Sid Bourke

Teacher stress: Examining a model based on context, workload, and satisfaction

Abstract Perceived levels of work-related stress, workload, and job satisfaction were measured for 204 secondary teachers in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, using self-report questionnaires. A causal model was developed hypothesizing relationships between teacher characteristics; aspects of the teaching context; perceived workload; satisfaction with teaching; and four aspects of teacher stress: stress from staff tensions and conflict, time pressure, students and classroom conditions, and lack of rewards and recognition. Teaching context, workload, and satisfaction were found to affect stress directly. The importance of workload and job satisfaction was demonstrated by indirect effects between teaching context and stress outcomes.

A Comparison of the Academic Experiences and Achievement of University Students Entering by Traditional and Non-traditional Means

The changing demographic profile of many universities has been reflected in the increasing presence of mature-aged students on campus and the increased acceptance of non-traditional qualifications allowing entry to undergraduate programmes. Recent research has suggested that such changes have not been accompanied by a diminution of academic standards. In the present study, we examine the academic performance of students entering a university via traditional and non-traditional means using database records for three years of entry. Analysis revealed a marginal disadvantage in academic performance for students entering via non-traditional enabling programmes, but a positive effect for mature age on entry. The results were broadly consistent with earlier studies and confirm the equity goals of more open access to undergraduate study.

Coping at University: an examination of achievement, motivation, self‐regulation, confidence, and method of entry

Abstract Undergraduate university students (n = 132) completed a questionnaire containing measures of psychological variables, verbal ability, an evaluation of their course of study, and demographic characteristics. We also had access to their academic results. We examined the relationships among these variables, especially the psychological variables, and compared them with those posited by recent theoretical work that makes connections among motivation, self‐regulation, and self‐efficacy. We then looked at which variables predicted academic achievement. The sample contained two sub‐samples: mature‐age students who had entered university via an enabling program; and younger students who entered university on the basis of high school results. With universities under severe financial pressure, university‐run enabling programs must demonstrate their effectiveness in terms of students’ successful progress in undergraduate degrees if they are to continue. We compared these two groups of students on the measur...

Student views of primary schooling

Abstract This paper describes the rationale and development of a questionnaire designed to measure primary school students’ perceptions of their quality of school life on seven interrelated subscales: general satisfaction, negative affect, teacher‐student relations, social integration, opportunity, achievement, and adventure. Relationships of scale scores with student characteristics and at different levels of analysis are investigated. The data were obtained over the period 1985‐1987 from three samples of year‐5 and year‐6 students at government primary schools in Victoria and the Hunter Region of New South Wales. Altogether 4863 students in 226 classes in 62 schools were involved. Apart from females expressing greater satisfaction than males on most subscales, few relationships were found between the subscale scores and students’ backgrounds. Most interestingly, satisfaction with school life was not, in general, associated with achievement test scores. There were significant and substantial differences ...

Consistency and Inconsistency in PhD Thesis Examination.

This is a mixed methods investigation of consistency in PhD examination. At its core is the quantification of the content and conceptual analysis of examiner reports for 804 Australian theses. First, the level of consistency between what examiners say in their reports and the recommendation they provide for a thesis is explored, followed by an examination of the degree of discrepancy between examiner recommendations and university committee decisions on the theses. Two groups of discrepant recommendations are identified and analysed in depth. Finally the main sources of inconsistency are identified. It was found that the comments of a small minority of examiners were inconsistent with each other or with the committee decision in a significant way. Much more commonly the texts of examiner reports were highly consistent and were closely reflected in the final committee decision.

Examiner comment on the literature review in Ph.D. theses

The review of literature, so central to scholarly work and disciplined inquiry, is expected of the Ph.D. student, but how far along the road are they expected to travel? This article investigates the expectations of ‘the literature’ in research and scholarship at Ph.D. level from the examiner and assessment perspective. The analysis draws on the examiner report data for 501 candidates (1310 reports) across five Australian universities. On average about one‐tenth of an examiner report is devoted to the literature and examiners provide detail about coverage, types of errors and the nature of use of the literature. It was the latter type of comment about coherent and substantive use of the literature that provided the most information about ‘expectation’. Examiners identified ‘working understanding’, ‘critical appraisal’ of the body of literature, ‘connection of the literature to findings’, and ‘disciplinary perspective’ as key indicators of performance in the candidate’s use of the literature. While examiners appeared to anticipate that all these elements should be present in scholarly work (and identified them in the best theses), they were prepared to accept less for a barely passable thesis, but pressed for at least some demonstration of critical appraisal.

The rise of ‘professional staff’ and demise of the ‘non-academic’: a study of university staffing nomenclature preferences

Concerns regarding the nomenclature of university administration in Australia and the UK have featured in the higher education literature for over a decade. In response, a significant nomenclature shift is occurring, with Australian universities replacing the term ‘General Staff’ to describe all administrative and technical staff, in favour of ‘Professional Staff’. Following nomenclature trends in the UK, this change has been in gestation for some time having been championed by individuals, groups, professional associations and more recently a national staff union. This paper presents the findings of a doctoral study regarding the nomenclature preferences of 194 Australian university research support staff. It provides insight into the motivations behind the nomenclature shift, with an emphasis on the dissatisfaction expressed for the term ‘Non-Academic Staff’. Drawing on these findings, this paper suggests an aspirational framework for university professional staff in the form of a ‘nomenclature ladder’ for sector-wide application.

Examining PhD and research masters theses

The examination of research theses has only relatively recently attracted research interest that has focused on what examiners do and how consistent they are. The research questions in this study address firstly whether PhD and research masters theses were treated by examiners as qualitatively different on 12 indicators of importance across the areas: contribution of the thesis, the literature review, approach and methodology, analyses and results and presentation. Secondly what was the examiner assessment of quality of a recently examined thesis on the same indicators and, finally, how well the indicators were reflected in a holistic assessment of thesis quality. The work reported here draws on the responses of 353 PhD and 74 research masters thesis examiners. Findings showed the examiners generally rated the relative importance of the indicators very similarly at both degree levels. Further the order of importance across indicators was essentially the same for the two levels of thesis. Anticipated differences did emerge with the examiners giving higher quality gradings for all contribution indicators for PhD as compared with research masters theses. The 12 specific quality indicators, individually and collectively were strongly related to the holistic assessment of thesis quality, particularly at the PhD level.

Student Experience of Final-Year Undergraduate Research Projects: An Exploration of "Research Preparedness".

During this past decade the level of interest in building research capacity has intensified in Australia and internationally, with a particular emphasis on the development of postgraduate research students, but also extending to undergraduate research experience. This study investigated the student experience across a diverse range of fourth-year undergraduate research programs in one Australian university, and explored how this prepared students for further research study. A construct of ‘research preparedness’ was developed from several factors, including research self-efficacy, motivation, research environment and orientation towards research. Overall, students were motivated to complete their research, and were confident in their ability to carry out the tasks involved in the research process regardless of the program they were undertaking. On the whole, students enrolled in a one-year research program had the strongest intent to continue on to further research studies, and were more likely to show evidence of research preparedness.

Beliefs, attitudes, intentions and locality: the impact of different teaching approaches on the ecological affinity of Indonesian secondary school students

This paper describes an investigation of the interaction between teaching method and school locality in aligning student environmental beliefs, attitudes and intentions. Data for this study were collected from 236 adolescent upper secondary school students and chemistry teachers in Indonesia who were completing environmental topics from the local science curriculum. Analysis of surveys and interviews revealed a complex relationship between the beliefs, attitudes, and intentions exhibited by students and the location of the schools they attended. More active learning approaches seemed to promote cohesion between beliefs, attitudes and intentions, with participation in community issues having a greater impact on student ecological affinity than field research projects. The results of the study are discussed with regard to the concept of environmental citizenship whereby participating in local environmental issues can enhance strategies to create democratic and responsible citizens.