Melbourne Graduate School of Education - Theses

Permanent URI for this collection

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 15
  • Item
    Thumbnail Image
    Link between teacher-student relationship, student emotional wellbeing, coping styles, classroom engagement and peer relationships
    Sabir, Fizza ( 2007)
    This research explored the link between teacher-student relationship, student emotional wellbeing, coping styles, peer relationship and classroom engagement of year 8 students. The participants were Catholic school students and the focus was limited to English class and teacher. The data sources were a Student-Survey (SS) and the Adolescent Coping Scale (ACS) (Frydenberg & Lewis, 1993). The first component of the research was scale development, to validate the hypothetical categorization of items in the scales; the second was the testing of the hypotheses. Teacher-student relationship was highly correlated with classroom engagement and coping style-solving the problem. The correlation between other variables was positive but not significant.
  • Item
    Thumbnail Image
    Rater consistency and judgment in the direct assessment of second language writing ability within the certificates in spoken and written English
    Smith, David R ( 1998)
    The introduction of competency-based models of language and literacy education in Australia has, to a large degree, coincided with an increased emphasis on direct assessment as the most common means of evaluating second language writing ability within the Adult Migrant English Program. The key problem in directly assessing writing ability is having two or more raters arrive at a similar judgment or rating for the same piece of writing. While there is a long tradition of research on rater consistency and judgment in the holistic assessment of writing ability, similar research on the direct assessment of second language writing ability within the context of competency-based language and literacy education is almost non-existent. This study aims to determine the degree to which the performance criteria designed to assess second language writing ability within the Certificates in Spoken and Written English can ensure acceptable levels of rater consistency, and to describe the decision-making behaviours and strategies used by raters when reading for the purposes of assessment. The think-aloud verbal reports of six experienced ESL raters assessing three texts written by intermediate level adult ESL learners were transcribed and subjected to a rigorous interpretive analysis. In terms of rater consistency, analysis of raters verbal reports indicated that while there was generally a high degree of rater consistency at the overall performance or text level there was considerably tess agreement at the level of individual performance criteria. Analysis of the data revealed that raters adopted distinctive styles or approaches to reading for the purposes of assessment and that raters interpreted and applied the performance criteria statements in a range of different ways. These findings have significant implications not only for the development of competency-based assessment procedures but also for the training of raters. v11
  • Item
    Thumbnail Image
    Defining the characteristics of a good middle school teacher in an Australian setting
    Douglas, Linda Jane ( 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.
  • Item
    Thumbnail Image
    Museum exhibitions : the development and application of a cyclic evaluation model
    Stanton, Janeen Cynthia ( 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.
  • Item
    Thumbnail Image
    Institutional influences on approaches to teaching within a flexible university : a cultural historical investigation
    Mulready, Pamela Anne ( 2010)
    This study investigated the teaching approaches of two business academics located within an Australian university developing its flexible teaching and learning practices over the past twenty years. The interview subjects are highly regarded educators with formative backgrounds in on-campus or off-campus distance teaching. Each has had a long professional relationship with the researcher in her centrally situated position's as an educational developer within the institution. A review of the student learning literature pertaining to teaching and learning approaches in the higher education sector over the last thirty years, shows that "teaching approaches" can influence "student learning approaches"(Ramsden, Paul 2003) and outcomes, (Biggs, J. 2003; Lizzio, Alf, Wilson, Keithia & Simons, Roland 2002) however "institutional influences" upon teaching approaches seems to be substantially overlooked. (Kernber & Kwan 2000) The academics were invited to participate in this study agreeing to retrospectively review and discuss their teaching in three progressive phases of their working history. They were invited to consider their teaching approach using the Approach to Teaching Inventory (Trigwell, Prosser et. al. 2005) in order to reflect upon their personal positioning (Harre September 2004), institutional practice and societal rhetoric in relation to an academic life in various periods of their teaching history. Discursive analysis has been undertaken of the resulting conversations guided by Cultural Historical Analysis Theory, (Vygotsky 1978, Engestrom 1987). This investigation reveals profound institutional influences on the approaches of teachers to their work. Influences on academic life have usually been studied independent of the Higher education teaching and learning literature. This study points to an urgent need to integrate these research interests to inform understanding of material transformative activity for policy makers in higher education.
  • Item
    Thumbnail Image
    Discovering the fruits of your labour : guidance for program practitioners to develop their own evaluation models
    Myrianthis, Nick ( 2002)
    The thesis of this dissertation is that present auditing practices provide for accountability that is intermittent rather than continual. A consistent recommendation across performance audits conducted throughout the world is for persons responsible for implementing, facilitating and/or managing programs, (i.e. program practitioners) to undertake continuous evaluation of effectiveness as a foundation towards continuous improvement. I argue that current deficiencies encountered by the public sector in realising an environment of continuous improvement can be overcome by establishing a continuous evaluation culture. This is based on the premise that by evaluating public sector programs on a continuous basis, practitioners can achieve higher levels of knowledge about what the programs are doing and what the programs are achieving. Practitioners can use this knowledge to improve work practices and to alter current programs to become more effective in achieving desired outcomes. This paper seeks to facilitate the adoption of a continuous evaluation culture across the public sector by providing program practitioners a good understanding of evaluation principles and practices which they can use to conceptualise evaluation models to suit the programs they are responsible for. The first part of the paper explains the purpose of program evaluation and its various applications. The paper then attempts to build on public sector theory and models by describing examples of a selection of evaluation models that have been undertaken on a variety of programs. The final part of the paper provides guidance to program practitioners on how to evaluate their programs by informing them of evaluation techniques, protocols and concepts which should be taken into account by practitioners when designing evaluation models.
  • Item
    Thumbnail Image
    Learning for independence : the learning experience of some East Timorese scholarship students in Australia 2001 - 2005
    Touzeau, Jane ( 2007)
    The people of East Timor voted for independence in a UN sponsored referendum in 1999. The departing Indonesian Army left widespread devastation in its wake. In 2000 the first students left independent East Timor to take up scholarships around the world to help build its human resource. This thesis reports on research into the learning experiences of some members of the early groups of East Timorese scholarship students at different universities in Melbourne. Their experience during the scholarship period is analysed through the framework of adult learning including formal, non-formal, informal and unintentional learning. The students have learned English, taken their studies seriously, created their own community, and, through the support movement for East Timor, have had a range of opportunities to participate in the host community. Despite their formal educational experiences, they are enthusiastic learners committed to contributing to the development of East Timor. This thesis indicates that educators and those in the community support movement can learn from, and contribute to, the learning experience of future students from East Timor. It discusses some attitudes in the student community, shows the students' learning from observation of, and. participation in aspects of the Australian community, and their imagination and citizenship commitment in adapting their learning to the East Timorese.. context.
  • Item
    Thumbnail Image
    From "great!" to "gr8!" : register shifts across CMC modes : a case study of three boys with varying literacy abilities
    Ujma, Ottilie ( 2007)
    The aims of the current study were to observe A) the extent to which various ability level students demonstrate control over register in the three CMC modes of SMS, email and Word documents; and B) the extent to which these students are aware of these shifts in register. Data was collected by using a video recorder to capture how three students, Alex, Jasper and Eric, typed an SMS, an email, and a school-based text as a Microsoft Word document. Each student then discussed their texts in an interview, using the footage as a think-aloud protocol. All sessions were carried out with individual students, each lasting no more than 20 minutes. Data were analysed using the Hallidayan theory of register, taking into account its sub-categories of field, tenor and mode (Halliday, 1985a; 1985b; Eggins, 2004). The video footage indicated that Alex and Jasper, the students with higher literacy abilities, were able to switch between abbreviated codes and academic written English, demonstrating an understanding of the different communicative requirements of both informal and formal texts. The linguistic analysis illustrated that these students were very comfortable in using both Shorthand codes and conventional spelling in their SMS and email messages, and demonstrated a sophisticated use of the generic, syntactic and especially, lexical structures in their formal texts. However, Eric, identified by his teacher as having lower literacy abilities, was less comfortable in using abbreviations in his SMS and email; a less sophisticated structure in his formal text even showed some register confusion. The interviews revealed Alex's and Jasper's awareness of their register choices, evident across their texts. Although Eric also showed an awareness of these, his texts show he demonstrated these shifts to a lesser extent. Alex and Jasper also revealed positive attitudes towards, and an exploratory use of CMC modes. However, Eric's surprising aversion to technology suggests that some teenagers may be uncomfortable with the abbreviated language associated with some forms of CMC. Results show that, contrary to populist beliefs, (such as Texting 'is not bar to literacy;' cited in Thurlow, 2006, p. 699) the relationship between Shorthand codes and academic written English is multifaceted. Alex's and Jasper's awareness of composing texts with varied tenor allowed them to make appropriate register choices, whereas Eric's choices of code were more restricted. This study suggests that clearly, there are more complex variables operating, which should be examined in a wider array of students in future investigations.
  • Item
    Thumbnail Image
    A program theory of the Bushfire blitz program
    Rhodes, Alan ( 2001)
    Program theory has become increasingly prominent in evaluation in recent years. The thesis explores the notion of program theory by examining the writings of several evaluators and attempts to distill the key elements of a comprehensive model of program theory from a realist perspective. This model of program theory is used as a basis to develop a program theory of the Bushfire Blitz program, a community-based education and advice program intended to increase residents' preparedness to deal with the bushfire risk. The thesis reviews literature in the fields of risk perception, risk communication and the adoption of precautionary behaviours. Several evaluation studies of Bushfire Blitz are also considered. The findings from the literature review and the review of evaluation studies are synthesised to develop a program theory of Bushfire Blitz. The thesis examines how individuals and communities respond to risk, the nature of preparedness for the bushfire risk and decision making processes in response to risk. Examination of these aspects is essential in order to understand how the Bushfire Blitz program can bring about change in both individual and community response to the bushfire risk. The program theory developed in the thesis highlights the importance of several crucial aspects of realist approaches to evaluation such as the role of psychosocial mechanisms, the nature of program effects at both micro and macro levels, and the effects of contextual complexity on the program. The program theory provides guidance for program improvement and the basis for on-going evaluation of Bushfire Blitz and similar programs to address the risk from natural hazards.
  • Item
    Thumbnail Image
    Collaboration : the key to the resilient learner
    Rogers, Jonathan S (1949-) ( 2007)
    In what ways may Collaborative Teamwork and Social Development be linked as they inform Resilience in the Middle Years.' This thesis examines the key role that small group collaboration may play in the social development of student collaborative skills, particularly of a pro-social nature, developed by classroom practice. The study involves Victorian middle years students and a mixed method approach is applied. Quantitative analysis allows student questionnaire response data to be examined to facilitate understandings of the performance of collaborative groups and qualitative analysis of student interview data allows deeper understandings of student interactions to emerge. These collaborative skills include shared planning, monitoring and assessment, supportive behaviours and a commitment to ensuring successful group outcomes. Motivational factors including those based on interest, self-efficacy and attribution are referred to. A collaborative learning model is also described. Personal learning and development that may result from collaborative group work is described in the context of the individual's resilience and personal growth.