Faculty of Education - Theses

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Type: Masters Coursework thesis × Start date: 1991 × End date: 1991 × Subject: Study and teaching × Subject: Science ×

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    The Australian Science Education Project: a case study in curriculum implementation
    Gill, William ( 1991)
    The Australian Science Education Project (ASEP) was developed between 1969-74 as Australia's first national curriculum project. ASEP was designed to introduce major changes for years 7-10 science in materials, content and assigned roles for teachers and students. While initial sales of the ASEP materials were excellent in Victoria the extent of implementation was low. This study examines reasons for this unsuccessful implementation from a user (i.e. teacher and schools) perspective. Determinants or causes of the extent of implementation relating to the nature of the ASEP materials, the strategies for implementation and the nature of teaching and schools are examined. The fundamental cause of the low level of implementation in Victoria is related to the development of the ASEP materials from a 'technological' perspective with limited input by classroom teachers. The materials developed in this way could only be successful if the implementation strategies included extensive in-service and curriculum support for science teachers and this did not happen in Victoria. Based on Havelock's 'Problem Solver' perspective of curriculum change a model for effective implementation is proposed which incorporates a 'user' perspective and the notion of mutual adaptation between the innovation and the user system.
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    Agency and communion in science teaching
    Bester, Tony ( 1991)
    The construction of the concept map assumes that the more closely two concepts are related in a person's cognitive structure, the more closely they will be placed on the concept map. In this research the Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling technique using ALSCAL (Alternating Least Squares Scaling) is used in the analysis of the concept map data, derived by surveying teachers from three different groups. Group 1 consisted of practicing teachers from a non-science background who taught Health and Human Relations. Group 2 consisted of Diploma of Education student teachers whose methods were Science and had completed their course though were not yet practicing teachers. Group 3 consisted of practicing teachers from a science background who taught Health and Human Relations. The results provide a basis for discussing the wisdom of practice, the maxim which provides reflective rationalization for the practices of able teachers. In this study, the wisdom of practice has been described with a focus on the responsibility of care. The findings of this study have confirmed those of earlier studies, in that it is apparent that experienced able teachers use their knowledge of what works in the class to organize their instruction. However, just what works is seen to depend on the subject the topic is taught in, as well as any perception of the subject held by teachers, students and the community. Teachers from each of the three Groups were able to organize their concept maps and provide satisfactory support material from transcribed interviews to indicate that the conceptual relations seen in the tension which exists between the concept of care and the concept of the academic is able to be described quantitatively.