Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemExploring the Role and In-service Professional Development of Government Secondary Schools Headteachers in Sindh, Pakistan( 2022)This qualitative phenomenological study explored the role of government secondary school headteachers and their in-service professional development (PD) in Sindh, Pakistan to understand their responsibilities and challenges, how they were supported to develop professionally, and the influence this development had on their work. A hermeneutic phenomenology methodology was employed by conducting semi-structured interviews and using thematic analysis of the interview transcripts to understand the experiences of participants. In total, forty-five semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with twenty-five research participants – twenty headteachers (two interviews with each headteacher) and five system managers (one interview with each system manager) selected to represent schools and systems in the province of Sindh. There were ten male and ten female principals from seven boys’ schools, six girls’ schools and seven co-educational schools. The system managers were all experienced educators and males. It was found that headteachers were performing several academic and administrative responsibilities, although the involvement was more administrative than academic. However, headteachers faced enormous challenges in leading their schools. Some critical challenges were a lack of basics due to electricity load-shedding, a shortage of furniture and a lack of clean drinking water. Others included a lack of funds, a shortage of teachers, managing professionally weak teachers, teachers’ unions’ issues, a lack of authority and COVID-19 problems. Nevertheless, some headteachers were making admirable efforts to address these challenges. Five PD features were uncovered: a lack of needs assessment to construct PD programs; curriculum was focussed on leadership and management, teaching and learning and financial management; PD programs relied on activity-based, and lecture-based teaching strategies; trainer selection needed to be based more on merit; evaluation of the learning relied on pre-test and post-test, and there was an absence of follow-up after the completion of a particular PD program. The findings reported benefits not only for the headteachers but also for teachers and students. Personally, headteachers’ confidence, communication and behaviour improved professionally; they learnt about new techniques, management trends, and innovations in school leadership and developed networking with other headteachers. Other PD benefits included headteachers helping teachers in academic and assessment matters, organising school-based PD and delegating tasks to teachers. This often resulted in a change in teaching practice, which was beneficial for students. Finally, this research may open a window for university professors, consultants, institutes, and governments to understand the role and challenges of headteachers, identify gaps and improve the design, delivery, and evaluation of headteachers PD. Keywords: school leadership, principals, headteachers, professional development, headteachers’ role, qualitative research, Sindh, Pakistan
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ItemExploring Music Teachers’ Experiences and Perceptions of Professional Learning( 2022)Professional learning plays an essential role in promoting student engagement and learning outcomes by actively engaging teachers in extending, strengthening, and updating their professional knowledge and practice during the course of their career. Whilst a significant body of research has examined the effectiveness and impact of professional learning on teaching practices, very little research has considered the specific needs of music teachers. This phenomenological study used a mixed methods approach to explore the experiences of music teachers in classroom, instrumental, and ensemble positions in Victorian primary and secondary schools. Research was carried out using an online Scoping Survey (297 respondents) and a deeper investigation of emerging themes through a second online Main Survey with 50 volunteer participants. Data were analysed around the themes of (1) engagement with professional learning, (2) motivation for choices of professional learning, and (3) perceptions of the elements of effective professional learning for music teachers. The findings highlight the challenges for school-based music teachers in accessing professional learning that enhances their practice and in interpreting whole-school professional learning to their contexts. The findings were evaluated against existing literature and research into the characteristics of effective professional learning, and new knowledge emerged suggesting opportunities to strengthen professional learning tailored to the needs of music teachers. The study proposes a set of seven principles for professional learning in music education to inform school leaders, professional associations, and professional learning providers.