Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemThe role computers can play in the English language acquisition and development process : a look at the ESL situation regarding primary school students in Cyprus(University of Melbourne, 2010)It would seem that computers have made their way into endless primary school classrooms throughout the world and therefore are here to stay. In the last decade computers have also been introduced into Cypriot primary schools at a slow but steady pace. What is unclear at the moment is how they will be used in the education of primary school children in a multiethnic setting such as that found in Cypriot primary schools, especially for the advancement of the English language. While there have been many qualitative studies about using computers for improved language acquisition in many parts of the world, this does not hold true for Cyprus. This study is qualitative in nature and takes a look at using computer assisted instruction in the primary ESL classroom in Cyprus. This study looks at what has been said regarding computer assisted teaching in different parts of the world and the benefits associated with this approach. Through video recording, interviewing, questionnaires, pre-tests, post-tests, focus group sessions, the development and implementation of a Miles and Huberman matrix, as well as anecdotal records, my study attempts to answer the questions many have asked: ��Can computer assisted instruction benefit primary school children in the ESL classroom, and if so to what extent?� Apart from finding an appropriate piece of software that could be used for this research project, the specific software was used in three different settings and evaluated accordingly. Pre-test and post-test results have been included. Perhaps the most important part of the thesis is the concluding chapter which not only presents the findings of this study but offers suggestions to different parties. The suggestions outlined in the concluding chapter address the concerns of both students and fellow educators who participated in this research project. It is hoped that this project is embraced by the Ministry of Education in Cyprus, and the suggestions are implemented in the immediate future.
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ItemLiteracy and learning in preschool aged children(University of Melbourne, 2010)
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ItemEvaluation of a parenting intervention aimed at improving preschool children's emotional competence : issues related to the measurement of emotion-focussed parenting skills(University of Melbourne, 2010)Emotional competence is thought to be related to a range of positive outcomes for children including their ability to develop effective social skills and form friendships, achieve well academically and reduce their likelihood of developing externalising or internalising difficulties. The way in which parents respond to their children�s emotions is thought to play a significant role in children�s emotional development. Tuning in to Kids, Emotionally Intelligent Parenting (TIK) is an emotion-focussed parenting intervention designed to teach parents the skills involved in emotion coaching with their children. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the TIK intervention and explore issues related to measuring changes in emotion-focussed parenting over time. The participants in this study were 95 preschool children (46 boys and 49 girls) and their parents who were allocated as either intervention or wait-list control. Assessments of parents� emotion coaching skills and children�s emotion knowledge were carried out prior to the intervention group beginning the parenting program and six months after they completed the program. Parents� emotion coaching was measured via a storytelling observation task and the Parent Emotional Styles Questionnaire. Children�s emotion knowledge was assessed using the Affective Knowledge Test. Results showed that parents who received the TIK intervention improved significantly more than the control group on both observed and self-reported emotion coaching 6 months after completing the program. No significant relationship was found between these two measures of emotion coaching suggesting the two measures captured different aspects of the construct, being parents� use of emotion coaching language compared to their beliefs and attitudes towards emotion coaching. Intervention group children�s emotion knowledge did not improve significantly more than the control group and there was no significant relationship between parents� emotion coaching and children�s emotion knowledge, suggesting elements of emotion coaching were not captured by the parent measures used. Future research on the definition and measurement of emotion coaching may extend the current findings regarding evaluation of emotion-focussed parenting programs.
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ItemProject-based teaching and learning to develop oral English language skills of Thai tertiary level students(University of Melbourne, 2010)
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ItemCase studies in learning area leadership in Catholic secondary schools in Melbourne, Australia( 2010)Learning Area Leaders (LALs) are leaders who have responsibility for the operation of learning areas (subject departments) in their schools. The leadership role of LALs was investigated in three Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools using case study methodology. Interviews were conducted in each school between the Principal, the curriculum coordinator, LALs and teachers. The leadership role of the LALs, particularly as their involvement in improving educational outcomes in their learning area, was explored through interviews and examination of range of documents to produce a rich description of each case. It was clear that the leadership of the LALs was, in each of the three schools, considered essential to the achievement of good student learning outcomes. In one of the three schools where the leadership role of the LALs was enhanced there was significant improvement in VCE results. The findings from each of the cases were then analysed according to a framework describing the leadership roles of LALs which was developed by White (Merriam, 19982002). The findings were consistent with White's framework. Consistent with other literature were issues to do with inadequate preparation for the role (Adey, 2000;. Deece, 2003; Dinham, Brennan, Collier, Deece, & Mulford, 2000; Earley & Fletcher- Campbell, 1989), lack of time to effectively carry out the role (Brown & Rutherford, 1999; Deece, 2003; Dinham, 2007; Earley & Fletcher-Campbell, 1989)and difficulties with staff management and role ambiguity (Adey, 2000; Dinham, 2007; Glover & Miller, 1999b; White, 2002). In considering the work of LALs in relation to context what emerged was the necessity for the Senior Management Team to facilitate LAL leadership by enlisting them as partners in developing strategic approaches to teaching and learning, creating structures which enable the LALs to interact with the staff in the learning areas and removing barriers in the school which might inhibit the LALs from the effective exercise of their leadership.
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ItemDeveloping Thai students' writing skills through genre-based teaching( 2010)This study reports on an investigation using the genre-based approach to teaching writing, and how it affected students' control over key features of the Discussion Genre. The research explored students' attitudes towards learning to write with this approach and conveyed the application of new pedagogy to teaching writing. The study was conducted in a classroom of thirty nine students during eight two-hour weekly sessions. The participants were third-year English major students in a four-year Bachelor of Arts program in a university in Thailand. The research method was an in-depth case study of the effectiveness of the genre-based approach in improving English as a Foreign Language [EFL] students' writing proficiency. Two cycles designed for teaching and learning the Discussion Genre were fashioned closely after the Disadvantaged Schools Project (DSP) model (e.g. Callaghan & Rothery, 1989), as implemented in various Australian schools. Three key research participants' written texts were analyzed by the researcher/ teacher using specific elements of the systemic functional grammar (SFG) framework (e.g. Butt et al., 2003). Self-assessment questionnaires sought students' views about their own learning experiences and writing proficiency. Semi-structured interviews and students' diaries were used to explore the students' experience of learning to write in English, and to explore students' attitudes to writing in English. A teacher's journal provided information about the ways in which students were involved in and responsive to the new teaching approach. The text analysis revealed that, as a result of the intervention, students gained control over key features of the Discussion Genre, and showed positive attitudes towards this approach, although the students' grammatical knowledge had not significantly improved, probably in part because the research was undertaken over a short period of time. Finally, the application of the genre-based approach is a significantly promising approach for teaching English in EFL contexts.
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ItemEmployability skills in the world of welfare to work: an application of item response theory to criterion referenced testing( 2010)This study extends the research on generic employability skills by developing a valid and reliable assessment of employability skills for jobseekers engaged in vocational rehabilitation. Literature on key competencies and generic employability skills in the broader context of the Australian work force is reviewed and the Employability Skills Framework (ACCI & BCA, 2002) is integrated with the Choose Get Keep model of employability from the field of vocational rehabilitation (Farley, Little, Bolton, Chunn, 1988) to construct a developmental model of vocational rehabilitation. A probabilistic model of competency assessment (Griffin, 1995; 2004) was used in conjunction with the partial credit Rasch model (Rasch, 1960; Masters, 1982) and criterion - referenced assessment (Glaser, 1960; Glaser, 1981) to develop an assessment of employability skills for vocational rehabilitation. The SOLO taxonomy (Biggs & Collis, 1982) was used to develop interpretable performance indicators for each item. The expertise of vocational rehabilitation professionals was used to identify the personal attributes and elements from the eight employability skills outlined in the Employability Skills Framework to develop items for an assessment of employability skills for vocational rehabilitation. A pilot study in which 20 jobseekers were assessed was used to review and refine the assessment instrument. The modified instrument was trialed by 28 volunteer assessors on 73 volunteer jobseeker participants from urban and regional Victoria. The results of the study demonstrate that it is possible to identify and assess personal attributes and elements of the eight employability skills for vocational rehabilitation and that they form a uni-dimensional construct which fits the parameters of the partial credit Rasch model (Master, 1982). A final version of the assessment made up of 22 employability scale items was named the Jobseeker Assessment of Employability Skills (JAES). The JAES was found to have good internal consistency and a high level of person and item separation reliability. Construct validity was demonstrated by confirming that the employability skills scale fitted the uni-dimensional Rasch measurement model and that the items formed a line of increasing intensity measuring a single construct. Estimates of individual jobseeker‟s employability skills were calculated both in logits and in a more easily interpreted scale with a mean of 500 and a standard deviation of 100 termed the Emp. 500. In addition a feedback form was developed for the purpose of providing individual feedback to jobseekers to assist with further skill development. Implications of the approach taken and the use and further development of the scale are discussed.
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ItemPositive development over the transition to adulthood: its nature and antecedents( 2010)This thesis explores the nature, development, and correlates of positive development over the transition to adulthood. Recently, calls have been made for a greater focus on successful functioning over the life span. The positive development framework, which in general terms refers to the positive aspects of human behaviour and to successful developmental outcomes, seeks to address these calls and provides a framework for understanding pathways towards adaptive functioning. The potential for positive development is of particular relevance to the emerging adulthood period, as successful development during this period is likely to affect the degree to which young people become well-functioning adults with the capacity to successfully negotiate the tasks of adulthood. Emerging adulthood extends from the late teens to the early twenties and is defined by extensive role exploration, without clear normative expectations (Arnett, 2000a). It has been described as a window of opportunity for positive change in life course trajectories, but is also a period in which the incidence of risk behaviours and mental health problems is relatively high. The current study draws on data from the Australian Temperament Project (ATP), a large scale longitudinal community based study, which has followed the development of a cohort of Australian children from infancy to emerging adulthood. A robust multidimensional model of positive development in emerging adulthood has recently been developed using ATP data, that identifies five important domains of positive development at 19-20 years, including social competence, life satisfaction, trust and tolerance of others, trust in authorities and organisations, and civic action and engagement (M. Hawkins, Letcher, Sanson, Smart, & Toumbourou, 2009). Using this model, the current research aims to contribute to understanding of the nature of positive development and how the potential for positive development in all young people can be promoted. The research includes two studies. Study 1 examined factors that promote dimensions of positive development over the transition to adulthood, in order to identify potential targets for interventions. To this end, hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the contributions of individual, relational, and community level factors over childhood and adolescence to aspects of positive functioning. The findings suggested that positive development is facilitated by strong relationships with others and important institutions such as school, as well as the individual’s capacity for effective self regulation, particularly during adolescence. These domains represent potential targets for interventions to promote positive development in emerging adulthood. Study 2 investigated the relationship between positive development and psychopathology. The current ambiguity around this relationship centres on two questions: 1) Are positive development and poor outcomes best conceptualised as separate constructs or poles of a single dimension?; and 2) If positive development and poor outcomes reflect separate constructs, what is the nature and strength of the relationship between them? The answers to these two questions have important implications for the development of models, theories, and interventions, including whether the same interventions can be expected to both promote positive development and reduce negative outcomes. Structural equation modelling was used to test competing conceptualisations of this relationship. The results suggested that positive development and psychopathology are distinct constructs that share a moderate relationship. Person centred cluster analyses identified four groups of young people sharing similar experiences of positive and problematic outcomes. These analyses indicated that the absence of psychopathology does not ensure the presence of positive functioning, and that distinct intervention strategies to address positive development and problem outcomes are therefore likely to be necessary. The two studies in this thesis contribute to understanding of the nature of positive development in emerging adulthood, including its boundaries with other important constructs such as psychopathology, and identify child and adolescent factors that may influence the course of positive development over this transition period. The results can thus help guide attempts to promote successful adaptation over this critically important period.
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ItemMeeting the professional development needs of online adult learners drawn from culturally and geographically diverse backgrounds( 2010)The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a worldwide education body. Computer Science, a subject offered in the pre-university Diploma Programme, has experienced declining enrolments and difficulty attracting qualified teachers. In 2006 the IB’s online Professional Development (PD) section embarked on an online programme to augment standard face-to-face workshops. Computer Science was the pilot subject and the researcher, in conjunction with a colleague, developed and conducted a number of online courses between 2006 and 2009. This research focuses on the attitudes of teachers to the online environment, in particular considering whether differences based on cultural, gender or stated learning preferences were present. Additionally, the role of the online teacher in maintaining motivation to complete the course was investigated, and the characteristics of the online environment were assessed against good practice and the aims of the IB’s online PD policy. A small voluntary sample drawn from the overall course participants completed an online survey. The survey questions enabled a mix of quantitative and qualitative responses to be collected and analysed using a mixed methodology. Given the small sample size of 41 teachers, limited use was made of non-parametric statistics to compare responses controlled for gender, cultural group or learning preference. Frequency distributions were inspected to compare these sub-groups in relation to attitudes. Qualitative responses were coded to allow cross comparison between quantitative and qualitative responses. The key findings were that for this specialist group there did not appear to be major differences in attitudes to the online environment based on gender, cultural grouping or stated learning preference. The assessment of the online environment indicated that it was flexible and met the majority of best practice principles, which enabled teachers with difference experiences of and attitudes to online learning to successfully engage with the courses. Additionally, the empathetic, flexible and encouraging nature of the online teachers was seen as an important characteristic of the online environment in terms of assisting teachers to manage the competing demands of the courses with their personal and professional time pressures, and hence maintain their motivation to successfully complete the PD.
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ItemMusic education and ICT integration: a case study of pedagogy in Taiwan( 2010)The aim of this study is to investigate more closely how current music pedagogy involving Information and Communication Technology (ICT) influences music teaching and learning in terms of what, and how, ICT is currently used, what a music teacher and her students think about the integration of ICT in music pedagogy in Taiwan, and whether ‘music appreciation’ can be better experienced in school music education. Under the Grades 1-9 Curriculum Guidelines initiated in 1998, Taiwanese school music aims to develop students’ understanding of musical concepts, aesthetic sensitivity and appreciative ability through the implementation of ICT integration from primary to junior high schools. Rather than composing and performing, music appreciation which emphasizes the introduction of basic history, theory, listening and composers’ biographies is normally the core content taught by music teachers in Taiwanese music education. Such passive aesthetic appreciation of music by sitting and listening not only reduces students’ learning interest, but also restricts the development of students’ ability to do music. Therefore, I claim more successful teaching and learning music will result from students’ engagement in musical praxis. Many researchers have shown ICT has potential to provide music education with a praxial approach to curriculum implementation, and produce more successful teaching and learning of music. With ICT, music teaching may achieve the Taiwanese curriculum goals and ICT competences in a 45-minute weekly music class. But how is this achievement to be realized? What is the ICT potential for making music teaching more practical and in enabling students to better appreciate or create music? Does ICT benefit both music teaching and music learning in Taiwan? To address these questions, a qualitative case study with multiple methods (direct observation, interview, survey, and document analysis) was conducted for four months to explore the particular pedagogical practices and perceptions of integrating ICT into music teaching at one junior high school in central Taiwan. After data coding and analysis, the findings indicated a practical approach to implementing the integration of ICT and music was not merely about ICT itself. Instead, it is more about the reform of an ICT-integrated pedagogy, in which a praxial theory offers a better approach to reforming successful practice in Taiwanese music education. In this, the meaning and value of music has to be understood through doing music. A ‘Practical ICT-integrated Model’ (Triple P Model) is set out: this includes the ‘Provision’ of basic ICT equipment, assistance and required practice time; the ‘Pedagogy’ of music-focused ICT training, and a praxial ICT-integrated pedagogy, and the ‘Person’ referring to leadership and management, support and implementers’ commitment. This Model, it is claimed, will increase students’ engagement in music, and is likely to achieve the educational goals and competencies listed in the Grades 1-9 Curriculum Guidelines.