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Full-Text Articles in Education

Teachers, Teams And Technology: Investigating A Team Approach For Supporting Teachers' Uptake Of Ict, Barnard D. Clarkson Jan 2002

Teachers, Teams And Technology: Investigating A Team Approach For Supporting Teachers' Uptake Of Ict, Barnard D. Clarkson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study sought to explore the professional development of elementary school teachers who were keen to use Information and Communications (ICT) in their teaching and learning. The main object of the study was to investigate a model of professional development that would support teachers as they adopted ICT. At the same time a simple framework to help locate teachers on some typology of ICT uptake was desirable, on the grounds that such a typology could help teachers, professional development planners and schools in their use of and support for ICT and its associated professional development.A review of the literature suggests …


Exploring Conditions For The Effective Implementation And Use Of Computerised Cognitive Tools, Carole N. Steketee Jan 2002

Exploring Conditions For The Effective Implementation And Use Of Computerised Cognitive Tools, Carole N. Steketee

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In recent times, the term cognitive tool has been applied to computer technology that promotes reflective thinking and student-regulated learning. The interactive qualities of cognitive tools, and their ability to visually represent students' knowledge construction processes, promotes cognitive and metacognitive thinking and fosters learning for understanding. When used appropriately, cognitive tools are purported to bring about advanced cognitive gains through the amplification and augmentation of thinking and learning. These gains, however, have not been widespread given that information on how to use cognitive tools appropriately has largely eluded educators to date. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to identify …


A Study Of How Well Lower Secondary Students Use Calculators To Solve Computation Problems, Rachel Shipley Jan 2002

A Study Of How Well Lower Secondary Students Use Calculators To Solve Computation Problems, Rachel Shipley

Theses : Honours

The main aim of this study was to determine how well students used their calculators to obtain the correct answer to a problem (effective calculator use). The study has also considered whether students used their calculators as efficiently as possible, in order to answer questions expediently (efficient calculator use). This research made use of a Calculator Computation Test and Answer Sheet which was used for checking the accuracy of subjects' answers as well as recording which keys they pressed to obtain their answer. These were developed for the study. The subjects were drawn from Years 8, 9 and 10 of …


An Investigation Of The Perceptions Of The Policy Maker, Teachers And Students Of The Current Primary 4 Gifted Education Program In Singapore, Veeramangai Arulselvi Muthiah Jan 2002

An Investigation Of The Perceptions Of The Policy Maker, Teachers And Students Of The Current Primary 4 Gifted Education Program In Singapore, Veeramangai Arulselvi Muthiah

Theses : Honours

As Singapore is a rapidly expanding technological society, there is a strong need for emergent thinkers or innovators due to global competition. Therefore, the identification of exceptionally able children is critical for the continued growth of Singapore. Singapore is a very small nation and relies strongly on human resources for its progress and prosperity. Hence, early identification of exceptionally able children will be an advantage to the nation. Education of gifted and talented children is just as important as the education of children with disabilities or developmental delay. In addition, there is growing concern among many Singaporeans that the current …


Yoghurts For Fruit-Time : A Narrative Study Of Language Learning In The Kindergarten, Denise Lindsay Jan 2002

Yoghurts For Fruit-Time : A Narrative Study Of Language Learning In The Kindergarten, Denise Lindsay

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study focuses on how a group of seven Kindergarten teachers perceive their practices to support the language learning of young children. From a socio-cultural perspective, developing language competency at Kindergarten is a priority because of its pivotal role across all learning areas and the opportunity it creates for all children to add to their linguistic capital in an informal setting prior to formal schooling. This study is based on a collaborative, participatory model built on a mutually beneficial relationship between researcher and participants. It uses a narrative methodology to foreground the teacher's voice. Teacher participants in the study contribute …


Development Of Principles For The Integration Of Technology Education In The Primary Curriculum In Botswana, Patrick Tlalelo Mmokele Jan 2002

Development Of Principles For The Integration Of Technology Education In The Primary Curriculum In Botswana, Patrick Tlalelo Mmokele

Theses : Honours

Design and Technology is being taught in secondary schools in Botswana. This innovation began in junior secondary schools in 1989 and senior secondary schools in 1993. However it has not yet been introduced in primary schools. There have been some Design and Technology attainment targets which are outlined in the primary curriculum, but it is proposed that these do not fit well into the curriculum structure. This study seeks to investigate the principles upon which Design and Technology can be integrated into the primary curriculum in Botswana. Data for this study was collected through a review of related literature and …


The Influence Of Students' Contextual Perceptions On Motivational Goal Pursuit In The First Year Of Middle School, Caroline Mansfield Jan 2002

The Influence Of Students' Contextual Perceptions On Motivational Goal Pursuit In The First Year Of Middle School, Caroline Mansfield

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The nature of student motivation in schools, particularly during early adolescence, has been of interest and concern to educators and researchers alike. Particularly over the last 20 years, considerable technological advances, societal changes, changes in traditional family structures, and changes in educational structures and practice have seen the issue of student motivation emerge as a prime focus for educators and researchers. Simultaneously, developments in educational research and consequent understandings developed about student motivation in classroom contexts have revealed the complexity of students' motivational processes and served to inspire further research in this field.


Conceptual-Associative System In Aboriginal English : A Study Of Aboriginal Children Attending Primary Schools In Metropolitan Perth, Farzad Sharifian Jan 2002

Conceptual-Associative System In Aboriginal English : A Study Of Aboriginal Children Attending Primary Schools In Metropolitan Perth, Farzad Sharifian

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

National measures of achievement among Australian school children suggest that Aboriginal students, considered as a group, are those most likely to end their schooling without achieving minimal acceptable levels of literacy and numeracy. In view of the fact that many Aboriginal students dwell in metropolitan areas and speak English as a first language, many educators have been unconvinced that linguistic and cultural difference have been significant factors in this underachievement. This study explores the possibility that, despite intensive exposure to non-Aboriginal society, Aboriginal students in metropolitan Perth may maintain, through a distinctive variety of English, distinctive conceptualisation which may help …


A Study In Teacher's [Sic] Perceptions And Understandings Of Their Pastoral Care Role And An Exploration Of How Social Workers Can Work Collaboratively With Teachers Within Pastoral Care Systems, Kirsty R. Shalders Jan 2002

A Study In Teacher's [Sic] Perceptions And Understandings Of Their Pastoral Care Role And An Exploration Of How Social Workers Can Work Collaboratively With Teachers Within Pastoral Care Systems, Kirsty R. Shalders

Theses : Honours

This inquiry examines teacher's pastoral care roles in a government secondary school. Its purpose is to determine firstly what pastoral care is for teachers within these positions and secondly to articulate why pastoral care is needed in schools, and to discover how teachers and social workers can work together in school to find a common ground within pastoral care. The study explores both the individual experiences of the teachers as they enact this role within the school, but also examines the broader structural factors that are related to pastoral care in schools. The literature acknowledges the importance of pastoral care …


Developing Generic Skills For Tertiary Students In An Online Learning Environment, Joseph Luca Jan 2002

Developing Generic Skills For Tertiary Students In An Online Learning Environment, Joseph Luca

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Increasingly, higher education institutions are being asked by industry, government and funding bodies to produce graduates with versatile generic skills as well as subject knowledge and expertise. This is causing a major reappraisal of higher education institutions purpose, learning outcomes and research activities. Many institutions are experiencing problems in implementing effective teaching and learning strategies to promote the development of these skills. The study sought to investigate ways of developing students' generic skills through the design and implementation of a learning environment that incorporated three key learning principles - authenticity, self-regulation and reflection. These were integrated into a course design …


Student Learning And Cognition In Cooperative Small Groups : Towards A Fourth Metaphor Of Human Learning, Scott C. Zehnder Jan 2002

Student Learning And Cognition In Cooperative Small Groups : Towards A Fourth Metaphor Of Human Learning, Scott C. Zehnder

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Research into the benefits of cooperative learning has focussed most attention onto a social psychological perspective with the result that the putative cognitive benefits of these strategies have not been thoroughly researched and clearly delineated. One consequence of this research focus has been that cooperative learning strategies are not always adopted by teachers and included permanently into their regular classroom practice, thereby possibly denying some students the potential for cognitive gain. This study was conceived originally as an investigation into the claimed cognitive benefits of small-group cooperative learning from a cognitive perspective but the investigation of the cooperative learning literature …


Teachers' Perceptions Of Quality Teaching In Junior Secondary School : Physical Education In Lagos State, Nigeria, Adesulue B. Adegbamigbe Jan 2002

Teachers' Perceptions Of Quality Teaching In Junior Secondary School : Physical Education In Lagos State, Nigeria, Adesulue B. Adegbamigbe

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigates physical education (PE) teachers' perceptions of quality teaching as related to their teaching activities in junior secondary schools in Nigeria. The study also investigated how the perceived teaching quality of the teachers matched their teaching practices and the feasibility of supporting quality teaching in these schools. The research is underpinned by a conceptual framework, which identified quality teaching as an educational process influenced by the curriculum, teacher effectiveness, teacher reflection and belief systems, and teacher development process designed to enhance students' learning. The study incorporated a descriptive survey and interpretive case study for data collection. A pilot …


A Study Of The Influences Of Computer Interfaces And Training Approaches On End User Training Outcomes, Raj Gururajan Jan 2002

A Study Of The Influences Of Computer Interfaces And Training Approaches On End User Training Outcomes, Raj Gururajan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Effective and efficient training is a key factor in determining the success of end user computing (EUC) in organisations. This study examines the influences of two application interfaces, namely icons and menus, on training outcomes. The training outcomes are measured in terms of effectiveness, efficiency and perceived ease of use. Effectiveness includes the keystrokes used to accomplish tasks, the accuracy of correct keystrokes, backtracks and errors committed. Efficiency includes the time taken to accomplish the given tasks. Perceived ease of use rates the ease of the training environment including training materials, operating system, application software and associated resources provided to …


Familiarity With Task And Its Effect On The Way Children Negotiate For Meaning, And Provide And Use Implicit Negative Feedback, Alec P. Kanganas Jan 2002

Familiarity With Task And Its Effect On The Way Children Negotiate For Meaning, And Provide And Use Implicit Negative Feedback, Alec P. Kanganas

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research involves an examination of the effects that familiarity with a task may have on the way young ESL children negotiate for meaning, and provide and use implicit negative feedback to each other. The focus of this research is the interactions that occur between pairs of young primary school children between the ages of 7.0 to 8.6 years. Two studies were carried out. The first study investigated the effect of familiarity with a type of task, whilst the second examined the effects of familiarity with the content (or subject domain). A stratified random sampling procedure was used to select …


Drama Teaching: Understanding What We Do, Valerie Johnson Jan 2002

Drama Teaching: Understanding What We Do, Valerie Johnson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Drama teaching in secondary schools in Western Australia has become an increasingly complex discipline in recent years. This study has considered the work of Drama teachers from the point of view of those practising the discipline, using a phenomenological methodology which allowed the voices of the participants to be heard directly. In the discussion, consideration is given to the way in which these teachers practice the dynamic which is drama, are influenced by the art form of theatre, and deliver the school subject, Drama.


The Use Of Scaffolding To Improve Student Learning With Interactive Multimedia Programs In Chemistry, Brian T. Grimes Jan 2002

The Use Of Scaffolding To Improve Student Learning With Interactive Multimedia Programs In Chemistry, Brian T. Grimes

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The process of balancing and interpreting chemical equations involves the consideration of an abstract, non-observable phenomenon coupled with multi-level representation. Students find it conceptually demanding to visualise the particulate level of matter and hence experience difficulty in balancing chemical equations with understanding. Interactive multimedia with dynamic computer graphics can provide students with accurate, concrete representations of the particulate nature of matter. Such tools, when coupled with appropriate implementation strategies, have the potential to improve learning about chemical reactions. The study investigated the use of scaffolding techniques to enhance and direct student learning when using an interactive multimedia software (IMM) program, …


Religious Education: Outcomes-Based Integration Across The Primary Curriculum, Paul Longobardi Jan 2002

Religious Education: Outcomes-Based Integration Across The Primary Curriculum, Paul Longobardi

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study shows that the integrity of curriculum in Catholic Schools can be demonstrated through an integrated curriculum, with Religious Education (R.E.) as the primary focus, centre point and generator of learning experiences across all subjects or Key Learning Areas (K.L.As). The contemporary, Catholic nature of curriculum is able to be developed via an outcomes-based approach that integrates R.E. with other Key Learning Areas. The "Integrated Religious Education Outcomes Approach" represents a personal belief of the author, developed as a classroom teacher in five Catholic schools and a member of three schools' Executive. The response to this belief is the …


The Computation Choices Made By Students In Years 5 To 7, Paul Swan Jan 2002

The Computation Choices Made By Students In Years 5 To 7, Paul Swan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study was designed to explore the computation choices made by 78 students in Years 5 to 7. The ability to choose and use a repertoire of computation methods is an important goal of mathematics education. While one might expect to find a great deal of research outlining the computation choices students make and why they make them, this was not the case; and as such it was decided to explore what computation choices students make and why they make them.


Year One Children's Literacy Behaviours And Perceptions Of Literacy Learning In The Classroom And Reading Recovery Contexts, Fiona Callaghan Jan 2002

Year One Children's Literacy Behaviours And Perceptions Of Literacy Learning In The Classroom And Reading Recovery Contexts, Fiona Callaghan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigates the ways in which four Year One children engage in the literacy events of their regular and Reading Recovery classrooms. It explores how these children perceived their beginning reading instruction and possible relationships between the children's perceptions and the ways in which they ‘did' literacy in each setting. The study draws on research in beginning reading instruction from both a psychological and socio-cultural perspective, as well as research into withdrawal programs for children experiencing difficulty in learning to read and the Reading Recovery program itself. A case study approach was used in this study and data collection …


The Relationship Between Estimation Skill And Computational Ability Of Students In Years 5, 7 And 9 For Whole And Rational Numbers, Phuntsho Dolma Jan 2002

The Relationship Between Estimation Skill And Computational Ability Of Students In Years 5, 7 And 9 For Whole And Rational Numbers, Phuntsho Dolma

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study explored the relationship between estimation skill and computational ability for whole and rational numbers. The methods carried out were both quantitative as well as qualitative and data were collected from three primary schools along with their associated high school in the Perth area. The year levels chosen were 5, 7 and 9. There were two classes from each chosen primary school representing Year 5 and Year 7 and three classes of Year 9 from the high school. The total number of students involved was 91, 77 and 73 from the three respective year levels. Instruments used for collecting …


The Development Of Personal, Analogous And Universal Thinking Through In-Role Drama : A Case Study, Sarah Riddoch Jan 2002

The Development Of Personal, Analogous And Universal Thinking Through In-Role Drama : A Case Study, Sarah Riddoch

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the development of the problem-solving skills of eleven year olds in a Western Australian Primary school when the teacher and the children were in-role within the drama. The teacher, as teacher in-role, and the students role-played a variety of situations in which effective problem-solving skills were used. As the study progressed the nature of the children's use of symbol and metaphor became an important issue. In the first session the teacher in-role as the Mayor of a small town informed the children in-role as the town council that an alien spacecraft …


Students' Needs And Attitudes: Efl Education In Japanese High Schools, Michelle Perche Jan 2002

Students' Needs And Attitudes: Efl Education In Japanese High Schools, Michelle Perche

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Much of the literature on EFL education in Japan describes a system that is fraught with problems. Over the last decade the Japanese Education Ministry (Monbusho) has introduced a number of reforms and introduced some new EFL courses into Japanese schools. The stated aim of the new courses has been to focus on the development of students' communicative abilities in English. However, the effectiveness of these reforms has been questioned particularly at the senior high school level. According to a number of commentators, difficulties occur because of a back wash effect of the university entrance examinations. Others criticise the teachers …


A Study Of The Experience Of Dramatic Performance For Drama Students, Dale M. Irving Jan 2002

A Study Of The Experience Of Dramatic Performance For Drama Students, Dale M. Irving

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Learning involves cognitive, psychological, sociological, historical, philosophical, aesthetic, emotional and spiritual aspects. This study argues that the spiritual dimension of the psyche is overlooked in the research into education. Spirituality in education is not easily addressed in secular settings and needs exploration and explication. The thesis probes the interstice between the act of dramatic performance and the spiritual awareness of the individual. Case studies allow the exploration of the experience of performance for senior high school drama students, drama teacher trainees and an adult actor. The students attended a school and university in Western Australia. The study posits that in …


Academic Gains Of Students With Special Needs In An Independent Religious School, Ivanka Saric Jan 2002

Academic Gains Of Students With Special Needs In An Independent Religious School, Ivanka Saric

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The number of children who are performing poorly in school-wide tests seems to be increasing in an independent religious school in the metropolitan area. Several children have been identified "at risk" or having special needs but they seem to show little if any improvement as they get promoted to higher grades. The study investigated the instructional and assessment strategies that upper primary school teachers were using in their classrooms to improve the academic and social skills of children defined as having special needs. Teachers' perceptions were examined to determine whether there had been any observable increases in the academic performance …


Is There A Place For Social Work Within Rural Schools, And What Can It Look Like?, Kris Robertson Jan 2002

Is There A Place For Social Work Within Rural Schools, And What Can It Look Like?, Kris Robertson

Theses : Honours

The impetus for this research followed my social work placement in a rural high school in the Southwest area of Western Australia. The aim of this research is to identify a role for school social work in relation to practice in rural schools, and to develop a conceptual framework for practice. The literature review sought to demonstrate a need for such services by demonstrating the issues for youth in rural areas. The claim was that providing such a service in rural areas would address issues of access and equity, in line with social justice principles. The results of this research …