Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemVision and practice in Catholic schools( 2000)This research examined the way in which a group of principals, teachers and parents from three Catholic primary schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne perceive the translation of vision into practice in their schools. This paper provides an account of the background literature examined, the methodology used, the data collected and conclusions drawn.
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ItemLegal risk management in education : the physical safety of students and the implications for school leaders and for professional development in Catholic schools( 1995)This thesis is concerned with education and the law. Specifically, it focuses on managing risk-taking in schools so as to prevent students from sustaining injuries. An extensive literature review has provided a picture of education law and highlighted issues of notoriety and concern. This thesis gathered data from two substantial sources: Catholic Church Insurances (Vic) and 215 Catholic Primary, Secondary and Special Schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. Statistics related to sustained student injuries over a five year time span gathered by C.C.I. have also been presented. Finally, 33 case reviews have been analysed. These are pre-court, investigatory and assessment cases and outline the process and issues involved in particular cases where students have sustained injury. From this data it became clear that there was an obvious lack of guidance provided for the risk management of legal issues in education. From the survey to Catholic Schools various perceptions of needs or concerns were recorded some of which ran contrary to data gathered from C.C.I. statistics and from the literature reviewed. It was clear that the issue of legal risk management in education lacks understanding, motivation and action. A number of recommendations (10) have been presented in the final chapter of the thesis. These recommendations will serve to fill this void in understanding by acting as a guide and support to school leaders and by offering ongoing professional development to all those in the education profession, both in Catholic and non- Catholic Schools.
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ItemThe effectiveness of curriculum co-ordinator networks for Catholic secondary schools in Victoria( 1990)This study into the effectiveness of curriculum co-ordinator networks for Catholic secondary schools in Victoria focused on the evaluation of a pilot project in 1989. Specifically, the researcher sought to determine whether the availability of pilot convenors would enhance curriculum co-ordinators' perceptions of professional development, curriculum information and peer support via the networks. Simultaneously, the study described the pilot convenor role, thereby identifying the characteristics ascribed to effective network convenors and attempting to isolate factors which influence network effectiveness. Under the umbrella of illuminative evaluation, a range of research instruments were used, including interviews and questionnaires. Most curriculum co-ordinators who participated in this study believed they had informally rather than formally skilled themselves for their role, despite being multiply credentialled. Prior to the study they had a limited understanding of how the network could improve their professional skills -- this consciousness was only marginally heightened during the project. Similarly evidence of peer support from within the network was scant prior to the pilot project and increased minimally during the study. Attitudes to the accessibility of curriculum information were very high prior to the project and increased slightly during the study. Curriculum co-ordinators placed a high value on information access via the network and the curriculum knowledge of convenors. There is evidence from this study that convenor commitment and accessibility affect network success : further, that professional knowledge, managerial competence and responsive, non-directive interpersonal convenor skills positively influence network effectiveness. Environmental factors such as network size, the mix of schools and the professional experience of participants also impact on network effectiveness. Conceptual flaws in the networking model being trialled were revealed during this study: namely, the use of school-based personnel as pilot convenors did not inherently add to their credibility with curriculum co-ordinators but likely detracted from their effectiveness. Further, the availability of a pilot convenor as 'critical friend' appeared to undermine peer support rather than enhance it. iii
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ItemA history of Therry Regional College, Broadmeadows( 1997)The post-war period saw secondary education in Australia in a state of turmoil. Problems of overcrowding, a narrowly academic curriculum, combined with insufficient and unqualified staff, affected both government and non-government secondary schools, The Catholic secondary system had additional problems: the declining numbers of Religious, the increased presence of lay-teachers, and the 'Catholic dream' of a Catholic education for every Catholic child. Catholic educational authorities sought an economical solution to the problems besetting secondary education. Based on an American model, regional secondary schools were established across Melbourne to provide Catholic secondary education for Catholic youth. Therry Regional College, Broadmeadows, was one such Catholic regional secondary college. This history of Therry Regional College, Broadmeadows, examines the College as a Catholic regional secondary school administered by the Christian Brothers in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne. The school's growth paralleled changes in two major areas: Government funding, and the administration of Catholic schools by the Catholic Education Office. The significance of community is examined in relation to the changing faces of the people of Broadmeadows. This history of the College reflects the history of the local community: it is a story of struggle and courage in adversity.
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ItemTradition and change in the establishment of Mount St Joseph Girls' College 1964-1970( 1991)Social, political and economic influences invariably have bearing on the development of a school's philosophy, policies and practices, and must be considered integral to any school history. This is most evident in the post-war period, when the 'explosion' in numbers in post-primary schooling resulted not only in an expansion of schools but also, in a restructuring of traditional secondary school organisation and practice. For the first time post-primary schooling came to be recognised as a distinct and essential sphere of education. The establishment of Mt St Joseph Girls' College in 1964 by the Institute of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart was in direct response to changes in Australian society during the 1950s and 1960s. The Sisters of St Joseph, an Australian teaching Order, was established in the 1860s by Father Julian Tenison-Woods and Mary McKillop to provide Catholic primary education to the poor. However, in the 1960s, the Institute was prepared to adapt and meet the demand for secondary education by establishing secondary colleges. This thesis traces the establishment and development of the first secondary Josephite school in Victoria - Mt St Joseph Girls' College between the period 1964 and 1970. The recollections of students reveal that despite the Josephites' efforts to widen educational and occupational opportunities for working-class girls, school organisation, curriculum and practices, implicitly and explicitly directed girls to gender-specific educational and occupational paths; and to the notion that culturally valued womanhood was intrinsically related to marriage and motherhood. The study also indicates that it was not until 1969 that the Josephites introduced curriculum reform by replacing the multilateral form of school organisation (professional, commercial and domestic sciences), with a more integrated and comprehensive curriculum which cut across these divisions and catered for the needs and interests of a wide range of students. Although the benefits of this were not evident until the following decade, it must be emphasized that the Josephites had taken the first steps to remove the limitations placed on girls' aspirations, abilities and opportunities. v
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ItemThe Australian Catholic school sector: organisational structures and their rationales at state and territory level( 1990)In November, 1980, Dr. Grant Harman presented a discussion paper prepared for the Committee of Enquiry into Education in South Australia. The paper, "Administrative Structures for Providing Education Services at State Level" (Harman, 1980), set out to investigate organisational arrangements for public education across Australia, to investigate the background to changes being implemented and to evaluate the suitability and, effectiveness of the current state and territory systems with a view to recommending changes in the South Australian system. This paper aims to replicate aspects of Harman's work within the context of the Catholic Church's provision of education in Australia in 1987. Accordingly the research undertaken sought first to identify the major providers of Catholic education within each state and territory, the authority of each body, its terms of reference, and its structure, function and rationale. On the basis of the information gathered, comparisons are made between the identified structures, and a number of conclusions presented. (From Chapter 1)
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ItemKey factors for change in Catholic primary schools( 1995)Change is inevitable, and it cannot be avoided unless we live in a vacuum. Forces from within and from outside are continually beckoning adjustments. The complexity of change is evident as the combinations and permutations of a range of phenomena and events react to create a new dynamic, sometimes completely different from anything else. Key Factors for Change in Catholic Primary Schools attempts to recognise these forces and recommends factors that need consideration for this change to be authentic and moral. The research that I undertook reinforced the views of education writers (eg. Fullan), that change which is imposed has little chance of fruition, as collaboration is overlooked for false expediency. Conversely, change that evolves from a group that has a common purpose and driven by collegial leadership, is more likely to succeed. Yet there are still no certainties, as some factors lie beyond the control of good management. In particular, the parochial nature of Catholic primary schools, and the role of the parish priest has to be acknowledged. Seven key factors for positive change management are identified and in the light of certain contextual realities.
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ItemSchool rationalisation in the Catholic sector: deciding the future of Cathedral College, East Melbourne( [1997])The management of decline in Catholic schools is a serious issue for each school’s authority, for staff whose employment is with the school, and with ‘system’ administrators charged with responsibility for co-ordinating rationalisation for the benefit of all. Imposed high level decision-making runs counter to the established principles of subsidiarity and local autonomy. Furthermore, the effectiveness of imposed restructures is limited by the personal commitment of school community members to undertake change. This historical case study concerns the restructuring of inner-city Catholic secondary education for boys. It shows the decision to close Cathedral College by amalgamation was made by the owner of the property, on the recommendation of the Catholic Education Office – Melbourne (CEO-M), after consultation with its operators, the Christian Brothers. The teachers and ancillary staff sustained the college over its final fifteen months, despite their dislike for the changes being implemented and their concern over ongoing employment in the contractionary amalgamation.