Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemThe development of a model for the management of major strategic investment decisions in universities(University of Melbourne, 2013)Major investments in infrastructure, growth or productivity enhancement are crucial for a university in shaping its strategic direction and addressing the challenges of a changing landscape. Through a case study of Monash University, supplemented with the investigation of views of practitioners in the field, this research thesis has developed a model to optimise the management of major strategic investment decisions in universities. The model starts from the proposition that effective strategic investment decision making has two primary purposes: � Identifying major investments that are worth doing: Determining the infrastructure, activities and other enablers that are required as major investments to shape the future capacity, capability and operation of the university; and � Prioritising the ones that are best to do: Optimising the prioritisation and allocation of constrained resources to maximise the future benefit that can be achieved consistent with this strategic vision. The research reflects the hypothesis that investment decision making at universities under traditional academic leadership models has had a greater emphasis on the first of these objectives. The research suggests that there are opportunities to learn from business case/cost-benefit financial analysis approaches that are more commonly used in business. It proposes a mechanism (need to do/able to do criteria) for prioritising investments, based on which investments provide the most return given the existing or future capacity of the university to delivery them. In developing the model as mechanism for universities to enhance the management of major investments, the research considers and brings together data and analytical based approaches with the human and organisational dimensions of decision making. The major investment management (MIM) model comprises recommendations for university practices in four areas: Strategic Planning and Prioritising: facilitating effective strategic planning as the context for the identifying major investment needs and to provide a mechanism to evaluate and prioritise a portfolio of major investments. Defining Expected Strategic Outcomes: analysing and articulating the specific expected strategic outcomes for major investments by reference to four major drivers: growth and development of markets and products and services; infrastructure development; productivity enhancement; and improving rankings and reputation. Understanding Financial Implications: enabling the management of information and the development of financial analysis for understanding the financial implications of major investments, setting financial expectations and constructing major investment budgets. Adopting a Governance and Management Framework: establishing roles and responsibilities in an organisational structure that are supported by a framework of policies and processes for the governance and management of major investments, and setting up arrangements for accountabilities, project management and review of investment implementation. The study aims to contribute to the understanding of the context and factors at play in strategic investment decision making at Monash University, as an example of a large Australian public university and, by proposing a structured model, to enhance major strategic investment decision making and the management of an investment portfolio in practice. The study seeks both to add to the body of research on university management and strategic decision making and to inform and assist practitioners in the higher education sector.
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ItemThe role computers can play in the English language acquisition and development process : a look at the ESL situation regarding primary school students in Cyprus(University of Melbourne, 2010)It would seem that computers have made their way into endless primary school classrooms throughout the world and therefore are here to stay. In the last decade computers have also been introduced into Cypriot primary schools at a slow but steady pace. What is unclear at the moment is how they will be used in the education of primary school children in a multiethnic setting such as that found in Cypriot primary schools, especially for the advancement of the English language. While there have been many qualitative studies about using computers for improved language acquisition in many parts of the world, this does not hold true for Cyprus. This study is qualitative in nature and takes a look at using computer assisted instruction in the primary ESL classroom in Cyprus. This study looks at what has been said regarding computer assisted teaching in different parts of the world and the benefits associated with this approach. Through video recording, interviewing, questionnaires, pre-tests, post-tests, focus group sessions, the development and implementation of a Miles and Huberman matrix, as well as anecdotal records, my study attempts to answer the questions many have asked: ��Can computer assisted instruction benefit primary school children in the ESL classroom, and if so to what extent?� Apart from finding an appropriate piece of software that could be used for this research project, the specific software was used in three different settings and evaluated accordingly. Pre-test and post-test results have been included. Perhaps the most important part of the thesis is the concluding chapter which not only presents the findings of this study but offers suggestions to different parties. The suggestions outlined in the concluding chapter address the concerns of both students and fellow educators who participated in this research project. It is hoped that this project is embraced by the Ministry of Education in Cyprus, and the suggestions are implemented in the immediate future.
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ItemLiteracy and learning in preschool aged children(University of Melbourne, 2010)
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ItemEvaluation of a parenting intervention aimed at improving preschool children's emotional competence : issues related to the measurement of emotion-focussed parenting skills(University of Melbourne, 2010)Emotional competence is thought to be related to a range of positive outcomes for children including their ability to develop effective social skills and form friendships, achieve well academically and reduce their likelihood of developing externalising or internalising difficulties. The way in which parents respond to their children�s emotions is thought to play a significant role in children�s emotional development. Tuning in to Kids, Emotionally Intelligent Parenting (TIK) is an emotion-focussed parenting intervention designed to teach parents the skills involved in emotion coaching with their children. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the TIK intervention and explore issues related to measuring changes in emotion-focussed parenting over time. The participants in this study were 95 preschool children (46 boys and 49 girls) and their parents who were allocated as either intervention or wait-list control. Assessments of parents� emotion coaching skills and children�s emotion knowledge were carried out prior to the intervention group beginning the parenting program and six months after they completed the program. Parents� emotion coaching was measured via a storytelling observation task and the Parent Emotional Styles Questionnaire. Children�s emotion knowledge was assessed using the Affective Knowledge Test. Results showed that parents who received the TIK intervention improved significantly more than the control group on both observed and self-reported emotion coaching 6 months after completing the program. No significant relationship was found between these two measures of emotion coaching suggesting the two measures captured different aspects of the construct, being parents� use of emotion coaching language compared to their beliefs and attitudes towards emotion coaching. Intervention group children�s emotion knowledge did not improve significantly more than the control group and there was no significant relationship between parents� emotion coaching and children�s emotion knowledge, suggesting elements of emotion coaching were not captured by the parent measures used. Future research on the definition and measurement of emotion coaching may extend the current findings regarding evaluation of emotion-focussed parenting programs.
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ItemProject-based teaching and learning to develop oral English language skills of Thai tertiary level students(University of Melbourne, 2010)
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ItemThe impact of testing on students: Australian students' perspectives on NAPLAN and internal assessments( 2019)National and state testing policies have become an increasingly common feature of the policy landscape in education, both in developed and developing countries. Testing policies can generate a range of emotional responses among students, including high levels of stress. Alternatively, students’ emotional responses may not be discretely associated with large-scale standardised tests, but instead generalise to any testing situation. This study aimed to compare student responses and perceptions of assessment in both NAPLAN and internal tests. This study used an anonymous survey to gather data from 206 Year 7 and Year 9 Australian students on their perceptions of the importance their parents and teachers placed on doing well in tests, and their own self-reported responses to both NAPLAN and their internal tests. We found that the students in this study placed more value on internal tests than NAPLAN and students were also more likely to be confident in internal tests and bored for NAPLAN. A small percentage of students reported negative physical responses, such as crying or feeling sick to both types of tests, however, there were no significant differences between NAPLAN and internal tests in the number of students reporting negative physical responses. Furthermore, individuals who placed a high value on a given assessment and have greater emotional stability were more likely to experience positive responses to assessment. The findings suggest that NAPLAN does not cause significant negative responses in the majority of students. Implications for schools and policymakers are discussed.
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ItemWhat effect does the coaching model of professional development have on the building of teacher capacity?( 2018)The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of the GROW coaching model of professional development on the capacity building of teachers in an educational context. Teachers have a significant impact on student outcomes and it is crucial to build their capacity to maximise their influence in the classroom. The provision of professional development is seen as a fundamental component of supporting teachers in building their capacity as educators, to implement strategies in the classroom, and to maximise their influence on students. Schools, government and the educational community at large have long made concerted efforts to build teacher capacity, aiming to reduce the large variance between teachers’ effects on student outcomes. The provision of coaching in various forms has been found to support the implementation of strategies in the classroom. This study aims to examine the influence of the GROW coaching model to develop teachers’ skills, knowledge and dispositions to build their capacity as educators. The study examines the implementation against the elements set out in Guskey’s Five Critical Levels of Professional Development Evaluation Model to understand the factors and conditions that foster implementation. The study utilised a criterion purposive sampling approach (Patton, 1990) and involved 24 coaches and coachees total. Participation in the study was voluntary and no incentives or reimbursements were offered for participation. A range of data was gathered and examined; the research design incorporated a mixed-methods approach that applied three complementary data collection tools including survey, interview and observation. The analysis of the data was conducted to inform the findings. The data collected through the open-ended online questionnaire and interview research instruments provided opportunities to explore, in closer detail, the responses of participants to key questions. These questions centre on identified coaching variables of teacher learning and how these are manifested in their practice both in and outside of the classroom. These responses provide an important insight into what changes may occur in teacher pedagogy and teacher disposition, evidenced through changes in the classroom environment and the teachers’ thinking processes. A thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke’s (2006) 6-step framework was undertaken to systematically analyse the data. The codes were set according to elements highlighted by the Guskey model (2000), targeted on both teacher practice and student behaviours, changes in teacher professional practice outside the classroom showed changes in their dispositions as a teacher and reflections on their practice. The findings revealed that the GROW coaching model supported the professional development of educators to build their capacity as teachers across the areas of skills, knowledge and dispositions. The GROW coaching model supported teachers to implement various strategies in their classrooms. Factors that affected the program included: (a) the time set aside for teachers and coaches; (b) the relationship and level of trust between the coach and coachee; (c) the program and content knowledge of the coach; (d) the culture of the school; and (e) the allocation of coaches and how they were selected. The relationship between coach and coachee emerged as a key factor in the success of the program, and together with the allocation of coaches impacted on participants, especially when challenging their dispositions through “professional conversations”. The GROW model’s process and “sequence of questioning” raised awareness of teaching practices and provided a way for teachers to receive feedback on the implementation of strategies in the classroom. Further attention to the impact of the GROW coaching model for teacher capacity building and its effect on student outcomes is needed to better understand the relationship between “professional conversations”, coaching and impact on student outcomes. In the future, equal attention should be afforded to understanding the behaviour of teachers as they implement strategies in the classroom, and how professional development programs can best support their capacity building.
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ItemA Framework of Factors for Learning Environment Evaluation( 2019)A Framework of factors for Learning Environmewnt Evaluation There is a common assumption that the provision of innovative learning environments in schools will lead to the subsequent implementation of appropriate innovative approaches to teaching and learning in these facilities. However, there is not a strong body of research that interrogates the nature of the relationships and outcomes that occur in the complex interactions between new learning environments and education practices. This research developed a framework to facilitate the evaluation of innovative education practices in innovative learning environments. The purpose of the framework is to help practitioners best identify their particular situation and circumstances for evaluation of identified aspects of the relationship between learning environments and teaching and learning practices. This supports the premise that better judgements about evaluation will facilitate the development of better understandings of issues related to the implementation of innovative education practices in innovative learning environments. The framework for research was developed using an approach based on Conceptual Modelling. The details of the framework were derived from the literature review deliberately incorporating a cross-disciplinary perspective of literature that drew on the fields of architecture and education facility design and education practice with a particular orientation to teaching and learning in innovative learning environments. The capacity of the framework to achieve its intended purposes was investigated through a research process of Expert Elicitation. The research methodology of Expert Elicitation was very effective in generating a valid pool of data from a small focussed group of respondents. Analysis of the data showed that experts from backgrounds in both architecture and education strongly agreed on factors considered to be the most significant in relation to the implementation of innovative education practices in innovative learning environments. These factors were centred around concepts of education principles, stakeholder connection and student engagement. Qualitative data analysis identified a revised structure to the framework that could best represent the key findings of the research. The framework allows for dynamic interpretation of the declared set of key issues that were identified. Guidelines for making decisions about interpretation of the evaluation framework are given through descriptions of the key purpose statements, guiding questions and consideration of the nature of evaluation to be utilised. Consequently, the key factors in the framework may be adapted to cater for different contextual settings as well as differing interpretations of key ideas associated with the evaluation of innovative education practices in innovative learning environments. This study presents two significant outcomes: a) the framework which was developed through the research that brings focus and coherence to the evaluative situation; and b) the questionnaire that was developed for use by specific groups to aid in their own situation specific interpretation of the framework. Both the framework and the questionnaire represent a balanced integration of the perspectives of architects and educators with respect to implementing innovative education practices in innovative learning environments.
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ItemDistributed leadership in successful schools( 2019)The key aims of this research were to investigate distributed leadership in successful schools, to examine the extent to which this contributes to school success, and whether there are any identifiable patterns of distributed leadership within successful schools. This study used a mixed methods research approach through the use of social network analysis and individual interviews to explore distributed leadership in three successful Australian secondary schools. A social network analysis was conducted through a school relationships survey to identify the patterns of connections within each school. Eight questions about work connections were asked of all teaching staff in each school, with achieved survey response rates of 51 per cent, 61 per cent and 63 per cent respectively. From the social network analysis well connected and influential leaders were identified and then invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Twenty-six individuals were interviewed, including the three principals, four assistant principals, 15 leading teachers, three teachers with responsibility and one teacher. The semi-structured interviews were used to provide information on distributed leadership at the organisational level, the forms that it took, and what factors impacted it. The interviews also contributed to understanding the practice of leaders in a distributed leadership context, and provided insight into the individual characteristics of influential leaders and what factors impacted their influence within schools. Distributed leadership was identified in each of the three schools and was found to be influenced by two aspects of the schools. Firstly, organisational level factors, including leadership structure, the school’s strategic goals and planning, influenced distributed leadership in terms of what was distributed and who it was distributed to. Secondly, leader influence and capacity to distribute leadership was influenced by interpersonal factors including leader expertise, professional relationships, behaviours that are supportive of other people and the development of trust. A Distributed Model of Influence was developed which allows the extent of an individual’s influence to be mapped from knowledge of their positional power and personal connectiveness. The study contributes to knowledge about successful school leadership, distributed leadership and leadership in general.
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ItemLearning to practice medicine: developing medical students' acute patient management skills using a longitudinal program of mannequin-based simulation( 2019)This qualitative study examines the development of medical students’ acute patient management skills during participation in a longitudinal patient management simulation program. Current research shows that junior doctors feel ill-equipped to manage clinical deterioration in the acute healthcare setting due to a lack of skill and experience. It is also evident that conventional simulation facilitation practices are not meeting the learning needs of novice medical students. The focus of this study was to analyse the impact that a specifically designed simulation program had on the development, retention, and transfer of acute patient management skills for three groups of medical students during their medical school training. Educational design research was used to develop and introduce two curriculum interventions to support learning. The two interventions were based on issues relating to the content and the delivery of the simulation program. Intervention 1 was the introduction of a clinical deterioration component to every case-based core presentation simulation in an established program. Intervention 2 was the introduction of a newly developed role of in-game coach, which replaced the original role of simulation facilitator. In order to assess learning, retention, and transfer of acute patient management skills, video-recorded simulations were generated and analysed for learning progression. The coaching that supported student learning was analysed in order to conceptualise the new role more definitively and to create guidelines for supporting student learning. Focus group interviews complemented the data set and provided insights into the students’ experiences and reflections as a result of taking part in the simulations. Learning frameworks were developed to show typical learning progression and can be further applied to support student learning through the provision of feedback, as an assessment tool, and to provide support to coaches. The study found that repeated practice using standardised approaches to acute patient management enabled rapid retrieval of knowledge from long-term memory into working memory after an extended retention interval. A learning progression model identified a shift from novice to either competent or proficient practice in acute patient management skills at the completion of the program. Common misconceptions and difficulties for students at various stages of the progression were identified so that coaching can be targeted more effectively to support students. Local instruction guidelines based on the interventions and the data analysis have been developed as an output of this research.