Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Australian primary school'
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1
Chancellor, Barbara, and barbara chancellor@rmit edu au. "The Changing Face of Play in Australian Primary School Playgrounds." RMIT University. Education, 2007. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20080414.120725.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis examines the play of children in three Melbourne primary school playgrounds, in diverse socio-economic areas. Play categories were developed and data was collected using qualitative methods. The influence of school policy, teacher supervision styles, playspace design and provision of play equipment was explored and compared for each school. The voices of principals, teachers and children, in conjunction with playground observations and questionnaire response were compiled in order to develop a clear picture of each school playground. Findings showed that children in each school participated in a full range of play categories and were prepared to break school rules in order to do so.
2
Young, Catherine Mary. "Identification of gifted students in Australian Catholic primary schools." Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2019. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/01b2b8b2a32763aaf35541ff6ccfa950caea3adaf7ee759109aea698def025c4/2418664/0-YOUNG_2019_Appendices_Indentification_of_gifted_students.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
The research investigated the problem of identification of giftedness in primary-aged school students. The study was conducted in primary schools in a large Australian metropolitan Catholic education system, referred to in the study as the system that claims best practice and has historically provided strong support for the specific needs of students with learning difficulties. Gifted education is, however, new to the culture of this system of schools and the under-identification of gifted students has been identified as a matter of concern. The scholarly literature provides considerable research regarding teacher attitudes and their impact on gifted education and gifted students, but little research has been undertaken to investigate the impact of teachers’ knowledge, attitudes and experiences on the identification of giftedness. To address this gap in the research, the present study examined the question: How is the identification of giftedness of students in primary schools influenced by the knowledge, attitudes and experiences of principals and teachers?
Using a mixed methods design within the paradigm of pragmatism, the research data were collected in two phases: the collection and analysis of quantitative data at a system level through an online survey, and case study involving analysis of school documentation and semi-structured interviews across six sites.
In Phase One, the online survey was distributed across the system of 111 Catholic primary schools. The responses from the system-wide survey assisted in the selection of schools with high and low rates of identification of gifted students as case study sites for the second phase of the study. In Phase Two, a total of six principals and 44 teachers participated in the case study from across six sites selected as three successful- and three non-successful schools. Phase Three included the final synthesis and analysis of all data. The data collected sought to determine the knowledge, attitudes and experiences of teachers and leaders, and school approaches and practices of identification, and their influence on the identification of giftedness in these schools.
The central findings of the study are reflected in a proposed model, which elucidates specific elements in relation to knowledge and attitudes of educators, and the approaches and practices of schools, towards gifted education and identification of giftedness that enable the effective identification of giftedness. Within knowledge, the levels of training and the significance of understanding the multidimensional nature of giftedness were identified as core to the process of identification of gifted students in the primary school setting. Positive attitudes towards giftedness, and a shared responsibility for the identification process, among the school leadership and teachers leads to effective identification. The research also found that sharpened focus on identification through leadership, embedded school-wide policy and practices, provision of resources, and ongoing professional learning are key elements of effective identification. Essential to the identification process is the involvement of teachers and leaders in early and ongoing identification practices using a range of accessible objective and subjective measures.
The model highlights the complex interplay of factors that contribute to effective identification of giftedness and the significance of teacher, leader and systemic commitment to gifted education. The research findings and recommendations have significance from the perspective of educational system leaders and school-based practitioners who have the challenge of effectively identifying, and responding to, the needs of their gifted students.
3
Sanderson, Donald Mark. "Food in an Australian primary school curriculum : a critical sociological study." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2013. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/63618/1/Donald_Sanderson_Thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Food is a multidimensional construct. It has social, cultural, economic, psychological, emotional, biological, and political dimensions. It is both a material object and a catalyst for a range of social and cultural action. Richly implicated in the social and cultural milieu, food is a central marker of culture and society. Yet little is known about the messages and knowledges in the school curriculum about food. Popular debates around food in schools are largely connected with biomedical issues of obesity, exercise and nutrition.
This is a study of the sociological dimensions of food-related messages, practices and knowledge formations in the primary school curriculum. It uses an exploratory, qualitative case study methodology to identify and examine the food activities of a Year 5 class in a Queensland school. Data was gathered over a twoyear period using observation, documentation and interviews methods.
Food was found to be an integral part of the primary school's activity. It had economic, symbolic, pedagogic, and instrumental value. Messages about food were found in the official, enacted and hidden curricular which were framed by a food governance framework of legislation, procedures and norms. In the school studied, food knowledge was commodified as a part of a political economy that centred on an 'eat more' message. Certain foods were privileged over others while myths about energy, fruit, fruit juice and sugar shaped student dispositions, values, norms and action. There was little engagement with the cognitive and behavioural dimensions of food and nutrition. The thesis concludes with recommendations for a whole scale reconsideration of food in schools as curricular content and knowledge.
4
Levido, Amanda. "The implementation of media arts in Australian primary schools." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2021. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/211142/1/Amanda_Levido_Thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis explores how primary school teachers implement the Media Arts subject strand of the Australian Curriculum: The Arts into their classrooms. The study presents three case studies that explore how teachers and students engage with the key concepts of Media Arts and what pedagogical approaches are employed to foster Media Arts learning. The thesis makes a series of recommendations, based on the findings of this study, about how to implement Media Arts in more cohesive ways into primary school classrooms.
5
Dwyer, Michael, and n/a. "Discipline policies and practices in the primary school." University of Canberra. Education, 1988. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060706.162852.
Full textAbstract:
The study attempts to investigate discipline policies
and practices in primary schools since the abolition of
corporal punishment. The purposes of the study were to
find out who is involved in the formulation of a
policy; how this procedure takes place from the
initial stages to fruition; the contents of a
completed policy document and to canvass opinions of
teachers and students about their school policy.
Information was obtained from twenty-two completed
questionnaires received from public primary schools in
the Belconnen region of the ACT and a more detailed
case study of three of these schools.
A search of the literature revealed a number of key
elements of a whole school discipline policy. These
included: formulation of policy; recognition of
appropriate student behaviour; rules and consequences;
policy procedures; responsibility for policy
implementation; the abolition of corporal punishment.
The study showed that there is a growing awareness of
the democratic decision-making process within
classrooms and that schools are producing comprehensive
discipline policies, many of which are now more
accurately titled 'Management of Student Behaviour'.
Schools are encouraging appropriate behaviour from the
students, endeavouring to develop student
self-discipline and self-esteem, and are using agreed
logical consequences when rule violations occur.
The case study concludes with comments on the ACT
Schools Authority Discussion Paper 'Policy and
Procedures for the Management of Student Behaviour in
ACT Public Schools' issued during 1988.
6
Sloane, Alwyn M., and n/a. "Influences on teachers' discipline in the primary school." University of Canberra. Education, 1987. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20061108.162433.
Full textAbstract:
The study described in this report attempted to investigate the area of classroom discipline in the primary
school. In particular the objectives were to ascertain the
factors which influences teachers' knowledge of discipline
procedures and the factors which influence teachers'
implementation of discipline procedures.
The study first examined discipline policies and
practices in Australian schools generally and in Australian
Capital Territory government schools in particular. A review
of the literature indicated that the area of discipline in
the classroom is one which seems to be increasingly
important in the range of presage variables under
investigation by researchers.
Information was obtained from sixty completed
questionnaires from primary teachers in eight primary
schools. Respondents indicated that they taught over the
full range of primary school years/grades. Results suggested
that senior management in the schools appeared to have a
relatively unimportant role in influencing classroom
teachers' discipline programmes.
The results indicated that the in-school influences
which were perceived as the most influential on both
teachers' knowledge of discipline procedures and on
teachers' current discipline procedures were a) those
connected with pupils and b) factors about the personal
preference of teachers.
The out-of-school influences which were perceived as
the most influential on both teachers' knowledge of
discipline and on teachers' current discipline procedures
were a) those connected with professional development and b)
factors about the intuitions and reactions of teachers.
Results in general suggested that some primary
teachers may be depending or) outdated information regarding
school and classroom discipline programmes. These findings
could have important ramifications for teacher training
agencies regarding the allocation of resources to the area
of school discipline programmes.
7
Trethewey, Lynne. "A history of age grading in South Australian primary schools, 1875-1990 /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1997. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09pht817.pdf.
Full text
8
Wenden, Elizabeth Joan. "Rising to the challenge: Exploring the transition from primary to secondary education in a Western Australian school." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2015. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1714.
Full textAbstract:
The ‘Rising to the Challenge: Exploring the transition from Primary to Secondary education in a Western Australian School’ study explored the positive predictors of primary to secondary school transition of a cohort of Year 7 students (n=182) at a school in Western Australia. The transition from primary to secondary school is an important process in the lives of adolescents aged around 11-13 years old. It is a challenging and exciting time that coincides with social, emotional, physical and cognitive changes of the adolescent stage of development. Enabling a positive transition to secondary school can give adolescents the support they need to maintain their educational performance, mental health and social wellbeing during adolescence, and may also have an impact on their future adult success. The purpose of this study was therefore to follow a cohort of students through their transition into secondary school, and determine the positive predictors of transition for this cohort of students.
Nancy Schlossberg’s theory entitled ‘A model for analysing human adaptation to transition’ was used to guide this research, providing a multifactorial ecological framework that describes the process of transition from the perception of the individual. The study investigated a broad range of variables around the individual, the transition situation, supports for students, and academic progress associated with primary to secondary school transition experience immediately after changing schools and again six months later. One kindergarten to Year 12 school was utilised as a case study school. Data was collected by online survey at two time points, being in the first few weeks of secondary school, and again six months later. Data pertaining to students’ academic achievement was collected from student record files.
The results of this work identified many significant variables in the transition process for this cohort, while analysis of four research questions tested the applicability of each domain of Schlossberg’s model to the primary to secondary school transition process using multinomial logistic regression. Results indicated that students’ negative expectation about transition, the things they like about their secondary school, emotional peer support, loneliness, school safety, being a reliable person, levels of agitation and turmoil, and perceived academic achievement significantly influenced students’ perception of a positive transition experience. Gender and primary school of origin were also significant predictors of transition experience for this cohort, with females experiencing a poorer transition than males, and ‘continuous’ students (those who remained at the school from primary through to secondary graduation) having the easiest transition experiences.
Finally, the implications of this research were discussed. Discussion of these results in conjunction with the literature shows that school transition is a complex process, with links between domains that require further investigation and an emphasis on an ecological approach to capture the nuances of the transition phenomenon. Results could not be generalised to the population of transitioning students due to sampling, but are useful for informing further research in the area. Investigation of the mechanisms of the predictor variables on transition experience is warranted given the results of the study, and the use of mixed methods research would provide depth to the analysis results. Given there is little research on transition in comprehensive K-12 schools, further research into primary school origin and the influence of gender are research foci for the future. Finally, the case study school and the school system at large should review school policies around transition and gender equality in teaching.
9
Geyer, Tracy Colleen. "The occupational aspirations and gender stereotypes of South African and Australian senior primary school learners." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1239.
Full textAbstract:
Increasingly, developmental psychology has emphasized that childhood career development should be viewed as holistic and comprise all aspects of a child’s maturation. This would include an emphasis on the career development of children which is considered vital to the complete education of the child (Brown, 2002). Career development refers to the process of developing beliefs, values, skills, aptitudes, interests, personality characteristics and knowledge of work (Zunker, 2006). Research has indicated that early societal factors and personal preferences associated with gender influence the child’s later occupational aspirations (Stockard & McGee, 1990). There are many ways in which individuals learn about gender roles and acquire “gender-appropriate” behaviour during childhood, some of which manifest in the occupational aspirations of children. As children grow up they learn, through reinforcement and modeling, that society has different expectations and standards for the behaviour of males and females. While family and friends are often the most important agents of socialization in young children, television and other popular media have also played a vital role in gender stereotyping, resulting in children forming perceptions regarding which occupations “belong” to which gender (Taylor, Peplau, & Sears, 2006). The present research aims to explore, describe and compare the occupational aspirations and the occupational gender stereotyping of male and female South African and Australian senior primary school learners. The research approach for the study was descriptive and exploratory in nature and was conducted within a quantitative framework. A survey-type questionnaire, the Career Awareness Survey xiii (McMahon & Watson, 2001), was used as the data collection measure as part of a larger international study. The sample comprised of 511 South African and 372 Australian participants from Grades 6 and 7. Responses to the occupational aspirations questions were coded according to Holland’s (1985) interest typology and status level coding for occupations. For descriptive purposes, frequency counts were computed for the coded typology, status level and occupational gender stereotyping data. The z-test and chi-square test for independence were computed in order to test whether gender groups differed in terms of their occupational aspirations and occupational stereotyping. The chi-square test was also used to compare the occupational aspirations and gender stereotyping of South African and Australian senior primary school learners. The results of the present research indicate that male and female South African and Australian female children tend to aspire towards more Investigative and Social type occupations in the high status level category. The Australian male children, however, tend to aspire towards more Social and Realistic type occupations in the high status level category. Across nation and gender, the majority of the children believed that both males and females could perform certain occupations, with senior primary school children tending to limit the range of occupations which they believe to be predominantly suited to either male or female. Cross-national comparative results yielded interesting findings with few significant differences emerging on occupational aspiration typology, status level and the occupational gender stereotyping of occupations. The results of the present research emphasise the need for further cross-national comparative studies on the occupational aspirations and occupational gender stereotyping of senior primary school children.
10
Gardiner, Veronica. "Multiliteracies book club: A participatory context for Australian public primary school teachers to negotiate literacy." Thesis, Gardiner, Veronica ORCID: 0000-0002-8638-5487 (2014) Multiliteracies book club: A participatory context for Australian public primary school teachers to negotiate literacy. Masters by Research thesis, Murdoch University, 2014. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/24853/.
Full textAbstract:
This study aimed to explore and influence how Australian public primary school teachers evolve literacy understandings and perspectives, in relation to rapidly changing twenty-first century communication. Acknowledging a variety of theoretical commentary and research literature, the study argues that Australian literacy teaching and learning is currently oriented towards standardised and print-focused approaches, inscribed on teachers' pedagogies through transmissive professional learning and print-oriented curriculum reform. As an alternative, the present research drew on a theoretical framework incorporating multiliteracies theory, community of practice theory and critical perspectives on professional learning, to explore how discourses of multiliteracies can be fostered in a teacher book club involving multimodal texts.
A qualitative case study explored a small group of seven public primary school teachers' voiced perspectives about literacy and professional learning, and how they participated in facilitated multiliteracies knowledge processes, during five monthly book club meetings. To interpret teachers' evolving perspectives and knowledge/s and changing social participation in the book club, critical discourse analysis was applied to chronological transcripts of discursive data. The analysis highlighted how these seven teachers identified constraints on multiliteracies pedagogy in the wider educational context, and engaged in recursive and collaborative negotiation of multiliteracies discourse. In particular, analysis showcased four teachers' emerging orientation to self-sourced digital texts and shifts to peer-led collaborative inquiry. During final reflective discussion, three teachers associated responsive opportunities in the book club with their expanded conception of literacy and interest-driven professional learning. Findings of this study support theorised relationships between multiliteracies and community of practice processes. Additionally, interpretive discussion elaborates how these teachers shaped book club experiences around peer-relevant needs and interests, by recruiting intercontextual resources. Together, results indicate that the book club format fosters teachers' participatory professional learning for multiliteracies.
11
Doszpot, Maureen, and n/a. "Developing culture of a new catholic primary school : vision building, shared values and beliefs." University of Canberra. Professional & Community Education, 1996. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060705.145541.
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This study examines the articulated vision of a new Catholic primary school in
order to describe and assess its developing organisational culture. The following
questions provide the major focus of the study: I How and to what extent does
the Vision Statement describe the developing Catholic school culture at St Clare of Assisi Primary School? 2. What are the common beliefs and values underlying
the Vision Statement at St Clare of Assisi Primary School?
A review of the literature reveals that many educational researchers stress the
importance of schools developing a strong, coordinated, cohesive and positive
culture. The need for this culture to be based on a clearly articulated vision,
embodying shared values and beliefs is also indicated and this provides the
rationale for the study.
A number of frameworks for school culture are examined and adapted to develop
a conceptual framework for the study. The resulting Model for Developing
Catholic School Culture provides a structure which enables collected data to be
sorted and analysed, so that the research questions can be addressed.
This study utilises the methodology of ethnographic research. Data collection
strategies include participant observation, interviews, surveys, and other sources
including school records and documents, photographs, artefacts and memorabilia.
The findings are organised under five headings, each of which represents a belief
articulated in the school's Vision Statement. These beliefs are examined to see
how they are enacted verbally, visually and behaviourally by the school
community Conclusions are drawn as to the relevance of the Vision Statement to
the school community Other significant values and beliefs evident from an
examination of the data are also identified
The study concludes that the Vision Statement effectively describes the developing
culture of the school for there is congruence between its beliefs and actions.
What emerges of particular significance from this study is the importance of a
school community articulating a shared vision. A school's Vision Statement serves
a dual purpose It is the filter which allows the shared beliefs and values of the
school community to be articulated, while at the same time serving as a scaffold
for checking if these shared beliefs and values are being enacted by the
community.
12
Prattis, John, and n/a. "A survey study on school library book borrowing patterns of primary school children according to age, sex and reading level." University of Canberra. Education, 1992. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20061106.151256.
Full textAbstract:
This survey study examines the type and frequency of books borrowed by students
according to age, sex and reading ability. It seeks to redress the sparsity of
information available on the types and style of books borrowed by children.
This survey study is based on data gathered over 14 weeks at Wanniassa Hills Primary School. Weekly library borrowings were recorded for Years 2. 3/4 and
5/6. A sample of 90 children, 30 from each year level was selected and individual
borrowings were coded for analysis according to the type of book borrowed. The
SAS System was used to tabulate the data and conclusions were drawn from the
results thus obtained.
The survey study revealed that females borrow more books generally than males.
A general pattern of book borrowing is evident. Females tend to progress more
quickly man males through this pattern of borrowing. Males tend to prefer Non-
Fiction books, progressing to Choose Your Own Adventure books and Fantasy
Game books. Recommendations are based on these findings and other outcomes of
the survey study.
This survey study has implications for classroom practice, libraries, basic readers
and further study.
13
Bruce, Muray G., and n/a. "Initiating total quality management : the experience of teachers at one primary school." University of Canberra. School of Professional & Community Education, 1998. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060615.170818.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis reports on a study which explored the experiences of teachers
working at Gilmore Primary School in the Australian Capital Territory as they
initiated the management philosophy known as Total Quality Management
(TQM). The teachers' perceptions of key TQM ideas were obtained from
staff meeting notes, interviews and a variety of questionnaires. The teachers'
perceptions constituted the data for the study. The study utilised
ethnographic methodology incorporating aspects interpretive and critical
approaches. Participants in the study were actively engaged in the initiation
project and as such were taking part, with the researcher, in a co-operative
experiential enquiry.
Key TQM ideas provided the themes for this study. These themes were;
continuous improvement, shared vision, customer and process focus,
teamwork, outrageous goals and systematic data gathering. Teachers'
perceptions regarding each of these themes or key ideas were analysed by
considering the effect on them of two sets of factors. The first set consisted
of factors in educational change while the second was comprised of factors in
the culture of teaching. TQM history, principles and practices as well as the
two sets of factors related to educational change and the culture of teaching
were discussed in a review of literature.
From the analysis of teachers' perceptions a series of recommendations were
developed for implementing TQM at Gilmore Primary School and for more
general application of theory and practice.
14
Galitis, Ingrid. "A case study of gifted education in an Australian primary school : teacher attitudes, professional discourses and gender /." Connect to thesis, 2009. http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/5260.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis investigates the professional knowledge and views about gifted education held by teachers working in a suburban primary school in Melbourne, Australia. Examining discourses of giftedness and intelligence, it adopts a case study approach to explore teachers’ gendered understanding of these concepts four years after they undertook a program of professional development in gifted education during the late 1990s. The analysis of the case study is located in relation to historical as well as current policy and professional debates regarding the education of gifted children, and the context of broader contemporary educational reforms. During the 1990s, much educational reform in Australia, as elsewhere, was characterised by neo-liberal practices of devolution, and a greater emphasis on individual accountability that altered school management structures and directed curriculum practices towards a focus on outcomes-based education. The increasing scrutiny of teaching and learning became normalised as both teachers and students were regularly monitored and measured. Within the prevailing political and educational landscape, Victoria’s first gifted education policy was introduced in May 1995.The study examined how teachers negotiated educational reforms and policy initiatives during a time of significant change and translated them into their own professional common sense and working knowledge. A qualitative methodology is adopted, and the research design encompasses close analysis of teachers’ narratives and content analysis of school policies and programs as well as informal and formal documentation and reports. Examination of the case study material is informed by a feminist approach and concern with practices of gender differentiation and inequality in education; the analysis is also influenced by key poststructuralist concepts of “discourses”, “regimes of truth” and “normalisation” drawn from the work of the French philosopher Michel Foucault.
Three main lines of analysis are developed. First, I examine current meanings of, and discourses on, gifted education and their historical antecedents. I argue that gifted education practices emanate from modernist practices and that the constructs of intelligence and giftedness were enthusiastically adopted as technological tools to regulate and classify populations. I further argue that understanding these earlier views on intelligence and the “gifted child” remains important as these continue, often unwittingly, to infiltrate and shape teachers’ attitudes and knowledge, as well as the “regimes of truth” expressed in policy and professional discourses. Second, I propose that a deeply entrenched Australian egalitarian ethos has affected teachers’ views and practices, influencing how they navigate the field of gifted education, typically characterised as an elite form of educational provision. In some cases, this produces ambivalence about the value of gifted education, leading to educational practices that are at odds with gifted educational practices recommended by research. I argue that the program of gifted professional development did not alter deeply entrenched beliefs about gifted education, with teachers claiming personal experience and working knowledge as the crux to recognising and catering for difference. Third, I examine the socially gendered dimensions of these entrenched views and their impact on highly able girls. I argue that for teachers, the norm of the gifted child is gendered. Whilst girls can be bright or clever or smart, the idealised gifted child is more likely to be male.
This thesis offers an in-depth examination of the micro-practices of one school as it strives for excellence. It contributes insights into the impact of “topdown” policy and professional development on teachers’ working knowledge and professional practice. This study shows that while the imposed educational policies and gifted education programs provided information for teachers, they did not alter teachers’ fundamental belief systems, professional knowledge or gender differentiating teaching practices.
15
Maiden, William, and n/a. "Primary school teacher perceptions of the present and future teaching culture : applying the Delphi and Nominal group methodologies as an aid for defining primary school teacher work culture in the Australian Capital Territory." University of Canberra. Education, 1995. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060829.132637.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis examines the views of A.C.T. primary school teachers about their work to
build a picture of the culture of primary school teacher work of primary schools in the
Australian Capital Territory. I define teaching culture to mean the behaviour, work
practices, beliefs and possible habits teachers display in their efforts to perform the task
of teaching. This description of teaching is possibly similar to what some authors
describe as the 'sociology' of teaching (e.g. Barton and Walker, 1981). It is also a
reflection of Deal's suggestion that culture describes 'the way things are done around
here1 (Deal, 1985:605). In this case the study builds a picture of primary school teacher
perceptions of the way things are, the culture of primary school teacher work, in the
A.C.T. primary teaching system.
The study has been designed to identify key workplace issues which preoccupy A.C.T.
primary school teachers now and what they perceive to be the significant issues of the
future, that is by the year 2005. The Delphi methodology was chosen to be the means to
gather and refine information and perceptions from teachers its ability to clarify and
refine issues and because the Delphi has amongst its advantages anonymity for
participants and the use of experts in the data gathering.
The study found that a high proportion of teachers feel stressed about attending
meetings, yet wanting at the same time a say in the running of their school. Other
results were that teachers considered they are poorly supported by the wider community
and that a significant reward of the job was the interaction with the children. Teachers
also believe that instructional methods will be radically different by 2005.
The study aims to provide current information about the culture of primary school
teacher work to teachers themselves and to present to interested authorities and
institutions, such as the Department of Education and Training and The University of
Canberra or the Australian Catholic University, recommendations for further research
and practice to assist in policy design regarding the work teachers do.
Some recommendations to the Department of Education and Training include:
· the culture of primary school teacher work should be actively promoted to inform
the community of the complexity of teacher work and to attract quality applicants to
the profession;
· that classroom teachers are resourced, at comparable levels to Public Servants or
Departmental officers, with equipment such as computers and furniture;
· that consideration be given to providing more inservice opportunities for teachers
to pursue during stand-down (school holiday) time.
Recommendations made to teacher-training institutions include:
· regular research and reviews of teacher-training programs, with particular emphasis
placed on beginning teacher needs and competencies and to highlighting areas newly
recruited and experienced teachers consider require more training;
· the design of comprehensive upgrading programs catering for the needs of newly
appointed and experienced teachers.
16
Dixon, Dalma, and n/a. "Continuous enrolment policy : a study of transition from preschool to primary school in the ACT." University of Canberra. Education, 1987. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060705.094737.
Full textAbstract:
Since its inception the A.C.T. Schools Authority has
implemented a number of changes in attempts to meet its
aim to provide high quality programmes for children.
In the case of enrolment policy the decision to change
to continuous enrolment was made in many schools less on
educational grounds than as a result of economic and
political pressures. However, any policy which has an
impact on children's learning in schools must be
examined in the light of its educational implications.
This study attempts to do this. It attempts to assess
the policy on educational grounds with a particular
focus on the programmes offered to individual children
and the day to day problems encountered by teachers who
attempt to implement the policy.
17
Lock, Graeme. "The prevalence and sources of perceived occupational stress among teachers in Western Australian government metropolitan primary schools." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1993. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1155.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence and sources of self- reported occupational stress among primary school teachers in Western Australian Government schools. Five specific objectives form the basis of this study. First, the study develops an instrument which measures the perceived levels of occupational stress and reveals the sources of such stress. Second, the study applies this instrument to determine the perceived levels, and sources, of occupational stress among primary school teachers in metropolitan Perth. Third, the study investigates differences in the perceptions of stress and stressors when categorised by socio-biographical characteristics of teachers. Fourth, the study investigates the relationship between occupational stress and satisfaction. Fifth, path analysis techniques are used to test the adequacy of a stress-stressor model derived from a priori assumptions and temporal sequence. A qualitative meta-analysis reveals characteristics of the literature which discursive reviews may omit. Such characteristics include trends in research interest in the topic of teacher stress over time and geographical area, the balance between types of studies, the relationship between types of studies, aspects of teacher stress and geographical area, findings of the studies, and determining categories into which the findings can be examined. Definitions of stress and burnout, definitions of teacher stress and teacher burnout, reasons for concern about teacher stress and teacher burnout, the prevalence of stress in the teaching profession, sources of stress in the teaching profession, perceptions of stress and stressors when categorised by socio-biographical characteristics, and the relationship between stress and occupational satisfaction are the areas from which information is accessed for the literature review. Prior to the development of a conceptual framework, the purpose of such a framework is discussed. The conceptual framework itself is developed from two broad areas. These include teacher stress and corporate management theory. The role of and contribution made by the present study to each of these areas is explained. The methodology of the present study is discussed in six broad areas. These include the preparatory phase, the sampling procedure, development of the research instrument ethical considerations, data collection, and data analysis. The process of structural equation or causal modelling forms the final section of this chapter. The outcomes which emerged from the study are analysed in relation to both the quantitative and qualitative data obtained during the investigation. In respect to the former these outcomes include the prevalence of stress among the teachers who participated in the study, differences in the numbers of responses in stress level categories, the perceived sources of stress, the identification of stress factors, differences In responses to perceptions of stress and stress factors when categorised by socio-biographical characteristics, analyses of the multi-item scales used in research instrument, the relationship between occupational stress, satisfaction and attitude towards teaching, and the development of a causal model of teacher stress. The qualitative information is discussed initially in terms of the socio-biographical characteristics of the teachers who were interviewed, as well as their perceived levels of occupational stress and satisfaction. Other information which is examined includes the perceived attitude of the Ministry of Education and/or Government of Westem Australia towards teachers, the nature of the identified stressful events, the incremental nature of normally non-stressful events, assessment of the research instrument and other information obtained during the data collection phase. The study concludes by summarising the entire research process, making implications based on the findings and suggesting areas for further research.
18
Roth, Renette. "Perceptions of Students and Parents of Full-time Opportunity Classes for Gifted Students in a Western Australian Primary School." Thesis, Roth, Renette (2017) Perceptions of Students and Parents of Full-time Opportunity Classes for Gifted Students in a Western Australian Primary School. Masters by Research thesis, Murdoch University, 2017. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/37790/.
Full textAbstract:
Provision for students who are gifted is an unresolved issue in education. To meet the needs of its own academically gifted students, one primary school in Western Australia customised the Opportunity Class model used by New South Wales Primary Schools. This study focused on participants’ experiences of the school’s full-time academic Opportunity Classes. Twenty-four parents and eleven students who had firsthand experience of the program were interviewed about their experiences. Data were collected through focus groups and individual semi-structured interviews with questions designed to address ability class issues most commonly raised in the literature. In particular, participants were asked to share their personal perceptions of the program and to recollect other gifted provisions these mildly, and moderately gifted students had experienced. They were asked to consider how each met student’s academic and social-emotional needs with the focus being on the full-time ability-grouping model. Results show that despite being an academically based program, the social-emotional effects of the program were deemed by participants to be just as important. The implications were that it was possible for a range of academically gifted students to thrive in full-time ability classes and for the effects of the big-fish-little- pond effect, labelling and force choice dilemma to be reduced or eliminated in a program with the appropriate cultural and emotional support.
19
Carson, Jamie Ann. "The Ecology of School Change: An Australian Primary School's Endeavor to Integrate Concept-based, Experiential Environmental Learning Throughout Core Curriculum." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/195402.
Full textAbstract:
This longitudinal study has examined an Australian primary school's change processes as it has striven to transcend government-mandated environmental education in New South Wales. Woodridge Primary School initiated "Environment Woodridge", a comprehensive reform effort, in March of 2003. Since then the staff have worked to integrate programmatic, concept-based, experiential environmental learning throughout core curriculum.Eight years of change processes have been examined through three visits to the school over the span of three years. Woodridge Primary School is a friendly place where collaborative decision-making has paved the way for many successful initiatives bringing the school much recognition. The school's dedicated teachers, who have proven themselves skilled change agents, together with an enthusiastic and driven principal, have a definite vision for their school. Beyond manifesting a caring atmosphere where technology and the environment are major foci, the Woodridge staff has worked to maintain their identity as a unique and progressive school.Several researchers feel that the application of ecological understandings to school change processes will bring more fruitful reform efforts (Cooper, 1993, Fullan, 1997, Sarason, 1971, Selby, 2000). This research offers a new ecological framework for examining school culture and change processes. The interaction of energy flow, the cycling of mater, interrelationships, and change allow a natural system to flourish. Thus, these concepts were applied to the study of this school.Earthkeepers, the first program to be implemented in the Environment Woodridge reform effort, received tremendous support and created quite a buzz among the community when it was initiated in 2003. However, in 2006, energy surrounding the program had dissipated, the principal was the only member of the staff driving the program, and curricular integration and application of Earthkeepers concepts was falling away. The ripple effects caused by a government-mandated reform had thwarted Earthkeepers curricular integration. Further, Woodridge teachers felt that the increasing pressure of mandated reforms had made it difficult for them to maintain their own vision of the school. This research offers an in-depth examination of how a successful school has dealt with the impacts of mandated monoculture.
20
Bradshaw, Keith Allan, of Western Sydney Macarthur University, and Faculty of Education. "Integration of children with behaviour disorders: a comparative case study analysis in two Australian states." THESIS_FE_XXX_Bradshaw_K.xml, 1994. http://heston.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/41.
Full textAbstract:
This study was conducted in response to the policies for the integration of children with behaviour disorders in Victorian and New South Wales Primary Schools. These two states were selected for this study for three reasons. Firstly, the two states have adopted and are implementing integration policies which are, in many areas, contrasting. Secondly, compared to other Australian states, Victoria and New South Wales have the most children enrolled in their respective school systems and, hence the largest number of children whose schooling is influenced by these policy decisions. Thirdly, the integration policies of both states group children with behaviour disorders under the generic term 'children with disabilities.' The findings of the present study suggest a number of areas that future implementors of integration policies need to consider. Firstly, mandatory special education courses need to be implemented by all teacher training institutions. Secondly, to effectively integrate children with behaviour disorders into the regular classroom an individual, collaboratively designed program needs to be utilized. Collaboration between special setting teachers and regular class teachers would appear to be crucial in program design. Thirdly, teachers stress emerged as an issue which policy designers need to address urgently. Fourthly, resources and support, including the availability of in-service courses on children with behaviour disorders, need to be increased and made available to regular classroom teachers. Finally a range of alternate educational programs/opportunities, not just a choice between regular and special settings, needs to be developed for children with behavoiur disorders. The study is important to the field of special education and in particular to children with behaviour disorders in three ways. Firstly, data were gathered using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. This approach would appear to be the most appropriate method for gathering data on integration as it allows for many of the child's ecosystems to be investigated and for the child's numerous and important interactions to be examined. Secondly, the study highlighted the importance of investigating the individual needs of children with behaviour disorder when considering integration, Finally, the study allowed for a number of variables, important for practitioners when integrating children with behaviour disorders, to be identified and examined.Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
21
Swincicky, Kevin Bohdan. "A study of a nation-wide pilot program in school mathematics." Curtin University of Technology, Science and Mathematics Education Centre, 2008. http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=118240.
Full textAbstract:
There has been much debate over many years in the Australian Federal Parliament on the implementation of a national curriculum in mathematics. In 2004, the Government, under the direction of the then Minister for Education Brendon Nelson, initiated a national mathematics program for students in lower secondary high schools and primary schools. The Australian International Centre for Excellence was commissioned to implement a pilot program and called for expressions of interest to participate from high schools across the nation. At that time I was working as the Acting Head of the Mathematics Department at a senior high school in a large Western Australian country centre. I was concerned with the content and level of difficulty in many of the textbooks that were available for our students and also the processes used in these textbooks (or by teachers) to assist students to gain mastery of the basic mathematical concepts in the Outcome Number. I decided to apply to participate in the pilot program on behalf of my school, and my application was accepted. In the first stage of the program two classes of both Year 8 and Year 9 students were selected. One of my cooperative colleagues and I found out very early that the Year 8 ICE-EM textbook was too difficult for many of these students as they lacked the skills to do much of the work in the Outcome Number. These students had very different learning experiences in their primary school mathematics, with schools and teachers placing different emphases on each of the Outcomes in mathematics. The opportunity to modify our school's Year 8 program and to implement change in the high schools' feeder primary schools occurred with the second stage of the pilot program's Transition Phases 1 and 2, due for implementation in 2007.Twelve teachers and 329 students from the high school and feeder primary schools became involved at the second state of the pilot program. All students were provided with a textbook, and teachers were free to choose how or when these books would be used with their students. Surveys were administered to teachers and students at the beginning of the year and end of the first semester. Tests were designed and administered throughout the study and comparisons were made with the student's WAMSE (Western Australian Monitoring Standards in Education) score. WALNA (Western Australian Literacy and Numeracy Assessment) and the Department of Education and the University of Western Australia's WAMSE scores were used to investigate changes in students' achievement and progress. Interviews with teachers and students were conducted to review the pilot program and investigate anomalies in students' results. The study found differences in students' Achievement and Progress based on WAMSE scores. Most teachers who adopted the program believed that it led to improved student learning and understanding of Number concepts in mathematics. All teachers at the high school and its feeder primary schools have continued to use the ICE-EM textbooks as part of their teaching and learning program. Increased uniformity among the primary schools was beneficial for the high school's Year 8 mathematics program. The results also indicated the need for caution when using State and National testing to report on student progress and achievement.
22
net, cresdee@cresdee, and Michelle Cresdee. "Dealing with curriculum change : how teachers perceive recent curriculum changes and the strategies they employ to cope with such change." Murdoch University, 2002. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20051209.134727.
Full textAbstract:
The current study attempted to identify conditions that affect the manner in which Western Australian primary school teachers perceive recent curriculum changes; the types of support they access; and the relative usefulness of this support. Based on preliminary findings in the first phase of this study and the research literature it was expected that teacher self-efficacy, teacher characteristics such as age and years of teaching, and school context such as the level of 'innovativeness' would prove to be influential in the process of implementing new initiatives. A model expressing the relationships between these concepts was developed and evaluated in the second phase of this study. This study is important for two reasons. It focused on Western Australian primary school teachers, whereas most previous research focused on high school teachers, and it explored ways to help teachers deal with future changes instead of simply identifying their responses to changes. It is therefore hoped that the education system will be more informed and better able to provide appropriate support for teachers when faced with future reforms.
The study was conducted in two parts. The purpose of phase one was to become familiar with the current circumstances of teachers in relation to curriculum change. By focusing on the attitudes and behaviours of teachers from 'innovative' schools it was thought more could be learned than in schools that maintain the status quo. Qualitative methods of semi-structured interviews, informal observations and the analysis of websites and school documents were utilised throughout this phase. The second phase of the study employed a quantitative approach, based on the findings of the first phase, specifically a process of questionnaire construction and distribution throughout the defined population.
A number of cautious conclusions have been made within the limits of this study. Firstly, the most useful type of professional development for teachers involves teachers interacting with each other. Teachers need time to discuss issues and share their successes. However, Action Research as a means of professional development is currently under utilised. It was discovered that most teachers were positive towards curriculum change, yet an overwhelming workload has proved a formidable barrier to new initiatives. In addition, most teachers will modify initiatives to meet the needs of their students and to fit in with their existing orientations. Consequently, school structures need to become more flexible to encourage teachers to engage in innovative practices. Interestingly, the self-efficacy of a teacher influences the way they perceive and cope with curriculum change, however teacher characteristics, such as age and the number of years teaching, did not yield substantially different results when teachers were categorised along these dimensions. School context, as defined by the level of 'innovativeness', did produce differential results in terms of teacher attitudes and responses to curriculum change, and the type of professional development accessed. Finally, schools may need to involve parents and the wider school community in the school level decision-making processes if they truly are to become ' learning communities'.
23
Kuzich, Sonja. "The Paradox of Education for Sustainability (EfS): An Interpretive Inquiry into Teachers’ Engagement with Sustainability Policy Imperatives in a Western Australian Primary School." Thesis, Curtin University, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/77188.
Full textAbstract:
This ethnographic, interpretive research investigated how teachers at a Western Australian primary school interpreted and engaged with policy initiatives in Education for Sustainability (EfS). Through the dual concepts of affordance and paradox, representations of sustainability in macro and micro sustainability policy discourses were interrogated. Fragmentation and disorientation; dislocation of affordances; and deep inertia were found to be major obstacles that impeded the implementation of EfS.
24
Knowles, Christine L. A., and n/a. "Observations of a horseriding programme for primary-aged students with an intellectual disability requiring high support." University of Canberra. Professional & Community Education, 1998. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060814.095655.
Full textAbstract:
This study examined the observed effects of horse-riding which took
place as an extra-curricula activity within the school day. The three
children in the case study were primary aged students from a Canberra
primary school who have an intellectual disability requiring high
support. The criteria for selection was on the basis of how long they
had taken part in the horse-riding programme. The three children
were either just about to start or had just started the programme and
had no previous experience with horses or horse-riding.
The aim of the study was to explore the effects that the horse-riding
programme had on the children's behaviour, attitudes and the way
they communicated when riding. The children's behaviour was
observed in the different settings of the school and the stables
environment. Certain individual behaviours were observed and
recorded on a weekly basis for an eight week period. Audio-recordings
of behaviour took place as well as interviews both before and after the
eight week period, from teachers, riding instructors, helpers, and
parents.
Whilst the case study could not be said to be large enough to be
representative of all children with intellectual disabilities attending
this horse-riding programme, in general some common themes
relating to counselling emerged which corresponded with other
studies referred to in the literature. These include positive effects such
as a general sense of well-being and a feeling of success whilst being in
control of the horse. An emerging empathy and closeness of each
child with their particular horse was observed over time, which
appeared to lead to increased communication. This took place whilst
the children were talking or communicating to the horse or in the
presence of the horse.
25
Glyde, Jo, and n/a. "Beyond baby sitting : a study of after school care services in the ACT from the perspective of care providers." University of Canberra. Teacher Education, 1997. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060712.100543.
Full textAbstract:
The increased demand for Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) has been linked to changes
that have occurred in the family structure and work habits. OSHC programs operating
on school sites under the management of a committee of parents and school
representatives provide parents with one option to meet the needs for care of primary age
children.
This study examined the issue of OSHC from the perspectives of workers involved in the
provision of services in government school sites in the ACT. Data were gathered by way
of semi-structured interviews with nineteen coordinators from sixteen After School Care
(ASC) centres. The data were analysed to find similarities in the experiences of workers
interviewed. Extracts from the interviews are presented in the findings to illustrate the
perceptions care givers have about their work and areas where changes can be made to
improve the quality of ASC services.
The study provides information on the factors affecting the provision of quality services
and suggests possible directions for future planning and research in this area. The
findings indicate that the care givers interviewed perceived their role as a positive
influence in the lives of children and families. Care givers sought to provide relaxed
environments for children after the school day. Many centres operated with the strong
support of parents, schools and management committees. The findings suggest that ASC
centres can and do operate successfully on school sites in the ACT and that care givers
were generally happy with the level of service provided. However, variability in the
facilities and support provided to centres was noted.
The study concludes that real improvement to the quality of programs and support of
workers is dependent on the introduction of nationally recognised standards in the
provision of ASC.
26
Bowdler, Jan. "Art therapy in mainstream primary schools in the United Kingdom and the United States of America : identifying connections with the Australian experience." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1998. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1000.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is a case study that explores art therapy programs that are being or have been established in mainstream primary education settings in the United Kingdom, United States of America and Australia. The study includes a review of literature which relates an application of art therapy principles and practice to an education framework and the developmental and emotional needs of primary age children. The art therapy programs are examined in terms of the target population (eg. abused, rejected, disaffected, vulnerable children); the value of these programs to children in the primary school system (ie. in helping to remove students' emotional blocks to learning); the logistics of their implementation in primary schools; and their source of funding. The level of interest, support and commitment from allied health and community workers as well as teachers and administrators working within a. school structure is also examined. The data analysis and conclusions reflect on the common and recurring themes which arise from the study of programs in the UK and USA. These are compared to the Australian experience. The implications of the study for the Education Department of Western Australian system is discussed.
27
Ross, Ruth O., and n/a. ""The extension group" - a part-time, withdrawal, enrichment program for gifted and talented children at Holt Primary School, A.C.T. : an action research study." University of Canberra. Education, 1985. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20061107.160754.
Full textAbstract:
Over the past six years, a part-time withdrawal-from-mainstream-class enrichment program for gifted and talented
children has been operating at the Holt Primary School in the
Australian Capital Territory.
In keeping with the neighbourhood school policy of the ACT
Schools Authority, the program caters only for children within
the school and has included those from grades three to six.
Based on Renzulli's Enrichment Triad Model, the program has
a thematic approach which provides opportunities for participants
to pursue both group and individual research on topics of
interest to them.
Identified children remain in the program for as long as
possible and some have continued for as long as three years when
resources have been available.
This Action Research Study by the Co-ordinator of the
program describes the setting up, objectives, identification
methods, resources and evaluation.
28
au, fino@westnet com, and Helen Stone. "Specialist Teachers and Curriculum Reform in a Western Australian Primary School in 2002 A Comparative Study of Specialist Music, Health and Physical Education, and Languages-Other-Than-English Teaching Professionals." Murdoch University, 2006. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20070427.125141.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis details research on the first phase of curriculum reform (19992004) in a
government primary school in Western Australia. The purpose of the study was to
examine what progress had been made with the implementation of the Curriculum
Framework (1998). The research focussed on Music, Health and Physical Education,
and Languages Other than English as specialist teachers working with the
Curriculum Framework (1998). Teachers and school administrators, as frontline
practitioners, considered their experiences and perceptions of daily practice and
provided their perspectives on curriculum reform.
The hypothesis formulated for the study was that with the introduction of the
Curriculum Framework (1998) the delivery of these three subjects could be further
improved. This study argues that successful curriculum performance of these three
subjects traditionally considered specialist programs may be more fully supported
by becoming aware of the forces influencing Australian curriculum discourse and
delivery. Subject knowledge endorsement in this study refers to the transfer of valued
knowledge in Western Australian educational systems. It is proposed that if teaching
professionals articulated the substance of their educational beliefs and experiences
with regard to subject knowledge meaning, place and value, curriculum delivery in
primary schools may progress more effectively. Positive learning experiences for all
students can be provided through the encouragement of communication and
collegiality together with relevant and accessible professional development. These
measures can also be supported by mounting whole-school primary programs that
engage with beliefs about Music, Health and Physical Education, and Languages
Other Than English through collaborative networks and learning communities.
Accordingly, curriculum delivery can come within reach of the seamless curriculum
anticipated by reform (Curriculum Framework, 1998:67).
In this qualitative interview study, the frontline participants included generalist
teachers, specialist teachers and school administrators. These educational
practitioners were asked to participate in an in-depth, semi-structured discussion that
explored their perceptions of specialist teaching and knowledge while employed at
Deep Sea Primary School in 2002.
They teachers also commented on how these perceptions may be linked to their
experiences of socially constructed and established notions of valued knowledge.
The findings of this study indicated that the progressive implementation of these
three subjects or specialists areas were characterised by subtle historical, economic,
political and social forces. This thesis suggests that, these largely obscured external
forces together with individual yet, taken for granted perceptions of what is
perceived as valuable knowledge work together to position curriculum rhetoric and
curriculum enactment that reflect established perceptions of the knowledge
hierarchy. Teachers and administrators at the school often operated within the
structures and meanings of conventional teaching practice of subject knowledge as
determined by dominant culture in Australia. The findings indicated that school
culture in a time of reform re-traditionalised hierarchical patterns of subject
knowledge organisation and evaluation. Accordingly, current subject knowledge
endorsement in terms of specialist teaching often worked to the benefit of established
power relationships typical of post-industrial market economy in Australia.
The findings also indicated that issues pertaining to curriculum prioritisation were
influenced by institutional, group and individual experiences of subject specialist
knowledge. Poor perceptions of these three subjects could also be generated by
experiencing inflexible and inadequate yet established funding and resource patterns
in educational systems. Frontline teachers, their school-based roles and
responsibilities attached to the teaching and learning of the three specialist areas
were typified by rigid school organisation and job structures together with condensed
teaching time and community backing.
This thesis argues that progressive, outcomes education requires an articulate and
supportive school culture, more funding and the genuine maintenance of quality
Music, Health and Physical Education and Language Other Than English teachers. In
addition, curriculum implementation would benefit from the promotion of
constructivist-orientated student activities within specialist programs.
29
Moloney, Robyn Anne. "Intercultural competence in young language learners: a case study." Faculty of Education and Social Work, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/2440.
Full textAbstract:
Doctor of EducationWith the heightened profile of language learning in a global community, language education is exploring a new model of intercultural language learning. The goal of intercultural language learning is to produce language users equipped with explicit skills in understanding connections and differences between their own culture and the culture of the target language. The research literature suggests that language learners’ resulting intercultural competence will encompass a range of characteristics. There have been few empirical studies, however, to provide illustration of intercultural competence, in order to assist teachers’ understanding of desired outcomes and student development. This case study investigates the characteristics of intercultural competence in young language learners in one Australian primary school. The learners have been engaged in an immersion language program for up to eight years, in one of three languages: French, German or Japanese. The study also investigates the behaviours and understandings in their language teachers which may facilitate the development of learners’ intercultural competence. It explores in summary what may be the nature of intercultural competence in the case study language learners. The study is relevant to research of both intercultural language learning and of immersion language classrooms. Using a case study design, the study incorporates qualitative data in the form of student focus group interviews, teacher interviews, and classroom observations. Data were collected at the case study school, in Sydney, Australia, over a school semester, and involved 49 Year 6 students and four teachers. Results of the study suggest a number of indicators of the case study students’ development in intercultural competence – that is, through understanding of language culture and identity. The student is and sees him or herself as a purposeful interactive communicator. The student understands the target language itself to be the vehicle of the target culture, and often displays metalinguistic curiosity and skills. Some students are able to critically reflect on their (multiple) linguistic and cultural memberships, and to negotiate their identity as a non-native language user. The study found that teachers provide a model of interculturality to their students. The teachers’ interculturality is enacted in their relationships and pedagogical choices, in their design of experiential learning tasks, and their facilitation of linguistic and cultural connections for their students. The study also found that the nature of the immersion language classroom itself facilitates intercultural competence in students. The study provides a case study illustration of intercultural competence in language learners which is relevant to research in intercultural language learning, immersion pedagogy and the emerging related pedagogy of content-based language learning.
30
Lovering, Christine. "I see a spark and blow on it: Drama practice in Year 1 and the new Australian Curriculum in the Arts." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2015. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1740.
Full textAbstract:
New educational directives have an effect on the practice of teachers in schools. This study is propelled by the introduction of a national Australian Curriculum and subsequent changes to the Arts curriculum. As one of the five arts subjects, drama has been included in the primary school curriculum in Western Australia since 1997, however, its inclusion and the teaching of drama has not been consistently realised.
Teacher perspectives and beliefs about specific Learning Areas influence their planning and practice; often this is related to past experiences. This study aims to determine Year 1 teachers’ perspectives of, and practices in, drama. In addition, knowledge of the new Australian Curriculum in the Arts and the level of support required during the implementation process are sought. The study focuses on the Year 1 level, as this particular year marks a significant transition in a young child’s life from a Pre‐primary setting to the Year 1 classroom; considering the playful quality inherent in drama experiences, it is a time when drama pedagogy could be explored fully.
Data collection instruments were generated based on previous research and state curriculum documents. Participants in the study were asked to complete a questionnaire. The data provided an insight into Year 1 teacher perspectives and practice and the new Arts curriculum. The subsequent semi‐structured interviews were conducted to augment the questionnaire data.
The study found that Year 1 teachers extolled the positive benefits of using drama; however, experiences in drama, both as teacher and participant, affected their willingness to implement it. Teachers were using drama, yet analysis of semi‐structured interviews revealed a common practice of implementing incidental and unplanned drama experiences. A foundation for the implementation of drama in the new Arts curriculum with recommendations for possible professional development and support for drama practice are provided.
31
Stone, Helen. "Specialist teachers and curriculum reform in a Western Australian primary school in 2002: a comparative study of specialist music, health and physical education, and languages-other-than-English teaching professionals." Thesis, Stone, Helen (2006) Specialist teachers and curriculum reform in a Western Australian primary school in 2002: a comparative study of specialist music, health and physical education, and languages-other-than-English teaching professionals. Masters by Research thesis, Murdoch University, 2006. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/350/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis details research on the first phase of curriculum reform (1999-2004) in a government primary school in Western Australia. The purpose of the study was to examine what progress had been made with the implementation of the Curriculum Framework (1998). The research focussed on Music, Health and Physical Education, and Languages Other than English as specialist teachers working with the Curriculum Framework (1998). Teachers and school administrators, as frontline practitioners, considered their experiences and perceptions of daily practice and provided their perspectives on curriculum reform.
The hypothesis formulated for the study was that with the introduction of the Curriculum Framework (1998) the delivery of these three subjects could be further improved. This study argues that successful curriculum performance of these three subjects traditionally considered 'specialist programs' may be more fully supported by becoming aware of the forces influencing Australian curriculum discourse and delivery. Subject knowledge endorsement in this study refers to the transfer of valued knowledge in Western Australian educational systems. It is proposed that if teaching professionals articulated the substance of their educational beliefs and experiences with regard to subject knowledge meaning, place and value, curriculum delivery in primary schools may progress more effectively. Positive learning experiences for all students can be provided through the encouragement of communication and collegiality together with relevant and accessible professional development. These measures can also be supported by mounting whole-school primary programs that engage with beliefs about Music, Health and Physical Education, and Languages Other Than English through collaborative networks and learning communities. Accordingly, curriculum delivery can come within reach of the seamless curriculum anticipated by reform (Curriculum Framework, 1998:6-7).
In this qualitative interview study, the frontline participants included generalist teachers, specialist teachers and school administrators. These educational practitioners were asked to participate in an in-depth, semi-structured discussion that explored their perceptions of specialist teaching and knowledge while employed at Deep Sea Primary School in 2002. They teachers also commented on how these perceptions may be linked to their experiences of socially constructed and established notions of valued knowledge.
The findings of this study indicated that the progressive implementation of these three subjects or specialist's areas were characterised by subtle historical, economic, political and social forces. This thesis suggests that, these largely obscured external forces together with individual yet, taken for granted perceptions of what is perceived as valuable knowledge work together to position curriculum rhetoric and curriculum enactment that reflect established perceptions of the knowledge hierarchy. Teachers and administrators at the school often operated within the structures and meanings of conventional teaching practice of subject knowledge as determined by dominant culture in Australia. The findings indicated that school culture in a time of reform re-traditionalised hierarchical patterns of subject knowledge organisation and evaluation. Accordingly, current subject knowledge endorsement in terms of specialist teaching often worked to the benefit of established power relationships typical of post-industrial market economy in Australia.
The findings also indicated that issues pertaining to curriculum prioritisation were influenced by institutional, group and individual experiences of subject specialist knowledge. Poor perceptions of these three subjects could also be generated by experiencing inflexible and inadequate yet established funding and resource patterns in educational systems. Frontline teachers, their school-based roles and responsibilities attached to the teaching and learning of the three specialist areas were typified by rigid school organisation and job structures together with condensed teaching time and community backing.
This thesis argues that progressive, outcomes education requires an articulate and supportive school culture, more funding and the genuine maintenance of quality Music, Health and Physical Education and Language Other Than English teachers. In addition, curriculum implementation would benefit from the promotion of constructivist-orientated student activities within specialist programs.
32
Stone, Helen. "Specialist teachers and curriculum reform in a Western Australian primary school in 2002 : a comparative study of specialist music, health and physical education, and languages-other-than-English teaching professionals /." Stone, Helen (2006) Specialist teachers and curriculum reform in a Western Australian primary school in 2002: a comparative study of specialist music, health and physical education, and languages-other-than-English teaching professionals. Masters by Research thesis, Murdoch University, 2006. http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/350/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis details research on the first phase of curriculum reform (1999-2004) in a government primary school in Western Australia. The purpose of the study was to examine what progress had been made with the implementation of the Curriculum Framework (1998). The research focussed on Music, Health and Physical Education, and Languages Other than English as specialist teachers working with the Curriculum Framework (1998). Teachers and school administrators, as frontline practitioners, considered their experiences and perceptions of daily practice and provided their perspectives on curriculum reform.
The hypothesis formulated for the study was that with the introduction of the Curriculum Framework (1998) the delivery of these three subjects could be further improved. This study argues that successful curriculum performance of these three subjects traditionally considered 'specialist programs' may be more fully supported by becoming aware of the forces influencing Australian curriculum discourse and delivery. Subject knowledge endorsement in this study refers to the transfer of valued knowledge in Western Australian educational systems. It is proposed that if teaching professionals articulated the substance of their educational beliefs and experiences with regard to subject knowledge meaning, place and value, curriculum delivery in primary schools may progress more effectively. Positive learning experiences for all students can be provided through the encouragement of communication and collegiality together with relevant and accessible professional development. These measures can also be supported by mounting whole-school primary programs that engage with beliefs about Music, Health and Physical Education, and Languages Other Than English through collaborative networks and learning communities. Accordingly, curriculum delivery can come within reach of the seamless curriculum anticipated by reform (Curriculum Framework, 1998:6-7).
In this qualitative interview study, the frontline participants included generalist teachers, specialist teachers and school administrators. These educational practitioners were asked to participate in an in-depth, semi-structured discussion that explored their perceptions of specialist teaching and knowledge while employed at Deep Sea Primary School in 2002. They teachers also commented on how these perceptions may be linked to their experiences of socially constructed and established notions of valued knowledge.
The findings of this study indicated that the progressive implementation of these three subjects or specialist's areas were characterised by subtle historical, economic, political and social forces. This thesis suggests that, these largely obscured external forces together with individual yet, taken for granted perceptions of what is perceived as valuable knowledge work together to position curriculum rhetoric and curriculum enactment that reflect established perceptions of the knowledge hierarchy. Teachers and administrators at the school often operated within the structures and meanings of conventional teaching practice of subject knowledge as determined by dominant culture in Australia. The findings indicated that school culture in a time of reform re-traditionalised hierarchical patterns of subject knowledge organisation and evaluation. Accordingly, current subject knowledge endorsement in terms of specialist teaching often worked to the benefit of established power relationships typical of post-industrial market economy in Australia.
The findings also indicated that issues pertaining to curriculum prioritisation were influenced by institutional, group and individual experiences of subject specialist knowledge. Poor perceptions of these three subjects could also be generated by experiencing inflexible and inadequate yet established funding and resource patterns in educational systems. Frontline teachers, their school-based roles and responsibilities attached to the teaching and learning of the three specialist areas were typified by rigid school organisation and job structures together with condensed teaching time and community backing.
This thesis argues that progressive, outcomes education requires an articulate and supportive school culture, more funding and the genuine maintenance of quality Music, Health and Physical Education and Language Other Than English teachers. In addition, curriculum implementation would benefit from the promotion of constructivist-orientated student activities within specialist programs.
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Gillan, Kevin P. "Technologies of power : discipline of Aboriginal students in primary school." University of Western Australia. Graduate School of Education, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2008.0183.
Full textAbstract:
This study explored how the discursive practices of government education systemic discipline policy shape the behaviour of Aboriginal primary school students in an urban education district in Western Australia. First, this study conducted a Foucauldian genealogical discourse analysis of the historical and contemporary discursive forces that shaped systemic discipline policy in Western Australian government schools between 1983 and 1998 to uncover changing discursive practices within the institution. This period represented a most turbulent era of systemic discipline policy development within the institution. The analysis of the historical and contemporary discursive forces that shaped policy during this period revealed nine major and consistent discursive practices. Secondly, the study conducted a Foucauldian genealogical discourse analysis into the perspectives of key interest groups of students, parents and Education Department employees in an urban Aboriginal community on discipline policy in Education Department primary schools during the period from 2000 to 2001; and the influence of these policies on the behaviour of Aboriginal students in primary schools. The analysis was accomplished using Foucault's method of genealogy through a tactical use of subjugated knowledges. A cross section of the Aboriginal community was interviewed to examine issues of consultation, suspension and exclusion, institutional organisation and discourse. The study revealed that there are minimal consistent conceptual underpinnings to the development of Education Department discipline policy between 1983 and 1998. What is clear through the nine discursive practices that emerged during the first part of the study is a strengthened recentralising pattern of regulation, in response to the influence of a neo-liberal doctrine that commodifies students in a network of accountability mechanisms driven by the market-state economy. Evidence from both genealogical analyses in this study confirms that the increasing psychologisation of the classroom is contributing towards the pathologisation of Aboriginal student behaviour. It is apparent from the findings in this study that Aboriginal students regularly display Aboriginality-as-resistance type behaviours in response to school discipline regimes. The daily tension for these students at school is the maintenance of their Aboriginality in the face of school policy that disregards many of their regular cultural and behavioural practices, or regimes of truth, that are socially acceptable at home and in their community but threaten the 'good order' of the institution when brought to school. This study found that teachers and principals are ensnared in a web of governmentality with their ability to manoeuvre within the constraints of systemic discipline policy extremely limited. The consequence of this web of governmentality is that those doing the governing in the school are simultaneously the prisoner and the gaoler, and in effect the principle of their own subjection. Also revealed were the obscure and dividing discursive practices of discipline regimes that contribute to the epistemic violence enacted upon Noongar students in primary schools through technologies of power.
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Fontaine, Samuel G. "An evaluation of the orientation program for newly appointed Catholic primary principals." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2001. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1054.
Full textAbstract:
The structure and operation of Catholic schools in Western Australia have been in a process of change since the early 1970’s. Prior to 1971, most Catholic primary schools were administered by religious orders and much of the religious character of the school reflected the charisma of the particular religious order that operated the school. In the Year 2000 most Catholic primary schools former part of a state-wide system in which the Catholic Education Office (CEO) plays a major administrative and co-ordinating role.
35
Lester, Leanne J. "Bullying and the transition from primary to secondary school." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2012. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/546.
Full textAbstract:
Peer relationships within the school environment are one of the most important determinants of social and mental wellbeing for adolescents and as such, schools have become increasingly aware of the prevalence, seriousness and negative impacts of bullying behaviour. The transition from primary to secondary school provides both challenges and opportunities as many adolescents undergo transition while experiencing environmental, physiological, cognitive and social changes as part of the adolescent development process. This is also a period during a student’s school life when their risk of being bullied is higher than at other times.
The aim of this study was to use longitudinal data to examine bullying experiences and their temporal association with other problem behaviours, social and mental health during the transition period from primary to secondary school. The findings from this research will facilitate the development of empirically grounded recommendations for effective school policy and practice to help reduce the bullying experiences and enhance the social and mental health of adolescents who are transitioning from primary school to high school.
Longitudinal data collected during the Supportive Schools Project (SSP) were used to address the aim of the study. The SSP project recruited 21 Catholic education secondary schools in Perth, Western Australia, and tracked 3,459 students from the last year of primary school (Year 7) to the end of the second year of secondary school (Year 9). The SSP aimed to enhance the capacity of secondary schools to implement a whole-of-school bullying reduction intervention. Students completed a self-administered questionnaire on four occasions that allowed for a longitudinal assessment of their knowledge, attitudes, and bullying experiences during the transition from primary to secondary school.
This research comprised four stages. The predictive relationship of bullying perpetration and victimisation and the future level of involvement in other problem behaviours were explored in Stage 1 of this research. Stages 2 and 3 investigated the direction and strength of the relationships between social and mental health factors (e.g., loneliness at school, connectedness to school, peer support, safety at school, depression and anxiety) and bullying victimisation during early adolescence, and determined the most critical time to focus school-based social health and bullying intervention programs. Stage 4 investigated the social health predictors and mental health outcomes of chronic victimisation over the primary to secondary school transition period.
Six research questions were tested as part of this research and are reported in a series of five peer-reviewed publications. The first research question, (Does the level of bullying involvement predict level of engagement in problem behaviours?) was addressed in Stage 1. Results from Stage 1 found high correlations between cyberbullying and traditional forms of bullying, and found levels of traditional victimisation and perpetration at the beginning of secondary school (Year 8) predicted levels of engagement in problem behaviours at the end of Year 9. Cyberbullying was not found to represent an independent risk factor over and above levels of traditional victimisation and perpetration for higher levels of engagement in problem behaviours. Stage 1 results highlighted the importance of reducing the frequency of bullying prior to and during transition to lessen the likelihood of future involvement in bullying and other problem behaviours. Knowledge of the temporal relationships between social and mental health and bullying experiences over the transition period may allow for early intervention to address bullying, which in turn, may lessen the likelihood of involvement in other problem behaviours. These results from Stage 1 led to Stages 2 and 3.
Stage 2 addressed the relationship between social health and bullying experiences, answering Research Questions 2 and 3 (What is the temporal association between peer support, pro-victim attitudes, school connectedness and negative outcome expectancies of bullying behaviour and perpetration-victimisation over the transition period from primary to secondary school?; What is the temporal association between social variables such as connectedness to school, peer support, loneliness at school, safety at school and victimisation during and following the transition period from primary to secondary school?). Stage 3 involved examining the temporal relationship between mental health and victimisation addressing Research Question 4 (What is the temporal association between mental health and bullying victimisation over the transition period?). The significant reciprocal associations found in the cross-lag models between bullying and social and mental health indicate social and mental health factors may be both determinants and consequences of bullying behaviours (Stages 2 and 3). Based on the magnitude of the coefficients, the strongest associations in the direction from victimisation to the social health variables occurred from the beginning to the end of Year 8, suggesting these relationships may already be well established for some students by the time they complete primary school. Reducing students’ victimisation in Year 8 may, therefore, protect students from poorer social and mental health outcomes during the first and subsequent years of secondary school.
Understanding the social health predictors and mental health outcomes of those chronically victimised over the transition period led to Stage 4 of this research. Stage 4 answered Research Questions 5 and 6 (How do social variables such as connectedness to school, peer support, loneliness at school, and safety at school predict class membership in bullying victimisation trajectories over the transition period?; Can class membership in bullying victimisation trajectories predict mental health outcomes such as depression and anxiety?). Using developmental trajectories of victimisation during and following the transition from primary to secondary school, adolescents were assigned to non-victim, low, increasing and stable victimisation groups. Adolescents with poorer social health were more likely to be in the increasing and stable victimised groups than in the not bullied group. Students in the low increasing victimised group had poorer mental health outcomes than those in the stable and not bullied groups. Unexpectedly, the impact of victimization onset at the start of secondary school had a greater impact on mental health than prolonged victimisation beginning at an alternative developmental stage. The results of Stage 4 reiterate the importance of intervening to reduce bullying prior to and during the transition period.
There are limitations which may affect the validity and generalisability of these research findings. Threats to the internal validity of this study include data collection methods, selfreport data, measurement limitations, and attrition. The causal links and trajectory groups were studied over a relatively short, but critical, social time period consisting of immense social growth and development of social skills and relationships. For some students, the associations studied may have been well established prior to their involvement in the study.
These findings collectively suggest that by secondary school bullying behaviours and outcomes for students are fairly well established. Prior to transition and the beginning of secondary school appears to be a critical time to provide targeted social health and bullying intervention programs. The results of this study have important implications for the timing of school-based interventions aimed at reducing victimisation and the harms caused by long-term exposure.
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Wilks, Patricia A., and n/a. "Teacher morale in A.C.T. primary schools." University of Canberra. Education, 1993. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20061110.132233.
Full textAbstract:
This study investigates morale as perceived by primary
school teachers. A survey was administered to level 1
teachers in A.C.T. government schools. Of the 280
surveys distributed 165 returns were able to be
processed, a 59% response rate.
Teacher morale has an effect on the quality of teaching
and hence student outcomes and is currently an
important aspect of the education debate. Teacher
stress, a product of low morale, has been of concern to
teacher unions and to education departments across
Australia.
Morale, for the purpose of this study, is defined as
a confident and forward looking state of mind relevant
to a shared and vital purpose.
The survey used in this study was a modified version of
Smith's Staff Morale Questionnaire. This instrument
identifies three factors of morale : "Cohesive Pride",
"Leadership Synergy", "Personal Challenge". Responses
relating to these factors were analysed with respect
to age, gender, years of experience, school in which
the teacher is employed and type of teaching duties.
Results indicated that school attended has an influence
on the level of "leadership synergy" and gender has an
influence on the level of "personal challenge".
This research may have implications for school
leadership and professional development programs and
policy.
37
McDavitt, Karen. "School social work: Supporting children’s primary education in the South West of Western Australia." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2017. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1979.
Full textAbstract:
In many countries, social workers play a role in the education of children. In Australia, this is evident in the state of Victoria which has a long history of school social work. However, it is not the case in Western Australia where there are very few government-funded social work roles in public schools. With the barriers to education rising for increasing numbers of students, the social work profession could be one component in a multi-disciplinary whole that supports students and the broader community so that each child has the best chance of reaching their full potential.
This thesis poses the question: Is there a role for social workers in regional primary schools in the South West of Western Australia in relation to identifying and addressing external barriers to education? The term external barriers to education is used in this thesis to denote barriers which, unlike disability or illness, are external to the child. The Australian Association of Social Workers’ Practice Standards for School Social Workers provide a list of the range of issues that may impact on a student’s ability to engage with education, identifying areas where a social worker is well placed to provide support and direction. For the purpose of this study, the focus is on those matters external to the child, such as (but not limited to) family changes, drug and/or alcohol misuse within the home environment, poverty, violence, abuse and neglect, transiency or instability of housing.
To answer the research question, this study first reviews literature pertaining to education, social work and government policy and then explores the experiences of five Edith Cowan University social work students who undertook a field placement in one of three host regional government primary school in the South West of Western Australia. The study also explores the perspectives of five staff from the three host schools and the external field educator who supervised all five students. Data was collected by way of interviews and focus groups with the participants, with the data then being subject to thematic analysis.
The rich data derived from this study depicts the work undertaken by the social work students, the possibilities for the profession of social work and the implications this research may have in relation to identifying and addressing external barriers to children’s learning and education. The findings are distinct and unambiguous, identifying a major gap in the support that is offered to students and their families. This thesis suggests that the gap identified by this study may result in children having reduced possibilities to learn and, as a result, they may be denied life opportunities; a matter which it is argued could impinge upon children’s human right to education.
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au, l. payne@central murdoch edu, and Lesley Irene Payne. "School Governance: Phases, Participation and Paradoxes." Murdoch University, 2004. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20040831.95132.
Full textAbstract:
This research analyses the governance structures and processes of thirteen independent primary schools in Perth, and one state primary school in Western Australia termed an alternative or lighthouse school. More in-depth case studies were undertaken at five sites with participants from different time periods. All the schools had a school council or board since their foundations and notably all schools had their origins in the period of the alternative school and community empowerment movement of the 1970s and 1980s.
In an era of market reform and the corporatisation of schools, the critical areas of focus for this research were: how community expectations and school identity were maintained within council-governed schools; how democratic imperatives compete with professionalism and school improvement issues; and how schools confront dilemmas of governance. Three frameworks, Phases of Development, Community Empowerment and Dilemmas, were employed as useful means to discuss school governance. The results revealed changes in governance over time. Schools began to envisage themselves less as communities and more as businesses. The emphasis was away from parent involvement and towards efficiency and commercial practices. Tensions and dilemmas arose out of these changes.
The thesis concluded that it was not the structures or individuals that were crucial in governance processes but the playing out of particular tensions and dilemmas. Principals and councils have to acknowledge the dilemmas that arise from competing values systems and make choices based on a clear understanding of these dilemmas.
39
Oakes, Ivan Alvin James. "Two Western Australian Primary Schools’ Responses to the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority Guidelines on internationalisation in schools." Thesis, Curtin University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/70387.
Full textAbstract:
This study explores the extent to which two Western Australian primary schools are embracing internationalisation in response to the expectations set by the Australian Curriculum Assessment, and Reporting Authority (ACARA). Findings indicate that to some extent the two schools are internationalising their learning and teaching, curriculum and school activities but the focus is limited due to many intervening factors. The thesis makes recommendations for the improvement of internationalisation strategies in schools.
40
Pascoe, Beverley. "The influence of primary school music programmes on student choice of music studies in lower secondary schools." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1995. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1174.
Full textAbstract:
The omnipresence of music in today's adolescent society in Australia is evidenced by the fact that adolescents, almost without exception, listen to and enjoy music throughout most of their leisure time, and indeed, much of their study time. A large portion of their financial resources is spent on music and its associated promotional material. It could be said that music plays a major part in their sub-culture and their lives. According to Davey (1991, p.ll), "Music is an addiction in our culture" and "the Walkman and ghetto blaster assure access wherever and whenever we choose." The obvious fulfilment and satisfaction enjoyed by our adolescents through music is not, however, reflected in the comparatively small number of students who choose or qualify to undertake music studies at high school. A study by the U.S. Department of Education (1988) cited by Patchen (1993, p.19) indicates that, while from Kindergarten to sixth grade 80% of students participate in music, in 7th and 8th grades this falls to 48% and by grades eleven and twelve only 9% of students participate in music classes.
41
Gray, Valerie Joyce. "Teaching and learning with ICT in Western Australian government primary schools." Thesis, Curtin University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/1960.
Full textAbstract:
Have you ever wondered how far educators have come in response to the political push for improvements in teaching and learning with ICT? As a society, we have a responsibility to prepare young people to make a strong contribution to our future. This is characterised by rapid technological change in global communications and interactions. Since the early 1980s, governments around the world have committed vast resources to the provision of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in schools. This means that schools have been implementing the introduction of ICT for nearly thirty years!This research examines how successful Western Australian primary schools and their teachers have been in implementing the use of ICT in teaching and learning. The research has been informed by a previous study that took place nearly ten years ago and resulted in the Pearson report (2001) and later the DET Teacher ICT skills survey (2005). The current research examined the role that leadership, teacher attitudes and professional learning played in ICT implementation. The study utilised a mixed methods approach to data gathering which included participant observations as well as auto-ethnographic methods.The key outcomes of this research indicate that teacher proficiency and skills in utilising ICT in teaching have not significantly improved over time in the sample schools used in this study. This is despite successive Western Australian governments making substantial investment into new technologies, high-speed broadband and professional learning opportunities for teachers and schools.The study concludes that for the successful integration of ICT into teaching and learning teachers and administrators must have time to develop and reflect on technology based pedagogy, as well as time and opportunities to engage in continuous, meaningful professional learning that not only considers the technical aspects but also new pedagogy and best practice to better meet the needs of their children. This can only be done if administrators and teachers change their attitudes and beliefs about how technology can enhance their teaching and learning. In addition, they must rethink the philosophical and pedagogical assumptions of education by making better use of the technologies that already exist in their schools by changing what we do in the classroom.
42
Faulkner, Matthew. "The Induction Of Beginning Teachers In Western Australian Catholic Primary Schools." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1994. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1470.
Full textAbstract:
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 that most principals and administrators support the conclusions expressed in the literature that most graduates are satisfactorily prepared for the teaching role. However, this is only the start of an ongoing process of pre-service, induction and professional development. Few of the beginning teachers in the population were given any concessions in their initial months of teaching and few received an effective, ongoing induction plan to ease them into their teaching careers. The literature on induction is prescribed to support the importance of developing school based comprehensive induction plans for the beginning teachers who enter the workforce each year. Finally, based on the results of the survey study and literature, a framework of a model for induction was prescribed to assist in the development of a comprehensive, system based induction policy for Western Australian Catholic primary school.
43
Leitao, Natalie C. "Teacher-student relationships in primary schools in Perth." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2008. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/196.
Full textAbstract:
This study investigated teacher-student relationships at Perth metropolitan schools in Western Australia. From the literature, three key social and emotional aspects that affect teacher-student relationships, namely, Connectedness, Availability and Communication, were identified as important to good, positive teacher-student relationships. Data were collected in four parts: (1) through a teacher questionnaire; (2) through a student questionnaire; (3) through teacher interviews; and (4) through student interviews. The three relationship aspects formed the structure of a teacher questionnaire in which ten stem-items were conceptualised from easy to hard - four stem-items for Connectedness, three for Availability, and three for Communication - and answered in three perspectives: (1) an idealistic attitude, this is what I would like to happen; (2) a self-perceived Capability, this is what I am capable of, and (3) Actual Behaviour, this is what actually happens, using three ordered response categories: not at all or some of the time (score 1), most of the time (score 2), and almost always (score 3). The same three aspects formed the structure of a student questionnaire in which ten stem-items were conceptualised from easy to hard and answered in two perspectives: (1)a realistic view, this is what does happen; and (2) an idealistic view, this is what I wish would happen. Questionnaire data were collected from 43 primary teachers concerning 139 teacher-student relationships and 139 primary school students. Interview data were collected from 25 primary teachers and 139 students gave either, or both, a brief written comment and some verbal answers to relationship questions.
44
Gillan, Kevin P. "Teaching principals : Educational restructuring and transformational leadership." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1997. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/879.
Full textAbstract:
The restructuring of. the Education Department of Western Australia (EDWA) since 1987 has seen the devolution and decentralisation of administrative responsibilities from the central education authority to schools. The onset of an era of educational restructuring has significantly changed the work of primary school principals. They have become responsible for the transformation of schools from a bureaucratic form of organisation to ones that are characterised by school based decision-making and management. The new form of organisation is intended to sustain a process of continuous school improvement. As well as managing change there has also been an expectation for principals to provide educational leadership. School decision-making and management appears to have intensified the work of the principal. The schools of EDWA offer a special opportunity to study the way in which principals who have increased responsibility for managing change and establishing school based decision making and management have responded to the challenge of leadership. In the research literature theories of transformational leadership have been viewed by several researchers and perhaps education authorities as a desirable form of leadership. According to this view transformational leadership may enhance school based decision-making and management during a period of educational restructuring. This study considers the case of the teaching principal in EDWA primary schools. The focus of the research is to establish the extent to which principals who are successful in managing school improvement during a period of educational restructuring are using transformational leadership practices. Leithwood's (1994) synthesis of transformational leadership practices is used to conceptualise the way.in which principals attempt to do their work. The qualitative study used a sample of three teaching principals who were reported as being successful in managing change. The study focussed on whether teaching principals had been able to make use of opportunities to demonstrate any or all of the dimensions of transformational leadership. This research comprised a pilot study followed by the main study. The participants in both studies were selected using a purposive sampling technique to maximise variation. The pilot study involved three teaching principals from country and city schools. Three teaching principals and two teachers from each of their schools in both city and country areas participated in the main study. In each study data were collected using a semi - structured interview schedule. Principals and teachers in the main study were asked the same questions as a means of obtaining data triangulation. The findings of the study suggested that educational restructuring had compressed the amount of time in which teaching principals had to complete their educationalleadership1 administrative and teaching work. This resulted from an intensification of the principals' work. The findings indicated that many of the practices in Leithwood's (1994) synthesis of transformational leadership are being used and are relevant to the leadership of teaching principals during an era of restructuring. However, the study found some limitations of the model as it applied to the Western Australian context. These appeared in the dimension of developing a widely shared vision. It was found that in the Western Australian context the operationalisation of developing a widely shared vision in a school was obstructed due to a centralised. focus on objectives and outcomes.
45
Howard, Peter T., of Western Sydney Nepean University, and Faculty of Education. "Primary teacher's attitudes toward the student use of calculators in primary (kindergarten-year 6) mathematics classes." THESIS_FE_XXX_Howard_P.xml, 1991. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/133.
Full textAbstract:
The last fifteen years has seen an increase in the availability of calculators for use by schools and students. Educational authorities in Australia, the United States of America and the United Kingdom have come to recommend the student use of calculators from Kindergarten upwards. This recommendation has attracted continuing controversy, specifically regarding the use of, calculators in primary schools. Such controversy prompts an important question: What views do primary teachers themselves hold on this issue? This report examined the findings of a study into primary teachers' present attitudes toward the student use of calculators in primary mathematics classes. Data were collected from a questionnaire administered during 1990 to a sample of teachers undertaking their fourth year of study for a Bachelor of Education (Primary) at three university campuses in New South Wales, Australia. Those teachers who supported the primary student use of calculators believed that calculators are a technological tool for use in mathematics, that they increase childrens' confidence, they take the focus off computation in doing problems and that children use them outside the classroom. It was found that of these teachers, 55% supported the introduction of calculators before the end of Year 2. A total of 4% did not support their use at all in primary mathematics classes. This study concluded that there was not overall support from primary teachers for the introduction of the calculator into Kindergarten as recommended in the National Statement on the use of Calculators for Mathematics in Australian SchoolsMaster of Education
46
Mountain, Vivienne. "Investigating the meaning and function of prayer for children in selected primary schools in Melbourne, Australia." Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2004. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/ce1230f8f2c4b0659a5ed8946b54e8f5daafd1d9ca563ee22afba624d1aa9bf6/2467276/65016_downloaded_stream_241.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Prayer is a central element of all religions (Coleman, 1999; Engebretson, 1999). Alongside the sense of the theological importance of prayer there has been increased recognition of the psychological function and personal benefit of prayer for adults (Pargament, 1997). This thesis reports on research that investigated the theological and psychological perceptions of prayer held by children, shown through their understanding of the meaning and function of prayer. This thesis contributes to the research field of children's spirituality. As there is little existing research literature on children and prayer, the findings of this study provide valuable new understanding and propose new aspects of theory with implication for professionals involved in the education and the welfare of children. The research reported in this thesis represents the first Australian research on children's perception of the meaning and function of prayer. The choice of participants reflects the diverse philosophical and religious traditions found in the Australian, multifaith society. Semi-structured interviews were video-recorded with 60 participants from primary school Year Five (10-12 years). Five male and five female participants were selected from each of six different schools in the Melbourne metropolitan area. These were: the Catholic, Independent (Christian), Christian (Parent-Controlled or Community School), Jewish, Islamic and the Government schools. Students completed a drawing exercise and a written sentence completion exercise as part of the interview, and the three sources of data were analysed qualitatively using the method of Grounded Theory. The data was interpreted in the light of a detailed literature review on the nature and function of prayer as part of children's spirituality. This study has provided Australian data on the meaning and function of prayer for children as part of children's spirituality. Considerable agreement has been observed through the data, between children educated in a variety of school systems which embraced different philosophical and faith traditions. In the multicultural Australian community said to be secularized, prayer for these children has been shown as a valued aspect of life. The personal experiences of prayer for many were seen to be associated with the community of faith to which the participants belonged, and for others, prayer was learnt eclectically and practised in a private individualistic manner. All participants indicated that they had prayed and all contributed ideas about prayer through the interviews. All participants perceived prayer to function as an aid in life. Prayer was used by participants at significant moments in their life, and the words or thoughts in prayer helped to clarify and articulate deep feelings. Eight elements of theory (in accord with the literature on Grounded Theory ) have been generated through this research which are presented as recommendations for professionals engaged in religious education and student welfare.
47
Hyde, Brendan, and res cand@acu edu au. "Identifying Some Characteristics of Children’s Spirituality in Australian Catholic Primary Schools: A study within hermeneutic phenomenology." Australian Catholic University. School of Religious Education, 2005. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp82.04092006.
Full textAbstract:
This qualitative research study aimed to identify, through classroom observation and conversation, some characteristics of children’s spirituality in Australian Catholic primary schools. In the context of this study, spirituality was described as an essential human trait. While much of the recent literature in the field describes spirituality in terms of connectedness and relationality, in this study spirituality was described as a movement towards Ultimate Unity (de Souza, 2004a, 2004b), whereby at the deepest and widest levels of connectedness, an individual’s true Self may experience unity with Other. Spirituality was also described as the outward expression of such unity in terms of how one acts towards Other. Located within the constructionist epistemology, and in taking its philosophical stance from interpretivism, this qualitative study took its theoretical impetus from that stream of human science known as hermeneutic phenomenology. The videotaped life expressions of two groups of approximately six children in Year three (8-years-olds) and Year five (10-years-olds) in each of three Australian Catholic primary schools formed the texts that were reflected upon in order to gain insight into the spirituality of these children. The researcher met with each group on three occasions. Each group meeting, consisting of a semi-structured interview (conversation) and an activity (observation) was structured around the three categories of spiritual sensitivity – awareness sensing, mystery sensing and value sensing – as proposed by Hay and Nye (1998). van Manen’s (1990) lifeworld existentials were drawn upon as guides to reflection upon the life expressions of these children. Hermeneutic phenomenological reflection upon the texts of this present study identified four characteristics of these children’s spirituality – the felt sense, integrating awareness, weaving the threads of meaning, and spiritual questing. As well, two factors which appeared to inhibit these children’s expression of their spirituality were also identified – material pursuit and trivialising. Each of the four characteristics identified reflected the descriptions of spirituality drawn upon throughout this study, particularly the notion of spirituality as a movement towards Ultimate Unity (de Souza, 2004a, 2004b). In some instances, these characteristics also revealed the emergence of the Collective Self, in which the individual Self of each child became unified with every other Self among the group of children. It was argued then, that a movement towards Ultimate Unity may entail the emergence of a Collective Self, in which, at the deepest and widest levels of connectedness, Self and Other become one and the same. The two inhibiting factors indicated that such a movement was thwarted in that these factors prevented the children from moving beyond their superficial self towards deeper levels of connectedness. As the result of this investigation, this present study proposed some recommendations for learning and teaching in the primary religious education classroom which may nurture spirituality. These include the creation of appropriate spaces for nurturing spirituality, allowing children time to engage in the present moment of their experience, the use of tactile experiences in religious education, and the need to begin with the children’s personally created frameworks of meaning. A learning model for addressing the spiritual, affective and cognitive dimensions of the curriculum has also been offered as a means by which to realise these recommendations for learning and teaching. As well, recommendations for the personal and professional learning of teachers and leaders in Catholic primary schools who seek to nurture the spirituality of their students have also been proposed in light of the characteristics of children’s spirituality that were identified. These include the formation and professional learning for teachers of religious education, and the possibility of revisioning the curriculum to explore where spiritual development might be addressed across the curriculum.
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Yeo, Frances Jacqueline, and n/a. "An exploratory study of student referrals in ACT primary schools." University of Canberra. Education, 1990. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20061112.110051.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of the study was to identify the reasons stated by ACT
primary school teachers for referral of students for specialist
assistance, and the type of specialist assistance given to referred
students.
The study also compared student referrals in Resource Teacher and
Non-Resource Teacher Schools, and examined what patterns were
reflected in this sample of primary school student referrals.
This study had two sections; an examination of: 1) primary school
student referrals and 2) primary school teacher attitudes towards
learning difficulties and behavioural difficulties children. The
identification of courses undertaken by teachers which were helpful
in teaching students with learning and behavioural difficulties were
also compared to teacher attitudes. These results were compared
with those of Bourke (1985), a previous study of ACT teacher
attitudes towards learning difficulties students.
The study confirmed findings within the literature review that
classroom teachers were the major source of student referrals for
specialist services and that two important student variables
impacted upon referral. The student variables, student gender and
behaviour were found to have a significant effect upon referral.
Boys were referred more often in both samples of schools with girls
more likely to be referred in Resource Teacher Schools. Referred
students were more likely to have no reported behaviour problems
in Resource Teacher Schools.
There were differences in the patterns of referral in Resource and
Non-Resource Teacher Schools, ie service response to referral,
parents' role and attitudes of teachers.
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Knight, Raymond. "The interplay of formal and informal rule systems in government primary schools." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1996. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/951.
Full textAbstract:
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. From this initial population a stratified sample of fourteen people was selected for interview. Eight subjects were interviewed a second time. The data collected by these means was coded according to its correspondence to the research questions raised for the study. The most significant finding arising from this study was that teachers' knowledge and level of consciousness of the rules and regulations were minimal. Information that they did have was gained through immersion in their workplace and contained a great deal of informal or cultural lore, based upon approximations of the actual regulations The teachers tended to rely on the principal of the school for information about what was permissible and what was not, including role reference direction. All of the teachers interviewed reported that they had an obligation to work within the rules and regulations, even though, as indicated above, they were not aware of the specifics of the formal rule system. A second significant finding related to the responses of the school administrators. Unlike the teachers, their knowledge of the rules was comprehensive but they reported that they often ‘interpreted' the regulation seeking the 'spirit rather than the 'letter' of the rule. They all reported that they believed the rules to be out-dated and, in many cases, irrelevant. Some of the administrators interviewed reported negative attitudes towards the regulations, bordering on contempt in one case the principals reported that they disregarded many of the rules when they felt impeded by them. The only exceptions were rules that carried negative sanctions for non-compliance. Therefore, much of the school level regulation was based on approximations of the official rules and regulations developed by the principal, who assured compliance amongst their staff. It is clear from this study that descriptions of schools as rule governed institutions are oversimplifications of how the formal and informal rule systems, as suggested by Burns and Flam, serve to steer bureaucratic organisations. Senior administrators use the formal rules to establish and bolster their power and authority; at the same time they use considerable discretion in applying or ignoring official rules in order to accomplish what they determine is in the interests of the school.
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Oliver, Lynnette Caroline. "Evaluation of EQ4KIDZ, an emotional intelligence program for primary school children in Western Australia." Thesis, Curtin University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/2462.
Full textAbstract:
Historically, schools have deemed cognitive skills more important than social and emotional skills for academic success. However, present research suggests that emotional intelligence (EI) may be more important than intelligence quotient (IQ) for success in both schools and the workplaces because of the social nature of emotional intelligence. The originators of the theory of emotional intelligence assert that emotional intelligence can be developed and can play a major role in fulfilling successful social interactions. The concept that IQ may not be as important for success in life as EI (known also as EQ) has resulted in the emergence of many emotional intelligence training programs in both the workforce and for school aged children. EI theorists contend emotional awareness lessons can assist children to understand their own emotions and emotions in others to achieve positive outcomes.The main objective of this research was to ascertain whether emotional intelligence can be developed in primary school age children and whether it does enable them to achieve academic outcomes more successfully than they were demonstrating prior to the implementation of the program. The study was conducted using a small group of primary school children who attended an established emotional development program known as EQ4KIDZ.The results of this research strongly supported the literature in that the EQ4KIDZ program was an emotional intelligence developer, with all participants rating EQ4KIDZ as highly effective for teaching emotional intelligence skills. Both parents and teachers reported noticeable changes after the children had completed EQ4KIDZ. The program taught the skills that made the learner confident, motivated, aware of expected behaviours, able to manage personal impulses, able to seek help when appropriate, wait a turn, be aware and effectively interact with others. The program also had positive effects on most of the children's behaviours- emotionally, socially, academically and promoting positive relationships within their respective schools, homes and the broader community.Although teachers, parents and students in this research recommended EQ4KIDZ to be incorporated into a school curriculum and with the data results indicating EQ4KIDZ could be very successfully implemented into a school curriculum, there would need to be a firm commitment by educational leaders as well as financial support by the Department of Education of Western Australia for ongoing student success. The outcomes from this study then have broad implications for effective educational practices.