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Full-Text Articles in Education

Parent Involvement In A Year One In-Class Reading Practice Program, Sheelagh Tillotson Jan 1998

Parent Involvement In A Year One In-Class Reading Practice Program, Sheelagh Tillotson

Theses : Honours

Parents play a crucial role in their children's literacy development, and their influence on early reading attitudes is profound. Many successful programs have been developed in England, US, Australia and New Zealand to involve parents in assisting their children's reading both at home and at school, but research has also shown that there are a number of difficulties associated with instigating classroom-based programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate an existing, classroom-based reading practice program involving parents and to analyse how and whether it was successful for each participating group: that is parents, students and the teacher. The …


An Investigation Into How Year Two Children Use Drawing And Writing Together To Produce A Narrative, Kelly J. Joice Jan 1998

An Investigation Into How Year Two Children Use Drawing And Writing Together To Produce A Narrative, Kelly J. Joice

Theses : Honours

This study was designed to investigate how Year Two children use drawing and writing together to produce a narrative. The participants in this study were one class from a metropolitan, co-educational, independent school. A qualitative descriptive case study approach was selected for this investigation. The researcher collected data by conducting four sessions in which the participants were given the opportunity to write and draw together to produce a narrative. The narrative written and drawn documents were then organised into categories. Each of these categories indicated the common relationships between drawing and writing evident in the children's work. The results of …


The Effectiveness Of Using Drama In Presenting Spiritual Material To School Students, Geoff Pollard Jan 1998

The Effectiveness Of Using Drama In Presenting Spiritual Material To School Students, Geoff Pollard

Theses : Honours

This thesis is concerned with determining the effectiveness of using drama in presenting spiritual material to school students. As a performer in schools I often wondered if the "magic" of the stage was what the students identified with or whether in addition they were also understanding and learning spiritual truths. As an undergraduate religious student I was exposed to the research of Goldman who concluded that Scripture teaching in Primary Schools should be minimised because he believed the students were incapable of understanding parables and miracles. I looked back on my school performance years and the warm reception given to …


Skill Acquisition And Transfer : The Effect Of Practice On Performance, Tracy Piani Jan 1998

Skill Acquisition And Transfer : The Effect Of Practice On Performance, Tracy Piani

Theses : Honours

This study was designed to examine the effect of amount of training on the specificity of skill acquisition and transfer. Within the theoretical framework of two contemporary theories of skill acquisition, Anderson's ACT" theory (1982, 1987), and Logan's Instance theory of automisation (1988, 1990), the study extends research by Greig and Speelman (in press) that demonstrated skills can be both general (i.e., can apply beyond the training experience) and specific (i.e., are limited to training experiences). The experiment was divided into training and transfer phases. The amount of practice in the training phase was manipulated across three experimental conditions, with …


How The Internet Is Used In A Secondary Mathematics Classroom, Megan B. West Jan 1998

How The Internet Is Used In A Secondary Mathematics Classroom, Megan B. West

Theses : Honours

This project was designed to study how the Internet was used in a secondary mathematics classroom. It looks at a Year 12 Mathematical Modelling class and how the internet is used by the students and teacher in their mathematics lessons. The study consisted of observing and interviewing students to determine how they felt about using the Internet in a secondary mathematics classroom and how they used the Internet. Analysis of observations and the audio-taped interviews involved categorizing the students' usage of the Internet, the types of activities the Internet was used for, the length of time spent on the Internet, …


The Effect Of Training Mode On Skill Acquisition And Transfer, Douglas F. Brewer Jan 1998

The Effect Of Training Mode On Skill Acquisition And Transfer, Douglas F. Brewer

Theses : Honours

This study examined the transfer of skills developed in solving a simple algebraic formula. Forty-two university Psychology undergraduates, randomly assigned to one of two training groups. were required to practice solving the formula (X2-Y)/2 by substituting numbers for the variables x and y. One group of participants practiced with eight sets of numbers, while the other group practiced with 16 sets of numbers. All participants performed 320 trials during training. In the transfer phase, the response times required to solve the same formula with a set of numbers not previously encountered was analysed to determine if the variation …


How Efl Writing (English As A Foreign Language) Is Taught In Solomon Islands, Sylvia Skinner Jan 1998

How Efl Writing (English As A Foreign Language) Is Taught In Solomon Islands, Sylvia Skinner

Theses : Honours

A grounded theory investigation of Solomon Island teachers' best methods for teaching EFL writing was undertaken in Perth. Thirteen teachers (three male and ten female) participated. being selected according to availability and coverage of all primary school grades Two Coordinators assisted with location and liason between the participants and the research base in Western Australia The investigation proceeded in four phases In the first phase, data were gathered through a report file, in which the teachers identified their three most successful methods for teaching EFL writing Data were analysed using the continuous comparative method to find the core variable underlying …


Parental Perceptions Of Pre-School Education In Malaysia, Bronwyn L. Hewitt Jan 1998

Parental Perceptions Of Pre-School Education In Malaysia, Bronwyn L. Hewitt

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Pre-school education in Malaysia has expanded significantly over the past twenty years and is currently the focus of increased attention within the Ministry of Education. This study explores and describes the perceptions of Malaysian parents concerning pre-school education. Guided by Bronfenbrenner's theory of the ecology of human development, the study examines the potential influence of macrosystem elements on the parents' perceptions, as well as the likely impact of such perceptions upon the home- pre-school mesosystem. The research was conducted with a group of 21 parents of children in their final year of preschool education. They were selected from four private …


Science Laboratory Investigations In Year 9: Instruction And Assessment, Pamela J. Garnett Jan 1998

Science Laboratory Investigations In Year 9: Instruction And Assessment, Pamela J. Garnett

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this research was to develop, implement and evaluate science investigation work based on a cognitive apprenticeship model of instruction and 'linked' to different assessment procedures. Data were gathered to evaluate the effects of the instruction and approaches to assessment on teachers and students, and on the development of students' investigation competency. Year 9 students performed six science investigations in which they examined a relationship between variables. Groups of three students worked together to choose the independent variable, plan their investigation, collect and analyse their data, and to evaluate their findings. The cognitive apprenticeship model of instruction included …


Young Children's Understanding Of Design In The Technology Process, Jean E. O'Sullivan Jan 1998

Young Children's Understanding Of Design In The Technology Process, Jean E. O'Sullivan

Theses : Honours

This study explored the development of children's thinking when social constructivist principles of learning were implemented through technological experiences. The study monitored the development of children's understanding of “design" through project work, using classroom based action research. In addition to investigating children's understandings, the study explored the use of technology in early childhood curriculum to develop the skills said to be required in the next millennium. The study found that five year old children are capable of "designing" and that technology is an effective vehicle for developing socially, contextually and culturally appropriate learning experiences.


An Examination Of Learner Control In A Low Achieving Mathematics Class, Allan Bertram Jan 1998

An Examination Of Learner Control In A Low Achieving Mathematics Class, Allan Bertram

Theses : Honours

This study examines the effect of learner control on the use of the software package Math Blaster Mystery (MBM) by low ability mathematics students. MBM is a mathematical software package which consists of four activities, each with four levels of difficulty, involving problem solving and worded problems. Each activity has four levels of difficulty. The purpose of the study was to answer the following questions; 1) Is the implementation of Math Blaster Mystery designed with a low level of learner control more effective with lower ability students than implementation with a higher level of learner control? 2) Do lower achieving …


The Effects Of Context And Number Of Presentations On Repetition Priming, Terry A. Simpson Jan 1998

The Effects Of Context And Number Of Presentations On Repetition Priming, Terry A. Simpson

Theses : Honours

When a stimulus such as a word is presented twice, the identification of the word on the second presentation is usually facilitated, reflecting repetition priming. This facilitation can occur without a person's awareness and is often referred to as reflecting implicit memory. The present study investigated the effects of number of presentations of words and the context in which words were presented on repetition priming. The study measured reaction times on a lexical decision task in which the participants decided whether a string of letters constituted a word or a non-word. Repetition priming on this task was determined by comparing …


Parent And Teacher Attitudes To Pharmacological Management Of Medically Diagnosed Attention Deficit Primary School Children, K. J. Angel Jan 1998

Parent And Teacher Attitudes To Pharmacological Management Of Medically Diagnosed Attention Deficit Primary School Children, K. J. Angel

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to compare the attitudes of parents and teachers to the use of pharmacological management or intervention for the child with ADHD in the classroom. Particular focus was placed on differences in attitude toward the use of stimulants, for the management of emotional/behavioural, cognitive/academic, social and classroom organizational behaviours of children with ADHD. Thirty female Western Australian primary school teachers and 90 female parents participated in the present investigation. Participants included: (a) parents of non-medicated children with ADHD, (b) parents of medicated children with ADHD, (c) teachers in regular primary schools, and (d) parents of …


Factors Influencing Senior Secondary School Retention In Malaysia, Michael Liau Jan 1998

Factors Influencing Senior Secondary School Retention In Malaysia, Michael Liau

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In this thesis a model to predict whether Form Five students in six secondary schools in Malaysia would continue with their Form Six studies and maintain their career aspirations was tested and the influence of motivation as a mediating variable was examined. There are two public examinations in Malaysia, which are not only important to the students themselves but also to their parents and to the employers who will be seeking credentials. The aspirations of students for their future careers are dependent on their performance at the Form Five public examination and the second Form Six public examination. This study …


Evaluating Action Research As A Model For School-Based Professional Development Of Secondary Mathematics Teachers In The Philippines, Florenda L. Gallos Jan 1998

Evaluating Action Research As A Model For School-Based Professional Development Of Secondary Mathematics Teachers In The Philippines, Florenda L. Gallos

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study documented a school-based professional development activity conducted in a secondary school in the Philippines where five secondary mathematics teachers and the head of the school participated in a program of action research. The effectiveness of action research as a form of professional development and the constraints in using this form of professional development in the Philippines were evaluated based on the changes on teachers in terms of pedagogical knowledge, practices and beliefs. Qualitative research techniques were used. The methodology included questionnaires, interviews, class observations and diaries. The results indicated that the involvement of the participants in the action …


Professional Development And Practice: A Study Of Early Childhood Teachers Of Mathematics, Wendy Hawthorne Jan 1998

Professional Development And Practice: A Study Of Early Childhood Teachers Of Mathematics, Wendy Hawthorne

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In the past twenty years there has been increased interest in the ways in which teachers construct their professional lives. It is no longer assumed that preservice education alone will enable teachers to meet the challenges of their teaching lives. Ongoing professional development is seen as an essential component of contemporary teachers' lives but remains a challenge for professional development planners and providers. The nature and extent of teachers' participation in professional development was a significant dimension of the investigation of professional development contained in this thesis. The research questions which formed the basis for the data collection in this …


Stakeholders' Voices : A Socio-Cultural Approach To Describing And Extending An Understanding Of Primary Education In Mauritius, Michelle Griffiths Jan 1998

Stakeholders' Voices : A Socio-Cultural Approach To Describing And Extending An Understanding Of Primary Education In Mauritius, Michelle Griffiths

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study describes and expands an understanding of primary education in one developing country, Mauritius. The need for the study was argued from a review of literature which brought to notice the lack of social action perspectives in analysis of education in and about developing countries and the necessity and importance of knowing about the reality of schooling in developing countries. The research was conceptualised as a socio-cultural approach. It gave analytical priority to the actions, experiences and perceptions of teachers, pupils, parents and educationists in order to create an account of what Mauritian education was like and meant to …


Developing Performance Support Systems For Complex Tasks: Lessons From A Lesson Planning System, Martyn Wild Jan 1998

Developing Performance Support Systems For Complex Tasks: Lessons From A Lesson Planning System, Martyn Wild

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

There lacks coherent and persuasive rationales for the further development of computer-based, interactive educational materials, for tertiary settings. Indeed, educational software arising out of what might be coined the “multimedia era”, namely the mid and later 19902, has been marked by lacklustre products with an emphasis in development and evaluation placed largely on technological issues (such as the use of video, sound and animations). As such, the rapid increase in commercially available (usually CD based) products has generally met a cool adoption from academics and educationalists, with both these groups often bemoaning the paucity or non-existence of effective instructional design …


A Case Study Of Employees' Motivation To Participate In A Workplace Language And Literacy Program, Marguerite Mary Cullity Jan 1998

A Case Study Of Employees' Motivation To Participate In A Workplace Language And Literacy Program, Marguerite Mary Cullity

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The reasons why non-English speaking background (NESB) shopfloor employees participate in workplace language and literacy classes and the factors that affect their motivation to participate are relative unknowns. This study investigates NESB shopfloor employees' motivation to participate in a Communication Skills Development Program (CSDP) course and the factors that affected their motivation. An inductive analysis of findings revealed that all of the employees participated in one of the CSDP courses for a variety of pre-determined life-specific reasons. These reasons are represented by three main categories of goals (i.e., 'Self-improvement through language and literacy development', 'Work', 'Outside work'). Of these goals, …


An Investigation Of Family Literacy Practices Of Eight Families With Preprimary Children And A Family Literacy Program Conducted In A Low Socio-Economic Area, Jennifer A. Jayatilaka Jan 1998

An Investigation Of Family Literacy Practices Of Eight Families With Preprimary Children And A Family Literacy Program Conducted In A Low Socio-Economic Area, Jennifer A. Jayatilaka

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Study of the research literature showed that literacy skills are socialised in young children along with their learning of oral language. This socialisation process occurs within a child's home environment long before they enter formal schooling. Family literacy has been shown to have the potential to impact powerfully on children's perceptions about literacy use through role models and support provided by various family and community members. Literacy activity is often deeply embedded in daily family practices. For some children, differences between home and school literacy practices can occur. Where this mismatch occurs for children in low socio economic homes the …


The Language And Literacy Skills And Behaviours Of Two Middle Primary Severely To Profoundly Hearing Impaired Students In The School Environment, Renee M. Kinsman Jan 1998

The Language And Literacy Skills And Behaviours Of Two Middle Primary Severely To Profoundly Hearing Impaired Students In The School Environment, Renee M. Kinsman

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Much research has shown that the hearing impaired population typically achieve only very low levels of literacy. Many researchers have examined the language and literacy deficits of the hearing impaired population in order to explain this. Nevertheless, a recent study has shown that hearing impaired children's preschool language and literacy development may occur along a similar pathway to that of their hearing peers. The present study aimed to investigate the language and literacy skills, behaviours and interactions of two severely to profoundly hearing impaired middle primary boys in the context of their mainstream school. Both qualitative and quantitative data sources …


The Nature And Provision Of Instruction In Summary Writing For Students From Years 7-9, D. A. Bergin Jan 1998

The Nature And Provision Of Instruction In Summary Writing For Students From Years 7-9, D. A. Bergin

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

As students progress through our education system they are increasingly asked to independently comprehend and compose informational material to show evidence of their ability to use and learn from texts. One skill which facilitates students' abilities to learn from texts is summarizing. Research into summarizing suggests it is a complex skill needing explicit and systematic instruction. However, materials to which teachers turn to for advice on strategies and instruction do not always reflect the findings of research. This being the case, this study set out to investigate what teachers understood about the nature of summarizing and the extent to which …


Improving Provision For Disaffected Students: Toward A New Educational Model, Cecilia Netolicky Jan 1998

Improving Provision For Disaffected Students: Toward A New Educational Model, Cecilia Netolicky

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study is to develop and review strategies and policies to drive retentive teaching-learning environments for disaffected students, modifying their modus operandi sufficiently for them to qualify and retain a tertiary place or position in the workforce, or sustain a return to mainstream schooling. I employed action research methods to examine Strike Four. an educational model servicing students with severe social and/ or emotional difficulties and behavioural disorders. I tested the Strike Four model during an intensive study period on two programs. Part 1 of the thesis comprises three Chapters. An introduction to the issue of the …


Links Between Devolution And Changes In Curriculum Policy : A Case Study Of Year 8-10 Social Studies Curriculum In Western Australia Since 1987, Shaohua Xie Jan 1998

Links Between Devolution And Changes In Curriculum Policy : A Case Study Of Year 8-10 Social Studies Curriculum In Western Australia Since 1987, Shaohua Xie

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigates the links between devolution and Year 8-10 Society and Environment (SAE) curriculum policy in Western Australia (WA) since 1987. It explores whether changes to the structure within which SAE resides, the process through which curriculum decision making occurs, and the content of SAE are consistent with the principles and practice of devolution. An attempt is made in the study to determine whether these changes would have occurred anyway, even if devolution had not been introduced. The investigation is based on a radical humanist model of social inquiry, As such, it uses a critical theory conceptual framework to …


Using Multimedia Microworlds To Motivate And Engage Adult Learners, Susan B. Stoney Jan 1998

Using Multimedia Microworlds To Motivate And Engage Adult Learners, Susan B. Stoney

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

As educational institutions come under increasing pressure from outside forces to restructure the way students learn, efforts are being made by researchers to find ways to assist students to learn through independent thought and to solve problems in a resource-based, self-paced environment. Such an environment needs to be sufficiently interesting and novel to motivate students who begin to use it, and to continue to engage them as they progress through it. This study has sought to identify what such a learning environment needs to encompass in order to motivate and engage adult learners so that they will not only want …


A Case Study : A Short Term Art Therapy Intervention For A Child Victim To Bullying, Ffyona Matthews Jan 1998

A Case Study : A Short Term Art Therapy Intervention For A Child Victim To Bullying, Ffyona Matthews

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This single case study of a child bullied at school investigates whether a short-term, individual Art therapy intervention, within a school that runs an anti-bullying program, will ease the effects of bullying in that child. The subject is a 10 year old girl referred as being school avoidant due to being bullied. The intervention encouraged expression of emotions, fears and worries about the bullying, an- understanding of the bullying and its effects, exploration of alternative responses to being bullied and therapeutic support to help empower, build self-esteem, lower depression, loneliness, stress, and unhappiness at school. The intervention involved six one …


The Experience Of Flow And Learning By Designing Interactive Multimedia Software, Leonie Ramondt Jan 1998

The Experience Of Flow And Learning By Designing Interactive Multimedia Software, Leonie Ramondt

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

As computer technology is increasingly adopted in education, some students continue to have little context for its use. This is particularly true of tertiary drama education students, of whom many still remain computer illiterate. Constructivist pedagogy proposes that a learner constructs knowledge through active participation in their learning. An approach that is gaining currency which applies this principle is learning by designing. This approach was adopted for this study, with the premise that the process of designing multimedia software for their peers would not only motivate these students to use computers but could also lead to a deepening of their …


The Making Of A Teacher: A Narrative Study Of The Impact Of An Extended Practicum On Preservice Teachers, Deborah Ingram Jan 1998

The Making Of A Teacher: A Narrative Study Of The Impact Of An Extended Practicum On Preservice Teachers, Deborah Ingram

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The extended practicum is a crucial learning experience for pre-service teachers. This study examines how pre-service teachers learn about teaching within the context of the extended practicum. Narrative methodology was chosen as an appropriate means to explore and interpret the beliefs and experiences of pre-service teachers for a wider audience while still preserving their voices. The pre-service teachers and I had a common agenda: to improve the experience of future preservice teachers on their extended practicum. Our approach to this differed. I wanted to focus on the pre-service teachers' learning about teaching so that future pre-service teachers could improve their …


How Schools In Western Australia Are Responding To The Pressures Of Accountability In Mathematics Education, Lynne Messenger Jan 1998

How Schools In Western Australia Are Responding To The Pressures Of Accountability In Mathematics Education, Lynne Messenger

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Western Australian primary schools have responded to the Education Department's call for school accountability in many areas of the school accountability. This study focuses on the endeavours that schools have made to demonstrate their accountability in the subject area of Mathematics. The document "Improving and Reporting Schools' Performance" was made available to all state primary schools at the beginning of the 1996 school year as part of the Student Outcome Statement package. However, only a small number of primary schools have used the Student Outcome Statements in Mathematics in the National Professional Development Program trial conducted by the Commonwealth Department …


Teachers' Knowledge And Practice Of Empowering Young Children In Four Early Childhood Settings In Australia And The United Kingdom, Lisa Moore Jan 1998

Teachers' Knowledge And Practice Of Empowering Young Children In Four Early Childhood Settings In Australia And The United Kingdom, Lisa Moore

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study explores teacher's knowledge and practice of empowering young children as learners. Empowerment is a complex and multifaceted construct, and a recurring theme in early childhood literature. This study took place in four early childhood settings in Australia and the United Kingdom. The research was conducted using qualitative methodology, primarily with the use of video-taped observations and stimulated-recall teacher interviews. Findings indicate that the teachers enacted their knowledge and practice of empowerment. However, empowerment was interpreted differently by each teacher. The current study found links existed between teachers' knowledge and practice and their pedogogic orientation.