Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemLink between teacher-student relationship, student emotional wellbeing, coping styles, classroom engagement and peer relationships( 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.
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ItemSelfoverestimation and scholastic success( 1977)Three weeks before the end of year final assessments at school, 133 boys from forms one, three and five at a Victorian secondary school produced a self rating (SR) in six areas, general academic ability, industriousness in maths and in English, friendliness, and predicted final mark in maths and in English. Each student also rated all other members of his class in these six areas. The composite of these scores produced a group rating (GR) of each student in each of the six areas. The SR was then compared with the GR. If the SR>GR the student was defined as overestimating himself. The other two possible outcomes of this comparison were SR=GR (realistic) or SR
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ItemAn evaluation of an orientation to higher education studies program( 1996)This study is an evaluation of the effectiveness of an Orientation to Higher Education Studies program presented at the Footscray campus of Victoria University of Technology (VUT) in February 1994, to new and continuing students who perceived themselves to be underprepared for university studies in general, and for meeting the standards required for written assignments in higher education in particular. The investigation was undertaken to gain insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the program's present curriculum, delivery techniques and organisational details, but, more importantly, it sought to better understand the potential short term and medium term effects for students of participation in the program. Deeper understandings of these issues will allow the presenters to make informed decisions regarding the development and delivery of future orientation programs for non-traditional students who enter higher education studies. It is also anticipated that this work will contribute to the current interest in the experiences of students in the first year of undergraduate degrees. A variety of methods was used to collect data for the study, including surveys, a questionnaire and interviews. The informants included the participants in the program, five case study students, lecturing staff and an independent assessor. Whilst data gathered through the questionnaire were useful in providing background information, it was investigation into the five case study students' experiences that gave deeper insight into the short and medium term effects on students' attitudes and actions with respect to the preparation of their first written assignment. The evaluation revealed that students from diverse non-traditional backgrounds can gain much from participating in such a program, particularly if it is complemented by the provision of on-going support . As well as identifying the benefits which occurred for the case study students, some limitations of the program were also revealed.
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ItemImmigration, the media and student understandings( 1986)This study investigates the issue of Asian immigration as it was treated by two newspapers in a three month period in 1984 and also examines the attitudes of three groups of adolescents to the messages conveyed by the media representations. This study is divided into three main parts. In the first chapter there is a selective review of the material in the area of racism and the media, in particular those studies carried out from an ideological consensus point of view. In addition, there is a review of relevant studies carried out in the youth culture/politics area. The second part of the study provides a detailed examination of the strategies employed by two newspapers The Herald and The Sun News- Pictorial for the construction of the 'Immigration Debate' in the period March to June 1984. The third and final part of the study examines the extent to which the students accepted or rejected the ideological framework established by the two newspapers in their treatment of the immigration issue. As a result of this three-stage analysis, it is argued that the strategies employed by the two newspapers in helping to construct the debate on immigration ensured that the ideological framework for this debate was essentially racist. It is also argued that at the level of discourse many of the students involved in the study were shown to be not directly aware of the 'Blainey Debate'. However, it is also apparent that when they examined the media representations they displayed little ability to reject the ideological boundaries established for debate. The media representations legitimised and transmitted what could be called the 'new racism'. This study found that the students were not able to critically question this new racism.
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ItemInterpreting thinking routines : identifying and encouraging thoughtful action( 2008)This research explains how thinking routines encourage thoughtful actions in middle school students. Thinking routines involve doing significant things with knowledge. The regular use of thinking routines assists students individually and collectively, to experience patterns of inquiry. Using these routines in the classroom invites students to explore and manage their thoughtful actions. The method of this study used action research to extend knowledge of dispositions found in the literature. Dispositions are acquired patterns of behavior. Therefore, being strategic in your thinking is under one's control, as opposed to being automatically activated. Dispositions were renamed learning attitudes. Attitude is closely associated with behavior and control over what one does. A learning attitude is more easily identifiable within a student's. personal lexicon. An iterative sequence was then used to analyze and report on key words which represented learning attitudes found in student work. Distinctive features were interpreted by the researcher to emerge from this sequence grounded in work samples. Understanding these distinctive features empowers teachers to make constructive judgements. Without good judgement it is difficult to encourage thoughtful and reflective actions. Reflective thinking enables us to act in a deliberate and intentional manner. Deliberate actions provide power of control over knowledge.
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ItemModernization and youth culture in contemporary China : a translation, with introduction, of articles from the Chinese press, 1986-1987( 1988)The thesis provides, with an introduction and notes, translations of five articles from the Chinese educational press and one from a Chinese Ph.D student newly arrived in U.S.A. which throw light on the uncertainty being expressed in China about the values and behaviour of students and young intellectuals at a time of rapid policy change towards modernization and a more open attitude to the West. The texts here translated have been previously unavailable in English.
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ItemAn exploratory study of the Japanese concept of self( 2005)The purpose of this study was to identify the structure and the components of the Japanese concept of self. In order to complete this, the Concept Mapping method and two Questionnaires were administered. Thirty young Japanese adult participants who had lived in Australia for more than three months participated in the preliminary study. They were instructed to sort cards and answer the questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of three traditional Japanese selfconcept theories (amae, jiko fukakujitsuse, and kanjin-shugi). The results of the analysis of the data indicated that the outline of the Japanese concept of self has four dimensions. Each traditional Japanese self-concept theory occupied one dimension, except the concept of amae (dependence). The amae concept was scattered throughout four dimensions. It also was found that the fourth dimension was occupied by an unknown concept. This unknown concept was hypothesised as the concept of kojin-shugi (individualism). Based on the findings of the preliminary study, a translated Western made questionnaire (Marsh's SDQ III) was introduced to ninety-two Japanese university students who had lived in Japan for more than ten years. From analysing the results, it was found that the Japanese concept of self consisted of three main factors and thirteen sub-domains. It was also found that some of these thirteen sub-domains were different from the original Western concept of self From the results of the preliminary study, a new measurement (questionnaire) of the Japanese concept of self was created. This new questionnaire was administered to the same ninety-two Japanese university students. These data were analysed by Reliability Test and Exploratory Factor analysis. The results revealed that the Japanese concept of self had a two layered structure, four main factors and in total ten sub-factors. These main factors were found to be different from those of the translated Western questionnaire. These findings are discussed and conclusions drawn about the different structures revealed. It is maintained that translations of Western materials are unlikely to cover all important aspects of the Japanese concept of self.
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ItemDeveloping an educational vision : fusing primary and secondary horizons( 1998)The middle school has been the focus of considerable policy scrutiny at national and state levels in education in the last decade. As students move through school, attitudes to their educational environment and school management change particularly in the middle years - years 5-8. A number of large scale studies imply the benefits that would flow in transferring primary pedagogy and institutional practices to secondary classes in overcoming what has been seen as an early alienation of secondary schooling. This longitudinal case study seeks to explore changes in the various components of the quality of school life between primary and secondary school which exist in a primary school year 6 and secondary school year 7. In this collaborative research, data is gathered from the students' perspectives about their views on transition for their common primary school in year 6 to three secondary schools in year 7. The 'real world' of students, in their school context, is explored through the use of survey and direct contact in the form of interviews and discussion with students and teachers. The research, unlike some larger sample statistical surveys, suggests that improvement in the quality of middle school life in years 6 and 7 would be facilitated by a two way flow of ideas, experiences and enthusiasm.
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ItemStudents' participation, motivation and commitment to extra-curricular music( 1994)Students involved in the major extra-curricular activities of sport, music, drama and debating, the staff co-ordinators of these activities and the Principal, Vice-principal or Director of Studies at three Independent girls' schools of similar socio-economic standing, size and proximity in Victoria, were surveyed in 1992 to identify practices and influences on participation, motivation and commitment. Weiner's (1974) Attribution Theory was the initial basis on which the study was derived and Professor Edward P. Asmus's studies on motivation in music in the curriculum in American schools provided .a foundation on which to commence the research. 272 female students encompassing Years 7 to 12 were selected from the groups which the co-ordinators of each extra-curricular area ranked as having the highest, second highest, third highest and lowest status within each school. The data observes the overall responses of the three schools and also the schools' individual responses, thus allowing a comparison between them. Intrinsic and external determinants were identified as the student's perception of her own ability, the effort the student makes in an activity, the enjoyment the student gets from an activity, recognition and awards, the duration of an activity, the performance opportunities available, the achievement and success of a group, the role of the staff leader, student leadership, the difficulty of a task, the workload at Years 11 and 12, the means of travelling to and from practices and when practices are held. The outcomes of the research indicate that the participation in an extra-curricular music activity requires a much greater level of commitment than does commitment to the other extracurricular areas and that extra-curricular music introduces students to adult concepts. The findings also stress the importance of the role of the conductor not only in working directly with the ensemble but in the promotion of it. The enjoyment of an extra-curricular activity was strongly cited by students as their reason for joining and staying in the particular activity. Implications of these results and recommendations for further research were then discussed.
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ItemAbsenteeism amongst international students( 2000)International students are a significant factor in contemporary Australian education. However, despite the good efforts of the many stakeholders, a number of these students do not succeed. One major element common among many who fail is absenteeism. While there have been attempts to remedy the problem, most have not succeeded. One reason for this has been the lack of information sought on how students viewed their own experience and behaviour. The present study attempts to redress this lack by investigating the views and experience of a group of long-term absentee students from Indonesia and Thailand who were enrolled in a Diploma of Business at a private commercial provider of TAFE. The findings reveal a habit of absenteeism in the majority of participants which preceded their entry to Australia. Indeed, this pattern was not infrequently the catalyst for parents to send the student abroad in the hope that it would develop self-reliance and ensure academic achievement. In reality, the move not only did little to change old habits, but actually exacerbated feelings of low self esteem which, coupled with the loneliness and difficulties with study in a foreign city, tended to turn participants more and more to socialising with compatriot groups, increasing their alienation from local society and study, even to the point of turning to substance abuse. The study concludes that, as with all students with social difficulties, help in developing the attitude and skills needed to engender self-esteem and self-reliance, as well as open and frequent communication between students, parents, support staff and significant peers, are essential if any improvement is to be made in the situation.