Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemA working knowledge program within a project-funded professional development environment( 1998)This study was designed to achieve two research aims: The first was to engage the researcher in a journey of discovery that provided her with the knowledge and ability to question the merits and limitations of project-funded professional development. The second was to extend the researcher's understanding of project-funded learning and professional development by developing and implementing a working knowledge program within an actual project-funded environment. The research question was consistent with these aims as it asked "What facilitated or inhibited learning in the participants of a project-funded professional development program developed from the concept of working knowledge?". Project-funded professional development programs have become a popular method of targeting specific disciplines and subjects within the primary and community health care sectors. This source of professional development brings with it unique learning environments that have strengths and limitations. This study addresses what is arguably a challenge for facilitators employed in this industry, having knowledge of models of professional development that enhance practitioner learning and address the limitations associated with project-funded programs. It is hoped that this study contributes to our knowledge of the concept of working knowledge, and clarifies its potential role in project-funded programs. A qualitative research approach was used to analyse the research data and this produced a rich description of the type of knowledge valued and accessed by the study's participants. The knowledge that was sought and acquired by the GPs participants during the working knowledge program was more consistent with the perception they had of their role as independent practitioners, even though the program was designed using a cross-discipline approach and based within a holistic framework. A somewhat surprising factor was the depth and breadth of influence that the practitioner's own 'culture' had on every stage of this study.
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ItemCompetency-based training: a study of the meaning of change in vocational education practice( 1998)This is a Doctorate (D. Ed.) thesis on the meaning given to a particular change (the introduction of an 'official' NTB/ANTA version of competency-based training in Australia) in vocational education by some of its practitioners. Its original contribution to the field of vocational education lies in reporting the practitioner view of change. The formal definition of the NTB/ANTA 'official' version CBT and those of its subsidiary components was used as a research tool to measure practitioner response to change. Responses to the change proposal were classified using the typologies of fidelity, mutual adaptation co-option and non-implementation. The work starts by discussing the origins of CBT including the historic and political events, which have shaped this teaching innovation. It then describes how a naturalistic paradigm was used to hear the voices of the practitioner and examine the attitudes and knowledge of the 'official' version of CBT held by those of various status involved in the introduction of this innovation in a number TAFE and industry sites. The study examined three research questions: 1. What meaning is given to the 'official' version of CBT by different stakeholders in different organisations? 2. How do different people at different levels in an educational hierarchy react to the implementation of the 'official' version of CBT, what was important in implementation, and what were the processes? 3. Is there a resulting grounded theory of implementation of current change, and what impact and possible consequences does it have for the implementation of future changes in vocational education? The research reports that the change has not been implemented in the way its promoters would have wished and that the meaning given to the concept of CBT by teachers and trainers has, understandably, led to widely different responses and practices within the fidelity to non-implementation range of typologies. It has been found that what was implemented was of general benefit to students and there were some unintended outcomes, which it is argued, were also valuable. The work concludes with some cautionary advice to initiators and implementers of other innovations in the same field.
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ItemThe internationalisation of higher education in Australia: management and strategy options for faculties of education( 1998)Internationalisation is becoming an increasingly important issue in the field of higher education in many universities. The aim of the research is to examine the management approaches used by higher education institutions in Australia in relation to the process of integrating the international dimension into the primary functions of an institution of higher education. This research has considered the ways in which institutions are accommodating, through their own planning and development processes, the growing demand for a greater international view, taking in both the range of international activities and the elaboration and/or reformulation of the fundamental missions of teaching, research and service. While the need for and benefits of internationalising are gaining increased recognition, the mechanisms needed to ensure that the elements of internationalisation are integrated, institutionalised, and treated as a core activity of the institutions are still to be explored. It should be recognised that approaches or strategies will differ according to the particular settings and circumstances as well as profiles of individual institutions. This research, however, aims to identify distinct broad models or common approaches being adopted by best practice higher education institutions in Australia, and so construct a strategic framework for internationalisation. Thus 'strategic framework', for the purpose of this study, comprise those strategic commitments which guide the institution's international orientations for the future.
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ItemLeadership and the learning organisation in self managing schools( 1997)This study used the Peter Senge model of the learning organisation as a framework for the analysis of learning organisations in secondary schools. It is the first study of its kind to use the Senge framework for investigating learning organisations in schools in Australia. Three Victorian schools which were perceived to have the characteristics of learning organisations were selected as case studies for a qualitative analysis. These schools were analysed and compared in terms of the model in order to determine whether the model could be applied in this context. Each of the disciplines of the model, systems thinking, personal mastery, team learning, shared vision and mental models were examined. The study found that the Senge model, while providing a useful basis for the development of a learning organisation in schools, needed to be modified to suit the education context. An alternative model was formed which provides a practical approach to the initiation of a learning organisation process which was seen as more appropriate to Australian secondary schools. Four key elements of the alternative model were identified and are instrumental in the development of a learning organisation in schools. These are inclusive collaborative structures, effective communication channels, integrated and inclusive professional development programmes, and learning focused leadership. Application of the alternative model has implications for government policy in relation to the future development of educational and professional development programmes. In terms of the methodology employed, the NUDIST software was used in the analysis of the quantitative data generated by the study. This approach is one which is rapidly gaining popularity in qualitative research but at the time this study was commenced it was relatively innovative. The software was found to assist the analysis in a variety of ways.
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ItemSharing the spirit: transmission of charism by religious congregations( 1998)Catholic schools have experienced significant changes in recent years. Other than the pressures that all schools face, the issue of the identity of Catholic schools has loomed large. With the dramatic decrease in the active membership of religious congregations, the continuation of their charism, their philosophical and spiritual tradition, has been a crucial concern. In this study, the processes for charism transmission were examined in order to identify these processes and their underlying assumptions. Through the use of interviews, participant observations and document analyses, the processes for charism transmission currently in use were documented. Charism transmission was found to occur through a range of formal and informal processes. Informal processes included school structures, networks, personal contact and the everyday reality of school life. Formal processes included a range of programs planned to share overtly the charism with lay colleagues. These included inservices, extended reflection programs and explorations of personal spirituality. These processes were consistent with the definition of charism proposed by Lee (1989) and with the model of shared praxis proposed by Groome (1991). In addition, vision, in this study, was influenced significantly by the historical context and tradition of the group. Thus, the description of vision, as proposed by Staessens and Vandenberghe (1995), was augmented with this additional perspective. The assumptions, which strongly influenced the chosen processes, were primarily related to the expected roles of religious and their lay colleagues. Although a shared or mutual responsibility was advocated by the majority of congregations, the processes employed were not always consistent with that assumption. As a result, a framework, based on the work of Butler (1996), for the development of more coherent and comprehensive approaches has been proposed.