Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Teachers Victoria'
To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Teachers Victoria.
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 34 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Teachers Victoria.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Smith, Ronald William 1945. "Professional development organization and primary mathematics teachers : exploring connections with beliefs and practice." Monash University, Faculty of Education, 2001. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/8624.
Full text
2
Clark, Chris. "Exploring teachers’ use of physical activity in Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) senior secondary physical education." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2021. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2456.
Full textAbstract:
The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) Physical Education curriculum, like final “exit” year studies nationally and internationally, has drawn attention from highly regarded academics regarding the challenges faced by teachers in integrating theory with physical activity as prescribed in curriculum documentation. This research aimed to extend on previous study focused on the achievement of integration through learning that occurs in, through, and about movement. A unique overlay was adopted by investigating any influence of gender discourse in this process. Given the non-mandatory nature of the selection of VCE Physical Education as a subject by students, and the articulation within the prescribed curriculum that theoretical understanding will be underpinned by practical based physical activity, it is reasonable to expect that students who select this study enjoy the opportunity to be active. Therefore, this research intended to contribute to current and previous discussion around the use of physical activity to develop and apply theoretical understanding. Additionally, this study set out to contribute new understanding to what, if any, influence gender discourse had on the types of physical activity selected by teachers and how these activities were implemented. This research adopted two separate but closely related theoretical frameworks: Arnold’s dimensions of movement (1979), which underpinned most previous research into the concept of integration, and Wilcox’s embodied ways of knowing (2009). Both frameworks provided guidance on the use of movement in the production of knowledge and its application to conceptual understanding. A qualitative research design involving a case study approach was used. Three independent secondary schools in the inner south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne were involved in two phases of the case study. Phase 1 was a document analysis that involved two VCE Physical Education teachers from each school submitting documentation that pertained to the enactment of the VCE Physical Education Study Design at their school, particularly regarding the use of physical activity in their classes. In Phase 2 the same teachers undertook a semi-structured interview, during which teachers had the opportunity to discuss the submitted documentation and provide perspectives on how they integrated physical activity with theoretical concepts within their pedagogy. Further insight was also sought on the role gender played, if any, during the selection and implementation of physical activity. The findings affirmed previous research that the concept of integration was viewed as important by teachers, however integration was complex to achieve due to various influences and no apparent singularly accepted process. The use of physical activity during the process of enacting the curriculum was also found to be influenced, either directly or indirectly, by gender discourses. A need for further professional learning, policy review, and research were identified as important implications from this study.
3
Finn, Anthony Gerard. "Parents, teachers and religious education: A study in a Catholic secondary school in rural Victoria." Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2009. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/dc3a2ab068acd0c50001e324252159c846afe1b575eb7a735e9d10e95186fac1/1043334/64864_downloaded_stream_89.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
The research reported in this thesis investigated perceptions about the nature and purpose of religious education of parents and teachers in a study of one Catholic secondary school in regional Victoria, Australia. In the research project data were collected using questionnaires and interviews from parents and teachers of religious education associated with the particular secondary school. These data were analysed and interpreted against a spectrum of purposes for religious education that were drawn from the literature. The literature reviewed included documents relevant to religious education from the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and also from theorists in the field of religious education both from Australia and beyond. The theories about religious education generated by the literature review provided a framework within which to compare and contrast how the parents and the teachers understood religious education. While all of the religious education teachers took part in the research, the parents self-selected. This meant that those who responded were mostly Catholic from a school where there were 23% of families with no Catholic parent. A decision was made to focus this study on the new Catholic religious education guidelines, since this was seen to be essential because of the mandation by the bishop and Catholic Education Office of the Diocese of Ballarat. All parents were invited to respond, but mostly Catholic parent did. It was discovered that the parents and the teachers were in agreement in relation to most areas of religious education, especially in areas associated with values, morality, individual spirituality and what might be termed 'religious literacy'. Parents and teachers were shown to have different attitudes towards religious education in the senior school.;The data also highlighted the importance of the role of the teachers and school in providing religious education for families who have become distanced from traditional religious institutions. Many of the parents endorsed the school as the primary place for their children to receive information about religion, and chose to distance themselves from the religious education process in favour of allowing the 'experts' at the school to take on this role on behalf of the family. The thesis raised issues for the ways in which the school communicated with parents, both in terminology and technology. Overall, the findings affirmed the work of the teachers in religious education by parents who were 'time poor' and who wished to see the school take on the primary role of educating the children about religion, with expectations that the children would be fully exposed to the Catholic religious tradition in its teachings, ethics, liturgy and social justice practices.
4
Allan, Myrna. "Is professional development a solitary or a collegial experience?" Connect to thesis, 2003. http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/1114.
Full textAbstract:
There exists a consensus about the importance, but little else, of the ongoing professional education of teachers. The professional development of teachers is often seen by teachers to be a purely private matter serving self-improvement and/or career advancement. Equally often it is assumed to be essentially collegial concerned with improved school responses to redefined social expectations. Little is known about how, at the intersection of personal interactions and social necessities, truth is constructed by teachers about the significance of professional development exercises. This ontological research investigated the influence of the community of practice in signifying professional development of teachers' professional identity formation. It is a proximal influence that has been largely neglected in the literature on professional development. The case studies conducted here of science teachers in a rural secondary school initially assumed that certain types of autonomy and collegiality, together with differing workplace conditions have a more positive influence on teachers' professional development than others. The use of teacher portfolios in professional development reporting was investigated as institutional scaffolding for facilitating the sharing of insights from often remote professional development experiences, and as a means of improving communication within the science department.Positioning theory, as a tool in discursive psychology, was used to analyse professional development experiences as narrated by four colleagues in conversations with the author.
5
Alamu, Adrian. "Teacher beliefs, knowledge, and reported practices regarding numeracy outcomes in the Solomon Islands : a thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education /." ResearchArchive@vuw.ac.nz, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10063/1314.
Full text
6
De, Souza Marian, and res cand@acu edu au. "Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of Year 12 Religious Education Programs in Catholic Schools in Victoria: Implications for curriculum." Australian Catholic University. Department of Religious Education, 1999. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp201.02072009.
Full textAbstract:
This research study aimed to explore and describe students' and teachers' perceptions of religious education programs for Year 12 students in Catholic schools in Victoria in light of theoretical concepts of religious education. It sought to discover how appropriate these programs were in meeting the needs of today's students and achieving the aims of religious education for senior secondary students in Catholic schools in Victoria. The purpose was to propose guiding principles that could inform a review of Year 12 religious education curriculum in Catholic schools. There were two broad areas of investigation to this study: the theory and the practice of religious education in Catholic schools, with special attention given to the Year 12 programs. With the first area, there was an examination of religious education theory as revealed in the literature. This was concerned with the nature and purpose of religious education in Catholic schools. Different approaches to religious education were explored and their strengths and weaknesses for senior secondary programs were highlighted. In addition, recent approaches to teaching and learning at the broader curriculum level were investigated to highlight possible relevance to religious education. Thirdly, the theory of and approaches to religious education were considered in relation to some aspects of the context of contemporary classrooms. The second area was an investigation into current practices in the compulsory or core Year 12 religious education programs since these were accessed by all or most students in Catholic schools. Eleven schools were involved in the study. They were drawn from the four dioceses in Victoria and were chosen because they displayed certain characteristics which were seen as representative of the wider range of Catholic schools. In order to gain an insight into classroom practices, three sources of data were collected from these schools and examined. Firstly, through the use of questionnaires and interviews, data was collected on students' perceptions of their experiences in their religious education program. Secondly, questionnaires were used to gather information on the teachers' experiences of the program, their perceptions of their students' experiences and their background in religious education. Teachers' perceptions were used as a point of comparison with students' perceptions. Thirdly, religious education documents were examined and analysed to discover their aims and objectives, the content and topics included and their assessment strategies. In general, the various approaches (in terms of content and method) to Year 12 religious education classroom programs in Catholic schools in Victoria either emphasized cognitive learning or it focused on affective learning. With the former, an intellectual study of religion through a study of different religious traditions was offered which, it was hoped, would lead to an increased understanding and appreciation of the subject. With the latter, more attention was given to the personal dimension in religious education in terms of interpersonal and intrapersonal learning. The findings of this research study indicated that, in the perceptions of a majority of students, the religious education programs were not meeting their needs. This raises the question of the pertinence of the aims for senior secondary religious education as proposed in curriculum guidelines for Catholic schools in Victoria. The findings, therefore, suggest a need for a review of such programs in Catholic schools. The study concluded with the proposal of thirteen guiding principles that could inform the development, implementation and evaluation of future Year 12 religious education programs in Catholic schools. The principles, drawn from key insights from both the theory and current practice of religious education, could have relevance for Catholic school administrators, policy makers and religious education teachers. In addition, other areas were identified which could be useful for further investigation to enhance existing knowledge in this field of study.
7
de, Souza Marian. "Students' and teachers' perceptions of year 12 religious education programs in Catholic schools in Victoria: Implications for curriculum." Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 1999. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/0eb9fe072316241111f36ff6158fa5df92b4546634fdc9479e5d304317b593a7/26341216/64843_De_Souza_1999_Students_and_teachers_perceptions2_1_.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This research study aimed to explore and describe students' and teachers' perceptions of religious education programs for Year 12 students in Catholic schools in Victoria in light of theoretical concepts of religious education. It sought to discover how appropriate these programs were in meeting the needs of today's students and achieving the aims of religious education for senior secondary students in Catholic schools in Victoria. The purpose was to propose guiding principles that could inform a review of Year 12 religious education curriculum in Catholic schools. There were two broad areas of investigation to this study: the theory and the practice of religious education in Catholic schools, with special attention given to the Year 12 programs. With the first area, there was an examination of religious education theory as revealed in the literature. This was concerned with the nature and purpose of religious education in Catholic schools. Different approaches to religious education were explored and their strengths and weaknesses for senior secondary programs were highlighted. In addition, recent approaches to teaching and learning at the broader curriculum level were investigated to highlight possible relevance to religious education. Thirdly, the theory of and approaches to religious education were considered in relation to some aspects of the context of contemporary classrooms. The second area was an investigation into current practices in the compulsory or core Year 12 religious education programs since these were accessed by all or most students in Catholic schools. Eleven schools were involved in the study. They were drawn from the four dioceses in Victoria and were chosen because they displayed certain characteristics which were seen as representative of the wider range of Catholic schools. In order to gain an insight into classroom practices, three sources of data were collected from these schools and examined.;Firstly, through the use of questionnaires and interviews, data was collected on students' perceptions of their experiences in their religious education program. Secondly, questionnaires were used to gather information on the teachers' experiences of the program, their perceptions of their students' experiences and their background in religious education. Teachers' perceptions were used as a point of comparison with students' perceptions. Thirdly, religious education documents were examined and analysed to discover their aims and objectives, the content and topics included and their assessment strategies. In general, the various approaches (in terms of content and method) to Year 12 religious education classroom programs in Catholic schools in Victoria either emphasized cognitive learning or it focused on affective learning. With the former, an intellectual study of religion through a study of different religious traditions was offered which, it was hoped, would lead to an increased understanding and appreciation of the subject. With the latter, more attention was given to the personal dimension in religious education in terms of interpersonal and intrapersonal learning. The findings of this research study indicated that, in the perceptions of a majority of students, the religious education programs were not meeting their needs. This raises the question of the pertinence of the aims for senior secondary religious education as proposed in curriculum guidelines for Catholic schools in Victoria. The findings, therefore, suggest a need for a review of such programs in Catholic schools. The study concluded with the proposal of thirteen guiding principles that could inform the development, implementation and evaluation of future Year 12 religious education programs in Catholic schools.;The principles, drawn from key insights from both the theory and current practice of religious education, could have relevance for Catholic school administrators, policy makers and religious education teachers. In addition, other areas were identified which could be useful for further investigation to enhance existing knowledge in this field of study.
8
Reed, Brian, and n/a. "A survey of regular teachers' concerns towards the integration of disabled children in state primary schools, Bendigo region, Victoria." University of Canberra. Education, 1990. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20061107.100059.
Full textAbstract:
The integration of disabled children into regular schools is
a current educational and social issue causing widespread
interest, concern and debate throughout Australia. The most
controversial and innovative adoption of integration policy
has occurred in Victoria since the release of the Collins
Report in 1984.
The present study was conducted in 26 State primary schools
in the Bendigo area of the Loddon Campaspe Mallee region of
Victoria where disabled children had been integrated in
regular classrooms with the assistance of a paid teacher
aide during 1988.
The purpose of the study was to survey the concerns of those
teachers into whose classes children with disabilities had
been integrated.
The Stages of Concern (SoC) dimension of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (C-BAM) was chosen as the research
methodology. C-BAM was developed at the Research and
Development Center for Teacher Education, University of
Texas at Austin, and for the purpose of this study, the
methodology consisted of a questionnaire of 35 standardized
items (the Stages of Concern Questionnaire), and a School
Survey.
The study set out to identify the concerns of teachers
(ii)
toward integration, and to establish reasons why teachers
are at particular stages of concern. Factors included
teachers' age, gender, number of years of teaching
experience, qualifications and in-service training. Other
issues related to the disabled children themselves, the
school, and factors such as availability of resources,
funding levels, and access to support systems.
This study developed from the policy document Integration in
Victorian Education (the Collins Report, 1984). Since then,
the Ministry of Education has published two additional
booklets (in January and February, 1987), which partly
address some of the issues included in this thesis. These
include resourcing, in-servicing and the legal implications
of the innovation.
The analysis of the data points to major shortcomings which
will jeopardize the implementation process and the likely
success of the innovation. A number of recommendations have
been suggested, with particular reference to the pre-service
and in-service training of teachers, and issues relating to
funding and resources.
The findings have implications for all classroom teachers,
as potentially all are required to accept disabled children
into their classes. The results and recommendations also
have relevance for the Ministry of Education, whose
responsibility it is to ensure that the integration of
disabled children into regular classes is fully supported at
a government level, and for training institutions, whose
task it is to provide appropriate pre-service and in-service
programs for present and future classroom teachers.
9
Jensen, Marie-Thérèse 1949. "Corrective feedback to spoken errors in adult ESL classrooms." Monash University, Faculty of Education, 2001. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/8620.
Full text
10
Mahony, Linda H. "Early childhood teachers' pedagogical practice : what they know, think and do with young children experiencing parental separation and divorce." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2013. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/61987/1/Linda_Mahony_Thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This grounded theory study examined the practices of twenty-one Australian early childhood teachers who work with children experiencing parental separation and divorce. Findings showed that teachers constructed personalised support for these children. Teachers’ pedagogical decision-making processes had five phases: constructing their knowledge, applying their knowledge, applying decision-making schema, taking action, and monitoring action and evaluating. This study contributes new understandings about teachers’ work with young children experiencing parental separation and divorce, and extends existing theoretical frameworks related to the provision of support. It adds to scholarship by applying grounded theory methodology in a new context. Recommendations are made for school policies and procedures within and across schools and school systems.
11
Campbell, Coral, and mikewood@deakin edu au. "Science education in primary schools in a state of change." Deakin University, 2000. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20050815.101333.
Full textAbstract:
Through a longitudinal study of one teacher's science teaching practice set in the context of her base school, this thesis records the effects of the structural and policy changes that have occurred in Victorian education over the past 6-7 years - the 'Kennett era'. Initially, the purpose of the study was to investigate the teacher's practice with the view to improving it. For this, an action research approach was adopted. Across the year 1998, the teacher undertook an innovative science program with two grades, documenting the approach and outcomes. Several other teachers were involved in the project and their personal observations and comments were to form part of the data. This research project was set in the context of a single primary school and case study methodology was used to document the broader situational and daily influences which affected the teacher's practice. It was apparent soon after starting the action research that there were factors which did not allow for the development of the project along the intended lines. By the end of the project, the teacher felt that the action research had been distorted - specifically there had been no opportunity for critical reflection. The collaborative nature of the project did not seem to work. The teacher started to wonder just what had gone wrong. It was only after a break from the school environment that the teacher-researcher had the opportunity to really reflect on what had been happening in her teaching practice. This reflection took into account the huge amount of data generated from the context of the school but essentially reflected on the massive number of changes that were occurring in all schools. Several issues began to emerge which directly affected teaching practice and determined whether teachers had the opportunity to be self-reflective. These issues were identified as changes in curriculum and the teaching role, increased workload, changed power relations and changed security/morale on the professional context.
This thesis investigates the structural and policy changes occurring in Victorian education by reference to documentation and the lived experiences of teachers. It studies how the emerging issues affect the practices of teachers, particularly the teacher-researcher. The case study has now evolved to take in the broader context of the policy and structural changes whilst the action research has expanded to look at the ability of a teacher to be self-reflective: a meta-action research perspective. In concluding, the teacher-researcher reflects on the significance of the research in light of the recent change in state government and the increased government importance placed on science education in the primary context.
12
Macknight, Vicki Sandra. "Teaching imagination." Connect to thesis, 2009. http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/7035.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is about the teaching imagination. By this term I refer to three things. First, the teaching imagination is how teachers define and practice imagination in their classrooms. Second, it is the imagination that teachers themselves use as they teach. And thirdly, it is the imagination I am taught to identify and enact for doing social science research.The thesis is based upon participant-observation research conducted in grade four (and some composite grade three/four) classrooms in primary schools in Melbourne, a city in the Australian state of Victoria. The research took me to five schools of different types: independent (or fee-paying); government (or state); Steiner (or Waldorf); special (for low IQ students); and Catholic. These five classrooms provide a range, not a sample: they suggest some ways of doing imagination. I do not claim a necessary link between school type and practices of imagination. In addition I conducted semi-structured interviews with each classroom’s teacher and asked that children do two tasks (to draw and to write about ‘a time you used your imagination’).
From this research I write a thesis in two sections. In the first I work to re-imagine certain concepts central to studies of education and imagination. These include curriculum, classrooms, and ways of theorizing and defining imagination. In this section I develop a key theoretical idea: that the most recent Victorian curriculum is, and social science should be, governed by what I call a logic of realization. Key to this idea is that knowers must always be understood as participants in, not only observers of, the world.
In the second section I write accounts of five case studies, each learning from a different classroom teacher about one way to understand and practice imagination. We meet imagination as creative transformation; imagination as thinking into other perspectives; imagination as representation; imagination as the ability to relate oneself to the people and materials one is surrounded by; and imagination as making connections and separations in thought. In each of these chapters I work to re-enact that imagination in my own writing. Using the concept of the ‘relational teacher’, one who flexibly responds to changing student needs and interests, I suggest that some of these imaginations are more suitable to a logic of realization than others.
13
Tito, Janie. "Māori language use in New Zealand secondary schools : what are the issues for teachers and students? : a thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Māori Studies /." ResearchArchive@Victoria e-Thesis, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10063/544.
Full text
14
Sturmfels, Michael S. "A qualitative study of staff stress, morale and well-being in Victorian government schools /." Connect to thesis, 2009. http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/6668.
Full text
15
Jeffery, William Edgar. "The worlds of James Jeffery, Victorian teacher." Thesis, University of Canterbury. School of Educational Studies and Human Development, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/2155.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis closely studies the career of James Jeffery as a
teacher, teacher politician and newspaper columnist from the earliest
days of the national system of primary education (1879) through to his
retirement in 1914, and beyond. It outlines his relationship with his
school committees and the inspectorate, showing him to have been an
innovative, articulate teacher, actively involved in the educational
controversies of that era, but ultimately much less successful
professionally than his early promise suggested he might have been.
Recruited newly certificated from Victoria along with others who
came to occupy significant positions in the Otago Education Board's
schools, he was promoted early (1886) to the headmastership of a
suburban Dunedin school. An inveterate proselytizer, self-educated
through omnivorous and life-long reading, he aimed at preparing
pupils for citizenship by having them think for themselves and form
their own conclusions. He advocated and practised studying the world
beyond the classroom - the events of the day, their background and the
world of nature. As an extension of these aims he conducted two longrunning
weekly newspaper columns which dealt with those worlds, and
which consequently provide an insight into the interests and opinions
of Victorian and Edwardian New Zealand.
Throughout he sustained an active role in teacher affairs, being
twice president of the Educational Institute of Otago, and of the New
Zealand Educational Institute 1904-1905. He was an important and
combative figure in many contemporary Otago educational
controversies, and nationally in the battle to gain a superannuation
scheme for teachers.
This combativeness, coupled with his inability or unwillingness
to contain his teaching within the confines of inspectorially approved
systems and syllabuses were factors contributing to his failure to be
promoted and to his early retirement, aged 56, in 1914.
Wartime secretaryship of the Otago institute, technical college
teaching, and patriotic work followed, and finally a brief foray into
local politics as a city councillor.
16
Cleeland, Lara, and laracleeland@bigpond com. "Attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of casual relief teachers and permanent teachers in Victorian schools." RMIT University. Health Sciences, 2007. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20080220.151230.
Full textAbstract:
Four hundred and eight casual relief teachers (CRTs) and 670 permanent teachers from government, independent, and Catholic primary schools and secondary schools in and around metropolitan Melbourne were surveyed using the researcher-developed Issues in Teaching Questionnaire (ITQ) in order to assess their attitudes, perceptions, and experiences in relation to 10 areas of concern including: job security, provisions and facilities, information and communication, lesson management, status, relationships with the school community, relationships with students, student management, job satisfaction, and job stress. These 10 areas of concern were derived from the literature regarding casual relief teaching, which comprised of various anecdotal, published, and unpublished sources. Classical test theory methods (e.g., Cronbach¡¦s Ñ and exploratory factor analysis) were used to determine the psychometric properties of the survey instrument, which indicated that the ITQ pos sessed excellent internal reliability and construct validity, and confirmed the existence of an ¡§in-class¡¨ factor and an ¡§out-of-class¡¨ factor. Using descriptive and multivariate inferential statistics, the responses of the CRTs and the permanent teachers were analysed. By comparison with the other group characteristics, employment status (i.e., CRT or permanent teacher) was the best predictor of scores on the ITQ. The CRTs reported significantly more positive attitudes, perceptions, and experiences regarding job stress (i.e., less job stress) compared with the permanent teachers, whereas the permanent teachers reported significantly more positive attitudes, perceptions, and experiences across all other areas of concern compared with the CRTs. When the responses of the CRTs and the permanent teachers were compared on a scale of magnitude (i.e., effect size), much larger effects were observed for the ¡§out-of-class¡¨ concerns (e.g., Information and Communication, Provisions and Facilities, Lesson Manageme nt, Relationships with the School Community, Status, Job Security, and Job Satisfaction subscales) compared with the ¡§in-class¡¨ concerns (e.g., Relationships with Students, Student Management, and Job Stress subscales). Although many parallels were found between the CRTs and the permanent teachers in terms of their general classroom concerns, substantial differences existed between the two groups in relation to their concerns in the wider school context. Of particular importance were the considerable differences between the CRTs and the permanent teachers in terms of their employment conditions, and how they are currently being accommodated in schools and integrated into school communities. In these regards, CRTs are not receiving professional parity with their permanent counterparts. Overall, the results of this study (a) provide evidence of a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing the attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of CRTs and permanent teachers across a range of school settings, (b) hi ghlight the importance of employment status (i.e., CRT or permanent teacher) as a predictor of the ITQ subscales compared with the other group characteristics, and (c) present comprehensive and convincing evidence on the similarities and differences between the teaching experiences of CRTs and permanent teachers.
17
Brown, Christopher J. "Developing a common understanding of a teacher competency framework through video analysis : experiences of Victorian regional independent middle school teachers." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2011. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/153.
Full textAbstract:
This study was deliberately focussed upon the careful examination of a model of professional learning for Middle School teachers, which has at its core, a Teaching and Learning Framework depicting essential elements of effective teaching practice. Set within the context of Middle School classrooms in a Regional Independent school, the intent was to research the impact of the framework on the professional learning of a group of teachers. Research was also undertaken to investigate the effectiveness of feedback and analysis structured around the framework, using video recordings taken from classroom observations.
A group of eight Middle School teachers participated actively in the study to determine how the use of video-stimulated reflective processes might affect improvements in their practice and professional learning. Professional learning opportunities were examined and explored in termsof the impact of the observation and feedback cycle on individual teacher’s progress and against rubric levels within the framework.
At a time when the issue of the tenuous links between professional learning and school improvement is at the forefront of the educational agenda in schools and school systems, it is of significant importance to be able to reflect on a range of models designed to improve teaching, and in turn student learning outcomes in schools. The Teaching and Learning Framework including its subsequent feedback and professional learning processes investigated within this study served to add valuable perspectives to these links.
18
Kortman, Wendy, University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, and School of Education. "Teachers as policy actors : an exploration of teacher actions to negotiate the policy demands of inclusive education." 2008. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/37127.
Full textAbstract:
While recognising the complexity of inclusive educational policy for teachers, this thesis argues that a constructive approach for future action may be accomplished by drawing on teachers’ own accounts of significant characteristics contributing to effective inclusion. Accordingly, it is proposed that an understanding of the realities constructed by teachers involved in inclusive practice provides imperatives for future action. In particular, this study explores the finer structures of changed pedagogy, professional development of teachers and the vision of quality education for all that underpin the fabric of inclusive schooling. Furthermore, the study suggests that the focus on teachers’ own accounts or voice provides a major resource with which to theorise and analyse the actuality of inclusive practice and to help overcome barriers to success. In examining the work realities of teachers involved in inclusive education this thesis reports on the results of an empirically grounded and theoretically informed enquiry of the major educational reform of including students with disabilities into regular classroom settings. The case study site for this investigation included two schools, within the State of Victoria, Australia. Primary evidence generated through this study suggests that teachers’ work is a vital contributing factor to successful inclusion, despite the overpowering emphasis on additional funding within the political construction of policy implementation. However, teachers’ existing professional expertise and their professional development needs have not been a key focus of policies directed at sustaining the changed political culture required by inclusion. Drawing on relevant research literature and research evidence, this study argues against the political reductionism of both liberal pluralism and systems theory approaches that have dominated State policy action in inclusive education. In contrast the evidence presented in this thesis suggests the need to reconsider and revalue the knowledge and expertise generated by the education policy actors in this field, namely classroom teachers and school administrators involved in institutional planning and practice. It is these knowledgeable education workers who really influence policy implementation. The significance of this research is that the ‘insiders’ are presented as potentially important drivers shaping the mechanisms for educational reform. For this reason the framework of this study centres on the communicative infrastructures within existing institutions (schools) and the policy actors (teachers) who come together to formulate issues and professional directions. Therefore, the review of the research literature sets out to identify key theories and evidence pertaining to the teachers’ knowledge and learning communities. Literature on the importance of individual and collective agency is reviewed and situated in terms of the debates over the communicative action and life worlds of teachers at the sites of inclusive education reform. In turn, this provides a pathway for establishing the secondary evidence concerning what is currently known about the life worlds of teachers where change engages with struggles over ideological totality, elitist political agendas and the actualities of educational reform. Transcending critical and interpretive paradigms of educational research, capturing teachers���� voice on the complexities of inclusive education, the study moves beyond critical analysis of the way policies construct, or fail to construct, institutions and individuals within them. Inclusion is viewed through the life worlds of teachers involved in integration and inclusive programs, and situated within the context of their communicative actions. Data was generated through unstructured interviews where there was an emphasis on informal contexts and open communication that was free from system distortion. Communicative interaction was then expanded through a second semi-structured interview for the purpose of validation of the data and for testing the researcher’s construction of received messages. In addition feedback regarding emergent themes and representative quotes was also requested from participants. In this study the situated meaning of teachers’ work as an expression of policy-in practice was explored in relation to the textual framing created by State policy, institutions (schools) and teachers’ own skills and knowledge. The major perceptual elements for this research focus on the interrelation between these policy contexts, the paradigm that frames teacher’s professional knowledge and the pathways and processes for teaching and learning to occur.Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
19
O’Shea, Eileen. "The professional experience of Irish Catholic women teachers in Victoria from 1930 - 1980." Thesis, 2015. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/31017/.
Full textAbstract:
This qualitative research study focusses on ‘The professional experience of Irish Catholic women teachers in Victoria from 1930 to 1980’. The research is based on a collection of reconstructed oral histories derived from interviews conducted with twenty-two Irish Catholic women, both lay and religious, who were primary and secondary teachers in Victoria, Australia. The professional lives reflected in these stories span from the 1930 to 1980. This study explores how Irish women teachers experienced education in Australian Catholic schools in Victoria in terms of curriculum, pedagogy, discipline, culture and religious traditions.
20
Strasdin, Sharon Lee. "Full-time conscripts : narratives of long-term, part-time female college instructors." 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1828/741.
Full text
21
Yuksel, Harun. "Personal and professional experiences of turkish qualified teachers in Victorian schools." Thesis, 2013. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/21717/.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of this research was to identify the personal and professional experiences of Turkish primary and secondary teachers, who are currently teaching, or have previously taught in Victorian schools. This research drew upon these teachers’ experiences to make recommendations for future teacher education, training, professional development and/or induction programs. These recommendations if implemented will support future Turkish teachers in adapting to the Victorian education system. The induction programs and facilities are expected to encourage overseas graduate teachers, who are currently not in the teaching system, to re-enter the workforce as teachers in Victoria.
22
Raghdo, Mona. "Teacher unions in Victoria, 1982-1995 : an examination of the policies and activities of two principle education unions within the Victorian state education sector during two distinct political phases." Thesis, 1997. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/33010/.
Full text
23
Hallgarten, Kathleen F. "Deadly playgrounds: relief teachers and reporting of bullying incidents in Victorian primary schools." Thesis, 2007. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/1510/.
Full textAbstract:
By 2006, all schools in Australia had implemented anti-bullying programs under the National Safe School Framework (NSSF). This research focuses on Casual Relief Teachers (CRTs), their reporting of bullying in primary school playgrounds in Victoria, and the impact of anti-bullying programs. While CRTs possessed a personal definition and understanding of bullying, they lacked an understanding of school policy and procedures at the schools in which they were employed. Many CRTs, especially those educated outside Australia, did not have the training or experience needed to identify and address bullying behaviour. The CRTs in many cases did not recognise, or chose not to respond to, non-physical forms of bullying. The schools in the study used a ‘whole school’ approach, though the focus ranged from ‘Zero Tolerance’ to ‘No Blame’ or ‘Method of Shared Concern’. CRTs were normally not informed about the schools’ programs and procedures on bullying, especially with respect to yard duty. In this situation, principals and permanent staff need to look at how they interact with and include CRTs as members of the school community and provide them with clear expectations and training regarding programs being utilised to combat bullying.
24
Bowden, Jennifer Tara. "Engaging with change: investigating strategies of professional learning in a Victorian school." Thesis, 2007. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/1458/.
Full textAbstract:
In the current climate of educational change and with the implementation of new initiatives within the Victorian Education Department, such as the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) and the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PoLT), educational leaders have begun to reassess the forms of professional learning that teachers and staff members are involved in. This is not isolated to schools as the education industry world wide is developing new outlooks for staff training and development. With researchers such as Cuban, Hargraves and Fullan investigating different forms of professional learning, workplace change and strategy, changes in global professional learning opportunities are evident across a variety of industries. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of which styles and formats of professional learning are the most effective in a local context. Different scenarios of professional learning are described and interrogated and the impact of each practice is considered. The study provides an insight into the different types of professional learning that are available to the teaching staff, allowing for a more diverse range of professional learning practices in one school. The researcher worked with the teaching staff in a school to ascertain which professional learning styles had a greater and more positive impact on curriculum and teaching practices within the learning environment.
25
Dakich, Eva. "Towards the social practice of digital pedagogies: teachers' ICT literacy in contemporary primary schools." Thesis, 2009. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/30068/.
Full textAbstract:
Information and communication technologies (ICT) have been introduced to schools without fundamentally changing learning and teaching. In most cases they have been adapted to traditional school structures, classroom organisation and existing pedagogical practices, falling short of facilitating significant educational and cultural shifts. The promise of ICT to transform teaching and learning in schools has not yet been realised due to a range of barriers including teachers' lack of confidence and pedagogical understanding in drawing on the potential of digital technologies. This dissertation explored connections between teachers' ICT literacy and pedagogical practices. The aims of the research were to study the situated nature of ICT integration and to portray the knowledge and skills that would help teachers facilitate new, ICT-rich social practices of teaching and learning in contemporary primary schools.
26
Arnold, Julie. "Tracing the mindshift in preservice teachers: learning landscapes." Thesis, 2015. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/29794/.
Full textAbstract:
The search for quality and relevance in higher education curriculum drives educational reform.
In 2004, research supporting an ‘Inquiry into the suitability of current preservice teacher
education courses’ was presented to the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Training
in Victoria (Victorian Parliament, Education and Training Committee 2005) and another in 2009
titled, ‘Inquiry into effective strategies for teacher professional learning’ Final report (Victorian
Parliament, Education and Training Committee 2009). In response to this reconceptualisation
of teacher education for the 21st century, questions have been raised by academics; and in this
new context, debate and research are focussing on the hegemony of preservice teacher education
(Shulman 1987; Cochran-Smith 2001; Loughran 2006). Reform of teacher education has been
a focus of historical and contemporary community debate. The development of educational
programs for teachers implies the generation of higher levels of thinking, metacognition and
learning to enable preservice teachers to think about their own thinking (Pohl 2000). The aim
of this research is to describe the layers of learning experiences and development involved in
preservice teacher education and, in particular, to articulate a reflective pedagogical paradigm that
is inherent in the process of becoming a reflective practitioner. Research into higher education
plays a meaningful role by informing contemporary public debate and assisting in directing
policy-makers in the development and optimisation of higher education.
27
Burridge, Peter R. "A study of the influences on middle years teachers’ pedagogical decision making." Thesis, 2010. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/16107/.
Full textAbstract:
This study contributes to the understanding of the pedagogical choice of secondary
school middle years teachers. The findings support the past research which has reported
adolescents having specific pedagogical needs and the difficulty schools have in
changing established teaching and learning practices to meet those needs. Exploration
of social processes and structural influences from this study reveal previously
unacknowledged elements. These elements illuminate the enabling and inhibiting
factors of pedagogical change and point to the school structures which can be developed
to support successful change processes.
28
MacMath, Sheryl. "Perceptions of undergraduate education students from within an elementary teacher education programme." 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1828/807.
Full text
29
Richardson, Heather. "Postgraduate course satisfaction and good teaching : do daily hassles and demographics make a difference?" Thesis, 1999. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/33003/.
Full text
30
Hopman, Jean. "Emotional work: applying reflexivity in teacher practice." Thesis, 2017. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/34909/.
Full textAbstract:
Teachers’ work involves an emotional struggle, which is becoming an increasing
concern due to recent public interest in teacher attrition and emotional exhaustion.
The project aimed to explore the emotional work of teachers while also
investigating ways to support teachers in this work.
31
Gleeson, Paul. "Understandings, Attitudes and Intentions of Health and Physical Education Teachers in Relation to the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education." Thesis, 2017. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/37850/.
Full textAbstract:
Australia’s education system is undergoing major reform with the staged
introduction of the Australian Curriculum starting in 2010. One of the learning
areas designated for development in the Australian Curriculum is Health and
Physical Education (HPE). The aim of this study is to examine the
understandings, attitudes and intentions of regional HPE teachers in relation to
the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education (AC:HPE). A
qualitative research method based on narrative inquiry has been used to gather
data to provide a depiction of regional secondary school HPE teachers during
the initial implementation phase of the AC:HPE. This study is significant in
that it occurs at a unique time in Australia’s education system with the
realisation of the nation’s first national curriculum. Furthermore, this study will
contribute knowledge to an area of HPE research that has received little
scholarly attention in the past, using a research methodology that is not usually
associated with the discipline.
32
Hinwood, Marian. "A study of influences and experiences contributing to the attitudes of a group of vocational students towards science." Thesis, 2013. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/24442/.
Full textAbstract:
This research project examines perceptions and attitudes towards science of a group of Technical and Further Education students studying Beauty Therapy at Victoria University. Many members of this group displayed a high level of science anxiety as described by Mallow, (1978). They lacked confidence in their science ability and were very anxious about passing the science units in their Beauty Therapy courses, despite having successfully passed science subjects at school. Previous observations on Beauty Therapy students showed that most succeeded in their science units but still lacked confidence in their ability to apply their knowledge. The science units in Beauty Therapy are complex and require a detailed knowledge of Human Biology, Anatomy, Physiology, Skin Biology, Cosmetic Chemistry, and Microbiology. The participants in the study were interviewed using a semi-structured interview working together with a questionnaire to establish background information. The probes covered the participants’ experiences in science at school together with their attitudes towards science and influences from other areas. The aim was to identify factors which undermined the confidence of these participants. The interviews were recorded and the transcripts were analysed for themes using a progressive coding process. The themes were grouped into clusters. The study showed clearly that the participants’ confidence in their science ability was undermined by their school experiences in science. It related to attitudes and pedagogies employed by a particular science teacher in their secondary school. Participants described enjoying science previously. Particular aspects identified were an inability to get help when they needed it; the use of sarcasm or derogatory remarks to discourage questions; boring lessons mostly composed of copying notes from the board or textbooks; lack of relevance and a lack of enthusiasm displayed by the teacher. This led to a situation where participants dreaded their science lessons and in some cases truancy.
33
Rouse, Elizabeth Jane. "Effective family partnerships in early childhood education and care: an investigation of the nature of interactions between educators and parents." Thesis, 2014. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/25861/.
Full textAbstract:
Early childhood education and care in Australia is recognised as playing an important role in determining the long term educational benefits and outcomes for children across their life span. A key determinant of a quality early childhood program is the quality of relationships that educators develop with parents and families as equal partners in the education and care of young children.
In 2010 the State of Victoria, Australia, launched a framework for educators working in early childhood settings. This framework identified family centred practice (FCP) as the approach to be implemented by educators in their work with families. FCP has been widely used in early childhood intervention programs since the latter part of the 20th century; however, this approach had not previously been adopted in mainstream early childhood education and care contexts.
34
Deighton, Nikki. "Defining the future: creating and sustaining e-confident schooling." Thesis, 2013. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/24332/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis seeks to make a contribution to the debate about the role of ICT in education, by exploring schooling and pedagogical perspectives, identifying elements demanding systemic attention and defining a vision that is relevant and challenging to Australian education. Examining the notion of what e-confidence means for students, teachers, school leaders and schools enables a consideration of what strategies can be deployed for achieving this in all Australian schools.