understanding of humour generated by students is affected by the cultural knowledge, experience and background of the individual staff member.
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ItemThe poetical understanding of children's imagery of nature : how is poetical understanding evident in children's art?( 2005)This study explores the way in which preschool children engage in the creative process and how their sensory engagement with nature leads to invention of poetical attributes and symbols in their art. The study also examines the teacher's role in creating an environment that nurtures sensory learning, provides new energy and fosters discovery. This study also inquires into the educational theories of 'Reggio Emilia', 'emergent curriculum' and 'phenomenological pedagogy' and their influence in exploring significant moments of children's art creating within the process of 'aesthetic engagement' and 'aesthetic cognition'. The data related to these moments consists of children's visual and verbal images of nature that allowed me to unfold their perceptions of nature associated with beauty and make them evident to the viewer. In that sense data analysis reveals both mine and children's discoveries, with an emphasis on utilizing children's voices within the arts curriculum and making them protagonists of their own learning.
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ItemTaking social capital into account when implementing educational policy : implications of the Kirby report for social capital in Ironbark( 2002)There is a growing body of research around the concept of social capital that suggests that there are connections evident in relation to successful educational achievement and employment, and high rates of social capital. Social connectedness - one of the outcomes of having social capital - is held to be very important for young people of post-compulsory school age, particularly in the current economic climate. This exploratory study will examine the problem: What can social capital mean in post-compulsory education policy, and in the manifestation of that policy?' This study examines The Ministerial Review of Post Compulsory Education and Training Pathways in Victoria, commonly referred to as The Kirby Report. Kirby takes the view that the links are strong between community and social values, the economic future of the state, and educational outcomes for young people. Within this report and its recommendations, the concept of social capital and its contribution to building community values is deemed to be one of the broad requirements of the community in relation to young people and their experiences in education and training. The concept of social capital and the effects of the growth or reduction of social capital within rural communities is also examined, and it is the links between social capital, the implementation of the recommendations of a report such as Kirby, and the ramifications of these links for a rural town in North-East Victoria of 2,500 residents, that provide the framework for this study.
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ItemA case study approach to the student at risk of leaving school early( 2005)There are two components in this research. The first comprises identification of what characterises an at risk student using risk factors identified from the literature. The second comprises identification of the prevalence of these risk factors in one school and how this school identified and assisted these students in the context of the early school leaver literature. Fifty-two students from a Melbourne government high school and seven of their teachers participated in the research. Students were divided into three groups; at risk students who participated in an intervention program, at risk students who did not participate in an intervention program, and a low risk group. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered and analysed to investigate prevalence of risk factors and usefulness and relevance of the intervention programs. All students completed a 30-page survey consisting of a demographics page, the Academic Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, the Classroom Environment Scale (Real and Ideal Forms) and the Family Environment Scale (Real and Ideal Forms). The teachers completed the Teacher Report Form of the Child Behaviour Checklist. The at risk students participated in interviews and completed six monthly questionnaires. From these data, a profile of the at risk student was developed. At risk students are characterised as performing academically lower than low risk students, exhibiting more problem behaviours, are more likely to be male, to value friendships made at school, to find the work at school and the teacher relationships difficult, to hold aspirations to achieve year 12 and believe they are in control of their school experience. The students participating in an intervention felt it was valuable. The quantitative data revealed non-significant changes in these students' academic self-efficacy and trivial differences in their academic grades. It is clear that school aptitude results from as early as year 7, and student behaviours can help to identify students at risk. It is also clear that friendships formed at school serve as a buffer for these students. Significant events occurring in the nominated at risk students lives do not appear to influence their decision to leave school early. The results imply that schools have the necessary information to identify students at risk, but that intervention programs need to be designed specifically to target problem issues. Recommendations for the school are made in the hope that they can be communicated to educators and the broader community.
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ItemDiscovering the fruits of your labour : guidance for program practitioners to develop their own evaluation models( 2002)The thesis of this dissertation is that present auditing practices provide for accountability that is intermittent rather than continual. A consistent recommendation across performance audits conducted throughout the world is for persons responsible for implementing, facilitating and/or managing programs, (i.e. program practitioners) to undertake continuous evaluation of effectiveness as a foundation towards continuous improvement. I argue that current deficiencies encountered by the public sector in realising an environment of continuous improvement can be overcome by establishing a continuous evaluation culture. This is based on the premise that by evaluating public sector programs on a continuous basis, practitioners can achieve higher levels of knowledge about what the programs are doing and what the programs are achieving. Practitioners can use this knowledge to improve work practices and to alter current programs to become more effective in achieving desired outcomes. This paper seeks to facilitate the adoption of a continuous evaluation culture across the public sector by providing program practitioners a good understanding of evaluation principles and practices which they can use to conceptualise evaluation models to suit the programs they are responsible for. The first part of the paper explains the purpose of program evaluation and its various applications. The paper then attempts to build on public sector theory and models by describing examples of a selection of evaluation models that have been undertaken on a variety of programs. The final part of the paper provides guidance to program practitioners on how to evaluate their programs by informing them of evaluation techniques, protocols and concepts which should be taken into account by practitioners when designing evaluation models.
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ItemThe Impact of indigenous Australian storytelling techniques on homogenous, rural, middle school students( 2002)The purpose of this thesis is to show that students, who have limited access to Australia's Indigenous people, can develop meaningful understandings of Indigenous issues and culture, as they re-assess the relevance of Indigenous people to their own lives. Through the development and trial of alternative teaching strategies for use in Indigenous Studies classes, it is hoped this process may encourage cultural understanding in the students, resulting in more meaningful teaching and learning. Summary of the approach. The teaching strategies included storytelling; co-operative learning; and allowing many of the teaching resources to speak directly to the students involved, reducing the influence of teacher/facilitator in class discussion and direction. Overview of the methodology. A five-week case study, in which one of the investigators facilitated the teaching approach to volunteer classes of year seven and nine students, produced several types of qualitative data. Analysis of the data produced results that suggested varying success of different strategies, but overall encouraging outcomes for the approach as a whole.
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ItemPhenomenal robotics! : so what are students' perceptions about the robotics experience?( 2006)Robotics as a learning experience is becoming very popular in Australian schools and is being offered to students at primary and secondary level. It is considered to be a valuable integrated unit particularly in the areas of science and mathematics but also provides an ideal environment for students to engage and learn via constructionist principles. But what do young students perceive to gain from participating in a robotics experience? This investigation looks at the lived experience of doing robotics through the eyes of a group of students who were of mixed ages but had participated in the robotics' experience when they were in grade six as 12 year olds. The students were interviewed regarding the effect of the robotics experience on their learning during and after the experience ended. Students reflected on the phenomenon and made strong connections with the social value of the program. Their emphasis was not so much on academic skills gained but on the sense of self and its relationship to the group. The robotics experience provided an environment that allowed the students to feel valued and motivated to strive for goals, without realising they were gaining valuable information and skills as well as enjoying themselves.
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ItemThe parent-child mother goose program : a case study of a family-centred early intervention literacy initiative( 2006)Research related to early childhood education and development indicates the importance of the quality of social services provided to children in the early years. The Parent-Child Mother Goose study looks at the effectiveness of an early childhood program as a preventative intervention for children with additional needs through action research. The study was conducted over two cycles during 2005. It uncovers the characteristics of the Mother Goose Program; the role of the professional; and the effects of the intervention on parents and children. The study also introduces some of the most important concepts in early childhood education which include: Parent-Focused Programs, Family-Centred Practice, Inclusive Practice, and Retention in Early Intervention. Last the research examines the gaps in the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program and discusses issues such as: Concept Clarity, Cultural Competence, Access and Participation, Follow ups and Feedback, Fathers in the Early Years and Evaluation in Early Childhood Programs. The research addresses each issue separately and provides future recommendations for early childhood professionals in the context of a small scale study. The research concludes that the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program is an affective preventative intervention for parents and children who are committed to consistent participation.
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ItemAn exploration of the information teachers use when discontinuing students from the reading recovery program( 2004)Reading Recovery is a program for students in their second year of school who require extra support to reach the average band of reading ability in their class. Each student attends a 30-minute lesson outside the classroom with a trained Reading Recovery teacher. It is recommended that these daily sessions should be continued for between 12 and 20 weeks, by which time the student will have displayed accelerated reading progress and can be discontinued from the program. The research presented in this thesis focuses on the processes Reading Recovery teachers undertake in order to establish that a student has reached the point of discontinuation. For this purpose, nine Reading Recovery teachers were interviewed; they were asked questions about the information they used when deciding to discontinue a student from the program. Four major areas were identified through these teachers' responses. # First, they were looking for behaviours that would suggest the student would continue to learn independently on returning to the classroom full time. Reading Recovery is predicated on the student's learning to learn and developing a self-extending system that will enable continued progress and the transference of their learning across appropriate literacy activities. # Second, they used their analyses of Running Records and observations of writing behaviours in their lesson reports to inform them of the student's developing ability to use information from different sources appropriately and efficiently. # Third, they collaborated with classroom teachers to monitor literacy behaviours in the classroom context and to establish that the student was able to operate effectively within instructional groups. # Fourth, in contrast to the above areas that focused on the student, the teachers also mentioned aspects of the school organisation and resources as issues they took into account when considering whether to discontinue a student. Analysis of the responses of these teachers indicates that Reading Recovery teachers have an understanding of a theory of teaching and learning, and an understanding of the reading and writing process. When deciding to discontinue students from the program, they make use of these understandings within the constraints of the organisation of schools and of other resources that may be available.