Faculty of Education - Theses
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 5 of 5
-
ItemProfessional development as work-based, collective learning : a study of curriculum implementation and change( 1997)Change is now synonymous with education. Curriculum and school organisational reform currently infiltrate every aspect of school life, with teachers in many instances expected to take on myriad initiatives and school improvement proposals. This study, of curriculum change and implementation, was designed to gain insight into effective change processes and the learning opportunities provided to support teachers as significant curriculum reforms were introduced. The Early Literacy Research Project (ELRP) was used as vehicle for this study. Schools participating in the ELRP were to implement a comprehensive approach to literacy teaching and learning for students in the early years of schooling with the design of the project providing significant support for teaching teams as changes were introduced. A selective and focussed review of literature relating to the process of change in schools has been completed. This is discussed in relation to Matthew Mile's Triple I Model which outlines stages and factors in the change process. Particular emphasis has been given to literature which links teacher learning to the process of change, focussing on teacher collaboration and collective, work-embedded learning. The aim of the study was to monitor the process of change in ELRP schools and to identify the factors which supported teachers as they endeavoured to make significant and sustainable changes to their teaching programs. The study was seen as an opportunity to consider the relevance of the Triple I Model as a means of interpreting change in schools. A case study approach to the research task, using observations, interviews, document analysis and questionnaires, facilitated the monitoring of the process of curriculum implementation in ELRP schools. Throughout the study the intention was to record the 'teacher voice' during the change process to ensure the validity and authenticity of insights gained throughout this dissertation. The results indicated that change is far from a linear process. Stages and factors within the change process were seen to overlap and occur simultaneously as changes were implemented. The study highlighted the importance of specific change factors and in particular those which related to teacher learning and collaboration. It emphasised the key role personnel responsible for change can play when this role is well resourced and linked to the provision of work-based professional development. The study also promoted discussion in relation to placement of a number of factors within the change model. This led to the development of an adaptation of the Triple I Model. It is suggested that this revised model provides a conceptual frame which may be used to assist schools in planning, monitoring and explaining authentic school reform projects. iv
-
ItemProfessional development of teachers and its contribution towards creating a learning community: a case study( 2002)This thesis examined the professional development programs available for teachers in service at a Victorian independent school and the contribution of these programs towards creating a learning community. A learning community was described for the purpose of this thesis as a successful shape of an organisation that is continually expanding its capacities. In order for schools to achieve that, transformation in teachers' perceptions of their own learning and professional growth must occur, and professional development of teachers should be embedded in their practice and anchored in their day-to-day life. Through a qualitative case study approach, the investigation explored teachers' attitudes and perceptions towards their learning, the professional development programs available to them and the contributions of these to the development of the school as a learning community. The research was concerned with identifying what is an effective professional development program from the perceptions of participants, and the characteristics of the school as a learning community. The study aimed at informing both the implementation of appropriate professional development programs and future policy formulation at the school under study, as well as challenging teachers' perceptions of their learning and role. Participants from the case study were interviewed using open-ended interview questions. The analysis of responses showed that participants perceived themselves as lifelong learners, understood their role as educators in a rapidly changing environment and preferred professional development programs that were embedded in their daily life to meet their needs and those of their students. Findings also showed that the school's leadership role had a significant impact on the learning that occurred at personal, interpersonal and organisational levels.
-
ItemReflective practice in the early childhood practicum( 1999)There is much evidence in the current literature to indicate a movement towards a restructuring of teacher education, which emphasises reflection (Campbell-Evans & Maloney, 1996). University courses in teacher education are moving away from the technical model of teacher evaluation towards a reflective approach to teaching and learning which focuses on assisting pre-service teachers to develop reflective practices (Fairbanks & Meritt, 1998). The early childhood practicum is increasingly seen as an opportunity for students to engage in critical reflection with journal writing, frequently used as a tool for reflection. This project studied the practicum journals of nine final year Melbourne University Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies students. Analysis and interpretation of the reflective journals focused on two aspects. The first aspect related to the issues, which the students reflected about. The second aspect related to the cognitive processes the students engaged in when reflecting. The investigation found that students reflected in complex ways on complex issues throughout the practicum. The process of reflection, however, did not empower students to reflect in their own way about their own concerns. The study found that for this group of early childhood students, it was the location of power in student - supervisor relations that functioned to empower students to reflect in their own way about their own concerns or to disempower students by silencing them.
-
ItemExamination of the introduction of professional feedback models: a case study of two rural schools( 1999)This thesis was designed to explore and analyse the comparative introduction and implementation of formal professional feedback to teaching staff at two different types of country school. It tracks and compares two different types of feedback systems. Texts, articles and in service materials have been examined to clarify definitions of terms, purposes, values and assumptions surrounding the concept of formal feedback. The development of formal feedback has been put into historic context. The principals of both schools and fifteen of the participating teachers have been interviewed before, during and after the process to gain an understanding of their thoughts, concerns, attitudes and understandings of the processes that they were involved in. The responses to both individual and group interviews underpins the analysis of the processes and their outcomes. In particular the paper looks at changes in any perceptions and the reasons for these changes. The participants were interviewed individually and in focus groups. Key questions of a similar nature were asked to all groups, with follow up and supporting questions phrased to follow individual concerns. Individuals also provided additional information during the process. In conclusion the paper explores the processes and the effects on individual teachers and the school as a whole, and examines issues raised in their introduction. Recommendations are made for others who are implementing or reviewing similar formal feedback processes and areas of further research are suggested.
-
ItemSupporting teacher learning through professional learning teams( 2004)The Professional Learning Team (PLT) is a relatively new concept that has appeared on the educational horizon in the past decade. Indeed they have drifted to the foreground as the impact of PLTs within schools has gained momentum with the emergence of major systemic projects. This research examines this impact in the light of one such project, the Early Numeracy Research Project (ENRP), and the way that teachers learn in a collegial environment. In analysing the data, I have attended statewide and cluster meetings, interviewed individual teachers and focus groups of PLTs in three schools that were part of the ENRP. I have identified seven aspects that emerged as integral to the work and sustainability of PLTs. These emergent themes are interdependent and each one provides an insight and link to the central theme of teacher learning. Teachers are challenged to change when they are engaged in new ways of teacher practice. Projects that are clearly defined and are linked to system and school goals provide a framework for this change and learning to be generated. Professional learning requires scaffolding that is braced together by communal reflection, sound professional and personal relationships and internal and external support. Leadership that is distributed throughout the membership and is supportive ensures that facets of PLTs can cohere together and maintain a sustainable future. The findings in my research demonstrate that teachers are receptive to the inception and maintenance of PLTs in their schools. However, I raise other possibilities in my conclusions that take PLTs beyond their initial purpose and scope within systemic projects. The evidence is irrefutable that�PLTs provide opportunities for teachers to learn in a safe and collegial atmosphere and that the outcomes of this teacher learning impacts favourably on students.