Beyond the Boundary: a Three-Way Partnership Creating Valuable Learning Experiences for Young People in Senior Secondary Education
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Beyond the boundary: A three-way partnership creating valuable learning experiences for young people in senior secondary education Adriana Johanna Maria van Son Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education College of Education Victoria University August 2016 Abstract While Australia has experienced a steady increase in the proportion of young people who complete their Senior Secondary Certificate there is still a large number of young people who leave school prior to completion (ABS 2015). To support Year 12 attainment, various policy, programming and curriculum initiatives have been implemented. Relevant for this thesis are the National Partnerships policies that mandate and support school participation, the introduction of the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) and the proliferation of Flexible Learning Programs (FLPs). Each of these policies and initiatives provide the current education context for the Cricket Victoria Sports Development Program (CV-SDP). The program is designed along applied learning principles to reengage young people with learning who might otherwise have left school without completing Year 12. The research set out to investigate the learning experiences and education outcomes valued by students in this program which is delivered in the state of Victoria, Australia, in partnership between SEDA, a provider of senior secondary programs, and Cricket Victoria (CV) the peak body for cricket in Victoria. The research also considered how the SEDA-CV partnership contributed to these learning experiences and education outcomes. The research was conducted using a single case study methodology. Data was gathered using student videos and interviews, senior staff and program staff interviews from SEDA and CV and organisational documents. The data identified two key findings. The first highlights interest-based learning, choice and autonomy as unique features of learning valued by the students. Secondly, the research reconceptualises educational partnerships beyond the philanthropic relationships currently described in the literature to one of joint value creation (Austin & Seitanidi 2012) where SEDA and CV demonstrate a genuine ability to create value for themselves and each other. Beyond philanthropic, the research also reframes educational partnerships as a three-way partnership that valued young people for their unique contribution, and in exchange provided them with valued learning experiences and education outcomes. II Doctor of Education Declaration I, Adriana Johanna Maria van Son, declare that the EdD thesis entitled: Beyond the boundary: A three-way partnership creating valuable learning experiences for young people in senior secondary education is no more than 60,000 words in length including quotes and exclusive of tables, figures, appendices, bibliography, references and footnotes. This thesis contains no material that has been submitted previously, in whole or in part, for the award of any other academic degree or diploma. Except where otherwise indicated, this thesis is my own work. Signature: Date: Tuesday 23rd August, 2016 III Acknowledgements There are many people who have made vital contributions to making this thesis a reality. I owe my gratitude to all of those people. My deepest gratitude goes to my supervisors Professor Kitty Te Riele and Dr Vicky Plows. I know I have been fortunate to receive exceptional supervision. I appreciate that you have allowed me the freedom to explore my own ideas and provided me with positive and constructive feedback and guidance to work through each stage of the doctoral process. It is hard to put into words how much I have learnt from you both during our time together. This research could not have happened without the support and willingness to participate of the students and the staff at SEDA and Cricket Victoria. I feel privileged to have been allowed to tell your story and hope I have represented you in the generous and warm way you approached your time with me. I would also like to acknowledge Sherryn Alexander for her support in coordinating interviews and research activities alongside my work schedule whilst working at SEDA. I am also grateful for the many friends and colleagues who supported me over the years by talking through a range of ideas over coffees and lunch. You have all been very patient! A special thank you to Bette Prange, whose efforts regularly brought together our Doctor of Education community to share doctoral experiences, which served to reduce both the loneliness and relentlessness of writing. A kind thank you to Dr Diane Brown for copyediting the thesis as well as many other friends and family who have spent time reading, providing feedback and discussing the ideas in this thesis as they unfolded. Also a thank you to Peter Tyndall, who encouraged me to keep my diagrams simple, leaving space for the reader to interpret the diagrams for themselves. Finally, a special thank you to Michele, Chuck and Daisy for keeping me grounded in the everyday. IV Table of Contents CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background .................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 The research ................................................................................................................ 3 1.3 A personal journey ........................................................................................................ 5 1.4 Lucy’s story ................................................................................................................... 6 1.5 Shaping the research .................................................................................................... 7 1.6 A case study design ...................................................................................................... 8 1.7 Significance of the research .......................................................................................... 9 1.8 Structure of the thesis ................................................................................................. 10 CHAPTER 2. SENIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION AND PARTNERSHIPS ....................... 12 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 12 2.2 Year 12 attainment ..................................................................................................... 12 2.2.1 Leaving school ................................................................................................... 13 2.2.2 Non Completion – at what cost? ........................................................................ 15 2.2.3 Measures to increase attainment ....................................................................... 17 2.3 The purpose of senior secondary education ............................................................... 22 2.3.1 VCAL outcomes ................................................................................................. 24 2.3.2 Flexible Learning Program outcomes ................................................................. 25 2.4 Learning experiences and student engagement ......................................................... 28 2.4.1 Learning experiences ....................................................................................... 28 2.4.2 Student engagement ........................................................................................ 29 2.4.3 Strategies for engagement ................................................................................. 31 2.4.4 VCAL curriculum for engagement ...................................................................... 33 2.5 Partnerships ............................................................................................................... 35 2.5.1 Defining partnerships ......................................................................................... 35 2.5.2 Theorising educational partnerships................................................................... 37 2.5.3 Educational partnerships.................................................................................... 39 2.6 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 44 CHAPTER 3. A CASE STUDY APPROACH ........................................................................ 45 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 45 3.2 Methodology and research design .............................................................................. 46 3.2.1 Single site .......................................................................................................... 46 3.2.2 Student voice ..................................................................................................... 48 3.2.3 Qualitative research ........................................................................................... 49 V 3.3 Credibility of the research ........................................................................................... 49 3.4 Data collection and analysis ....................................................................................... 52 3.4.1 Data collection ..................................................................................................