Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemInnovating as network building : a case study of the relational complexity embedding innovation in Australian schools(University of Melbourne, 2007)
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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.
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ItemImplementation of recommended language teaching methods in Rajabhat primary schools : Thai teachers' perceptions of the new basic curriculum( 2008)This study is concerned with primary education reform at schools attached to Rajabhat Universities. A set of twelve language teaching approaches (methods) is suggested in the Thai Teacher Handbook for Foreign Language Teachers, as part of the reform in language teaching and learning at primary level. The approaches aim to develop the ability of language use for communication. Rajabhat schools are in the ideal position for the change implementation, due to schools' location on university campuses and administrative structures under the universities. The aim of the study was to probe the teachers' understanding and practice of the new approaches. Two research questions guided the study: 1 To what degree the teachers comprehend the suggested language teaching methods? 2 What are the teachers' perceptions of how they implement the suggested language teaching methods in classrooms? A mixed research method was employed to answer these questions. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. The two data sets are brought together by comparing and contrasting the findings, providing triangulation to enrich result interpretation. Data analysis reveals that the teachers have incorporated the suggested language teaching approaches and methods into classroom activities. They are willing to learn how the suggested approaches could be transformed into activities. However, activities students engaged in appeared to emphasize coverage of linguistic elements of target language and analysis of grammatical relationships of the elements. The emphasis on linguistics, rather than development of the ability to relate language form for functional use, derives from unclear understanding of the proposed approaches. Study findings provide evidence that knowledge and skill development for the usage of the methodological concepts of the suggested approaches could lead to the sustained change in language teaching and learning.
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ItemApproaching the undiscussable : investigating learning in an educational policy making organisation( 2004)This study investigates the learning culture in the Professional Support & Curriculum Directorate, part of the policy-making section of the New South Wales Department of Education in Australia. It is based on the premise that organisations learn through the collaborative efforts of the staff who work in them. This learning results from an alignment of two theories: the 'espoused' and the 'enacted'. The 'espoused' theory represents the organisation's intent and usually resides in written documents. The 'enacted' theory is demonstrated through the organisation's practice. When these theories fail to align, the organisation's capacity to learn becomes inhibited. The gap between these two theories is 'undiscussable'. It creates tensions that the organisation does not discuss. The participants in this study were staff members located in the Professional Support & Curriculum Directorate. They included administrative and support staff as well educators and the Directorate's leaders. Data were gathered from these staff members using a survey and interviews. By comparing and contrasting their perceptions and experiences of the Directorate's 'espoused' and 'enacted' theories, the study describes the nature of the Directorate's learning culture and its effect on the staff. A model for learning in organisations, derived from the literature, provided the theoretical frame for this investigation. The study identified that the respondents experienced tension in their practice because their 'espoused' theories did not align with the Directorate's 'enacted' theories. This tension represented four 'undiscussables' or processes that hindered its learning: absence of trust, treating knowledge as a product, harmful 'knowledge-power' relationships and a 'failure' to examine critically the educational and socio-political assumptions on which its work was based. The study concludes with a description of the type of learning organisation that the Professional Support & Curriculum Directorate could become if it discussed these undiscussables constructively.
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ItemA nationwide educational knowledge and information system for China : is it likely to be adopted?( 2000)The researcher contrived a new strategy for the dissemination of educational knowledge -- a conceptual model of an Educational Knowledge and Information System (EKIS), based on a literature review. The focus of the research is to find out that whether, and under what conditions, the EKIS is likely to be adopted in China. The researcher interviewed some Chinese educational policy-makers to elicit their opinions on the EKIS model and on the possibility of the EMS development. The respondents perceived the EMS as a useful system, because it would have the potential to solve some of the current information problems. Their attitudes towards the EKIS development are positive, but with caution. The findings show consistency with the literature on innovation adoption. The importance of human factors in an innovation process is explicitly reflected in the findings. The respondents also indicated some elements that could hinder the adoption, development and utilisation of the EKIS in the setting of China, such as the influence of information policies, the impacts of educators' existing information dissemination and access conventions, and the lack of coordination among different government departments.
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ItemLeadership and successful implementation of change in Thailand( 2003)The research aimed to investigate how leaders behaved and were perceived by their staff to behave during a period of successful change. More specifically the study examined the work of leaders who acted strategically, namely, the presidents of Rajabhat Institutes in Bangkok, when a new policy, Mass Education, was introduced and successfully implemented. The methodology used for this study was the qualitative approach. The study focused on the strategic leadership of the Presidents of two Rajabhat Institutes and used a semi-structured interview method and documentary review to collect data. The participants were the Presidents of the two Rajabhat Institutes, six administrative staff and six teachers from each Institute. Five elements of strategic leadership were used as a framework for analysis. The discussion of the findings was aided by a conceptual framework of strategic leadership, educational change and Thai culture. The findings revealed that the Presidents achieved success in the implementation of change through their actions, as classified according to the five elements in a framework of strategic leadership. It is apparent that both Presidents were very much concerned about global knowledge. Their knowledge of global and local trends gained them the trust of their colleagues. During their term as Presidents, they planned for the Institutes to enter into partnerships with international universities, with the aim of benchmarking on an international scale. Their vision was reflected in changes at the Institutes. The Presidents and their leadership teams collaborated as the key agents of change. In sharing knowledge and encouraging others, both Presidents performed the role of knowledge generators, mostly through communication in both formal and informal ways, which they considered their forte. The Presidents selected ways, appropriate for their own organisations, to share knowledge. Along with knowledge and support, the Presidents supported teachers by making resources available and by providing incentives for good work. In establishing structure, setting priorities and being key sources of expertise, the Presidents achieved their vision by aligning structures with plans and the tasks to be performed. They served as good models of hard work, dependability, and forthright action. This study revealed little about the long-term plans, which were flexible due to insufficient budgets. They effectively managed the annual governmental budgets of their Institutes to provide resources to support teachers and students. In ensuring the attention of the organisation's community was focused on important change, the Presidents worked hard to support the national reform agenda and to build human resources for community development. Their ability to provide knowledge through information technology was an appropriate way to serve the country in the implementation of the Mass Education policy. Strategic intent was apparent in the framework of the plan in its attempt to achieve desired outcomes. Strategic planning in the use of information technology contributed to achieving the goal. The use of advanced technology in learning and teaching enabled the Institutes to provide a wide range of curricula for the communities they served. The strong emphasis on community development led to cooperation between Institutes and the community. In monitoring and reviewing the implementation of policy, the Presidents informally and indirectly evaluated the programs. The purpose of evaluation was to improve the learning and teaching processes. The Presidents gave rewards and incentives to the teachers for good performance. The study revealed that the successful change that resulted from their strong strategic leadership was influenced by Thai values and Buddhist culture. The study showed that the Presidents were aware of the values and the culture of the people they were working with. Self-concept and self-esteem as well as ego-self are important when considering change. Senior status and hierarchical chain of respect are also important. The values of bun-khun (pay back) and krengjai (deference) were used on many occasions to ensure cooperation. The personal preference for "true-good-friend" (Kalayanamitr) also played a major role. The Presidents' ability to encourage staff to commit to change also reflected personal preference. In regard to Buddhist culture, the study revealed that both Presidents observed four aspects of Dhamma-oriented leadership: Wisdom Power, Effort Power, Faultlessness Power and Kindliness Power. In addition, the Buddhist culture of a middle way, and a harmonious and peaceful life led to avoidance of problems or confrontation. Persuasive talk, or looking for the next person to do the task, was the choice. Recommendations are offered for improving the practice of strategic leadership and for the conduct of research in the Thai setting.
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ItemA study of the market orientation and marketing management in Rajabhat institutes in Thailand( 2005)The purpose of this study was to investigate the market orientation and marketing management of the administrators of four Rajabhat Institutes in Thailand, and also the style of leadership they employed in order to bring about effective change, arising from the establishment of a new Education Act, in their institutes. A case study method was used in order to determine how administrators of Rajabhat Institutes employ market-centred leadership to make effective change in marketing and how, in practice, administrators of Rajabhat Institutes implement their marketing concepts. A modified version of Drysdale's (2001) model of market-centred leadership was employed. This involved a consideration of two dimensions: market orientation and marketing management. The case studies revealed that, in the implementation of marketing concepts, the administrators demonstrated varying levels of responding to, and valuing, the importance of market-centred leadership which, in turn, invoked a various degrees of attitude change on the part of administrators. The extent of attitude to change on the part of institutes and administrators within each institute was graded as either high, medium or low. Variation between institutions indicated one Rajabhat Institute was high, two Rajabhat Institutes were medium and one Rajabhat Institute was low. For the administrators within these institutes: all Presidents were rated high; senior administrators varied between high (one), medium (two) and low (one). This suggests that a high level of responding and valuing of market-centred leadership is required if major educational reform is to be successfully implemented.
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ItemMarket orientation case study( 2001)The importance of this research is reflected in the changing face of education. There is increasing pressure for accountability of schools in the private and public sector, for their programs, their financial viability and ultimately their capacity to survive in the marketplace. While the education industry is rapidly becoming a competitiveness business, the legitimacy of marketing as a means of recruitment, the marketing concept and embracing market orientation sits uneasily with many educational administrators. School X provides an illustrative case study of a well-established school in the international education sector. It has a strong business focus and is part of a global educational network. The management structure is similar to that in private sector industry. As a successful enterprise operational practices and marketing strategies are worthy of study. Qualitative and quantitative research methodologies will be applied. The researcher will discover how School X has embraced the concept of market orientation and whether the organisations growth is related to its approach to the marketing concept.
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ItemPower relations in policy making : a study of the emergence of TAFE degrees( 2008)In 2002, the Victorian state government moved decisively to settle the long standing policy debate in relation to the role of TAFE (Technical and Further Education) in higher education, by allowing TAFE institutes to offer specialist undergraduate degrees to full fee paying students. For over a decade CEOs of the largest metropolitan TAFE institutes had campaigned for a policy change to allow TAFE institutes to offer higher education qualifications. Their political actions challenged the dominant policy discourses which constructed TAFE as a provider of vocational entry level training. Given the long standing opposition to the concept of degrees in TAPE from within and without the TAFE sector, the purpose of this study is to analyse how the policy to allow TAFE institutes to offer higher education was articulated, formulated and implemented and with what effects. The conceptual framework in this poststructural policy analysis draws on the British sociologist Ball (1990a, 1990b, 1993, 1994) and his colleagues Bowe and Gold (1992) and the French historian and philosopher Michel Foucault (1977, 1978, 1980, 1984a, 1984b, 1984c, 1991a, 1991b, 1991c, 2003, 2004). Ball's (2007) analysis of the competition state is used to interpret the relationship between the state, the economy and TAFE policy. Foucault's concepts of discourse, power, disciplinary technologies and governmentality are used to analyse policy making. Power relations in policy making are analysed in the contexts. identified by Bowe, Ball and Gold (1992), the context of influence, policy text production and practice and Ball's (1993, 1994) contexts of outcomes and political strategy.
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ItemPerceptions of educational change: a case study of LOTE teachers in Catholic schools( 2000)Change permeates every aspect of education. The objective of this study has been to investigate the multidimensional nature of educational change as perceived, experienced and managed by teachers of Languages Other Than English (LOTE) within the context of global school change. It was designed to gain insights into effective change processes and bring to the fore characteristics that challenge schools to become even better schools. The research undertaken is innovative as it targets teachers of Languages Other Than English (LOTE). Whilst the educational change literature has expanded over the last twenty years, LOTE teachers have been given little attention by researchers of educational change. This and the tentative nature of LOTE programs in schools acted as inspiration. The literature review focused on three dimensions of educational change relating to the individual, the curriculum and the organisation. These dimensions form the basis of the study and are discussed in relation to individual professional and personal experiences and reactions to change initiatives and to the impact of structural organizational changes on curriculum renewal. Particular emphasis has been given to curriculum development as an eclectic process. However, through the interaction of the three dimensions the process of change recultures, renews and transforms the learning community. This study draws on historical ethnography in a case study of a critical event. Through oral history, hindsight provided a more considered appraisal of results. It was evident in this case study that subjective and objective realities gave meaning to change. Participants shared their perceptions of educational change, and in particular how these influenced their professional lives and consequently how their personal lives influenced their work. The amalgamation of three schools was used as the vehicle of the research. It challenged teachers to rethink the way they went about teaching and learning. Values and beliefs were questioned imposing strain on self-confidence. New beliefs and values were embraced out of loss, grief and anxiety. Whether or not desired, real change brought with it uncertainty, ambivalence and contradiction. Yet, these very factors spurred growth and encouraged shared meanings in a myriad of change factors.