Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemEgan's stage theory : an exploratory study of its use in the analysis of science textbooks( 1985)Kieran Egan (1979) has challenged educationists to consider the need for a Theory of Development which is specifically Educational. Such a need is discussed and examined in the context of science teaching. Egan's Theory was applied to the selection of science text material for a group of eleven and twelve year old students. The students' responses to the materials were compared with Egan's descriptions of certain developmental stages, particularly of his Romantic Stage. The author concluded that Egan's theoretical proposition assisted in interpeting certain student behaviour and preferences. Possible classroom uses of Egan's theory are discussed, implications for text usage and design are outlined, and some areas of research are suggested.
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ItemThe history of the development of specialist teaching training programmes for teachers of migrant children, 1947-1973( 1983)Information concerning the development of specialist teacher training programmes for teachers of migrant children is fragmentary, being scattered through some 130 published and unpublished documents. The aim of this thesis has been to present, with some degree of order and continuity, that information in a single volume. The resulting compilation is largely descriptive, though some analysis and interpretation could not be avoided. To supplement and to substantiate some of the data collated from the numerous documents, the experiences of a number of teachers who have taught significant proportions of migrant children between 1947 and 1973 have been related. Some of these experiences were gathered by means of a questionnaire which was completed by teachers who had responded to advertisements placed by the writer in The Sun (August 4, 1983) and The Age (August 15, 1983). The advertisements are included as Appendix A.1, and the questionnaire as Appendix A.2. Other experiences were gathered by means of personal interviews with a number of teachers. A full list of all persons from whom information was gathered appears as Appendix A.3. The paper concentrates on the development of specialist teacher training programmes within the Federal and State education systems, with only brief mention of developments within the Catholic education system. Such concentration is not intended to reflect a view that efforts made by the Catholic Church towards the problems of migrant children are insignificant. Indeed, the Catholic schools bore a very substantial share of the influx of migrant children and faced immense educational difficulties as a result, yet they succeeded in making as good a job as possible under the circumstances. Because the history of developments within the Catholic education system is a considerable area on its own, and because much material in that area has already been documented by Carmel O'Dwyer (Responses of Government and Catholic Educational Authorities to the influx of migrants, 1950-1960, with special reference to the experience of a selected group of schools conducted by the Victorian Sisters of Mercy),1 Michael Elliot (Migrant Education in Fitzroy, 1965-1975),2 and Denis Moore (The initial response to the migrant presence in four inner suburban Christian Brothers' schools as revealed in the inspectors' reports and other available sources),3 those developments are not included in this history. The population elements to which the discussion refers to as 'migrants' are those people from 'non-English speaking' origin, excluding Aboriginals. 1. Unpublished Master of Education Thesis, University of Melbourne, 1977. 2. Unpublished Master of Education Thesis, University of Melbourne, 1977. 3. Unpublished Master of Education Thesis, University of Melbourne, 1981. The introductory chapter briefly outlines the Federal Government's immediate steps to provide some training for teachers of adult migrants, and serves to highlight the official indifference outlined by Chapters II, III and IV, to the needs of training for teachers of migrant children until the late sixties when short in-service training courses were introduced. Chapter V traces the history of these short courses. Chapter VI presents the development of in-service teacher training under the Child Migrant Education Programme, the development of some tertiary courses leading to awards, and the development of pre-service courses, all of which take place in the emerging notion of 'multiculturalism'. The initial assumption levelled at teachers of migrant children was that no special training in migrant education was necessary because no special effort was necessary to teach migrant children. If teachers were kindly and understanding, and approached the problem with good sense, migrant children in their care would be rapidly assimilated. Requests for specialist help were made as early as 1954, but a general lack of appreciation of the problem by administrators ensured that these requests were unheeded. The contents of the Haines Report and the Dovey Report in the late fifties vindicated the belief that teachers of migrants did not require special training. The Dovey Report in particular lulled disquiet about the problems of migrant school children, for the four years immediately following its release witnessed only a few ad hoc and unco-ordinated attempts to draw attention to the need for teacher training. By the mid-sixties, however, a number of changes in educational thought were responsible for some new developments in migrant education. It became a public issue, and a number of surveys highlighted its needs. The result was the introduction in Victoria in 1968 of some short in-service teacher training courses. The inadequacies of these courses were soon felt. A survey conducted in New South Wales in 1969 prompted the Commonwealth Government to assume responsibility for the development, management and financial control of child migrant education. Financial assistance was provided to cover the cost of special training courses for teachers, in the method of teaching English as a foreign language. These four-week courses were introduced in 1970. At the same time, and in the setting of a developing notion of multicultural education, the first specialized teacher training course in migrant education to be offered by an Australian tertiary institution was developed. This course led to the award of the Diploma of Migrant Teaching, and commenced at Armidale Teachers' College in 1973. By the end of 1973, some other tertiary institutions were developing graduate and pre-service courses. The history of the development of specialist teacher training programmes obviously does not end in 1973. That year was chosen as the cut-off date for this history for two reasons. Firstly it was, as stated previously, the year in which the first specialized course was offered by an Australian tertiary institution. Secondly, by 1973 the stage was set, in terms of an awareness of the urgent need for pre-service and in-service teacher training,, for the developments that were to take place from 1973 to the present time.4 4. Cf. L. Sislov, Conceptions of Bilingual Education; the contexts in which conceptions emerge and certain practical pedagogical initiations emerging therefrom in Australia and other countries. Unpublished Master of Education Thesis, University of Melbourne, 1982, Chapters 9 and 10.
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Item'Ten years after' : equality and the disadvantaged schools program( 1987)In 1973 the Interim Report of the Schols Commission was published providing a blue print for educational policy and planning for the 1970's and 1980's. In particular, the report focussed on the notion of equality in its educational context and the means for the achievement of its expressed ends through specific programs. One such program is the Disadvantaged Schools Program. A full decade of implementation has taken place. This thesis attempts to examine: the theoretical and political warrants of the notion of equality expressed in the Karmel Report, and the effectiveness of its translation into action through the Disadvantaged Schools Program. The focus of the thesis is that the Karmel Report was fundamentally inconsistent in its expression of the concept of educational equality. It examines the contradictions and ambiguities in the Report and the implementation of the Disadvantaged Schools Program against original goals and intentions. The Disadvantaged Schools Program, it is argued, has been undermined by these conceptual inconsistencies, by grants to non-government schools and by the way in which the Program itself came to be administered.
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ItemSkilling the Australian community : futures for public education ; the business/industry perspective( 1988)As Australia approaches the 21st Century, the era of the information-based technological society, economic considerations dominate the Government's planning and rhetoric. Maintaining international competitiveness through a revitalised workforce is partly dependent on the education system. Initially, it must be clear what claims are being made by the outside community, so educators can take a pro-active role in determining how to supply students with the requisite skills. This study examined these issues from the perspective of the major user of the school product, the business and industry sector, which includes large corporations, small business and unions. The expectations of this sector were not narrowly vocational, but rather emphasised the need for broadly-based skills for all students. Specific skills required by the business sector in the cognitive area included literacy, communication, numeracy, scientific literacy and languages, while important attitudinal skills were those of leadership, decision-making, flexibility, initiative and excellence, group participation and positive attitudes to business. Skills required by other "user" sectors: higher education, public sector, adults, parents and students, were similarly explored; there was stiking similarity in demands and emphasis, particularly between the major users - business, public sector and higher education. The reaction to these skill expectations by the providers - the educators was positive, but general; resolutions included calling for national education goals and a national curriculum and enhanced teacher training and professional development. Detailed implications of these skill demands for educational policy and programs were examined, particularly in the essential areas of literacy, numeracy and scientific technology, all of which require upgrading in resources and teaching methodology. Positive proposals for school/business interactions were made, to promote reciprocal knowledge and attitudinal skills within the two sectors. Finally, a scenario is presented of the school world in ten years time according to projections made in this business perspective. As the Australian community is being challenged to skill itself to meet future demands; as the Government implements policies through funding mechanisms determined by economic rationalism, it is important that a balanced "value-added" approach be provided by the education sector.
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ItemDifficulties in maintenance of ethnic language and culture in a multicultural society: with particular reference to Italian families in Melbourne( 1981)The growing political awareness and acknowledgment of Australia's multicultural society produced in the seventies an increasing number of reports on the needs of the ethnic communities. The Government acknowledges that it is now essential to encourage the development of a multicultural attitude in Australian society to foster the maintenance of cultural heritage and promote intercultural understanding. The long-awaited signs of widespread implementation of stated policies and recommendations have been disappointingly slow in emerging. This is attributed to the slowness of a change in attitude throughout the community. Because the Australian school system is not in tune with the multicultural society of today, children of ethnic parents are not receiving equal education opportunities with their Australian peers. Through lack of recognition of their ethnic language and culture by schools, children of ethnic parents are rejecting their mother tongue. In a series of case studies of Italian families in Melbourne, the mother's attitude was seen as the most important factor in language maintenance at the present time. Attitudes were seen to differ, not according to social class, educational level or region of origin, but according to individual values and beliefs. The importance of maintenance of ethnic language and culture for the traditional cohesiveness of the Italian family ethos is stressed, but is seen as resting on a tenuous thread.
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ItemThe development of new Christian schools in Australia 1975-1981( 1983)For a long time the established denominational schools and the state system of education provided the two main alternatives in education in Australia. Since 1975 there has been a proliferation of alternative schools. The growth of these new, small, non-government schools under the sponsorship and control of parents, churches, teachers and minority groups are currently adding a new dimension to public education. Not all these schools are Christian, though a significant number are. This thesis will aim to investigate the newly established Christian schools. The following categories are used to classify these schools. 1. Schools using Accelerated Christian Education materials. 2. Schools associated with the National Union of Associations for Christian Parent-Controlled Schools. 3. Schools associated with Christian Community Schools Limited. 4. Christian Community Colleges. 5. 'Other' Christian Schools. This thesis will provide an overview of the historical development, guiding philosophy, management structure and curriculum of schools in each category in order to ascertain both common and distinctive features. The reasons behind the establishment of these new Christian schools will also be explored. (From Introduction)
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ItemPerceptions of education and the post-industrial society: a study of student attitudes( 1987)Much has been written in recent years about the emergence of the post-industrial society. The works of writers such as Alvin Toffler, Daniel Bell and Barry Jones have, over the past fifteen years, discussed the question of an emerging new economy and the implications that this will have for both individual citizens and nations. This thesis seeks to examine the attitudes of young people towards the future and to find out the extent to which they feel optimistic or pessimistic about such things as: careers, areas of study at school, the state of the world and contemporary media preoccupations such as nuclear disarmament. The thesis methodology is based on an anaylsis of 2 219 questionnaires completed by Year 10 students in four states, plus a small case study of students' own personal writing about the future. Chapter 3 presents a picture of the post-industrial state as it is popularly portrayed in the press. Chapter 4 examines the way in which education is presented by the media and looks at the criticisms that have been levelled against it by journals such as the Bulletin since 1976. Chapter 5 is an analysis of the survey findings and presents a detailed discussion of these findings. This chapter also tests the validity of hypotheses such as: * That students who intend to seek employment in agriculture and manufacturing will be more likely to feel pessimistic about the future than those who are planning to work in the information and service sector. * That students doing Maths and Science courses will be more optimistic than those doing Humanities and Creative Arts. * That girls will choose careers in more traditional occupations long associated with women, and will therefore feel more pessimistic about the world and the future than boys do.
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ItemSkilling the Australian community: futures for public education: a public sector perspective( 1989)On November 4th, 1987 a group of public sector representatives met at the University of Melbourne to consider the skills that those entering the public sector required from the public education system. However, the initial debate centred on what was perceived as a fundamental difference between private sector and public sector purposes. After an introductory chapter and the study methodology chapter, the essence of this initial debate is outlined in Chapter Three. This is followed in Chapter Four by the representative group's list of skills and requirements for those entering the public sector. The curriculum and contextual implications associated with this list are then discussed in Chapter Five. Chapter Six is a scenario about the impact on the public education system and youth policy that any resulting changes may have had by the year 1998. Chapter Seven concludes this study with some comments about the possible future problems facing education as the twenty-first century approaches.
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ItemSocial ideologies in two sets of multicultural curricular materials( 1980)The large increase in the non-British proportion of Australia's population since 1945 has created a demand for greater recognition in schools of cultural difference and a re-affirmation of the goal of equality of educational opportunity. Marxist theories of ideology, hegemony and the State are employed to examine whether 'multicultural' curricular materials which are ostensibly advocating a critical appraisal of the society and subscription to these pluralist goals, are not soliciting support for dominant ideologies. The thesis questions whether they are not acting to reproduce the social order to the detriment of the ethnic minorities they are purporting to serve. The first of the two sets of curricular materials examined, Ethnic Australia, develops a Eurocentric view of exploration and inter-ethnic relations favourable to the needs of .capitalist economic growth. Its criticism of prejudice is unrelenting, but it does not extend it to an adequate analysis of the social conditions which might have generated discrimination and conflict. In its presentation of Italian and Greek cultures, it highlights and reinforces those attitudes and behaviours which are most conducive to an acceptance of competitive individualism under capitalism. The materials entitled Australia : A Multicultural Society, show the benefit of widespread consultation with educators and ethnic groups. They offer a view of culture and a picture of the material circumstances of Greeks and other migrants in Australia which accords with the most recent and carefully conducted research. In delivering a sustained attack on the inadequate provision for migrants in this country, they expose children' to a variety of ideological perspectives gleaned from the media, ethnic communities and the peer culture. Reservations are expressed about the capacity of materials with a liberal reformist ideology to develop in school students a critical awareness of the more intractable social structural barriers to the achievement of social equality and acceptance of cultural difference. Finally, there is brief discussion of the problems of construction and dissemination of critical curricular materials in a publicly funded educational system.
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ItemStructural reform in Australian education, 1967-1987: an analysis of key documents( 1988)During the period 1967 to 1987, every government school system in Australia presented documents which sought to address the perceived needs of the future. These documents, on the whole, proposed structural re-organisation of the bureaucracies servicing the various education systems. This study will investigate the reasons given for changing the structures of Australian public education systems during this period. Structural reform refers to the bureaucratic re-organisation of departments of education operated by state and territorial governments. A bureaucratic structure is the machinery of government empowered to act by and on behalf of the government, to achieve the government's aims, and therefore, those of the populace which elected the government. Australian education refers specifically to the public education systems provided by the government. It is not a comprehensive term, for neither the Catholic nor the Independent school systems are considered in any detail. The two decades, 1967 to 1987, represent a period of significant change in bureaucratic structures, as has already been mentioned. It is not enough to give an outline of events in their context, but to understand the reason for their occurrence. An attempt is therefore made to state why these changes came about. Additionally, trends which are common to individual states and territories are traced, thereby forming a national picture. Apart from presenting an investigation into the reasons for changing structures in the governance of education, the thesis clarifies the directions in which the changes are heading. This is a valuable exercise, for it opens the ground for policy guidelines and forward planning. Structural reform is worthy of our attention, for it represents the attempts of various governments to come to terms with a variety of social, economic, and political problems which have arisen in a time of great uncertainty and turbulence. The fluid nature of their response is a reflection of that turbulence.