Education Commons^™

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 …

Factors Contributing To The Underrepresentation Of Girls In Year 11 Outdoor Education At A Selected Government School, Ruth H. Rynehart

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors contributing to the underrepresentation of girls in the Year 11 Outdoor Education course in a selected government school. Enrolment statistics provided by the Secondary Education Authority indicate a possible gender orientation of the course which is problematic under the Social justice in education: Policy and guidelines for gender equity (Ministry of Education, 1991 ).

In Western Australian schools, enrolments in Outdoor Education have increased steadily since lower school units were introduced in 1987. However, the participation rate has consistently been about two times greater for boys than for girls. Of concern …

The Effect Of Instruction On Short And Long Term Memory Of Songs And Their Musical Elements, Alanna Campbell

Theses : Honours

This research project investigated the extent to which two methods of instruction enhance memory (short and long term) and transfer of the knowledge into various contexts of songs and their musical elements. The two methods of instruction investigated were the rote memorisation and the whole method. Students of one year three class from a metropolitan, co-educational government school were the participants in the research. The students served as both the control and experimental groups. They were taught four songs over a course of eight weeks by the school's music specialist. The eight weeks were divided into two four week sessions. …

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 …

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 …

Adult Migrant Learner Perceptions Of Dyadic Interaction In The Learning Of English As A Second Language In Australia, Philip G. Nichols

Theses : Honours

Student to student dyadic interaction (pairwork) is a recommended activity in the second language learning classroom but if learners do not find it useful or enjoyable, then its effectiveness is reduced and the learners' motivation diminished. In this study a survey questionnaire with both open and closed questions was used to ask 207 intermediate and advanced adult migrant learners of English of diverse ethnicity about their perceptions of pairwork. Twenty-four learners from the sample were interviewed. The results revealed that most students found pairwork useful and enjoyable, but that perceptions differed according to region of origin and to previous language …

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 …

Part-Time Work: The Attitudes, Perceptions And Opinions Of Year 11 Students, Marilyn Ralph

Theses : Honours

A large number of full-time secondary students of all types have part-lime jobs although research shows that these jobs are not sought or shared proportionately amongst the student sub-groups. Previous research suggested that social class or socio-economic status (each defined in different ways by different researchers) had an effect on whether or not students engaged in part-lime work. However none suggested why this might be so. The purpose of this study was lo investigate the factors which influenced the decisions which students from different socio-economic backgrounds made about paid part-time work and to determine whether there were differences amongst these …

Determining The Validity And Reliability Of An Instrument Designed To Measure Metacognitive Behaviours, Anne L. Martin

Theses : Honours

This project was designed to study the role of metacognition in mathematical problem solving. More specifically, it was designed to determine the validity and reliability of an instrument proposed to identify metacognitive behaviours in Year 7 children solving problems. The instrument was used to analyse audio tapes of pairs of students working on a non-routine problem (i.e., a problem that cannot be solved solely by the direct application of the basic operations). Analysis of the audio tapes involved categorizing metacognitive decisions as: orientation, organization, execution, and verification behaviours. A "cognitive-metacognitive" framework (Garofalo & Lester, 1985) was used as a basis …

A Review Of The Primary Extension And Challenge (P.E.A.C.) Programme In A Metropolitan District From A Parent, Teacher And Student Perspective, Wendy Perry

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this research is to review the Primary Extension and Challenge Programme (P.E.A.C.) in a Metropolitan District, from a parent, classroom teacher and student perspective. P.E.A.C. has been operating in Western Australian primary schools for approximately 8 years, yet to date, only one evaluation of the P.E.A.C. programme has been conducted. This was carried out in the Swanbourne District in 1990. It appears vital that the programme is evaluated and that feedback is gained from all those involved - parents, classroom teachers and students. The sample of 106 subjects consisted of students from Years 5, 6 and 7 …

T.E.E. English Scores And Performance On Reading And Writing Tasks By First Year Education Students, Tracy Jacobs

Theses : Honours

This study examined the literacy achievement of first year Bachelor of Arts (Primary Education) students at the Mount Lawley Campus of the Edith Cowan University. It had been suggested that these students possessed inadequate levels of literacy to function as competent teachers. Students are assumed to have adequate literacy ability for the Bachelor of Arts course, and thus the teaching profession, when they receive a pass mark in their T.E.E. English or English Literature examination. This study examined the correlation between the T.E.E. English score and the scores the students received on three other instruments measuring aspects of literacy. The …

Victorian Modern Cursive Handwriting In West Australian Schools, Deborah Ann Taylor

Theses : Honours

The Victorian Modern Cursive script was introduced to Western Australia as the newly recommended handwriting style in 1990. The choice of this handwriting style, which is a foundation style similar to the Simple Modern Hand (Gourdie, 1981), was based upon the prediction that its use would facilitate the transition from beginners' script to full cursive writing. This assumption has not been tested in West Australian schools and hitherto no evaluation of the new handwriting model has been conducted. This study set out to evaluate and compare the legibility and fluency of cursive writing of a group of Year 3 children …

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 …

Openness Of Inquiry Of Laboratory Formats Currently Used In Lower Secondary Science, H. A. D. Bryce

Theses : Honours

Laboratory formats can range from 'recipe' type activities, in which students just verify concepts, to 'open' inquiry activities, in which students design and carry out their own experiments. There is much support in the literature for the use of 'open' inquiry formats. By way of a questionnaire secondary science teachers, sent to a sample of lower this study investigated the proportions of the different that are currently being used in laboratory formats lower secondary science in Perth schools. The study found that most of the formats used required students to follow set procedures to verify or determine a concept. Few …

The Effects Of Teaching A Specific Top-Level Structure On The Organization Of Written Texts, K Brown

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of teaching a specific top-level structure on students' recall and organization of expository text. The hypothesis to be investigated was that students explicitly taught the scientific report text structure schema would show improved recall and organization of written report text protocols. The report text structure utilized in this study was derived from Sloan and Latham's top-level structure of text organization devised from schema theory and semantic memory models.

An Attitudinal Study Of Computer-Based Learning For English Language Competence With Learning Disabled Secondary School Students, Dorothy Sinclair

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The issue of sub-standard English language competence in school leavers is one of prime concern to educators. Some Western Australian secondary school teachers endeavouring to improve English language competence in students with learning disabilities have implemented computer-based learning programmes. The purpose of this project was to establish, through the students' attitudes and the teachers' perceptions, whether or not computer-based learning for English language competence is perceived to be successful for those Western Australian secondary school students who have learning disabilities. The study will benefit Western Australian secondary English teachers who may be searching for alternative strategies for inclusion in future …

Bringing Children To Their Senses: A Study Of The Influence Of Sensory Experience On Year 4 Children's Writing, Zenda Johnson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Based on the theory of experiential learning for reading and writing, the purpose of this study was to observe and describe changes in the writing outcomes of Year Four children after the activation of the senses of smell, touch and taste. Children's attitudes towards writing, and gender differences in their writing were minor foci of the study. Middle primary children were selected because there is an absence of previous research which relates directly to sensory learning and middle primary children's writing. A descriptive case-study methodology was undertaken with a group of twenty nine Year Four children of which six target …

The Effect Of A Pop/Rock Music Repertoire On The Music Achievement And Preferences Of Lower Secondary School Students, Nunzio Mondia

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research tested the effect of using a pop/rock repertoire to teach selected music skills to lower secondary school students in a conventional school setting. Two year 9 co-educational music classes from the same school were used for the experiment. The research was conducted in an experimentally controlled environment in which one class was the experimental group, and the other class was the control group. Measurements in changes of student achievements and musical preferences were the focus at the data collecting stages. Reported research indicates that students need to be motivated for learning to occur. One approach to motivation is …

Teachers' Reading Theories And Preferred Practices With Varied Pupil Abilities, Rowena Errington

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to examine issues related to teachers' theoretical orientations to reading and teachers' preferred strategies for good, poor and very poor readers. A questionnaire was completed by 140 primary teachers in 10 schools. Teachers were asked to rate 6 bottom-up strategies and top-down strategies according to how helpful they were for good, poor and very poor readers. They were also asked to order 6 components of the reading process so that their theoretical orientations to reading could be determined. In addition, teacher provided information about the demographic variables, grade taught, experience, and additional training. Eight …

Syntactic Awareness And Reading Development: A Training Study With Young Children, Barbara E. Milner

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A number of previous research studies have examined the relationship between syntactic awareness and reading, but few training studies have been reported. In the present study, a 1 a-week training study employing an experimental design, was conducted with 34 Year 1 and 38 Year 2 children to determine whether training in syntactic awareness increased levels of syntactic awareness and reading performance. Prior to the commencement of training, all children were pretested in syntactic awareness as measured by an oral correction task, and in reading. On the basis of these tests, matched pairs of subjects were assigned to experimental and control …

The Induction Of Beginning Teachers In Western Australian Catholic Primary Schools, Matthew Faulkner

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The survey study was primarily exploratory and descriptive in nature and attempted to report on the perceptions of beginning teachers entering the Catholic primary schools in Western Australia in 1991. Their perceptions on the form of induction they received, and how their pre-service teacher education equipped them for this transition were attained. In addition, data from Catholic primary school principals, Catholic Education Office of Western Australia administrators and teacher institutions administrators were collected in relation to perceptions of the transitions from teacher training to teacher employment. The main sources of data collection were questionnaires and interviews. The data collated indicated …

The Nature And Extent Of Pastoral Care In Five Western Australian Government Secondary Schools, W. L. Macdonald

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The research is centred upon the nature and extent of pastoral care provision in five Western Australian Government secondary schools. The project took the form of five case-studies, set in schools which each had well established pastoral strategies in place. The schools plans and policies were influenced by contexts of State and Federal education programmes, by the community setting of each school, by community concerns, and by other priorities within the school itself. In the study, information was collected through interviews and written responses from school staff, through documentary evidence of plans and policies for pastoral care, and through the …