Change and Improvement in Girl's Experience

Wantirna College's leadership is interested in understanding the girls' experiences at school in response to indications that girls are facing challenges in the school's social climate. The aim of this study is to understand girls' experiences at Wantirna College; in particular, barriers to their learning and feelings of safety, and identify effective strategies for change and improvement.

This project will use a mixed method approach, including focus groups with girls (focus on years 9 and 10, as indicated by the school), interviews or focus groups with women teachers, document/policy analysis (focus on wellbeing, Respectful Relationships documentation, and behaviour policies), as well as ethnographic fieldwork on school climate and culture. Specifically, there will be a mini review of the school climate to examine girls' and women's experiences and understand the conditions reflected in the Attitudes to School Survey data.

The primary outcome will be a detailed report outlining research findings and providing key research-based recommendations for the school leadership to consider and implement.