Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemReporting on school performance in Victoria, an international perspective and implications for school leadership( 1996)Social, economic, cultural and political trends can change in nature and importance over time and influence government schools systems. The degree of precision and the style with which the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a government school system monitors school performance varies over time and can be inconsistent with that which has been used by his predecessor. The government school systems of England and Victoria are examples of school systems that appear to have experienced similar stages of development and have shared similar social, economic, cultural and political trends. These changes have produced inconsistencies for schools in those systems over time. Employees within government school systems are required to respond quickly to changes in their roles and responsibilities. Field officers who work with schools on behalf of the CEO can become a liability to the school system as ambivalence towards their role develops in schools and as technology for reporting on financial matters as well as student achievement and other aspects of school performance improves. The feelings of those employed within a school system can be a major barrier to their coping with inconsistencies brought about by change. One view is that adaptation to this inconsistency can be assisted by having access to incentives to adjust to change or by having an understanding of one's own inconsistencies. Government school system organisation as well as leaders can influence the behaviour of teachers and students and therefore, arguably, influence school performance and how it is reported. Possible changes in the cognitive activity of principals and teachers that might be influenced by feelings and associated with ambivalence, can also be connected with the concepts of transactional and transformational leadership and school system organisation. It appears that, ultimately, the continued existence of government school systems might well depend upon the extent that schools within those systems accept the authority of the CEO.
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ItemThe work of the denominational and national boards of education in Victoria 1850-1862( 1965)Any historian has many difficult decisions to make concerning his choice of material, for the educational historian the problem is no less difficult. Should be concentrate on the complex issue of relations between church and state which influence both education and the life of the whole community, or should he allow his educational interests to anchor him in the classroom itself, and so develop a history of pedagogies which only rarely asks what is happening in the wider community? Should he take some issue, such as teacher training or inspection, and trace it through a period of time, or should he endeavour to see the way in which various activities are carried on in a more limited period? Both these vertical and horizontal views of history are necessary, for without the one history can appear static, and without the other the interaction of various forces can often be ignored.
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ItemFrom theatre to communication: the application of theatre techniques to an orientation program for overseas students( 1994)This thesis is a reflective account of my teaching in a program for non-native speakers of English from the Asia and Pacific region, preparing to enter a tertiary system that was vastly different from their previous educational experience. My contribution was to design a compulsory Drama course to train the students in acting techniques to improve their overall communication in a Western English-speaking context and to assist them with integrating the new ideas. A distinctive feature of my course is an extensive study of non-verbal communication through mime and movement activities. In 1993 the period of reflection led me to an important discovery. With the assistance of the Action Research model of plan, action, observation and reflection, devised by Kemmis and McTaggart, I was able to articulate and understand my methodology for the first time. What I had supposed was instinctive, was in fact a thoughtful and systematic process emanating from my background knowledge of drama and experience in professional theatre. This approach, influenced by the philosophies of Grotowski and Stanislavski, enabled me to respond to the students in such a way that I could adapt the curriculum to suit both their academic and personal needs. The students showed the interpersonal skills required to begin development as professionals in Australia, as well as managing the challenge and choices required of them to live in contemporary Australian culture whilst they were students. Without these skills, many aspects of their personal identity were threatened. Further, I recognised that my process as a teacher, solving the pedagogical problems in the development of a responsive curriculum, paralleled the preparation of actors for performance. This thesis documents the exciting journey of my reflection and analysis.
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ItemAsk a parent: investigating the need for a parent 'ask an expert' service in schools( 2004)'Ask an Expert' (AskA) services are question-answer based Internet services where questions can be asked of individuals with specialist knowledge. There appear to be no examples of AskA services localised to a school community and provided by parent volunteers (here termed ‘AskA-Parent’). This research utilised a needs assessment methodology to explore the potential for constructing such a service at an independent Australian school. Data sources included school documents, government statistics and individual interviews with purposeful sampling of teachers, parents and student prefects; four in each group. Based upon the interview responses, a survey was completed by teachers (n=62), students (n=44) and the students' parent/guardians (n=74). Four main themes emerged from the data in the context of the literature. They were related to the usage of information and communications technologies (ICT); pedagogy; learning communities; and general ICT issues. The findings indicated that a particular strength of the AskA-Parent program was an ability to further develop schools as learning organisations and to facilitate links between members of the school community. A cautionary finding was related to the importance of clear guidelines in order to lessen obstacles to the success of the program. The findings of this study suggest that there would be benefit in trialling an AskA-Parent program.
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ItemThe effects of education leadership and management on special school students quality learning( 1995)This study examines the context in which special school principals carry out their leadership and management roles. Recently, significant changes in educational policies, organisation leadership and management styles. Implementation meant changes for school Principals. A review of the relevant literature revealed that the challenges bought about has forced schools Principals and teachers to examine the organisations and structures, and to confront their own fundamental values and attitudes. The emphasis on the devolution of authority, and the pursuit of excellence and quality provisions. Principals are forced to perform a dual role. No longer being viewed as administrators, but as leaders in their own right. Special Student's opportunities are enhanced, and extended school years and the level of success is now largely determined by the quality of leadership. Educational Leadership plays a major role in how successful educational programs are when aiming for the full development of student potential. Industry links within education can assist in achieving educational goals which provide students with an understanding of the real world while also assisting principals to become effective and efficient of their organisations. Special School Principals in particular, have two roles to fulfil. They must possess the necessary managerial skills whilst demonstrating the leadership qualities to ensure the growth and development of staff and students. The opportunities to develop success orientation should be encouraged as it will reflect on the standing of school and encourage community support. This study has drawn its information from a small number of Special Schools in Melbourne. Teachers and principals completed a questionnaire by indicating the statement that best described their view of the principal. The outcome indicated that although principals viewed themselves as humanistic leaders, the teachers reveal mixed responses in their indications. The study found that some principals work collaboratively with their staff, some prefer to dominate while others presented confusion and uncertainty in the management, and leadership and vision for the school. The study indicates a need for more relevant initial training. in service and professional development principals so that they understand the roles requested of them.
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ItemThe senior high school in western suburban Melbourne: a feasibility study( 1980)The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of establishing a Senior High School in the Western suburbs which would enable the Education Department to offer the widest possible range of subject options to a large group of students rather than a series of restricted groups of subjects to small groups of students in a particular area of Williamstown-Altona. Collection of data was undertaken by the application of questionnaires to the students, parents and staff at give high schools, the students and parents being drawn from grades 10-12. Data were analysed by schools and across schools. The major findings were: 1. That a Senior High School needed to be accessible to the community in that continuing education should be readily available. 2. Technical and vocational subjects should be offered as well as the traditional academic curriculum. 3. Social science subjects were seen to be important to the overall development of students. 4. External examinations were considered less acceptable than internal continuing assessment. 5. There was a general belief that a Senior High School with its Junior High School complement would encourage greater student maturity. 6. Greater flexibility of organisation would result from the separation of junior and senior school levels. 7. The greater number of students at the Senior High School would permit a wide range of subject spheres. Based on the findings, several implications for practice were delineated.
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ItemThe experience of Third Culture Kids entering secondary education in Melbourne, Australia( 2003)The term Third Culture Kids (TCKs) was first used by the sociologist Ruth Hill Useem in 1976 to describe children of diplomats, missionaries, business people and military personnel who have lived outside their native country for periods of time. The literature suggests that transition concerns for TCKs have not always been recognised or taken seriously, and that the transition process can be traumatic. The identification of significant needs for TCKs is an essential initial step in addressing the sources of trauma associated with re-entering the Australian classroom following time spent overseas. This study focuses on the identification of those significant needs. Six TCKs were approached, and five agreed to participate in this study. All of the participants completed their secondary education at the same school, in outer eastern Melbourne, in either 2000 or 2001. This qualitative study consisted of one on one semi structured interviews with the five participants, followed by a focus group interview involving four of the participants. A key issue identified by the participants during their transition was the desire to be treated as individuals who do not wish to appear different from their peers. The study also identified the importance of supporting the TCKs during their transition, primarily through access to a mentor. The establishment of small groups consisting of other TCKs was also identified as helpful. The main factor that influenced the length of the adjustment period was the time taken to make a personal decision to accept the change of circumstances and move on. This process took anywhere between six months and three years. Each of the participants displayed an amazing ability to rebound from the lows. Their resilience, aided by strong support from family, other TCKs and peers, is evident in their unanimous view that being a TCK is a very positive experience.
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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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ItemChristian values and the vision of the Uniting Church for its schools in Victoria( 1994)The Catholic Church in Australia has a vision for its schools of a faith that pervades all aspects of school life and results in a climate or atmosphere where Christian values are expressed in every dimension of the education provided (Leavey, 1972, Flynn, 1985). What vision does the Uniting Church in Victoria have for its schools? Is it similar to that of the Catholic Church? This thesis examines the vision that the Uniting Church has for its schools in Victoria, particularly in relation to the place of Christian values in this vision. Three Value Models are used. They are the Gospel Values as defined by Doyle and Woods (1984), Scheler's Hierarchy of Values (1973), and Hodgkinson's Value Model (1983). Three sources of data are examined in this thesis. They are transcripts of interviews with four chairpersons of the Synod Education Committee, relevant sections of the Minutes of the Synod of the Uniting Church in Victoria, and the Aims and Objectives and Mission Statements of the Uniting Church schools in Victoria. The three models are used as a framework for analysing the data. The vision of the Uniting Church for its schools in Victoria was found to involve the presence of a Christian Ethos in the schools which was made up of three dimensions. These dimensions are Values, in particular the Gospel Value of Love, the presence of Christian Staff, and Areas of School Life in which the values are expressed, in particular the area of Pastoral Care.
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ItemThe educational work of the Presentation Sisters in Victoria, 1873-1960( 1965)The general aim of this study is to examine the activities of one congregation of religious teachers, the Presentation Sisters, in one state, Victoria. Within such a small world it is possible to recognise in very human terms the working out of forces set in motion by political procedures, developments which in a more general history would be dismissed in one or two rather abstract statements. Who would expect to find more than a brief reference to Dr. James Francis Corbett in a general history of formal education in Australia? Such trifles as the names and the fortunes of the nuns caught up in the stream of events would be too infinitesimal to be considered, except in so far as, for better or for worse, in some vague, shadowy way they helped maintain a system of independent schools. It is the human element that interests the writer most – the impact of events on people of certain character and temperament, the interaction of widely differing personalities, the emergence of leaders, the formation of opinions, the movements towards decisions, the careful plans, the apparently haphazard developments. The specific aims of the study are to provide a record of the work of the Presentation Sisters in Victoria from 1873 to 1960, and to show how far latter day trends, within the Congregation, are explained by its history. The framers of policy in 1873 could not envisage the scene of 1960, yet that scene can be interpreted only in terms of the forces set in motion during the early years. Those forces have gathered momentum and have resulted in the development of distinctive characteristics in the Victorian convents. Amalgamation is an interesting case in point. The two oldest foundations, Presentation Convent, Windsor, dating from 1873, and Star of the Sea, Gardenvale established in 1885, had their roots in Limerick and Kildare respectively. These Irish houses, though essentially the same, developed as separate foundations with strong local traditions. By 1960, however, there are twenty four Victorian convents amalgamated under on Mother General resident at O’Neill College, Elsternwick. Parallel to this development is the process of adaptation, as essentially European traditions have been reinforced, modified or completely changed, under the impact of the Victorian educational environment over a period of nearly one hundred years. This is not to imply that amalgamation and acculturation are developments peculiar to the Australian communities, but merely to point the fact that certain characteristics may be explicable only in terms of the Victorian educational scene. The phrase “certain characteristics’ calls for emphasis. As a religious order working within the Catholic Church in five continents, the congregation must be viewed within this wider context if its Victorian story is to have any real significance. Valuable data preserved in the archives of the twenty four Victorian Houses : there are many senior nuns who lived with the Foundresses of the earlier established houses, and who are well informed about the origin and growth of the Congregation in Victoria. As yet, no systematic attempt has been made to assemble this information for the benefit of the younger members of the communities. It is the writer’s sincere wish that this first effort may open the way for further research. This work is presented in two parts. Each chapter of Part I deals with a major chronological period: Part II is concerned with major developments in the schools, therefore each chapter cuts across the chronological periods.