Thesis (MPA) --University of Limpopo, 2007 / The aim of this study was to check on the impact of transformation in a higher education institution with particular reference to the University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus), hence the work entitled “Evaluation of the impact of transformation at the University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus): A review of the progress during the period 2000 – 2007”. The 1990s marked the period during which all government departments went through a rough time in that they were required to transform or sink. The higher education realm was not immune to this tedious process with challenging factors, which were, among others, economic forces, the emergence of technology, competition in terms of educational products, new funding programmes with public accountability, mergers and globalisation trends. In order for the universities to keep pace with the aforementioned challenges, a need for not merely administering, but managing the process of change as it presented itself to the universities, the need for visionary and transformational leadership became apparent. To ensure that the process of transformation in the higher education realm took place, the government enacted a number of items of legislation, and among others, the White Paper on Programme for the Transformation of Higher Education (Government Gazette, no. 4, 18207, 15 August 1997) was passed. It was abundantly clear from the literature reviewed that the Transformation of Higher Education in South Africa was long overdue. This was marked by the 1975 uprisings and other related activities such as the demand for academic autonomy by institutions of higher learning. It was evident from the results of the study that transformation at the University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus) was anathema to many. It is advisable for the University to take note of the results of this study, and that there is need for a turn-around strategy that would include Total Quality Management to be drawn up, implemented and monitored forthwith.

This thesis describes a longitudinal case study conducted in a secondary high school in the North West of Western Australia that was implementing an across the curriculum literacy strategy called Effective Reading in the Content Areas (ERICA). The study was conducted from an educational change management perspective where the adoption and implementation of ERICA was viewed against an educational change management framework. The impact of the adoption and implementation of ERICA on the teaching staff and student writing competence was investigated. The study has demonstrated that an educational change management framework is a useful tool for making the decision to adopt an innovation and for guiding the subsequent implementation. In addition, the study has highlighted the need to plan appropriately using tried and effective planning cycles and to recognize that the outcomes of any implementation of an innovation are unpredictable because of the complex interaction of change principles. Furthermore, the study has highlighted the complexity of the task of trying to improve student writing competence. Much effort was expended with little resultant improvement in student writing competence. This outcome can be rationalized, but considerable change is required in the way in which a traditional school operates before significant improvements in student writing competence will be seen.

This case study of four multi-campus colleges in New South Wales combines both qualitative and quantitative research instruments in a multiple-case study methodology to investigate the reasons why the DET restructured 34 of its comprehensive high schools into 11 multi-campus colleges and to study the interplay of the structural and cultural dynamics in those colleges. The study is situated in the literature on organisational behaviour whose perspective recognises the close interconnectedness between structure and culture but emphasises reculturing as the essence of effective organisational dynamism. In particular, special attention is given to Pace’s (2002) dynamics model which was redesigned into the Dynamics Paradigm that underpins the data analysis in this thesis. Using 16 structural-cultural dynamics criteria, themes and patterns were identified in the data and through iterative, inductive analysis, they were categorised into the different elements of the Dynamics Paradigm for analysis. Contextual contingency, curriculum, opportunity, economic rationalisation, politics and policies of the DET, plus demonstration effects from other Australian States and Territories were the reasons for the restructuring of the comprehensive high schools. The study identifies 12 areas for further research, recommends 32 policy options which could lead to improved outcomes for students and teachers in multi-campus colleges, and proposes 11 potential applications of this thesis. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This thesis reports an evaluation of the Jordanian Education Reform Program (JERP) initiated in 1987. The thesis includes a review of the international literature on education reform culminating in a conclusion that the most widely accepted approach currently is a mixed-model one that is partly top-down and partly bottom-up. Both quantitative and qualitative types of data were gathered and analysed. The findings of the study were that some seven teacher roles, particularly those of technologist and social change agent, were being performed at comparatively low levels, while others, particularly those of developer of student’s cognitive growth and health educator, were being performed at comparatively high levels. Many problems in the implementation of the education reforms were revealed in the interviews, especially the failure to involve teachers in the process of planning the reforms. Implications for policy, practice and further research were suggested. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The focus of this study is the attempt of one school, Loreto Normanhurst, to draw from its values base and traditions to develop and implement a new holistic paradigm of schooling, more relevant to the needs of its 21st century students. Loreto Normanhurst is a Catholic secondary day and boarding school for girls in the northern suburbs of Sydney, Australia. It is a school over 100 years old, associated with the 400 year old, Mary Ward, international tradition of educating women. The aims of the study were threefold: to document and analyse the process of reinvention from a ‘living systems’ perspective (Senge et al., 2000; Sergiovanni, 2000), while it was happening, thereby enhancing the reinvention process itself through a reflexive approach; to document and acknowledge the efforts of the members of the school community in seeking to meet the needs of its students in a 21st century context; and, through its blend of theory and practice, to contribute both to the literature on educational leadership and school reform, and to practice in schools. The study was limited to Loreto Normanhurst, the school in which the researcher is principal. A mixed methodology was adopted, although the study was chiefly qualitative. As an ethnographic case study, it incorporated phenomenological data from the school community, as well as some quantitative data. The particular situation of the researcher, however, as an insider researcher in a position of power within the community studied, necessitated some innovative methodological strategies in order to protect both the participants and the integrity of the research. The situation of the researcher led also to the incorporation of the research traditions of autoethnography and transpersonal research methodologies. The researcher drew from the literature on change, culture and leadership to analyse and interpret data gathered, predominantly, over a five-year period. The study traces the process of reinvention within the school from 2001 to 2005. Most of the data were gathered between 2001 and 2004, although antecedent data, particularly from 1994 to 2000, were included, as well as some data from 2005, by which stage the new paradigm had been implemented for two years within the school. The study presents findings in three main areas: change processes in schools; educational leadership; and insider research methodology. Findings related to change processes are addressed in two parts. The first of these relates to the development, implementation and evaluation of the new educational paradigm, while the second relates to the school’s attempt to ‘continually reinvent’ itself, thus institutionalising change (Schein, 1992). The school’s values played an important role in both of these aspects of change. Findings related to educational leadership are derived from the study of the school’s reinvention processes. These findings include insights into how a range of leadership theories supported, or failed to adequately support, leadership of the reinvention process as well as the identification of twelve dilemmas associated with leadership for change in a Mary Ward school. Findings related to methodologies for insider researchers in positions of power address the need for techniques, methods and research traditions which will protect participants and the research, as well as assisting the researcher in managing the multiple roles entailed in research of this kind. The study concludes with important contributions to the fields of school reform, educational leadership, and insider research methodology. First, it offers a framework for the reinvention of a school and the development of a culture of continual reinvention. This is the eight-step ‘Framework for Reinventing a School’. Second, it proposes a model of leadership for such a reinvention, identified as ‘Contemplative-reflexive leadership for reinvention’. Third, it presents a more fully developed method for conducting insider research, which can be used by school principals and others in positions of authority. This is known as ‘PIRM – Powerful Insider Research Method’: a research method for use by insider researchers in positions of power in their own organisation.

This work is a case-study in curriculum development in secondary school science education, especially senior science, in New South Wales during the decade 1962-1972. The situation became exceptionally complex and grew out of the reorganisation of the secondary school curriculum recommended by the so-called Wyndham Committee in 1957. A completely new concept of science was offered to students of the State when biology was given increased status beside the physical sciences - physics and chemistry. This combination of material was examined in a very special way and Science (in this broad sense) was also tied administratively to mathematics. In 1966 a complicated syllabus was presented to students and teachers with negligible advance preparation of teachers, no period of familiarisation and no in-service support. Almost no explanation of the rationale behind such a novel and untried scheme was offered. The response of teachers and students was initially one of stunned silence. Very quickly this developed into hostility to the content, to its serious overloading and to the restriction of practical work. Teachers, parents and some members of the Universities expressed grave misgivings not only about the suitability of the course as a preparation for tertiary studies, but also about the completely unsatisfactory nature of the texts offered, about the examination method adopted, and about the restrictions on the personal aspirations of students for some degree of specialisation in their senior studies. The Universities became very interested in the discussions then appearing in the newspapers. Academics took sides either attacking or defending the concepts underlying the course; their points of view being based largely on the performance of the students at university level. The campaign for change began with a band of very vocal teachers working through the Teachers' Federation. These were supported by academics in promoting a series of public meetings. Parallel to this a campaign spearheaded by Professor Alexander of Sydney University was initiated in the Press. The defence of the new courses was taken up by Professors Messel and Butler of the same University. To maintain the impetus for the change in curriculum, the Secondary Schools Science Association was formed by persons interested and very involved in the curriculum. Intricately woven into the pattern of discontent with and strenuous defence of the Wyndham courses, among teachers there was a groundswell of positive aspirations towards the understanding of and clarification of the aims of science teaching in New South Wales. This resulted in the preparation of a document which contained guidelines for both teaching and curriculum development: it was subsequently adopted by the Board of Senior School Studies. This same Board was, by then, very much aware of the discontent with the new courses and various modifications of them were considered. Attempts to accommodate teacher, student and university aspirations resulted in firstly the appointment of Curriculum Development Officers to assist the Science Syllabus Committee and, parallel to this, a willingness to permit trial of science courses which had been developed for use in the United States of America and in other states of Australia. Once the decision was made in December, 1969 to permit the trialling of other courses, a Committee was set up to evaluate these courses as well as the existing Wyndham courses. This Committee reported favourably on the new courses and after some false starts the Board of Senior School Studies not only extended the trials of the new courses, but in 1975 the old Wyndham courses were abolished and superseded. Complications arising from the personalities involved, from people with vested interests in certain educational theories, from the authors of the specially published texts, from the Publishing Houses which were to provide the new texts became very tangled indeed. Similar difficulties were encountered by the Curriculum Development Officers who later directed the adoption of the new courses to a conclusion satisfactory to the Science Syllabus Committee and the Board of Senior School Studies.

The major issue of this thesis is that for effective change in teachers' classroom practice to occur, multiple actions are required at different levels of participation, from federal and state education jurisdictions through to school communities and individual classroom teachers. The thesis supposition is that practical action factors in schools and the community can be found which meet the needs of the change. The history of attempts to achieve educational change through changed classroom practice is littered with a range of different approaches, usually one-off events. They have sometimes succeeded. Stakeholders, including parents, social pressure groups and particularly governments have increasing expectations of what it is that teachers can achieve in terms of their students' learning outcomes. The degree to which actual teaching practices are changed at the classroom level will depend on the degree to which teachers are able to manage and implement change. However, studies in the area of curriculum change reveal that the gap between policy and practice remains an ongoing concern. This thesis draws upon theory and applied research findings from the traditions of educational change, health education, models of change, evaluation and social science research methods. The purpose of this thesis is to identify and make comparisons in the practical action factors which enhance the capacity of teachers to change their classroom practice. These are investigated through a multiple case study consideration of the school context, the professional development inputs, and the classroom programs. The patterns of effective practical action in the research study would support the thesis supposition. A multiple case study-theory building approach was used to analyse the data from twelve school sites selected from the School Development in Health Education (SDHE) Project. Data analysis employed the technique of matrix displays, with several rounds of analysis in order to generate some significant factors related to teacher change. The results were considered for endorsement by an expert panel from the field in order to enhance confidence in the validity and the reliability of the research study. Results from first round of analysis in the multiple case study showed school team commitment, teachers' attitude to professional development and community cooperation to be important factors in educational change. The second round of analysis highlighted the importance of placing the teacher at the centre of change when planning professional development. Finally, the third round presents a summary of the factors emerging from the analyses in five major focus areas: professional development; principal leadership; school organisation and culture; school team; and system support. The importance of the relationships among these factors was recognised in their impact on teachers' abilities to make educational changes in their classrooms. The thesis has found that the professional decision-making and practice of teachers is value added by the actions of other players - professional development providers, school principals and education systems. Teachers' capacity to change is enhanced by appropriate school-based professional development, flexible school organisation, and the opportunity to work collaboratively in school teams. From the patterns emerging from the strong and weak clusters of cases the thesis is able to make conclusions about teachers' professional practice, professional development approaches, principal leadership, school organisation, education systems and the nature of change. This thesis shows that educational change requires multiple actions at different levels of participation. Finally, the thesis offers recommendations to the different players in the field: education systems, principals and professional development providers.

"December, 2003" / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 211-223) / vii, 270 leaves : 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, Graduate School of Education, 2004

This thesis examines the professional knowledge of new secondary school teachers in New Zealand, their negotiation of multiple discourses encountered in policy and practice, and their processes of professional identity formation. It is also a study of policy reform. In New Zealand, as elsewhere, recent educational and social reforms have brought about major changes to the way education is managed and implemented. These reforms emphasise market ideologies promoting consumer choice and responsibility, while measuring and monitoring quality and effectiveness. At the same time, the reforms attempt to alleviate social inequality. Teachers' negotiation of an accountability culture and the dominant equity policies is a major focus of this study. The study draws upon group interviews held with nine new teachers during the first two years of their teaching careers. The group interviews were designed to elicit extended narratives from individual teachers, as well as promote more interactive dialogue and reflections within the groups. Because the interviews were conducted at different points in their early careers, the study also has a longitudinal element, allowing insight into how teachers' views are formed or changed during an intense period of professional learning. Analysis of the teachers' narratives is informed by poststructural and feminist understandings of identity and knowledge and by a methodological orientation to writing as a method of enquiry. The thesis develops three main types of discussion and sets of arguments. The first examines new teachers' negotiation of the 'macro' context of teacher knowledge formation that is, their negotiation of an educational policy environment that juxtaposes an equity agenda with accountability controls. In order to historically situate these dilemmas, the particular political, social and educational context of New Zealand is examined. It is argued that teachers negotiate competing political and conceptual debates about social justice, equity and difference, and that this negotiation is central to the formation of professional knowledge. The analysis illustrates ways in which teachers make sense of equity discourses in educational policy and practice, and the apparent contradictions that arise from placing tight accountability standards on schools and teachers to achieve associated equity goals. The second type of discussion focuses on teachers' negotiation of the 'micro' dimension of professional knowledge, looking closely at the processes and practices that form professional identity. Against stage or developmental models of teacher identity, it is argued that professional identity is formed in an ongoing, uneven and fluid manner and is socially and discursively situated/embedded. It is further argued that professional knowledge and identity are entwined and that this relationship is most usefully understood through analysis of the discursive practices that frame teachers' working lives and through which teachers work out who they are or should become and what and how they (should) think. This analysis contributes new perspectives to debates in teacher education about teacher preparation and the knowledge required of teachers in current 'new times'. The final cluster of arguments brings together these macro and micro aspects of professional knowledge and identity with a case study of how new teachers negotiated a recent educational reform of senior secondary school qualifications in New Zealand. This reform has had a significant impact on secondary schools and on the way teachers, and New Zealanders in general, think about education, achievement and success. It was found that this reform significantly challenged new teachers to question their beliefs about assessment and justice in education, and what counts as success. This case study draws attention to the tensions between equity, academic excellence and standards-based assessment, and contributes to understanding how teacher professional knowledge forms both in the context of a specific educational policy reform and in relation to educational reform in general. This study contributes new knowledge to the formation of teacher professional knowledge and identity in an educational climate of change in New Zealand. The findings offer new insights for teacher educators, policymakers and schools into how teachers build, shape and sustain professional knowledge; how they juggle contradictions between a desire for justice, policy imperatives and teacher education rhetoric; the self-constructed, but contingent nature of professional knowledge and identity; and the urgency to address identity formation as part of teacher education and to take account of the dynamic ways in which identities form. These matters need to be articulated in teacher education both pre-service and in-service in order to address teacher retention and satisfaction, and teachers' commitment to equity reform in education.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.