Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemThe triple-I model of continuing development in school communities( 1984)The Triple-I Model of Professional Development was first aired in the James Report (England, 1972) and developed by the Research Unit of the School of Education, Bristol University, under the direction of Dr. Ray Bolam. This Pilot Study- is an initiative of the Catholic Education Office of Victoria. The research project is an illuminative study of the Triple-I Model of Continuing Development Programmes of fourteen Catholic Parish Primary Schools, over a period of two years. It is assumed in this model of continuing development that schools are groups of people engaged in an educational enterprise. Positive outcomes have resulted in the development and sharing of personal resources within these school communities. Within this context, the teacher moves more surely through the INITIATION, INDUCTION and IN-SERVICE (Triple-I) phases of personal and professional development. This report concludes with recommendations and suggests further research, particularly in the area of resource processes for school principals.
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ItemTeachers and technology: experiences and perceptions of professional development( 2001)This study investigated professional development to support teachers' use of information and communication technologies in one primary school setting. It explored teachers' attitudes and feelings towards information and communication technologies and their perceptions about professional development to support them in this area. The ways in which this group of teachers are currently utilising information and communication technologies to assist teaching and learning processes were also investigated. Current practice and professional development experiences were explored to discover links, and to investigate participants' perceptions of effective types of professional development to support their use of information and communication technologies. Other support such as access, technical assistance and support from management were also explored to discover their impact on teachers' use of information and communication technologies. An exploratory case study approach was taken and both qualitative and quantitative methods utilised to cater for the richness of the context. Data were collected from three sources; documents relating to professional development for information and communication technologies, a survey of teachers' technology skills and use, and a semi-structured interview. Data management and analysis were computer assisted. The study aimed to discover the types of professional development and the modes of presentation of this professional development that would be most effective in assisting this group of teachers with their use of information and communication technologies. This 'human dimension' is the key to appropriate use of technology, as illustrated by a working party for the Directorate of School Education: �The Working Party considers that attention should be directed to the human dimension, which promises to provide the key to more successful implementation of information technology in schools. It believes the issue should be addressed through structured professional development programs based on information technology and an understanding of such matters as learning, change and the factors that affect school culture.� Directorate of School Education, Victoria (1994, p. 2)
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ItemProfessional development of teachers and its contribution towards creating a learning community: a case study( 2002)This thesis examined the professional development programs available for teachers in service at a Victorian independent school and the contribution of these programs towards creating a learning community. A learning community was described for the purpose of this thesis as a successful shape of an organisation that is continually expanding its capacities. In order for schools to achieve that, transformation in teachers' perceptions of their own learning and professional growth must occur, and professional development of teachers should be embedded in their practice and anchored in their day-to-day life. Through a qualitative case study approach, the investigation explored teachers' attitudes and perceptions towards their learning, the professional development programs available to them and the contributions of these to the development of the school as a learning community. The research was concerned with identifying what is an effective professional development program from the perceptions of participants, and the characteristics of the school as a learning community. The study aimed at informing both the implementation of appropriate professional development programs and future policy formulation at the school under study, as well as challenging teachers' perceptions of their learning and role. Participants from the case study were interviewed using open-ended interview questions. The analysis of responses showed that participants perceived themselves as lifelong learners, understood their role as educators in a rapidly changing environment and preferred professional development programs that were embedded in their daily life to meet their needs and those of their students. Findings also showed that the school's leadership role had a significant impact on the learning that occurred at personal, interpersonal and organisational levels.
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ItemCreating a learning community through establishing a professional action learning team( 2003)This study examines the creation of a learning community through the implementation of a model for professional development called Professional Action Learning Teams (PALT). Its purpose is to investigate PALT and begin to understand how its principles transfer to a setting in which professional development of teachers has been approached in a traditional manner. It is a study about teacher learning and examines the challenges of introducing a model that is collaborative and inquiry focused, work-embedded, and based on the constructivist paradigm. This was achieved by a qualitative analysis of teacher talk during professional development meetings and an analysis of teachers' learning journals kept throughout the study. Traditional approaches to professional development often ignore the teacher as a person and a learner. A culture needs to be established within schools where teachers are acknowledged as learners who need opportunities to grow and learn in their professional practice. While policies and research call for reform, schools appear to be slow in responding. The study revealed that PALT was a most effective approach to begin defining a new model for professional development that emphasises constructivism and adult learning principles. Two significant findings of the study were: � the value of dialogue in affecting pedagogical change; and � the need for teachers to learn in similar ways to their students that is by: studying, testing new ideas and reflecting; collaborating with peers; examining and analysing each other's work; and by sharing what they do.
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ItemExamination of the introduction of professional feedback models: a case study of two rural schools( 1999)This thesis was designed to explore and analyse the comparative introduction and implementation of formal professional feedback to teaching staff at two different types of country school. It tracks and compares two different types of feedback systems. Texts, articles and in service materials have been examined to clarify definitions of terms, purposes, values and assumptions surrounding the concept of formal feedback. The development of formal feedback has been put into historic context. The principals of both schools and fifteen of the participating teachers have been interviewed before, during and after the process to gain an understanding of their thoughts, concerns, attitudes and understandings of the processes that they were involved in. The responses to both individual and group interviews underpins the analysis of the processes and their outcomes. In particular the paper looks at changes in any perceptions and the reasons for these changes. The participants were interviewed individually and in focus groups. Key questions of a similar nature were asked to all groups, with follow up and supporting questions phrased to follow individual concerns. Individuals also provided additional information during the process. In conclusion the paper explores the processes and the effects on individual teachers and the school as a whole, and examines issues raised in their introduction. Recommendations are made for others who are implementing or reviewing similar formal feedback processes and areas of further research are suggested.
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ItemInclusion competencies of primary public school teachers in Iloilo city, Philippines: training needs( 2004)This study was undertaken to investigate the competencies necessary for primary public school teachers in Iloilo City, Philippines to work effectively in inclusive classrooms. The aim of the study was to find out the current competencies of the teachers, their perception of the importance of the competencies, their likely training needs and the relationship of the measures of their background variables with their training needs. To determine the training needs of the teachers, a needs assessment approach adapted from Witkin and Altschuld (1995) and Kauffman, Rojas, and Mayer (1993) was employed. A four-part self-assessment questionnaire - Scale of knowledge and Skills for instruction and Management of Students with Disabilities - Philippines Context (SKSIMSD-PC) was used to collect the data from 606 general classroom teachers. T-tests and analysis of variance were utilized to determine the significance of differences between the means. Correlation coefficient were also used to explore inter-relationship between variables. The major findings of this study were: 1. Almost all knowledge and skill competencies were rated by the teachers as significantly of high importance for them to be able to work effectively with children with disabilities in the regular classroom. 2. Teacher participants perceived themselves as moderately competent to teach in an inclusive classroom despite their extremely limited training and low level of exposure to children with disabilities. 3. Generally, a low to low-moderate level of training need was indicated by teachers on the competencies in which they perceived themselves as least competent. In . particular, their priority training needs are in the following competencies. (i) ways in which technology (assistive technology) can assist with planning and managing the teaching and learning environment; (ii) techniques for modifying instructional methods specific to the needs of the child (e.g., providing specific and appropriate accommodations); and (iii) administering, interpreting and using assessment data (from medical, psychological, and diagnostic reports) for instructional planning and, using verbal and nonverbal communication techniques (e.g. communication picture, sign language). 4. The teachers' pre-service and in-service training variables were found to be significantly negatively correlated with the six categories of training needs. There were no statistically significant correlations between training needs and the rest of the teachers' background variables. Most .of these correlations tended to be negative rather than positive. From these results it was argued that training in inclusion practices was a high priority for teachers in Iloilo City, Philippines.
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ItemBeginning languages other than English (LOTE) primary teachers: their professional development needs( 1990)The study concentrates on the investigation of the professional development needs of beginning Languages Other Than English (LOTE) teachers in Victorian government primary schools. It seeks to formulate system responses which would meet those needs. The literature on the professional education of teachers makes distinctions between induction, training and professional development. During the induction phase a process of professional socialisation is entered into and is an important aspect of this phase. A questionnaire was developed to explore the professional development needs of these teachers from two perspectives: firstly, to define their needs and secondly to identify system responses which would meet those needs. The questionnaire, administered to all LOTE primary teachers currently employed in government schools achieved a response rate of 62%. The background data identify three types of beginning LOTE primary teachers who considered other LOTE teachers in the school, principals and LOTE consultants to be the major source of assistance for them in their first year. Highly supported and appreciated induction activities are: programs designed for the LOTE primary beginning teacher and the informal assistance given by other LOTE teachers at the school. In terms of the identification of professional development needs of LOTE teachers in their first year, responses indicate that the need for information took precedence over the need for opportunities for skill development. This reflects the difference between meeting short term and long term needs. Responses from the questionnaire enabled the development of a list of needs ranked in order of importance. This was then matched with the sources of assistance which were identified by respondents and a checklist was devised. The checklist attempts to guide those interested in the professional development of beginning LOTE primary teachers towards identifying their needs. It also highlights the importance, of a co-ordinated approach by both school-based and non-school-based personnel towards the professional education of beginning LOTE primary teachers.
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ItemAppraising a narrative-based in-house staff training and professional development model for a Tongan school( 1996)This thesis describes a narrative-based staff development and evaluation program after Wood (1992) that the author expects to implement at St Joseph's Business College, Nuku'alofa, Kingdom of Tonga. An investigation of the model was performed by the author at a TAFE Institute in Melbourne, in which four experienced teachers from the Business and Marketing Departments volunteered to recount and discuss stories of their professional development. A pre-structured case study approach after Miles (1990) was seen an appropriate means of dealing with data reduction and presentation arising from the collaborative composed personal narratives and evaluative comments by the four teachers. The problems and prospects of implementing a culturally recognised professional development model at St Joseph's Business College are discussed in the light of the author's experience in the study.
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ItemThe professional development of school principals in Victoria( 1989)This thesis discusses the professional development of school principals in Victoria and makes recommendations to address the current development needs of principals in relation to: (i) the societal issues and trends which form the context of schooling; (ii) the organizational context within which principals now operate as administrators and school leaders; (iii) the research literature about the nature of the principal's role and the pressures brought to bear on that role by the expectations of the system and the school community. It is argued that the primary purpose of professional development for school principals is the enhancement of educational outcomes for all students through the growth of a school climate that values and promotes excellence in learning. Literature supports the view that school principals play crucial roles in assisting to develop and promote a school culture that encourages the growth and learning of school participants, both students and teachers. (Duignan, 1988, Purkey and Smith, 1983) The characteristics of such a school culture is discussed in this thesis. Given the profound impact on principalship by the move towards a decentralized and devolved government education system in Victoria, as well as the desire for principals to develop positive learning culture in their schools, it is argued that principals require specific knowledge, understanding and skills to perform effectively. A holistic, coherent approach to planning professional development programs for principals is required to overcome what has been perceived as a piecemeal, disjointed and fragmented approach in the past.