Education Commons^™

What Do Primary Students Know About Light?: An Investigation Into Misconceptions Held By Year 7 Students In Western Australia, Christine Ann Coulstock

Theses : Honours

This research examines misconceptions about light held by Year 7 primary school students. The subjects (n = 37) were selected from six schools in the northeastern area of Perth, Western Australia. An Interview About Instances approach was used in this research using instance cards specifically designed for this study. Misconceptions were ascertained and those held by 25% or more of the students were considered significant. Misconceptions were found in the understanding of the physical and the physiological process of sight, the relationship of light to colour, night vision in animals and the distance light travels under different circumstances. The misconceptions …

The Improvement Of The Teaching Of Informational Writing: A Study Of Six Teachers, Lisbeth Berridge

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to focus on the progressive stages through which six teachers moved in their efforts to improve children's writing of informational texts. An action research approach was used to control and monitor the work of the researcher and the six teachers as they sought to improve their classroom practice in the teaching of writing. The essential features of the approach were for the teachers to collaborate with the researcher in: a) discussing their problems and in devising suitable solutions; b) formulating a working hypothesis; c) working out an appropriate plan comprised of the steps of …

Characteristics That Determine The Holding Power Of Computer-Based Exhibits At Scitech Discovery Centre, Victoria Dodds

Theses : Honours

Scitech Discovery Centre is a hands-on science and technology centre located in the city West Complex, West Perth. The centre contains over 160 interactive exhibits including a number of computer-based exhibits that cover topics not easily incorporated in standard interactive exhibits. The problem considered in this study was the observed low percentage of visitors completing the programmes at seven of these computer-based exhibits. The author used unobtrusive observation and survey methods of data collection, for 245 visitors, on sundays over a three month period. The study was to determine two things, firstly the holding power of the exhibits, and secondly, …

The Perceived Effects Of A Performance Management Programme On The Professional Knowledge Attitudes And Behaviour Of Temporary Teachers At A Metropolitan High School, Shiralee Jayne Donaldson

Theses : Honours

During 1988 the Temporary Teacher Performance Management Programme was introduced in Western Australian State high schools by the Ministry of Education. The purpose of the programme was to provide all temporary teachers with access to a full performance management process, Including an Induction and appraisal suitable to their background and the amount of time they have spent at the school. This case study involved eight temporary teachers from a metropolitan high school. It examined their perceptions of the nature, function, determining factors and need for modification of the Temporary Teacher Performance Management Programme. The major question underlying the research was …

The Eclipse Of Equality Of Opportunity?, Simon Marginson

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Equality of opportunity has been the most important organising principle in education policies in postwar Australia. Equality of opportunity was central to the expansion of publicly-funded education: the promise of upward social mobility through education had broad appeal. Equality of opportunity objectives are now being displaced by the newer and more limited concept of market equity. Equality of opportunity usually implies equality of the educational resources provided to each child, and sometimes goes further to mean positive discrimination in favour of the disadvantaged. However, equity is usually understood only as the right to participate in education. Whereas economic objections used …

Seven Contemporary Ideological Perspectives On Teacher Education In Britain Today, Dave Hill

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper examines and critiques seven contemporary ideological perspectives on teacher education in Britain, it examines the Radical Right, the 'Soft Centre', the 'Hard Centre', and the 'Left in the Centre'. In doing so it refers to three interrelated levels of discourse: the popular Press, the academic Press and the work of ideologues, and the Party political. The paper critiques not only the Radical Right but also Centrist positions such as the erstwhile Left, the 'Left in the Centre', criticising their virtual evacuation of the cultural and ideological field of teacher education.

Student Perceptions In A Social Studies Classroom, Maria Darby

Theses : Honours

This study describes differential student perceptions towards Social Studies in a high school classroom. A case study approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative data gathering techniques, was used to collect data by seeking individual students' perceptions of the classroom environment, the teacher, classroom instruction and the Social Studies subject content. Social Studies education in Western Australia has been guided by the Social Studies K-10 Syllabus which has been implemented for almost 10 years. In 1990 a comprehensive review of the curriculum was commissioned by the Ministry of Education and undertaken by Print (1990a). This study found that a need existed …

The Effect Of Expository Writing As A Pre-Reading Activity On Comprehension Of Expository Text, W. B. Day

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a pre-reading expository writing task on comprehension of expository text. It was undertaken in order to ascertain the usefulness of writing as a pre-reading activity in the development of schema theoretic reading teaching strategies. The theoretical position of the study was that writing before reading would activate prior knowledge in the form of content and structure in the working memory of the reader and thereby enhance reading comprehension. The sample, comprised selected from a small, of 51 year 6/7 students, school in the outskirts of was the metropolitan area. …

An Investigation Of Changes To The Tertiary Entrance Examination Art History Syllabus And Art Teachers' Perceptions Of Those Changes, A. Ivankovic

Theses : Honours

In 1986, a new Tertiary Entrance Examination Art Syllabus was introduced to the secondary school curriculum. Four years have passed since the implementation of this syllabus without 11 formal evaluation having taken place. Because the changes to the Art Syllabus were implemented swiftly, it is considered appropriate to investigate any discrepancies between the intended changes to the Tertiary Entrance Examination Art History Syllabus and art teachers' perceptions of those changes, This study was prompted by concern expressed by art teachers over the changes in the Tertiary Entrance Examination (TEE) Art Syllabus. A foreshadowed minor change in the 1992 Art History …

A Case Study To Investigate The Use Of Computers Across A School Population, Janine Bersan

Theses : Honours

The National Advisory Committee on Computers in Schools (Commonwealth Schools Commission, 1983) recommended to support computing in both government and non-government schools in Australia over 1984 - 1986. This led to the injection of computer resources to schools. The Western Australian Government then provided significant funds for the provision of computer equipment to primary and secondary schools (1987 -1989). Primacy schools in Western Australia now have on average three computers per primary school. The Ministry of Education has produced a policy document on computer use in primary education which clearly outlines goals to be achieved by all primary school teachers …

The Effect Of Outlines, Headings And Summaries On The Recall Of Informational Text, John S. Latham

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to investigate various text-based ways of assisting Year Seven readers to enhance their recall of informational texts. The theory that was tested in this investigation is that text-based reading aids which secure the activation and rehearsal of relevant form and/or content schemata for written texts will enhance the recall of the content and structure of those texts. To investigate the comparative impact of the text conditions, 105 Year Seven students from a large primary school in a northern suburb of the Perth Metropolitan Area were ranked on the basis of their reading comprehension scores. …

Current Practices And Continuity Of Programmes In Recorder Tuition In Selected North East Metropolitan Schools, B. J. Pascoe

Theses : Honours

The learning of music literacy through playing an instrument has generally, as development of been emphasised by music educators being vital in the overall musical the child. Despite easy access to wind recorders and recorder repertoire, many classroom teachers in years four to seven in. Western Australian schools are either not teaching this subject, or where it is being pursued, there is often a lack of continuity. The reasons for this could be numerous, including: - Lack of an interest or musical background, or both, by teachers and administrators. - Failure by teachers and administrators to realise the importance of …

Job Factors Contributing To The Job Satisfaction And Job Dissatisfaction Of Primary Principals In One Ministry Of Education District In Western Australia, G. R. Martin

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Recent changes in the Western Australian education system, resulting from the release and implementation of Better Schools in Western Australia: A Programme for Improvement (1987), have induced significant changes in the nature of the Western Australian primary principalship. Within this context of change, this research explores job factors contributing to the job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction of primary principals in one Ministry of Education district in Western Australia. Studies based on Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory, conducted in educational and non-educational settings, in addition to previous principal job satisfaction research were important in the development of the study's conceptual framework and research …

A Comparison Of Mental Strategies Used By Skilled And Unskilled Mental Calculators, Paul Swan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to investigate the various strategies used by year seven students when carrying out division computations mentally. A comparison was made between the strategies used by high and low performing mental calculators. A number of high and low performing mental calculators were chosen as a result of their performances on twelve interview items. Both groups of students were given a set of division problems to complete mentally. After solving each problem the students were asked on a one-to-one basis to reflect on the strategy or method they used to solve the problem. The interviews were …

Monitoring Standards Of Science Investigation Skill Attainment By Tongan Secondary Science Students, Fisi'ihoi Mone

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the science investigation skill attainment of Tongan Form 5 (16 years of age) General Science students. Benchmark statements were developed to describe the range of science investigation skills and standard of performance that should be expected of Tongan Form 5 General Science students. A written test of science process skills and a practical test of science apparatus skills, were developed to assess the level of attainment of science investigation skills by students who have completed Form 4 and Form 5 General Science in Tonga. The instruments were piloted twice in Western …

Swazi Students' Attitudes Towards Geography And Their Relationship To Home Background, Teacher, Previous Academic Achievement, Peer Group And Gender, David Manyatsi

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study examined attitudes of Swazi Secondary School Students towards geography and the association of those attitudes with home background, teacher, previous academic achievement, peer group and gender. Attitudes of 435 Swazi students toward geography were assessed in July 1990. The instrument for the measurement of attitudes toward geography was subdivided into eight factors: Interest in the subjects, perceived value of the subject; attitude to the subject teacher; class management; perception of own ability; attitude to other students; perceived teacher attitude to students; and attitude to homework. Home background was measured in terms of the parents and employment and educational …

Training Technicians Or Educating Teachers : An Internship Program For Teacher Educators In Papua New Guinea, Denis Mclaughlin

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In 1987,the Bachelor ofEducation (Tertiary) became operational at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG). This offers a three year program to prepare experienced Community School teachers for positions as lecturers in Community Teachers Colleges. The second year of the program is a supervised internship in oneof these teachers colleges, a year which is intended to be one means among others of stimulating quality education in Papua New Guinea. This paper aims to present a theoretical rationale for the internship year, to explain how its design is intended to work towards the achievement of the goal of qualitative improvement in …

Pastoral Care In Schools : Some Implications For Teacher Training, Ron Best

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In Britain, teachers' concern for children as more than "empty buckets to be filled with knowledge" is widely recognised as a professional obligation. It is also legally enshrined in the concept of the teacher in loco parentis. There is nothing particularly new about this. Arnold of Rugby placed academic achievement third behind the promotion of Christian values and "gentlemanly conduct" in the priorities he set for his staff, and in public boarding-schools the roles of house master and matron were considered important means by which pupils' personal, physical and (supposedly) moral well-being were protected. What is relatively new is the …

School-Based Teacher Education, Heather J. Thanos

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Pre-service teacher education can and should integrate learning about teaching through continuous school-based experience. It is in the dynamic environments of schools and classrooms that prospective teachers learn through observation, experience and reflection to make critical judgements, in real and changing circumstances, about what it means to teach. Moreover, it is through continuous school-based teachIng experience, in a variety of school contexts, that prospective teachers construct their own critical consciousness of the social purposes of schooling and not just the technical skills of teaching. An upheaval in teacher education in Australia is currently foreshadowed by the Australian Education Council (AEC) …

Book Reviews

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Books reviewed. Lokan, J. and McKenzie, P. (eds). (1989). Teacher appraisal : issues and approaches. Australian Education Review, No. 28. Melbourne: ACER. Christie, F. (Ed.). (1990). Literacy for the Changing World: A Fresh Look at the Basics. Melbourne: ACER. Willis, S. (ed.). (1990). Being Numerate: What Counts? Melbourne: ACER. Brennan, B. (ed.). (1990). Continuing Professional Education : Promise and Performance. (Australian Education Review No.30), Melbourne: ACER. Atkin, J., Bastiani, J., and Goode, J., (1988). Listening to Parents, Kent: Croom Helm. Ralph Pethnan. (1986) Teaching for Human Rights : Pre-school and Grades 1-4. Canberra: Australian Government PublIshing Service. VIDEO REVIEW Educating …

Curriculum Decision Making For National Interest In The Tertiary Sector: An Evaluation Of A Curriculum Project, Stephen Duggan, Lyndall Boyle

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper is concerned with a study of comparative curriculum practice within the tertiary sector. Within Australia, curriculum practice, innovation, planning and evaluation has occurred mainly within the primary and secondary school system. However, since the mid-1980s, educational strategies for national interest have seen the evolution of informed curriculum research and development within the tertiary sector, as universities and colleges endeavour to meet nationally determined educational goals and objectives. This study relates the research process involved when tertiary educators (and researchers) are faced with the task of reconciling local, regional and national objectives. In particular, it considers the dynamics of …

Improving The Scientific Thinking Of Preservice Secondary Science Teachers, Mark Hackling, Patrick Garnett, Frank Dymond

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Previous studies indicate that many preservice science teachers lack facility with those formal reasoning patterns that are critical for learning science. The purpose of this project was to develop, implement and evaluate a curriculum package directed at improving preservice secondary science teachers' scientific thinking. A matched treatment-control, quasi-experimental design revealed significant gains achieved through use of the curriculum materials.

Literacy In Perspective., Ken Willis

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

One aim of this Joint National Conference of the Australian Reading Association and the Australian Association of Teachers of English is to develop a National Literacy Policy. An essential pre-requisite to developing a policy on literacy is a definition of the term ''literacy''. This paper argues that if this definition is stated in general terms it will be of questionable value, as it will be open to multiple interpretations dependent on the context.

Classroom Interaction: Some Qualitative And Quantitative Differences In A Mixed-Ethnicity Classroom, Gary Partington, Vincent Mccudden

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Children's classroom success has been attributed to a variety of factors (Watts, 1975). Among these factors are the quality and number of interactions occurring between the teacher and the students (Brophy and Good, 1974). Students who attract a greater proportion of the teacher's time and experience more positive interactions are more likely to be successful than other students. Additionally it has been argued (McKessar and Thomas, 1978) that some students may have greater expertise in capturing a teacher's attention, that is, by initiating interactions, while King (1979) considered that students engaged in behaviours which were designed to maintain the teacher's …

Claremont Teachers College Alumni Association : 10th Anniversary, 1980-1990, Alumni Association

Research outputs pre 2011

On the 9th June 1990, the Claremont Teachers College Alumni Association completed its first 10 years. From a fairly humble beginning the Association has continued to grow until it now has in excess of 250 members.

These first ten years have been most traumatic for the Claremont College. In 1982 the College lost its identity as a separate autonomous institution when it was amalgamated to become one of the campuses of the West Australian College of Advanced Education. In 1989 the campus closed its doors on its last teacher education graduates and ceased its role as a teacher education institution. …

Research Management Plan 1991, Western Australian College Of Advanced Education

Research outputs pre 2011

This management plan (June 1990) sets out the place of research in the spectrum of activities of the College and the state-wide responsibilities of WACAE. The College has a positive, unambiguous attitude to the promotion of research of high quality and has allocated funds and resources to that end. The College Research Committee is charged with the management of this rapidly developing research capacity. In discharging this function the Committee will review its Research Management Plan regularly and welcomes constructive input at any time.

Gender Equity : Retrospect And Prospect, With Recommendations For The School Of Education: Part 3, Lesley Patricia Newhouse

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Issues Facing And Shaping The Role Of District Superintendents During A Period Of Radical Change, Rod Chadbourne

Research outputs pre 2011

Before 1987, the work of superintendents was well known throughout the state education system. Their role had evolved over a long period of time and was firmly established - materially and in the minds of school staff. Sometimes people disagreed with how that role was discharged but they did have a clear idea of what it entailed. Superintendents also enjoyed a high profile. They were commonly seen to occupy powerful and prestigious positions, presiding over teachers' careers and curriculum developments. The Better Schools Report changed much of that...

Gender Equity : Retrospect And Prospect, With Recommendations For The School Of Education: Part 1, Lesley P. Newhouse

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Gender Equity : Retrospect And Prospect, With Recommendations For The School Of Education: Part 2: A Curriculum For Girls, Lesley P. Newhouse

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.