Digital Commons Network^™

Are Special Needs Qualifications And Teaching Experience Factors In Teacher Attitudes Towards Collaborative Action Plans?, T. Spittle

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this exploratory study was to ascertain if teachers who have special needs training or teaching experience have a statistically significant difference in their attitude towards the implementation of the Western Australian Education Department's Collaborative Action Plans. Using a stratified random sampling method a sample of teachers (N = 2 x 50) was generated from regular primary schools and education support facilities within the Perth metropolitan area. Survey variables canvassed were source reliability, time, efficacy, collaboration, assessment measures, information types and summary issues. A mailed questionnaire produced a response rate of 66%. Survey data indicated that in terms …

Conceptions Of Learning Held By Students In The Lower, Middle And Upper Grades Of Primary School, Carole Noelle Steketee

Theses : Honours

Conceptions of learning are the fundamental beliefs and ideas people hold about their own learning. To a large extent, these understandings determine the way in which learning tasks are tackled and, ultimately, the outcome of learning experiences. Using a phenomenographic approach, this study explored the conceptions of teaming held by six students in the lower, middle and upper grades of primary school. Data collected from a series of individual in-depth interviews resulted in the identification of six distinctly different conceptions of learning. At the most basic level, the students articulated their understanding of learning in a very general sense. This …

An Investigation Of Agency In Children's Own Narrative Writing Before And After Exposure To Counter-Sexist Texts, Jane Nolan

Theses : Honours

This research focuses on the issue of gender in education. It looks at the role counter-sexist texts play in the formation, consolidation and interruption of children's gender ideology. It initially investigates whether or not counter-sexist texts can change agency in children's writing by analysing children's own narrative writing. Then it seeks to shed light on the ways that children respond to these types of texts by using transcripts from discussion sessions.

The sample consisted of 20 students from a Western Australian state primary school. These students were randomly distributed into a control and experimental group. Each week, for a period …

The Design And Implementation Of A Toolkit For The Creation Of Virtual Environments, Jesse Kinross-Smith

Theses : Honours

Virtual Reality is a field that is steadily increasing in popularity and interest. New developments in both hardware and software have empowered developers with new devices allowing faster and better quality interaction with virtual environments. However, the emphasis of research in virtual environments has been more concerned with development of new display and input devices, as opposed to the investigation of different methods of interaction that a three-dimensional environment offers. This project designs and implements a three-dimensional, interactive, virtual environment development system upon an existing three-dimensional rendering engine. The aim of the project is to allow users to generate virtual …

An Analysis Of Potential Incompatibility Between The Acts Amendment (Evidence Of Children And Others) Act 1992 And Defendants' Rights, V. F. Pearson

Theses : Honours

The need to balance the needs and rights of all parties is a central consideration in legal procedure. This is no simple task, however, when the interests of the defendant are often in direct contrast to those of the witness. Much of the contention arises from the ambiguity associated with the nature of both victims' and defendants' rights and the lack of clear guidelines for the resolution of conflict where such competing interests are involved. Because Australia has no document precisely delineating the nature and content of individual rights, the result is a reliance on an ill-defined combination of common …

Samurai Of Gentle Power : An Exploration Of Aikido In The Lives Of Women Aikidoka, Katie Noad

Theses : Honours

This exploratory study of women's experience of the martial art of aikido comes as a response to the paucity of texts on women in the martial arts. My 16-year involvement with aikido and my studies in the field of Leisure Science have led me to explore the apparent contradiction between the traditionally masculine domain of martial arts and prescribed female/feminine behaviour. As a feminist researcher and as an aikido participant I acknowledge a close connection with my topic and hence the subjective nature of this study. I am not trying to produce an absolute truth, but present some of the …

The Effects Of A Sense Of Humour On Empathic-Responses : Testing Positive And Negative Affect As Mediating Variables, Michael Francis Sheehan

Theses : Honours

Research investigating individual differences in empathy-related responding has shown sympathy (an other oriented response involving concern) and perspective taking (the psychological adoption of another's point of view) to be related to emotional regulation and more positive affect, and personal distress (an egoistic reaction to another's distress) to be associated with overarousal and more negative affect Separate research investigating the stress-moderating effects of humour has linked coping humour to reduced negative affect and the maintenance of positive affect. The present study tested a model that hypothesised that coping humour would have an indirect affect on each empathy-related variable through positive and …

The Development Of Drink Driving Policy In Western Australia, 1990-1996, Evanya Cameron

Theses : Honours

In the last two decades, road safety has emerged as a significant issue in public policy, not only in Australia but internationally. In particular, measures to reduce the increasing number of drink drivers has been of top priority. Despite this importance, Western Australia has lagged considerably behind other Australian states, and especially New South Wales and Victoria in all areas of drink driving policy development and implementation. This study investigates the reasons for the slow development of drink driving policy from 1990-1996, by examining the Western Australian policy making process. The roles of each of the crucial policy actors, the …

Bullying In Schools : An Extension And Replication Of Schoolchildren's Attitudes And Helping Behaviour Toward Victims Of Bullying, Kathy Elliott

Theses : Honours

A replication and extension of Rigby and Slee's (1991) study, was conducted in rural Western Australia to investigate age and gender differences in schoolchildren's attitudes and behaviour toward victims of bullying. One hundred and seventy two students (93 Females, 79 males) participated in the study, comprising of, Year 3, Year 7, Year 8, and Year 12 students. Three written, anonymous questionnaires were used: (i) The Peer Relations Questionnaire (Rigby & Slee, 1994) and (ii) the Pro-Victim Scale (Rigby & Slee, 1991) examined students peer interactions and attitudes toward victims; and a self-developed questionnaire, (iii) the Victim Questionnaire, was ased to …

An Examination Of The Influence Of Court Interpreters Upon Attributions Of Defendant And Plaintiff Culpability, Grace Frances

Theses : Honours

An expressed reluctance of the courts to employ interpreters has been challenged on the basis that a failure to provide such assistance to the Non-English Speaking (NES) witness contravenes the principles of natural justice. Further, NES defendants risk being misunderstood and incapacitated in their ability to effectively communicate the intended meaning of the evidence they are giving. In order to determine whether the presence of an interpreter exerts influence upon attributions of culpability given to a NES defendant, it was .important to identify whether evaluations were based on the interpreter's presence or on the defendant's ethnicity. Therefore, three trial conditions …

The Effect Of Role Play On Year 9 Students' Creative Writing, Kerry Mulholland

Theses : Honours

This thesis investigated the effect of the teaching strategy of role play on Year 9 students' creative writing and attitudes towards creative writing in the English classroom. The aim of the research was to compare role play, as a student-centred strategy, with the more commonly used strategies in the teaching of writing in the secondary English classroom, and explore and measure the effects. An experiment was conducted with a class of 32 students of average to above average abilities, divided into two groups: one was taught creative writing through role play while the other group was taught by a variety …

A Whole School Approach To Literacy Intervention, G. J. Raison

Theses : Honours

This research project reports on the process of developing a whole school approach to literacy intervention in one multi-ethnic, designated disadvantaged primary school. The study describes how teachers worked collaboratively, using items from a resource package Successful Intervention K-3 Literacy, to critically reflect on their pedagogy in their efforts to better address the needs of those students in their classes who appeared to have difficulties with literacy learning. A modified action research method was used by the teachers to devise a context-specific school plan. Within the plan, they allocated time and resources to assist them as they shared and developed …

The Causes And Consequences Of Interactions Between Aboriginal And Non-Aboriginal Primary School Children From The Perspective Of Their Parents, Catherine M. Brennan

Theses : Honours

Racism is found in all societies but is a particular problem in post-colonial immigrant majority societies where the indigenous population have been dispossessed of their land and experience social injustices. Aboriginal people are the most disadvantaged group in Australian society and despite the current policies of self-determination and cultural pluralism they remain at the bottom of all social indicators. The aim of this study is to examine the causes and consequences of racism against Aboriginal children from the perspective of their parents. To do this a case-study of seven Aboriginal parents with primary school aged children was undertaken to see …

Management Skills Of Middle-Level Nurse Managers In Malawi, Maureen L. Chirwa

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Much has been written about the problems facing nurse managers in different countries including Malawi, yet the literature is sparse in relation to information about their perception of required management skills. There is enough evidence that nurse managers face many problems. These problems stem from different sources including organizational, economic, social or political changes. All changes within and outside the health care system affect nursing and its management. Nurse managers require relevant management skills to make valuable decisions and promote quality care, and enable them to motivate staff. Further, management skills will enable nurse managers to actively participate in policy …

Exploring Infertility Through Art, Olga Gibson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study, entitled "Exploring infertility through art" focuses on researching the use of art to explore the psychogenic, psychological and physiological aspects of infertility and the psychosomatic avenues of expression possibly resulting in, or contributing to, infertility. The term psychogenic means "pertaining to disorders which are functional in origin" (Chaplin, 1973, p. · 391), or "term usually employed of disorders which originate in mental conditions, though they may come to involve physiological changes, as a result of these mental conditions" (Drever, 1978, p. 231). A psychogenic disorder is ''a functional disorder which has no known organic basis and is therefore …

The Effect Of A Prenatal Teaching Intervention On Postpartum Nipple Pain And Trauma, Elizabeth P. Duffy

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate whether a prenatal teaching intervention on position and attachment of the baby on the breast had any effect on postpartum nipple pain and trauma, and breastfeeding rates at six weeks. Many mothers who Initiate breastfeeding, discontinue because they experience nipple pain and trauma. Correct position and attachment of the baby on the breast for feeding Is paramount in preventing these problems. Using Orem's supportive-educative nursing system, i was hypothesised that the teaching Intervention would result in significantly less nipple pain and trauma, and would Increase breastfeeding rates at six weeks. The …

The Lived Experiences Of People Living With Hiv Infection, Nongluck Suwisith

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This phenomenological study was undertaken to describe the meaning of living with HIV infection. Descriptive phenomenology was utilised to investigate the lived experiences of persons who had human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV/ AIDS), describe common elements, themes or patterns of lived experiences of persons with HIV / AIDS, and analyse the meaning of lived experiences of persons with HIV/ AIDS. Twelve Australians, experiencing HIV infection and participating in the community support groups in Perth, volunteered as participants. Two participated in the pilot study. The other ten participants were interviewed individually for the main study. Intensive open-end questions pertaining to the …

An Evaluation Of The Social And Economic Impacts Of The Ppaep On Rural Philippines : The Case Of Luyong Bonbon And Pagalungan, Misamis Oriental, Philippines, Maria R. Hechanova

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the social, economic and other impacts of the Pilot Provincial Agricultural Extension Project (PP AEP), an Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) project in the villages of Luyong Bonbon and Pagalungan, Misamis Oriental, Philippines. This study has examined the literature related to technology transfer in agriculture, the notion of appropriate technology and Australia's current development program in the Philippines. This study utilises a multiple case study of qualitative methodology. The Group Ecology Model (GEM) is utilised as a conceptual framework of this study and the process/ outcome matrix is utilised to analyse …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Homebirth Experience : The Couples Perspective, Susanjane Morison

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experience of parents who have had a homebirth in the past two years in Perth. Studies conducted to date have predominantly used quantitative research methods, investigating the safety of homebirth and comparing home to hospital birth without exploring a couples experiences. A phenomenological approach was used as it seeks to understand human experience in context. The research design consisted of a field study, in which ten parent couples were interviewed and three homebirth videos observed. Data analysis was conducted according to the procedure outlined by Colaizzi (cited in Knaack, 1984, …

Codependent Concerns Among Nurses, Virgina S. Besomo

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Codependency is a complex dysfunctional behaviour pattern characterised by a dependence upon external reference points for ways of being. An abundance of nursing literature claims that codependency is (a) a problem among nurses, (b) related to the demands of the profession, and that (c) codependent nurses eventually suffer disillusionment and burnout. The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the severity of codependent concerns among Western Australian registered nurses in order to direct a response to these claims. A random sample of 1000 West Australian registered nurses were mailed surveys with an option for them to respond anonymously by …

The Interplay Of Formal And Informal Rule Systems In Government Primary Schools, Raymond Knight

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The aim of this dissertation is to examine the effects of regulation upon the practice and behaviour of teachers within a bureaucratic educational organisation. More specifically, the study had been designed to understand how teachers make sense of the rules and regulations of their organisation and identify strategies that they apply to make these rules serve these interests. The rule system theory of Swedish sociologist, Burns and Flam, was employed to inform the study. Thirty teachers, employed at two school sites, were included in this qualitative study. The initial data were collected by questionnaires and a survey of formal rules. …

Occupational Stress, A Cross-Sectional And Logitudinal Analysis, Nigel V. Jones

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigated the presence of occupational stress among teachers. It did not set out to identify and explain variables associated with stress among teachers, rather the study focussed on the multitude of variables identified in the literature and sought to include these in a more extensive causal model. The study was conducted in two main stages. Firstly, a cross-sectional survey investigated the presence of stress among 230 teachers, as measured by Psychological Stress, Physical Health, Job Satisfaction and & desire to Leave their Job. The survey obtained information on stress outcome variables (Psychological Stress, Physical Health, Job Satisfaction and …

An Evaluation Of The Usefulness Of A Self-Appraisal & Goal Setting Instrument For Community Health Nurses, Helen K. Pannowitz

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This descriptive exploratory study evaluated the usefulness of an adapted self-appraisal and goal setting performance instrument. The instrument is developmental in its purpose and is currently used by community health nurses at the Armadale Kelmscott Health Service of the Health Department of Western Australia. The study was conducted in two parts; the first part used a questionnaire to examine the perceptions of a group of community health nurses who use the instrument. The second part of the study which used a structured survey sought to determine how well the instrument's self-appraisal behaviours approximate with the Standards of the Australian Council …

A Qualitative Evaluation Of The S.A.I.F. Programme, Anne Blair

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis describes an evaluation of Sexual Assault in Families Inc., Perth, Western Australia (the SAIF programme) which offers therapy and counselling to families where one or more of the children have been sexually abused by one of the family members. The purpose of the study was to demonstrate the use of a triangulated qualitative research methodology in order to determine whether the programme is achieving its objectives in terms of service delivery. It adopted a phenomenological approach in which participants were acknowledged as expert informants who were capable of identifying valued aspects of the programme. The participants were twelve …

The Lived Experience Of The Aged Care Nurse, Christine Martin

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe and interpret the common, shared meanings of the experience of aged care nursing from the perspective of the registered nurse working in a nursing home. There are insufficient registered nurses being attracted into aged care, with resulting difficulties in maintaining regular staffing levels in nursing homes. Previous studies conducted in Australia have predominantly used quantitative research methods to investigate various influences QD the recruitment and retention of aged care nurses. These studies do not take into account the practitioners' perceptions of their experience of aged care nursing. A purposive sample of …

Politeness And Paradigms Of Family: A Perspective On The Development Of Communicative Competence In The Japanese Esl Speaker, Christopher J. Conlan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis examines the issue of linguistic politeness in English with specific reference to Japanese ESL speakers. It develops a theoretical framework that sees shared assumptions concerning the marking of social-power and social-distance differentials as crucial. Developing the notion that linguistic politeness is a function of a status-dependent and context-dependent variety of language usage, it argues that there are four fundamental types of utterances, and that speech acts conforming to any of the power and distance configurations by means of which these four utterance types are defined can be considered to be polite if-but only if -both speaker and hearer …

Use Of Section 20 Of The Education Act 1928: The Study Of A Contemporary Issue Using The Narrative Form, Janette R. Gray

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

There is a growing acceptance in the social sciences that in the telling and reading of a story a form of truth can be developed. This 'truth' will be dependent on the reader actively constructing knowledge from constant reflection and modification using cultural (bounded) knowledge as a basis for comparison. Typically the narrative form employs the use of evocative, contextualised language to create implicit meaning, a plot based on some form of conflict within a temporal framework, and the use of multiple voices and genres. Generalisation from the sequence of events subsumed in the plot is assisted by the effective …

Multiple Readings In Multiple Choice Reading Tests: A Study Of Year 11 Students' Reading Practices Of A Multiple Choice Reading Test, Rosemary Naughton

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study examines students’ responses to the questions in a multiple choice reading test. An analysis of the processes students used to negotiate meaning revealed the roles played by cognitive strategies and cultural framing in shaping students' responses to multiple choice questions. A descriptive/analytical study methodology was conducted with a group of forty eight Year II students in the final term of the school year. These students represented four mixed sex ability groupings and a range of socio-economic backgrounds. Think-Out-Loud protocols were used in an interview situation. Students responded to thirty four questions from three passages selected from multiple choice …

The 'Stunned' And The 'Stymied' : The P.O.W. Experience In The History Of The 2/11th Infantry Battalion, 1939-1945, Mary R. Watt

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Stimulated by a pronouncement of Joan Beaumont that prisoners of war are a neglected subject of historical inquiry this thesis undertakes an empirical and analytical study concerning this topic. Within the context of the prisoner of war experience in the history of the 2/11th Infantry Battalion during the Second World War, it puts a case for including non-operational strands of warfare in the body of Australian official military history. To facilitate this contention the study attempts to show the reasons for which historians might study the scope and range of the prisoner of war experience. Apart from describing the context …

Factors That Influence Low Utilisation Of Natural Family Planning Methods Among Child Bearing Women (Aged 15-49 Years) In Mongu Urban District Zambia, Cecilia S. Lubinda

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to explore and analyse factors that influence the low utilisation of natural family planning methods. A theoretical framework adapted from Betty Neuman's Systems Model was used to guide the study. Using Betty Neuman's Systems Model the person or client's behaviour influenced by the continuous interaction with the environment. The factors investigated were the women's personal characteristics, age, occupation, marital status and education, cultural influences which included the relationship between the husband and wife and the religious belief of the women. The last factor investigated was the influence of the info1111ation practices and family planning …