This thesis addresses the need for schools to provide a method for young people to come to terms with the complexity of their changing world as they seek to make meaning for themselves. It begins by tracing the theoretical foundations for an increased focus on meaning in Australian schooling and its establishment as a stated pedagogical principle in federal and state policies, syllabi and Catholic Church documentation on education. It analyses the literatures of the future direction of schooling, youth spirituality and the foundation documentation on Catholic education. It proposes that there is a degree of overlap in these literatures and the common discourse and the emerging paradigm addresses the need for students to develop a sense of personal meaning. The thesis provides an historical overview of schooling in terms of the societal contexts and the educational and philosophical assumptions that underpin the curriculum and pedagogical activities. It develops a model that identifies changes in the process of meaning-making and proposes a framework that could help schools become more effective resource agents for students in the development of their meaning-making capacities. It uses this framework to investigate the key documents of one Catholic system of secondary schools. It identifies the extent to which the system actually puts into action this pedagogical principle through its policy, research material, strategic planning, school culture (charism) and religious education programmes. Finally the thesis relates the findings of the specific school system to the overall process of secondary schooling within a Catholic context in Australia and proposes some issues for further consideration.

The study assesses the Lesotho government’s assistance programmes in addressing the financial implications of Education for All (EFA) at secondary school level. It does this by examining the objectives of the financial assistance programmes, their main problems and tensions in the implementation, and how they impact on the education of poor learners. This research was conducted using a qualitative methodology, which relied in part on the case study approach by focusing on two schools in the poor areas of Lesotho. The study used a multi-method data collection approach with interviews, questionnaires and document analysis. The respondents were selected on the basis of their relationship to the implementation of these government programmes. The school sample comprised two (2) principals, four (4) parents of learners targeted by such assistance programmes, and four (4) teachers working with learners who were beneficiaries of these programmes and who knew how these programmes assisted them (or not). There were two MOET officials, the bursary manager at central level, responsible for all government assistance programmes; and the district education bursary administrator responsible for the OVC programmes and entrusted with implementing the programmes in line with the regulations. The decision to get information from these respondents was because they were knowledgeable or experienced in different aspects of these government programmes, their implementation, and the impact on schools and learners. ii Using the rational and political analytical approaches, the findings reveal the limited conceptualization of the financial assistance programmes designed to widen the secondary education of poor learners as these did not address the deeper problems of Orphans and Vulnerable Children’s (OVC) problems in accessing and completing their education. The rational approach indicates poor system resources and capacity to effectively manage these programmes, as well as poor monitoring and accountability at all levels of the system. The political approach emphasises the poor implementation context of these assistance programmes due to the conflicting agendas of various programme implementers. The role of leadership is identified as crucial in interpreting and effectively mediating the operationalisation of these programmes on the ground so that the more deserving poor learners benefit. However, such leadership appears to be lacking at various levels of the implementation process. The study concludes that in order for these government assistance programmes to have a lasting and meaningful impact on OVC secondary schooling, there is a need to review their assumptions and scope to address more fully the OVC needs. Additional resource mobilization coupled with strong leadership, monitoring and evaluation are necessary for this to be realised.

Since its inception in the 1980s digital technology is considered to be at the heart of contemporary education in the developed world, supported by national ICT strategies and exponentially rising levels of public funding. Yet the promised educational transformation, as measured by learning outcomes, has arguably failed to materialise, while developing countries continue to emulate unproven digital educational programmes. A substantial body of empirical research, conducted by policy makers, business and educators over the past fourty years has found tangible beneficial evidence consistently elusive. This qualitative-based study seeks to explain the dichotomy by critically investigating what is actually happening when digital technology meets education in UK secondary schools as opposed to what is often envisaged as 'should' or 'might' be happening. It moves the debate beyond both its learning focus predominance, and deterministic view of education and technology to one which addresses the educational phenomenon by reference to the broader context of the social, political, historical and cultural conditions that influence all educational practices and which recognises the mutual social-shaping nature of the relationship. Consequently, this qualitative study utilises semi-structured interviews in a multilevel framework to explore how secondary school heads of department; a hitherto under-researched group, at the organisation's structural intersection, have responded to the introduction of ICT from the 1980s to the current day. This thesis contributes to the advancement of knowledge and understanding by drawing attention to issues of continuity and change, and structure and agency within the educational process and by offering insights into why (unforeseen) developments have occurred, how they have evolved and with what consequences for the profession and its educational institutions. It concludes by establishing a link between ICT-induced structural developments and agency constraints, offering policy makers a means of addressing key detrimental oganisational procedures in order to improve educational processes.

The purpose of the study was to develop and test a block scheduling evaluation model. Conceptual development of the model was based on a review of the literature which targeted the components of the school program most consistently identified with scheduling type: instruction, school climate, student outcomes, and operating efficiency. The model included an interview with the principal, analysis of documents, survey of teachers, and survey of students. The model was pilot tested in three high schools in Western Virginia. The principals of the three pilot schools and the researcher evaluated the model according to pre-established evaluation criteria. The evaluation identified several improvements including: instrumentation refinements aimed at providing more detailed information on teacher concerns about preparation and planning on the block schedule; data analysis refinements centering on technology; inclusion of other indicators such as standardized test scores and cost analysis; and, expansion of data collection techniques centering on systematic observation over an extended period of time. / Ed. D.

Alors que l’accès à l’éducation est au cœur du développement, le fait qu’une éducation soutenue et de qualité soit un facteur critique pour l’émancipation d’individus et de sociétés entières ne fait plus l’objet de débats. En effet, la myriade d’avantages liés à une éducation de masse soutenue et de qualité présuppose qu’elle soit à la portée de tous, comme il est décrit dans l’objectif 2 de l’Education pour tous et les buts 2 et 3 des Objectifs du millénaire pour le développement. L’Ouganda étant l’un des premiers pays d’Afrique Subsaharienne à introduire l’éducation primaire et secondaire universelle, respectivement en 1997 et 2007, cette thèse s’attache à comprendre jusqu’à quel point ces politiques de démocratisation de l’éducation ont permis de réduire les inégalités d’accès à l’école secondaire. Ce travail utilise principalement les données des enquêtes nationales de ménages de 2005/2006 et 2009/2010 qui procurent des informations sur le profil éducatif des membres du ménage ainsi que d’autres caractéristiques qui, selon les études préalables influent sur les parcours scolaires. Par le moyen de modèles multivariés pertinents, il a été possible de décrire l’évolution des inégalités d’accès à l’école secondaire, de transition du primaire au secondaire, et d’accès aux internats, ce pour l’ensemble des enfants de 13 à 24 ans. L’universalisation de l’éducation au niveau primaire comme secondaire n’a ni pu améliorer l’achèvement du cycle primaire ni réduire les inégalités d’accès au secondaire. En effet, achever le cycle primaire et accéder au secondaire demeurent principalement la prérogative d’enfants issus de milieux socio-économiques privilégiés, de zones urbaines et de la région centrale. Lorsque le chef de ménage n’est pas lui-même allé au secondaire, ou que le ménage se situe en deçà du 25e percentile de revenus, lorsqu’il est en milieu rural, ou situé dans l’Est, l’Ouest ou le Nord du pays, ses jeunes membres demeurent largement exclus du cycle secondaire. En outre, alors que les internats (dont certains sont des écoles publiques) sont connus pour offrir une éducation de meilleure qualité qui permettrait la mobilité sociale pour les enfants défavorisés, ils sont généralement inaccessibles aux pauvres selon la politique sur les internats ce qui accroît les inégalités d'accès à l'enseignement secondaire de qualité. Alors que les inégalités d’accès au niveau secondaire pour tous les enfants persistent, la transition du primaire au secondaire, pour les enfants de milieux socio-économiques les moins aisés, semble plus difficile dans le passé récent qu’auparavant, ce qui implique que la plupart des enfants qui se trouvaient dans un cercle vicieux du désavantage, très probablement y demeureront. / While access to basic education is at the heart of development, the fact that sustained and meaningful education is critical for emancipation of the individual and entire society is no longer a matter of debate. Indeed, the myriad of advantages associated with sustained and quality mass education presuppose that it should be enjoyed by all as espoused in Education for All Goal 2 and Millennium Development Goals 2 and 3. Since Uganda was one of the first countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to introduce universal primary and secondary education in 1997 and 2007 respectively, this study endeavored to understand the extent to which the said democratization of education has eclipsed inequalities in accessing secondary schooling. This study largely used Uganda National Household Survey data for 2005/6 and 2009/10 that had information on schooling profiles of the household population and other characteristics that have been found to explain schooling outcome differentials. Through appropriate multivariate models, it was possible to map the evolution of inequalities in accessing secondary schooling for all children aged 13-24, making a transition for the ones that completed primary and accessing boarding facilities. Universalizing education at both levels has failed both to enhance completion of primary and dampen inequalities in accessing secondary schooling. Indeed, completion of primary and transition to secondary remain a prerogative of largely children from better socio-economic backgrounds, urban areas and the central region. Children in households below the 25th top percentile of household income, those in the rural, East, West and North, and those under household heads with less than secondary education, remain largely excluded from secondary schooling. Besides, whereas boarding schools (some of which are government schools) are known to offer better quality education that would enable social mobility for disadvantaged children, they are largely inaccessible to the poor as a matter of policy and this exacerbates inequalities in accessing quality secondary schooling. While inequalities in accessing secondary education for all eligible children have largely persisted, making a transition by children from poorer socio-economic backgrounds seems to be more difficult in the recent past than before implying that most children previously entangled in a vicious cycle of disadvantage, are most likely to remain so.

This study sought to understand the lived experience of disengagement from formal schooling of five young Aboriginal women in a mid-Northern community. Using the qualitative methodology of narrative inquiry, and through a series of guided open-ended interviews, this research explored each participant’s experiences as a learner; informally and in school. Analysis of the personal histories of learning shared by the participants enabled the identification of attributes of best-remembered learning experiences and also elements that contributed to marginalization and dis-continuing of school. Key elements for each learner clustered around relationship and connectedness. Contexts of optimal learning as revealed in the narratives can be characterized as authentic, situated, experiential, guided, and often culturally-relevant. Marginalization and dis-continuing of school were related to: a sense of emotional insecurity in the school, the need for community and a sense of belonging, disrespectful treatment and relational bullying by teachers and/or peers, administrative policy related to placement and psycho-social needs, and restrictive curricular decisions. The participants’ desire to learn and continuing pursuit of learning goals, although out of school, is expressed in the title of this thesis by Participant A as she speaks for all in saying, “I’m still learning” (PA#1, p. 3). Recommendations for formal schooling are made based on the needs and preferences expressed by the participants and by the institutional circumstances revealed in the narratives that affected engagement and dis-engagement. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2007-08-09 15:48:56.987

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-07T15:10:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 943962 bytes, checksum: ccce4e64ddd8b35224ba97cf2a5ff655 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-11-27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This dissertation aims to investigate the entry and experiences of women in the teaching of mathematics at public secondary schools in Campina Grande, Paraíba. The analytical framework drew on Pierre Bourdieur´s concepts of habitus, field, capital, and symbolic violence, as well as on the contributions of feminist scholars such as Joan Scott, Helleieth Saffiot, Londa Schienbinger and Guacira Louro, among others. The following aspects were considered: the historical construction of math as a masculine field, the professional profile of teacher, their preparation as a means to understand the social and cultural construction of this professional field, local and regional quantitative data on women in this field, the associations between gender relations and myths about mathematics, and the gender relations experienced by female teachers. Empirical were collected through semi-structured interviews with five female teachers two of them retired and three still working at Escola de Ensino Médio Pe. Elpídio de Almeida in Campina Grande, with the purpose of comparing their experiences. The analysis showed that, despite advances in women participation in many fields, there is prejudice and practices associated with gender power relations which make women s access and participation in math teaching difficult. Moreover, even though teaching is regarded as a female career, math teaching is still men´s domain, mainly in the Northeast of Brazil. / Esta dissertação tem por objetivo pesquisar como ocorreu e se processa a inserção e a vivência das mulheres na docência da matemática em escolas de nível médio da Rede Pública de Ensino da cidade de Campina Grande, tendo como principal referencial de análise a contribuição de Pierre Bourdieu, através dos conceitos de habitus, campo, capital e violência simbólica, considerando também as contribuições de feministas, tais como Joan Scott, Helleieth Saffiot, Londa Schienbinger, Guacira Louro, entre outras estudiosas das questões de gênero. Nesta direção, apresenta-se a construção histórica do campo masculino da matemática; um levantamento do perfil do docente de matemática e de sua formação, buscando compreender o processo de construção social e cultural deste campo profissional; um levantamento quantitativo caracterizando as especificidades locais e regionais do trabalho feminino nesta área; uma análise das associações entre relações de gênero e mitos sobre a matemática; e as relações de gênero vivenciadas por mulheres docentes. O estudo das relações de gênero vivenciadas pelas professoras foi realizado por meio de dados coletados em uma entrevista semi-estruturada realizada com cinco docentes mulheres da Escola Estadual de Ensino Médio Elpídio de Almeida, em Campina Grande, dentre as quais, duas aposentadas e três em exercício, visando comparar as suas vivências. Como resultado da análise constatou-se que, apesar dos avanços das mulheres em várias áreas do conhecimento, ainda persistem, neste campo profissional, os preconceitos e práticas associadas às relações de dominação de gênero que dificultam o acesso e a inserção da mulher nesta área. Ademais, mesmo que o magistério seja considerado um campo feminino, a docência da matemática ainda é, principalmente no Nordeste brasileiro, um reduto masculino.

The purpose of this study is to explore high school students’ understandings of achievement and opportunity through their lived experiences which are constructed under a high-stakes testing environment in Korea. This study undertakes a critical analysis of high-stakes testing and its intersectional effects in terms of structure and culture, attending to students’ everyday experiences in testing practices as these are embedded in certain discourses. Recent scholarship reveals that high-stakes testing reinforces a correspondence between socioeconomic status and educational attainment under the neoliberal educational policies of school choice, privatization, and high-stakes testing. In the analysis of educational policies such as the accountability movement, some studies contend that the political and economic discourses underpinning high-stakes testing are effectively hidden behind educational practices ostensibly aimed at raising standards. To date, however, there has been little attention to how students internalize the logic of neoliberal competition and how they experience educational achievement and opportunity structure within a high-stakes testing environment. Drawing on in-depth interviews of high school students from varying economic and academic backgrounds, this study found that students’ experiences of the high-stakes testing environment are influenced by their social class and achievement levels. High-stakes testing does not contribute to reducing achievement gaps between classes but rather reinforces educational alienation as well as opportunity gaps. Furthermore, high-stakes testing, as a cultural practice which affects students’ daily lives and their experience of curriculum and instruction, contributes to the ideological construction of students’ understandings of achievement and opportunity structure. While students experience structural constraints in achievement, they believe in testing as being a fair and equal opportunity. Concealing students’ struggles within structural barriers as well as their contradictory experiences in relation to ideologies of achievement and success, high-stakes testing becomes the medium through which students’ social desires are reproduced. An intersectional analysis in terms of culture and structure of students’ experiences in relation to high-stakes testing can help us to understand how the achievement ideology responds to students’ aspirations and also how those aspirations help this ideology persist. This study urges educational policies to focus on opportunity gaps and to look at contradictions and struggles that students experience in high-stakes testing. / text

This thesis is concerned with teacher agency and how this is achieved within the autonomous schooling model of England’s academies programme. The enquiry draws upon the empirical work conducted in a single case study sponsored academy (‘Bucklands Academy’ ) in 2012. The research was conducted in order to investigate whether the autonomy and freedoms afforded to one such school extended to the teachers working in it and how this affected their professional roles as classroom educators. The thesis begins by sharing my research interest, which relates to whether greater levels of school autonomy enhance the pedagogical approaches taken by teachers. This interest then develops towards the notion of teacher agency and asks the fundamental research question: Is this academy a place where teacher agency can flourish? The study sets out the policy context for academies in England, including an analysis of the historical development of state secondary schooling since 1944. It is shown that the continued ‘need’ to develop a new approach to schooling, eventually in the form of academies, started with claims of unfairness, discrimination and waste of talent brought about by the tripartite system of schooling established by the 1944 Education Act. It then analyses later concerns about the alleged failure of the comprehensive system to achieve its aim of raising standards for all children. The political contexts of state schooling are considered, and particular attention is given to the neo-liberal ideology developed after 1979 of ‘rolling back the state’, introducing choice and competition between schools and increasing the role of the private sector in the delivery of public services. However, the scope of the investigation is not restricted to the national policy context; the research interest lies in establishing what the key reforms have meant for teachers in the classroom and how this has affected the agency they achieve. A number of themes emerged in the review of key literature, including school autonomy, teacher professionalism, the policy to practice paradox and discourses around the academies programme. This thesis sets out a clear theoretical position, which draws upon the critical realist social theory developed by Roy Bhaskar and Margaret Archer. This approach offers a centrist alternative to what Pring (2000b) describes as the false dualism of the two epistemological positions of educational research. Critical realism posits that the world is real and that its structures exist beyond our understanding, but that our knowledge of this stratified world is socially constructed. Within the structure-agency debate, the ecological view of agency developed by Priestley et al. (2015) is adopted, which sees it as being context-dependent and something that individuals achieve in concrete settings. The empirical work within this study consisted of semi-structured interviews, observations and documentary analysis. The main findings from the research are that the case-study school had significant autonomy to develop its own policies and approaches to raising standards. However, this autonomy did not extend to any significant extent below the level of the academy sponsors and the principal. The school had developed a highly performative culture where teachers’ work was centrally directed and through which they were held highly accountable for the attainment of their students. It was found that the way in which autonomy was distributed throughout the school affected the agency of key stakeholders. The sponsors achieved high levels of agency, the principal achieved restricted agency and teachers achieved limited agency. It was found that teachers took one of two approaches to a new curricular reform being introduced by the academy sponsors. They either adopted it or used their limited agency to modify it so that it aligned more closely with their own educational philosophies. There was no indication that any teachers rejected the school’s reform, and it is suggested that this may have been the result of them subordinating this key policy to their ultimate concern of working in a school recognised by school inspectors to be highly effective. This thesis concludes that, contrary to the policy rhetoric, teachers working in one sponsored academy may have had less autonomy than those teaching in local authority maintained schools. This in turn affected the agency they achieved, which appears to undermine the original vision and aims of the academies programme. The thesis concludes by offering possible areas for further research which emerged during this study.

Women are central to human development and yet, nowhere around the globe are they treated as equals to men. Although the need to empower them has been widely recognised, equality is not more than a theoretical construct and empowerment remains low, especially for female Dalits (the most disadvantaged social group in India). This study thus seeks to explore the impact of public secondary school education on the empowerment of Dalit women in Andhra Pradesh, India. Twelve female Dalits were interviewed to better comprehend the effects of their educational experiences from their own perspective. Nine indicators for empowerment were used, among them decision making, social and physical mobility, choices surrounding sexuality and self-reported attitude changes. Findings showed a positive effect of education on empowerment, although deeply embedded social and patriarchal thought patterns were challenged only partly. The study suggests that education clearly needs to exceed primary schooling to result in empowerment. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)