Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemImproved student learning and leadership in self-managed schools( 1998)This thesis examines improved student learning and leadership in schools under conditions of decentralisation, in a study designated the Learning Outcomes Project. In 1993, in the State of Victoria, Australia, a set of initiatives called Schools of the Future was introduced into government schools. The operation of the school system was changed from a relatively centralised system to one where much of the decision making about operations was decentralised to the school site. The impact on teachers, principals and schools has been considerable. Changes have occurred to teachers' working conditions and the accountability functions of schools through School Charters, Annual Reports and the introduction of Curriculum and Standards Frameworks (CSF) in eight Key Learning Areas (KLA). The Cooperative Research Project, a joint venture of the Victorian Secondary Principals' Association, the Victorian Primary Principals' Association, the Victorian Department of Education and The University of Melbourne, conducted a series of investigations into the processes and outcomes of Schools of the Future, including this study. The Learning Outcomes Project sought to investigate links from the reforms associated with decentralisation in school systems to improved student learning. This is a critical and vital area for research where little concrete evidence is available to support the benefits of decentralisation in relation to improved student learning. Previous studies have found the benefits of decentralisation to be mainly operational and managerial. A qualitative methodology was adopted to seek evidence of improved student learning in schools and explore leadership function under the conditions of decentralisation. Four schools that claimed improved student learning agreed to be part of the study. A conceptual framework was developed that allowed actions at school level be traced through the reforms to improved student learning. The leadership dimensions and strategies suited to schools under conditions of decentralisation were studied with the aid of a conceptual model, using a new model of educational leadership. Causal links from the reforms of decentralisation to improved student learning were mapped. This study reinforces the difficulties of making causal links. The findings indicate that improved student learning under conditions of decentralisation is evident in certain circumstances where clearly defined pathways are established from the reforms to improved student learning. It was shown that direct pathways to student learning were consistently and directly evident from Curriculum- CSF Implementation and Professional Development in all schools and were developing from Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting. The causal maps defined pathways which could be used by schools to monitor improved student learning in Schools of the Future. Leadership suited to decentralised systems was shown to require strong and balanced leadership across the six dimensional model used in this study. It was further shown that leadership dimensions that were not strong in the principal needed to be evident in other leaders for effective curriculum implementation to occur. Useful trends which may be relevant to other schools were found in this study. However, due to the favourable conditions in which this study was conducted across a small number of schools, further research is necessary to validate these findings and caution may be needed if using the findings in other settings.
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ItemAn evaluation of the National Studies Program( 1999)This study focuses on the National Studies Program, which is one of the activities Emergency Management Australia (EMA) and, more specifically, the Australian Emergency Management Institute (AEMI) has supported and undertaken. Since its inception the National Studies Program has consisted of workshops, seminars and study periods which explored multi-disciplinary aspects of emergency management. All these activities were designed to enhance prevention, preparedness, response or recovery capabilities or to further community understanding. The National Studies Program has evolved in an unsystematic manner. An evaluative review of how it has evolved, combined with the collection of information from involved individuals has provided a means of making the program more relevant, better presented with improved outputs and outcomes. In this study, data were collected and analysed from archival records and interviews. A needs assessment was undertaken to determine the gap between what is currently the case and what should be, in order to determine a set of recommendations for improving an existing program. This evaluation was undertaken by an internal evaluator so the study should be seen as a contribution to the insider for insider category of evaluation practice. It is therefore expected that because of the evaluator having a stake in the program the recommendations will be effective and be utilized.
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ItemSetting standards: a comparison of two Rasch-Model methods( 1998)Standard setting is an important issue in education. This study has applied two Rasch model techniques, Angoffs sum of probability and Andrich's pairwise comparison, to set cutoff scores for a Tasmanian Year 9 Link Test at year 3, year 5 and year 8 level. The main focus of the study was to examine methods of setting cutoff scores in the context of the National Profiles. The study also aimed at examining the relative difficulty of two parts of the Link Test on Mathematics for Year 9 students in Tasmania. Standard setting issues were analysed in the light of criterion referenced assessment in terms of their purposes and implications in education and measurement. Review of previous standard setting methods was also done. The two methods applied in the study were Angoff's sum of probabilities and Andrich's pairwise comparison. Both are popular in the educational context for establishing cutoff scores and examining the difficulty levels of tests. The findings produced by the sum of probability method have shown that cutoff score at each level of part 1 was higher than that of part 2, so that part 2 of the Link Test was more difficult than part 1. It was consistent with the item estimates produced by the pairwise comparison method. The correlations were high and significant at 0.05 level. It was consistent to those findings by Andrich and Titmanis (1997). However, the correlations between item difficulty estimates established by the pairwise comparison and empirical data were low from 0.39. The study has shown the possibility of using the two Rasch model techniques, sum of probability and pairwise comparison to establish cutoff score and examine the relative difficulty of the tests. Pairwise comparison method could be used as a mean of checking the validity of the proposed standards. It was shown that further research in this field should be done.
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ItemParticipatory evaluation: recording one school's experience in using evaluation as a process to support development( 1998)A participatory evaluation was conducted over a period of two terms to review an Early Intervention Program in an independent school. Using the framework developed by Cousins and Leithwood (1993) an evaluation was initiated with the author as the internal evaluator. Four 'primary users' of the program were recruited as members of the Evaluation Team and collaborated with the evaluator in the evaluation design and implementation. The negotiated focus for the evaluation was the adequacy of the program design and to support this outcome the Evaluability Assessment model (Smith, 1989b) was incorporated into the evaluation design. The evaluation was conducted over a 16 week period and after the conclusion of the project the four Evaluation Team members were interviewed using a semi-structured interview format. The data indicated that the evaluation was seen as effective in initiating change and as a process of professional and personal learning for those involved. From this information, some of the factors that were seen as assisting the effectiveness of the evaluation process and in supporting the utilisation of the information generated were identified. These were used to develop a broad framework of guidelines for the operation of participatory evaluation context within the school context.
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ItemThe effects of a monitoring and assessment program on the learning and teaching processes of the primary classroom( 1995)This study investigated the effects of a monitoring and assessment program on the learning and teaching processes of the primary classroom focused on recording formats. Teachers used the recording formats to gain specific information about student progress in language learning. Specifically the researcher sought to determine whether the use of the recording formats had an impact in any way on learning and teaching, and if so, the nature and extent of this impact. The teachers who participated in this study found that the formats they implemented were of significant use in the classroom. In order for teachers to collect valuable assessment information, teachers had to plan tasks and activities that were open - ended and allowed for the children to work independently. Consequently the children in classes became less dependent on the teacher, were able to work more effectively in groups and improved their problem - solving skills. By using the recording formats, teachers gained specific assessment information that gave them an accurate picture of what an individual child could do. "The Further Support Needed" section of the recording formats allowed teachers to move the students forward and plan activities that were directly related to improving learning. This did not occur as frequently before the introduction of the formats. Support, both within the school and from outside facilitators, was vital. Teachers felt more able to observe and record student progress when there was another teacher present. They found discussion with colleagues and others useful in clarifying concerns, and were better able to "know what to look for" when monitoring and assessing. There is evidence from this study that the information collected by teachers was of value when reporting student progress to parents, in both the interview situation and written reports. Teachers felt they could more accurately report because they had built up a collection of information about how a child wrote, read, listened and spoke. This information was gathered in different contexts and learning areas and allowed teachers to gather tangible evidence. Time constraints caused frustration for the majority of teachers. Teachers overwhelmingly found the formats of use, but indicated that interruptions, changes in routine, and similar happenings reduced the amount of time they felt they needed to use them fully. Teachers did not include student self - assessment in the collecting of assessment information. This could be due to the fact that none of the questions in the questionnaire specifically asked for this.