Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Australian Study and teaching (Secondary) Australia'
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1
Ainsworth, Sharon G. "Perspectives on differentiation in practice : an interpretive study from teaching Japanese as a second language in Western Australian secondary schools." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2007. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/288.
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This focus of this interpretive study was aimed at presenting an active conception of differentiated curriculum from within the context of Western Australian (WA) second language teaching practice. Significantly, research into differentiation is a relatively new phenomenon in Australia and in particular, to WA second language teaching. Data was collected from seven Japanese language tcachers and their perspectivcs illustrated the realities of individual teaching in the construction and implementation of diffrerentiated curriculum. These teachers worked within an outcomes-based Curriculum Framework (Curriculum Council. 1998) mandate which defines curriculum for all WA schools and require responsive teaching to cater for the myriad range of learners apparent in classrooms. Differentiation authors suggest how teachers may differentiate classroom elements of ' content', 'process'. 'product' and 'learning environment' and design curriculum in response to student needs and address learner characteristics of 'readiness', 'interest', 'learning profile' and 'affect'. Teachers' interviews in this study highlighted how students enter Year 8 with a range of prior primary school second language learning experience that differs in terms of intensity, duration or type. Students in transition to secondary school may therefore be both beginners and continuers of the Japanese language and be in the same Year 8 class.
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Sheffield, Rachel. "Facilitating teacher professional learning : analysing the impact of an Australian professional learning model in secondary science." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2004. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/811.
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In education, innovations are frequently introduced to promote changes to the curriculum, teachers' practice, and the classroom environment, however, these initiatives are often implemented without sufficient evaluation to monitor their impact and effectiveness in bringing about the desired changes. This thesis analyses the impact of a teacher professional learning program on lower secondary science teachers' practice. It examines the relationship between teachers' concerns about the strategies incorporated in the Collaborative Australian Secondary Science Program (CASSP) and teachers' ability to understand the strategies, on their ability to utilise those strategies in the classroom. It also seeks to determine teachers' beliefs about their current science teaching practice and how this is different from their beliefs about ideal science teaching, and also, how these beliefs direct teachers’ classroom practice. Finally this study describes a number of primary and secondary factors found to impact on teachers' professional learning. 11tc CASSP model encapsulates the primary factors of curriculum exemplars (curriculum resources), explanation und modelling (professional development), and reflection (participative inquiry). The secondary factors include ensuring adequate time for change to occur, student support and participation, peer teacher support, support from lenders including-heads of department, support from the school administration and support from state education officers. This study has demonstrated that teachers’ professional learning is a complex process that is strongly influenced by teachers' beliefs, concerns and understandings, and is impacted by the primary and secondary factors identified by the research. Teachers must be able to envision the advantages of incorporating new strategies into their existing practice, and consequently seek to make these changes to their teaching. This study has shown that students are also an important influence the implementation of an innovation, without their support, teachers are unlikely to make successful changes to their teaching practice. lmplications of the research include the need to elaborate the CASSP professional learning model to include the secondary factors identified in the study, and the need to inform students about innovations so that they can see the benefits for them in terms of improved learning outcomes.
3
Grote, Ellen. "An ethnography of writing : the writing practices of female Australian indigenous adolescents at school." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2004. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1675.
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The lack of success in addressing the educational needs of Aboriginal English (AbE) speaking adolescents is evidenced by consistently lower outcomes in literacy than those of their non-Indigenous peers. Differences in literacy levels between Indigenous girls and boys suggest that gender is an influential factor in literacy achievement. This ethnographic study explores cultural and gender influences on the writing practices of a group of female Indigenous adolescents in the cross-cultural context of an urban Western Australian secondary school.
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Johnson, Valerie. "Drama teaching: Understanding what we do." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2002. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/732.
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Drama teaching in secondary schools in Western Australia has become an increasingly complex discipline in recent years. This study has considered the work of Drama teachers from the point of view of those practising the discipline, using a phenomenological methodology which allowed the voices of the participants to be heard directly. In the discussion, consideration is given to the way in which these teachers practice the dynamic which is drama, are influenced by the art form of theatre, and deliver the school subject, Drama.
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Fairclough, Kelvin. "Assessing moral reasoning development through values education within a Western Australian independent school." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2000. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1366.
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The relationship between Values Education and corresponding moral reasoning development has been explored within a group of forty-six year eight students (twelve and thirteen years old). Participants were tested with a Sociomoral Reflection Objective Measure instrument to index their moral reasoning stage development (reported as a Moral Maturity Score). Randomly dividing the group into two equal proportions they were assigned to an Experimental or Control group. The Experimental group was presented with Values Education through exposure to age relevant moral dilemmas which envelope a societal value drawn from the Core Shared Values (Curriculum Council of Western Australia, 1998). Within each session the discussions were both inductive and didactic. After a ten-week exposure to forty-minute sessions the students were re-tested. The aim is to investigate evidence of significant change in moral development of the Experimental group compared to the Control group. The degree to which changes occur impinges upon the relevance of inclusion of Core Shared Values into the Curriculum Framework (Curriculum Council of Western Australia, 1998) being established in Western Australian schools. The Core Shared Values are to be infused into the curriculum in order to enrich the morality of students, the future societal generations, and raise the moral standards of our society. The presupposition is that the integration of these values will in fact enhance moral development through moral reasoning. The findings of this study did not support the premise that using a Values Education will improve the mora1 reasoning capacity of students within an experimental group above that of a control group. Even though overall improvements were made in both groups, neither reached statistical significance. Recommendations included in the body of the text include the consideration of a longitudinal study using values integrated into the curriculum rather than an interventionist approach.
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Mazibuko, Edmund Z. "The mediation of teaching through central curriculum controls: Four case studies of history teaching in year 12 in Western Australia." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1995. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1573.
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The work of scholars on pedagogical content knowledge has drawn attention to the importance of mastery of subject matter. Good teachers are able to make clever transitions between their knowledge of content and their pedagogy. The examples of these transitions in the literature usually assume that teachers have a large measure of control over the content: lessons are exploratory and concerned with understanding the deeper meanings and fundamental concepts that underpin the discipline base. The reality of most classrooms is otherwise; teachers are guided by syllabus statements, textbooks and end of year examinations. Sequence and pace of instruction are often implicitly or explicitly controlled. Teachers are required to make choices: either teach towards the examination or teach for deeper understanding and jeopardise the completion of the examinable content. The purpose of this study was to examine how experienced Year 12 history teachers in Western Australia managed the tension between content coverage and teaching for deeper understanding of the subject matter. To examine this question, four experienced history teachers in four high schools in Perth, Western Australia took part in the study. These teachers were observed teaching history in Year 12 during the 1994 school year and they were also interviewed on aspects of their teaching, the syllabus and the TEE examination. The students in these classrooms were also interviewed during the data collection period. The stories of these teachers are presented in four case studies. Evidence from this study indicates that the experienced Year 12 teachers have learned to make compromises in the way they teach and manage content coverage in such a way that they are able to achieve high levels of examination performance while maintaining a focus on conceptual learning. The teachers managed this balancing act by (a) representing high examination performance and conceptual understanding of the subject matter as a single objective rather than as two objectives in opposition, (b) ensuring that students had a broad conceptual understanding of the key issues contained in the examination syllabus so that the students could independently construct answers to the kinds of questions contained in examinations and (c) selectively emphasising and teaching in depth some parts of the syllabus though the whole syllabus was covered at least superficially. Though the teachers would have preferred more personal control over the selection of content and assessment procedures, they nevertheless saw the external examination to have merit; however, as this study has demonstrated, the external examination is clearly a fallible means of student evaluation.
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Seah, Wee Tiong. "The negotiation of perceived value differences by immigrant teachers of mathematics in Australia." Monash University, Faculty of Education, 2004. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/5456.
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Le, Kim. "Cultural hybridity and visual practice: Towards a transformative-repair multicultural pedagogy for visual arts education." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2004. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/790.
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This research project examines how transitional multiculturalism, cultural hybridity and transformative-repair are practiced by a professional artist-researcher and novice artists. Transitional multiculturalism and cultural hybridity are examined through a series of artworks by a Vietnamese-born artist-researcher. This series of artwork, which reflects 35 years of creating art in both Vietnamese and Australia, demonstrate a personal engagement with issues of cultural diversity, upbringing, and related aesthetic studies. The intention of this exhibition is to chart the characteristics of the artist's expression, which is culturally hybridised. This part of the study aims to identify those artistic conventions associated with specific visual traditions that have been incorporated into the artist-researcher's paintings. The main influences identified originate from both Eastern arts traditions (Viet nam, Japan and China) and Western visual arts traditions. This study also aims to identify how to use artistic conventions associated with the expression of one's culture und ancestry, which may continue to improving one's knowledge in different traditions and history across diverse aesthetic systems of hybridity. Information and understandings gained from the first part of this research will provide insigns, which will have relevance to secondary school visual arts learning areas. The transformative-repair model of multiculturalism is examined through a visual arts project conducted by secondary school students. More specifically this part of the study aims to identify principles, approaches and content for transformative repair, experiences of two students of culturally diverse hack grounds (African and Vietnamese) who are currently engaged in this culturally diverse Australian society.
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Cox, Philip F. "Student beliefs about learning in religion and science in Catholic schools." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2004. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/799.
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The focus of this study is the impact of student perception of the validity of content on student learning. It is proposed that, if the content of a subject is perceived by students as being different to the content of another subject, a result of this perceived difference is that students will treat their learning in these subjects differently. To test this proposal, student beliefs about items from the content of the religious education course are compared with student responses to items of content of their science course. A sample of 1418, year 11 students from nine co-educational Catholic secondary schools were asked to respond to a series of outcome statements from the year 10 religious education and science courses. The questionnaire asks two questions; one, can• the student recall being taught each item; and two, does the student believe that the item is true. If the students believe that the item is true, they are asked to indicate one of three possible reasons for their belief. One, they believe the item because the teacher had provided them with evidence that convinced them that the item is true; two, they believe the item because they trust the teacher to teach them what is true, or three they believe the item for some other reason such as faith. This study does not deal with the issue of faith formation, catechesis, new evangelisation or evangelisation which are significant raison•d'etre of Catholic schools and are closely linked to the study of religious education in Catholic schools. Student and staff responses to a number of open-ended questions, and extensive discussions with students in a Reference Group, provide additional insights into the student beliefs regarding the nature of knowledge particularly for the content of their religious education and science courses.
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Young, Lisa. "Suburbia : a postmodern artistic investigation and an examination of how postmodern approaches can be effectively adopted in the context of the new Western Australian post-compulsory visual arts course of study." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2005. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/629.
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In 2007, Western Australia art educators will be required to teach a new post-compulsory visual arts curriculum. This course written in a postmodern context, will need a paradigm shift in approach. As a visual arts educator and a visual artist working in a contemporary context what are valid and effective methods of creatively investigating the postmodern world? How can postmodern themes be taught and strategies employed effectively and with integrity in a visual arts curriculum? What are effective and valid approaches to teaching visual arts in the context of the post-complusory Visual Arts Course of Study?
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Farringdon, Fiona. "Developing a post compulsory evidence-based alcohol education curriculum that is relevant to students and acceptable to teachers." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2000. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1394.
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The aim of this study was to develop a post compulsory, alcohol education curriculum that would be perceived as relevant by students and acceptable to teachers. The study had its conceptual basis in harm minimisation that has considerable justification in terms of what school-based alcohol education can realistically achieve. A harm minimisation approach is supported by parental attitudes, teachers, young people and government policy. To ensure the curriculum was developed in the Western Australian education context it has been linked to the Western Australian Curriculum Framework and adheres to the principles that underpin the framework. Furthermore, this study draws on the features from evaluated health, alcohol and other drug education programs that have the potential to produce some behaviour change. Accordingly, a major focus of the study was to involve young people in the development of the curriculum. To ensure that the curriculum was sensitive to the concerns of the students it sought to influence, twelve focus groups were conducted with year twelve Western Australian students. These focus groups provided invaluable information about young people's alcohol use experiences, alcohol-related harms that are of particular concern to young people, harm reduction strategies used by young people and educational approaches likely to be effective with young people. These insights were incorporated into the development of the curriculum, ensuring it has a basis in situations experienced by young people. Particular attention was also paid to the needs of teachers, involving current health education teachers and health professionals in the development of the content and teaching strategies In addition, teachers who pilot tested the curriculum were trained prior to implementation of the curriculum, The training, based on interactive modelling of activities, was designed to equip teachers with the knowledge, skills and confidence to teach the curriculum as written, and to document any variation so that fidelity of implementation could be assessed. The curriculum was piloted in three Perth high schools in fourth term of 1999. A triangulation of measures was adopted to assess the curriculum including teacher and student assessment and an evaluation workshop. The process evaluation data from both students and teachers indicated that the curriculum was faithfully implemented and consequently evaluated as relevant by the students who participated in the pilot and acceptable by the teachers who taught it. The apparent success of the curriculum in terms of relevance to students and acceptability to teachers appears to be due to the collaborative process used to develop the curriculum. This process may be replicated, adapted, or added to, by other researchers and educators wishing to develop health education curriculum materials that will be viewed as relevant by students and acceptable by teachers while incorporating an evidence-based approach.
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Quin, Robyn. "A socio-historical study of the construction of knowledge in secondary media education in Western Australia - whose knowledge?" Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2001. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1022.
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This thesis investigates the history of the construction of knowledge in the school subject media studies using the Western Australian experience as the case for the study. It seeks to explain why the subject media studies looks and sounds the way it does today through the production of a genealogy of the subject. The problems addressed are first, why was this subject introduced into the curriculum in the 1970s. Secondly, how has the knowledge in the subject been defined and contested, how and why has it changed in the course of the subject’s history. Thirdly, which knowledge attains the status of truth and becomes the accepted definition of what the subject is about.
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Batt, Deleece A. "The communicative orientation of virtual language teaching in upper primary and lower secondary telematics in Western Australia." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2003. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/36669/1/36669_Digitised%20Thesis.pdf.
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The aim of this study was to investigate the communicative orientation of classroom interaction in Japanese language lessons that are conducted in the virtual environment of synchronous (real-time) telematics. Specifically, the study examined Japanese telematics classrooms in upper primary and junior secondary schools in Western Australia. This study focused on whether the interaction in the classes studied, evident in the virtual learning mode of telematics was facilitative of second language (L2) acquisition.
The form of telematics used in this study was synchronous communication between teacher and students using telephone and computer links, sometimes also referred to as "audiographics". Telematics may also include the use of other communication technologies, such as live interactive television (LIT) however this was not available to all sites in the current study so it was not investigated.
The aim of this study is articulated through the research questions:
1. What is the nature of the communicative orientation in upper primary and junior secondary Japanese language classrooms in telematics mode?
2. ls the interaction observed in Japanese language telematics classrooms of the type that promotes L2 acquisition?
The first question seeks to identify the relative emphasis placed on interaction and form-focused interaction in the telematics classroom context. The second question identifies whether the features of interaction that SLA researchers suggest promote L2 acquisition are evident in the telematics context. This study uses the term interaction to refer to the type of human-human communicative interaction occurring in L2 telematics classes via the computer/technology that is facilitated by a number of key communicative features of interaction drawn from the second language acquisition (SLA) research. Interactivity on the other hand is used to refer to the human-computer engagement which is technologically facilitated.
Subjects in the study were three telematics teachers, with distributed classes across several student receival sites. The study examined descriptive process data collected from Japanese telematics classes in Western Australia via audio and video recordings. The study engaged in a descriptive inquiry using Classroom-Centred Research (CCR) methodology. CCR as a methodology provides evidence about the nature and influence of language instruction and classroom interaction have on L2 acquisition. This study used multi-methods of data collection via four stages: teacher questionnaire, classroom observations of interactions, teacher focus group discussion and follow-up interviews conducted later in the study to confirm the findings.
The major analytical tool used was the current version of the Communicative Orientation of Language Teaching (COLT) Observation (1995). The use of this scheme stems from its ability to bring together all of the communicative variables to capture features deemed theoretically and empirically relevant to the L2 classroom. The COLT Observation Scheme also provides a framework for comparing features of discourse in classrooms with features of natural language acquisition considered to be facilitative of L2 acquisition. In this way the extent to which an instructional treatment may be characterised as communicatively orientated can be measured. Both Part A and Part B of the scheme were used. The features and categories in Part A are primarily derived from pedagogical issues identified in the literature on communicative language teaching (CL T). Features and categories in Part B reflect issues in first and second language acquisition. The only modification was an additional investigation of how form was used in the telematics lessons.
Although recent studies have recommended improvements to telematics delivery, no other known study has specifically investigated whether the interaction evident in the delivery of Japanese via telematics is of the type that promotes successful L2 acquisition. Through the use of the COLT Observation Scheme, this study was able to capture and measure features of L2 classroom interaction in these telematics environments.
The results indicate that there were a number of internal and external variables that influenced the nature of the communicative orientation of telematics classes in this study. In terms of the communicative features of interaction identified in the COLT Observation Scheme as predictors of successful L2 acquisition, a number of these were not strongly evident in the results, for example, use of the target language, interaction in group work, use of extended text, use of authentic resources and student-made materials, reaction to message and clarification request.
Pedagogic factors impinging on the communicative orientation of the telematics environment included the highly teacher-centred nature of the telematics context. The use of the computer as a controlling device and the only visual connection also moved teachers further towards a more directive delivery style and greater dependence on using the L 1. Given the recent support for the incorporation of some focus on form into a communicative curriculum, the supplementary focus on form data revealed how the electronic nature of telematics delivery influenced how form was taught and the overuse in some cases of vocabulary games, drilling, substitution and repetition. There was also little evidence of students initiating discourse, negotiating activities or requesting clarification. Students engaged in mainly minimal rather than extended text thus limiting opportunities to experiment with the L2.
The communicative orientation of L2 telematics classes in this study was also impacted upon by a number of external factors, such as noise, technical breakdowns and inadequate learning environments at receival sites. The impact of the absence of a two-way human visual connection led to teachers using a more directive style of teaching where "silences" were often filled with teacher talk. Teachers identified this limitation as also limiting opportunities for students to obtain comprehensible input. However, teachers developed useful compensation strategies to overcome some of these limitations such as, using colour on the computer screen and tone of voice to highlight salient features. They also introduced games that promoted interaction between sites.
Whilst this study has revealed that some of the communicative features of interaction are evident, a greater number of these features need to become more prominent or more communicative. As well as targeting the technological orientation of the delivery method by adding a human visual connection, this would also involve the careful incorporation of the features that are characteristic of a more communicative approach to L2 acquisition.
This study has contributed to the fields of SLA and virtual delivery in a number of ways. It has added to the existing literature base through interfacing the SLA literature with the telematics literature. It has also contributed to a new methodology by taking an existing methodology and methods and applying them to the virtual L2 telematics classroom, in particular, the use of the COLT Observation Scheme in a virtual context. A contribution this study has made to language teaching through telematics lies in a mapping framework that has evolved from the study that aims to bring the type of interaction that occurs in SLA, communicative interaction and telematics closer together.
Further research needs to determine how interaction can be more effectively promoted m the telematics and virtual learning environments. It is anticipated that this study will encourage other researchers to further investigate the benefits of a more communicatively orientated intervention which will ultimately lead to positive L2 learning outcomes for all students in telematics environments and the broader virtual learning contexts.
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Brown, Roger George, and rogergbrown@mac com. "The impact of the introduction of the graphics calculator on system wide 'high stakes' end of secondary school mathematics examinations." Swinburne University of Technology, 2005. http://adt.lib.swin.edu.au./public/adt-VSWT20051117.121210.
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There has been widespread interest in the potential impact of the graphics calculator on system wide 'high stakes' end of secondary school mathematics examinations. This thesis has focused on one aspect, the way in which examiners have gone about writing examination questions in a graphics calculator assumed environment. Two aspects of this issue have been investigated. The first concerns the types of questions that can be asked in a graphics calculator assumed environment and their frequency of use. The second addresses the level of skills assessed and whether with the
introduction of the graphics calculator has been associated with an increase in difficulty as has been frequently suggested. A descriptive case study methodology was used with three examination
boards, the Danish Ministry of Education, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and the International Baccalaureate Organization.
Four distinct categories of questions were identified which differed according to the potential for the graphics calculator to contribute to the solution of the question and the freedom the student was then given to make use of this potential. While all examination boards made use of the full range of questions, the tendency was to under use questions in which required the use of the calculator for their solution. In respect to the level of skills assessed, it was found that both prior to and after the introduction of the graphics calculator, all three examination boards used question types that primarily tested the use of lower level mathematical skills. With exceptions, where graphics calculator active questions have been used, the tendency has been to continue to ask routine mechanistic questions. In this regard, there is no evidence of the introduction of the graphics calculator being associated with either lowering or raising of the level of the mathematical skills assessed.
For all cases studied, the graphics calculator was introduced with minimal change to the curriculum and examination policies. The role of the graphics calculator in the enacted curriculum was left implicit. The resulting examinations were consistent with the stated policies. However, the inexperience of some examiners and a general policy of containment or minimal change enabled examiners to minimise the impact of the introduction of the graphics calculators on assessment.
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Whipp, P. R. "Aquatic programmes and swimming activities in health and physical education : a case for differentiation." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2004. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/784.
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This research study provides a 'snap-shot' of the current status of teaching aquatic programmes in Western Australian secondary schools. This study also encapsulates the thoughts and feelings of the teachers and the students engaged in these programmes, scrutinises the outcomes of existing programmes and advances practical recommendations to address the problems identified. The study was conducted within a contemporary context where little innovation in aquatic education has accompanied the Australian and state-wide curriculum development based on outcomes-focused education. The research was underpinned by a conceptual framework which conforms to the principles of constructivist learning (Kirk & Macdonald, 1998; Wittrock, 1978; Woods, 1996) and was viewed through Tomlinson's (1999, 2000, 2001) differentiated classroom and Shulman's'(1986, 1987) pedagogical content knowledge, and articulated through Choi's (1992) curriculum dimensions. The study incorporated empirical/analytic and interpretive research paradigms, collecting data from 33 Teachers in Charge of Health and Physical Education Departments (TiC's), 43 teachers of Health and Physical Education (HPE) swimming, and 1532 students Year 8/9 in both Government and Independent schools. In addition, case study observation and interview data (4 HPE classes) were used in the triangulation of common happenings, issues, perceptions and experiences to provide an in-depth analysis of aquatics in HPE. Teacher data were presented for school sector (Government, Independent) and schools with and without a swimming pool; while student responses for differing year levels, gender, school sector, swimming ability, ethnicity and perceived parental swimming ability comparisons- are offered. Observation and interview data were inductively analysed employing a thematic cross case analysis process. The results indicated that there was a lack of HPE swimming and formalised aquatic award programmes offered in Western Australian secondary schools. At the conclusion of the HPE swimming unit, which was defined by 'stroke technique analysis and correction,' more than 40% of students did not meet the requirements that define a competent swimmer (Ministerial Swimming Review Committee - Report, 1995). Girls and students of ethnic origin were under-represented in the higher swimming categories. On an annual learning continuum, Year 8/9 students appeared to 'tread-water.' Staff/student ratios typically exceeding 1:20 impacted negatively on teacher effectiveness and the student outcomes. Additional issues impacting on programmes included: inadequate time and pool space; varied swimming abilities; students feeling cold; student related personal, interest/readiness, maturation, gender and cultural dynamics, and inadequate teaching resources. School HPE programmes that were required to access a public swimming venue for lessons were disadvantaged from a range of perspectives. This study makes recommendations with the ultimate goal to increase the number of secondary schools offering this curriculum and the number of Western Australian children who are aquatically competent. Findings and conclusions highlight the need for new HPE aquatic policy, differentiated teaching and professional development aimed at meeting students’ readiness and interest levels. Recommendations for further research to consider how contemporary HPE aquatics might be presented to accommodate student needs, to identify and map the aquatic competencies of Western Australian school children, and the minimum aquatic proficiency for students exiting the compulsory HPE years, are offered.
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Shand, Jennifer. "From essay to resumé : a study of writing genre and discursive positioning in senior school English." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2011. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/465.
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In 2004, the Western Australian government signalled its intention to increase the school leaving age from 15 to 17 by 2008 (Carpenter, 2004). During the period from 2004 to 2006, increasing numbers of young Western Australians completed twelve years of secondary school. For English faculties in Western Australian schools, this resulted in a notably diverse cohort of students undertaking compulsory English studies in their final two years of school. The central aim of this thesis was to examine what it means to be a writer in senior school English. In doing so, the thesis investigated the construction of student writing identities in an environment where increasing numbers of students progressed through senior school with the intention of pursuing pathways other than university. In this setting, students were offered a range of English subjects, each of which represented and promoted particular writing identities, and access to specific opportunities for learning about genre. The thesis explored the role of environmental and discursive features in shaping student writing identities through the selection, presentation and construction of genre. In this process, it examined the discursive framing of writers through the key features of writing in curricula, policy, seminal discourses of the English subject area, teacher interpretation of curricula and the texts students construct. A review of the literature, particularly the recent work of Kress (2005, 2006), Bourne (2003) and Kress, Jewitt, Bourne, Hardcastle, Jones, and Reid (2005) suggests that the factors shaping writing identity in the English subject area emanate from both the local contexts of the classroom and broader cultural and institutional contexts. In order to analyse and interpret the influence of broader social and cultural values and practices, a discourse analysis (Bernstein, 1990, 1996, 2000) has been applied to policy, curriculum and classroom practice. To do this specifically, Bernstein’s notion of pedagogic discourse has been used to explain how educational contexts were framed through regulative discourses that shape social order and outline how learning takes place. Additionally, using Bernstein’s framework, the thesis explored how opportunities for learning and access to particular forms of genre were framed at the level of policy and curriculum. Central to this investigation of identity has been an analysis of how the selection, presentation and construction of genre discursively positions students. It drew upon the theoretical framing of genres as culturally embedded templates, which influence the features of texts and the parameters of successfully constructed texts (Feez, 2002; Macken-Horarik, 2002, 2006a; Martin, 1985, 2002, 2009). The thesis examined the discourse roles (Smidt, 2002, 2009) offered to students and their own attempts to establish identities as they engaged with the genres they encountered. To examine the nexus between identity, genre and discourse, the thesis has utilised Bakhtin’s (1986) notion of the discourse community and its use in studies of genre (Hyland, 2010; Ivanic, 2006; Smidt, 2009). Aspects of systemic functional linguistics (Butt, Fahey, Feez, Spinks & Yallop, 2000; Halliday, 1978, 1994; Halliday & Hasan, 1985) have been employed to identify and interpret some of the linguistic resources presented to students and the ways students appropriated and transformed these. In doing so, the research drew upon investigations of the positioning of students writers in subject English through a number of discourses and practices (Bourne, 2003; Christie, 2002b, 2005a, Christie & Derewianka, 2008; Christie & Macken-Horarik, 2007; Kress et al., 2005). A case study methodology provided the primary research design. Elements of the ethnography were used as interpretative tools, and the thesis incorporated the social semiotic ethnography (van Leeuwen, 2005a, Vannini, 2007). Data from a range of sources were used including policy and curriculum documents, teacher and student interviews, classroom observations and text analysis.
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Burgis, Paul Lindsay Education Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences UNSW. "The role of secondary schools in the development of student knowledge about poverty in Australia, The Philippines and Zimbabwe." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Education, 2006. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/25483.
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This thesis examined student knowledge about the nature, scope, causes and responses to poverty, student perceptions of the emphasis in the school curricula on poverty and development, student attitudes to poverty and the factors that influence such knowledge and attitudes. Knowledge and attitudes at the end of primary school were compared with those after four years of secondary school in three nations, Australia. The Philippines and Zimbabwe, involving 1296 surveys and 188 interviews. The investigation draws on earlier work in Ireland (Regan, 1996). and is a response to the recent emphasis on the role of schools in development education in Europe (Lemmers, 2001) and the call for a greater emphasis in Australia on this area (Simons. Hart and WTalsh, 1997). The survey compared student understanding with current 'knowledge' in the literature and the interview allowed an examination of the stories students constructed about people in poverty, including their cognitive and affective responses to people in poverty. Results showed that whilst almost all students recognised that poverty exists, they were more likely to define it simply as a lack of income than as a phenomenon involving social power and self esteem. Few students were aware that the majority of the world's poor are female. Nationality was an important predictor of student knowledge and values. Australian students considered nationally based causes (e.g., government, education) to be more important than personal qualities (e.g., laziness) or international causes (e.g., powerful countries). Australian students were also more likely to value hedonism, but it could not be demonstrated conclusively that this affected the ways that they defined poverty and its causes. Filipino students were more likely to perceive poverty as being the fault of the person experiencing poverty and were more pejorative towards the poor. Whilst Filipino and Zimbabwean students considered that they had learnt a lot about poverty, few Australian students thought this to be the case. Students in senior secondary school were not well informed of current understandings about poverty and development and did not possess a significantly greater knowledge than primary school students on these matters. Specifically. current school practices allow students to perceive poverty as primarily income related and do not place due emphasis on internationally related causes.
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au, Ronald Aubrey@det wa edu, and Ron Aurbrey. "Student and teacher perceptions of preparation in mathematics in middle school and its impact on students' self-efficacy and performance in an upper secondary school in Western Australia." Murdoch University, 2006. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20070419.111054.
Full textAbstract:
Middle school initiatives (including heterogeneous classes and an integrated, flexible curriculum together with promotion of student input) have been implemented in schools in Western Australia in response to a perceived need to align schools more closely with a more student-centred approach to learning, in the expectation of meeting more students needs and thereby reducing student dissatisfaction and increasing the possibility of students pursuing life long learning. Specific goals underlying the initiative include the development of independent learning and student responsibility for learning through a series of strategies such as self-paced learning, student involvement in negotiating their own learning, and a strong emphasis on respecting and valuing student input into the implementation of curricula. However, owing to the way that the curricula for Middle and Upper secondary school mathematics are currently structured, problems might arise for students in the transition from a relaxed to a highly discipline-based organization of content (as described by Venville, Wallace, Rennie, Malone (1998). Students accustomed to the current approaches implemented in Middle schools (Years 8 to 10) may be disadvantaged in the transition to Upper secondary school courses (Years 11 and 12) compared with those students who have been exposed to a more discipline-based organization of content throughout early adolescence and prior to entry into courses leading to tertiary entrance (T.E.E. courses). The aim of this project was to investigate the possible effects of Middle school initiatives in a group of students from three Middle schools in Western Australia in one subject area mathematics on the perceptions of self-efficacy and preparation in mathematics once the students encounter Year 11 Upper school courses.
A survey containing Likert-type rating scales pertinent to four areas of interest Self-efficacy in mathematics; Self-Directed Regulation; Views on current teaching; and Views on prior teaching were administered to students transferring from three feeder Middle schools to Year 11 (Upper secondary school) classes in one Senior College in Western Australia for each of 4 consecutive years. Students were also asked for their comments regarding preparation for the challenges of their chosen courses in mathematics. In addition, their levels of performance in a range of mathematical skills were assessed using a teacher-developed test. The perceptions of their Middle and Senior School teachers were also sought. As the survey was administered to all students as a routine part of action research within the mathematics faculty at the Senior College, only the results of those students who subsequently agreed to be participants in the study are reported in this dissertation. Results indicated that a mismatch existed in approaches and skills between Middle School and Senior College Mathematics. The reliance on students making suitable choices for themselves, the absence of specialist teachers of mathematics in middle schools, mixed ability classes in which specialist teachers of mathematics find it difficult to operate successfully and a curriculum that was so flexible that teachers omitted key elements required for later studies were the main factors that resulted in a significant number of students making the transition from middle to senior school with insufficient preparation. Implications for the teaching of mathematics in these three Middle schools and the Upper school are discussed.
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Paris, Lisa F. "The graduate-mentor project in visual arts education: Mentoring within the Western Australian curriculum framework: A study of the impact of mentoring on beginning-teachers' perception of their success in visual literacy education during the first year." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2008. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/231.
Full textAbstract:
Western Australian tertiary graduates who enter the visual arts education profession are often well acquainted with the theoretical underpinnings of the Western Australian Curriculum Framework. This knowledge base, in combination with their own visual arts training, typically enables them to enter teaching theoretically well equipped to support students in the development of arts ideas and studio works. The important outcome areas of visual arts history and visual arts criticism often present major challenges for graduates. In the absence of significant post-university support and more importantly, within the context of limited preservice training where visual conceptual understandings and studio skills repertoires have priority, many beginning-teachers are often left to their own devices in sourcing visual arts history/criticism content and pedagogy. Uncertainty in either one or both of these key areas of visual literacy education tends to create unsustainable levels of stress for beginning-teachers and often results in attrition.
The Graduate-Mentor Project research examined the experience of 20 beginning-teachers as they moved from the pre-service phase of their career through to the end of the first year post graduation. The findings underscore the value of mentoring during the first year. Mentoring significantly impacted the induction experience of the beginning-teachers and in many instances made it possible for them to survive when they would otherwise have left teaching. The research reinforces the need for new approaches to initial teacher education and the essentialness of first year of teaching induction. In addition, there is a need for a partnership approach involving: universities, professional associations and school-based teachers, in establishing a reciprocal mentoring framework. The most valuable aspect of the research, was the development of an innovative 'reciprocal mentoring' Artist-in-Residence model, which reframed the status of the pre-service teachers from that novice to expert artist. The program answered one of the most troubling questions to emerge from the study, that of how best to ensure ongoing procurement of mentors for new graduates.
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Holly, Christina R. "An investigation of the factors that influence the career aspirations of Year 12 science students." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2005. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1549.
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What has become apparent in recent years is the lack of upper secondary students choosing science related subjects in their final years of schooling. Even of those students who choose science subjects to study in Years 11 and 12 in Australia, many tend to choose non-science pathways for tertiary education options (department of Education, Science and Training, 2003). This is worrying trend, given the numbers of science professionals and teachers required in the new age of technology. By investigating a sample of Western Australian Year 12 students that study any science related subjects, it is expected that there may be some underlying factors that can be identified that play important roles in their career aspirations. Previous research suggests that these factors will most likely be a combination of social, environmental and individual influences. Science learning experiences, albeit positive or negative, also most certainly determine an individual’s interest in science. It is important to understand why science is failing to capture the interest of our best students, who potentially could contribute intellectually to the future of Australian science. A sample of five secondary metropolitan schools was involved in the collection of data. Using a qualitative case study research method, Year 12 science students, aged 16 to 17 years, were surveyed on aspects of career aspirations and experiences in science. Focus groups from each school participated in a narrative inquiry with the author to further probe their thoughts about career choices in relation to science learning experiences. Staff involved in helping students with their career decisions such as Career Advisors, Year 12 Coordinators and science teachers were also interviewed. In summary, it can be noted, that whilst many of our Year 12 science students are reported high levels of enjoyment of science, there is significant room for improvement. Teachers are seen as a vital link in fostering students’ enjoyment of science, and need to be able to teach science in a relevant fashion, enabling students to understand and to be able to explain the concepts of science. Teachers also have an important role to play by identifying the range of careers that scientific knowledge will support. The study found that personal interest and academic ability are significant factors that influence the career aspirations of Year 12 students, it must also be acknowledged that parental influences also have a large influence on career aspirations of Year 12 students, as well as a range of other factors that will be discussed in the body of this research. The choices of university versus TAFE continue to be an issue, with the majority of students opting for university courses even when not academically able to fulfil the course requirements. Career counsellors also need to play a more active role in helping Year 12 students with decisions by being more readily accessible with relevant information, as this was one criticism of Year 12 students that participated in this research. In conclusions, it is important to note that a greater priority needs to be given to developing the quality of secondary science, and education about career pathways in science. It is very important that all students experience a science education that will make a difference in their lives whilst fostering scientific literacy. It is also important, as a society, to attract our best young minds into science as this will only endeavour to increase the competitiveness of Australian science (Goodrum, Hackling & Rennis, 2001).
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Lovesy, Sarah Caroline, University of Western Sydney, of Arts Education and Social Sciences College, and School of Education. "Drama education secondary school playbuilding : enhancing imagination and creativity in group playbuilding through kinaesthetic teaching and learning." THESIS_CAESS_EDU_Lovesy_S.xml, 2003. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/787.
Full textAbstract:
This research investigates the drama eduction form of playbuilding, and particularly the phenomenon of kinaesthetic teaching and learning which is aimed at enhancing group imagination and creativity. Playbuilding is a process whereby groups of students devise and act in their own plays using a variety of dramatic elements and theatrical conventions. This research explores the playbuilding learning experiences of two secondary school drama classes and the playbuilding teaching experiences of four drama teachers. The research underpins current drama and theatre education praxis that relates to learning through embodiment, symbolic creativity, and the purpose and function of metaxis in a secondary drama classroom. The study relied on qualitative research grounded theory techniques, focus groups, student workbooks, classrooms practices, closed questionnaires, face to face interviews and videotaped materials. Central to this research are the phenomena of imagining and creating that occur in secondary drama playbuilding groups learning through a group kinaesthetic paradigm. This study concludes that there is a paradigm which identifies secondary drama students as group kinaesthetic learners, and that kinaesthetic teaching and learning practices open up pedagogic spaces in playbuilding that significantly improve the effectiveness of group embodied learning in drama educationDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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Lowndes, Gabrielle. "An expressive-psychoanalytic approach to the reconstruction of personal experience : an opportunity for middle year males." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2006. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/349.
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This exegesis provides a theoretical background that supports and accommodates the Artist-Researcher's exhibition and visual diary. Efland's, (1990) Expressive Psychoanalytic model, reinforces the notion that through creating, individuals construct their experiences through the making processes. This self-responding approach focuses on emotionally centred expression, fusing the practical with feelings about relationships. The exegesis underscores the essential therapeutic role of visual arts in education. The Artist-Researcher's exhibition centres upon a personal exploration of her adolescent years in London, when she dealt with a complex family break up. She combines studio practise, personal text and computer graphics to reconstruct childhood experiences by confronting her parent's marriage break down. This selfanalytical approach provides the underlying function for the exhibition. The work examines a personal context for an application into teaching. Through self-discovery and reconstruction, she develops the basis for a teaching tool for middle year male students to gain confidence in expressing complex emotional issues.
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Chinen, Glenn Y. "Language process errors in year 9 mathematics problem solving : a multi-strategy language-based intervention." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2008. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/197.
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In the past two decades there has been a growing body of literature acknowledging and supporting the important role that language plays in the teaching and learning of mathematics. There have been numerous and significant research studies drawing special attention to the influence of language factors on mathematics learning. These studies have also indicated the inappropriateness of many remedial mathematics programs in which there is an over-emphasis on the revision of standard algorithms instead of a focus on language based activities (Markshoe, 2000). There appears to be a lack of research that gauges the effectiveness of intervention programs specifically focusing the literacies needed for mathematics.
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Kurup, Premnadh M. "Secondary students beliefs about, understandings of, and intentions to act regarding the greenhouse effect." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2003. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1324.
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The greenhouse effect (GHE) is a concern to everyone on this planet. To understand the GHE, students and citizens need an understanding of the chemical processes underlying this environmental phenomenon. Citizens need to be scientifically literate in relation to this phenomenon in order to participate in democratic decision-making and to take appropriate actions in their daily lives. As the GHE is a global issue it will require collective and individual actions to prepare for the likely climatic changes and to reduce the further impact of the GHE. This study focused on high school students' beliefs about, understandings of the GHE and their intentions to act in ways that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Aspects of the GHE that are taught in high school science were also investigated. The study was conducted in five schools each in Western Australia (Australia) and Kerala (India) and data were collected from 438 Year 10 and 12 students representing compulsory and post-compulsory stages of education in both states. Two hundred and thirteen students from Western Australia and 225 students from Kerala completed a questionnaire and a sample of students and heads of science were interviewed. A Propositional Knowledge Statement (PKS) was developed, which is a set of propositions that outline science concepts necessary for an understanding of the GHE in terms of its causes, effects, mechanism and actions that can be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emission. In this study the PKS is considered to be the essential knowledge necessary to interpret the GHE, to take appropriate environmental action, and to make informed decisions as a scientifically literate member of society. The questionnaire and interviews were based on the PKS. The study revealed that high school students strongly believe that the GHE is real and affecting the climate at present and will also affect it in the future. They consider that the GHE is a relatively important social issue and they believe that governments should conduct programmes to raise community awareness and enact strict laws to reduce the release of greenhouse gases. Students' understanding of the GHE is inadequate to make informed decisions and take appropriate environmental actions as a scientifically literate member of society. The majority of students and their families are already taking or are considering taking 10 accepted actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by household activities. The majority of students are not prepared to sacrifice their personal comforts or conveniences to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and they have strong reasons for that, however, they believe that governments should enact strict laws to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and should sign the Kyoto protocol. The GHE is not adequately represented in Western Australian and Kerala science and chemistry curricula. The heads of school science departments in Western Australia and Kerala consider that school science should do more to teach the GHE, as it is an important aspect of scientific literacy. An ideal scenario for students’ beliefs about, understanding of the GHE and commitments to take action that would enable individuals and communities to reduce greenhouse gas emission was developed based on the PKS and reports such as lPCC (2001), UNEP (2001), AGO (1999; 2000) and UN (1992). The actual scenario was based on the data from this study. The differences between ideal and actual scenarios were discussed and implications for improving education about the OHE were developed. Information about the curriculum and students' sources of information about the GHE, students' beliefs, understandings and intentions to act were mapped against the theory of reasoned action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980).
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Capern, Trevor. "Exceptional connections : a cross-cultural exploration of the actual teacher behaviours that contribute to positive relationships with gifted secondary students and secondary students with emotional/behavioural disorders." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2013. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/539.
Full textAbstract:
This cross-cultural study examined the teacher behaviours that contributed to positive student-teacher relationships with gifted secondary students and secondary students with Emotional/Behavioural Disorders (EBD) in Western Australia and Canada. The study also examined which categories of social support (emotional, instrumental, informational, appraisal) were considered most important in developing positive relationships according to the exceptional students and their teachers. Behaviours were identified through a mixedmethods approach that included surveys, teacher interviews, and student focus groups. Participants included gifted secondary students (N = 133) and their teachers (N= 49), and secondary students with EBD (N = 89) and their teachers (N=23) in Western Australia and three Canadian provinces. The data established that both gifted students and their teachers valued teacher behaviours that showed respect for students, supported and extended student learning, and promoted cordial and friendly interactions between teachers and students. Gifted students emphasised the importance of informational support, while their teachers put a greater emphasis on emotional support. Students with EBD and their teachers both valued teacher behaviours that displayed warmth, understanding, patience, supported students in their learning, and showed flexibility in instruction and in addressing behaviour. Students with EBD and their teachers both identified emotional support as the most important type of social support for developing positive relationships. Comparisons between the behaviours that were identified for gifted students and students with EBD revealed a set of core behaviours that were essential for developing positive relationships with both groups, but that each group required a unique set of behaviours to address their unique set of needs. Themes emerging from the data were consistent in Western Australia and Canada, indicating that positive relationships with these exceptional secondary students can be developed using behaviours that transcend borders and cultures.
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Langham, Karin. "Exploring Maori identity (Whakapapa) through textile processes : a visual arts program for year 11 students." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2010. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1862.
Full textAbstract:
In 2007 the Curriculum Council of Western Australia (CCWA) introduced a new Visual Arts Course of Study (2007), which contains a postmodern perspective and is inclusive of social criticism, multiculturalism, feminism and non-Western art forms. In keeping with the new Visual Arts Course of Study in this Creative Visual Arts Project, I have used the CCWA course outcomes as a framework to develop a visual arts program that is a vehicle for exploring individual personal identity, and has the potential to increase self-esteem in students in Western Australian secondary schools.
The research stems from my personal view that students can benefit significantly from investigating their identity, enabling them to situate their self in a stronger position in their present day life-world when they have a more definite sense of who they are and where they come from. I have placed myself in the position of ‘the subject’ in order to transfer the process into a visual art program that can be utilised within the classroom. The visual arts program is underpinned by Efland’s expressive psychoanalytic model for aesthetic learning, which posits that art is self-expression, a form of learning that contributes to emotional growth. Visual art awakens intellectual inquiry in an individual, increases cognitive potential through enabling personal liberation, and is an adjunct to informing society and culture.
The research project culminates in an exegesis and an exhibition of artworks that communicate personal memories and significant historical events exclusive to my whakapapa (Maori genealogy). The artworks are a vehicle for exploring my individual self-identity, enabling me to connect more deeply with my Maori cultural roots. The research paradigm utilised is narrative inquiry, a process of collecting and structuring stories that is characteristic of the traditional Maori practice of storytelling. This project has resulted in a reinterpretation of the perception of myself within my personal life-world. I have a deeper understanding of my cross-cultural roots, a stronger sense of who I am, and a sense of empowerment. I believe Year 11 students can also achieve this outcome through the visual arts program, using it as a tool for investigating their own identity, challenging cultural, social and gender limitations that impact on them, and ultimately empowering their personal life-world.
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Thomas, Laura Tennille. "Extra-curricular activity participation, connectedness to school and cigarette and alcohol use : how the relationships work." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2010. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1865.
Full textAbstract:
The Extra-curricular Project (ECP) was a group randomised control trial which sought to explore the impact of extra-curricular activity (ECA) participation on health and educational outcomes for secondary students attending 18 Government and non- Government schools in Perth, Western Australia. This naturalistic observation study (2004-2006) monitored students‟ participation in ECA provided by their school, perceived connectedness to school, teachers and peers and cigarette and alcohol consumption. In this study, ECA are defined as activities students choose to do (not compulsory), are fun and are not part of normal classroom work. The four main types of extra-curricular activities in this study are: sport, recreation, the arts, and other.
The main aim of this doctoral study was to test if a reduction in smoking and alcohol use occurred amongst students who participated in ECA compared to non-participants. Three sub-studies were conducted to explore the research concepts. First, student and school-level characteristics associated with students‟ ECA participation in Year 8 were explored. Second, the contribution of connectedness to teachers and peer support to students‟ perceived connectedness to school in Year 8 was investigated. Third, the longitudinal relationship between ECA participation in Years 8 and 9 and perceived connectedness to school in Year 10 was examined.
Much research in the field of ECA has been cross-sectional in study design, limiting the investigation of causal relationships between key variables. This study sought to address this gap by examining the impact of ECA participation in Years 8 and 9 on students‟ perceived connectedness to school in Year 10. Consistency of students‟ ECA participation across Years 8 and 9 positively influenced students‟ later connectedness to school. Hence, participation in both Years 8 and 9 (consistent participation), not only in Year 8, yields beneficial outcomes for students in relation to their perceived connectedness to school.
The three sub-studies contributed to the overarching research question exploring the relationship between ECA participation and cigarette and alcohol use, and the role of connectedness to school as a mediator in this relationship. Students who reported a higher perceived level of connectedness to school were less likely to report recent or lifetime cigarette use and recent or recent hazardous alcohol use in Year 10. Moreover, mediation analyses identified that while consistent participation in ECA was not in and of itself protective of recent cigarette smoking, if through consistent ECA participation students‟ perceived connectedness to school was enhanced, this was protective of students‟ reported recent cigarette use in Year 10.
These findings suggest much can be done to reduce adolescents‟ risk of cigarette and alcohol use. First students should be assisted to develop a strong connectedness to their school to reduce their likelihood of cigarette and alcohol use. ECA participation is one way to enhance students‟ connectedness to school, but every opportunity to do so should be explored. In addition, the modification of ECA programs in Western Australian schools to encourage continued participation in multiple activities is likely to enhance students‟ connectedness to school and thus reduce the likelihood of cigarette and alcohol use.
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Zhukov, Katie School of Music & Music Education UNSW. "Teaching styles and student behaviour in instrumental music lessons in Australian conservatoriums." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Music and Music Education, 2004. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/20698.
Full textAbstract:
This investigation into instrumental music teaching at the tertiary (conservatorium) level sought to observe and describe typical teacher and student behaviour in this under-researched educational setting. The aim of the study was to examine a wide range of areas associated with instrumental music teaching in order to identify patterns of behaviour exhibited by teachers and students and to define teaching and learning styles present in advanced applied music teaching. After a review of literature on teaching in general and on music teaching in particular, an observational instrument for individual instrumental music lessons was developed and refined in pilot studies. 12 prominent Australian teachers were videotaped teaching 24 students, with the sample being balanced geographically, institutionally, by instrument (three mainstream groups: piano, strings and winds) and by gender (equal numbers of male and female teachers and students). Steps were taken to observe realistic teaching of typical students and to minimise the observer???s intrusion into the lesson dynamics. The videotaped lessons were analysed using an observational instrument and the data was subjected to various statistical analyses. Results are reported according to five main areas (lesson structure, lesson content, teaching methodology, teacher/ student relationship, and teaching and learning styles) and discussed with reference to existing literature. The conclusions of this study enhance current understanding of studio music teaching, by supporting many of the findings of previous research and substantiating their application to advanced instrumental music teaching. This study provides new insights into the underlying structure of instrumental music lessons, the primacy of technique in terms of lesson content, the use of teaching strategies such as demonstration, evaluation and questioning, gender differences between teachers and between students, and the types of teaching and learning styles that are prevalent in conservatorium settings. Findings contribute to and extend existing research into applied music teaching.
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Gwatkin, Jan. "Investigating the viability of a national accreditation system for Australian piano teachers." University of Western Australia. School of Music, 2009. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0099.
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The Federal education system has 12 nationally accredited and portable qualifications issued by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) which cover three sectors; Higher Education, Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Schools. A mandatory minimum bachelor qualification together with education units, state registration and ongoing professional development is imposed for all classroom music teachers. In direct contrast, however, Australian studio piano teachers and school instrumental teachers may or may not have formal qualifications, registration with professional associations, or ongoing professional development. All teachers must be registered with State registration boards for Working With Children (WWC) but no monitoring controls exist for studio teachers. Qualifications are available from public examination boards, private enterprises and state Music Teacher Associations (MTAs) but these are not recognised within the national system and consequently have no status or portability, although they are used and recommended within the industry and higher education institutions as course prerequisites. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether a National Accreditation System (NAS) for Australian studio piano teachers could be a viable system, adding unprecedented professionalism to the field and drawing upon the existing systems of government, private industry and educational institutions. In the thesis, current systems of accreditation, education and training available for classroom music teachers, school instrumental music teachers and other recognised professions such as lawyers, engineers, accountants, health professionals and sports coaches were reviewed as a comparative basis upon which to assess similar contexts for studio piano teachers. Results are combined with a survey of Australian piano teachers' perceptions, from which the study ascertained the extent to which studio piano teachers' needs were being catered for and met in available systems of accreditation and training.
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Kindler, Michael, of Western Sydney Nepean University, and Faculty of Education. "Human literacy: liberal neglect in A Statement on English for Australian Schools." THESIS_FE_XXX_Kindler_M.xml, 1996. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/272.
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This thesis critiques A Statement on English for Australian Schools (1994) for what it does, and what it does not, say in respect of literature education. It argues the need to reconceptualise the way literature education is thought to benefit adolescent readers. The initial discussion identifies the issues which are raised in that document. This yields the need to redefine literature education as Human Literacy. It does so on the basis of a theoretical exploration of reader and text. Human Literacy is able to define reader response to show certain orientations which have either been left out, misunderstood or inadequately portrayed in A Statement. This thesis places Human Literacy within real world educational aims of homo economicus as well as homo sapiens sapiens. Such a context recognises liberal and utilitarian value positions, and is able to balance these in a manner which A Statement does not. In placing Human Literacy within educational philosophies of competing models of practice, literature education becomes nested within a more comprehensive understanding of education. Human Literacy provides a way by which educational value of literature is maximised. However, this projects a paradigm shift for A Statement, by identifying a liberal neglect through flawed assumptions, omissions, and contradictions. The presence of these in A Statement inhibit literature from working to best advantage. Human Literacy provides a more comprehensive way by which current theory is accommodated within an English curriculumDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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Frisina, Wendy-Cara. "Factors influencing students who continue or discontinue their music studies from year 8 to year 9: A survey of selected Western Australian secondary schools." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2001. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1061.
Full textAbstract:
This research examined the most significant factors which influence students' decisions to continue or discontinue their music studies from Year 8 to Year 9, in selected Western Australian Secondary Schools. The research was conducted during term 4, 2000. Results from the questionnaires were analysed and interpreted to determine the most significant factors which contribute to the discontinuation or continuation of instrumental music studies. Analysis of data examined factors as to why students continued or discontinued learning music or studying an instrument. Findings indicated that students' self-concept and music ability levels strongly influence the success or failure of a student undertaking music studies. Career choice, parental influence, parental support, peer pressure, time commitment, part-time work, teacher influence, choice of music studied and the fear of failure are the main contributors for students discontinuing their instrumental studies. Through the recognition of the most common problem areas it may be possible to assist with strategies to promote the retention rate of students in music studies. This study may assist non-music teachers to appreciate problems and help them to perceive music as part of the school program.
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Vine, Josie, and mikewood@deakin edu au. "'...we are not competing with bigger papers - we are doing a different job': A study of country Australian news values." Deakin University. School of Literary and Communication Studies, 2001. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20050815.100534.
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Brown, Diana J. "The role of visual art works in the theory and practice of education with reference to the perceptions of Western Australian primary visual arts specialist teachers." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1997. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/895.
Full textAbstract:
The study examines the role of visual art works in primary education. This involves three levels of investigation. Level 1 examines the role of these art works in the main philosophies of visual arts education; Level 2 examines the role of visual art works in the Western Australia Art and Crqft K-7 Syllabus; and Level 3 examines visual arts primary specialist teachers' perceptions of the role of visual art works in their teaching programmes. The purpose is to establish the relationships between these three levels of analysis so as to contribute towards an explanation of the disparity between the high commitment towards the use of art works at the level of curriculum framework, and the apparently minimal use of visual art works in classroom art teaching. The first level of analysis deals with the role assigned to the use of visual art [unreadable] four major philosophical theories of art education, namely: hand-eye training, child-centred art education, discipline-based art education (DBAE), and contextualist art education. The second level of analysis examines the influences of this theoretical debate on the structure of the Western Australian Art and Crafts Syllabus K-7, and also examines attempts to implement policy regarding the use of visual art works in schools. This is based on an examination of the relevant curricula documents, and interviews with four art educators involved in curriculum development The third level of analysis is based on interviews with visual arts primary specialist teachers. These interviews sought to discover their understanding of the role of visual art works in primary art education and in their own teaching.
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Palmer, Stuart Rohan, and mikewood@deakin edu au. "An evaluation of Australian undergraduate engineering management education for flexible delivery." Deakin University. School of Engineering and Technology, 2001. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20050815.112159.
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This thesis examines issues in Australian undergraduate engineering management studies in the context of flexible learning delivery. It is proposed that, within an Australian context:
a) the management skills and competencies required by graduate engineers can be determined and classified on a rational basis, permitting an educational focus on those elements most appropriate for graduates; and
b) on-line and other computer-based technologies are a practical and effective method for the support of undergraduate engineering management studies.
The doctoral project incorporates:
an examination of the nature of engineering management;
a review of the relevant literature establishing the importance of management studies in undergraduate engineering courses;
a review of historical and recent developments in Australian undergraduate engineering management studies;
an investigation of the management skills and competencies required by graduate engineers - based on original research;
an examination of flexible delivery of engineering education - based on professional practice experience; and
an evaluation of case studies of flexible delivery of engineering management education - based on original research and professional practice experience.
A framework of ranked classified management skills is developed. Broadly, the ranking framework is generic professional skills, followed by general management skills and technical discipline specific management skills, followed by other professional discipline skills and theoretical skills. This framework provides a rational basis for design of undergraduate engineering management studies. This is supplemented by consideration of the management skills required for the future of engineering practice.
It is concluded that undergraduate engineering management education is well suited to delivery and support by on-line and computer-based technology. Recent developments in improved access to the Internet, software systems for on-line collaboration and changes in copyright legislation to create a broad-based right to communication via on-line media have contributed to the facilitation of on-line delivery of teaching and learning. It is noted that though many on-line infrastructure issues have been satisfactorily resolved, higher level issues will emerge as being crucial, including the academic staff development and reward for operating in an online teaching environment and the financial sustainability of on-line development and delivery of courses.
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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.
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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.
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Kennett, Belinda. "A crossectional study of the Japanese of Australian high school students after one year in Japan." Master's thesis, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/133860.
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One of the perennial problems faced by language teachers is how
to assess learners' language skills reliably to place them at
suitable levels in courses. Learners who have lived In a
community where the target language is spoken pose the
greatest problem in terms of where they should be placed
because while they frequently lack the accuracy In
grammatical form of students who have studied the language
formally, they have skills in pragmatic areas (communicative
ability) which have traditionally played only a minor role in
foreign language teaching.
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Glew, Paul J., University of Western Sydney, and Centre for Educational Research. "Learning and teaching in ESL : perspectives on educating international students in Australia." 2008. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/41785.
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This Doctor of Education (EdD) portfolio addresses the learning by and teaching of English to full-fee-paying international students from language backgrounds other than English in a secondary school setting in Australia. It focuses on the two strands of English second language (ESL) learning and teaching in schools. The first of these is ESL for the general school curriculum in New South Wales (NSW). The second is English language intensive courses for overseas students (ELICOS). The EdD portfolio consists of two volumes. Volume 1 consists of five published journal papers, two refereed papers and one unrefereed paper published in national, state or local conference proceedings. These papers examine theory, pedagogy and teacher knowledge about English language education for high school aged international students. English language programs for overseas students are now a global market driven by commercial interests. I argue for an increased understanding of the needs of overseas students in the Australian education system, and that quality English language education and student welfare are both central to an effective ELICOS program for high school aged international students. Volume 2 comprises a resource for policy makers, principals and teachers entitled ‘Excellence in ELICOS: A Resource for quality preparation programs for high school aged international students in Australia’. Volume 2 is informed and underpinned by the scholarship, research, and theoretical work presented in Volume 1 but also draws on the author’s professional experience of implementing a holistic approach to international student welfare and English language education in a secondary school in NSW. Volume 2 presents a practical framework, approach and supporting resource that might assist in the establishing, implementing and sustaining of quality, intensive English language courses that are sensitive to the diverse educational and welfare needs of overseas students. Volume 2 was developed in response to the needs and demands of principals and teachers for proven, research driven curricula and policies that meet the needs of the growing population of international students enrolled in NSW secondary schools.Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
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Van, der Hoeven Sieta. "Rhetoric of adolescent fiction the pedagogy of reading practices in South Australian secondary English classes." 2002. http://arrow.unisa.edu.au:8081/1959.8/24936.
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This study examines the experiences of teachers and students in secondary English classes, as they engage in the reading of contemporary adolescent fiction, when such fiction is set as a class text. This study also includes an examination of students' perceptions of such reading, and of reading in general. The aim of the study is to add to the knowledge about what actually goes on inside English classrooms during the teaching of literature, and within that field, to specify how teacher-student interaction in the classroom defines and positions the kinds of meanings that are made of literary texts. Therefore, this study focuses on the teaching of units of work related to the reading of adolescent fiction novels by three South Australian English teachers, based in three different metropolitan schools.The central focus is on the teachers? plans for these units of work, and on the outcomes: that is, on teacher-student interactions during the time spent in class on the novel, and on students? written and oral responses. Thus this study also focuses on the learning that took place in these classrooms, as students made meaning from their reading.In the review of the literature, the role of the literary novel as the class ?set text? in its several historical contexts is examined, as well as current theories of reading, of pedagogy, and of literary criticism. Finally this study is placed in the context of other related studies and its contribution to the field explained.An interpretive approach is employed and methods of educational ethnography are used to what was visualised from the outset would be qualitative research in the form of case studies. Some quantification is used in this research to report on a small-scale survey, using a questionnaire to create a ?readers? profile of the cohort of student-informants as a whole. Metaphors were used to encapsulate the teachers? teaching styles, and their intentions and practices analysed to uncover the underlying theories on which these intentions and practices were based. Throughout, but especially in the final chapter, the related notions of ?enjoyment? and ?the teaching of reading? at secondary school levels, as well as the concept of reflectivity, are examined for their impact on reading pedagogy. Finally, some suggestions are made for possible and desirable future research and teacher professional development.thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2002.
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Clark, I. F. (Ian F. ). "An analysis of geology curricula in secondary and tertiary education / Ian Clark." 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/18909.
Full textAbstract:
Errata is tipped in after contents.Bibliography: p. 249-264.
iv, 264 p. : ill. ; 30 cm.
Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Geology, 1997?
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Clark, I. F. (Ian F. ). "An analysis of geology curricula in secondary and tertiary education / Ian Clark." Thesis, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/18909.
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Scott, Margaret. "Engendering loyalties: the construction of masculinities, feminities and national identities in South Australian secondary schools, 1880-1919." Thesis, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/19740.
Full textAbstract:
Bibliography: leaves 369-398.xiv, 398, [19] leaves : ill., maps, ports ; 30 cm.
A comparative study of a selection of South Australian secondary schools during the period 1880-1919. The ideals of gender and national identity of the various schools are investigated through an analysis of archival records relating to their rhetoric, organisation and curricula.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Education, 2000
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Roy, David. "Masks and education: a study in the teaching of drama and theatre studies in the Australian secondary curriculum." Thesis, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1403582.
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Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)In education, masks have been applied using the theories of a multitude of practitioners such as Meyerhold, Brecht, Grotowski, Lecoq and Brook. In drama classes throughout the Western world, masks are regularly engaged within a variety of contexts. However, there is negligible information available as to how masks are actually used in the classroom, and to what degree they are effective in different teaching and learning contexts. The original empirical part of this research is based upon teacher questionnaire responses from secondary teachers in the Australian states of Victoria (VIC), New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland (QLD). The research also observed and interviewed students in six drama classes, five of which were engaging with masks, to understand how masks could potentially have further impact and to understand more about the students’ engagement with and understanding of their learning. The findings suggest that mask usage is similar across classes and that students have high engagement, with increased self-awareness of roles and of their own sense of personal identity through the use of masks. In addition, there were significant indications that the usage of masks in the classroom offered opportunities for genuine inclusion of students with specific learning difficulties (including autism and dyspraxia), more so than the normal inclusive Drama class. Students with autism and dyspraxia have recognised neurological conditions that often manifest physically. The mask, through its very usage, forces the wearer, and the observer, to consider consciously their physicality in a more methodical way.
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Scott, Margaret (Margaret Mary). "Engendering loyalties: the construction of masculinities, feminities and national identities in South Australian secondary schools, 1880-1919 : a thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy / Margaret Scott." 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/19740.
Full textAbstract:
Bibliography: leaves 369-398.xiv, 398, [19] leaves : ill., maps, ports ; 30 cm.
Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.
A comparative study of a selection of South Australian secondary schools during the period 1880-1919. The ideals of gender and national identity of the various schools are investigated through an analysis of archival records relating to their rhetoric, organisation and curricula.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Education, 2000
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Mares, P. (Peggy). "Doing English : an ethnography / Margaret Lilian Mares." 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/21403.
Full textAbstract:
Bibliography: leaves i-xviiv, 290, xvii leaves ; 30 cm.
Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Anthropology, 1986
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Mares, P. (Peggy). "Doing English : an ethnography / Margaret Lilian Mares." Thesis, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/21403.
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Lees-Amon, Karen. "How effective are current drug education programs as a means of preventing illicit substance abuse in teenagers." 1999. http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/8395.
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Western Governments have been obliged to tackle illicit substance abuse by focusing on health issues, this has resulted in preventative policies that direct drug education through schools. As a consequence there are hundreds of drug education programs and the majority are competing for funding under the same auspice. Victoria's response has been to develop a prevention program known as Get Real and phase it into Victorian schools over a three year period.The three year period ended in 1999 and due to a change of Government the Get Real program has been re-funded for another 12 months, this is despite the fact there have been no formal evaluations conducted about its success or otherwise.
This program has been examined in relation to its own objectives and juxtaposed against two other main programs operating in schools in Australia. The results suggest Get Real is on the road to achieving its objectives which are to provide students with a realistic knowledge hasp about drugs and their effects. However, its broader goal which is to prevent illicit substance abuse cannot be evaluated because there are no studies that show its success or otherwise.
Based on the hypothesis thill drug education programs prevent illicit substance abuse in teenagers, Get Real's curriculum was compared with other similar programs and the research done on these programs suggest drug education programs do not successfully prevent illicit substance abuse.
The best Get Real and other programs can hope to achieve, is to provide realistic information and develop children's social skills and empower them with the knowledge and self esteem to make their own decisions. And to know that they alone are responsible for their choices and the consequences that follow from these choices.
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Edwards, Jenny. "Gene Technology in Action : the effect of a gene technology workshop on the attitudes of senior high school students towards gene technology." Thesis, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/145131.
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Catchpole, Heather. "GeoQuest : an interactive multimedia program for introductory earth science education." Master's thesis, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/150954.
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van, Gend Marie Annette. "Australian mixed-voice secondary school choirs: a case study of changing voices." Thesis, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1413019.
Full textAbstract:
Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)Participation in choirs in co-educational secondary schools in Australia is in decline (Pascoe et al., 2005). Many factors have been postulated as the cause of this, including social pressures, lack of time, lack of availability of trained choral leaders and perceived low status of choral singing. A major, but less discussed reason for the decline, may be a lack of understanding amongst choir leaders of the constant changes in the voices of adolescent singers. This can have a significant impact on the choral experience of boys and girls. Voice change is an issue unique to adolescent choirs. An understanding of the phases of change which choir members experience, and the strengths, weaknesses and overall technical and musical capabilities of the full ensemble, is essential for leaders and composers. This understanding impacts on repertoire selection and creation, voice placement in choral parts and pedagogy. Without a secure knowledge of adolescent voice change and its management, choir leaders may unknowingly be asking students to sing repertoire that is impossible for them – resulting in discomfort or failure and a decline in choir membership. Three SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analyses of Australian choirs concluded that the majority of conductors, even those with a Music degree, had received little formal training in vocal pedagogy and choral management (Harrison, Cowley, Connell, & Southcott, 2008; Hughes, 2017; Pietch, 2008). Despite decades of research into adolescent voice there appears to be little consideration of voice change in secondary school choral practice in Australia (Wicks, 2013, 2015; Wyvill, 2012). This research resulted from my need, as a secondary school choir leader, to understand what was going on with the individual voices in my choir. I wanted to understand how these changing voices were impacting on the ensemble’s overall sound, and how to manage that positively. Most mixed-voice choirs like mine were using SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, base) repertoire, but why was it causing such difficulties for many of my students? What was the best way to support students through voice change to ensure that they continued singing? There was no current resource that addressed these issues for Australian secondary school choir leaders, so I decided to undertake a detailed case study to fill that gap. This thesis describes the first in-depth case study of students from a mixed-voice, non-auditioned, secondary school choir in Australia, and presents its results. Seventy students aged 12 to 18 years participated. There were 29 boys and 41 girls. Range, tessitura, sF0 (spoken fundamental frequency), phonation gaps, transitions and vocal characteristics such as weight, airiness and timbre were all tested, recorded and analysed using Praat phonetic software. Spectrographic analysis was also performed. Students’ stages of vocal development were determined according to these parameters and characteristics, guided by the Cooksey and Gackle models of adolescent voice change. A modified classification framework, potentially more suited to Australian voices, resulted from this process. This case study provides a detailed snapshot of a typical mixed-voice non-auditioned secondary school choir. It also illustrates the impact of changing voices on both the sound and capabilities of the ensemble. The parameters that were most useful as indicators of a student’s vocal development stage were also assessed. Relationships between parameters were analysed, as was the influence of vocal training on vocal capabilities. The results of this case study were used to develop guidelines for secondary school choir leaders and composers for the placement of adolescent voices in SATB repertoire. An unintended benefit of this case study was the positive impact the testing had on the students’ understanding of their voices and the manner in which they later approached their singing. This appears to be an essential component in the successful management of secondary school choirs; students need to understand that their voice change is normal and temporary. When case-study participants understood this, they showed greater confidence and ownership of their voice change and started to work within the music to place their voices where they were the most comfortable. The results of this thesis suggest that the decline in choral singing in Australian co-educational secondary schools could be partly attributed to a lack of understanding of, and accommodation for, the changing voice. When the choir leaders and students understand the unique limitations and characteristics of a non-auditioned mixed-voice secondary school choir, they are more likely to choose or modify repertoire to suit those voices. When voice change is normalised, a confident and enjoyable musical experience is far more likely. This could be a valuable factor in attracting and retaining students in our choral programs.
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Errington, Sharyn. "Interactive multimedia in Australian university science teaching : a new toy or a useful tool?" Master's thesis, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/145270.
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