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Theses/Dissertations

1999

Edith Cowan University

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Articles 1 - 30 of 42

Full-Text Articles in Education

Strategies For Tutoring Written Expression In Students With Adhd And Learning Difficulties, Josephine Bishop Jan 1999

Strategies For Tutoring Written Expression In Students With Adhd And Learning Difficulties, Josephine Bishop

Theses : Honours

ADHD and learning difficulties are associated with limitations in working memory capacity which may disrupt performance of writing skills. This thesis investigated teaching strategies to improve story-writing skills in five students with ADHD and learning difficulties in writing. The strategies were based on the view that these students would write more effectively if the task imposed fewer constraints on working memory capacity (the ability to store information while performing a task). Students were taught to write stories under time constraints using the PW2R approach of five minutes to plan, five to draft and five to review. Students planned orally during …

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What Are The Important Elements Of The Pre-Primary Curriculum? : The Views Of Parents And Teachers, Ann Hyde Jan 1999

What Are The Important Elements Of The Pre-Primary Curriculum? : The Views Of Parents And Teachers, Ann Hyde

Theses : Honours

The delivery of pre-primary education in Western Australia has undergone dramatic and rapid change since its tentative beginnings in 1911. During the 1990's we have seen the most tumultuous period of change with the implementation of the government's Good Start Program. It is timely that we investigate what the primary stakeholders expect from pre-primary programs. Are parents and teachers expecting the same things? Is there harmony between the curriculum of the home and the school? This study addressed these questions. A survey was conducted, involving 150 parents and 60 teachers (30 pre-primary teachers and 30 year one teachers). Schools were …

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Short-Term Memory For Nonsense Strings In Children With Reading Disabilities, Linda K. Lane Jan 1999

Short-Term Memory For Nonsense Strings In Children With Reading Disabilities, Linda K. Lane

Theses : Honours

A large body of evidence exists that demonstrates strong correlations between reading ability, phonological awareness and memory. The current study was designed to compare the performance of 24 10-year-old students with reading disabilities and a group of 24 8-year-old average readers, who were matched according to reading age. These students were given a decoding task requiring the recall of nonsense strings. This task was designed to measure working memory for phonological elements. An ANOVA yielded a significant main effect for group in favour of the older students, and a main effect for total errors and vowel and space location. Participants …

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K-1 Children's Understandings Of Selected Child Abuse Prevention Concepts, Samantha Wynne Jan 1999

K-1 Children's Understandings Of Selected Child Abuse Prevention Concepts, Samantha Wynne

Theses : Honours

Over the past decade, child sexual abuse has gained increasing recognition as a problem of social consequence and significant proportion in Australia. Children have the right to be safe at all times and adults have the responsibility to preserve this basic right for all children. The risk and the growing statistics on the prevalence of abuse has led Australia to follow the United States and develop child sexual abuse prevention programmes. The programme used in WA schools is the WA Health Syllabus, Prevention Education Supplement (1990). Prevention education relies on children recognising when they feel unsafe. The aim of this …

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Effects Of Letterland On Phonemic Awareness And Retrieval Of Phonological Information From Long Term Memory, Dianne Hodgson Jan 1999

Effects Of Letterland On Phonemic Awareness And Retrieval Of Phonological Information From Long Term Memory, Dianne Hodgson

Theses : Honours

This study examined whether a pictorial mnemonic based program called Letterland, with and without fluency training, improved accuracy and fluency of decoding letter-sounds for children experiencing difficulties learning to read. A single subject experimental ABCDA research design was used with four Year 1 students experiencing difficulties with reading. After baseline (A), the first intervention (B) taught seven Letterland characters and letter-sounds without fluency training over 6 sessions, the second intervention (C) taught seven new letters using Letterland and including fluency training, and the third intervention (D) reviewed all 14 letters with fluency training. Testing involved CVC real words and …

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Crosslinguistic Influence In The Speech Of Hungarian-English Bilinguals, Valerie Kollmann Jan 1999

Crosslinguistic Influence In The Speech Of Hungarian-English Bilinguals, Valerie Kollmann

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The study is written in an attempt to report on factors that affect language transfer between Hungarian and English and on the extent 1.1 and 1.2 lexical elements are integrated into the speech in either language. An attempt is made to classify the functions of the integrated lexical elements. Furthermore, it is hypothesised that transfer could be interpreted as a production strategy. Data collection included a questionnaire and audio recording of interviews and observations of eleven bilingual participants involved in problem solving tasks.

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Repetition Priming And Melody : Implicit Memory For Music, Jacqueline Landre Jan 1999

Repetition Priming And Melody : Implicit Memory For Music, Jacqueline Landre

Theses : Honours

The present study investigated the existence of repetition priming for melody and the extent to which that priming would be affected by the manipulation of frequency. A group of 62 university students and 2 members of the public listened to 20 high frequency and 20 low frequency melodies in the first phase of a repetition priming experiment. Participants were required to name as many melodies as they could as quickly as possible. The same melodies were then re-presented immediately in the second phase of the experiment along with another group of 40 melodies matched in frequency to those in the …

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The Effects Of Nationality And Educational Background On World Music Preference Of A Sample Of Expatriate Students In Singapore, Karen Ann Niedermeyer Jan 1999

The Effects Of Nationality And Educational Background On World Music Preference Of A Sample Of Expatriate Students In Singapore, Karen Ann Niedermeyer

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to examine expatriate students' World music preferences and investigate the relationship between the number of years students have spent in international school education and their preferences for World music, and their ability to identify its origins. The researcher was of the view that two prime determinants probably influence World music preferences: a) the length of stay in an international school. b) positive cultural exposure in a harmonious, multi-cultural society. The research methodology used in examining the above determinants on World music preferences involved two separate tests, taken consecutively. Firstly, The World Music Preference Inventory …

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Success Stories : A Means Of Enhancing The Personal-Professional Development Of Teachers, Elizabeth Kirstie Thorburn Jan 1999

Success Stories : A Means Of Enhancing The Personal-Professional Development Of Teachers, Elizabeth Kirstie Thorburn

Theses : Honours

This thesis details my experiences and findings as u teacher-researcher of narrative inquiry. To address the effectiveness of teacher story sharing as a means or enhancing teacher personal-professional development, I formed a 'story group' with four teacher participants, three of whom were at the pre-service level. The participants collaboratively engaged in the narrative processes of story sharing, story writing, reflection and story critiquing with myself shifting between the roles of researcher, facilitator and participant. Hence, the participants engaged in research about their peers, as well as about themselves, and their practice. In this way, knowledge was shared and jointly constructed, …

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The Pleasure Of Text - Where Does It Come From? : Children's Responses To Literature, Sharon Cooney Jan 1999

The Pleasure Of Text - Where Does It Come From? : Children's Responses To Literature, Sharon Cooney

Theses : Honours

Too often, literature is viewed, presented and used as a mere tool for conveying information in the primary school classroom. A 'functional' approach to literature is not sufficient as it denies students opportunities to experience the range of responses evoked by literature and the element of pleasure that can be derived from the reading experience. This study examines reader response theory as a means for building enjoyment of literature for its own sake. The literary responses of four primary school children were interpreted to ascertain the pleasure derived from the literary experience and will be presented in case study form. …

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Automatic Recall Of Multiplication Facts And Number Sense, Maxine D. Jolly Jan 1999

Automatic Recall Of Multiplication Facts And Number Sense, Maxine D. Jolly

Theses : Honours

The development of students• Number Sense has become a recent focus in primary mathematics education. Students also often learn the multiplication tables by rote in order to develop automatic recall of multiplication facts. One view of mathematics learning suggests that automatic recall of number facts is an important step to developing number sense, while another view suggests that rote learning to develop automatic recall of multiplication facts may interfere with the constructivist learning environment that is required to develop number sense. This study examined whether automatic recall was associated with good number sense or not, and explored factors associated with …

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Ngaligura Wangkabinyarri, Banthaga, Jardimarri = We Talk, We Listen, We Embrace : Aboriginal Mothers As A Major Contributor To Their Daughters' Participation And Achievement In Tertiary Education, Odette Haley Jan 1999

Ngaligura Wangkabinyarri, Banthaga, Jardimarri = We Talk, We Listen, We Embrace : Aboriginal Mothers As A Major Contributor To Their Daughters' Participation And Achievement In Tertiary Education, Odette Haley

Theses : Honours

This thesis examines Aboriginal mothers as one of the major variables to their daughters' participation and achievement in tertiary education. It presents the findings of research that Investigated specific nurturing behaviours of four Aboriginal mothers who assisted their adult daughters to participate and achieve in tertiary education. The research is qualitative in nature and research data was collected using interviews and ethnographic observations of the eight participants over a two and a half-year period. The observations and interviews were made of Aboriginal mothers whose daughters had achieved a degree or diploma through a university or further education institution. The findings …

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The Literacy-Related Knowledge Of The Children In Two Western Australian Preprimary Centres And The Literacy-Related Practices In Their Homes, Susan M. Beilharz Jan 1999

The Literacy-Related Knowledge Of The Children In Two Western Australian Preprimary Centres And The Literacy-Related Practices In Their Homes, Susan M. Beilharz

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigates both the literacy-related knowledge of two groups of children beginning their preprimary education and the literacy-related practices identified by their parents as taking place in their homes. The two groups of children were attending preprimary centres located in different suburbs of Perth; one was in a low socio-economic status northern suburb and the other was in a high socio-economic status inner metropolitan suburb. The results of a questionnaire about family literacy practices showed that there was a wide range of literacy-related practices and materials available in the majority of the households involved in the study. The results …

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Teaching And Learning In Higher Education : Nurturing Critical Reflection For Bridging Theory/Practice Links : A Case Study In Social Work Education, Gary Keith Ovington Jan 1999

Teaching And Learning In Higher Education : Nurturing Critical Reflection For Bridging Theory/Practice Links : A Case Study In Social Work Education, Gary Keith Ovington

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The 1990s has witnessed two 'institutions' in 'crisis': higher education and social work. In higher education. government has brandished its quality sword and the long-neglected area of teaching is prominent in the war cry. In social work, major stakeholders have constructed the crisis as the 'theory/practice problematic' and the systemic intervention has been the prima facie increasing power of non-academic bodies to shape social work curriculum. This study is set within this context of quality teaching and theory/practice issues. It is an action research study of the teaching and learning dynamic of a first year social work subject which seeks …

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The Good Language Class: Teacher Perceptions, Rosemary Senior Jan 1999

The Good Language Class: Teacher Perceptions, Rosemary Senior

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This is a qualitative, descriptive study of group processes in classes of adult language learners, viewed from the perspective of practising teachers. The study has an internal narrative which takes the reader through the process of the research, from the initial question raised by a casual classroom conversation to the discussion chapter which questions a number of assumptions underlying current English language teaching practices within western educational contexts. The study falls into two distinct phases. The first phase uses the constant comparative method of data collection and analysis to integrate the perceptions of 28 experienced language teachers into the following …

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Teaching Students With Severe Disabilities To Perform A Pre-Lunch Routine Using The System Of Least Prompts, Keenan Gerard Rodericks Jan 1999

Teaching Students With Severe Disabilities To Perform A Pre-Lunch Routine Using The System Of Least Prompts, Keenan Gerard Rodericks

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The system of least prompts has been used to teach a variety of daily living skills to students with severe to moderate disabilities. The present study attempted to determine the effects of the system of least prompts when used to teach a pre-lunch routine to two students with severe disabilities. The students were categorised as autistic, or as having autistic characteristics, with severe to moderate intellectual disabilities and communication deficits. The results indicated that the system of least prompts was effective in facilitating a change in students' responses. Three effects were observed in relation to the hypotheses, First, there was …

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An Evaluation Of Digital Chisel 3.0 As A Multimedia Authoring Tool In A Year Seven Classroom, Robert Richardson Jan 1999

An Evaluation Of Digital Chisel 3.0 As A Multimedia Authoring Tool In A Year Seven Classroom, Robert Richardson

Theses : Honours

Most commercial interactive multimedia authoring packages are designed to be used by teachers and trainers to build commercial training or classroom teaching applications (Handler, Dana, Peters & Moor, 1995; Magel, 1997). The evolution of interactive multimedia technologies however, has made it possible for students to become actively involved in creating their own interactive multimedia projects, and in so doing, gain considerable learning benefit (Lehrer 1993). Facilitating this in the classroom and particularly at the Year Seven level, requires the use of a cost-effective, purpose-built authoring tool. Digital Chisel 3.0 (DC3), was developed by Pierian Spring Software (1997), as just such …

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A Student Self-Management Strategy For Reducing Inattentiveness, Disruptiveness And Teacher Intervention, James M. Cabrera Jan 1999

A Student Self-Management Strategy For Reducing Inattentiveness, Disruptiveness And Teacher Intervention, James M. Cabrera

Theses : Honours

A large body of evidence suggests that the use of self-management procedures can reduce significantly the occurrence of disruptive behaviours and teacher dependency for task completion. The present study used a single subject design with two students with developmental disabilities to test the effectiveness of a TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped Children) self-management system. The system employed a visual schedule work routine coupled with a token economy and self-selection of reinforcers. Tho findings of this study showed that both students were able to utilise a TEACCH style self-management system to engage in on-task behaviour and …

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Academic Security Education : The Development Of An Industry Based Security Management Curriculum, Layne M. Hesse Jan 1999

Academic Security Education : The Development Of An Industry Based Security Management Curriculum, Layne M. Hesse

Theses : Honours

This study examined the education profiles and skills and knowledge required for security managers conducted through an educational needs analysis of the security field. Little information is currently available about security education in Australia and there is no centralised source of information about such education. There is also comparatively little information exchanged across institutions, government and industry. A survey using the interview method obtained and analysed the opinions and perceptions of security skills and knowledge from the sample population. The aim of this study was to contribute to the security field by exploring and analysing the skills and knowledge required …

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A Study Of Teacher Behaviours As Interpreted By Low Achieving Passive Students, Carolyn Crook Jan 1999

A Study Of Teacher Behaviours As Interpreted By Low Achieving Passive Students, Carolyn Crook

Theses : Honours

This study explores the nature of low achieving, passive students' interpretations of teacher behaviour towards them, how these interpretations cluster into specific categories and the possibility of a mis-match existing between a teacher's intended behaviour and the student's interpretations of that behaviour. The sample consisted of four year five students, one female and three male students, who were selected from two Perth metropolitan schools. Ethnographic-case study methods were used to conduct the investigation which included fieldnotes, observations, video-taped observations, student interviews and informal teacher interviews. The study revealed that low achieving, passive students have varying interpretations of teacher behaviour. As …

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How Do Family Members Perceive, Understand And Explain The Experience Of Homework? : A Case Study Of Four Families, Cathryn Voak Jan 1999

How Do Family Members Perceive, Understand And Explain The Experience Of Homework? : A Case Study Of Four Families, Cathryn Voak

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine family member perceptions and experiences of homework. More broadly, it seeks to illuminate the nature and social function of homework practices in families and in so doing, highlights the complex relationship between schools and family life. The study involved four families and their experiences of homework. The families were selected on the basis that the parents came from a range of socio-economic backgrounds which may impact upon their children's attitudes and experiences of homework and schooling. The approach adopted to investigate this phenomenon is that of case study. Specifically, this case …

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Better Implementation Of Calculators In The Classroom Through Parental Involvement, Jennifer S. Kemp Jan 1999

Better Implementation Of Calculators In The Classroom Through Parental Involvement, Jennifer S. Kemp

Theses : Honours

This study examined the changes in parental attitudes towards calculator use in the classroom during their involvement in calculator activities with students. The study also investigated the effectiveness of involving parents in mathematics activities as a support mechanism for calculator implementation in the school as a whole. A class of year 6 students and their parents were chosen for the study. Parents were first given a questionnaire to evaluate their attitudes towards the use of calculators in schools. Interested parents were consequently invited to participate in one fifty-minute lesson per week for eight weeks. During these lessons, calculators were used …

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Stories Of School : Perspectives Of The Low Literate Adult, Anne Shipway Jan 1999

Stories Of School : Perspectives Of The Low Literate Adult, Anne Shipway

Theses : Honours

This thesis explores the school experiences of low literate adults through their perspective recognising that the 'voice' of the low literate adult is absent from the arena of adult literacy research. Stories are co-constructed by the participant and the researcher with particular emphasis on mai1uaining the voice of the research participant. Through this thesis I argue that the inclusion of the low literate adults perspective is an essential element in gaining a deeper understanding of themes and issues which impact on literacy attainment.

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The Routines And Rituals Of A Design And Technology Classroom: An Ethnographic Study, Shaun Wellbourne-Wood Jan 1999

The Routines And Rituals Of A Design And Technology Classroom: An Ethnographic Study, Shaun Wellbourne-Wood

Theses : Honours

This research examines questions and issues raised from an ethnographic study of a secondary design and technology classroom. A critical ethnographic methodology was employed to explore the 'way of life' in design and technology and examine how aspects of this micro-culture impact on teaching and learning. This ethnographic account includes description and discussion of four significant aspects of design and technology culture. The first examines the predominant masculine culture within this classroom and the subject area at large. The second is the story of four girls and their perceived alienation and exclusion from the dominance of "a boy subject". Third …

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A Caregiver's Perceptions And Practices In Relation To Her Speech To An Under 2-Year-Old Age Group In A Childcare Centre, Irene Wong Jan 1999

A Caregiver's Perceptions And Practices In Relation To Her Speech To An Under 2-Year-Old Age Group In A Childcare Centre, Irene Wong

Theses : Honours

The objective of this study was to investigate what a caregiver sees as her role in relation to young children's oral language development. This study examines her perceptions and beliefs, as well as the various activities that she thinks facilitates language development with under 2-year-old children. The main focus of the study is her language interactions with the children while they took part in three activities. The investigation involved qualitative case study research to collect the oral language interactions between the caregiver and the young children and the activities she provides. The features of the caregiver's speech to young children …

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Decreasing Inappropriate Classroom Behaviours Through A Videotape Self-Modelling And Self-Monitoring Treatment Package, Catherine Ann Coyle Jan 1999

Decreasing Inappropriate Classroom Behaviours Through A Videotape Self-Modelling And Self-Monitoring Treatment Package, Catherine Ann Coyle

Theses : Honours

Children with autism frequently display an inability to function independently. This has led researchers to develop treatments that are aimed at overcoming the dependency of these children on parents and teachers and which teach them to manage their own behaviour. A self-management treatment package consisting of videotaped self-modelling, self-monitoring, and self-reinforcement was investigated in the present study. The focus was the effect of the treatment package on the inappropriate classroom behaviours of three children with autism. The behaviours that were chosen were those that were most likely to interfere with the participants' ability to work independently in the classroom. The …

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University Teachers' Attitudes Towards Giftedness, Gifted Students And Special Provision For The Gifted, S. M. Cooper Jan 1999

University Teachers' Attitudes Towards Giftedness, Gifted Students And Special Provision For The Gifted, S. M. Cooper

Theses : Honours

What are the attitudes of university teachers towards giftedness, gifted and talented students and special provision for the gifted? The present study explored the attitudes towards gifted and talented students by two cohorts of university teachers. Both cohorts, one from 1996 and the other from 1997, were third year, secondary Bachelor of Arts in Education students, both participating in a university module related to catering for the high ability student in the regular classroom. The 1997 cohort's attitudes were measured before and after the module. Subsequently, some willing participants from the 1997 cohort were followed through to ascertain whether their …

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Some Determinants Of Success And Failure In First-Year University Business Units At Private Colleges, Clive P. Oliver Jan 1999

Some Determinants Of Success And Failure In First-Year University Business Units At Private Colleges, Clive P. Oliver

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigates some of the determinates of academic success and failure (and dropout) from first year university level Business units at two private business colleges in Perth, Western Australia. Private business colleges are convenient vehicles for international and Western Australian students who do not possess adequate academic assessments for direct entry into university, and for students who might benefit from an enhanced pastoral support system, in the transition from secondary education to tertiary education. The study is important to private providers and to universities who are trying to help students succeed at university. The study utilises a model of …

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The Specificity Of Skill Acquisition: Is It Task Related?, Dawn Darlaston-Jones Jan 1999

The Specificity Of Skill Acquisition: Is It Task Related?, Dawn Darlaston-Jones

Theses : Honours

The plethora of research into the area of skill acquisition and transfer has resulted in conflicting conclusions regarding the nature of transfer. Some researchers have found skill transfer to be specific to the items experienced during training (Logan, I 988, alphabet-arithmetic task; Masson, 1986, reverse reading task). Others have found transfer to be general (Speelman & Kirsner, I 997, syllogism task) or both general and specific in the same task (Greig & Speelman, 1999, algebra task). This study investigated the assumption that the task involved dictates the specific nature of skill acquisition and transfer. Sixty participants drawn from the Edith …

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A Critical Analysis Of Devolution And The Corporate Reform Of Teachers' Work, Patrick O'Brien Jan 1999

A Critical Analysis Of Devolution And The Corporate Reform Of Teachers' Work, Patrick O'Brien

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The corporate transformation of bureaucratic public education in Western Australia commenced in the late 1980s. The reforms announced in the Better Schools Report (1987) aimed to devolve responsibility to schools for the purpose of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of public education. Designed to be responsive, adaptable, flexible and accountable, the administrative style accompanying the reforms is described as corporate managerialism. Devolution has impacted heavily on schools and teachers' work. Evidence presented in this thesis suggests that the corporate values and practices that dominate the organisation and management of schools create personal and professional conflict for many classroom teachers. Devolution …

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