Education Commons^™

Children's Gender Relations In The Preschoool Setting : Parents' And Children's [Sic] Perspectives As Indicators For Change, B. D. Murfin

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigates how 4/5 year old children, from one preschool centre, and their parents perceive gender relations in our gendered society. By observing children's interactions in a preschool setting, and discussing these interactions with the children involved, the discourses and discursive practices operating in the gender regime of this setting are uncovered. The characteristics of children's gender relations in this setting are that asymmetrical relationships are prevalent; masculine and feminine storylines are common along with shared storylines; masculinise hegemonic discourses are dominant although many girls and boys cross the gender divide; some children see the other sex/gender as ‘foreign’ …

Researching Education : Making Meanings To Make Better Schools, Bernard T. Harrison

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Honouring Young Children: Research, Curriculum And Practice In Early Childhood Education, Loraine Corrie (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

Early childhood educators tend to be people who like to agree with their colleagues. Often we avoid conflict situations and keep the peace by being silent, rather than raising our voices in dissent. But rapid changes to the field, coupled with the explosion of knowledge in the 90s, have opened up new dilemmas and new challenges for teachers. If we are to meet these challenges in a way that honours young children, then we need to talk about our differences and diverse views in a spirit of trust and professional collegiality.

The Second Edith Cowan Memorial Conference on Early Childhood …

Proceedings Of The 21st Annual Conference Of The Western Australian Science Education Association, Mark W. Hackling (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

The Western Australian Science Education Association (WASEA) is an informal group of science educators that meets annually for a conference at one of the Perth universities. The conference is organised by a committee of representatives from the universities and has contributed greatly to collegiality amongst the community of science educators in Perth.

The first meeting of WASEA was held at the Churchlands College of Advanced Education in 1975 and has been held each year except in 1979 and 1991 when the W ASEA meeting was incorporated into the meeting of the Australian (now Australasian) Science Education Research Association.

These Proceedings …

Accounting For And Quantifying Dependencies In Dichotomous Test Data, Barry Sheridan

Research outputs pre 2011

This paper reports on a strategy employing the Extended Logistic Model of Rasch to quantify dependencies in dichotomous test data by providing standard errors of measurement which are commensurate with the loss in information arising from dependencies among subsets of items. Data collected for the Australian Scholastic Aptitude Test were analysed and shown to exhibit strong dependencies among the items involved. A technique is presented for estimating the number of equivalent independent items (found to be 74 in this study) to the original test number (100).

Where Are The Women? A Report Into Issues Related To Women's Access To Workplace Literacy Programs, Marion Milton

Research outputs pre 2011

This study sought to investigate the provision of workplace literacy courses available for women in female dominated industries, and women's access to and participation in those courses. Further, it was intended to interview women who had dropped out or not accessed available courses.

Prior to discussing the study, it seems appropriate to locate it within the current economic, social and political climate of the Australian workplace, with a particular focus on the increasing demand for literacy skills.

Boys' Participation In Junior Secondary School Physical Education And Sport, Lynn Embrey, M. Drummond

Research outputs pre 2011

According to social lore, boys are meant to be good at Physical Education and sport. There is, however, increasing evidence to the contrary and it is now essential to consider why boys drop out of Physical Education and sport. There has been a good deal of research and subsequent literature detailing the plight of girls' involvement in Physical Education and sport. However, a dearth of literature and research exists where boys Physical Education and sport are concerned. Out of research comes practical implementation strategies that can be adopted by teachers to create a more favourable learning environment. Extensive research on …

The Variables Related To Attrition And Persistence Of Distance Education Students Enrolled In The Fourth Year Of The Bachelor Of Education Course, Eileen Thompson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The extent to which a range of demographic, academic and administrative variables are related to attrition and persistence of external students enrolled in the Fourth Year of the Bachelor of Education course during second semester, 1995 are investigated in this study. The applicability of the sub-scales and scales developed by Kember, Lai, Murphy, Siaw and Yuen (1995) for distance education students is also reported on for the study group. Data were obtained from the student records system and two self-administered mail out questionnaires. The study population was predominantly female, in their early thirties, living in Western Australia, had completed their …

Non English Speaking Background Migrant Muslim Women And Migrant English Language Provision, A. Rida

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study is to define and delineate the factors which influence the decision by non-English speaking background migrant Muslim women to access or not access their eligibility for English language tuition, as set out by current policies governing the eligibility of migrants to participate in Adult Migrant Education programs. As such, the study is of particular interest to both key informants: teachers, community workers, coordinators, and to the target population themselves-Migrant Muslim women. It is also of benefit to those who are concerned with implementing language programs as it will provide them with an understanding of the …

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 …

Developmental Aspects : Metacognition And Problem Solving, Roseanne Gibson

Theses : Honours

Mathematical problem solving has been the focus of recent curriculum reform. Researchers have investigated factors that appear to influence mathematical problem solving: one of these factors is metacognition. This study identified metacognitive aspects and investigated the relationship of metacognition and age in the context of mathematical problem solving. Twenty four children were randomly chosen: eight children from years two. four and six. The children were given the same non-routine problem to solve. A semi-structured interview and observation protocol were developed and used to determine students' metacognitive aspects. There was an extensive descriptive analysis of metacognitive aspects and a systematic quantification …

Teacher's Perceptions Of The Introduction Of A Middle School Within A Western Australian Independent Girls' School, S. M. Lienert

Theses : Honours

In 1995 an independent girls' school in Perth, Western Australia, decided to introduce a Middle School. 'This meant changing the traditional structure of grouping children aged between 5 and 12 years into primary school and children aged between 13 and 17 years into secondary school. The aim of the Middle School was to provide increased educational opportunities for 12 to 14 year old students. When the introduction of a Middle School was announced teaching staff expressed a number of concerns with respect to their new roles and the new school operations. These concerns raised questions about whether years of teaching …

Esl Development In A Mainstream Classroom : A Case Study, Silvia Davidson

Theses : Honours

Learning English as a second language is a challenge faced by many children. This research has focused on the language learning and acquisition of a middle primary school student, new to Australia, from France. The English language development of this French student in a mainstream classroom of a primary school within Western Australia has been examined. The student, Rene, is a nine year old male child who is a fluent speaker of the French language. His English language development was studied over a ten week period where he was taught in a mainstream classroom with the assistance of a bilingual …

Assessing Content-Related Validity And Internal-Consistency Reliability Of Tests Constructed By Seychellois Teachers, Justin Davis Valentin

Theses : Honours

Teachers are seldom trained to construct tests (Boothroyd, McMorris, & Pruzck, 1992; Wise, Lukin, & Roos, 1991). Yet, the use of teacher-made tests for assessing students is a common occurrence in schools. This study challenges the quality of tests constructed by teachers without measurement and testing training. A sample of tests (n = 15) constructed by Primary 5A mathematics teachers in the Seychelles was analysed. The teachers who submitted the tests have not completed a course in measurement and testing. However, results of these tests will be used to make important decisions about their students. The purpose of the study …

Children's Perceptions Of Tasks, Structure, Routines And Roles In Two Multi-Age (P-1) Classrooms, Anne Yeoward

Theses : Honours

In Western Australia, multi-age grouping is being explored as a means of providing a rich learning environment which helps children to learn, caters for individual differences and recognises the child's social and cognitive development (Rice & Basich. 1994 ). To date no study on the child's perceptions, expectations and experience of school within this organisational framework has been conducted. The purpose of this study is to find out about young children's perceptions of tasks, structure, routines and roles in a multi-age class. What are children's perceptions of the class grouping and task content in a multi-age class? What are children's …

The Effect Of Assessment Procedures On Student Learning Outcomes In Religious Education In One Catholic Secondary School In Western Australia, Philip F. Cox

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigates the effect of utilising formal assessment procedures on student learning in the religious education classroom. There is a debate in the religious education literature concerning the place of assessment in religious education. This debate is reflected in the divisions that occur amongst teachers of religious education in Catholic schools. The debate has been polarised with an uncertain group being left between the two extremes. Teachers of religious education in Catholic schools are uncertain as to the best teaching methodology to utilise. This thesis outlines the philosophical arguments concerning the place of assessment in religious education in Catholic …

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. …

The Effect Of Adjunct Illustrations On Year 8 Students' Comprehension Of Scientific Text, Jackie Knapp

Theses : Honours

Illustrations are present in the majority of Secondary Science textbooks. The type of illustration used and its purpose varies from text to text. The four most common forms of illustration are the photograph, hand drawing, line drawing and scientific abstract diagram. Some illustrations such as glossy photographs serve no other purpose than to attract the student to the text and motivate them to read. Others such as the scientific diagram present a lot of information in a condensed form and their purpose is to clarify concepts. Some at these more complex illustrations are often difficult to interpret especially for younger …

Student's Attitude To Using The Internet At School After Limited Classroom Exposure, Anna Hu

Theses : Honours

This study focused on student's attitude to using the Internet at school. A questionnaire (the School Internet Attitude questionnaire) measuring student attitude to using the Internet at school incorporating three dimensions (cognitive, behavioural and affective) was administered twice to a sample of 64 Year 12 students from a Perth Metropolitan Independent school. The questionnaire was administered before and after a six lesson 'exposure' (the limited classroom exposure) to the Internet. Pre and post test attitude measures of all students were compared using dependent sample t_ test to determine if there were significant differences in student's attitude after the limited classroom …

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 …

Word Processors In Secondary English : A Survey And Discussion Of Usage In West Australian High Schools, Stuart D. Hakeney

Theses : Honours

The word processor would seem to have many positive applications to student writing in the English classroom. Writers working in the field (Chandler, 1987; Jenkins, 1989; Snyder, 1994) all agree that whether the technology is used as an editing aid to help poor hand writers and weak spellers get through the "grind" of writing, or as a dynamic tool which can be used as a new and exciting way of making meaning, its usefulness in subject English should not be overlooked. However, initial inquiries undertaken as part of this study, suggested that word processing technology had been largely ignored in …

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 …

The Beliefs And Attitudes Of Primary School Teachers In The Bunbury Region Toward The Subject Of Science, Michelle A. Mckeon

Theses : Honours

The study investigated the beliefs and attitudes of primary school teachers in the Bunbury region toward the subject of science. Teachers' beliefs and attitudes were investigated in terms of the dependant variables of teachers' attitude toward science, preference for teaching science and confidence to teach science and how they related to the independent variables of qualifications, Year 11 and 12 science subjects, years of teaching experience, time of last science inservice and gender. Teachers' perceptions of the barriers toward more and better teaching of science in primary schools were also investigated. The sample included 89 teachers from nine schools, six …

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 …

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 …

Restructuring Teacher Education, Shirley Grundy, Gordon Stanley

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

As part of the process of developing a four year Bachelor of Education in September 1994, Edith Cowan University conducted a public seminar entitled ''Restructuring Teacher Education". The invited speakers were Dr Shirley Grundy (Murdoch University), Professor Bob Meyenn (Charles Sturt University), Sandra Milligan (Ashenden Milligan Pty Ltd), Professor Paige Porter (University of Western Australia), Greg Robson (Education Department of Western Australia and Professor Gordon Stanley (Education Policy and Coordination Bureau). Two of the presentations are published here to inform others engaged in the tasks of restructuring teacher education.

Problem-Based Learning And Competency Development., C. S. Chappell, P. Hager

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Problem-based learning is an approach to professional education which has been used by a number of educational institutions involved in professional education both here and overseas. The most famous example in Australia is probably the medical course at the University of Newcastle. This paper argues that this initiative in professional education has within it characteristics which are sympathetic to many of the current moves in Australia to describe, and in some cases redefine, professional work. This process is part of a wider move in Australia to upgrade and improve the skills and abilities of the Australian workforce in the context …

Integrating Research Skills Development In Teacher Education, Terence Lovat, Margaret Davies, Ronald Plotnikoff

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

For most of this century, and increasingly in modern times, teacher educators have been impelled to consider ways in which a greater level of reflectivity, especially through enhancing research skills development, might be integrated into the teacher education program. The paper reviews the recent history of such attempts, pointing to the relative paucity of experimentation designed to implement such components in teacher education. It then describes a longitudinal study designed to effect, and evaluate the effects of, one program of research skills integration in preservice teacher education.