Faculty of Education - Theses
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Item"BRIGHT Kids" (Ballarat region's intellectually gifted and highly talented kids) : the background and establishment of a parent support group and teacher network for gifted and talented children in the Ballarat area( 1996)The study is an historical account of the formation of a parent and teacher network for gifted and talented children in the Ballarat area, named BRIGHT Kids [Ballarat Region’s Intellectually Gifted and Highly Talented Kids]. A case study approach was used with the researcher being the founder and therefore a participant observer in the development of the group. To obtain an evaluation of the setting up and development of the group, a questionnaire was sent to all who had attended BRIGHT Kids meetings. Conclusions were drawn from a consideration of the author’s perspective and the responses from the questionnaire.
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ItemEducational implications of Ballarat becoming a multicultural community( 2005)This research is based on a close study of the experiences of four migrant women of non-English speaking background, focusing primarily on their opportunities, in the city of Ballarat for learning English as a foreign or second language, and how adequately these have contributed to their success in settling into regional Victoria. The 'educational implications' investigated included focusing on provision of English as a Second Language (ESL) learning resources, provision of Languages Other than English (LOTE), and the education of native local residents in multicultural awareness. Ballarat is rapidly becoming more multicultural thereby raising issues which the traditionally Anglo-Celtic population of this rural city will have to consider, if community harmony is to be maintained. The study investigates whether the city might need to review the adequacy of its provision of ESL classes, the adequacy of' its libraries in providing literature to cater for the needs of ethnic groups from non-English speaking backgrounds, the adequacy of the provision of LOTE in the community, as well as familiarising Ballarat's predominantly Caucasian community with multicultural cultures, customs and languages.
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ItemLiving below the poverty line: a phenomenological study of the experiences of students of education at the University of Ballarat( 1998)Until at least the early 1970s people who were favoured with economically advantaged backgrounds were more likely to study at Australian universities than those people with low socio-economic backgrounds. Over the last two decades there has been a movement to open up higher education to disadvantaged people. Equity policies, such as the student benefit of AUSTUDY and equity funding for universities, have encouraged poorer people into universities to complete their degrees. However, literature indicates that low socio-economic students are still under represented on university campuses, and that the completion rate of degrees for these people is lower than that of people from families of advantaged backgrounds. Little is known about the difficulties that poorer people encounter at University or whether equity policies have really succeeded in helping them to maintain and complete a course of study, particularly during a period of high unemployment in Australia. This thesis attempts to fill the gap in our knowledge about poor university students. It documents qualitative investigation into the poverty experiences of 17 undergraduate students of education at the regional University of Ballarat, in Victoria, Australia. These students, who lived below the Australian Poverty Line for single adults, were engaged in in-depth interviews about their poverty experiences. The major areas explored in this study were the participants' definitions of poverty; the impact that poverty had on their life and well-being; and the description of the ways in which they tried to cope with poverty during their university studies. The phenomenological methodology of Colaizzi (1973) was employed in the analysis of data. A major finding was that when participants lived away from home they encountered poverty experiences that had negative effects on their studies and life circumstances. Moreover, lessened opportunities for employment in Ballarat, and insufficient support from AUSTUDY, were seen as significant factors that contributed to their poverty status.