Faculty of Education - Theses
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 10 of 18
-
ItemAn analysis of how an innovation is disseminated by using the origins of the vertical curriculum concept in Victorian State Secondary Schools( 1985)The purpose of this investigation was twofold. One aim was to discover the origins of the vertical curriculum structure that has made a considerable impact on state secondary schools in the last decade. The other aim was to establish how the idea spread throughout the system and why schools made this major change away from the horizontal curriculum. Three research methods were used in this study. Firstly, Education Department Secondary School Handbooks were studied to identify the vertically structured schools in 1975 and 1982. Secondly, a telephone survey was undertaken in order to find more information about each of the forty-four vertical models discovered in the 1983 Handbook. This survey also enabled the original innovative schools to be identified, key individuals to be established and communication links between schools to be drawn up. Finally, the key carriers of the concept were interviewed to gain in depth information on the innovation. The outcome from the data collected should assist in the understanding of how a major curriculum change can disseminate throughout the schools in an education system. These implications should apply to educational systems outside of both Victoria and Australia.
-
ItemMaking the transition : cultural reproduction in the market-place( 1985)This work relates to the cultural, economic and behavioural characteristics of two groups of young people who have recently left school and, either embarked upon a career pathway via tertiary education or on to long-term unemployment. Theories of cultural reproduction and anomie were examined in an attempt to account for the pathways that the two groups had taken. Two anomalies were discovered; students from migrant or working-class backgrounds who were succeeding in higher education and some working class unemployed young people who were beginning the slide into the under class. Cultural reproduction theory was found not to exactly or accurately account for outcomes and life chances whereas anomie theory was found to be a reasonable explication for the state of malaise of a number of those young people interviewed.
-
ItemSport, femininity and feminism( 1985)This thesis explores the culture of sport from a feminist perspective. It reviews the masculine nature of sport and the apparent incompatibility between female athleticism and the traditional femininity; and indicates feminists' concerns with the existing sports culture. The details of interviews with ten university sports women in an interactive setting are set out, covering both sporting and non-sporting areas. Many of the women report experiencing the conflict between their athletic involvement and the demands of traditional femininity but resolve the conflict in favour of sport in an individualistic way. Their feminist awareness and feeling of sisterhood appear to be comparatively undeveloped. Finally, some options for increasing the attractiveness of sport for girls and women are suggested, including not only easier access to the existing culture, but the development of alternatives based specifically on women's physiology and lifestyle.
-
ItemConflict resolution among pre-adolescents( 1985)There is considerable research available on psychological-moral development in general, based largely on cognitive developmental theory. There appears to be, however, little experimental work on conflict-resolution at the pre-adolescent level. Most studies in conflict-resolution are based either on post-adolescent or adult conflict (in the industrial and management arena). This study was an attempt to measure more definitively conflict-resolution behaviour patterns occurring among primary-school age children. The theoretical and research literature on this area is discussed including studies on aggression and conflict, verbal behaviour and social relationships and sex-difference as it relates to general conflict behaviour. The subjects of this study were 560 children from preparatory grade (age 4 1/2) to grade six (age 12) in a large primary school in Western Suburban, Melbourne. The study investigated children's self-initiated responses to a hypothetic dyadic conflict. As the responses in the upper grade levels were more verbally based a test of general verbal ability (the TOLA 4 and 6) was given to all grade 4 to 6 children to ascertain correspondence between general verbal ability and stated, preferred, means of resolution in dyadic conflict. The hypothetic conflict was dyadic, pragmatic and well within the child's normal play experience. The subjects were invited to nominate their preferred mode of conflict resolution. These preferences, for resolution, were classified into resolution modes. The survey and testing provided support for the hypotheses that reasoning-based resolution characteristics is correlated with age, that boys are more likely to select aggressive resolutions to conflict than girls, while girls will be more likely to select verbally based behaviours.
-
ItemThree visions of Utopia : the educational and social theories of Plato, Bellamy and Morris( 1985)The evidence of early Western literature such as the written version of Homer's oral epic poems and Hesiod's Works and Days suggests that the impulse to speculate about a better time and place in human social experience than a given present is not a recent phenomenon. The early chapters of this thesis postulate a link between recent and ancient examples of the genre of Utopianism and speculate on sociological significance in relevant mythology from Ancient Greece. Reference is made to the conclusions of Carl Jung about the significance of dream and symbol in human psychology and Sir Thomas More's contribution to Ui-opianism. The main part of the thesis incorporates an eximinatiori of the khree selected works compatible with these observations, as a result of which the following contentions are posited and explored: 1 the genre has its genesis in dissatisfaction with a social and political environment, 2 the general concept of Utopia first becomes a specific genre In Western literature as a process involving the exposition of political social, moral, economic and educational philosophies in the hands of Plato in his Republic, 3 exponents of the concept and genre since Plato implicitly acknowledge a debt to him in subject matter, areas of concern, style and technique, 4 a clear educational philosophy is patently central to each social philosophy presented in the three examples under discussion. In each case, analysis of the text is preceded by a summary of relevant contemporary historical and philosophical data and a brief biographical background of the author. Some speculation has been offered about the intentions and aims of the authors and attention has been focused on particular influences which may have affected them. The Conclusion is a summary of the similarities which have corne to light as a result of comparison of the texts, and a comment on the value and importance of the genre. It will be apparent to the reader that this writer could not remain impervious to the literary impact of the texts themselves and, although spasmodic attempts have been made at objectivity, no apology is offered for any residual traces of self-indulgent delight in the study of the primary sources i hold it as a self-evident truth that the richness of the ideas explored is correlative to the quality of the medium in which they are expressed. Note on the spelling of Greek words in translation Since there is some disagreement over the spelling of Greek words in translation 1 have chosen the commonly-used "c" in preference to "k" where applicable and retained it for the sake of consistency except only in the case of references to Lattimore's translation of the Odyssey, where the spelling of some words is central to the argument.
-
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.
-
ItemComputer-assisted instruction, for elementary school mathematics( 1985)In the 1960s, many educational researchers in the U.S. were attracted to the instructional potential of the computer. In the late 1970s, some of this potential had begun to be realized, as schools gained computing facilities consisting mainly of lower-cost micro-computers. This instructional medium has relatively recently begun to find its way into Australian schools and those of other western countries. Although there are many ways computers may be used to assist the teaching/ learning process, the available educational software tends to consist largely of what is referred to as C.A.I. This is probably the result of the majority of software being of U.S. origin, and of early developmental emphasis placed on this type of program. Programs of this type attempt to perform the function of the teacher by direct instruction of students or examination of their knowledge of a usually elementary topic. (Preferable usage regards the computer as a tool which enables the student to explore or carry out other useful tasks related to learning.) This investigation represents an early attempt at examining the effectiveness and feasibility of this type of instructional computer use in a Victorian primary school. It includes a description of the modes of computerized instruction and learning, together with claimed advantages and perceived drawbacks attaching to this practice. A survey of the use of computers in western countries is included, together with an examination of some of the early C.A.I. research conducted in the U.S. The practical component of the investigation involved the development of a C.A.I. program for the teaching of addition of vulgar fractions. This was subsequently tested with 19 Grade Five children at an independent primary school. The children were tested on the topic before and after exposure to the program, and also received a questionnaire on their attitudes and perceptions. The results were analysed by comparing the performances and responses of children of differing mathematical abilities (measured by prior administration of an achievement test). The program appeared to be only moderately effective. This could have. been because of deficiencies in the program and/or the shortage of student exposure. The effectiveness appeared to be greater for students of "medium" ability. Use of the computer on the other hand proved to be highly motivational to all of the children. There seemed to be some evidence that children of higher ability found the experience easier and more enjoyable, and that some children exhibited somewhat immature perceptions of the computer and of their own computer-related behaviour. The report includes criticisms of the program as tested and recommendations for improvement. Finally, recommendations are included for further research, as well as for any intending educational computer users and programmers. Note: In keeping with the investigational topic, the computer was utilized in the preparation of the report in two ways:- (i) A computerized search of the ERIC educational data base was conducted, to locate reports dealing with C.A.I. in elementary school mathematics. (ii) After experiencing a number of difficulties with typists, the report was produced by the investigator himself, using the WORDSTAR word-processing program. It should be pointed out that the investigator is, at best, a "two-finger" typist! Use of this method of report preparation, although consuming considerable time, is thoroughly recommended to other research students.
-
ItemA critical appraisal of Elliott W. Eisner's concepts of educational connoisseurship and criticism and the improvement of educational practice( 1985)I hope that what I say will ultimately broaden our view of both curriculum and evaluation, two fields that in my opinion are in need of some new models of practice. (Elliot Eisner, Cognition and Curriculum, (Longman, 1982) xiii. Eisner's task is that of the reconceptualist. In recent work, he has argued that impoverishment of curriculum and evaluation can only be understood if more imaginative, creative and artistic conceptions of the educational roles and processes are fostered. His writings are deliberately provocative. They often impressionistically and imaginatively suggest new ways of seeing and understanding education. Consequently some of Eisner's ideas may lack the resolution of the positivist theory, the precision of the scientific culture, or the language of the handbook which may transfer or transform theory into practice and lessons. These are anathema to Eisner. Instead, his ideas and visions are often deliberately expressed in abstraction, imaginative and engaging rhetoric, appeals to our educational imaginations, and our collective educationalists' conscience. Are they of "use"? The purpose of this study is to examine Eisner's stances on a number of issues which are central to his reconceptualist and reeducative task.
-
ItemComputer aided learning for the physics laboratory( 1985)Computer Aided Learning (CAL) can be described as a process by which an infinitely patient machine can (i) deliver material to a student using a variety of methods and media, (ii) interact with the student by accepting responses from the keyboard, and (iii) control a student's progress through a lesson by analysing the responses, then branching to new or repeated parts of the lesson. This thesis reviews some aspects of developing and evaluating such a CAL package. After considering a variety of approaches to the production of CAL adopted by different authors, the study considers in some detail those design rules thought to be pertinent to the development of an effective CAL program. Next the thesis proposes an hypothesis about a particular set of CAL programs, then describes an empirical study in which the hypothesis was tested using three computer aided lessons. These lessons were designed to teach students some of the physical concepts involved in a common physics experiment, and emphasis was placed on using computer simulations to present precisely the phenomenon which students would encounter in a real laboratory situation. Student interaction took the form of (i) using a ruler to measure features of the computer generated data, and (ii) using the keyboard to respond to questions, thereby progressing through the lesson. Small groups of students from local High schools participated in a pilot program, then later in a main study. Data from these experiments were then analysed in accordance with standard procedures. An attempt was made to identify and describe the experimental variables, and to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of this particular computer aided learning process. Readers should appreciate that the scope of the study was restricted and, as a result, the statistical interpretations are only indicative of a small scale empirical study. Readers should also appreciate that design rules proposed in the thesis are continually under review, particularly as new facilities (such as interactive video disk or tape) are introduced as part of the CAL process. The author was encouraged by several observed outcomes of the project, including positive student attitudes to the CAL technique, as well as indications of improved student understanding of the concepts being taught. Computer programs used in the study were simple and somewhat unsophisticated in comparison with more recently produced commercial software. Finally the thesis suggests that in the future CAL will become more prominent in the school and college curriculum. New techniques, particularly those involving interactive video, will have a major impact on the style of presenting material to students, resulting in effective individulized tuition.
-
ItemA comparative study of ten Victorian Protestant girls' school histories 1875 to 1920( 1985)In recent years a number of histories of independent girls' schools have been published and it now seems an appropriate time to draw together some aspects of this history. This thesis will trace some of the common features of these histories with a view to explaining the changes in the development of female education in Victoria during the period 1875 to 1920.(From Introduction)