Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemThe politics of curriculum( 1999)This thesis seeks to document the development, establishment and subsequent demise of Victoria's first independent regulatory body of senior secondary curriculum and assessment, the Victorian Institute of Secondary Education. Analysis of the origins of VISE helps reveal the implicit social conflicts at work within the senior secondary curriculum. The thesis investigates the response of policy makers to the shift in senior secondary education from an 'elite' system to a 'mass' system in light of this conflict. The thesis argues that these responses in general, and VISE's in particular, while significantly expanding school control over the curriculum and pedagogical autonomy, failed to moderate social patterns of success and failure by not challenging the implicit rationale behind the curriculum hierarchy - the needs of the university for selection - and by failing to base curriculum policy on a wider understanding of the origins of such patterns.
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ItemIntegration : an investigation in post-primary schools( 1993)This study presents an account of integration policies and the integration of students with disabilities into mainstream post-primary schools in Italy and Victoria and other selected educational systems. A small number of case studies illustrates how some schools have reconciled their own policies to fall in line with their national educational policies. The organisational structures of secondary schooling and, within them, the provision of programs for the disabled and atypical students both overseas and in Victoria are examined and outlined. Comments are made about particular strengths and weaknesses of the various implementations of similar policies. The thesis concludes by providing a fist of areas which need to be addressed in planning further developments in integration.
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ItemSociological aspects of service provision for people with intellectual disabilities in Victoria( 1993)This study examines relevant principles within the context of changing values and social structures, that underline the policy initiatives to support people with intellectual disabilities. It contains information about the system of service delivery in Victoria, its history, functions, developments, strengths and weaknesses. It investigates the effectiveness of service delivery to adults with intellectual disabilities by Adult Training Support Services (ATSS) within both the private and government sectors. Differences are drawn in the approach and understanding of normalisation and integration principles between the three selected ATSSs. The study measures the degree of success made by the implementation and outcomes of their respective programmes. This reflects the way the whole service system operates. Finally the service provision system was examined in terms of the minimum conditions necessary for a social system to function.
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ItemChange management for teachers in the restructuring of Victorian education( 1995)The subject of this thesis is change management for teachers in the restructuring of Victorian education. The introduction outlines the restructuring policies for Victorian education and consequent changes in the past decade. Chapter One, the Literature Review, looks at some of the literature written about policies, the nature of change, the place of values and vision in the change process, professional development, leadership and the devolution of power and resourcing. This literature forms the basis for the questionnaire asked of D.S.E. participants to obtain data. Chapter Two, methodology, discusses the nature and implementation methods and questions for collection of data from personnel. Chapter Three states the findings of the data collected from the questions asked of D.S.E. personnel. Chapter Four consists of an analysis and discussion of the findings referred to in Chapter Three in light of the literature discussed in Chapter One. Chapter Five is a discussion of conclusions drawn in light of the Literature Review, questionnaire responses and the analysis of these. Overall, the thesis concludes that given the time frame of the restructuring implementation, resourcing for Professional Development, planning and implementation needs to be reassessed.
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ItemAn investigative model for implementing the Certificate of General Education for Adults( 1995)The study is concerned with the implementation of the competency-based credential, the Certificate of General Education for Adults at two different education providers in Victoria, Australia. It establishes one model of implementation derived from theoretical research into educational change management and from selected documentation of competency-based credentials in the UK and Australia in the period 1988 to 1994. The model is tested at the Study Sites, for acceptability to teaching and co-ordinating staff, using selected variables. It is also used to collect data on the implementation experiences of the respondents. Data collected confirms the acceptability of the model to respondents at the two Sites and the statistical insignificance of differences in the responses. Interpretation of the qualitative data on implementation provides information on the characteristics of the change itself and the roles and influences of associated parties, including teachers and management and external policy makers. It identifies some themes of successful change management, notably the importance of monitoring implementation processes, collaboration among parties involved and the value of initiative taking. Evidence of the organisational and pedagogic impact of the implementation, at the study sites, is assessed. The role, content and focus of an encompassing professional development program, which emphasises collegiality, partnership and flexibility, as an essential adjunct to successful implementation, is explored.
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ItemImpact of changes in Victorian government policies on the provision of schooling for primary school students with disturbing behaviour( 1998)The purpose of this study is to investigate the provision of schooling in Victoria, for children with problems arising from disturbing behaviour in regular schools. It is these students who have difficulty learning, and cause problems for peers and teachers. This problem has attracted more attention in recent decades than ever before as educators and parents seek solutions for these students. The impact of changes in government policies in Victoria, especially the introduction of the Schools of the Future Program, on students with disturbing behaviour is examined, together with effective means of supporting these students, their teachers and parents. The investigator defines disturbing behaviour and how it has been addressed in schools, particularly in Victoria. She examines the Schools of the Future Program, particularly Global Budgeting and its impact on school policies and programs, focussing on the effect of these provisions in schooling for students with disturbing behaviour. The investigator has conducted a study of school principals in the area centred on Ballarat in order to examine their reactions to recent government education policy changes, and their effects on the schooling for such students. She discusses the implications of these changes for students with disturbing behaviour, including the most recent societal changes involving the youth of today, for example, the State Government initiatives addressing Drugs and Youth Suicide which have impacted on support and resourcing to schools, across the state.
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ItemA history of Therry Regional College, Broadmeadows( 1997)The post-war period saw secondary education in Australia in a state of turmoil. Problems of overcrowding, a narrowly academic curriculum, combined with insufficient and unqualified staff, affected both government and non-government secondary schools, The Catholic secondary system had additional problems: the declining numbers of Religious, the increased presence of lay-teachers, and the 'Catholic dream' of a Catholic education for every Catholic child. Catholic educational authorities sought an economical solution to the problems besetting secondary education. Based on an American model, regional secondary schools were established across Melbourne to provide Catholic secondary education for Catholic youth. Therry Regional College, Broadmeadows, was one such Catholic regional secondary college. This history of Therry Regional College, Broadmeadows, examines the College as a Catholic regional secondary school administered by the Christian Brothers in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne. The school's growth paralleled changes in two major areas: Government funding, and the administration of Catholic schools by the Catholic Education Office. The significance of community is examined in relation to the changing faces of the people of Broadmeadows. This history of the College reflects the history of the local community: it is a story of struggle and courage in adversity.
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ItemFundraising in seven independent schools in Victoria : a pilot study( 1996)Structured fundraising is being formalised in independent schools through the establishment of development offices. Money raised through development aims to fill the gap between incoming money from fees and government grants and programs and resources considered necessary to provide exemplary education. However, development in schools is not only concerned with monetary gain. To achieve financial success, development officers must identify their supporters. To this end, friend raising is assuming greater importance in schools. Alumni and parents are nurtured to form a solid donor base within the school community. This study was designed to look at the development work being undertaken in seven independent schools in Victoria. The various fundraising strategies of these schools are described in the contexts of each of the selected schools' histories. Much of the development work being undertaken is influenced by the American experience. Australian independent schools can learn from the American experience. A model of the events and stages that appear from this pilot study is proposed as a contribution to ideas and concepts to offer interesting points for further study. The question of who constitutes the donor base and how development officers can identify this group is investigated. The types of programs to which donors give are also explored. Libraries are one area of schools which are likely to require substantial injection of funds, particularly as the use of new information technology is adopted in schools. Librarians need to be aware of the fundraising process within their school and any likely budgetary implications for their department. They can advise on aspects of fundraising where they have special expertise. The logistics of fundraising in schools frequently involves the use of volunteers. The study investigates the attitudes of development officers to this unpaid workforce, and if and how it can be used most effectively to assist development in schools. Librarians can be useful in this aspect because they have a long history of effective volunteer use in library programs. This is a descriptive study of development and fundraising practices in seven independent schools in Victoria. The study examined how fundraising is conducted by means of structured interviews with development officers responsible for implementation of development tasks and questionnaires to librarians in the same schools to expose specific aspects of the fundraising process in a school situation. Findings from this purposive sample of the population are not representative of all independent schools and refer only to the schools concerned. The data sheds light on aspects of fundraising and development practices and may be useful as reference for other independent schools. The study contributes to a better understanding of some of the factors that would be useful to explore further in a larger study of development and fundraising in schools. The issue of philanthropy in Australian schools is one which is currently of great importance given that an increasing number of independent schools are considering getting involved in development offices and fundraising activities.
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ItemTradition and change in the establishment of Mount St Joseph Girls' College 1964-1970( 1991)Social, political and economic influences invariably have bearing on the development of a school's philosophy, policies and practices, and must be considered integral to any school history. This is most evident in the post-war period, when the 'explosion' in numbers in post-primary schooling resulted not only in an expansion of schools but also, in a restructuring of traditional secondary school organisation and practice. For the first time post-primary schooling came to be recognised as a distinct and essential sphere of education. The establishment of Mt St Joseph Girls' College in 1964 by the Institute of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart was in direct response to changes in Australian society during the 1950s and 1960s. The Sisters of St Joseph, an Australian teaching Order, was established in the 1860s by Father Julian Tenison-Woods and Mary McKillop to provide Catholic primary education to the poor. However, in the 1960s, the Institute was prepared to adapt and meet the demand for secondary education by establishing secondary colleges. This thesis traces the establishment and development of the first secondary Josephite school in Victoria - Mt St Joseph Girls' College between the period 1964 and 1970. The recollections of students reveal that despite the Josephites' efforts to widen educational and occupational opportunities for working-class girls, school organisation, curriculum and practices, implicitly and explicitly directed girls to gender-specific educational and occupational paths; and to the notion that culturally valued womanhood was intrinsically related to marriage and motherhood. The study also indicates that it was not until 1969 that the Josephites introduced curriculum reform by replacing the multilateral form of school organisation (professional, commercial and domestic sciences), with a more integrated and comprehensive curriculum which cut across these divisions and catered for the needs and interests of a wide range of students. Although the benefits of this were not evident until the following decade, it must be emphasized that the Josephites had taken the first steps to remove the limitations placed on girls' aspirations, abilities and opportunities. v
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ItemSchools of the Future and curriculum development and implementation : an investigation( 1995)Restructure of the Ministry of Education has ensured that schools are no longer centrally administered but are self-managing within the Schools of the Future program under the Directorate of School Education. As a result, changes have occurred in many areas including administration, financial management, staffing structure and teacher support in areas such as curriculum. This study investigates three schools that are members of the Schools of the Future Pilot Program and seeks to find the effect that the changes from the Program, have had on Curriculum Development and Implementation. The study reviews the literature available on the topic, in particular the notion of self-managing schools in Victoria. Therefore it reviews information on the Schools of the Future Program. It also seeks to understand the effect of changes in curriculum policy and the provision of professional development. The study also seeks to explore the effect of leadership style on the implementation of curriculum within a school. Qualitative research methods were employed when data was collected from the three participating schools. The schools were selected for the following reasons: (i) they are members of the Schools of the Future Pilot Program(or Intake 1); (ii) they are situated in a similar socio-economic area; (iii) the author had ready access to those schools. By applying grounded theory technique to the data a model was developed - The Curriculum Triangle. This model is a suggested representation of what is occurring in the selected schools and could be used further to analyse data from schools, and thus generate the possible areas requiring professional development and curriculum leadership.