Melbourne Graduate School of Education - Theses

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    The care of the pre-school child in N.S.W
    McKenzie, Jean Banks ( 1944)
    THE CARE OF THE PRE-SCHOOL CHILD IN NEW SOUTH WALES. The thesis as presented falls into four definite parts. The first, Section I., is concerned with the history and philosophy of the care of the very young child overseas. As we owe so much, particularly in our educational attitudes, to the "Old Country", an of later years to America also, the relevant developments in these two places have been given. Health, custodial and educational aspects have all been included. The latter part of Section 1 is concerned with philosophical considerations, the modern theories of child care, and their practical applications in that most satisfying and satisfactory environment for the pre-school child, the Nursery School, a development of the twentieth century. Section II, concerned particularly with matters in New South Wales, deals with the two aspects of child-care, Section lIa. with the physical side, Section II b. with the educational provision. Of these, the first emphasises preventive measures, and is concerned with the development of such movements as Maternal and Baby Welfare, the work of the Bush Nursing Association, the Flying Doctor, the Far West Children's Health Scheme and the less romantic but equally essential services of hospitals, clinics, etc.. But in these days other organisations than purely medical ones are being interested in health movements, and so Play Centres too demand a passing word. Section II b. deals with the educational aspect, where more emphasis is placed on the psychological side, though health matters are by no means regarded as unimportant. Here both residential and non-residential facilities available for the pre-school child are reviewed, and the Nursery School is declared to provide the best opportunity for a co-ordinating centre of the interests of the child. The provision made by the State, the Kindergarten Union, the Day Nursery and Nursery Schools Association and the Local Governments surveyed from the point of view of the service each provides for the "whole child"; and conclusions are drawn as to. the value of the provision made for the pre-school child, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Section III. is photographic. Unfortunately, the studies were not taken on my visits, but are due to the generosity of two Nursery School Directors (of the Erskineville Day Nursery and the Free Kindergarten, Maybanke) and my brother, without whose assistance this section would have been very uninspired. Last of all come the appendices containing matters of interest in pre-school work, which from the point of view of perspective could not be included in the main body of the work, yet are of value for reference. Appendix I. shows the educational provision made by the State for. children under the compulsory school age in the more closely settled metropolitan areas. Appendix II. details the provision made by the Kindergarten Union and the Day Nursery and Nursery Schools Association. The long waiting lists emphasise. the inability of voluntary organisations to cope with the problem, even in pre-war days. Appendix III. offers a graded list of toys suitable for pre-school children. Appendix IV. outlines "Emergency" Nursery Courses suggested for the training of staff urgently, needed to supplement the fully trained Kindergarten 'and Nursery School staffs for any further expansion in pre-school care. American and English war-time nursery care is not given in the main part of the thesis as the information was gleaned almost entirely from periodicals and newspaper articles, and one always treats this type of information with reserve, wondering how much of the subject matter is propaganda of some sort, and how much can be accepted as scientific fact. Appendix V. simply contains types of record forms actually in use in the various pre-school institutions.
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    Epistemological beliefs and practice in a preschool setting
    O'Keefe, Catherine ( 2002)
    The aim of this case study was to determine whether the level of espoused epistemological beliefs of a qualified teacher and unqualified assistant were implicit in each Teacher's individual practice. The study was undertaken in a privately operated preschool in Victoria. Two participants were chosen on their identified preference to work and be recognized by co-workers, parents and children, as a team of two teachers working side by side. For this reason, the participants were referred to as Teacher A and Teacher B. Data were collected using five different methods of inquiry: preliminary interview; audio transcripts during planning and preparation sessions; copy of the written teaching plan; video recordings of Teacher interactions; and video stimulated debriefings. These methods set out to investigate: the epistemological beliefs of each Teacher; what beliefs held by each Teacher about knowledge, learning, child development and teaching practices were similar or dissimilar; the levels of epistemological development in each Teacher's espoused beliefs; the consistency between each Teacher's espoused beliefs with their individual practice; and whether each Teacher's level of epistemological development was implicit in their individual practice. The research indicates that Teacher A and Teacher B generally held varying beliefs about the nature of knowledge, learning, child development, and teaching practice. Despite dissimilarities, the comparison of each Teacher's espoused beliefs with Belenky et al's (1986) Women's Ways of Knowing Model revealed each had the same level of espoused epistemological development, which was subjective knowledge. Comparisons between Teacher A and Teacher B's espoused beliefs with individual practice revealed that each Teacher's beliefs were predominantly inconsistent with their practice. The results also revealed inconsistencies between practice and particular recollections by each Teacher. Although the comparative analyses of each Teacher's beliefs and practice revealed inconsistencies, the comparative analyses of each Teacher's espoused epistemological development with each Teacher's practice revealed Teacher A and Teacher B's espoused epistemological development were implicit in their individual practice.
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    The preschool experience as a model of public sector reform
    Whitrod, Sally-Anne ( 2002)
    Shortly following its election in 1992, the Victorian Liberal Government announced its intention to overhaul Government departments and the bureaucratic structure of the public service, in an effort to 'kick start' the flagging Victorian economy. Government departments were amalgamated and restructured in accordance with the Managerialist and contractual philosophies of the Government. Victorian kindergartens fell under the auspice of the Department of Health and Community Services. This Department was committed to the Government's reform agenda and introduced policies and procedures to support this. The kindergarten sector provides an illustrative case study of the reform process. Initiatives were introduced to encourage greater service flexibility and lower departmental expenditure through a per capita funding arrangement and voluntary, community centre management. The result has been a combination of intended and unintended consequences, which have brought the Victorian kindergarten sector to the brink of collapse.
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    Parents' and staff' perception of quality in preschools
    Schaper, Clare ( 2003)
    Effective working partnerships between parents and staff are widely recognized as a major factor that contributes to the delivery of high quality preschool services. Available research suggest that while parents and staff embrace a number of similar attitudes about quality in early childhood services, they also hold some differing perceptions. This study, conducted in a rural city in Victoria, explored how parents and staff agree and differ in their perceptions of preschool quality. Throughout the duration of the study both parents and staff expressed their beliefs about the importance of quality preschool services. The study found that parents and staff held similar perceptions relating to a number of factors which the literature has shown to contribute to quality, such as staff-child interactions, teachers experience and professional development. The study also found that their perceptions were divided in other areas which the literature identified as contributing factors such as the suggestion for the need to introduce a standard curriculum framework for all preschools as well as the need for parents to be involved in their children's preschool. The findings from this study can highlight the importance of strengthening the partnerships between parents and staff, necessary to enhance the delivery of high quality preschool services.
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    Curriculum differentiation for gifted pre-schoolers : a study of a professional development program
    Morrison, Karin ( 1999)
    Curriculum differentiation has been shown to positively influence the way gifted children develop in educational settings, yet very few pre-school teachers have any training in gifted education and curriculum differentiation. This study examines the needs of young gifted children and whether a differentiated curriculum to meet these needs can be developed in a manner that is accessible to pre-school teachers who have had no formal training in the area of giftedness. The sample included a group of twelve pre-school teachers who participated in a series of workshops examining giftedness in early childhood, the learning needs of young gifted children and ways to respond to these needs. The study utilised a comparison of curriculum units developed by the teachers, both before and after the intervention of the workshops. The units were analysed according to criteria identifying specific characteristics of curriculum differentiation and their presence in the units of work developed by the teachers. This analysis showed that there was a substantial increase in the presence of the identified characteristics in the curriculum units developed at the conclusion of the workshops and that many of these characteristics were also evident in units of work developed eighteen months after the conclusion of the workshops. For example, variety of process, product and interaction were infrequent characteristics prior to the workshops, yet were evident in almost every unit both immediately after the conclusion of the workshops and eighteen months later. While the sample of this study is small, the findings suggest that specifically designed workshops can significantly influence the curriculum that teachers develop to respond to the needs of the gifted children in their care.
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    Can the incorporation of a structured pre-primary curriculum improve primary scholastic performance?
    Kachami-McLaren, Nayla ( 1996)
    Primary and secondary educational reforms seeking quality and accountability are placing top-down pressure on early childhood education to become more defined and assessable in preparation for future learning. State and Federal government policies advocate set curriculum with definable results. Such trends are also observed overseas. The aim is for early childhood education to be more relevant to the rest of the child's learning and to the demands of the time. A large body of professionals within early childhood education view this as an intrusive, restrictive and regressive approach which is inconsistent with what years of research have taught us about early childhood education. They maintain that early childhood education is a stage in its own right and does not need to be altered to match another. Their main view is that each child learns individually to full potential via firsthand experiences through play under the guidance of a qualified educarer. Frameworks, and curricular continuity are seen as restrictions of such freedom. Generally accepting this premise, the study seeks to investigate the viability of concepts that will provide quality, continuity and smooth transition from pre-prep education to primary school while remaining true to a free early childhood educational philosophy. Theories of prominent educators, psychologists and sociologists, current overseas research and practise, as well as guidelines contained in developmentally appropriate publications, were used as foundations and substantiations for the concept of a structured learning component through which social skills, cognitive skills and internalised learning are developed. This is seen to enable the incorporation of continuity of learning into early schooling and beyond. Play remains the medium of the child's learning experiences. The research established that a structured learning component can be valuable provided it is carried out by experienced professionals. A survey of community opinion indicated that such a component can be beneficial to future learning. Literature across the ideological continuum as surveyed, and most authors advocated the need for some structure in the early childhood curriculum.
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    An exploration of the influence of the theories of Maria Montessori on education in state schools and free kindergartens between 1912 and 1930 in some states of south eastern Australia, with special emphasis on Victoria
    Barrett, Gael ( 1987)
    While Montessori's theories appear to have had greater influence and official support in the state schools of New South Wales and in the kindergartens of South Australia, the extent of her influence in Victoria is not widely discussed in educational literature. This thesis tries to examine the ways in which Montessori's theories affected educational ideas and practices in Victorian state schools and free kindergartens between 1912 and 1930. Some comparison is made among the states of South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria as to the extent and reasons for the differing degrees of influence Montessorian ideas exerted over the educational developments in the three states. It is suggested that Montessori's ideas did influence the attitudes of some educators in Victoria but that lack of finance and over-crowding in classrooms prevented the implementation of a Montessori programme. The lasting effect of Montessori does not seem to have differed greatly in the three states.
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    Early childhood professionals as a source of social support: the role of parent-professional communication
    Armstrong, Kirsten J. ( 2008)
    This exploratory study examined Early Childhood Professionals (ECP) as a source of support for mothers. It investigated the nature of mother-professional communications and how they influenced parental perceptions of support within the context of centre-based child care. The study involved forty mothers whose eldest child was aged between 6 and 36 months and attended at least 16 hours of dare per week in an accredited child care centre. A sequential mixed method research was 'used (quantitative-qualitative).. In the quantitativ� component participants completed a consent form, the Perceived Social Support Survey and a parent-professional Communication Questionnaire. Two mothers were then selected for interview based on their extreme scores on the Perceived Soci�l Support Survey. The interviews aimed to gather more indepth and varied data on mother-professional relationships within the context of their communicative interactions. Survey and Questionnaire data was analysed using correlation and descriptive statistical procedures. Grounded theory was used to analyse the interview responses. Results revealed that: (a) Most mothers perceived ECPs to be supportive; (b) Increased perceptions of social support were linked to specific communication characteristics; (c) A mother's communications and involvement in social networks were associated with higher levels of social support. These social networks were linked to, and supported by the child care centre; (d) Mothers may be looking for more support than they experienced from ECPs. Mothers' perceptions of ECPs as sources of social support are disc�ssed. The nature of mother-ECP communication and its influence on maternal feelings of support are described. Findings are discussed in terms of their relevance to theory and research. Limitations are identified and implications for early childhood policy development and practise are discussed.