Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemThe confused Frenchman : some considerations of 'freedom' in Rousseau's writings and its educational implications( 1987)The focus in this thesis is the concept of 'freedom' and, more specifically, how this concept is used by Rousseau. An attempt will first be made to clarify the meaning of 'freedom' and then Rousseau's discussions about it will be examined. Particular emphasis will be placed on an analysis of educational freedom and what Rousseau writes about it, especially in Emile. It will also be argued that the ideal political freedom that Rousseau proposes in The Social Contract is an extension of the freedom he talks about in Emile. Some critics have levelled the charge that Rousseau is not consistent in his definitions of what constitutes freedom and Max Rafferty has even referred to him as 'the confused Frenchman'. In this thesis it will be argued that this confusion is only apparent and not real. In this respect, the critical literature about Rousseau's theories on freedom will be analysed in an attempt to show that there is indeed an internal consistency of definition in Rousseau's works and that his view is of positive, rather than negative, freedom.
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ItemClinical teaching styles : an evaluation by clinicians and students( 1987)This study examined an important aspect of clinical education - clinical teaching styles - from the viewpoint of both students and clinical educators. In February 1986 physiotherapy students in their third year of the Bachelor of Applied Science course at Lincoln Institute and physiotherapy clinical educators from Lincoln Institute and metropolitan and country hospitals viewed videotapes of three teaching styles and completed a questionnaire which required the respondent to rate these styles. It was hypothesized that clinicians and students would observe and react to the presentation of styles from different perspectives and therefore their ratings of the styles would differ. The results show that this hypothesis is confirmed in that while both groups preferred the "prompting" style to the "explanatory" and "non-intervention" styles, there was also a statistically significant difference between students and clinicians in rating the "explanatory" style - students higher than clinicians. Neither group rated the "non-intervention" style as helpful to learning. Students also differentiated between the effectiveness of styles for different aspects of their treatment of patients; clinicians rated the "prompting" style as appropriate for all clinical tasks. Clinical educators should take account of these differences in perception of teaching styles which may influence the effectiveness of the clinical learning experience of students.
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Item"Learning to be a good woman" : post-primary education for girls in Victorian state schools, 1900-1939( 1987)The analysis of the development of State post-primary schooling is based on an understanding of the role of class and gender in order to investigate the philosophy, policies and pragmatic decisions which influenced the establishment of schools for girls, 1900 to 1939. An increasing awareness of the importance of gender characterised the development of State post-primary schools in Victoria in this period, partly as a result of a widespread acceptance that schooling did not cater sufficiently for gender differences. This thesis contends that the concept of work accepted by the society was class based and within this division, gender based. Implicitly and explicitly the role of wife and mother was eulogized as the most fitting vocation for all women and used as a justification for advocating an education for girls based on the acquisition of domestic skills. This thesis describes the development of post-primary schools for girls, the concentration on training in domestic skills and the development of a philosophy of education specifically designed to produce a 'good woman'. Domestic arts schools and technical schools, designed especially for working class girls, and the role of these schools in maintaining the gender division of labour, are discussed. The thesis also analyses the introduction of single sex high schools and the lack of resources devoted to girls. The 1930s and the economic forces that affected the education of most working class and lower middle class children, but especially girls, is discussed. Schools were affected by wider social tensions, but were used as tools to influence the direction girls would take on leaving school and were caught in the struggle to define and produce successive generations of 'good women'.
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ItemMontessori mathematics education : its contribution to contemporary mathematics theory and curriculum( 1987)Montessori education has a long and continuing tradition. The mathematics education component is founded upon an extensive sensory education programme developed by Dr Maria Montessori and implemented in schools throughout the world. This thesis traces the historical precedents that provided the framework for the development of an educational programme firmly premised on the need for a sensorial education. The translation of the first part of Montessori's 'Psicoaritmetica' provides an illustration of an introductory mathematics programme using structured manipulative materials. This programme develops as a direct extension of the sensory-motor emphasis of Montessori pre-school education. Finally, the Montessori mathematics programme, developed initially over fifty years ago is considered in relation to contemporary mathematics education theories, many of which have reiterated principles and practices first developed by Montessori.
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ItemPlanning and budgeting in education: V.C.A.H., Burnley( 1987)In the proposed research attention is focussed upon the administrative functions of planning, budgeting and resource allocation in education with particular reference to the Victorian College of Agriculture and Horticulture - Burnley Campus. The researcher maintains that these functions are important elements of educational administration which, if done effectively, enhance the overall effectiveness of organisations. Furthermore, it is believed that the individual approach adopted by educational organisations should be developed through a carefully considered policy process. The objective of the proposed research is to discuss planning and budgeting processes applicable to education, including the contemporary version of program budgeting, and to outline the elements to be considered in developing a budgeting model for the Burnley campus. The background to the above analysis will be established through a review of the literature in the field of planning, budgeting and resource allocation in education. An important feature of this review will be the influence of relevant government policy. The methodology used in the study will be a descriptive survey centred around the examination of V.C.A.H. documentation, administrative systems and the interviewing of relevant V.C.A.H. officers. The information provided by this survey will form the basis for an analysis of the existing policies and procedures at Burnley and form the basis for model development.
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ItemThe predictive power of measured interests in tertiary course choice: the case of science( 1987)The importance of career considerations in the processes which determine participation in science and mathematics in secondary school is rarely disputed. Similarly, vocational goals appear to be influential in the process of choosing a course of tertiary study. There are, however, few examples in the literature of the behavioural sciences where measures of occupational interests have been employed in empirical studies of students' school subject or tertiary course choices. In this study, Holland's (1973, 1985) theory of personalities and occupational environments is advanced as an integrative conceptual framework for the exploration of educational issues such as participation and tertiary course choice. It is proposed that a longitudinal study entailing examination of the structural relations between measured occupational interests, school subjects studied, and choice of tertiary field of study, will provide evidence of a substantive and profound relationship. The participants in the study were three cohorts of male Year 10 students (N = 262) attending a single - sex independent school in Melbourne. The Career Assessment Inventory and tests of scholastic aptitude were completed by all Year 10 students in 1981, 1982, and 1983. Other sources of data included details of school subjects studied by the cohorts in Years 11 and 12, final examination results (Year 12), and details of their VUAC applications for college or university courses. Measured interests and school subjects studied were classified in terms of Holland's RIASEC typology, and the applicants' tertiary course preferences were considered in terms of an hierarchical structure of Victorian tertiary courses. A basic causal model of tertiary course choice facilitated a structural analysis of the relations between the variables of interest. The results of the application of multivariate and simple bivariate analyses to the data indicated a clear pattern of strong relationships between occupational interests measured in Year 10, school subjects studied in Years 11 and 12, and preference for science and technology college or university courses. Two elaborations of the basic causal model provided data for an analysis of the effects of a more comprehensive set of interests contrasts on the criterion, and data for estimates of proportion of variance accounted for by the combination of variables included in the basic model. A substantial proportion of the variance in science and mathematics subjects actually studied in Years 11 and 12, and in first preference for a science and technology field of tertiary study, was explained by interests measured in Year 10. The results of the investigation provide compelling evidence of the predictive power of measured interests in tertiary course choice, particularly in the case of science. The results are considered within the conceptual framework provided by Holland's (1985) account of the developmental antecedents of career decision making. Implications for educational and vocational counselling are discussed; the application of Holland's theory to the educational domain is held to support the notion of its generality.
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ItemMovements towards the senior campus concept: two case studies providing description of early movements in the reorganization of secondary schooling in Victoria aimed at providing an educational environment suited for young adults( 1987)This thesis investigates early movements directed towards the emergence of a new form of secondary school organization in Victoria, namely the senior campus. Two elements are identified as having been instrumental in heralding this development, firstly the phenomenon of zero population growth (and a concomitant decline in school enrolments) and secondly, a number of key recommendations of the Ministerial Review of Postcompulsory Schooling, more commonly known as the Blackburn Report. A major causal factor in defining the characteristics of the senior campus, and in ensuring its evolution, has been the influence of powerful teachers' unions upon government policy formulation in this state. The review of literature examines the development, and characteristics, of parallel forms of schooling in other parts of Australia and overseas, endeavours to establish a framework against which the evolution of the senior campus can be compared, and seeks to provide the means of identifying reasons why forms of schooling which have been popular, and successful, in other places, have been deemed as unacceptable for implementation in Victoria. The methodology adopted has been to undertake two case studies, one in Essendon, and the other in Mitcham. Each concerned a group of schools involved in the process of rationalization and reorganization, and each provided for the establishment of a senior campus for students in Years Eleven and Twelve. A common structure was adopted in both cases - Part A provides an analysis of background documents, and Part B provides description of the change process from the vantage point of a participant observer. The Essendon study presents a conceptual model for the reorganization of schooling in the Essendon area, and the Mitcham study describes the evolution of Mullauna College, a multi-campus, P-12 college which will be established early in 1980.
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ItemAn exploration of the influence of the theories of Maria Montessori on education in state schools and free kindergartens between 1912 and 1930 in some states of south eastern Australia, with special emphasis on Victoria( 1987)While Montessori's theories appear to have had greater influence and official support in the state schools of New South Wales and in the kindergartens of South Australia, the extent of her influence in Victoria is not widely discussed in educational literature. This thesis tries to examine the ways in which Montessori's theories affected educational ideas and practices in Victorian state schools and free kindergartens between 1912 and 1930. Some comparison is made among the states of South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria as to the extent and reasons for the differing degrees of influence Montessorian ideas exerted over the educational developments in the three states. It is suggested that Montessori's ideas did influence the attitudes of some educators in Victoria but that lack of finance and over-crowding in classrooms prevented the implementation of a Montessori programme. The lasting effect of Montessori does not seem to have differed greatly in the three states.