Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemThe development of a model for the management of major strategic investment decisions in universities(University of Melbourne, 2013)Major investments in infrastructure, growth or productivity enhancement are crucial for a university in shaping its strategic direction and addressing the challenges of a changing landscape. Through a case study of Monash University, supplemented with the investigation of views of practitioners in the field, this research thesis has developed a model to optimise the management of major strategic investment decisions in universities. The model starts from the proposition that effective strategic investment decision making has two primary purposes: � Identifying major investments that are worth doing: Determining the infrastructure, activities and other enablers that are required as major investments to shape the future capacity, capability and operation of the university; and � Prioritising the ones that are best to do: Optimising the prioritisation and allocation of constrained resources to maximise the future benefit that can be achieved consistent with this strategic vision. The research reflects the hypothesis that investment decision making at universities under traditional academic leadership models has had a greater emphasis on the first of these objectives. The research suggests that there are opportunities to learn from business case/cost-benefit financial analysis approaches that are more commonly used in business. It proposes a mechanism (need to do/able to do criteria) for prioritising investments, based on which investments provide the most return given the existing or future capacity of the university to delivery them. In developing the model as mechanism for universities to enhance the management of major investments, the research considers and brings together data and analytical based approaches with the human and organisational dimensions of decision making. The major investment management (MIM) model comprises recommendations for university practices in four areas: Strategic Planning and Prioritising: facilitating effective strategic planning as the context for the identifying major investment needs and to provide a mechanism to evaluate and prioritise a portfolio of major investments. Defining Expected Strategic Outcomes: analysing and articulating the specific expected strategic outcomes for major investments by reference to four major drivers: growth and development of markets and products and services; infrastructure development; productivity enhancement; and improving rankings and reputation. Understanding Financial Implications: enabling the management of information and the development of financial analysis for understanding the financial implications of major investments, setting financial expectations and constructing major investment budgets. Adopting a Governance and Management Framework: establishing roles and responsibilities in an organisational structure that are supported by a framework of policies and processes for the governance and management of major investments, and setting up arrangements for accountabilities, project management and review of investment implementation. The study aims to contribute to the understanding of the context and factors at play in strategic investment decision making at Monash University, as an example of a large Australian public university and, by proposing a structured model, to enhance major strategic investment decision making and the management of an investment portfolio in practice. The study seeks both to add to the body of research on university management and strategic decision making and to inform and assist practitioners in the higher education sector.
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ItemMalaysian higher education and the United States as a model: policy borrowing or policy learning?( 2013)Higher education plays an important role in many developing countries. Graduates are being equipped with professional knowledge and skills to fulfil the demands of the labour market in a knowledge economy. Developing countries tend to adopt models of higher education organization from developed nations, especially those that are world leaders. Progress in science and technology and national wealth itself point to the success of these systems and suggest that they represent a suitable and feasible path to take. Malaysia is amongst those developing nations that have looked to advanced economies to provide a model of mass higher education which would raise educational levels and national income. But has a process of policy-borrowing achieved both the growth and the equity that governments have promised? Has the expansion and diversification of higher education in Malaysia created more equitable access for all students in order to ensure that increased higher education is undertaken by a wide range of population who have the ability and motivation to succeed? This study aims to contribute to policy learning in higher education in the developing world (as distinct from uncritical policy borrowing). It focuses on Malaysia’s efforts to learn from the US experience. The findings of this study may assist the Malaysian policy makers in designing new improved policies to widen access in higher education and to further strengthen Malaysian higher education sector. In the first section of this thesis, a review is made of US efforts to expand higher education, while improving equity. Two barriers to participation in higher education – school dropout rates and low achievement among young people who do graduate – are examined in greater detail. This then leads to a key discussion on the types of higher educational institutions in the US, their enrolment patterns and the challenges faced by each institution. At the end of this section, the findings that developing countries can learn from the United States’ experience are highlighted. In the second section, the study focuses on Malaysia. It starts with historical overview pre independence, focusing on economic, social and educational developments. The growth and structural transformation of the Malaysian economy are also examined and compared with educational attainment. Trends in primary and secondary public education expansion and challenges facing this public system are then discussed, leading to a detailed discussion on the development of the Malaysian public and private tertiary education sector. The findings presented in this study show that the challenge for Malaysia is not to become like the USA, but to learn from the US experience and to develop its own strategic plans for higher education that fit with the social and economic needs of the country. The study suggests policy directions to making higher education in Malaysia more effective and equitable, which includes strengthening and improving Malaysia’s public schools, enhancing the quality of higher education and assisting students from disadvantaged families. Such initiatives may assist Malaysia to become the best provider of higher education in the South East Asian region and a high-income developed country by the year 2020.
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ItemIndigenous dual diagnosis capability: measuring policy effectiveness through a cultural proficiency lens( 2013)Background: Recognising the inherent complexities associated with co-occurring alcohol and other drug (AOD) and mental health conditions (‘dual diagnosis’ or ‘comorbidity’), the National Comorbidity Project was introduced by the Commonwealth in 2000, which saw the union of the National Drug Strategy and the National Mental Health Strategy for the first time. The subsequent National Drug Strategy: Australia’s Integrated Framework 2004-2009 was heavily grounded in the promotion of dual capacity i.e. the ability for both AOD and mental health services to respond to those presenting with a dual diagnosis. A ‘No Wrong Door’ philosophy, referring to the provision of appropriate treatment services to presenting clients regardless of where they enter the treatment system, became the ‘push’ from the government as they introduced the National Comorbidity Initiative in 2007. Despite the significant over-representation of Indigenous Australians within our mental health and drug harms data, there is an obvious absence of a dialogue that includes Australia’s Indigenous population in the NCI. The NCI pays no attention to the need for the AOD and mental health workforces to ensure ‘culturally appropriate’ service provision to Indigenous service users. This study investigates the Australian states and territories own policy responses to Dual Diagnosis Capability, specifically as they relate to Indigenous service users. The study seeks to determine the extent to which these policies are culturally proficient. Methods: A systematic review was undertaken of the Australian state and territories that have dual diagnosis policies. In the absence of a national guideline for measuring cultural competence, the state and territory policies were examined and assessed through the lens of the Cultural Competence Continuum and a grading tool was designed specifically for this study modelled on the Dual Diagnosis Capability in Addiction Treatment (DDCAT) tool and the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) Aboriginal Cultural Competence Matrix. The Bridgman and Davis’ Policy Cycle was used as the ‘lens of good policy’. Results: Five Australian states’ and territories’ dual diagnosis documents were evaluated, the results showing very low levels of cultural proficiency. It is apparent that when viewed at a national level, there is little strength in Australia’s dual diagnosis policies from the perspective of how appropriately they reflect the needs of Indigenous Australians with a dual diagnosis. Conclusions: ‘Culturally competent’ service delivery requires particular characteristics as outlined in the Cultural Competence Continuum in order for policy-makers and services to start a process of shifting on this continuum. The results of the study demonstrate that the Australian policies examined do not have these characteristics. In their current form, these policies are not culturally proficient; rather, they are demonstrating attributes of cultural destructiveness, aversion, blindness, and overall cultural incompetence. Until Australian policy sets a directive for standards, not just guidelines, then it will remain difficult to measure true cultural competence in any organisation or larger service system. And arguably, the continued poor health status of Australia’s Indigenous population will ensue.
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ItemThe aspiring spires: momentum and the status university( 2013)Higher education is in many respects governed by market relations and state direction; in some ways, however, it is not. In prestige, it falls back on an elusive force. The university is entrepreneurial, and it is public spirited, and it is also itself. According to perceptions of how much of a university a university is, it is able to relay credibility. Rankings and taxonomical mapping may come at this nebulous prestige from more solid data, including the tracing of market performance and state backing. Crucially, though, it is prestige that any ranking hoping to gauge the calibrations of trust and belief is after, whether prestige already detected or that anticipated according to momentum. Aware of this, inasmuch as an organization can think, the status university continues to grow as a magnet for competitive but remarkably peaceable human endeavour, and as a major junction for the forces of civil religion. The thesis seeks to update the appraisal of the highly evolved sense of status in universities and in progressively expanded higher education systems, and to deepen appreciation of the energy and history with which they swell.
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ItemExploring teacher perceptions of factors that impact on their relationships with students through the lens of mentalisation( 2013)The contribution of positive teacher-student relationships to student wellbeing and academic outcomes is widely accepted. These relationships are recognised as essential for developing students’ connectedness to school and engagement in learning. This study investigated the factors that teachers perceive as impacting on their relationships with students, and examined these factors through the lens of mentalisation. A qualitative investigation was undertaken in which eight participants were invited to reflect on their relationships with students. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, a focus group and researcher observation. Two key factors were identified: reflection on relationship experiences and the presence of a safe and supportive environment. Interwoven within each of these factors are the notions of reciprocity and resilience. The findings suggest that the capacity of teachers to develop healthy teacher-student relationships may be enhanced if they are provided with opportunities to make sense of their prior relationship experiences, and work within school cultures and structures that prioritise the value of relationships. This study suggests that teachers can assist students in developing their capacity to more fully participate in this model of relationship by providing students with a safe and supportive environment. The findings also highlight the reciprocal nature of the healthy teacher-student relationship as these relationships may in turn positively influence the teacher’s sense of wellbeing and increase their capacity to meet the challenges of the educational environment with resilience. Mentalisation theory, which incorporates and extends the notions of empathy and mindfulness, provided a valuable framework to examine and interpret the factors that impact on teacher-student relationships. This study has implications for pre-service training and teacher professional learning. Approaches that encourage reflection on the dynamics of relationships and the contribution of one’s own relationship experiences to one’s relationship with students may strengthen a teacher’s capacity to develop healthy relationships with students and may contribute to the teacher’s own sense of wellbeing.
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ItemThe investments, expectations and identity construction of bilingual teachers of English in pursuing further professional education in Australia( 2013)There is an increase of bilingual teachers of English from non-English-speaking settings who are obtaining their Master of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) in English-speaking contexts. Most TESOL programmes concentrate on providing content knowledge to these teachers, without giving much attention to their “investment”, a notion proposed by Peirce (1995) to indicate how individuals are connected historically and socially to a target language. Additionally, not much consideration is given to these teachers’ expectations, lived experiences and identity construction while they are studying and living in English-speaking countries. However, these aspects are significant in their development as teachers and users of English. With a central research question that examines the processes that contribute to the identity construction of bilingual teachers of English while pursuing a Master of TESOL degree in an English-speaking country, this thesis explores the aforementioned neglected aspects through a case study. Data were collected through individual interviews and email correspondence with eight bilingual teachers of English who pursued a Master of TESOL degree as international postgraduate students at Sandstone University, Australia. Data were analysed qualitatively and interpreted based on a conceptual framework that was synthesised and adapted from the literature, from the participants’ responses, and from my perspectives as an insider-outsider. Findings suggest that when the participants were in Australia, many of them constructed their identities as they faced challenges both inside and outside the classroom. However, all of the participants changed and adapted to studying and living in Australia. Their investments and expectations affected their lived experiences and identity construction in powerful ways. In order to fulfil their expectations, many of the participants displayed agency in interacting with others. The participants also positioned and repositioned themselves in various ways in response to their different experiences both inside and outside class. Moreover, they applied the content knowledge that they gained from class to their personal experiences. Some of the changes that the participants made when they were in Australia were temporary adjustments to their immediate context and their expectations of obtaining their degree. These changes were not sustained when they returned to their home countries. This fact implies that there was continuity in the midst of their identity change, as they remained connected to some aspects of their home sociocultural values even while changing in Australia. This study confirms the advantages of using multiple theories to elucidate the complexity and evolution of language teacher identity. Various implications are suggested for future international students, teacher educators and teacher education programmes. The limitations of the study and areas for future research are also recommended.
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ItemStudent views of talk interactions in learning: a case study of year 8 girls( 2013)The aim of this study is to identify student attitudes to classroom talk interactions, specifically class discussion, to ascertain whether students view these contexts as opportunities for learning. The study also sought to isolate the ways students recognise talk as helping them to learn. Further, it is aimed to inform the pedagogical practice of teachers to assist them to co-construct, with students, class discussions that are more productive. Data was collected for the study from two cohorts of Year 8 girls over consecutive years, interview data from students and also interviews with four Year 8 learning area teachers. In the embedded sequential mixed-method design employed in this research, each data set gave rise to the next which sought to explicate and expand the themes emerging from the previous data set. Relationships of significance were found between enjoyment, learning, participation, teacher style (questioning and timing) and classroom culture and a conceptual model was developed which attempted to diagrammatically represent those relationships. The results also indicate the essential role of responsibility as key to class discussion. Responsibility for the success of a class discussion, one in which learning takes place, was found to be shared jointly by students and teachers. The findings for the study recommend a whole school approach to articulating and consistently and consciously applying mechanisms identified to generate more effective class discussions.
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ItemThe impact of literature circles on student engagement in middle years English( 2013)This project investigated the connection between literature circles and student engagement in middle school English classes. This study shows that literature circles can cause increases in students' behavioural, emotional and cognitive engagement in reading, and English. It adds to existing local and international research into effective middle school pedagogies, student voice, and reading strategies.
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ItemDesign and validation of an instrument to assess development of intrapersonal learning skills for students with an intellectual disability and students with autism spectrum( 2013)Investigations into the education of students with disabilities in Australia report that teachers lacked training and information about how to support the learning and participation of these students resulting in a need for materials to assist teachers to provide a mandated equality of educational services (Commonwealth of Australia, 2002; Victorian Equal Opportunities and Human Rights Commission [VEOHRC], 2012). The current study addressed this need with the overall aim to provide teachers of students with disabilities with an assessment instrument that established their students’ current developmental level and informs decisions about developmentally targeted teaching strategies. The research addressed to what extent such an assessment instrument could be developed, whether the developmental learning progressions were appropriate for all students with disabilities, and whether teachers could use the progressions to inform decisions about targeted teaching strategies. The study worked within a model of education change (Griffin, 2007a, 2007b) that linked educational measurement to policy with a purpose of, by extension, informing school-level and systemic decisions about the provision of resources and development of curriculum for students with disabilities. The design of assessment materials was based on procedures for defining standards-or criterion-referenced frameworks (Griffin, 1993, 2007a, 2007b) that rely on subject matter experts collaborating within a simulated partial credit latent trait model (Masters, 1982). It followed instrument design and validation recommendations by Wilson (2005) and Wolfe and Smith (2007a, 2007b), and AERA, APA, and NCME Standards (1999) for educational and psychological testing. The instrument focused on assessing the intrapersonal skills of students whose primary disability was intellectual or developmental (i.e. autism). These skills included cognitive and emotion-based learning skills that support capacity to learn and engage with the learning environment. The intrapersonal assessment instrument, in the form of a classroom observation survey, was used in a large scale trial of items with 1594 students followed by a calibration and validation study on assessment data from 663 students. The study resulted in the establishment of three learning standards that describe student proficiency in terms of developmental progressions that can be linked to differentiated teaching plans: an emotion skill progression, a cognitive skill progression for students with an intellectual disability, and a cognitive skill progression for students with autism spectrum disorder. The alpha coefficients of the intrapersonal learning cognitive (intellectual disability), cognitive (autism spectrum disorder) and emotion sections of the instrument were 0.97, 0.96, and 0.93 respectively. The different cognitive skill based learning progressions for students with an intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder was an important finding of the study. It provided evidence of a distinctive learning pathway for students with autism and a breakdown of the nature of this difference. Arguments for instrument validation relied upon statistical analyses conducted within an item response theory (Rasch, 1980) framework and teachers’ uses of the instrument to develop targeted and differentiated learning strategies. The study provided the state government with a basis upon which to build a new curriculum model for schools charged with the education of students with disabilities and the study’s impact has been manifested in government policy for the support of educational programs for these students.
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ItemConstructing nurses' professional identity( 2013)There is limited evidence, and research on nurses’ development of their professional identity within the social context of their daily work environments. The overall aim of this project was to investigate elements that constitute the performance of nurses’ professional identity within a specific work environment. The particular focus was on the interplay of nurses with other nurses, and with other health professionals in the context of their work environment. This ethnographic case study investigated the interactions of nurses within two specific clinical wards/units. The application of the theoretical perspective Social Identity Theory was used to study two specific professional daily activities. These activities of shift handover, and multidisciplinary team meetings were videotaped as part of the data collection. Further qualitative methods of data collection included; participants viewing the videotapes, and then being interviewed (individual or focus group). The findings generated evidence that the social context of the ward environment plays a significant role in the development of nurses’ professional identity. Professional activities such as handover contribute significantly to the formation of nurse professional identity. Handover is a structured formal social process developed, and performed entirely by nurses. This activity is a central mechanism by which nurses enculturate, new nurses, and construct, and sustain their professional identity through interaction with each other. In contrast the activity of the multidisciplinary meeting is a platform for the expression of professional identity through the interaction with other health professionals. The findings have implications for understanding how nurses when they are together create, and self- categorise their identity, and how this is changed expressed, and lived differently in a multidisciplinary group. These findings generate important possibilities for further research, and need testing in other nursing work environments. Implicitly the findings are directly relevant to professional leadership, education, and service development in the nursing profession. Additionally the structure of the research design should enable similar investigation in different contexts.
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