Melbourne Graduate School of Education - Theses

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    Gesture-based approaches to language learning
    McKinney, Jennifer. (University of Melbourne, 2012)
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    SOTF principals' roles and preparation
    Mbuye, E. A. (University of Melbourne, 1995)
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    Aims and experience in outdoor education
    Nicolson, Malcolm A. (University of Melbourne, 2010)
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    Scaffolding practices in ESL writing classes in Zanzibar
    Maalim, Haroun Ayoub. (University of Melbourne, 2009)
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    More than music : freely painting in glorious sound
    Davies-Splitter, Susie (University of Melbourne, 2009)
    The study consisted of the design and implementation of a course of musical instruction based on the teachings of Carl Orff (1895-1982), specifically through an approach based on improvisation. Twenty six participants volunteered to take part in a 25 contact hour course run over seven weeks. All had at least a rudimentary knowledge of improvisation and all but one (a music therapist) were actively teaching music in a classroom or studio setting prior to the course. The main aim of the course was to instil a sense of confidence in the participants in relation to musical improvisation, a determinate of self that has been lacking in many teachers, according to anecdotal evidence. It was not a jazz or piano based course and was 'More than Music', as it aimed to teach values and life skills as well as music skills. The course consisted of a series of activities that included practical music-making in small and large groups, discussion and reflection, and special guests that culminated in a recording studio experience. Data was collected through questionnaires, both pre-course and post-course, mid-course evaluations, reflective journals, interviews, video-tapes and photographs, and analysed for themes and content. Results of the investigation showed that most participants felt their confidence in improvising had increased and that, following the completion of the course of instruction, most were using the Orff approach in their teaching. A further outcome of the course was the production of a teaching manual and three CDs that have been used in further courses of instruction.
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    Lined scaffolding : mediating the learning of early writing
    Clifton, Elisabeth. (University of Melbourne, 2008)
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    The influences of learning and change on primary physical education teachers
    Dawson, Jane E. (University of Melbourne, 2008)
    With the familiar call for reform in physical education (PE), more needs to be known about factors that promote or inhibit change. Increasing the ability of primary PE teachers to learn and adapt to change is one way of improving the current situation of PE. Teachers' capacity to change, and learn is influenced by their personal experiences, school organisations, professional development experiences and communities of practice. Using a collective case study methodology, this thesis explores the experiences of four primary PE teachers in order to gain a deeper understanding of the factors that have influenced their values, beliefs and practices. The experiences of each teacher are compared and discussed with the other participants in the study, using a process of identifying general themes from the literature and the data. The experiences of each teacher are used to generate discussion about their influences on the teachers' ability to learn and adapt to change. The concept of communities of practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998) is used to reflect on how to create more effective learning opportunities for primary PE teachers. There were two key findings to this thesis: firstly, teachers' personal experiences in PE and sport, together with organizational factors, have a significant influence over the teachers' values and practices and their ability to adapt to change; secondly, teachers who work in thriving communities of practice have greater opportunities to learn and cope with change.