Faculty of Education - Theses
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 10 of 27
-
ItemThe dawn of the thousand year reich : the ascendancy of didactic and neo-classical architecture during the Third Reich( 1978)In the past, Nazi architecture has been a much maligned subject which most commentators, historians and writers have carefully neglected. This legacy has left a deplorable lack of information, especially in the English language. This laudable position becomes more absurd for the copious amount of books, art journals, articles that flourished under the Third Reich are today virtually non-existent. Often when cited, the architecture is used in a hysterical fashion, usually in association with some alleged atrocity, thus pushing even further into the background the original concepts for the architecture's being. Had it not been for recent publications and research, carried out in West Germany, this thesis would have not been possible.
-
ItemInfluences at work on the shaping of a Catholic girls' secondary school( 1989)1988 is the twenty-fifth year of the existence of Ave Maria College, a girls' Catholic secondary school at West Essendon, established in 1963 by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. This thesis endeavours to trace the forces which shaped it - the sociological, religious, political and economic forces which influenced its growth. It examines the background and development of the College under the guidance of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, the handing over of the College to the the Catholic Education Office on the departure of the sisters in 1975, the subsequent administration by an Interim Board of Management and its eventual development as an autonomous College within the Catholic Education system, and the laitization of the College which is a feature of many Catholic secondary schools of the 1980's.
-
ItemGeelong High School 1909-16 : a study of local response( 1978)The years 1909-16 saw the expansion of public secondary education within Victoria. It represents the working out of certain aims and policies for secondary schools between a centralised Education Department in Melbourne and the local communities that were financially involved in the provision of these facilities. This thesis will attempt to identify the forces shaping the development of Geelong High School. It will outline the aims and values of this community and evaluate the significance of their perception of what secondary education should be about. The study will look at the role of the Education Department - its director, its administrative philosophy and the attitude of the State Government towards the expansion of secondary education. The study will examine the interplay of these factors with the significant contribution of the school's educational leadership and philosophy. The main argument of the thesis is that the success of Geelong High School was to a large extent due to its support from a middle class. They saw in the school opportunities for their children resulting from an education that was financially beyond them at the prestigious fee-paying public schools. In responding to these needs the school would survive in spite of almost overwhelming odds in its early years. A comparative study with Colac Agricultural High School will be made to clarify the point that it was community support, and not legislation and regulations from the Department, that was to be the main reason for the success of Geelong High School.
-
ItemThe origins, development and influence of Ursuline pedagogy( 1984)Much of what was taught in Roman Catholic convent schools, and many of the methods used, may be traced to the influence of a religious order of women, the Ursulines, who find the origin of their pedagogical inspiration and a pattern of religious spirituality in the Company of St. Ursula, established by Angela Merici at Brescia some four hundred and fifty years ago. However, religious congregations devoted to the education of women, and those who have been educated by them would be, for the most part, unaware of this influence. Similarly, standard texts of educational history give no more than a passing acknowledgement, if any, of the singular contribution of this religious order, and the significance of this for a comprehensive perspective of general educational history. The object of this study is to present a description of the development of Ursuline pedagogy, with a concentration on the French tradition, illustrating its consolidation as it provided a distinctive intellectual, moral and religious process of formation for young women, and then tracing the different kinds of influence that it exerted, especially as it became a model for later educational initiatives within other religious orders of women. Initially, this thesis explores the circumstances conditioning the emergence of the Primitive Company of St. Ursula, examining the cultural and religious setting of the Italian Renaissance in which it first developed, and for which it was primarily intended as an agent of a perceived necessary transformation of women in that society. It investigates the writings of Angela Merici with an eye to those elements of her thought which have a specific pedagogical importance. It will demonstrate that Angela Merici believed in utilising the home atmosphere and its natural influences as the best means of giving a religious and moral formation, as well as ensuring basic intellectual and social development. Where this would not be possible, she, with her companions, would provide an environment as close as possible to the ideal, promoting a mother-daughter relationship between the member of the Company of St. Ursula and the individual children in her care. The pre-eminently personal quality of her thought is revealed to be in keeping with all the best Renaissance standards. Her "Arricordi"(Counsels) indicate her enthusiasm for focussing attention on the individual, using certain insights of feminine psychology to provide a thorough preparation of each for responsible motherhood and authentic Christian citizenship. A synoptic survey of the educational philosophies of Jean. Jacques Rousseau, Johann Pestalozzi, Johann Herbart and Friedrich Froebel serves to show how the thought of Angela Merici compares with that of each of these writers, emphasising the pedagogical status of her work, and indicating that she ought attract more universal recognition as a significant contributor to the evolution of pedagogical theory. The thesis traces the development of the Company after the death of the foundress, and how it was forced to clarify and modify its constitutions and form of government to meet the requirements of adaptation to new ecclesiastical and societal circumstances. These were occasioned by the impact of the Protestant Reformation, as well as the Catholic reaction to it, culminating in the reforms of the Council of Trent, and further complicated by political and territorial conflicts at both local and national levels. The influence of significant churchmen of the period is also examined. Leading reformers such as Cardinal Charles Borromeo, Cardinal Francois de Sourdis and Archbishop Alessandro Canigiani took initiatives which impinged on the process of adaptation through three successive stages, and which contributed to a clarification of the distinctive apostolate of the Company. The development of the Company in France at the turn of the seventeenth century, and the progress towards the adoption of monastic status whilst maintaining an apostolate of education as its principal "raison d'etre", is given detailed. analysis. It represents the elementary base for the theoretical and methodological structure from which a more highly developed Ursuline pedagogy would take its shape. Foremost among those who brought the Ursuline communities to this stage is Francoise de Bermond, assisted by two influential Provencale priests, Cesar'de Bus and Jean Baptist Romillon, who had already developed catechetical and general elementary educational programmes of their own. Later, Madame de St. Beuve and Madame Acarie introduced the Ursulines to Paris, engaging Francoise de Bermond to instruct the first members of that community in the implementation of the Ursuline Rule, and to form them according to the spirit of Angela Merici. Whilst acknowledging similar developments in various other centres such as Bordeaux, Toulouse and Tulle, the educational tradition of the monastery of Paris has been selected for special study because of the availability of the 1705 reprint of the first edition in 1652 of the Reglemens of Paris. This work, a collection of three small manuals which enshrine Ursuline educational principles and provide a precise methodology to be followed in the monastery schools, allows the student of educational history to reconstruct a vivid picture of the educational practice of a vast network of such monasteries throughout France during the Ancien Regime. It reveals details of the organisation of two separate educational establishments within the monastic complex, a "pensionnat" (boarding school), and a free day-school for poor students. An overview of the Jesuit tradition of education, which developed at the same time, allows for a comparative study of the Reglemens with the Ratio Studiorum. This highlights the unique quality of the former, demonstrating that, although there is evidence of assimilation of influences from a variety of sources, the Ursuline . method is not a mere imitation of the Jesuit system. This study concentrates on the precise nature of Ursuline education until the time of the suppression of the religious orders during the French Revolution. It describes the expansion of the influence of the Paris monastery as it became a prototype for other "f iliated" Ursuline monasteries, and as aspects of its tradition were adopted by other pre-Revolution foundations, such as the "Maison Royale de St. Cyr", and the Irish. Congregation of the Presentation. In the post-Revolution period, the re-emergence of the tradition within in reconstituted Ursuline communities and in other newly founded religious communities devoted to the education of women is treated. The task of tracing the continuing influence of Ursuline pedagogy through the plethora of nineteenth century congregations of teaching women is beyond the scope of this work. I have avoided detailed presentation of the more specifically religious elements of the regimen of Ursuline life except where it serves to illuminate the motivation of the members of the communities in their educational work. It is hoped that this study will provide clearer insight into the phenomenon of Ursuline pedagogy, and its contribution to the extensive educational enterprise of the Roman Catholic Church which, in turn, has its influence on the total intellectual and moral formation of the individual in society.
-
ItemAims, men or money?. the establishment of secondary education for boys in South Australia and in the Port Phillip District of New South Wales - 1836 to 1860( 1980)Young children bring with them to school a certain amount of science knowledge gained from their everyday lives. What they "know", whether right or wrong, may be the result of interactions with family, television, computer programs, books, peers or visits to environmental locations, museums or science centres. In this study, children who have been at primary school for between two and three years are asked to describe their knowledge and their sources of information. The extent to which school factors are influencing their science knowledge is investigated. A survey was developed and protocols trialled before fifty-seven children aged eight and nine years at a provincial Victorian government primary school were surveyed to establish their home background and family interest in science, their own attitudes and feelings toward science and the efficacy of their science experiences at school. Interviews were carried out with nine students, selected to represent a broad range of attitudes to science, in order to gain more detailed information about their specific understandings of a number of topics within the primary school science curriculum and the sources of their information. The students' responses revealed that where they were knowledgeable about a subject they could indeed say from where they obtained their knowledge. Books were the most commonly cited source of information, followed by school, personal home experiences and family. Computers and the internet had little influence. Students who appeared to have "better" understandings quoted multiple sources of information. Positive correlations were found between enjoyment of school lessons and remembering science information, liking to watch science television or videos and remembering science information, and liking to read science books and remembering science information. Mothers were also linked to the use of science books at home, and the watching of nature TV shows at home. There are several implications for the teaching of science at early years level. Teachers need to be aware of powerful influences, from both within and outside of the classroom, which may impact on children, and which may be enlisted to help make learning more meaningful. The research indicates the importance of home background, parental interest and access to books, and notes the under utilisation of computers and lack of visits to museums and interactive science centres.
-
ItemWomen in Collingwood in the depression of the 1930s( 2001)This thesis is about the lives of women in Collingwood during the Depression of the 1930s. They fought tirelessly to have their families fed and clothed, often sharing the little they had. Homes were primitive, bathrooms were uncommon and most houses had no water in the home. Shopping was done on a daily basis as there were no refrigerators. With constant childcare under these conditions, women were almost literally chained to the home. Even in the 1930s it was not accepted that women work outside the home. In some instances women would go without food to ensure that their children were fed, some women suffering from malnutrition. The Women's Hospital was where Collingwood women went for treatment. As there was no Medicare, doctors were unavailable to the working class. Marriage called for perseverance as divorce was uncommon. With the working-class wife heading the family, men, especially unemployed men, regarded this as a blow to their pride. A common occurrence for families unable to meet their rent payments was eviction. Eventually the Government gave a subsidy towards the rent for those who received an eviction order. Many people relied on charity, indicating just how desperate they were. Over 11,000 women out of 16,000 women in Collingwood were either unemployed or dependent on husbands' uncertain incomes. For many, charity was the only answer. Many of the remaining 5,000 women were domestic servants, barmaids, factory workers or shop assistants. Barmaids had a lowly reputation as their work was not regarded as respectable 'women's work'. Professional women, teachers and kindergartners came from the more affluent areas to work in Collingwood. Some women resorted to crime, shoplifting and even violence as a matter of survival. Others turned to abortion and prostitution, both outlawed at this time. Men were not neglected in this thesis. They suffered humiliation and degradation as they formed endless queues, and more often than not returned home only to report no job.
-
ItemStudents' ideas in chemistry classes : echoes of the past?( 1999)This study is an attempt to improve the teaching of chemistry by comparing the views held by students on the nature of substance with those held by thinkers throughout the history of the subject. Realizing that the concepts currently accepted by the scientific community were arrived at after thousands of years of observation, experiment, thought and discussion, the study will also seek to discover whether the history and philosophy of science can illuminate the path of concept development by students. The phenomenographic method was used to explore the different ways in which students understand concepts such as elements, ultimate particles, gases and combustion. These ways of understanding were posited into past studies of student views and other theoretical attempts to understand them. A scheme for comparing students' ideas with those found in the history of chemistry was developed. It has been argued that historical categories may be useful in understanding the misconceptions, in classifying them, and in finding ways to deal with them effectively. The development of scientific knowledge is seen as a socio-cultural experience in which classrooms become communities of discourse. The historical approach to understanding student ideas was then applied to the structuring of teacher-student discourse in the classroom. Examples of this type of discourse were recorded and included in the conclusion.
-
ItemSociological aspects of service provision for people with intellectual disabilities in Victoria( 1993)This study examines relevant principles within the context of changing values and social structures, that underline the policy initiatives to support people with intellectual disabilities. It contains information about the system of service delivery in Victoria, its history, functions, developments, strengths and weaknesses. It investigates the effectiveness of service delivery to adults with intellectual disabilities by Adult Training Support Services (ATSS) within both the private and government sectors. Differences are drawn in the approach and understanding of normalisation and integration principles between the three selected ATSSs. The study measures the degree of success made by the implementation and outcomes of their respective programmes. This reflects the way the whole service system operates. Finally the service provision system was examined in terms of the minimum conditions necessary for a social system to function.
-
ItemThe things that remain : reflections on science education at Scots School Albury( 2008)This science curriculum study is sited on Scots School Albury and its predecessor, Albury Grammar School. This study began as a reprise to a curriculum study written by the author in 1948 and a survey in 2005-6 of Scots Alumni memories of their junior general science over fifty years. The survey analysed their perceptions of its purpose and impact relative to other subjects and to the overall education provided by the School. Because early in its history the school insistently saw itself as heir to the English Public School tradition the origins of the Scots tradition of science teaching were sought in 19'11 century English education when 'the Tradition' developed. This wider quest led to an enquiry about the place of science in 19th century English education which found points in common between the classical, liberal teaching of Thomas Arnold and the science-oriented teaching of headmasters at two notable schools, Queenwood College in the middle of the century and Oundle School at the end of the 19th century. The enquiry found that an early hunger for science knowledge manifested in the almost spontaneous rise of mechanics' institutes was later met by municipal technical institutes, and the adventure of the new subject of science in schools, despite a few brilliant exceptions, settled into the pre-professional training that has come to characterise school science. Early in the 20'h century in England, and later in Australia, a General Science movement emerged in protest at uninspired teaching and irrelevant programs for general education. In Australia, from the early writings of George Browne and Roy Stanhope, researchers and educators have pointed ways to get that early sense of adventure back into science teaching. The early science educators such as George Edmondson and Frederick Sanderson stressed methods of practice and application taking precedence before theory to maintain that sense of personal engagement. The things that remain are what reformers urged: strongly felt images that are of powerful but not remote abstractions. At the same time there is an impression of repeated waves of attempted reforms beating against but failing to breach the barriers of academic gloss.
-
ItemUniversity High School oral history project( 1994)This Project has been designed to provide the necessary basic historical research and guidelines for a continuing oral history project based at the University High School. The Project will have minimum supervision and volunteer involvement. The University High School Alumni Association plans to support this project as a continuing activity. The Project will rely on volunteer-interviewers and the research in this study has been designed to provide the basic knowledge required to conduct an informed interview. This Project is a school-based activity that draws its research material from school history publications, school literature and school archival material. The completed tapes can be used as a source of raw data. Chapter One introduces oral history. Chapters Two, Three and Four deal with secondary education history and Chapters Five to Eleven cover the school-sourced history of the University High School 1910-1985. Chapter Twelve gives guidelines for interview procedure and the processing of the completed audio-tapes for inclusion in the University High School Library Archives.