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Translating Caring Into Action: an Evaluation of the Victorian Catholic Education Student Welfare Professional Development Initiative

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Translating Caring Into Action: an Evaluation of the Victorian Catholic Education Student Welfare Professional Development Initiative Translating Caring Into Action: an Evaluation of the Victorian Catholic Education Student Welfare Professional Development Initiative Helen Cahill Gary Shaw Johanna Wyn Graeme Smith Australian Youth Research Centre The University of Melbourne with contributions from: Elizabeth Freeman and Desma Strong University of Melbourne David Huggins, Mary Tobin and James Montgomery Catholic Education Commission, Victoria Australian Youth Research Centre August 2004 First published August 2004 by the: Australian Youth Research Centre Faculty of Education University of Melbourne Parkville 3052 Victoria Australia Phone: (03) 8344 9633 Fax: (03) 8344 9632 ISBN 0 7340 3033 9 © Australian Youth Research Centre All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Youth Research Centre. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Australian Youth Research Centre, the Faculty of Education, The University of Melbourne, the Catholic Education Commission, Victoria, or the Australian Research Council. 2 Translating Caring Into Action Contents Section 1 : 5 Introduction and Summary of Findings Helen Cahill, Johanna Wyn and Gary Shaw Section 2 : 10 The Course Elizabeth Freeman and Desma Strong Section 3 : 18 The School System Initiative: The Catholic Education System Response to the Victorian Suicide Prevention Task Force Report David Huggins, Mary Tobin and James Montgomery Section 4 : 24 Methodology Helen Cahill, Johanna Wyn and Gary Shaw Section 5 : 29 Literature Review Helen Cahill, Johanna Wyn and Gary Shaw Section 6 : 41 Students’ Perspectives on the Welfare Issues Affecting their Participation in School Life Helen Cahill, Gary Shaw and Johanna Wyn Section 7 : 48 Course Participants’ Perspectives on the Value of the Course Helen Cahill, Gary Shaw, Johanna Wyn and Graeme Smith Section 8: 58 Principals’ Perspectives on the Value of the Course Helen Cahill, Gary Shaw, Johanna Wyn and Graeme Smith Section 9: 63 Conclusion Helen Cahill, Gary Shaw and Johanna Wyn Appendices 66 1: Student survey: Primary School 2: Student survey: Secondary School Australian Youth Research Centre: Research Report 26 3 Acknowledgments his research has been supported by a grant from the Australian T Research Council through the Strategic Partnerships with Industry for Research and Training (SPIRT) scheme. The research team is indebted to all those students, teachers, principals and course participants who took the time to participate in surveys and interviews. 4 Translating Caring Into Action Section 1 Introduction Helen Cahill, Johanna Wyn and Gary Shaw The Catholic Education Office intrinsic to their teaching role, and that they can develop specific knowledge and skills which Teacher Development for will enhance their capacity to perform this role Mental Health Promotion Initiative effectively. he Catholic Education Commission of T Victoria (CECV), informed by understandings The Course of the need to address the challenge of mental The Postgraduate Diploma in Educational health promotion, invested in a professional Studies (Student Welfare) is a specialised development program in student welfare as a program of professional development catering central element of its mental health promotion for the needs of experienced teachers wishing to and suicide prevention strategy. The strategy undertake leadership roles in the development of involved the purchase of a two-year professional student welfare programs and caring networks development program - the Postgraduate in their schools and colleges. The two-year Diploma in Educational Studies (Student part time Course is concerned with integrating Welfare) - from the Department of Learning and theory and practice in the exploration of socio- Educational Development at The University of political issues that impact on the provision Melbourne. The Course was initially provided of student welfare. It uses perspectives from for an intake of 146 teachers from Catholic Australian and overseas research and practice primary and secondary schools across Victoria to assist participants to understand and develop in the first cohort (1999) and 100 teachers in the second cohort (2000). (These two cohorts are the appropriate systems within schools, and subject of this report.) Following the success of cooperative relations with community welfare the initial program, additional intakes in 2001 services. The Course also provides opportunities – 2004 meant that the Course has been provided for students to develop advanced skills in to approximately 700 teachers in the system. counselling, advocacy, conflict management and group participation and leadership and An investment in professional development on school-based action research. Participants this scale represents a substantial and innovative approach on the part of the CECV. It is a having completed the Course should be able to movement away from the provision of separate demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of and specialist guidance services that concentrate recent developments in student welfare, make on interventions around ‘at risk’ students, to an effective use of that knowledge in addressing intention to equip large numbers of teachers with student welfare problems, and demonstrate the skills and strategies both to meet the needs an appreciation of appropriate professional of specific students and to contribute to whole responsibilities and ethical principles associated school change. The professional development with student welfare practice. program recognised the link between learning The philosophy of the Course is that and student wellbeing and sought to develop student welfare demands a whole school a skilled welfare resource base in schools, approach; and that school structures, school which would complement existing professional curriculum and increased teacher confidence psychology and social work services provided and skills are essential in the development of to schools. preventative and early intervention strategies Central to the philosophy of the selected promoting the wellbeing of all students. postgraduate course is “translating caring The Course provides training in into action”. This is underpinned by the belief interpersonal and counselling skills, develops that all teachers have a welfare role which is knowledge of community resources and an Australian Youth Research Centre: Research Report 26 5 understanding of the school as an organisational and design are documented, along with the system. The theme of the program, ‘Translating Course participants’ levels of satisfaction with Caring into Action’ highlights the dual focus of the course. The key question explored at this the Course on both person change and system level was: How do the participants rate the Course change. in relation to its stated goals and their perceptions of their professional needs? The evaluation The second circle represents the impact The evaluation of the Course was set in the of the Course on the skills and understandings of context of a discussion about mental health the Course participants. The key question at this promotion in school settings. A summary level was: To what extent do the Course participants of relevant literature addressing the mental develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes which the health promotion, school change and teacher Course sets out to enhance? development, informed the evaluation. Research The focus of the evaluation within the with primary and secondary school students third circle was on the documentation of the explored their perceptions of how schools perceived effects of the strategy at the school could best support student learning and level, using both Course participants and school social-emotional wellbeing. The Course was principals as key informants. The key question thus evaluated both within the context of the at this level was: How has the participants’ needs, directions and principles identified in involvement in the course enhanced their capacity to the literature and those distinguished by the contribute to mental health promotion in their school school students. setting? The ripple metaphor has been used as a The next layer of investigation framework within which to examine the impact encompasses consideration of the role of the of the Course on the Course participants, and of Course as a component of a system-wide strategy the Course participants upon their schools (see to enhance mental health promotion and suicide Figure 1). prevention in primary and secondary schools. The first, inner circle, represents the Within this circle, the key evaluation question Course as an intervention. Its aims, processes was: How does the Course as an intervention fit within what is known about recommended approaches to school-based mental health promotion? A t t h i s l e v e l , t h e i m p a c t o f t h e C o u r s e w a s considered in relation to the evidence-base in the literature focusing on school change and mental health promotion and in relation to student perceptions of their needs. T h e s i g n i f i c a n c e o f t h e evaluation lies in the production of evidence about the effectiveness of a student welfare professional development program of this nature in assisting schools to address the mental health needs of their students. 6 Translating Caring Into Action EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF
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