Education Commons^™

Influences On Outdoor Education Teachers' Content Selection, S. D. Thorpe

Theses : Honours

This study sought to identify what teachers perceive to be the major factors influencing their selection of content in outdoor education formal curricula in two Western Australian government senior high schools. The study uses comparative and descriptive measures, including a documentary analysis comparing Ministry of Education and school formal curricula. This analysis initially identified discrepancies with content selection, prompting the investigation, through interviewing, of teachers' perceptions of their causes. From the perceptions investigated, five categories of factors were identified: Time, cost; expertise; needs; and resources. These categories were integrated to form a substantive theory for influences on content selection by …

A Study Of Children's Drawing Types And Factors Influencing Choice Of Subject Matter, Stella Clark

Theses : Honours

The main purpose of this study was to determine what children draw when given a free choice of subject in the context of the classroom. The social Influences believed to affect children's drawings were also investigated. Another research interest related to Whether or not gender was a significant factor in the production of different drawing types. The significance of this study is connected with the desirability for teachers to have an understanding of children's perceptions of the world and the factors which influence them, as it is accepted that awareness of children's interests and influences may lead to more relevant …

Attitudes Towards Mathematics Of Vietnamese And Non-Vietnamese Senior Secondary Female Students, Robert G. Palmer

Theses : Honours

Throughout Australia and indeed in many parts of the world, there is a growing realisation that girls tend not to achieve their full potential at school, especially with regard to higher level mathematics units. Many girls limit their post-school options by choosing not to continue with mathematics when it ceases to be compulsory in Years 11 and 12. They also choose less difficult mathematics units and participate at a level below their potential. Much of the research has focused on gender differences in attitudes towards mathematics, and on participation and achievement in mathematics, but not on ethnic differences. The purpose …

Challenging Student Alternative Frameworks Of Electrical Circuits, Lauril Jones

Theses : Honours

Student alternative frameworks were found by the researcher to be a problem when teaching the topic of electricity to Year 9 science students. It was recognised that the alternative frameworks had to be identified and a constructivist teaching strategy that would facilitate conceptual change within these students needed to be adopted. A pre-test-post-test, control group-treatment group study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a constructivist approach to instruction. The treatment group in the study received instruction based on the 'four phase model for teaching for conceptual change', a constructivist approach to teaching suggested by Cosgrove and Osborne (1985) as …

The Development And Use In A Study Of An Instrument To Measure Teacher's Perceptions Of Their Effectiveness In Teaching Catholic Moral Principles To Middle And Upper Secondary Students, Peter Cassidy

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to design an instrument and to use it in a study to measure teachers' perceptions of their effectiveness in teaching Catholic moral principles to middle and upper secondary students. As well, a final version of the instrument based on the results of the study and respondent feedback was to be developed. The study was justified on the following grounds: - less than half of Western Australia's Catholic secondary teachers of Religious Education are qualified to teach Religious Education. - Research findings (Fahy, 1980; Flynn, 1985; Angus, 1988) cast doubt on the effectiveness of moral …

The Identification Of Conceptual And Strategic Difficulties Encountered By Students When Using An Electronic Spreadsheet, Craig Clapham

Theses : Honours

The call for the use of computer technology in mathematics education has been heeded by the Ministry of Education in Western Australia. The syllabus documents for the Upper Secondary mathematics courses recommend the use of computer software packages for the teaching of the concepts involved in these courses. In particular, the electronic spreadsheet is suggested as a versatile and useful tool for simulations and problem-solving by students, although very little formal study has been undertaken to support or refute such beliefs. This study involved teaching a group of four Year 12 students to operate a spreadsheet, and then examined the …

High School Girls Motivation Toward Mathematics: Effects Of Perceived Instrumentality And Attitude Toward The Future, Bruce D. Watt

Theses : Honours

Research in the area of future time perspective has suggested that academic motivation is associated with the perceived instrumentality of academic pursuits, and affective attitude toward personal future (Van Calster, Lens & Nuttin, 1987). Motivation tends to be higher when perceived instrumentality is high, but only when one has a positive attitude toward personal future. The present study tested these findings in regard to motivation toward mathematics in a sample of 119 13- year-old high school girls. Main effects for affective attitude and perceived instrumentality on motivation were found. Students who had a positive affective attitude were more motivated than …

The Continuity Of Literacy Development: Kindergarten To Year 1, Lennie Barblett

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to investigate the continuity of strategies and provisions that teachers use to develop children's literacy in kindergarten and Year 1. In two metropolitan Ministry of Education districts, 27 kindergarten and 25 Year 1 teachers completed a questionnaire concerning issues relating to literacy development in these two educational settings. From this population four teachers were interviewed to investigate areas of interest that arose from the questionnaire. The results showed that kindergarten and Year 1 teachers differed in the selection of strategies and provisions to promote literacy in young children. There was a clear delineation between …

Teaching For Conceptual Change And Conceptual Discrimination With Year 8 Science Students: An Exploratory Study Of The Topic 'Respiration', S. Morgillo

Theses : Honours

Research has shown that despite formal education, secondary and tertiary students hold a host of misconceptions about respiration. This exploratory study investigated whether a four phase conceptual change teaching strategy could overcome conceptual problems typically associated with respiration, in a Year 8 science class from a school in Perth, Western Australia. The strategy consisted of a Conceptual Awareness Phase, an Exposition Phase, a Misconception Awareness Phase and an Application Phase. Two-tier multiple choice test items used in previous studies to identify misconceptions about respiration were also used in this study, together with interviews. The encouraging results suggest that the implemented …

Reflective Practice In Teacher Education, John Smyth

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In this paper I want to raise four issues: Why the interest in reflective approaches, now? What is to be gained from this approach? What are some of the advantages? What are the drawbacks? The basic argument of the paper is that the notion of "reflective practice" has generally had a positive history and connotation in schools, and that it is worth persisting with, but unless we develop some touchstone principles to guide us as to what it means to act reflectively, there is a distinct danger that a constructive and useful approach will be "at risk" as good ideas …

"I Wasn't Aware, Until I Was Aware" : Teaching Gender Equity To Second Year Education Students, Lesley Newhouse-Maiden, Susan Cullen

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The study sought to ascertain the success of a preservice unit in which one module focussed on developing 'gender fair' attitudes in education students. The subjects of the study were students in their second year of a Bachelor of Education degree studying the 'Social Justice and Equity in Schools' unit. Collaborative action research methods were used to collect data over a three month period. It was found that 85% of students attempted to use gender fair approaches and material when observed on teaching practice. While the outcome of pre-service teacher education was positive, it was acknowledged that there was always …

Regulating School Discipline Problems: An Evaluation Of The Carnarvon Primary School Discipline Policy: Final Research Report, Paul Omaji

Research outputs pre 2011

Schools in Australia and their surrounding communities have become gravely concerned about student behaviour problems. It is now commonly perceived that the violent component of this behaviour is on the increase. In one study, Omaji (1992a) showed that it is unwise for governments not to pay constructive attention to such perception and, also, that research and schools themselves have a critical role to play in dealing with student violence. In another study Omaji (1993) showed that options that schools have for managing or preventing the discipline problems or violence range from discipline policy, through pastoral counselling to the development of …

A Report Of An Evaluation Of The Women In Leadership Program Edith Cowan University, Sandra Milligan, Lyn Genoni

Research outputs pre 2011

In the early 1950s Australia had only a handful of universities in Australia serving a student body of less than 50 000. Of every 100 who went to school fewer than five went on to university. Now Australia's 40 or more universities make up a mass system which takes in more than a fifth of the age group. There are more than half a million university students.

This remarkable growth has been accompanied by considerable turbulence within the universities. Along with massive expansion, universities have experienced staff shortages, criticisms of teaching quality and research priorities, demands for greater public accountability, …

Expert And Novice Teachers Compared : A Comparison Of Their Roles And Functions With Implications For Teacher Education, Peter Cole

Research outputs pre 2011

What is the nature of expertise and what characterizes expert performance? What features of cognition and problem solving are typically associated with a highly proficient performance? At one level the answers to these questions are obvious. By definition, expert performers are highly knowledgeable of their subject disciplines and capable of very competent performances in their particular fields of endeavour. The expert in the present context refers to those with knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge. This definition excludes the ivory tower stereotype: that is, the person with theoretical knowledge without practical or applied knowledge. But the definitional parameters …

An Evaluation Of A Professional Development Model For Primary School Administrators, Wayne S. Mcgowan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Better Schools advocated a decentralisation in the administrative structure and a devolution of responsibilities within Western Australian education system. One outcome was the establishment of twenty nine school districts in 1987. Since then, these districts have faced the problem of providing for the professional development needs of their primary school principals. In response to this situation different districts have developed different models for the training and development of principals. This research evaluates, as a case study, a particular model developed in one of the districts. To help preserve the anonymity of the district chosen, it is referred to throughout the …

Exclusion: Procedures And Provisions In Western Australia With Special Reference To The Role Of [The] Distance Education Centre In The Accommodation Of Excluded Students, Iyleen Vickers

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The problem at the centre of this research study was whether the educational provisions at the Western Australian Distance Education Centre met the special needs of those students who are classified as "at risk" and those who are excluded from Government schools on disciplinary grounds. Contextual data which related to these students, such as off-campus programs were examined also. The bounded case study was chosen as the research mode to investigate the problem. Distance Education Centre constituted the bounded case, and the Referral Program formed the unit of analysis. Data collection techniques included audio taped structured interviews with relevant personnel, …

A Descriptive Process Analysis And Comparison Of Game Modifications In Junior Netball And Basketball, Andrew Watt

Theses : Honours

The amount of time participants spend successfully engaged with skill content has been found to have a high correlation with skill learning and achievement. For children to learn motor skills it is clear that they must be provided with sufficient opportunities to exhibit skill responses, during practice and game sessions. For this to occur, activities must be designed to cater for the developmental requirements of the children, whilst maintaining high levels of active involvement for all participants. In response to these needs, basketball and netball associations have employed modifications to game structures. This study provides a descriptive analysis of junior …

School Systems In Transition: The Future Of Government School Education In Australia, Max Angus

Research outputs pre 2011

Since the mid-eighties state governments have initiated the restructuring of the public school systems in order to improve their effectiveness and efficiency. However, after controversial beginnings, the commitment to the principles underpinning the reforms has weakened. The reality lags far behind the loosely-applied rhetoric of devolution, accountability and productivity. While in this disabling transitional state, schools are now subjected to a new wave of change propelled by the economic restructuring agenda of the Commonwealth Government. Extraordinary expectations are being set for schools as a consequence of policies designed to connect the outcomes of education more closely to the requirements of …

Pastoral Care : The First Ten Years Of Chaplaincy In Western Australian Government Secondary Schools, Richard G. Berlach, Brian E.R. Thornber

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Makitab System Of Small Group Learning Interaction Analysis : A Manual For Researchers And Coders, Leonard King, Kevin Barry, Carmel Maloney, Collette Tayler

Research outputs pre 2011

The MAKITAB system of small-group learning interaction analysis has been developed over a 4 year period. When data were gathered late in 1989 on the verbal interaction of Grade 5 students participating in small-group cooperative learning, we were faced with the problem of having to develop an appropriate analysis system. An initial system was created using inductive approaches. Following further data gathering across other grade levels and subject areas, the system has undergone successive refinements. The final instrument, as presented in this manual, has reached a state of consistency that enables coding of most verbal eventualities as they occur in …

Towards The Measurement Of The Perception Of The Responsibilities Of The Primary School Deputy Principal, Michael James Harvey, Barry Sheridan

Research outputs pre 2011

The deputy principalship remains one of the least understood roles in the schools of contemporary education systems. Research which contributes to theory building about the deputy principalship has been hampered by the lack of survey instruments with known psychometric properties. This paper reports an exploratory study which uses latent trait theory to construct a variable which describes and conceptualises practitioner perspectives of the deputy principalship in the self managing school. The logic of constructing the variable is explained in terms of the requirements of the measurement model employed. A sample of 403 deputy principals, 179 principals and 138 teachers in …

Evaluation Of The Provision For A University Health Service As Part Of The Quality Assurance Process, Rob Chandler, Barry Sheridan

Research outputs pre 2011

Universities within Australia are facing increasing demands to demonstrate quality in both product and process by ensuing that their aims are met efficiently and effectively. As part of the quality assurance process for Edith Cowan University, a multi-campus institution, an evaluation was undertaken to monitor the effectiveness of the University health service and its significance within the University community. Responses from both staff and students to a survey conducted during August 1993 on behalf of the Department of Medical and Health Services indicate a high level of support for this service. This Report provides an overview of the evaluation study …

Developing A Measure Of Student Literacy Competencies At A Tertiary Level Using Rasch Measurement, Barry Sheridan, Les Puhl

Research outputs pre 2011

This paper reports an Australian investigation into concerns about student writing at University level and the construction of an objective measure of literacy. The English Skills Assessment (ESA) test, involving multiple choice items, and an essay, marked according to specified criteria, was administered to newly enrolled students (N = 495) in a University's Education programme. Analyses reveal inconsistencies between subtests of the ESA test, but the written test shows more promise. While some association is observed between the two measures, comparable subtests (such as spelling, punctuation, sentence structure) do not appear to be measuring the same thing.

Let's Decode: Inservice Manual, P. J. Formentin

Research outputs pre 2011

This manual contains inservice material that was prepared for a research project that came to be known as Let's Decode. My motive for publishing the material in this form is to make it available to other teachers who may wish to apply the same principles and procedures in their own classrooms. Typically, they will be teachers who are concerned about children experiencing difficulty learning to read, and teachers responsible for students with special education needs. I am confident that regular classroom teachers will also find the material valuable for all children in the early stages of learning to read. My …

A Study Of The Benefits Of Reflection By Journal Writing In Mathematical Learning And Attitudes In The Primary School, Sally Edmonds

Theses : Honours

This descriptive study examines journal writing for the purpose of identifying aspects of children's mathematical reflective ability. It was hypothesised that encouragement to engage with the process of mathematics by reflective writing would reveal and assist learning, and give children a vehicle through which they could express their attitudes about the mathematics they were learning. The aim of this study was to find answers to the following question: How does the keeping of a mathematical journal reveal children's understandings of the mathematics they are learning? Other questions related to the study were: -What evidence is there from the journals about …

The Effect Of Assigning Specific Roles In Science Groups On The Gender Behaviour Of Primary School Children, Janet F. Bant

Theses : Honours

This thesis reports on an investigation into the effects on gender behaviour of assigning specific roles (Manager, Tracker, Recorder, Communicator) to primary aged members of a cooperative learning group in science. The study was: carried out in a Year 4 and a Year 5 classroom in a Perth primary school. Both classes used a six lesson programme on a physical science topic prepared by the researcher and taught by the classroom teacher. The target subjects were randomly chosen from students meeting certain criteria defined by the researcher. All other subjects were allocated to either single- or mixed-gender groups of four. …

Promoting Reflection During Practice Teaching In An Australian University : Clarifying The Rhetoric And The Reality, Ross Brooker, Thomas A. O'Donoghue

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper focuses on the promotion of reflectivity during practice teaching amongst student teachers at a university in Australia. By way of background, current criticisms of what is termed the "technocratic" approach to teacher education are outlined and the emphasis which is placed on the development of the "reflective teacher" as a counterforce to this approach is considered. It is then argued that the "technocratic" position and the "reflective teacher" position need not necessarily be viewed as being in conflict. Rather, the contention is that they are both satisfactorily accommodated within Van Manen's (1977) "theory of reflectivity". For the study …

Clio And The Curriculum: History And The True Professional, Thomas A. O'Donoghue

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

For many years the history of education had a prominent place as a subject in courses for the education and training of teachers. At least three major aspects are discernible in the history programmes in question: the ideas of the ideologues of the subject, the history of institutions nourishing them, and a narrative study of education systems with the focus on Acts and "Great Men". One of the foci in each case was the curriculum. By the late 1960s the subject was so firmly entrenched in courses that Simon (1969: 91) could argue as follows: "There is no need to …

Book Reviews, John R. Godfrey, Barry Down, Edmund Z. Mazibuko, Russell Waugh, John Woods

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Musgrave, P.W. (1992). From Humanity to Utility: Melbourne University and Public Examinations 1856-1964. Hawthorn: ACER. 340 pages.

Batten, M, Marland, P. & Khamis, M. (1993). Knowing How to Teach Well: Teachers Reflect on Their Classroom Practice. Hawthorn: ACER Research Monograph, 84 pages.

Griffin, P. (1991). Monitoring School Achievements. Geelong, Victoria: Deakin University Press. 76 pages.

Izard, J. (1991). Assessment of Learning in the Classroom. Geelong, Victoria: Deakin University Press. 62 pages.

Ormell, C. (1991). Behavioural Objectives in the Classroom. Geelong, Victoria: Deakin University Press. 73 pages.

Owens, A. (1991). Assessment in Specific Circumstances. Geelong, Victoria: Deakin University Press. 46 pages. …

Contents Page, And, Introduction By Rod Chadbourne, Guest Editor, Rod Chadbourne

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In 1992, the Commonwealth Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET) released a policy document titled: "Teacher Education: A discussion paper." Among other thought provoking points, it presented Australian teacher educators as relatively old and lacking current teaching experience in schools. According to the discussion paper, 81 % of teacher educators are over 38 years old, 37% are over 48, only 20% taught in schools during the 1980's, and more than 50% were school teachers before 1973 (pp 11- 12). Further, consistent with their "obsolescent teaching experience" (p.12), teacher educators "simply pass on the theory of teaching" (p.17) and many …