Digital Commons Network^™

From Essay To Resumé : A Study Of Writing Genre And Discursive Positioning In Senior School English, Jennifer Shand

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In 2004, the Western Australian government signalled its intention to increase the school leaving age from 15 to 17 by 2008 (Carpenter, 2004). During the period from 2004 to 2006, increasing numbers of young Western Australians completed twelve years of secondary school. For English faculties in Western Australian schools, this resulted in a notably diverse cohort of students undertaking compulsory English studies in their final two years of school. The central aim of this thesis was to examine what it means to be a writer in senior school English. In doing so, the thesis investigated the construction of student writing …

A Model Of Employment Literacy: Young People In Western Australia, Katherine F. Britton

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This exploratory study aimed to examine the meanings of employment literacy among young people undertaking vocational education or training (VET), trainers, funding representatives and employers in Western Australia. A further objective was to develop a model of employment literacy that would inform training or educational organisations. Employment literacy incorporates the personal and social dimensions that young disadvantaged people require to secure and maintain employment. It also includes the understandings and capacity to access infonnation from a variety of sources and negotiate with a range of people in employment related settings. In-depth interviewing was the main method used so that different …

Self-Determination Theory In Motivation To Adopt Physical Activity In Older Adults: A Community Based Approach, Alastair Stewart

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Australia has an increasingly aging population with increasing levels of physical inactivity. The potential detrimental effects of these two factors on the health of the community highlight the need to investigate methods to increase physical activity in older Australian adults. The study reported in this thesis formed part of the PATH (Physical Activity Time for Health) Project, a community-based research trial that compared two strategies to increase physical activity in underactive, 60-80 year old men (n = 66) and women (n = 188). Twelve recreation centres were randomised to either a supervised group based walking intervention with behavioural change components, …

Drought Traits Of Eucalyptus Gomphocephala In Yalgorup National Park, Paul L. Drake

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Isohydric and anisohydric regulation of plant water status has been observed over several decades of field, glasshouse and laboratory studies, yet the functional significance and mechanism of both remain obscure. W e studied the seasonal trends in plant water status and hydraulic properties in a natural stand of Eucalyptus gomphocephala through cycles of varying environmental moisture (rainfall, groundwater depth, evaporative demand ) in order to test for isohydry and to provide physiological information for the mechanistic interpretation of seasonal trends in plant water status. Over a 16-month period of monitoring, spanning two summers, midday leaf water potential correlated with pre-dawn …

The Graduate-Mentor Project In Visual Arts Education: Mentoring Within The Western Australian Curriculum Framework: A Study Of The Impact Of Mentoring On Beginning-Teachers' Perception Of Their Success In Visual Literacy Education During The First Year, Lisa F. Paris

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Western Australian tertiary graduates who enter the visual arts education profession are often well acquainted with the theoretical underpinnings of the Western Australian Curriculum Framework. This knowledge base, in combination with their own visual arts training, typically enables them to enter teaching theoretically well equipped to support students in the development of arts ideas and studio works. The important outcome areas of visual arts history and visual arts criticism often present major challenges for graduates. In the absence of significant post-university support and more importantly, within the context of limited pre­service training where visual conceptual understandings and studio skills repertoires …

The Quest For A Formula : Parliamentary Remuneration In Western Australia, Michael J. Britton

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The Western Australian Payment of Members Act 1900 was promulgated upon two tenets, namely, that Members of Parliament should be compensated for their services to society and that other Australian colonies were already receiving some form of compensation. The premise stipulated that all people, regardless of economic background should be given an opportunity to fulfil the honourable duly of a Representative. Remuneration in this thesis covers the minimalist advent of Parliamentary Remuneration whereby Mrs were compensated by way of a basic salary to the current multifaceted Parliamentary Remuneration which encompasses various structures, processes and is often overarched by complicated determinative …

The Impact Of Events In The Immediate Aftermath Of Suicide On Family Members' Bereavement Experiences, Kelly J. Botha

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Suicide remains a leading cause of death in Australia. Consequently, a considerable proportion of the population is, or will be, bereaved due to suicide. These individuals are referred to as survivors of suicide. Literature suggests bereavement is a significant risk factor for adverse health outcomes. The question of whether or not bereavement after suicide, as opposed to other modes of death, renders individuals more susceptible to enduring and complicated grief reactions remains unclear. Numerous key variables have been found to influence the nature, intensity and duration of the grief process. Variables that are likely to be associated with poor bereavement …

A Comparative Investigation Of Longevity And Morbidity In Angelman Syndrome And Prader-Willi Syndrome, Allyson K. Thomson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The present study examined the life histories of individuals In Western Australia with a diagnosis of Angelman or Prader-Willi syndrome. Angelman and Prader_Willi syndrome, are phenoypically diverse disorders both of which result from the failure of imprinting at the chrl5qll-q13 locus. In most cases, loss of the maternal imprint from the region leads to Angelman syndrome, while lack of a paternal pattern results in Prader-WilIi syndrome. Between 4-14% of Angelman cases have a mutation in a single gene, UBE3A.

Character Cars : How Computer Technology Enhances Learning In Terms Of Arts Ideas And Arts Skills And Proceses In A Year 7 Male Visual Arts Education Program, Gemma E. Scarparolo

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

'The possibilities that the technology can offer are seemingly endless and remain to be fully explored in [visual] art education." (Callow. 2001. p,43) The aim of this research is to investigate whether the integration of Visual Arts Technology Tools (TECH-TOOLS) into Traditional Visual Arts Programs (TRAD-['ROG) enhance the students' learning in terms of Arts Ideas (AI) and Arts Skills and Processes (ASP) and whether it is a cost effective option for Western Australian primary schools. To determine whether it is worth the inclusion of TECH-TOOLS in terms of enhancing learning. this research will statistically state whether the combination of TECH-TOOLS …

An Examination Of The Mentoring Process: A Study Of The Interaction Between Mentor And Mentee In The Context Of An Adolescent Mentor Program, Christopher K. Konrad

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study is to explore the mentoring process, specifically the interactions between mentor and mentee in the context of an adolescent mentor program. The data was gathered through in depth interviews with two mentors and feedback sessions from nineteen mentee participants who were involved in a group mentoring program for young people aged 14-16 years. Several adolescent programs, conducted at local high schools, were included in the study. A qualitative methodology of constructivist hermeneutics was utilised to examine the data and link it to the literature related to the study question. The findings indicated that what occurs …

Suburbia : A Postmodern Artistic Investigation And An Examination Of How Postmodern Approaches Can Be Effectively Adopted In The Context Of The New Western Australian Post-Compulsory Visual Arts Course Of Study, Lisa Young

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In 2007, Western Australia art educators will be required to teach a new post-compulsory visual arts curriculum. This course written in a postmodern context, will need a paradigm shift in approach. As a visual arts educator and a visual artist working in a contemporary context what are valid and effective methods of creatively investigating the postmodern world? How can postmodern themes be taught and strategies employed effectively and with integrity in a visual arts curriculum? What are effective and valid approaches to teaching visual arts in the context of the post-complusory Visual Arts Course of Study?

A Study Of Feelings Of Alienation Among Relief Teachers Servicing Western Australian Government Metropolitan Primary Schools, Ralph G. Lunay

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

It is perhaps fair to say that the relief (substitute) teacher should be viewed as an extremely important educational resource, Reviewed literature spanning the better part of twenty years indicates that in parts of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, many students spend as much as one full year (or more) of their K-12 education having curriculum delivered to them by these individuals. Unfortunately, the literature also indicates that many relief teachers are still viewed by many as less than "real" teachers in terms of perceived competence, skill and capability. In addition to this, the existence of a …

A Journey In (Re)Claiming Teaching : A Critical Ethnography Of Cape Neal High School, Janean Robinson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis is a journey reflecting on my professional practice as a teacher. It also captures the lived experience of other teachers' stories as they were gathered from the ethnographic site; a secondary senior high school.

These collections draw out common themes, issues and dilemmas that teachers face within a dominant managerial discourse. These conversations also provide a 'voice' for those who are often controlled by their own labour into silence. "Dialogue is a moment where humans meet to reflect on their reality as they make and remake it" (Shor & Freire, 1987, p. 98).

I use the 'school effectiveness …

An Exploratory Case Study Using An Expert Learning Process Designed To Promote Number Sense In A Year 6 Classroom, Paula Mildenhall

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

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Environmental Correlates And Associations Of Tuart (Eucalyptus Gomphocephala) Decline, Todd A. Edwards

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala DC.) is an ecologically and culturally important tree species that grows across a narrow 400 km long coastal belt, from the Sabrina River south of Perth, to Jurien Bay in the north. Unfortunately, Tuart is also a species under considerable threat due to clearing, lack of recruitment and canopy decline. Canopy decline is of particular concern, being increasingly reported throughout the Tuart distribution. Despite this, previous studies of Tuart have generally been limited to localised canopy decline events. This two-phased study firstly involved an assessment of Tuart canopy condition at 46 sites across the species distribution. At …

An Exploratory Examination Of The Relationship Between Substance Use And Suicidal Ideation, David Felton

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Drug use has long been considered a risk factor when assessing the likelihood of an individual committing suicide (Weiss & Hufford, 1999). The research to date is primarily correlative and provides little guidance to the clinician when assessing the role that drug use plays in influencing the risk of suicide for a given individual. Clinical observations within the literature (Downey, 1991; Motto, 1999) report that alcohol or other drug (AOD) use may provide the means to regulate emotional distress. No published studies were found that examined the proposition that AOD use may have a range of positive as well as …

Is A Knowledge Based Value Network An Effective Model For Implementing E-Government?, Greg Robins

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Is a knowledge based value network an effective model for implementing e-government? E-Government is a vision of how public sector organisations will govern, serve citizens, and interact with business partners, their employees, and other Government organisations. The “e” in e-Government represents a move to fully integrated, secure, on-demand accessible electronic Government that will: • improve integrated service delivery • provide universal citizen access • begin to enhance traditional Government structures and processes • support new Government products and services by relying on the emergence and convergence of new technologies • improve effectiveness Electronic commerce (e-commerce) has fundamentally changed the way …

Learning To Belong: A Study Of The Lived Experience Of Homeless Students In Western Australia, Simone Glasson-Walls

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This is a phenomenological study of the lived experiences of homeless young people in Western Australia. Its focus is the reasons why homeless young people leave education, although many of them make a serious effort to complete post-compulsory schooling. The study was qualitative, and was designed as an in-depth analysis of the experiences of five young people aged between 15 and 17, all attending the same school. Data collection consisted of two in-depth interviews with each participant, and a focus group discussion with all five. Although the study’s focus as the issue of homelessness and schooling, it quickly expanded when …

An Action Research Investigation Into New Ways Rural Women In Western Australia Can Increase Their Involvement In Government Decision-Making, Teresa Maiolo

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research investigates the role of information communication technologies (ICTs) in the promotion of rural women's participation in governmental decision-making. The origins of the research lie in apparent discrepancies between the Australian government’s high-level, policy commitment to increase rural women's involvement in government decision-making and the continuing barriers to their participation as demonstrated by researchers such as Elix and Lambert, (1998); and Wilkinson and Alston, (1999). This research deploys a feminist action research methodology to explore new ways to increase rural women's involvement in government decision-making in Western Australian. The first phase of the research, a phenomenological field study, investigated …

Cognitive Processes Involved In The Onset And Course Of Postnatal Distress From The Antenatal Period To Six Months Postpartum: New Findings, And Implications For Future Research, Anne Pratt

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Although studies have explored the epidemiology of Postnatal Depression (PND) and other mood disorders occurring in the postnatal period, there is some evidence to support the argument that there may be different subsets of women suffering from low mood, around the time of childbirth (Warner, Appleby, Whitton, & Faragher, 1997). Some new mothers may be responding to the inherent, but often understated, stressors of the childbirth experience itself and the period that follows it, linked to dysfunctional maternal attitudes. Others may have pre-existing dysfunctional cognitions before the birth arising from other factors, and therefore already be vulnerable to a mood …

The Effect Of Cross-Linked Learning On Visual Arts Education, Cassandra Zervos

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study examined how computer technology had an effect on a Year 9 visual arts education class with regard to the Western Australian four Arts Learning Outcomes (WA 4ALO). The research was administered concurrently with a learning approach called Cross-Linked Leaming (CLL) (Zervos, 1997), which consisted of three components: (1) the subject (e.g., visual arts education in relation to the WA 4ALO); (2) the learner (i.e., a target group and how they learn); and (3) the tool (e.g., computer technology). This study addressed the problem of how to promote learning in visual arts education, especially with visual arts theory. Historically, …

The Construction Of Alienated Students And Students At Educational Risk : A Study Of The Justice And Education Discourses In Western Australia, Melanie Zan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis locates, examines and interprets the written sources of information guiding how delinquent school-aged young people are viewed in relation to their education in Western Australia. The study involved an examination of texts discussing post industrial socio-historical events and currently policy, practice and research in relation to students who are alienated from school, including those who have criminal histories. An exploration of the discourses assembled around the costruction of Western Australian school-aged offenders as alienated students revealed an ongoing assumption that children and youth from low socio-economic backgrounds are often governed as low school achievers who are less likely …

Cultural Hybridity And Visual Practice: Towards A Transformative-Repair Multicultural Pedagogy For Visual Arts Education, Kim Le

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research project examines how transitional multiculturalism, cultural hybridity and transformative-repair are practiced by a professional artist-researcher and novice artists. Transitional multiculturalism and cultural hybridity are examined through a series of artworks by a Vietnamese-born artist-researcher. This series of artwork, which reflects 35 years of creating art in both Vietnamese and Australia, demonstrate a personal engagement with issues of cultural diversity, upbringing, and related aesthetic studies. The intention of this exhibition is to chart the characteristics of the artist's expression, which is culturally hybridised. This part of the study aims to identify those artistic conventions associated with specific visual traditions …

A Public Survey On Electroconvulsive Therapy, Serene P. Teh

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Health care professionals have debated the use and effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for more than 65 years. Yet, the attitudes towards, and knowledge about, ECT have not been thoroughly researched within the Australian community. There is also little empirical research documenting ECT recipient characteristics, the number of ECT administrations and the number of patients treated. This study aimed to develop an Australian perspective on: (1) the level of Public knowledge about and attitudes towards ECT and (2) the practice of ECT. The objectives were achieved through the development of questionnaires, and the distribution of these questionnaires to the public …

Student Beliefs About Learning In Religion And Science In Catholic Schools, Philip F. Cox

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The focus of this study is the impact of student perception of the validity of content on student learning. It is proposed that, if the content of a subject is perceived by students as being different to the content of another subject, a result of this perceived difference is that students will treat their learning in these subjects differently. To test this proposal, student beliefs about items from the content of the religious education course are compared with student responses to items of content of their science course. A sample of 1418, year 11 students from nine co-educational Catholic secondary …

Facilitating Teacher Professional Learning : Analysing The Impact Of An Australian Professional Learning Model In Secondary Science, Rachel Sheffield

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In education, innovations are frequently introduced to promote changes to the curriculum, teachers' practice, and the classroom environment, however, these initiatives are often implemented without sufficient evaluation to monitor their impact and effectiveness in bringing about the desired changes. This thesis analyses the impact of a teacher professional learning program on lower secondary science teachers' practice. It examines the relationship between teachers' concerns about the strategies incorporated in the Collaborative Australian Secondary Science Program (CASSP) and teachers' ability to understand the strategies, on their ability to utilise those strategies in the classroom. It also seeks to determine teachers' beliefs about …

An Examination Of Fathers' Satisfaction With The Legal System: Exploring The Concept In Relation To Fathers' Experience With The Family Law Court Of Western Australia, Janelle M. Hawes

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Although the importance of fathers' post divorce contact with their children has been linked with a better outcome for the children and is valued by society, studies in the United States and Australia have suggested that up to 30 percent of fathers do not maintain regular contact with their children post divorce. To date, the literature has focused mainly on demographic variables and some personal characteristics of the father. An area, which has been neglected, is the influence of fathers' perception of legal proceedings and rules on their contact with their children post divorce. This study aimed to explore the …

In Vitro Propagation Of Some Western Australian Seagrasses, Julia Wilson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The development of a successful protocol for micropropagating seagrass provides a valuable tool for seagrass-restoration programs and a facility to study their biology (especially their physiology). This work reports on some of the culture requirements of some seagrasses that are commonly found in Western Australia: Posidonia coriacea, P. sinuosa, P. australis and Halophila ovalis. The protocol developed for H. ovalis allows very rapid multiplication and sustainable growth of cultures while the protocol developed for Posidonia requires further development. The culture of Posidonia cariacea proved to be problematic however experimental media that provided insights into its culture conditions. The carbohydrate source …

Covert Violence In Nursing, Susette Bakker

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

There is no official avenue in nursing for the reporting of incidences of covert violence to staff and so they remain unrecorded and often stressful. This study sought to collect data from currently employed nurses concerning covert violence in their workplace, and to collate the information to obtain a valid assessment of this hidden problem. A qualitative methodology was used to report on the experiences of nurses in relation to covert violence directed at them by their peers, other health professionals, patients and patients' families. The participants were all registered nurses employed by a suburban health service. Each was given …

Multiply-Mediated Households : Space And Power Reflected In Everyday Media Use, Donell Joy Holloway

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigates how contemporary Australian families incorporate the consumption of multiple media technologies within their home environments. It uses an approach similar to David Morley's (1986) Family Television where he explored the consumption of television programs in the context of everyday family life. He viewed the household (or family) as the key to constructing understandings of the television audience; where there were gendered regimes of watching, and where program choice often reflected existing power relationships in the home. However since then (a time when most families had only one television set) the media environment of many homes has changed. …