Complete thesis - Murdoch University

• the research establishes a relationship between the characteristics of RE (identifiedpartially in studies of practitioner activity) and established models of learning. Thesecharacteristics inform the development of a conceptual model for RE education. Thisresearch, through a sequence of Action Research cycles, develops a learning model thataddresses more explicitly the gaps in formal education identified by practitioners. Basedon the constructivist paradigm, this Studio Learning model exploits the reflective practitionerconcept of professional learning by incorporating some elements of CognitiveApprenticeship with components of Problem-based Learning and creativity-enhancingstrategies• the research also confirms that there is a relationship between characteristics exhibitedby learners and the learning environment provided. Students display aptitudes forspecific learning environments – those whose approaches to learning align with thelearning model appear to gain increased benefits• for the discipline of RE, this suggests that students with specific characteristics, taughtin a manner that is appropriate to the discipline, have greater potential to becomingcompetent practitioners: a case of the sum of the alignments being greater that itsparts. Figure 9.3 provides a summary of this model of alignment.Figure 9.3: A conceptual model of alignment for RE educationThe pragmatics of this research indicate that education for RE occurs in an Engineeringcontext. The computing space schematic for RE (see Figure 2.9) confirms that the basis409