Education Commons^™

The Effects Of Reciprocal Teaching Upon Year 6 Students' Reading Comprehension, D. M. Rasmussen

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Reciprocal Teaching on the reading comprehension of Year 6 students. Forty-one Year 6 students from two metropolitan primary schools took part in the study. An experimental pre-test - post-test control group design was used. Subjects were matched according to the results of the Test of Reading Comprehension (TORCH) used as a pre-test. Matched pair-mates were randomly allocated to either treatment or control groups. After 14 sessions of training in Reciprocal Teaching, results of an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with teachers nested in groups, showed no statistically significant differences in …

The Implementation Of First Steps In Four Primary Classrooms, Janet Hunter

Theses : Honours

The First Steps Project was developed by the Education Department of Western Australia to facilitate literacy learning of students who were perceived to be "at risk". The project has resulted in state-wide professional development for teachers, and the subsequent marketing of the program interstate and overseas. The purpose of this study is to present an insight into the various ways that teachers use First Steps in their classrooms and to discover where different teachers stand within the theoretical framework of language learning, and what orientation and experiences lead them to make the planning, teaching and evaluation choices they make. The …

The Assessment And Evaluation Of Esl Children's Writing : A Case Study Of One Esl Primary Child, Liza Phillips

Theses : Honours

The assessment and evaluation of the literacy achievements of ESL learners is emerging as a contentious issue in Australian schools. However, at this time no studies appear to be completed that focus on the identification of features of ESL children's writing and the processes involved in using the frameworks available in Western Australia to assess and evaluate ESL students. In this study, a qualitative research design was employed. Data were collected from one Year Five ESL student over a three week period in order to determine: a) which features of his English writing were identified by each evaluative framework available …

Senior Teacher Classification For Teacher-Librarians In Western Australian Catholic Schools : An Investigation, Kathryn L. Salt

Theses : Honours

This research study utilised the principles of Survey Research to determine the current knowledge base and status of teacher-librarians employed in Western Australian Catholic schools in relation to Senior Teacher classification. It also examines the perceived barriers to achieving Senior Teacher classification. The questionnaire Senior Teacher Classification for Teacher-Librarians (STCTL) was constructed and mailed to every Catholic primary and secondary school throughout Western Australia for completion by the teacher-librarian. A 70.45 per cent response rate was received (93 respondents). The primary statistical analysis method used was descriptive statistics; frequencies, percents, means, modes and standard deviations. Based on the data analysis …

Accountability Perceptions Of Passive Students In Cooperative Learning, Narelle Day

Theses : Honours

Cooperative learning is being widely adopted as an effective strategy to increase student academic learning in a social setting. A significant concern is that some students have been observed to remain passive during cooperative learning. Active participation in the group process is required for effective learning. Student Accountability, for their own and other group members learning, is one factor influencing student participation. To modify passive behaviour, the students' self-perceptions of accountability influencing the behaviour must be identified. Passive students' perceptions in cooperative learning have been explored by few researchers. There is a dearth of published of research about student perceptions …

Teaching Children With Mild To Moderate Intellectual Disabilities To Select And Produce Facial Expressions Of Emotion Using Modelling And Feedback, Tracey Rayworth

Theses : Honours

The ability to produce facial expressions accurately is essential for effective communication of thoughts and feelings. Children need to select the facial expression to produce in a given situation, while considering the social context, and produce it accurately. This is especially important for children with intellectual disabilities who often experience difficulties in verbal communication. The purpose of this study was to investigate ways of teaching children with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities to select and produce facial expressions appropriate to various situations. The theoretical framework of this study suggests that providing facial modelling and mirror feedback to children will increase …

The Association Of Student Perceptions With Student Motivation And Cognitive Engagement In The Year 11 Economic Framework Unit, Leah Gransden

Theses : Honours

Many Western Australian Economics teachers have voiced concern with the level of motivation of students studying Economics and the apparent decline in the number of students in secondary institutions choosing Economics as an upper school subject (Lewis & Norris, 1996). A need therefore seems to exist for data about secondary students' thoughts and feelings towards Economics. This exploratory study aimed to investigate and describe student perceptions, motivational orientations and cognitive engagement, as experienced by Year 11 Economic students when studying the Economic Framework unit. This unit is the only compulsory unit in Year 11 Economics and is typically associated with …

Influencing The On-Task And Off-Task Behaviours Of Children Who Have Attention Problems Or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Through The Use Of A Token Economy And Self-Management, Renee Ball

Theses : Honours

Attention problems have been identified as a major contributor to below average academic competence in Western Australian students. The present study used an A B C D A' single-subject experimental design to investigate the effects of a token economy, managed first by the researcher, and then by participants, on off-task behaviour. Phase A was a baseline, phase B was a token economy managed by the researcher, phase C was a token economy managed by the participant, phase D was the thinning of the reinforcers (still managed by the participant), and phase A' was a return to baseline. Two participants were …

Learning To Live With Conformity: Student Teachers' Reactions To Multiple Conformity Factors During Teaching Practice, Clive Mcgee

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports one aspect of a larger research project on the teaching practice experiences of staff, student teachers and associate teachers. The project is located in the School of Education at the University of Waikato, New Zealand, and early phases have already been reported in occasional papers and conference papers (Calder, Faire and Schon, 1993; Faire, 1994; Harold, 1994; McGee, Oliver and Carstensen, 1994.

Changing Initial Teacher Education: Limitations To Innovation In The United States, Australia And The United Kingdom, Neville Hatton

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In 1996, the University of Sydney implemented a two-year postgraduate form of initial teacher preparation, the Master of Teaching degree. The program incorporates an integrated core study based on use of a distinctive case methodology, together with reflective approaches and portfolio assessment. After meeting practicum requirements, candidates will enter an internship with a conditional “licence to teach”. This paper will examine the processes which led to the devising and introduction of the M.Teach, including factors which could hinder achievement of its goals. Conditions for revision and innovation in Australia will be compared with those applying in the United States and …

The Enhancement Of Science Process Skills In Primary Teacher Education Students, William Foulds, John Rowe

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The science process skills of primary teacher education students in Western Australia are often poorly developed. Their lack of skills is part of a more general and widespread problem. Hackling and Garnett (1991) state that " students at all levels show poorly developed skills of problem analysis, planning, and carrying out of controlled experiments. " In a study of first year tertiary students Moneira (1980) claims that many students cannot identify the basic phenomena and even the basic question involved in experiments. He suggests that they see experiments merely as using equipment rather than as a process of generating information.

Hatton, E. (Editor), (1994), Understanding Teaching: Curriculum And The Social Context Of Schooling, Sydney, Harcourt Brace, 415 Pp., Bruce Haynes

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

No abstract provided.

Seddon, T. (1994), Context And Beyond: Reframing The Theory And Practice Of Education, Falmer, London, 230 Pp., $115., Bruce Haynes

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

No abstract provided.

The Practicum As Workplace Learning: A Multi-Mode Approach In Teacher Education, Susan Groundwater-Smith, Christine E. Deer, Helen Sharp, Paul March

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper has as its focus the portrayal of, and justification for, a multi modal practicum curriculum which is directed to address the needs of qualified teachers. The subject “The Reflective Practitioner in the School” is one which takes the concept of workplace learning most seriously. For too many years teacher education has treated the practicum curriculum as a pre service “practice teaching” subject sequence and has not concerned itself with ways in which in service professional development can be constructed as continuous with the pre service practicum program.

A Model For The Development Of Teachers In A Remote Area Of Western Australia, Jim Heslop

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The purpose of this article is to describe the shortcomings of the preparation of teachers who are appointed to remote schools within the Ngaanyatjarra Lands district of Western Australia. The article also suggests a model for the development for teachers who are appointed to the region that will address the shortcomings.

Interrupting The Institutional, Narrative On Teacher Training: The Potential Of School-Based Teacher Education, Carol Hogan, Barry Down

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Currently, teacher education is at the crossroads. Stimulated by a plethora of government reports and inquiries there are cries for reform, restructuring and change. As teacher educators we have grappled with the complexities, contradictions and tensions emanating from these reform efforts on two fronts. At the institutional level, we have suffered the alienating consequences of restructuring through budget cuts, staff sackings, 'efficiencies', and the casualisation of academic work. At the collegial level, we have struggled to make sense of the "teacher training business" and what it means to be a teacher and teacher educator in this increasingly hostile environment (Bullough …

Effective Teaching, Peter Westwood

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In this paper I intend to support the hypothetical statement attributed to Socrates in Murray's (1994) article, namely that 'Excellent teaching is that which produces learning and understanding.' If I am wrong in what I say it is your business to take up the argument and refute me.

Biggs, F. & Potter, G.K. (1995), (2nd Edition). Teaching Children In The First Three Years Of School. Melbourne Australia: Longman., Loraine Corrie

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

No abstract provided.

Peterson, L. (1995). Stop And Think Learning: A Teacher’S Guide For Motivating Children To Learn: Including Those With Special Needs. Camberwell, Victoria: The Australian Council For Educational Research., A. M. Blackmore

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

No abstract provided.

Potential And Opportunity: Critical Issues For Australian Catholic Education Into The 21st Century Edited By Helen Raduntz, Auslib Press, Blackwood South Australia. 1995 Xxix + 264 Pages. ($29), Cynthia Dixion

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

No abstract provided.

Citizenship Education: Australian And Singaporean Perspectives, Richard Berlach

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The issue of what it means to be a citizen of a country is currently on the educational agenda in both Australia and Singapore. It seems that over the years, both nations have realised that the schooling system is a powerful and effective vehicle through which a country’s united vision can be disseminated, and through which individuals can be encouraged to make a valuable contribution to the national good. For a variety of reasons, however, the nature of a united vision appears to be problematic for both Australia as well as Singapore. With both countries being considered, this paper presents …

Shared Reading Strategies In Secondary Art Classes: An Opportunity For Reflective Practice, Linda Ashton

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Louis Smith’s chapter on biographical method in Denzin and Lincoln’s 1994 text refers to the “reflective practitioner”, a term first used by Schön (1987). It reminds teacher educators that “Clearly it is one thing to be able to reflect-in-action and quite another to be able to reflect upon our reflection in action so as to produce a good verbal description of it; and it is still another thing to be able to reflect on the resulting description” (Schön, 1987 in Denzin and Lincoln, 1994: 293). Eraut (1995) expands on these ideas suggesting that Schön “neither analyses everyday practice nor attempts …

Collaborative Theory-Building In Pre-Service Teacher Education, Gloria Latham

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper will describe a fourth year tutor program for pre-service teachers which subscribes to principles of collaborative theory building. Tutors, in a team teaching situation, learn to document prior beliefs and understandings, autobiographical accounts of prior learning and critical classroom incidents in order to analyse and articulate personal and public theories about teaching and learning. The value placed on cognitive and reflective practices is discussed with a view towards empowering the learner and adjusting pre-existing beliefs about teaching.

Communication Between Theory And Practice: How Student Teachers Develop Theories Of Teaching, Adrienne Waghorn, Ken Stevens

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The teaching profession continues to have difficulty in codifying a body of knowledge on which to base pre-service teacher education programs. One problem is the gap between the student teachers’ theoretical beliefs and their practical experiences in classrooms. Student teachers often fail to implement their ideas and instead comply with the status quo in the classroom. Previous research has identified the student as dealing with this dilemma by developing a mind set which places theory in one compartment and practice in another. This paper describes a study of ten student teachers at the end of their training. Their descriptions of …

Harris, Kevin (1994), Teachers : Constructing The Future, The Falmer Press, London, 150 Pp., Isbn 0 7507 0301 6 (Pbk) $34.95., Bruce Haynes

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

No abstract provided.

Student Teacher Self-Esteem In The Practicum, Rosemary Dobbins

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article is based on a study in which I have been involved for the last four years, investigating the learning of final-year primary student teachers and their school-based teacher educators during the practicum. My investigation has confirmed findings from other research indicating that student teachers’ learning in the practicum is a complex process (Feiman-Nemser, 1985; Britzman, 1986; Goodman, 1986; Zeichner, 1986; Calderhead, 1991; Groundwater-Smith, 1993). Student teacher self-esteem was found to play a central role in the complexity of the learning process. Two particular findings in relation to student teacher self-esteem are discussed in this article. Firstly, student teacher …

Creating Effective Learning Environments In Print: A Guide For Lecturers And Designers Of Independent Study Materials, Jan Herrington

Research outputs pre 2011

This book is about providing the assistance that you need to create effective printed learning materials. It focuses on the needs of the writer of a distance unit, but the principles apply equally to any self-directed study materials. The book has been developed to assist you with the preparation of your study materials, and to describe some of the many support services available to you.

It also provides guidelines on non-discriminatory writing and a useful editorial style, sometimes described as a 'house style'. Above all, Creating Effective Learning Environments in Print will help to ensure that documents you produce are …

Inspirational Women At Edith Cowan University: Women In Leadership Project, Linley Lord (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

This booklet profiles 10 exceptional University women who have excelled in their chosen careers. In their stories, these women outline their career history - their reasons for their choice of career and how they got to where they are today. They discuss the difficulties that they encountered along the way (such as sexism, racism, negative attitudes, lack of confidence) and how they dealt with these. They talk about the influence of role models on their careers and their own personal qualities which have contributed to their success. Some words of advice to career-minded women complete their stories.

These stories are …

The Impact Of The Expectations Of Significant Others In The School Setting On Female Leadership In Physical Education In Western Australian Government Secondary Schools, Regina D. Gaujers

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigated the impact of the expectations of significant others in the school setting on the promotional aspirations of female physical education teachers in government secondary schools in Western Australia. It explored the ways in which meanings and expectations in the school environment are constructed in relation to wider societal values and ideologies, and how they are negotiated in social settings that are characterised by both constraints and opportunities for action. Despite the equitable proportion of females and males teaching the subject, and the absence of Education Department policy constraints on female promotion since 1972, females remain significantly underrepresented …

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 …