Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemThe Victorian Certificate of Education : the change process and teacher practice( 1995)There are two key issues in this study. Firstly, to examine the extent to which teacher practice has changed during the first year of implementation of the Victorian Certificate of Education's Year 11 Legal Studies study design - Unit 1 - Criminal Law and Civil Law. The second key issue is to explore the extent to which any change in teacher practice is due to the new course and the manner in which it was implemented. For this study I have used a case study approach with a series of cross-case techniques when analysing the data. Three cases were selected for study. Several different methods of data collection were employed. Specifically, external observation, systematic interviewing, collection and analysis of documents and checklists were used on a regular basis. To develop the cross-case synthesis I adopted cross-site analysis techniques as suggested by Miles and Huberman (1984) in their text Qualitative Data Analysis: A Sourcebook of New Methods. In order to plan this study, an overview of some of the key writings in this area was undertaken. Specifically, key writings on implementation and the process of implementation in relation to teacher practice were reviewed. This process is explored through the examination of several theories and models on implementation. How teachers perceive a change to existing curriculum programmes and the extent to which that curriculum leads to a modification in teacher practice is examined in detail. Particular attention is paid to the range of variables and interventions that can lead to a modification in teacher practice. The major findings and conclusions drawn from this study indicate that the teachers' pedagogical judgments, plans and decisions reflected a reasonably narrow collection of educational goals. These goals were shaped, in the main, by the realities of their classroom environments. The teachers prioritised most matters on a cost benefit ratio. This was particularly evident in relation to the intervention strategies. They also underwent a period of uncertainty about the change which compounded their reluctance to move away from established classroom practice and adopt certain teaching techniques that complemented the flexible nature of the study design. Decisions regarding teacher practice, therefore, were orientated around 'tried and true' techniques that met a number of preconditions. Specifically the need to balance the competing academic needs and interests of their students; student willingness to cooperate and feel comfortable with the teaching style adopted; perceptions of what the new content and assessment offerings required, and the limitations of time dominated their decision-making process. The end result was a general reluctance to discard established methods of teacher practice given these classroom 'realities'. The major findings, therefore, indicate that an educational change in terms of a modification to teacher practice was difficult to achieve.
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ItemA description and explanation of the differences in teacher culture in state secondary schools in Victoria( 1993)The Victorian state secondary education system has had, for many years, two divisions: the Technical School Division and the High School Division. Teachers operating in one system in most cases had very little to do with those in the other system and it has seemed that two distinct " teaching cultures" had developed. During the eighties and early nineties, substantial structural changes occurred within the state system which allowed teacher movement between the previous divisions and thus created the potential for conflict. Teachers from each division have been confronted with a teaching culture in many cases different from their own experiences. Each system historically existed for a different reason, offered different curricula and trained its teachers differently. Its raisond'etre changed as social conditions changed but the differences persisted. Its teaching staff seemed to develop ways of operating which marked them as distinctly "technical" or "high". A hypothesis was proposed which suggested that a teaching culture comprised two broad factors which then determined the sorts of school operations teachers were likely to be involved in. Thus it might be possible to group people with similar backgrounds and experiences into a technical school culture and others into a high school culture. To understand if a difference existed between technical and high school teachers, qualitative research was undertaken using interviews with six people who equally represented each division, who were varied in their teaching subjects and who had recently come to a new school where a new teaching culture had not yet been established. The data collected was verified by the interviewees and recorded on a data chart. It was found that the cultures were not clearly technical or high school, but rather based more around practical and non-practical teaching subject orientation. In this sense it would see that there might be as much difference in the culture of teaching groups within a school as in the culture between the two types of school. It could be proposed that the apparent differences between the two systems may well have depended more on the different nature of the teaching, in that one system valued practicality more than the other.
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ItemConcepts of balance and relevance in educational discourse on curriculum( 1983)It is contended that children can best be prepared to meet the challenges posed by rapid social change when the curriculum services a general education and avoids narrow specialization or narrow vocational training. Such an approach to curriculum is said to be characterized by its 'balance' and 'relevance'. However, it would appear that 'balance' and 'relevance' have come to symbolize ideals to which all curricula aspire, even though various value orientations have selected priorities which posit differing, even conflicting, practice. Hence educational discourse to establish what ought to be taught must evaluate the practical importance of that which is said to constitute 'balance' and 'relevance' in the context of the value orientations adopted. General education proposals attempt to frame their selections of priorities such that 'balance' entails meeting the diverse needs of all students. This 'holistic' approach is therefore required to accommodate the various conflicting orientations to 'relevance'. Hence any general curriculum proposal finds it necessary to make a case that these conflicts can be reconciled, that a consensus can be established and that curriculum design and implementation can be achieved in practice. This quest for 'balance' and 'relevance' is analyzed with particular reference to the Australian proposals "Core Curriculum for Australian Schools", made by the Curriculum Development Centre, and "Schooling for 15 and 16 Year-Olds", made by the Schools Commission. Both proposals postulate that the curriculum ought to be based on the common culture whose nature is to emerge as a consensus following analysis of contemporary society. Advances in science and technology are said to be the major contributors to rapid social change. Therefore, what constitutes, in the context of a general education, an adequate understanding of science and technology for life in society is also analyzed. Such an approach to science education is often characterized as the development of a broadly based 'scientific literacy'. The analyses reveal that it would appear to be unrealistic to expect that Australia as a nation, espousing pluralist values and belief systems, some of which have deeply entrenched vested interests in selections of what constitutes educational virtue, will adopt the concept of general education with the CDC's 'core curriculum' as its central expression.
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ItemSecondary education at the Victorian Correspondence School, 1938-1978( 1982)How many students? What forms? What type of students? Where are students located? How many and what type of subjects are studied? Why do students discontinue? These, and other questions about the enrolment at the Secondary Section of the Correspondence School are investigated in this thesis. A computer analysis of information on Student Record Cards was completed for every fifth year in the period 1938-1978, with most variables being cross-tabulated with form, and this data is presented in a series of tables. A description of the changes which occurred between 1938 and 1978 is also provided. The major contribution of this thesis is that it makes available enrolment data which was in an hitherto unavailable form. Data files for each year investigated have been created and these are available if future researchers wish to complete detailed studies of individual years or for studies of specific aspects of enrolment through time.
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ItemPlanning primary-secondary transition: the formulation from theories of needs-satisfaction of a set of principles to guide educational planners engaged in developing primary to secondary transition programmes( 1981)Over recent years, there has been increasing interest by practising teachers in designing programmes to aid pupils make a smooth transition from primary to secondary school; it has been realised that children frequently lose, rather quickly, any enthusiasm they have which has arisen in connection with the transfer from primary to secondary school. Programmes which have been designed by teachers have, for the most part, been developed in a piece-meal fashion to deal ad hoc with perceived problems. This paper reports a conjectural study which has been based on a review of related and pertinent literature dealing with transition. It has as its purpose the developing of a set of planning principles or recommendations to assist both primary and secondary schools to prepare children for transition and to assist them to deal more adequately with the problems and anxieties associated with transition from primary to secondary school. The children's anxieties at transition, which are referred to collectively as 'the transition problem', are discussed, and analysed in terms of the need for satisfaction of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. This having been done, it has then been possible to develop the planning principles using those principles which form part of the body of theory which is called job-satisfaction theory. The planning principles presented are an outgrowth of both observation and experience, with appropriate theoretical support, but, as a set of recommendations, have not been subjected to empirical testing. The scope of this work was to develop a set of principles for use by educational planners concerned with primary - secondary transition. It is up to those who follow to test them.
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ItemDistinguishing the science content taken by grade 12 students( 1977)The population of grade 12 students in Australian secondary schools has been steadily increasing over the past two decades. For most of this period the percentage of students at this level choosing science-type courses has been decreasing, and recently the actual number taking physics and chemistry has declined in some states. This study aimed to find a set of variables that would maximize the prediction of grade 12 student science content. Emphasis was directed toward identification of science talented students not opting for high science content in grade 12, and, equally as important, those of low science ability who select predominantly science courses at this level. It was proposed that the variables could be measures of any area likely to be related to the criterion. For example, factors associated with the home, the school, and personal measures were all included. The variable set was then searched for that combination returning optimal criterion prediction. Attention was focussed on six main units of analysis viz males, males of higher science ability, males of lower science ability, females, females of higher science ability, females of lower science ability. The data in each unit was subjected to both discriminant (stepwise and direct) analysis and a process similar to a stepwise regression procedure called the Automatic Interaction Detector (AID). AID employs a branching process using variance analysis to subdivide the sample into subgroups which maximize dependent variable value prediction. The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) conducted a series of tests on a stratified random sample of grade 12 students throughout Australia in 1970. The results, held at ACER, included measures of some 418 variables thirty four of which were selected for this investigation. Included in this group were the results of the four Commonwealth Secondary Scholarship Examination (CSSE) ability tests taken two years earlier. Analysis units were formed on the basis of sex and CSSE - Science score. The results indicate successful science content prediction is possible with the personal or internal variables of science interest, attitudes and abilities, consistently being of greatest importance. The participating external variables vary depending on the unit of analysis. The non-monotonic "State" and "Type of School" factors are predominant in AID analyses.
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ItemDevolution and effective school leadership: a case study involving ten Victorian state high school principals( 1987)An interview methodology was used in this study in an attempt to ascertain how high school principals view the current devolution proposals (as outlined in the document Taking Schools Into The 1990's) as affecting school leadership in terms of Sergiovanni's leadership model. When conducting the interviews it became quite apparent that Sergiovanni's leadership model was most representative of the leadership patterns of principals in the sample. All of the interviewees believed that a school would need to have a strong and functional culture in order to provide excellence in schooling. The majority of principals saw their role as cultural leader as being more important than their managerial role from the viewpoint of seeking excellence in schooling. Seventy per cent of respondents saw the role of principal as crucial in developing/ maintaining a strong school culture. Furthermore, most principals also believed that the new devolution proposals could enable schools to develop a stronger school culture, thus resulting in greater excellence in schooling. The local appointment of staff was a recommendation seen as being most beneficial in this regard. The recommendation that high schools obtain the services of a full-time administration manager was also seen as allowing the school principal to be a more effective leader in that he could delegate more of his managerial functions and thus concentrate more on his role of cultural leader. Although more detailed research is required, the results of this study are consistent with the claim made in the review of literature that because Sergiovanni comprehensively addresses the issue of school culture then his model would appear to be the most useful in the current educational climate. The results also give encouragement to those who believe that some of the recommendations contained in the latest devolution proposals may result in greater excellence in schooling.
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ItemParental choice: non-government secondary schools in the Ballarat region( 1981)This study grew out of suggestions that there was a drift in students at the secondary level from government schools to the independent schools at Ballarat. Later, evidence presented by the Regional Education Office at Ballarat showed that there was indeed an observable shift in enrolments. The study was primarily concerned to see if those parents who enrolled their children at the secondary level for the first time at an independent school in 1980 had in fact considered sending their children to a state secondary school. It was thought necessary to broaden the scope of the study to understand the reasons why parents opted to send their children to the 'independent schools. First, a study of the parents' attitudes towards education at the secondary level is undertaken. Second, the personal and family background of the parents from the various schools is revealed so that differences between the parent bodies can be ascertained, Finally, the study attempted to reveal reasons why the parents chose to send their children to independent schools, and whether those reasons are in harmony with the aims of the schools as set out in their various prospectuses. The picture based on empirical evidence of the independent schools of Ballarat as perceived by the schools themselves, and by the parents who chose to send their children to these schools, is then used as background to search for qualitative evidence for the drift which has occurred.
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ItemModelling performance management linked to professional development in secondary schools( 2004)The growing push for educational reform across the world has seen a renewed focus on teacher performance and performance management systems. Many teachers in Australian schools have tended to resist the notion of professional and other appraisal of their work. But now we see an inevitability and reasonableness of becoming more accountable and of improving both the teaching practice and the career structure for teaching professionals. This thesis was designed, to explore different systems of performance management used in selected independent secondary schools in Victoria. The aim was to model a system of performance management from the research that will suit the needs of accountability and also the professional needs of the teaching fraternity. A mixed method of research was chosen for this work. A questionnaire was designed and used to probe teacher's knowledge and feelings towards performance management and its possible implementation. One on one interviews with staff from selected independent schools in the Melbourne area, were conducted. The major findings of this research are that teachers welcome feedback and appraisal, in particular feedback that is delivered in a constructive and developmental way. The interview component of the study along with the research of Mongan (1999), Down (2001) and Ingvarson (2001) revealed that a system of performance management linked to professional development is an excellent way for schools to gain accountability but to also develop their teachers both professionally and as people. In conclusion the paper is designed to be a working document that can be used in secondary schools as a tool to appraise the performance of staff. It asserts that all forms of assessment of staff should be linked to improvement and professional development. Recommendations are made for others who are considering implementing or reviewing similar systems and areas of further research are also suggested.
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ItemAn analytical survey of percussion education at the immediate pre-tertiary level( 1989)The standard of music education for players of percussion instruments appears to be deficient when compared to that of players of other musical instruments. Research has been conducted amongst students of percussion with the purpose of identifying characteristics which may suggest the need to adopt particular teaching strategies to address problems related to educational background. A profile of percussion students at the Box Hill College of TAFE Music Department refers to such matters as age, educational background, musical training and experience, learning skills and achievement. This profile is presented along with an analysis of some learning difficulties and problems encountered by students and the strategies adopted to address those problems. The role of published materials used in percussion teaching at Box Hill College of TAFE and the rationale for the writing of further tuition material is discussed. The content and context of the instrumental lesson and curriculum models which pertain to instrumental tuition form a large part of the study. The role of the teacher in the instrumental lesson is seen to include functions which go beyond the immediate processes of skill and knowledge development into the realm of personal growth and development. An essential aspect of skill development for musicians is the daily practice programme. The aims of practice, the motivation to practice and the materials and organisation of practice are all examined together with related problems experienced by students and the strategies used to address such problems. Percussion tuition, traditionally having been conducted outside the mainstream of music teaching institutions, is now seen to be most effective when conducted within the context of a comprehensive music education programme. Students of percussion clearly benefit from a course of study which includes not only percussion tuition but also aural and theoretical training, the study of music history, composition and practical experience in performance ensembles.