Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemHelping academics to help themselves : investigating appropriate professional support strategies for academics with no formal teaching qualifications( 2001)Currently, tertiary education is undergoing a major review of teaching and learning, to support the needs of a now culturally, socially and economically diverse student clientele. Consequently, the notion of professional development for academics has become a priority. Quite commonly, academics have been educated in their particular field of expertise with little emphasis on learning and teaching styles. Furthermore, little or inappropriate professional development focussing on teaching and learning practices, has been the style of support offered to date. It appears that these ad hoc off campus short courses have not adequately met the professional development needs of many academics with no formal teaching qualifications. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of a work-embedded approach to professional development using a case study methodology.
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ItemLaying the foundations for surgical excellence: strategic alignment of questions in program evaluation( 2006)The question of how to prioritise program evaluation questions in the best way is an important issue for evaluation practice. This is because the prioritisation of evaluation questions can determine how resources are allocated to the program evaluation effort. Obviously, if critical questions are not addressed, then the information obtained may not be the most useful in terms of program improvement. In the area of Program Theory Evaluation (PTE), prioritisation of questions, emerging from a program theory, has been highlighted as a need. This thesis used case study methodology to investigate a novel method of prioritising evaluation questions in a program theory evaluation, with the intention of creating a strategically-aligned evaluation plan. The case study concerned the Basic Surgical Training (BST) program of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeon (RACS). The thesis set out first to develop the program theory for the BST program, and to construct a balanced score card (BSC) with respect to education within the RACS. Subsequently, the aim was to develop a strategically aligned evaluation plan for BST using the BSC as a quality framework of reference. Multiple data collection methods were used including document analysis, focus group interviews, and individual interviews. The findings from the data analysis were used as a basis for both the BST program theory and the BSC, termed the "RACS Education Quality Framework". The application of the BSC to the program theory then resulted in an evaluation plan for an aspect of the BST program, which was considered to be a priority by the RACS. The outcomes of this thesis illustrate the utility of this approach in prioritising evaluation questions in program theory evaluation. There are, however, a number of caveats that relate primarily to the commitment needed to develop the BSC and the complex program theory. Despite this, a number of recommendations relating to evaluation within the RACS, evaluation practice in medical education settings, and evaluation practice more widely have been made. Finally, the processes and outcomes described in the thesis provide the basis for further exploration of prioritisation of questions in program theory evaluation, and the concepts explored should have wider applicability to evaluation practice. Further work in other case settings would assist in defining the utility of this approach.
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ItemNew cars, new work, new learning: productive workplace learning at a lean manufacturing site( 2007)This study investigates the construction of knowledge through action, teamwork and problem-solving. Within the context of a competitive global industry, the vehicle manufacturing industry, production workers and font-line supervisors from a component manufacturing company, Toyota-Boshoku, were interviewed about their work. Workers in a production environment are active and participative and the fieldwork indicates that they learn most effectively from the practical performance of tasks. Clearly, the embodied actions of workers are epistemologically significant because it is the doing of the task that their learning, knowledge and understanding are expressed. Therefore, learning practices that emerge from the performative nature of the work are most likely to present workers with opportunities to display their skills, knowledge and understanding. The whole person is involved in such learning - the cognitive, social, psychomotor and affective domains - and helps to shape knowledge for workers as expressive bodies. Knowledge is constructed in the social and atmosphere of the workplace as workers learn from one another in their everyday work practices. The thesis concludes that there is significant epistemological value in the embodied actions of the workers and in this respect the thinking and the doing are intertwined and interdependent, rather than separate entities.