Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemPromoting positive coping skills in rural youth : evaluation of the best of coping program(University of Melbourne, 2008)
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ItemSuccessful principal leadership of an independent school in Victoria, Australia(University of Melbourne, 2008)The aim of this case study was to identify and explore the qualities, values, beliefs, vision, and practices of successful principal leadership in an independent school in Victoria, Australia. The results contribute to the findings of the larger international comparative project, the International Successful Schools Principalship Project (ISSPP) of which this study is a part. To achieve this aim, a qualitative approach was taken that utilised multiple perspective interviews, observation of school activities and events, and school documents and documentation. Through the process of data analysis, the characteristics and practices of principal leadership of the school were identified, and five key strands of successful principal leadership emerged. The study defined a principal who clearly articulated and modelled a strong educational philosophy of teaching and learning that focused on providing an environment in which each student could achieve above what they would hope to achieve. The principal nurtured and empowered staff capacity for teaching, and student capacity for learning, through affirmation, motivation, encouragement, the provision of effective resources and facilities, and by modelling person to person relationships based on trust and respect. He understood the role of principal in the school, built on the work of his predecessors, and laid foundations for the school's future sustainability. From the study's results, a model showing successful school principalship as a process of reciprocal influence was developed.
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ItemThe village fund microcredit program in Thailand : a critical evaluation(University of Melbourne, 2007)
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ItemAttitudes, knowledge, concerns and coping strategies regarding inclusive education in a community of Thai special educators(University of Melbourne, 2007)
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ItemPrincipal expertise and problem-solving in three independent girls' schools in Victoria, Australia(University of Melbourne, 2000)
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ItemA study of transformational and transactional leadership among leaders at the Rajabhat University, Thailand( 2007)The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the leadership styles and organizational culture in The Rajabhat University in Thailand as viewed from the leaders' and non-leaders' perspectives. The study examined leadership behavior based on the notions of transformational and transactional leadership. A survey research methodology was used to gather data from six departments in The Rajabhat University. A total of 96 leaders and 99 non-leaders responded to the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), and 95 leaders and 101 non-leaders responded to the Organizational Description Questionnaire (ODQ). Leaders perceived their leadership styles to be transformational. Conversely, the non-leaders perceived the leadership styles of their leaders as highly transactional. These results were confirmed by the results of the organizational culture surveys both leaders and non-leaders agreed that the organizational culture were moderately transformational and highly transactional, with non-leaders viewing organizational culture as more transactional than that viewed by the leaders. Transformational leadership culture has been associated with improved organizational outcomes These findings suggest that organizations like The Rajabhat University may need to develop a more transformational leadership culture.
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ItemGlobalisation and cultural management : leading from the margins( 2004)This thesis commenced with the purpose of examining a case study of cultural management within an institution of higher education and questioning whether the manner in which we negotiate our identity, reflect a sense of belonging and create a responsibility within a labyrinth of impersonal spaces with this local/global dilemma will be the premises upon which new answers to old questions, as well as a whole set of new questions about cultural management within higher educational institutions, will be asked. The development of the Intercultural Projects and Resources Unit (IPRU) was examined as a reflective case study analysis, whilst drawing on the researcher's biography as a key component of this thesis, operating at several different but interconnected levels, negotiating simultaneously the space between mainstream Western academic concerns, the researcher's intellectual and geographical/spatial dislocation and working with a diverse range of students, university staff, community groups and places in the world. This thesis contends that when there are 'spaces' that enable all voices to be heard and considered, then the outcome is always far better than anticipated. Such 'spaces' or 'structures' will always start with, and privilege, the perspectives (and participation) of those with the least power and those who are most disadvantaged (margins). Any decision needs to involve a deep consideration of effects in a range of domains, grounded in an appreciation of the layered cultural contexts in which choices are made and implemented. This thesis has proposed that it is in the linking of current debates about difference, identity and marginality with the management of 'culture', ,and in facilitating a space within which these issues can be negotiated, that meaningful work and outcomes as educational administrators within a global knowledge economy becomes possible..
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ItemLeadership and success in educational reform in Thailand( 2004)This thesis presents the results of a study to examine the relationship between leadership and success in educational reform in Rajabhat Institutes in Thailand. A strong emphasis was placed on the effects of leadership, reflecting both 'eastern' and 'western' perspectives and successful educational reform. The study employed a mixed method design in which both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analysed to answer a research question: 'How do presidents influence the achievement of successful educational reform in Rajabhat Institutes in Thailand?' The two types of data were collected independently. Quantitative data were gathered by questionnaire administered to 492 staff (308 females; 184 males) from three Rajabhat Institutes located in Bangkok, Thailand, who were nominated for their success in educational reform. Qualitative data derived from semi-structured interviews with the three presidents and a small selection of staff who were nominated by the presidents. Observations and analysis of secondary data were also employed. Some interesting findings emerged from the quantitative data analysis. As far as direct effects are concerned, results showed that a service-oriented leadership style, reflecting a "western" perspective had a strong direct effect on educational reform in Thailand. Dhamma-oriented leadership style reflecting an "eastern" approach had a negative direct effect on educational reform. However, dhamma-oriented leadership had a positive but indirect effect mediated by servant leadership. The findings from interviews were consistent with results derived from quantitative data. The study revealed that the combination of the two leadership approaches (dhamma-oriented and servant leadership) were used by the presidents of the three Rajabhat Institutes as instruments for successful educational reform. The findings have implications for practice in making educational reform a reality in similar settings in Thailand. First, leaders should focus on ensuring meaning in the work and be responsive to the needs of subordinates. They should be visionary and serve the well-being of others through their goals and work to accomplish the agreed-upon vision. Second, productive institutions require trust so that cooperation may emerge. In the Thai context, trust has been created by the moral behaviour of leaders. This moral behaviour can add value through mutual understanding, creating a process for the achievement of educational reform in Thailand. It is concluded that both approaches to leadership were important factors in achieving success in educational reform in Thailand.