Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemThe experience of transition and adjustment for mature-age, undergraduate students in their first year of university(University of Melbourne, 2015)
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ItemDevelopmental assessment and metacognition in teachers' professional learning and differentiated teaching(University of Melbourne, 2014)
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ItemThe development of a model for the management of major strategic investment decisions in universities(University of Melbourne, 2013)Major investments in infrastructure, growth or productivity enhancement are crucial for a university in shaping its strategic direction and addressing the challenges of a changing landscape. Through a case study of Monash University, supplemented with the investigation of views of practitioners in the field, this research thesis has developed a model to optimise the management of major strategic investment decisions in universities. The model starts from the proposition that effective strategic investment decision making has two primary purposes: � Identifying major investments that are worth doing: Determining the infrastructure, activities and other enablers that are required as major investments to shape the future capacity, capability and operation of the university; and � Prioritising the ones that are best to do: Optimising the prioritisation and allocation of constrained resources to maximise the future benefit that can be achieved consistent with this strategic vision. The research reflects the hypothesis that investment decision making at universities under traditional academic leadership models has had a greater emphasis on the first of these objectives. The research suggests that there are opportunities to learn from business case/cost-benefit financial analysis approaches that are more commonly used in business. It proposes a mechanism (need to do/able to do criteria) for prioritising investments, based on which investments provide the most return given the existing or future capacity of the university to delivery them. In developing the model as mechanism for universities to enhance the management of major investments, the research considers and brings together data and analytical based approaches with the human and organisational dimensions of decision making. The major investment management (MIM) model comprises recommendations for university practices in four areas: Strategic Planning and Prioritising: facilitating effective strategic planning as the context for the identifying major investment needs and to provide a mechanism to evaluate and prioritise a portfolio of major investments. Defining Expected Strategic Outcomes: analysing and articulating the specific expected strategic outcomes for major investments by reference to four major drivers: growth and development of markets and products and services; infrastructure development; productivity enhancement; and improving rankings and reputation. Understanding Financial Implications: enabling the management of information and the development of financial analysis for understanding the financial implications of major investments, setting financial expectations and constructing major investment budgets. Adopting a Governance and Management Framework: establishing roles and responsibilities in an organisational structure that are supported by a framework of policies and processes for the governance and management of major investments, and setting up arrangements for accountabilities, project management and review of investment implementation. The study aims to contribute to the understanding of the context and factors at play in strategic investment decision making at Monash University, as an example of a large Australian public university and, by proposing a structured model, to enhance major strategic investment decision making and the management of an investment portfolio in practice. The study seeks both to add to the body of research on university management and strategic decision making and to inform and assist practitioners in the higher education sector.
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ItemVCAL: growth and performance( 2015)This thesis examines a major curriculum innovation that was introduced into the upper secondary curriculum in the Australian state of Victoria in 2002 – the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL). Victoria is the only state in Australia which has developed a separate senior secondary certificate, a vocational certificate to sit alongside the general Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). The VCAL claims to be a comprehensive attempt to anchor vocational learning within the secondary school environment in Australia. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the VCAL has delivered on its promise to provide an educational opportunity for students for whom the VCE is not appropriate; an opportunity to experience success and move into appropriate pathways into further education and training and employment. It is important to assess the educational impact a vocational program like the VCAL has had within the senior secondary curriculum. To see this in context, the research literature on vocational and applied learning in schools is examined through various approaches that are used in the delivery of vocational and applied learning to school-age students internationally and in Australia. The research focuses on two main models of differentiation – whether they are predominantly school-based or employment-based and the age at which differentiation into academic and vocational programs occurs. The research also examines the effectiveness of these programs and their impact on school retention, student engagement and their ability to create effective pathways into a range of destinations, including further education, training and employment. The story of vocational education and training (VET) in the Australian state of Victoria is seen in an historical context as the researcher explores the history of curriculum change in Victoria over many decades, leading to the senior secondary offerings available today. The thesis concludes that the VCAL has on the whole been successful in engaging the VCAL students who participated in this study. It has also provided strong pathways in apprenticeships. However, pathways into employment in particular, full-time employment are less than optimal. The VCAL also continues to face many challenges, particularly in terms of perceptions and ownership at a local level. The thesis argues for a new educational philosophy and a redefinition of upper secondary curriculum to place VCAL as a credible alternative to the VCE. It argues for a redesign of the VCAL program requiring all VCAL students to enrol in the VCAL as an apprentice or trainee. Finally, it argues for a whole school approach and commitment to the VCAL program with strong leadership support and active involvement in the VCAL program.
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ItemThinking in sound: a survey of audiation in Australian music students( 2015)Music and language are forms of human communication using sound. For millennia, playing an instrument has functioned in a similar way to language, as a means of communication and spontaneous expression of thoughts, emotions and ideas via sound. The way of acquiring that skill has paralleled the acquisition of language: through listening and copying. The process of hearing and recognizing musical sound has parallels with thinking and understanding in language. Also known as audiation, this particular type of cognition is a fundamental aspect of traditional music performance expertise. Relatively recently, in most formal education in Western cultures, the way of learning to play a musical instrument has changed radically. In place of listening-copying, the main way of learning and performing on a musical instrument is now almost uniquely through the visual symbols of notation. This new approach to learning to play an instrument is predicated on the idea that using notation renders musicians literate. Some authors question this assumption, and suggest that many musicians may not be literate, because they are not audiating what they are seeing in notation. Rather, they may be decoding, using the visual cues of notation, or other non-audiation cues, to operate the musical instrument. This is thought to contribute to numerous problems in instrumental music learning. Other research is emerging that suggests some traditional musical practices may lead to more efficient audiation. Although there is a great deal of conjecture about the issue of audiation and musical training, much of it is anecdotal in nature. Very little systematic research exists to confirm it. Although there is a wealth of research into many other facets of music performance expertise, we know very little about audiation in musicians or different training factors that may be associated with it. The aim of this study was to investigate whether claims in the literature about audiation in trained musicians were supported by empirical evidence and what background factors may be associated with these abilities. A survey of tertiary music students in all Australian states and territories was carried out in 2012-13. Responses were obtained from 340 students. Two tests of audiation ability were obtained as well as information about individuals’ learning background and pre-existing traits to examine what factors might be associated with audiation. The findings confirmed some of the claims about limited audiation in trained musicians. Only one in four musicians were able to recognize and transcribe a simple heard melody. Without the benefit of perfect pitch, this figure fell to one in five. Classical musicians performed better than popular musicians. Pre-existing traits such as perfect pitch, rather than formal training, appeared to be primarily associated with effective audiation. These results may provide some support for growing calls for a fundamental change to the teaching and learning of instrumental music.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableIdentity, thought and meaning in the artmaking process( 2015)An examination of the artmaking practices used by both artists and teachers and how these influenced their development of identity, thought and meaning. Through longitudinal case studies, the researcher was able to map the artists’ and teachers’ thinking and making processes in relation to how these inform their pedagogies. The student drew upon the ‘creativity model’ of Wallas and the ‘communicative knowledge’ model of Habermas to reveal both the visible practices and internalised beliefs of these teachers and artists.
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ItemThe experience of transition and adjustment for mature-age, undergraduate students in their first year of university( 2015)The increasingly diverse enrolment of first year undergraduate students at tertiary institutions in Australia, and overseas, raises issues about the transition of different groups of students and the support and services required to make a positive adjustment to university. Using a pragmatic approach, this study examined the experiences of transition of mature-age students to university and has added to understandings of the transition experiences of mature-age students in their first undergraduate university courses. The study adopted a sequential mixed methods approach using qualitative and quantitative research methods. The study addressed four research questions: 1. How well do mature-age, undergraduate students adjust to university? 2. What are the experiences of mature-age, undergraduate students in relation to their academic, social and personal adjustment to university? 3. What are the personal and demographic factors which affect mature-age student adjustment to university? 4. What strategies or services support mature-age, undergraduate students through tertiary transition? The findings suggest that the mature-age students in the current study adjusted well, overall, to university; however, they had lower levels of adjustment in the domains of Social and Personal Adjustment than in the domain of Academic Adjustment. Thematic analyses of the qualitative data provide a comprehensive understanding of students’ adjustment experiences; the factors affecting their adjustment, and the strategies and support required for enhancing university adjustment. Difficulties for students in their academic and social adjustment included concerns about their academic skill levels, assessment and group-work, interactions with other students and loneliness and social dislocation. Family and financial obligations, the ability to maintain an appropriate life/university balance, age and identity as a student, were issues that affected students’ personal adjustment. The implication of this study for tertiary institutions is the need to understand the student demographic and provide appropriate programs and support services to ensure the needs of all first year students, including mature-age students are met.
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ItemDistance education in Afghanistan from the perceptions of educational administrators( 2015)Distance education has been used globally in both developed and developing nations. Recent research studies have revealed the benefits of using online, television and radio and mobile technology modes of learning in countries where opportunities for higher education are limited. Given the high demand for education at all levels, the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) are looking more closely at distance education as a means to meet these growing demands as well as improve the quality of education that meets the needs of the 21st century learner. This research project examined distance education from the perspectives of key educational administrators in Afghanistan--a nation currently struggling to develop its higher educational system after decades of conflict. A qualitative approach was undertaken as no research studies on distance education have been published in Afghanistan thus far. Exploring the perspectives of key educational administrators through semi-structured interviews, site visits to educational institutes, document analysis of strategic planning reports and countless conversations with Afghan teachers working in public and private universities and institutes was the main focus of this research. The results of this project have several emerging themes. First, participants are greatly concerned about fraud or other academic misconduct of those participating in distance education programs causing them to doubt their validity. Additionally, the participants think the cultural context for distance learning is not reinforced and the methodologies used in conventional classrooms question the suitability of distance education for Afghan learners in general. The study found that while there were several concerns expressed by the administrators about the effectiveness of distance education, the future use of distance learning in adult education was deemed worthy enough to explore further by the participants as it does seem to fill a demand for adult education not always able through other means. At present, the MoHE is exploring the possibilities of slow implementation of e-learning into the universities and public institutes throughout the country.
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ItemAn investigation of the implementation of Victorian smoking cessation guidelines in public antenatal care services( 2015)Background: Modifying smoking behaviour in pregnancy can contribute to a significant improvement in infant health outcomes. Systematic review evidence supports the effectiveness of antenatal smoking cessation interventions to reduce smoking and improve infant health outcomes, such as preterm births and low birthweight. Victorian antenatal smoking cessation guidelines were developed in the early 2000s, and follow a 5As approach (five steps to ask, assess, advise, assist and ask again about smoking behaviour). The annual auditing of Victorian public maternity hospitals, available in State Government reports, indicates that not all women are being offered smoking cessation support, and that variation exists between hospitals in the proportion of women offered initial and follow-up support. At the time of designing this study, no other evidence was available documenting how antenatal smoking cessation guidelines have been implemented in Victoria, and how implementation might be improved. Aim: The overall aim of this PhD study is to examine the implementation of Victorian smoking cessation guidelines in public antenatal care services. The primary research questions are: 1. To what extent, and how, have antenatal smoking cessation guidelines been implemented in Victorian public maternity hospitals? 2. How can implementation be improved? Methods: The study uses a mixed methods approach, with a sequential explanatory research design with two phases: 1. Secondary analyses of data from a Victorian population-based survey of women who gave birth in 2007. 2. An exploratory qualitative study with healthcare providers and managers at two Victorian public maternity hospitals. Results: The survey results show that smoking cessation guidelines in Victoria are poorly implemented, with only 9.4% of women (36/381) reporting that they had received all of the 5As. Most women smoking in pregnancy reported that they had been asked about smoking (352/377, 93.4%), and told about the harmful effects of smoking (290/350, 82.9%). However, less than half of women were offered advice (169/349, 48.4%) or given written information (159/349, 45.6%). One in five women reported being told about stop smoking programs (76/349, 21.8%), and one-third said that caregivers had discussed smoking with them on more than one occasion (135/349, 38.7%). The qualitative study shows that provision of smoking cessation advice and support is inconsistent and varies according to the model of care a woman is enrolled in, her level of medical risk, the timing of the first pregnancy visit, and social circumstances. The study also identified that the provision of smoking cessation support is influenced by organisational systems that support clinicians in their clinical practice; the relationship that develops between health professionals and individual women; health professionals’ knowledge, experience, beliefs, and understanding of risk; and the level of priority that health professionals place on smoking cessation conversations. The survey results show that women experience mixed feelings about being asked by health professionals about smoking. Approximately three-quarters of women were happy to be asked about smoking; however, one-third of women felt like they were being judged. Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to experience multiple stressful life events and social health issues. However, tailoring of smoking cessation support to specific populations or women’s social circumstances is not routine practice. Implications for policy and practice: Organisations and health professionals are struggling to provide smoking cessation advice and support according to the guidelines. Currently, apart from the annual auditing of the maternity performance indicator for the hospital provision of smoking cessation support, there is little innovation or guidance from the Victorian Department of Health to support hospitals to implement the Victorian smoking cessation guidelines. Funding constraints have resulted in Quit Victoria having limited capacity to provide ongoing state-wide training to support maternity healthcare organisations and health professionals to implement smoking cessation guidelines. Additionally, the findings from this study show little return on the investment for previous state-wide training initiatives, suggesting that a new approach needs to be considered for future training initiatives. Conclusion: Evidence from this study illustrates major gaps in the provision of smoking cessation support, and identifies organisational, people, and systems barriers to implementation. There needs to be a ‘whole of systems’ approach to thinking about improvements, with careful consideration given to the interactions between different parts of the system and the contextual environment. Key recommendations arising from the findings address six major areas where action is needed to improve the implementation of the guidelines. This includes the development and application of a ‘whole of systems’ approach, training, smoking cessation resources, data systems, flow of communication between GPs and public maternity hospitals, and tailored approaches to specific populations.
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ItemImplementing a whole-school approach to student wellbeing: a study examining the implementation experiences of Bhutanese and Australian teachers in wellbeing leadership roles( 2015)Schools are ideal sites for the promotion of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enhance personal as well as collective wellbeing. Schools engage in numerous programmes and activities for the wellbeing of students, including those that are identified as an integral aspect of learning in schools, and those which are seen as peripheral activities used to address distractions to the central aim of academic and intellectual development. This study explored the perceptions and experiences of key implementers in implementing a whole-school approach to student wellbeing promotion in secondary schools in Bhutan and Australia. A whole-school approach to student wellbeing promotion calls for student wellbeing promotion that is embedded in a school’s policies, curriculum, structures, and practices, and as a shared responsibility of all stakeholders. Programmes that addressed the whole school have reported positive effects. However, implementation in schools has been reported to be very challenging as these programmes typically require fundamental changes in the ways in which schools operate and are organized. Very little research has been conducted investigating the experiences and the challenges that middle level leaders face at the school level when working towards a whole-school approach to wellbeing. This study contributes to this gap in knowledge by drawing on the experiences of key implementers, whilst discussing their experiences in the context of research literature about student wellbeing and educational change. This study used a qualitative approach, conducting in-depth interviews to explore the experiences of people who were directly involved in implementation of student wellbeing programmes in schools. It involved participant groups from two very socio-economically and culturally different settings in Bhutan and Australia. Findings suggest that key implementers in schools face numerous interconnected challenges in implementing a whole-school approach to student wellbeing. These challenges revolve around the three themes of meaning, culture, and time. The meaning ascribed to ‘wellbeing’ differed between the two settings with Bhutanese educators favouring an ‘inside-out’ understanding of wellbeing as developed through internal control, and the Australian educators favouring an ‘outside-in’ understanding of wellbeing as something fostered through the relational environment. Key aspects of school organizational culture such as leadership, strategic and policy direction, organizational structure, and competing views and beliefs influenced the implementation of student wellbeing promotion. School cultures in relation to student wellbeing comprised of three themes of control, care, and wellbeing as integral to learning. Both parties favoured positioning wellbeing promotion as integral to education, however they identified that time constraints and lack of consensus about the importance of school-based efforts mean that schools defaulted to the use of reactive approaches. This was seen to be due in part to a lack of a shared valuing of wellbeing promotion as central to the school’s business. Despite variations in the ways in which they manifest in the two school systems, the themes are found to be common across schools. While time constraint is expressed as a key concern, deeper analysis revealed more fundamental concerns relating to the issues of meaning and culture.