Faculty of Education - Theses
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 10 of 11
-
ItemThe use of online technologies to enhance student learning and foster engagement in drama education( 2014)This thesis explores the use of various online technologies in drama education. It asks in what ways can a teacher utilise emerging technologies to enhance learning and foster engagement in drama in a secondary school context. This was a single case study undertaken in a naturalistic environment where descriptive data was obtained and analysed using an inductive approach. Students used online technologies alongside more conventional classroom practice in a Year 10 drama course, such as writing blog posts in between lessons to replace the traditional drama journal. Wikis were used to co-construct meaning on common student goals, while the teacher employed audio podcasts instead of delivering theory lectures, writing classroom notes or distributing handouts. The students also used a Web forum as a repository for research information and a place for teamwork. This blended learning approach: a mixture of face-to-face instruction accompanied by out-of-class online communication, resulted in a student-centred, constructivist environment that exposed the different learning styles of the students. During the course of this study, due to the use of online technologies many students experienced increased engagement in their learning, enhanced cooperation with others, a sense of collegiality with classmates, and improved learning outcomes.
-
ItemThe role of the Curriculum Co-ordinator in selected independent girls' schools( 1994)The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the Curriculum Co-ordinator in selected independent girls’ schools in relation to Schwab’s (1983) model and to elaborate his theory in practice. Three Curriculum Co-ordinators were asked to participate in the study, the methodology of which involved diary keeping and interviews based on the programme used by Wood (1992) in the professional development of senior staff. The general findings of the study supported the usefulness of Schwab’s model and proposed a typology of leadership styles of curriculum deliberation showing its relationship to management and policy determination in the school. (For complete abstract open document)
-
ItemCulturally different and successful?: case studies of gifted Vietnamese secondary students( 1993-01)There is concern in the literature that gifted children from ‘culturally different’ populations, such as Hispanics and Blacks, are underrepresented in special programs due, in part, to the often insensitive traditional methods of identification used that do not detect particular abilities that are valued and promoted within that particular culture. Contrary to these findings, studies indicate that gifted Asians are in profusion. They present themselves as excellent, motivated students and it is almost expected that they will achieve highly in the areas of mathematics and science. The focus of this paper is a study of seven highly capable secondary school boys of Vietnamese background. In several of these cases the children have had huge hurdles to overcome including the death of a mother, escape by boat, life in a refugee camp, parents whose skills are not being utilised as well as being ‘different’. Despite this they have been successful. A case study approach was adopted to look at the nature of these students, the role of the parents and the attitudes towards giftedness. The aim is to present a holistic view of the child rather than obscure their unique characteristics in a muddle of statistics of a large scale study. This paper takes the position that it is dangerous to make such generalisations and that although gifted from the same cultural group will have certain similar traits, the assumption that common values will automatically apply to them should be curtailed as the particular circumstances of the individual child leads to different manifestations in each.
-
ItemThe educational ideas and influence on Victorian education of Dr. John Smyth: principal of the Melbourne Teachers' College, 1902-1927 and the first professor of education in the University of Melbourne, 1918-1927( 1967)Second in authority and influence only to Frank Tate, Dr. John Smyth was uniquely qualified to interpret the ideas of the "New Education" movement for Victorian schools at the turn of the century. Instead of using a biographical approach, this thesis outlines the diverse intellectual backgrounds which together formed the basis of Smyth's ideas. His New Zealand teaching experience coincided with the beginnings of reform there and his understanding of the "New Education" was deepened through study in Germany and Scotland from 1895 to 1901. German demands for realism in education; kindergartens and the theories of Froebel and Pestalozzi; the new techniques of Herbart and Rein; the establishment of teacher-training as a legitimate function of the university; and the beginnings of experimental psychology at Leipsic, were experienced by Smyth at first hand. The philosophy of Neo-Idealism which he espoused explains his ability to synthesize conflicting elements of the complex "New Education" movement. These major influences can be seen as the thesis examines Smyth's impact on Victorian education as Principal of the Melbourne Teachers' College (1902-27) and as the first Professor of Education at the University of Melbourne (1918-27). Separate chapters develop Smyth's attitudes to teacher-training and the College's growth under his control; his direct responsibility for the creation of the Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria and the improvement of Infant Schools; his idealistic philosophy translated into practice in the rural schools; and the significant contributions he made to the development of a School of Education at the University of Melbourne. A final assessment of Smyth the man reveals him as an intensely religious, dedicated educationist who had a lasting impact on the pattern of Victorian education. His relationship with Frank Tate emerges as that of an idealistic reformer unable to accept happily the limitations of compromise forced on Tate, the shrewd administrator, by a political and economic climate hostile to any but utilitarian educational reforms. Whilst Smyth’s educational ideas were not always fully implemented, the part he played in a period of educational history hitherto dominated by the name of Tate cannot be ignored. His intellectual stature and his actual accomplishments mark him as a key figure in our understanding of the development of Victorian education.
-
ItemYou can learn things: television in the lives of Vietnamese teenage girls in Melbourne( 1994)This study addresses the ways in which women and ethnic minorities are represented in the Australian mainstream media, in particular television, and what teenage Vietnamese migrant girls do with the representations they encounter. The literature reviewed includes research and theories about psychological acculturation or cross-cultural adaptation; content analyses of television, exposing the ethnocentric and patriarchal nature of the programs and advertisements screened in Australia; feminist and post-structuralist approaches to the study of television; and ethnographic television audience studies. An ethnographic case study approach was employed to explore the television viewing habits of twelve sixteen to eighteen year old Vietnamese girls living in Melbourne. It was found that the girls were watching television regularly, both for pleasure and with a keen desire to learn. The implications of what they are learning from a media which promotes dominant ethnocentric and patriarchal views is discussed, and whether this has a negative impact on the girls' sense of self and development of identity is questioned. While it is difficult to draw direct conclusions on such issues, it can be said that the girls do not feel part of mainstream Australia and possibly will not until they are recognised by the media. Some of the implications for education and schools are also discussed.
-
ItemThe impact of a technology policy on a school community: post initial evaluation( 2002)An information and communication technology (lCT) policy is being expected of all educational institutions and the objectives relate to principals, staff and students, in their use, access, skill development, leadership and innovation in the area of learning technologies. A number of schools have introduced and implemented such policies since the late eighties and early nineties. ICT has become an integral part of everyday life and school educational institutions have recognized this phenomenon as one that should be embraced. Since the early nineties, programs utilizing laptop computers or notebook computers have been incorporated into a number of government and independent schools. The focus of this study was to examine how an information and communication technology policy was related to school change. This was a case study of policy development and how such a policy involving notebook computers impacted on school structures, teaching and learning, in a Melbourne independent school. The researcher's main interest was to gain an understanding of the processes involved and the changes encountered. A questionnaire that contained open-ended questions was used in the study to gain an overall view from teachers at the Year 7 - 9 levels. The rest of study used primarily qualitative methods where interviewing administrators and teachers were the other sources of data. These were analyzed using coding methods and memo notes after which themes were identified. The findings were compared to those that already exist which are from studies based primarily at upper primary and lower secondary levels. As well as gaining a personal understanding of the processes involved it is hoped the findings may also be of benefit to the school's future decisions and policies in general and particularly in the area of ICT involving notebook computers.
-
ItemThe transmission of the charism of Marcellin Champagnat by principals in Marist schools( 2000)Members of religious orders in Australia face generally declining numbers and aging membership. Some, both within the orders and among their lay partners, have recognised the desirability of transmitting the charisms beyond the members of the order, if those charisms are to continue to inform the vision and culture of the enterprise. The Marist Brothers are no exception. Education is their main focus and the schools that they have established have been recognised as having a particular 'flavour' to them. The Marist way of educating has identifiable characteristics, inspired by the charism of the founder, Marcellin Champagnat. The success of the Marist style of education can be seen in the strong support for the schools. There is a clear desire among many, both religious and lay, to nurture and carry on conducting schools in the Marist way. As more lay people assume responsibility for these schools, it has been acknowledged that attention needs to be formally given to the ways in which the charism can continue to be transmitted. This study has examined the ways in which selected principals in Marist schools have influenced the transmission of the charism within their schools. Through the use of the case study methodology, it has documented actions that have been identified as conducive to passing on the charism to the school community. It has observed that certain characteristics of leadership style are more likely to positively influence the transmission of charism. The study has also identified some factors that may work against such a cause. As a result of the study, certain recommendations have been made which may assist in the process of ensuring that the charism of Marcellin Champagnat continues to flourish in those schools founded in his name.
-
ItemBeing good: values discourse in educational policy and management( 1996)This study is concerned with the way prevailing realities of government policy are reflected in educational policy and styles of management, by being reproduced and sustained through values discourse. The largest education system in the world is to be found in the People's Republic of China. China's current values discourse is constructed from traditional values and, more recently, from socialist theory. Concepts of Utopia, and the influences of Marx, Lenin and Mao are explored. The views of Foucault and Fairclough reveal the way language powerfully constructs reality and defines social order. A literature review considers the contributions of previous research to issues explored in this thesis. This study analyses how official values education material in China reflects prevailing government policy. The data was collected in Nanjing and Shanghai from October 1993 to January 1994. It consists of Leaders Handbooks for the Young Pioneers, Large and Small Young Pioneers Posters, classroom values education texts, and interview material. The methodology of Textually Oriented Discourse Analysis as proposed by Fairclough (1992(b)) provides a helpful framework for the analysis of sample discourses which represent current values. Further chapters will explore contemporary directions in values discourse and consider the trend towards conscientisation and empowerment. The limitations of the values discourse are discussed. Within a worldwide framework, current scholars, such as Freire, use concepts such as conscientisation, liberation and empowerment to define the future for values discourse. What is the role of educational institutions regarding values discourse? Are there opportunities for dissenting voices to be heard? Previous theories of management have focussed on the values of efficiency, corporate culture and models of excellence. Do these values simply ensure further control over individuals and organisations by constructing a prevailing reality too narrowly defined? Participating in the 'struggle' for the prevailing discourse through being involved in micropolitics and realising the importance of critical language awareness can enable us all to construct a reality which empowers rather than limits those involved in education.
-
ItemBrother Ronald Fogarty's Catholic education in Australia, 1806-1950, volumes I and II: a re-appraisal( 1990)This thesis is an attempt to re-appraise the history of Brother Ronald Fogarty in his work Catholic Education in Australia 1806-1950 in the light of the specific themes which he determines as basic to the development of Catholic education. It has been generally acknowledged that these themes are not only relevant to the Catholic or educational sphere of Australian history, but also provide insight into the development of Australian society as a whole. Fogarty's history celebrates the triumph of a minority group as part of a reaction to the developments instituted by the majority. Overall, Fogarty's interpretation of why and how a separate Catholic education system developed makes a significant contribution to Australian historiography in general.
-
ItemFact and fiction in Joan Lindsay's "Picnic at Hanging Rock"( 1990)Joan Lindsay's novel Picnic at Hanging Rock, has been examined on a variety of levels. Scholars have viewed the novel as a study of the conflict of humanity versus nature, in symbolic terms as the embodiment of an archetypal religious myth, as a philosophical treatise on the passing of time and merely as an ambiguous and sinister disappearance. The purpose of this thesis has been to discriminate between fact and fiction in Picnic at Hanging Rock, with particular reference to the education of women. The novel has been explored in historical terms in an attempt to ascertain how much it is a reflection of Joan Lindsay's educational experiences at the Clyde Girls' Grammar School and her social experiences as a daughter of a prominent Melbourne family. Lindsay's experiences as a student at Clyde Girls' Grammar from 1911-1914 and the lifestyle of her family provide a historical picture of an upper middle-class family and their pattern of behavior at the turn of the century. This thesis examines Joan Lindsay's family, married life and literary works, paying particular attention to her childhood. The upper middle-class lifestyle, social mores and customs of the Weigall family provide much of the raw material for Lindsay the novelist's portrayal of turn-of-the century life at Appleyard College and the village of Macedon. This thesis also studies the staff, educational objectives and teaching methods employed at the fictional Appleyard College and compares these with a historical study of the staff and teaching practices of the Clyde Girls' Grammar of Joan Lindsay's experience. It concludes that although Lindsay has portrayed Appleyard College as institution with a shallow, haphazard approach to education, embodying all of the negative facets associated with education of females in the Victorian period, the education offered at Clyde appeared to be of sound intellectual standard and of the best quality available to the females of her generation. Through the characters in her novel Lindsay highlights different approaches towards education in the late Victorian era. Through Appleyard's imposing headmistress, Mrs Appleyard, Lindsay satirizes the attitude that social status in the most important value no matter what the cost. Mrs Appleyard is obsessed with her students' social background and displays little concern for their intellectual development. The character of Dianne de Poitiers plays out the role of the accomplished woman, a teacher who is hired for her ladylike appearance and demeanor and fluent French rather than any outstanding intellectual qualities. And in contrast to de Poitiers, Lindsay casts Greta McCraw as a mathematic mistress whose little appreciated mathematical brilliance and outlandish physical appearance designate her as a bluestocking. The different approaches of these two teachers personify the acceptable and unacceptable gender characteristics for women in the late Victorian era. Lindsay would have been well aware that the superficial education offered at Appleyard College defended class boundaries and the lifestyle of the upper middle classes which she so humorously describes later in the novel. Her examination of the manners, prejudices and social practices of this privileged sector of society is humorous in its intention and often scathing in its perceptions. And although her depiction of Appleyard College is not a reflection of her years at Clyde, Lindsay's position as a daughter of a privileged Melbourne family has provided her with an intuitive understanding of the upper-middle-class lifestyle of the late Victorian era.