Melbourne Graduate School of Education - Theses
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ItemChildren's perceptions of changes in families( 1991)The three studies reported in this thesis take as their subjects over one thousand "ordinary primary school children" from state primary schols in the western region of Melbourne. The sample has not been drawn using methods such as newspaper requests (Burns, 1980), from Parents without Partners groups (Kurdek and Siesky, 1978), from university towns (Franz and Mell, 1981) or through court records (Hess and Camara, 1979; Dunlop and Burns, 1988). The western region of Melbourne is socioeconomically and ethnically diverse and predicted to grow faster than most other areas of Melbourne in the next decades. In essence, these children are that future. Certainly, their perceptions of families and of changes in families will help to shape their own futures. Children have much to say about families as has been noted in studies by Ochiltree and Amato (1985) and Goodnow and Burns (1985). Children in Studies 1 and 2 in this thesis wrote eloquently and often with passion about families generally and about family changes specifically. Previous studies (Csikszentmihalyi and Rochberg-Halton, 1981; Silcock and Sadler, 1980; Wallerstein and Kelly, 1980; Riach, 1983; Ochiltree and Amato (1985) and Cooper (1986) have looked at children's perceptions of families. Some, like Csikszentmihalyi and Rochberg-Halton, (1981) and Cooper (1986) have drawn attention to gender differences; others, like Silcock and Sadler, (1980), to techniques employed in the collection of data. In addition, Selman and his colleagues (1979, 1980, 1986) have focussed on children's developing understanding of social relations. Selman's stages of development of social understanding, like those of Hoffman (1983) for empathy development are based on Piagetian stages of cognitive development. The present studies are an attempt to draw together around a single theme, children's perceptions of families, the impact of a range of techniques for data collection (as Silcock and Sadler, (1980) have suggested is appropriate) and consideration of age/stage differences as defined by Selman et al. Additionally, gender differences are investigated as suggested by Csikszentmihalyi and Rochberg -Halton, (1981). In Study 1, a group of forty Grade 5/6 children completed a questionnaire, Children's Perceptions of Changes in Families. Subsequently, this group of forty was divided into a target and a control group. The target group of children took part in an eight week videotape/discussion program with family matters as content while the control group continued with general classroom activities. At the completion of this, children were presented with the responses they had prepared previously to the questionnaire and invited to change these in any way they considered appropriate. Analysis revealed that elaboration occurred in the responses of children in both target and control groups. Statistical analysis revealed very little in the way of differences between the responses made by those children who had taken part in the videotape/discussion program and those who had not. Coming out of this study, however, were gender differences and tendencies for children to describe parents in stereotypic roles which are reminescent of other larger studies (Goodnow and Burns, 1985; Cooper, 1986; Ochiltree and Amato, 1985). Girls, for example, expressed far more interest than boys in the experience of caring for a new baby; boys referred more than did girls to the fights likely to ensue should a new child come into the family. Father's movement from the children's home to live elsewhere was considered unhappy because of his loss as a playmate; in mother's case, it was her inability to continue caring for the children which was noted. Such patterns were revealed in the content analysis of the children's responses to the questionnaire. The children in this first study served as a window into the other studies reported in this thesis in that the researcher spent considerable time speaking with both groups through their two completions of the questionnaire and with the target group during the videotape/discussion program. In addition, statements made by these forty children were used as the basis of Study 3. In Studies 2 and 3, children prepared written responses to the tasks set them. In Study 3, 1118 Grade 3/4 and Grade 5/6 children drawn from twelve state primary schools in the western region of Melbourne were read statements by their teacher and invited, on one occasion, to indicate their thoughts about each statement and, on another, to indicate their feelings. The phrases from which children were invited to select in indicating their responses were based on the definition of problem and expression of feelings components of the Interpersonal Negotiation Strategies Model (Selman et al., 1986b) and were representative of levels of complexity of thought and feeling described in the model. Girls' marked superiority over boys in their choice of feeling responses representing higher levels of complexity was the most significant finding in this study. This finding coupled with findings from Study 2 that girls made significantly more references than boys in their descriptions of families to emotional aspects of families makes gender differences a powerful finding in the studies presented in the thesis. The emotional aspects of families to which girls referred significantly more often than boys in responses to the question, "What is a Family?" were love, care, sharing/belonging, understanding problems/talking. In contrast, boys and younger children (Grade 3/4) referred significantly more often than girls and older children (Grade 5/6) to family structure. The finding that older children made significantly more references than did the younger children to many aspects of families is not surprising and likely to be due to their general experience and superior verbal ability (Jacklin and Maccoby, 1983). The gender differences in the content analysis was reinforced in coding undertaken of children's responses according to levels based on Bruss-Saunders' levels (1978) of social understanding of parent-child relationships. Here, the descriptions written by Grade 5/6 girls were coded as representing highest levels of complexity and the descriptions written by Grade 3/4 boys as representing lowest levels of complexity. In the studies, levels of complexity of children's responses are considered according to theories of cognitive development. In addition, the influence of contextual factors on the thoughts and feelings children express about families are discussed. Questions about the relationship between these two are raised with regard to the capacity children acquire for coping in their present and future families.
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ItemThe school production : a study in four parts( 1991)An academic introduction to relevant material and an overview of the major philosophical themes and debates in Drama in Education over the past fifty years. This also provides important background information to the rest of the study, placing the school production, Drama, the teachers and the curriculum development work in a broader context.
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ItemEquity of access to higher education in Australia : discussion and analysis of issues( 1991)This thesis is concerned with examining policies that have been advocated by successive governments in Australia from 1974-1990 in relation to promoting equity of access to higher education. The thesis outlines the theoretical aspects of equity and reviews the relevant research conducted in Australia and overseas. There have been several attempts to promote equity of access to higher education in Australia: fees were abolished in 1974, TEAS was introduced to replace existing scholarships, AUSTUDY replaced TEAS in 1987, retention rate to year 12 increased from 30% to over 60% in 1990, certain groups were targeted as disadvantaged groups and were afforded special entry, and finally the "White Paper" saw the introduction of the HECS or Graduate Tax in 1988. Research in Australia carried out during the late 1970s and early 1980s suggested that there was a considerable under-representation in higher education of children from the lower SES groups. This pattern appears to have continued despite efforts to promote equity. The analysis carried out in this thesis suggests that there are still many concerns related to equity. It is likely that the HECS will have the effect of increasing the price of higher education and will therefore act as a deterrent to students from less affluent backgrounds, and it may significantly effect part-time and external study. Whilst there appears to be considerable funding for AUSTUDY it may well be not sufficient to encourage students to enter higher education. Of the students entering higher education recent research has suggested that the social mix has remained unaltered. What is certainly not known is the social mix of graduates. If policy has been effective one would expect the social mix to be more balanced. Research needs to be conducted to monitor the impact of HECS to see whether higher education is becoming less available or more equitably available.
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ItemAttendant lords : the role of the chief executives of education in Australia( 1991)This thesis attempts to determine the condition of role change during the period 1979 to 1985 within the chief executives of education in the Australian States. Extant writings of these chief executives were analysed to see what picture of role and role change emerged, then a selection of the interviews and commentaries gathered by Wirt, Harman and Beare in their unpublished Study of Chief Education Executives in Australian States in 1985 was examined. During this period, although the broad picture of the chief executive of education as adviser to government and administrative head of department or system was sustained, the role was clearly becoming increasingly complex and political. General movements such as increasing Commonwealth involvement and the increasing influence of Treasury had an obvious impact on each of the chief executives studied. Within these parameters, however, there is considerable evidence of difference, confirming the diversity masked by reference to the role of the chief executive of education. Their experience, particularly since 1979, highlights significant differences in role between thechief executives of the different sectors of education. if analysts of educational policy making neglect these differences, they obscure rather than enhance insight into the policy making process. This thesis shows that interplay between social and political context, structures and personality can create very different situations despite prevailing trends.
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ItemThe identification of factors significantly correlated with out of tune singing and in tune singing in a class of fourth grade boys( 1991)This study sought to identify relationships between the ability or lack of it to sing in tune, and the attainment of four other physical and mental skills. The 49 subjects were 9 and 10 year old boys from an independent boys' grammar school. Testing procedure involved the use of song material, rather than single tone matching. None of the results showed a degree of significance that would justify further investigations study in these particular areas. Nonetheless, the absence of correlation between singing in tune and the ability to discriminate in tuneness seems to run counter to general opinion. It is suggested that a developmental programme for out of tune singers might include a vocal self-awareness component.
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ItemStudent stress : a preliminary investigation into the school-related stress experience of year 8 students, using a hassles and uplifts approach( 1991)This study sought to develop a hassles and uplifts scale as a measure of the school-related stress experienced by year 8 students in post-primary schools. A draft set of 167 items was developed after reviewing other scales that purport to measure stress, reviewing the broader popular literature on stress in young people and the authors informal discussions with year eight students over a number of years. The 167 items were then subjected to a simple consensual validation procedure using a small group of year 8 male and female students. A draft scale of 87 items emerged from this process. The draft scale was administered to 875 year 8 students in ten varying types of schools, including coeducational, single sex girls, single sex boys, urban, nonurban, government and nongovernment. The instrument was administered by suitably briefed classroom teachers. The responses of students were subjected to factor analysis. Preliminary whole-scale analysis indicated a high level of reliability. As a further indicator of the reliability of factors 14 factors were found to replicate across analyses (orthogonal rotation c.f. oblique rotation) of the whole group. The group was randomly split into two subgroups and the the analysis conducted on each subgroup. Eight factors appeared to replicate or substantially replicate across groups when an varimax solution was computed for each subgroup. Similarly, eight factors were found to replicate across subgroups. Key factors emerged from the analysis. It was concluded that, while further work was necessary in followup to this minor trial, a reliable and valid hassles and uplifts scale can be satisfactorily developed for the specific age group of students. Suggestions for the followup work and further research are outlined in the conclusion of this study.
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ItemPursuing school renewal in the midst of change( 1991)This study considers the implementation of the goals of the St. Bernard's College mission statement. The School Development Project, through which the mission statement was developed, is only considered in terms of its impact on the implementation phase. The mission statement goals are grouped under five headings: (a) faith development, (b) personal development, (c) curriculum, (d) communication, and (e) participation. The research questions group into four key areas: (a) the process of implementation, (b) ownership of the mission, (c) the achievement of goals, and (d) the impact of leadership. The literature suggested that change is difficult to create and sustain because implementing change is centrally concerned with changing people, and people find change difficult. Helping people change in loosely coupled" educational organisations is even more difficult as change then involves a political process of negotiation and agreement. A triangulation approach was adopted to collecting data. The school community was sampled using a questionnaire and those in key leadership roles were interviewed. Documentation linked to implementation was also collected and analysed. Research findings indicated that a planned strategy for implementation was not pursued and that implementation had been affected by major changes in leadership at the local and province levels. A planned strategy for implementation is now being developed at the college. The most effective strategy would require increased external assistance to develop expertise and support implementation at the local level.
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ItemSubtraction methods of secondary school students( 1991)This project investigates the subtraction methods used by secondary school students. Four subtraction questions, presented in vertical form, were answered by 1,370 students from Forms 1 to 6 at a private school for boys. The study documented subtraction methods which the students had not been taught at school but had made up. It was found that 136 students (9.9% of the sample ) used their own methods. One question revealed 37 different ways of working out the subtraction. The proportion of students using their own methods increased exponentially with year level. The students who used their own methods were compared with students who used taught methods. Analysis of pooled results from different year levels revealed a significantly higher proportion of students using their own methods in the under-achieving maths classes. The lateral thinking ability of students using their own methods was not different from that of other students.
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ItemAn analysis of the structures and contexts underlying adolescent speech in the secondary school : the implications for developing a language policy in the secondary school( 1991)The purpose of the study was to investigate the extent of speech variation across different school contexts and explore the implications for policies on spoken language in secondary schools. In order to measure changes of speech resulting from different contexts, it was necessary to identify a form of analysis sensitive to speech variation. A number of approaches were examined including syntactic and functional analysis. The units of speech used by various studies included the speech act, the exchange and the episode. A review of the literature regarding the contextual variation of speech and the concept of 'communicative competence' was carried out as well as an examination of a number of studies of language in schools. Attention was also given to policy statements on spoken language in secondary schools. A functional analysis at the level of the speech act was identified and modified to match the study. Analysis of interrogative and assertive exchanges was also carried out, the latter being identified in the course of the study. Samples of student speech over a variety of contexts were collected and analysed. The study identified links between school context and pupil speech. A profile of school context, functional outcomes, and the speech forms used, was then compiled. The formal classroom was found capable of inducing abstract levels of speech involving evaluative and speculative activity. Other forms of speech such as verbal planning, reflection, the interaction of ideas and the negotiation of meaning, require careful planning if they are to become part of the linguistic experiences of pupils in secondary schools. A number of implications for a policy on spoken language in secondary schools have been raised and directions for further research put forward.
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ItemLiterature and English teaching : a study of literature in the teaching of English at Scotch College, Melbourne( 1991)The first chapter of this thesis provides a personal memoir of my teaching career, and places it in the wider historical context of developments within English teaching in England and Australia. It establishes my own position at the key points of these developments in 1966, 1975, 1980 and 1985 and introduces the main area of interest - the place of literature in the teaching of English. The second chapter concerns the vast amount of writing on the nature and teaching of literature in English. It provides an historical review of the main body of this writing and derives some of its focus from the seminal work of John Dixon in 1966, as well as the Bullock Report of 1975. The vigorous yet sometimes slightly artificial debate on the issue of literature teaching is also examined in the review of the important journal, The Use of English. Chapter Three develops the ideas propounded in some of the writings examined in the previous chapter and provides an analysis of my own experience at Melbourne Grammar School. Chapter Four shows the similarities and differences existing between Scotch College and Melbourne Grammar School and details a more critical view of the state of English teaching from 1980 - 1990 at Scotch College. It reviews some of the specific examples of literature teaching and shows the slow progress which has been experienced over a decade within the College. The final chapter brings together the case of Scotch College and reviews possible future progress in the light of perceived difficulties inherent in the structure of the College. The general outlook for English at the College is seen in positive terms and suggestions are provided for further research into both the reading habits of students and the processes involved in the teaching of literature within the current restraints.