Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemGirls' participation in science subjects in secondary schools in Kenya( 2010)This research aims at uncovering girls' participation in sciences in Kenya at secondary schools so as to provide a comprehensive picture that has been previously overlooked when researching under-representation of females and girls in science and science related careers. The study will help the government of Kenya through the Ministry of Education find out the causes of girls' participation in science and how to help them improve in science performance which is anticipated to improve the lifestyle of the girl-child in Kenya. A qualitative inquiry with case study aspects method was employed for this study with a descriptive case study design. Stratified purposeful sampling was used and data were collected through open-ended survey questionnaires using two groups of participants from State House Girls High School in Kenya. The findings of this research show that an assumption that girls hate science is unfounded. In fact there are a range of complex attitudinal factors and influences present. As this research was based in one single school, it would be of value to focus similar future research on multiple sites and external beyond this year group to track pathways from school into higher education careers.
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ItemWhy do some learn more easily than others? What physical factors influence effective learning?( 2010)Many children are identified as having a problem with literacy. This study was designed to look for possible links between learning difficulties and neuro-physiological development, particularly in the areas of basic neurological development, sensory motor integration skills, retention of primitive reflexes and the development of postural reflexes. Forty grade 1 and grade 2 students between the ages of 6:01 and 8:03 years (M = 7:01), their teachers and their parents participated in the study. Of these 40 students, 20 had been identified by the school as needing literacy support (Group 1) and 20 were achieving typically for their age (Group 2). Group 2 students were matched with Group 1 students for gender, age, class and school. Children with English as a second language or those who had been identified as having any intellectual or physical disability or any diagnosed condition were not included in the study. The groups’ neuro-physiological development was tested by using the Quick Neurological Screening Test (QNST), a series of sensory motor integration activities and Goddard Blythe’s reflex tests. Further data was collected from teacher and parent questionnaires and from an interview with the child. This study found that the children in need of literacy support did not perform as well as their ‘typically achieving’ peers in many areas. They did not perform as well in basic neurological testing, they experienced a higher degree of difficulty with sensory motor activities, they had a significantly higher level of retained primitive reflexes and under developed postural reflexes and their teachers also indicated that they had more difficulties in many physical areas. The study provides further evidence that there is a link between learning and neuro-physiological development, and that children struggling with literacy are also often struggling with underlying physical/developmental difficulties. The results suggest that when educating children with learning difficulties, teachers should have a good knowledge of the physiological mechanics of the way a child learns and to be able to identify and address such things as retained reflexes and sensory motor integration issues so that both cognitive and neuro-physiological factors can be addressed. The implications of the study and suggestions for further research are discussed.
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ItemLiberal education, Heidegger and digital information technology( 2010)Digital information technology in contemporary education has generally been represented as a tool for which students need to become appropriately skilled in order to be thoroughly prepared to participate in society. This has meant that the utilisation of digital information technology in schools has often been accompanied by instrumental attitudes. Such approaches characteristically view technology in terms of its usefulness and relevance for passively facilitating the intentions of human actions. Supported by this instrumental understanding, it has been assumed that digital information technology has a neutral and benign influence on education. In this thesis I shall argue that the instrumental approach which has accompanied the utilisation of digital information technology in schools fails to recognise the negative influence which it can have on the achievement of liberal educational aims. Here I have focused on both “classical-humanist” and “modern” liberal aims of education (Miller, 2007, pp.185-186), which emphasise the development of the student’s personal culture and sense of autonomy. I shall employ Heidegger’s interpretation of modern technology in a critical appraisal of the instrumental way in which we relate to technology so as to show how this can lead to dimensions of our existence becoming technologically determined. Heidegger’s (1993a) suggestion to poetically reflect on technology to access a “saving power” (p.334) that may avert this determinative capacity is then considered as way to develop alternate understandings of digital information technology. To facilitate further development of alternate understandings of digital information technology I have examined the technical properties which differentiate it from other forms of technology. Central to these properties is the process used to digitise ‘real world’ or analogue information. This process can have significant influence on determining dimensions of our existence by privileging digital data which is more compatible with the functioning of this technology. In contrast, I explore the practices of post-digital artists so as to demonstrate how expressive responses to digital information technology have been achieved which appear to acknowledge Heidegger’s saving power. I will conclude by proposing a post-digital approach to education which both supports liberal educational aims and counteracts the possibility of technological determinism inherent to instrumental approaches to digital information technology.
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ItemUnderstanding accounting for TAFE hospitality and tourism students( 2010)Experience as a TAFE accounting teacher indicated to me that understandingaccounting is difficult to grasp for customer service learners, specifically hospitality and tourism students. These learners place an emphasis on social-emotional awareness, self presentation and getting along with others, in their decision-making. Despite that, understanding TAFE accounting may be enhanced by previous studies in the VCE (Yr12 schooling), such as Accounting. Qualitative fieldwork at William Angliss TAFE in Victoria, explored students’ and teachers’ experiences, theorised within adult education literature, to establish recommendations to improve this and similar ‘work-ready’ courses.
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ItemIdentifying the training needs of the heads of departments at a newly established university in Vietnam( 2009)There has been an absence of research into professional development of academic middle-level managers in higher education generally, and in developing countries and Vietnam particularly. This research aims at identifying the training needs of the Head of Departments (hereby referred to as HODs) at a newly established university in Vietnam in order to close this gap. The research methods adopted in this research are integrative research reviews, document analysis, and semi-structured interviews. The findings from this research suggest that the training needs of the HODs are totally based on the HODs’ specific roles, the set of qualities desired of them from stakeholders, and their current knowledge and practice. While the HODs in developed countries mainly want to improve their cognitive capabilities, the HODs in the case study have the strongest training needs in generic and role specific competencies. The main conclusion drawn from this study is the HODs’ performance is influenced significantly by not only their competencies and capabilities but also by their organizational contexts. This thesis recommends that to enhance the HODs’ performance, apart from providing them with training, appropriate organizational and human resources policies must be developed and implemented. By doing so, the university would be able to maintain a good fit between the university’s development needs and the HODs’ hierarchy of needs, such as career development, thereby significantly enhancing the HODs’ performance.
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ItemPedagogical strategies and the techno-savvy student: an investigation into the pedagogical strategies used by secondary school teachers( 2010)This study investigates the pedagogical strategies used by teachers in the classroom to cater for the techno-savvy secondary school student. The research in this study supports this view and provides the implications this has on teaching and learning in today’s classroom. The thesis seeks to explore the pedagogical strategies teachers use in the classroom and identify potential practices deficient in the use of ICT by teachers, along with the reasons behind this. The aim of the study was to consider how current pedagogy can improve the student learning environment, encourage self-motivation and engagement within the classroom. This thesis argues that students have a close relationship with technology, one that has begun at a young age. Their fascination with technology is cultured by a medium which allows them to express themselves and to communicate with a complex world. By using ICT within the classroom, teachers are able to tap into this, which in turn, can increase student participation, motivation and engagement. The research process comprised of gathering information through a series of interviews with teachers and students over a two month period. The significance of this study is that it has shown that students prefer to work with technology when completing class work, rather than more traditional methods of reading a textbook, copying down notes from the board and writing in their exercise book. This study has shown that traditional teaching approaches need to be reconsidered by teachers and contemporary approaches using ICT along with the right pedagogical strategies can change the face of teaching for the better.
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ItemThe impact of school leadership upon the successful integration of ICT across the curriculum in secondary schools( 2009)The question addressed in this study was “To what extent does the nature of school leadership influence the successful integration of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) across the curriculum?” I was led to my research questions through my passion for ICT and my commitment to and concerns about its usage in all areas of learning at the secondary school level. Furthermore, through my experiences as an Information Technology teacher and more significantly as a Technology Coordinator and a board member of the Victorian Information Technology Teachers’ Association, I have come to understand that ICT is more likely to be embraced and effectively implemented across several key learning areas if school leaders are willing to invest time, money and other resources into schooling educators about how to utilise ICT tools in their classrooms. A vital element of this investment is the nature of the support offered staff in learning about useful and new technologies and the way in which professional development is presented in this area. The study was significant because currently The Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) is the mandated curriculum for all Victorian secondary schools, and ICT is a fundamental component of the Interdisciplinary Learning Strand that “…identifies a range of knowledge, skills and behaviours which cross disciplinary boundaries and are essential to ensuring students are prepared as active learners and problem-solvers for success at school and beyond” (VCAA, 2006). This suggests that ICT is a domain that is critical in all learning areas so that students are equipped to face the global environment which they encounter on a daily basis and which is rapidly expanding and permeating all facets of life. The methodology employed in this research was primarily qualitative, as I looked to present an interpreted understanding of a school culture in which ICT is not fully integrated across the curriculum, and to then effect change in that culture and curriculum by fostering the knowledge of school leaders in ICT. To this end, I hoped to more deeply inform the participants of the obstacles to ICT integration, and how these obstacles can be overcome, by engaging in dialogue with them about my analysis of observed and documented events. The outcomes suggested that ICT integration requires a whole school approach, guided by far-sighted leadership that is not afraid to investigate and enhance critical elements such as provision of targeted professional development for educators in the use of ICT tools and resources, is creative with budgets and overall models effective ICT use.
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ItemThe discourse of ESL policy: the impact of the 'literacy crisis'( 2009)The silencing of English as a Second Language (ESL) has occurred concurrently with an alleged crisis in literacy standards that has concentrated funds into early years programs and foundational literacy. The ‘literacy crisis’ has focused teacher attention on standardized assessment and on meeting benchmarks, which shape classroom activities and distort learning activities. The ‘literacy crisis’ has also focused attention on literacy for mother tongue English speakers, at the expense of ESL students. Instead of bilingualism being seen as a resource that can be used to support English literacy development, it is presented as a deficit - a barrier to meeting outcomes in English literacy. This research focuses on how ESL has fared in this context. Drawing on methods from Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the language of policy texts is examined to reveal the current status of ESL in Victorian schools where a self-managed school ‘system’ makes it difficult to as certain common practice in relation to ESL provision and programs. The thesis builds its theoretical conclusions using ideas from ‘grounded theory’ to connect the discourse of ESL policy to wider social issues as a way of understanding how policy has impacted on ESL in schools. Having examined policy texts and more positive forms of support for ESL in schools, some recommendations are made to right language wrongs and write language rights that support multilingual school students and encourage linguistic adaptability.
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ItemEvaluating textual diversity in perspective and practice: a case study( 2009)This study takes questions and debates over ‘what makes a good classroom text?’ as its starting point. With the growth of critical literacy in the secondary English curriculum, the reasons why teachers select and use specific texts have started to be considered and contested. Textual diversity is a construct that has emerged out of this debate: the idea that students should engage with a range of texts exposing them to a variety of beliefs and perspectives not their own, better enabling them to understand, reflect and critique their own positions in society and consider those who may be ‘othered’ by traditional literary canons. Taking the emancipatory aim of textual diversity as a given as a classroom teacher, I was soon forced to consider the different and distinct motivations of other teachers in choosing and using the set classroom text. The subsequent research involved a detailed analysis of existing Victorian curriculum documents from the past decade (CSF II, VELS and two iterations of the VCE study design) to examine how the potential of classroom texts and associated student outcomes were positioned in official policy, and then interviewing a series of secondary English teachers to gain an understanding of the perspectives on the policies used to determine ‘good classroom texts’ as well as their own individual ideals. Although grounded in my own perspective that textual diversity is a positive and desirable concept for text selection, the thesis found that the use of similarly critical and progressive concepts around text choice and use have decreased in the state government’s English curriculum between years 7 and 10. Conversely, the last two years of school education, comprising the senior school certificate in Victoria, has seen the opposite change with the most recent version of the VCE study design heightening the capacity for students to speak back to, criticise and understand dominant paradigms by a close study of texts. Interestingly, the teacher interviews further highlighted a dissonance between various interpretations of what the official curricula mean and promote, with the majority of teachers interviewed finding them dry, vague and unhelpful in creating their teaching practices around text selection, unaware of the change in text teaching theory embedded in different revisions. Furthermore, each teacher interviewed believed that their own perspective on selecting and using texts was normative and widespread – despite each teacher having a distinct and separate view of the usefulness of official curriculum, and the means to which text teaching should be put.
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ItemChanges in English language education in Japan 1989-2008( 2009)Through both the public and private school systems, Japan is a strong supporter of English language education. Currently, English is an important school subject and is mandatory in some age ranges. There is considerable research in Japan in relation to English language textbooks and the Course of Study, which is the national curriculum for English language (as announced by MEXT, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology). However, while there are a number of studies on recent changes in the Course of Study and other textbooks, there is little research into Japanese teachers’ experiences of teaching English. The purpose of this study was to investigate how English language education in junior high schools has changed since 1989, as seen through three different lenses: the Course of Study, textbooks and teacher interviews. This research projects gathered the views of a selection of Japanese English language teachers, each of whom have approximately twenty years of experience in the field. This study found that there have been a numerous changes in English language education in junior high school over the past two decades: the teaching materials have become have become more communication focused, more practical, and increasingly international in their content. In addition, the time spent with a native English-speaking teacher’s aid (ALT) has increased. These changes were perceived as largely, although not entirely, positive. On the other hand, other areas of English language teaching have remained the same for over two decades. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the classroom have not advanced, students’ examinations have an emphasis on grammar and vocabulary rather than English communication, and pedagogy has not really changed in this field. I suggest areas for further research, including consultation with additional teachers, novice and veteran, on how to improve English language teaching and improve learning outcomes.