Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemParent professional partnerships in IEP development : a case study of a MAPS process( 2007)The practices, language and behaviours which professionals adopt when they meet with parents prior to Individual Education Program (IEP) planning may have a significant effect on the attitudes and capabilities families bring to the educational setting. During this case study the adult family members of a child with additional needs were observed as they addressed the developmental and programming needs of their child by participating in the McGill Action Planning System (MAPS) and a subsequent Program Support Group (PSG) meeting. Themes indicating attitudes or perceptions that empowered the family towards continued participation in collaborative teams for IEP development emerged in the observational data and were defined through the methods of informant diaries and semi-structured interviews. Less dominant quantitative methods were used to verify that the participant's ongoing attitudes towards parent professional collaboration corroborated with the final themes of flexibility, unification, satisfaction and function.
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ItemThrough a glass, darkly : a case study( 2000)This study describes, explores and explains a case which occurred in an Australian State primary school, when permission was withdrawn for a research project which sought to survey parents' perceptions of the school. This occurred three weeks after all questionnaires had been distributed, by hand through the school, to every family in the school. The research project was the work of the Deputy Principal, the author of this thesis, who is also known as the researcher and the participant observer. The case is then rewritten, scenarios are constructed and leadership behaviours are described within the Structural, Human Resource, Political and Symbolic frames set forth by Bolman and Deal. A fifth frame, an Ethical frame, as proposed by Starratt, is also applied to the case. These frames comprise most leadership theory and each provides the base for a scenario in which the researcher may more clearly pose a question, a curious phenomenon or a problematic issue. Through the creation of scenarios the researcher was able to understand complex interactions, tacit processes and often hidden beliefs and values within organisations. Each frame generates a different set of strategies. In this way knowledge is gained and potential futures are posited, leading to a sharpened awareness of the forces acting on leaders. The thesis is underpinned by the belief that a conscious and reflective review of, and inquiry into, one's actions as a leader through the creation of scenarios will assist the development of an ethical and pragmatic personal theory of organisation. It is an aim of this thesis to demonstrate that where a case is recreated within the five ideal frames possible futures are evoked, creating an environment for wise decision making and enhanced leadership behaviour.
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ItemA long distance call on hold : managers' perceptions of organisational learning in a telecommunications organisation( 2002)This qualitative study aims to understanding better, managers' perceptions of organisational learning in a field-based department, within a telecommunications organisation. The research provides adult educators with insights into managers' perceptions of how learning is diffused throughout an organisation and the impact on the learning process. Seven team managers within a telecommunications organisation participated in semi-structured interviews exploring to what extent they perceived organisational learning as a significant workplace experience for them. The theoretical basis for the interviews included areas of individual and collective learning, factors affecting organisational learning, the role of organisational memory, and roles in the process of collective learning. Conclusions from the study may assist educators and others in designing more effective organisational learning programs.
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ItemMentoring as a model for developing teacher confidence in the use of interactive whiteboards( 2008)This project aimed to capture, analyse and explore the complexity involved when teachers begin to integrate the use of Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs) into their pedagogy and daily classroom practice. Utilising a case study approach, this paper follows the experiences of four teachers involved in an Information Communication Technology (ICT) mentoring program designed to develop confidence in the use of IWBs. The qualitative research design describes the individualised learning and pedagogical development that can be encouraged in a mentoring relationship. The case studies of the four teachers and the school principal illustrate the general challenges that teachers and schools are presented with when IWBs are installed in classrooms and promoted as successful in improving teaching and learning. The project found that from the first day of using an IWB, a teacher will over time adapt and alter their pedagogy to make the best use of the technology. It is this required shift in pedagogy which demands a carefully planned and individually tailored professional development approach such as mentoring. Forward planning and special consideration of the teacher support needed is essential in order to encourage teachers to adopt IWBs into their daily routine. This paper shares a successful approach to developing teaching confidence in the use of IWBs in the hope that other schools will benefit from these stories.
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ItemSimilarities and differences between the parent and teacher observations of potential communicative acts in a child presenting with autistic tendencies( 2006)The involvement of parents and teachers have an important role as decision-makers and communicators in the lives of children with developmental disabilities. A process that leads to increased exchange of information regarding a child's communicative behaviour is likely to enhance the communicative learning environment of homes and early childhood intervention centres. The aim of the present study is to compare teacher and parent observations of children's communicative behaviours with a child presenting with autistic tendencies through a single case study approach. A parent and a teacher of a child presenting with autistic tendencies participated in the study. The observational profile of children with autism was used to collect baseline data about the child's social and communicative abilities. Subsequently an interview using the Inventory of Potential Communicative Acts (IPCA) was conducted on the teacher and the parent. The baseline data obtained from the observation profile indicated a cross-section of results and demonstrated that the child has fluent and developing skills in several aspects of social interaction. The results of communicative ability demonstrated that the use of gestures featured highly and the use of verbal expression was virtually not present. The IPCA interview results showed that there were significant differences between the parent and teacher in interpreting the child's communicative behaviours. The study suggests that gathering information from parents as well as teachers has a critical role in providing valuable information for the development and implementation of intervention programs for language and communicative development in children with autistic tendencies.
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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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ItemTeachers' perceptions of the teacher evaluation system in China : a case study( 2004)Reforms in China have been attempting to shift its education from examination centred to quality oriented Teacher evaluation system is supposed to reflect the changes. This study explored teachers perceptions of the current teacher evaluation system in a public primary school in China. The participants were 43 of the school's 75 teachers. The researcher analysed teachers written responses to both pre coded and open ended questions to determine their perceptions. Findings of this study suggest that teachers general impressions of the teacher evaluation system were slightly positive and the teacher evaluation criteria as a whole were acceptable to some extent to the teachers. Teachers however held quite divided opinions toward different aspects of the teacher evaluation and the criteria of different teacher evaluation procedures. The teachers believed that teacher evaluation had a big impact on their growth and was used as evidence for rewards and punishment. The impact on teachers morale and student outcomes were comparatively smaller. Many teachers also believed that teacher evaluation had no impact on them Teachers were not happy with the climate for evaluation especially the perceived unfairness in evaluation and not being respected. Teachers opinions were divided to a great extent regarding preferred evaluation procedures and some criteria for teacher evaluation. The researcher suggests that teachers negative attitudes toward the teacher evaluation system should be seriously considered and that the system be improved. The researcher also suggests that the relationship between current teacher evaluation and student outcomes should be further explored and strengthened.
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ItemMaking connections from the classroom to professional context : using problem-based learning to enhance engineering education( 2000)Problem-based learning (PBL) is presented as an educational reform that is particularly relevant for professional education programs. This study investigated the use of PBL to enhance the quality of students' learning in Professional Skills, a first year engineering subject at Swinburne University of Technology. The major aims for Professional Skills are to develop students' communication skills and to provide them with an introduction to the engineering profession. PBL was selected because of the use of a professional context to demonstrate the relevance of learning and the approach to developing students' abilities for self-directed and life-long learning. PBL requires different understandings and approaches to teaching and learning than are typical of existing practices in engineering education. An action research method was used to guide the development of curriculum and teaching practices because of the role of action research in providing support for teachers to improve their educational understandings and practices. The study examines two action research cycles of curriculum development, teaching and learning during 1995. Qualitative research methods were used to investigate teachers' and students' experiences of teaching and learning to inform the progressive curriculum improvement and evaluation. The findings from the study provide insight into both the characteristics of PBL that enhance the quality of students' learning and strategies that contribute to an on-going process of supporting change and improvement in curriculum and teaching practices. Students identified four thematic issues that were central to their motivation and engagement in learning. These issues were: being able to see the relevance of their learning to their future careers, collaborative learning in class and their project teams, their opportunities for active involvement and input into learning decisions, and a supportive learning environment in which they received guidance and feedback on their progress. Teaching and learning in the PBL curriculum was a new and challenging experience for both engineering teachers and students. The collaborative action research process assisted teachers to develop the skills and confidence to utilise new approaches to teaching and learning. The relevance of these findings to achieving the cultural change advocated by the 1996 Review of Engineering Education (lEAust 1996) is examined.
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ItemHearing their stories : students' experiences of harassment prior to and after the implementation of a revised anti-harassment policy at their school( 2003)In 2000 the researcher in this current study facilitated a working group that revised and redeveloped the existing anti-harassment policy at her school. Surveys conducted across the school community at the time indicated that bullying was prevalent at the school, fixing it firmly on the school's educational agenda. Two years later, the researcher was interested in exploring if and how this redeveloped policy had impacted on students who had previously experienced bullying in the school. The study focuses on six students' stories about their experiences of harassment prior to and after the implementation of the revised anti-harassment policy. A qualitative research methodology was chosen for this study given that the researcher was interested in exploring personal experience. In order to uncover the in-depth reflections sought, semi-structured interviews were chosen as the primary source of data collection. Each student was interviewed twice over a period of three months. A theme that emerged from the study was that although most of the participants are still experiencing harassment, their experiences of harassment have changed in terms of the frequency of the harassment, the intensity of the harassment and the number of students perpetrating the harassment. In describing their current experiences of harassment, the participants spoke more positively about school and their ability to take action. Questions were raised in this study about the wisdom of commonly used strategies for dealing with harassment such as ignoring the harassment and asking a perpetrator to stop, strategies which the participants found to be unsuccessful. Can students be taught specific skills to implement these strategies successfully? Do these strategies actually stop harassment? Is the promotion of such strategies inconsistent with a view that combating bullying is the school community's responsibility not the individual's? An area perceived as important by the participants was the role of teachers in supporting students and resolving bullying incidents. The participants' stories indicate great variation in how staff perceive their role in dealing with harassment, and how staff interpret and enact the policy. The participants reported that counsellors and other staff members in positions of responsibility are proactive but that some other staff displayed poor attitudes, did not take verbal harassment seriously and treated it as a joke. The study also highlighted that the anti-harassment policy cannot necessarily change the culture of the school on its own and that the school needs to approach harassment on a variety of levels including the professional development of all staff, the skilling of victims with a focus on improving self-esteem and empowering them to tell someone about harassment, and the inclusion of curriculum-based resources which all students can access. Constantly promoting the policy, making it more accessible and displaying it in more prominent places was also thought to be important. As well as indicating issues that require further attention, these insights shape the direction for the future refinement and development of the school's approach to bullying.
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ItemOf secrets, sorrows, and shame: undergraduate nurses' experiences of death and dying( 2007)This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of undergraduate nursing students who cared for the dying and deceased whilst on clinical placement. To this point, studies on this phenomenon have focused on the experienced, qualified nurse. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the impacts of caring for the dying and deceased, on the student-nurse, and the implications for nursing education. The ten study participants were undergraduates enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing program at a metropolitan-based university in Melbourne. The study of their experiences, from the perspectives of the student-nurses, was conducted using a semi-structured interview for data collection. Analysis of the data, using a Miles and Huberman (1994) style matrix, revealed four emergent themes: intensity of emotion; perceptions, growth and awareness; and opportunities. These themes were explored to yield results which established there were often profound, and sometimes disturbing, impacts of grief for both the student-nurse, the patient, and others. This study contributes to the This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of undergraduate nursing students who cared for the dying and deceased whilst on clinical placement. To this point, studies on this phenomenon have focused on the experienced, qualified nurse. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the impacts of caring for the dying and deceased, on the student-nurse, and the implications for nursing education.