Faculty of Education - Theses
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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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ItemAn investigation into the design and implementation of professional development programmes in technology for music teachers( 2009)The ,purpose of this study was to investigate the design and implementation of professional development programmes in technology for music teachers. The aim of the study was to identify characteristics of effective professional development and formulate a new paradigm for professional development. Music technology offers much to enhance music education for students, but many teachers are apprehensive about using it. The study examined research literature related to music education, information and communications technology and professional development. A school-based action research project provided practical data for the study. Reflection on this project and the literature found that effective professional development in music technology is school-based, authentic, collaborative and ongoing. Teachers will reap the benefits of such professional development when they participate in online communities of learning, engage in reflective practice, embrace lifelong learning and seek the guidance of mentors.
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ItemOnline mentoring in English for young learners (EYL) teacher education( 2004)This research project involved the development, pilot and review of an on-line mentoring program in a developing Teacher Education degree at the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) in The United Arab Emirates (UAE). The study aimed to incorporate online learning technologies, already available and in use in other programs at the HCT, into the school experience component of the colleges' teacher education program. Participants in the study included student teachers across 3 years of the degree and college faculty across 6 colleges. Participants were involved in the design of this program, in using the program during a trial period, in evaluating its appropriateness, strengths and weaknesses and, finally, in identifying ways it may support inter-college continuity and collaboration in mentoring practices. The study was framed within a qualitative, action research approach and information was gathered through questionnaires and through qualitative focus group interviews. The study was guided by the following questions: How can an on line program facilitate and support the mentoring process? How might an on line program promote inter college communication? How might an on line program promote continuity of mentoring practices? This study contributes to the research agenda in the field of the application of online learning technologies to enhance and support teacher education in the UAE. The study makes six key recommendations and outlines three key areas for future development and research.
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ItemSpecific strategies that can be applied to teach reading in English as a second language to children from different home language backgrounds in Uganda( 2005)The study examined the literature review about strategies that can be applied to teach reading in English to second language learners. Three `training' videos, containing model lessons for teaching English to students in Australia whose first language is not English, were also analyzed to provide an in-depth picture of how some strategies are executed in the classroom context. The aim of the study was to explore and identify particular strategies that can be applied to teach reading in English to children who acquire English as a second language in Uganda. Qualitative exploratory research was conducted to explore the strategies that can be applied to teach reading in English to children from different home language backgrounds in Uganda. Content analysis technique was established to collect data from videotaped model lessons for teaching English to students in Australia whose first language is not English. Using an observation framework, the data was collected and analysed in reference to: strategies carried out in the classroom contexts, teacher's role in language instruction and literacy activities in which learners were involved. The findings suggested particular strategies for teaching reading in English to second language learners with more emphasis on getting meaning out of text. Further, the teacher's role in language instruction was recognised to be vital in teaching reading in English to bilingual students. The results also showed that second language learners effectively learnt to read in English in language contexts that encourage peer-peer and teacher-learner interactions. The study concluded with a discussion of the results and their implications to the teaching of English as a second language to bilingual children in Uganda.
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ItemGetting IT together: the integration of IT into a humanities subject in a pre-service teaching degree( 2001)This research examines the extent to which an academic uses the support of an Educational IT Consultant to assist with the integration of some simple information technologies (IT) into an existing humanities (English Method) subject of a pre-service teacher education degree in an Australian university. The thesis briefly examines the debate for integration of IT across the curriculum against stand-alone IT courses and establishes, from the literature, that integration generally seems to be the preferred method for ensuring that newly graduated teachers use IT in the classroom. The thesis then attempts to ascertain the environmental elements that would be conducive to the integration of IT across the pre-service curriculum, and examines whether this environment was present in the Faculty where the case study took place. The research took the form of a qualitative ethnographic case study using multiple methods of data collection. Detailed descriptions of the characteristics and role of the Educational IT Consultant, along with a description of the subject and academic are also included should anyone wish to repeat the study. The findings suggest that adoption of IT is hastened into humanities areas of the pre-service curriculum with the assistance of an Educational IT Consultant approach to staff development.
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ItemThe relationship between teacher professional development and the ability to teach academically gifted children: a multiple case study( 2000)The launch of the Bright Futures policy and Australia's gifted education history suggest a need to study Victorian gifted teacher professional development outcomes. The literature implicates the utility of professional development in building identification skills, instructional expertise and positive attitudes towards gifted children. A few studies in gifted education also converge with the general literature to suggest the provision of environmental support together with professional development. There is a dearth however, of accompanying research and theoretical models in gifted education relevant to professional development outcomes. Research in general education has located a new paradigm combining both aspects of professional development and environmental support. In this study the same paradigm was used to examine the results of professional development under the Bright Futures policy. Reflective of the policy's lack of structure in implementing professional development, there were variations in outcomes. It also was found that unsuccessful outcomes often were linked to elements of professional development and/ or environmental support which tell short of the paradigm's recommendations. Similarly, successful cases closely reflected the paradigm's recommendations for professional development and environmental support. The overall findings would therefore support the adoption of the study's paradigm in gifted education. The application of findings as applied to research and future professional development practice are also discussed.