Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemSOTF principals' roles and preparation(University of Melbourne, 1995)
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ItemThe teaching strategies employed by year seven level teachers in the teaching of information skills(University of Melbourne, 1995)The development of independent , lifelong learners has been an expressed goal of education, internationally and within Australia, over the last fifteen years. The introduction of the Victorian Certificate of Education, which has a strong focus on independent research by students, has had an impact on the structure of schooling within Victoria. This thesis sought to ascertain whether there has been a discernible emphasis on the development of information skills in the teaching style of teachers and whether the VCE has had an influence on this teaching. Teachers at a government, postprimary school were surveyed using two self administered questionnaires. Information on the current practice in the school, regarding the teaching of information skills at the year 7 level was collected. The survey also tried to establish whether a relationship existed between the teaching of information skills and teachers who teach at the VCE level. The findings indicate that there is a general recognition of the importance of information skills by VCE and non-VCE teachers. However this importance is not reflected in the explicit teaching practice of those teachers sampled. An understanding of the components of the research process and teaching approaches needed to foster information skills within that process does not appear to be strongly developed in either VCE or non-VCE teachers. in the evaluation criteria used to assess student work organisation, planning and higher order thinking skills are deemed necessary, though again this is not supported by the teaching approaches adopted by the teachers. Teacher librarians who have expertise in the area of information skills are rarely involved in the planning of assignments with teachers.
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ItemRole perceptions and professional development needs of primary school principals in schools of the future(University of Melbourne, 1995)This thesis was designed to explore and analyse how primary school principals perceived their role and their professional development needs within the current restructuring of public schooling in Victoria in Schools of the Future. The thesis also examined gender differences in role perceptions and professional development needs. The literature underpinning the study reviewed the theory and research related to restructure and reform in public schools; the Schools of the Future in Victoria; leadership and the evolving role of the principal; gender differences in leadership; and professional development needs of principals. The role perceptions and professional development needs were sought through a questionnaire using as its framework eight Key Result Areas (KRA's) categorising the principals' role as published by the Directorate of School Education (DSE, 1994). The KRA's were specified in terms of management and leadership tasks derived from the literature related to each area and these formed the items in the questionnaire. A total of 192 principals from Intakes 2 and 3 Schools of the Future were surveyed to ascertain their perceptions of the items used to define the KRA's as a description of their role, their professional development needs and any gender differences in perception. The qualitative responses included in the questionnaire were clustered into themes for analysis. The findings in the study showed that the principals found high agreement with the items defining the KRA's as a relevant description of their role definition across and within each KRA. The study also found that principals gave the highest priority of importance in their role to educational and cultural issues, and a lower priority in importance to administrative issues. Furthermore the emphasis in the professional development needs of principals was centred around educational and personnel issues. Gender differences in perception were dramatic. Female principals tended to have a much broader conceptualisation of their role than did their male colleagues. Another major finding was that males and females had different professional development needs which has implications for the development of relevant professional development programs for primary principals. Further insights into role perception and professional development needs of principals emerged in the qualitative data, especially the conflict between how principals and the school community perceived their role, and how they perceived that the DSE perceived their role. Recommendations for further research and implications for the professional development of principals are explored at the conclusion of the thesis.
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ItemDefining the characteristics of a good middle school teacher in an Australian setting( 1995)The purpose of this study is to. identify the characteristics of a middle school teacher that define that teacher as a good teacher in the eyes of their Australian colleagues. A model of the good middle school teacher was developed from the North American literature. This formed the basis for interviews with Australian teachers who have been identified as good middle school teachers by their school community. This has led to the establishment of a model based on the responses from the Australian teachers. The focus centred on the characteristics of the teacher but at times has included reference to curriculum and other structures within the school. The report's results reflect the Australian teacher's approval for child centred teaching but with a subject focus. The teachers feel a need for teachers to retain a passion for a subject area in order to inspire and enthuse their students, but doing this within a context of a curriculum focussed on young people and their needs. This study clearly suggests the strong link between teaching philosophy and curriculum and the need to cater towards the needs of both the staff and students in order to educate successfully.
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ItemTelevision viewing and dramatic play behaviour of pre-schoolers( 1995)The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between television and dramatic play by exploring the impact of television viewing upon the play content and play behaviour of pre-school children. This research extends the findings of previous research which assumed that there was a direct causal link between television viewing and the themes, roles and content of children's dramatic play. The results of this research suggest that this view is far too simplistic. They suggest that the outcomes of dramatic play may be modified by a number of factors including: the situational context, the role of adults, and the role of other children. This thesis advances three major findings. Firstly, that others such as parents, peers and teachers have significant influence over pre-schoolers' dramatic play decisions such as in roles, themes and content. Secondly, that the physical environment within which play occurs must be taken into consideration as the situational context can influence and modify the nature of dramatic play. Thirdly, that the child is an active, reasoning participant in dramatic play as the child can choose from the resources available from television and 'replay' only a selection of what was viewed. It is suggested that each child must be considered as a 'selector' exerting control over his/her role in dramatic play.
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ItemMuseum exhibitions : the development and application of a cyclic evaluation model( 1995)This thesis makes a contribution to exhibition evaluation by providing a cyclic model designed to encourage museum professionals to adopt museum exhibition evaluation within an Australian context. The rationale for the thesis is that museums rarely, if ever, undertake systematic evaluations of exhibitions or attempt to understand the nature of the visitor experience. This, it is argued, is firstly because of the lack of appropriate methodological tools and models which can be applied to the museum setting and secondly because of the poor culture of evaluation currently existing within museums. The model incorporates both front-end, formative and summative evaluation within the various stages of the process of developing an exhibition. It proposes the formulation of hypothesis about visitor behaviour and exhibition design issues which can be tested out in future exhibitions, and encourages the sharing of findings within the museum profession. It suggests that Australia should develop, through evaluation studies, its own body of knowledge about visitor behaviour as the visitor experience within an Australian context may be quite different to that in other countries. The Cyclic Evaluation Model was developed by the writer of the thesis both through her role as a facilitator of exhibitions and her study of evaluation taking place in the museum environment in western countries. One stage of the model (Summative Study) has been used to evaluate a specific museum exhibition. Only time will tell if it will be adopted by the museum professsion, and only if and when it is adopted can any assessment be made as to its effectiveness in encouraging the profession in Australia to embrace evaluation techniques.
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ItemLegal risk management in education : the physical safety of students and the implications for school leaders and for professional development in Catholic schools( 1995)This thesis is concerned with education and the law. Specifically, it focuses on managing risk-taking in schools so as to prevent students from sustaining injuries. An extensive literature review has provided a picture of education law and highlighted issues of notoriety and concern. This thesis gathered data from two substantial sources: Catholic Church Insurances (Vic) and 215 Catholic Primary, Secondary and Special Schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. Statistics related to sustained student injuries over a five year time span gathered by C.C.I. have also been presented. Finally, 33 case reviews have been analysed. These are pre-court, investigatory and assessment cases and outline the process and issues involved in particular cases where students have sustained injury. From this data it became clear that there was an obvious lack of guidance provided for the risk management of legal issues in education. From the survey to Catholic Schools various perceptions of needs or concerns were recorded some of which ran contrary to data gathered from C.C.I. statistics and from the literature reviewed. It was clear that the issue of legal risk management in education lacks understanding, motivation and action. A number of recommendations (10) have been presented in the final chapter of the thesis. These recommendations will serve to fill this void in understanding by acting as a guide and support to school leaders and by offering ongoing professional development to all those in the education profession, both in Catholic and non- Catholic Schools.
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ItemThe Problems of verbal interaction for victims of warfare trauma in the ESL classroom( 1995)This thesis identifies and investigates the difficulties surrounding the participation in verbal interaction by victims of warfare trauma in the ESL classroom. The literature reviewed falls into three main categories; The Problems of Refugee Resettlement, Motivation and Anxiety in Language Learning and The Importance of Verbal Interaction in Second Language Learning. Case Study research methodology was chosen as the most appropriate framework on which to base this thesis and three ESL students were chosen as subjects. The findings of the research suggest that the problems associated with resettlement and prior experiences may have been contributing factors in the lack of motivation and high levels of anxiety experienced by each of the case study subjects. This in turn, may have affected their participation in verbal interaction in the classroom and ultimately, their acquisition of English.
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ItemGender awareness through discipline and welfare : how teachers change( 1995)This thesis explores the considerations for change processes which are effective when gender is an issue in schools. A model is developed, based on literature related to change processes in education, and this model is then tested in a primary school setting across the period of a full school year. Strategies and approaches suggested as avenues to introduce inclusive teaching practices are also trialled, using Discipline and Welfare as .a way into addressing issues around gender in schools. The Working Model for Gender and Change and the approaches used are evaluated and conclusions are drawn, related to the outcomes of the change process conducted in the school. The study shows that the developed model works and that gender issues can effectively be raised by investigating discipline and welfare issues in a primary school. Some recommendations and suggestions for further research are made.
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ItemAnother world like here : futures studies and early childhood education( 1995)This thesis examines the discipline of futures studies and its potential for application in early childhood education. The need for an increased futures-orientation in education is established by a survey of the overwhelmingly negative commentaries of youths on the topic of the future. These comments, it is argued, point to a vacuum of understanding about the future which educators should seek to counterbalance. This task should be particularly emphasised by early childhood educators since they share a commitment to the central objective of laying foundations for life-long learning. Futures studies offers a useful methodology for this task. The thesis examines the major tenets of futures studies and its translation into primary and secondary educational settings. The applicability of futures studies to early childhood education is established by demonstrating the many principles which futures studies and early childhood education share in common. A futures-focused curriculum need not involve the educator in any radically new philosophical and educational frameworks. It, rather, provides a means of extending and re-articulating existing developmental objectives from the vantage point of new perspectives. The thesis resolves the issue of whether or not futures concerns are beyond the reach of four and five year olds by examining how pre-school children conceive time and the future. Young children are seen to possess many of the qualities which futures studies seek to re-instill in adults and older children. The educator should seek to capitalize on this by combining the positive aspects of children's innate perceptions of future time with the more abstract 'adult' understanding of time. A research project on pre-school children's attitudes towards the future sheds further light on their understandings of the future while also enabling their own opinions on the topic to be heard. The thesis then defines the principal objectives of a futures-focused curriculum and translates them into practical learning experiences. It concludes by exploring the implications of the findings contained in the thesis for early childhood education and by discussing some of the ways in which the educators themselves might come to terms with the issues articulated in this study.