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Promoting statistical thinking in year 12 multilingual classrooms: a collaborative study
Get PDFThere are challenges making connections between language use and mathematics in mathematics education. A lack of connections between the two domains can have negative consequences on student learning and performance. The challenges in statistics classrooms, where language and contexts are important as a medium of instruction, have received little scrutiny. This article reports on collaborative research carried out in three largely Pasifika-dominated year 12 classes. Specifically, we explored the language resources and strategies that appear to enhance the statistical understanding of Pasifika students. Findings from the teacher reflection aspect of the study indicated that some strategies to incorporate student language and communicative resources in their learning worked better than others. Teachers may need to re-evaluate their teaching practices, especially if part of their population is learning English as a second language
Research note: Empirical analysis of ethnic pay gaps in New Zealand
Get PDFThis research note explores the factors contributing to ethnic pay gaps in New Zealand. The emphasis here is on description, as a causal analysis is beyond the capability of the methods used. The gaps between the average (as well as median) hourly wages for the European workforce relative to Māori and Pacific workers are substantial. A statistical analysis by Treasury in 2018 also showed that the ratio in average hourly wages (based on published survey estimates by Stats NZ) for both ethnic groups relative to European had stayed at a similar level for the last decade; as they state “there has been movement from year to year but no consistent upward or downward trend” (Treasury, 2018, p.1)
Enhancing online reading lists for tertiary education
Get PDFReading lists are a pedagogical tool widely used in tertiary education. Reading lists may provide pedagogical ‘scaffolding’ in which academics offer support to students through signposting and rich annotation on required readings. They thus have a critical role to play in transforming students into autonomous learners. However, it has been observed that existing Reading Lists software solutions support student learning in a partial, fractured way and are under-used in their role as a pedagogical tool. Therefore, this thesis examines the barriers to uptake of Reading Lists (i.e., reading lists that has been created using a special reading lists management software application) in universities, and, in particular, to explore possible interventions to improve academics’ experience with Reading Lists. We employed a mixed-methods approach in which we performed user studies (for academics, librarians, and students), content analyses and prototype designs. The results of these studies have been published across six research papers comprising Chapters 2–7 in this thesis.
The first paper explores the types of resources that are linked in Reading Lists, in particular the inclusion of electronic materials. We identified that many academics struggle with successfully linking resources, and do not perceive the process to be user friendly. We recommended a number of interventions to improve the reading list experience for academics.
In the second paper, we examined in greater detail the make-up of Reading Lists at the University of Waikato. We investigated the experience of academics and librarians when creating Reading Lists and found that uptake of Reading Lists varies widely between different academic disciplines. We recommended developing discipline-specific support to increase Reading Lists numbers and to integrate pedagogical features to increase academic buy-in.
The third paper explores the students’ experience with the Reading Lists, in particular, when accessing electronic materials. The results of our analysis found that the students appreciate the way that Reading Lists help in their learning and perceive Reading Lists to be a useful tool for their learning process. However, their use of Reading Lists features varied due to the lack of awareness, visibility and interaction difficulties. We recommend enhancing the usability and the pedagogical features of Reading Lists to increase students' engagement.
In the fourth paper, we explore in greater detail the pedagogical support that is offered in Reading List systems designed for tertiary teaching in a comparative study. The results of our comparative analysis identified a need for Reading List systems’ features that provide pedagogical support to better integrate into academic teaching. For these features to be truly beneficial, we identified a need to assist teachers to effectively use these tools in their daily practice.
In our fifth paper, we explore the academics' experiences with Reading Lists by focusing on their engagement with the specific aspects, such as creating a reading list, linking resources and the reading lists’ notes. We found a need for streamlining the user workflow, improved usability, and better synchronization with other teaching support systems. We recommend improving the systems’ usability by re-engineering the user workflows and to better integrate “the notes feature” into academic teaching.
In our final paper, we explore the academics’ feedback for prototype design, in which we introduce a redesigned interface for Reading Lists system, in comparison to the existing interfaces of the Waikato Reading Lists system. The results of our analysis identify that our new prototype design is better than the existing interfaces and our design has been accepted by the majority of academics.
In conclusion, the research presented in this thesis has contributed to our understanding of the experiences of academics, librarians, and students as they engage with Reading List systems. Our investigation has identified obstacles that hinder the adoption of Reading List systems, shedding light on the challenges faced by users in embracing these platforms. Additionally, our findings have resulted in a proposed enhanced interface aimed at simplifying and streamlining the use of Reading List systems. This suggested improvement seeks to create a user experience for all individuals involved, encouraging wider acceptance and integration of Reading List systems into the higher education landscape. By deepening our understanding of the interactions between users and Reading List systems this research provides insights that can guide advancements in educational technology. Ultimately, we hope that these contributions will pave the way for efficient engagement with Reading List systems thus enhancing the overall teaching and learning experience
Protogynous sex change in sexually immature spotty wrasse (Notolabrus celidotus)
Get PDFOne of the most unique forms of sexual plasticity can be witnessed in sequentially hermaphroditic fish, which begin as one sex and change to another at some stage in their lifecycle. The endemic protogynous spotty wrasse (Notolabrus Celidotus), has historically been considered monandric although two male morphs appear to exist. To date the majority of research has focused on sexually mature females that are changing sex to become terminal phase males. The current study seeks to describe sex change in sexually immature females that are transitioning to become initial phase males. This was achieved through analysis of gonadal histology as well as expression of three key sex differentiation related genes (amh, dmrt1 and cyp19a1a). Fish (n=141) were caught from the Tauranga Harbour ranging in size from 52-270 mm TL from May-June 2022. The smallest transitional fish identified was 52 mm TL and the smallest IP male detected in this study were 72 mm TL, indicating IP male spotty wrasse likely reach sexual maturity at a much earlier and smaller developmental stage than previously realised. Expression of amh and dmrt1 showed a clear male-bias across sex change, with the former being upregulated in early sex change. The aromatase gene, cyp19a1a showed an overall female-biased expression pattern despite having some unexpected upregulation in the mid stages of sex change. The results supported previous reports that all juvenile spotty wrasse are female first before some individuals undergo pre-maturational sex change to become IP males. Having clarified the process of sex change leading to IP male formation and considering data from other studies of IP and TP testicular structure in this species, it seems no longer tenable to consider them monandric
Competition between native bees and honey bees on mānuka flowers in New Zealand
No full textHumans have introduced the European subspecies of the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) to every other continent except Antarctica, resulting in the presence of this generalist forager many ecosystems that honey bees are not native to. The impacts of introduced honey bees on these ecosystems are still not well understood. Honey bees were introduced to New Zealand in 1839, and are common visitors to native flowers throughout the country. As honey bees are generalist flower visitors and can present at high abundances, they could potentially be competing with and displacing native flower visitors. The aim of this study was to investigate interactions and possible competition between European-derived honey bees (A. mellifera sspp.) and native bee species (Leioproctus spp) for mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) floral resources in New Zealand. I assessed a) temporal overlap in activity, b) abundances across time of day, and c) foraging behaviours of honey bees and Leioproctus bees. In a combination of field observations and behaviour experiments I found that a) temporal niche partitioning occurs daily and seasonally and b) both Leioproctus sp and honey bees display behavioural changes in the presence of the other. My observations suggest that competition does occur between honey bees and Leioproctus sp and that both alter their foraging behaviour and activity to reduce this competition. However, more research is required to assess this interspecific competition is great enough to adversely affect either species. Evidence-based understanding of the impacts of honey bees in native ecosystems is critical to our ability to improve honey bee management strategies and/or mitigate adverse effects of honey bee competition to endemic species where honey bees have been introduced
Witch as Woman: Crones, Maidens, and Mothers in The Witch of Edmonton and A Discovery of Witches
No full textMy research focuses on representations of the controversial and culturally loaded figure of the witch and the way in which she has been represented in fiction. Through an exploration of two very different representations of witches, the 1621 play The Witch of Edmonton and the twenty-first century fantasy All Souls trilogy, this thesis unpacks the longstanding negative associations of the witch. The historical witch stereotyped as evil, old, deviant, and socially marginalised, compared to the way in which contemporary depictions of the witch have refashioned the figure into an autonomous heroine capable of balancing her powers with work, romance, and social responsibility. Throughout, my focus is on the gendered nature of the witch. The play The Witch of Edmonton (1621) by William Rowley, Thomas Dekker, and John Ford draws on the historical record and the pamphlet Wonderfull Discoverie of Elizabeth Sawyer, a Witch (1621) by Henry Goodcole. The historical Elizabeth Sawyer was tried and executed as a witch and Goodcole’s pamphlet is representative of the attitudes of the day which vilified the witch as a figure of demonic power and social disruption. The play both endorses the stereotype of Sawyer as a crone who makes a pact with the devil to enact harm on her neighbours and challenges these tropes by insisting that she is a marginalised, poverty- stricken figure who only turns to witchcraft after society labels her as such. In contrast, the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness (2012-2014) reframes the witch as a young, beautiful heroine whose powers are capable of bringing about salvation rather than destruction. By juxtaposing these very different literary witches, this thesis seeks to understand both the social and literary factors that led to the patriarchal vilification of the witch and the cultural shifts that have resulted in the recent reframing of the witch as a figure of feminist power
Variability of blue carbon stocks in restored saltmarsh wetlands: Bay of Plenty, Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textAs anthropogenic pressures including urbanisation and climate change continue to pressure the natural environment, there is a great need to focus on solutions that both increase ecosystem resilience and mitigate climate change. Coastal wetlands are a “powerhouse” environment that have the potential to achieve this and much more. Among the variety of coastal wetlands, saltmarsh habitats are one of the most degraded environments globally, with a mere <10% estimated to remain in Aotearoa New Zealand. Many saltmarshes have been lost due to factors such as, conversion to pasture, and/or environmental degradation. As part of the conversation around saltmarsh restoration, nature-based solutions are a tool that is being increasingly considered when it comes to climate change mitigation and adaptation, due to the large potential saltmarshes possess to sequester CO2 alongside adapting to sea level rise such as by providing a space for flood water and for vegetation to slow down storm surges, alongside other environmental and societal benefits.
This study investigates the blue carbon dynamics in restored and control saltmarsh habitats in the Bay of Plenty Aotearoa New Zealand, focusing on bulk density, concentration of carbon (%), Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Sediment Accumulation Rates (SAR), and Carbon Accumulation Rates (CAR). We focus on changes in blue carbon with time since saltmarsh restoration. Bulk density analysis revealed minimal variability among sites, with Matua Saltmarsh exhibiting the largest standard error (0.765 ± 0.057g cm3) and Wainui River Saltmarsh the lowest mean bulk density (0.633 ± 0.032g cm3). Carbon concentration was generally highly variable across sites, with Matua Saltmarsh exhibiting the highest mean concentration (5.83 ± 1.151%) and Wainui Repo Whenua the lowest (2.91 ± 0.26%). Total organic carbon stock decreased with depth across sites, with Matua Saltmarsh having the highest total organic carbon stock (1.21 ± 0.005g cm3 or 121.42 ± 0.534t ha-1) and Te Awa o Ngātoroirangi the lowest (0.69 ± 0.004g cm3 or 68.66 ± 0.401t ha-1). Carbon accumulation rates generally increased with restoration age, with Wainui River Saltmarsh exhibiting the highest sediment accumulation rate (11.57mm yr-1) and Matua Saltmarsh the highest carbon accumulation rate (161.87g m-2 yr-1 over the last 20 years). While no distinct trends in blue carbon stocks and concentration emerged between the restored and control environments, it is notable that restored saltmarshes consistently exhibited substantial carbon stocks compared to controls and global standards. Moreover, there were higher mean TOC figures within the first ~30 years post-restoration. These results align with expectations from previous studies, emphasizing the efficacy of saltmarsh restoration efforts in enhancing future carbon storage potential in Aotearoa.
These findings underscore the need for comprehensive investigations into the roles of vegetation, sedimentation rates, microbial processes, alongside catchment hydrological conditions history. This thesis also highlights that long-term monitoring beyond the initial 20- 30 years post-restoration is crucial to comprehensively understand the trajectory of blue carbon dynamics. In addition, comparative studies accounting for diverse restoration techniques and assessments of broader ecosystem services delivered by saltmarsh restoration are essential. Addressing these factors will deepen our understanding of the specific mechanisms influencing blue carbon dynamics in Aotearoa's restored saltmarshes
Kaupapa Māori antenatal wānanga: A solution to refocus New Zealand health service delivery for improved engagement and responsiveness with Māori māmā hapū and pēpi.
No full textThe revitalisation of traditional Māori birthing knowledge and practices is a significant space to enhance Māori maternal and infant health outcomes. This thesis with publications examined the potential of two Kaupapa Māori antenatal wānanga to enhance maternal health outcomes for Māori. Using a mixed methods approach, underpinned by Kaupapa Māori research principles and supported by Māori centred research and a mana wahine theoretical perspective, this thesis reveals transformative solutions to address maternal and infant inequities.
This thesis explores three key areas. First, maternal and infant education and knowledge during hapūtanga (pregnancy). Second, the connection and engagement of Māori māmā hapū (expectant mothers) and whānau (family) with health and community services, and third, the lived experiences of Māori māmā engaging with community services to identify barriers and enablers of service providers.
The introductory chapters provide a contextual overview of maternal and infant health. I begin by canvassing traditional and contemporary factors that influence the current state of Indigenous, notably Māori, maternal and infant health. I then present four chapters that have been submitted to academic journals for publication. Each chapter focuses on one or more of the three key areas identified above. The final chapter draws each of the chapters together to demonstrate how Māori led health initiatives work to enhance and improve maternal health .
Chapter 3 provides a rationale for focusing on Indigenous antenatal education. Within Western countries, antenatal education is a recognised and encouraged service provided during pregnancy. Providing education and information, antenatal education is an opportunity for expectant parents to prepare for pregnancy and parenting. With poor maternal and infant health outcomes, Indigenous Peoples from Aotearoa, Australia, Canada, and the United States, are particularly encouraged to attend antenatal education. Yet, the low rates of Indigenous Peoples attending antenatal education (will be interchangeably referred to as childbirth education throughout this thesis) do not reflect this need. Therefore, the first process in this thesis was to explore Indigenous Peoples participation and engagement in antenatal education. Using a standardised protocol, chapter 3 is a systematic review that explored how Indigenous Peoples are involved, prioritised, and privileged in antenatal education. Specifically, this systematic review examined the extent to which Indigenous Peoples, and their aspirations of health, were prioritised in academic scholarship. With only two studies involving Indigenous participants, it was evidenced that the voice of Indigenous Peoples in antenatal education is lacking in academic scholarship. A key finding was that Indigenous antenatal education programmes were not reflected in academic scholarship. Yet, within Aotearoa there are existing Kaupapa Māori antenatal education. Therefore, the next chapter (4) focused on a retrospective audit of Hapū Wānanga, a Kaupapa Māori childbirth education class.
One reason for undertaking a retrospective audit of Hapū Wānanga (HW) was because I was genuinely interested to understand how other māmā hapū, and their whānau, experienced the programme. I wanted to give voice to these wāhine and was excited to learn whether the programme had similar value to them, as it did for me when I participated in a similar wānanga. This mixed-method interpretive study used retrospective post-course survey data of 1,152 participants over a three-year period from the HW based in the Waikato District Health Board region. This chapter amplified the experiences and voices of HW participants to affirm positive aspects of the class. Participants regarded the information that was shared as life changing, describing the constituents that separated this programme from other health service experiences. Findings revealed that an Indigenous, strengths-based approach to childbirth education service design and delivery, has positive and transformation results for whānau.
Chapter 5 focused on supporting another Kaupapa Māori antenatal wānanga, Whirihia Te Korowai Aroha, to co-design a holistic assessment tool (Whirihia tool). The Whirihia tool aimed to increase access and enhance experiences between health services and māmā hapū by identifying health or social need, then providing a dedicated referral pathway. Using the Indigenous He Pikinga Waiora Implementation (HPW) framework as a guide, this chapter provides an autoethnographic reflective account of the co-design process that led to the development and implementation of the Whirihia tool. This reflective account provides examples of key considerations that align to the HPW framework in the hopes that it will afford some guidance for fellow emerging researchers who wish to undertake ethical co-designed health research with Māori (and non-Māori) communities and organisations. The intention of this chapter is to encourage our research community to provide opportunities and platforms for community health initiatives such as Whirihia Te Korowai Aroha to be foregrounded in academic scholarship. Kaupapa Māori programmes such as these have the solutions to address issues that predominantly affect Māori, however they need the vehicles and tools to make Māori voices, visibility, and vision, heard.
A cohort study was used to extend on the findings from the autoethnographic co-designed Whirihia tool. This chapter explored the experiences of māmā hapū and their interactions with health and social services immediately after Aotearoa’s first Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020. 17 participants completed the Whirihia tool with a subsequent seven māmā participating in a semi-structured, open-ended telephone interview. Findings showed that when services enabled participants to enact their autonomy and self-determination participants valued their engagement with that service. To be responsive to Māori health needs and aspirations, services must demonstrate empathy and compassion for māmā and operate in a passive role of support rather than a position of authority and power.
The final chapter draws together the findings from the previous chapters and challenges preconceived notions that Māori do not engage with maternal and infant health services. Instead, this thesis demonstrates that Māori-led, designed, and delivered, initiatives attract Māori māmā hapū, wider whānau, and non-Māori engagement and endorsement. Foregrounded by the voice and experiences of Māori māmā hapū and their whānau, I suggest three practical steps that can be enacted immediately at both a health system, and health service delivery level to positively enhance antenatal health. First, determine the extent to which CBE classes are meeting Māori end-user needs. Second, using findings from end-user experiences as a foundation, reorient the Ministry of Health pregnancy and parenting service specifications to ensure appropriate content is prioritised in CBE classes, particularly Māori knowledge. Third, adequately resource CBE providers who can deliver programmes that meet the needs of Māori end-users. With the new Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand and Te Aka Whai Ora Māori Health Authority, now is the time to deliver on the various strategic documents to authentically meet the needs of māmā hapū and whānau.
The evidence-based research delivered in this thesis provided the basis for the three recommended changes noted above. These recommendations can be implemented into the health system to enable positive and meaningful change for Māori, in addition to supporting efforts of other Indigenous Peoples to improve Indigenous perinatal health and wellbeing
Empowering Pacific and Māori students via Zoom
No full textWhen discussing online teaching, a common refrain is that online teaching doesn’t suit Pacific and Māori students: they learn kanohi ki te kanohi. We present some experiences from students who attended a Zoom tutorial for Pacific students in 2023. These experiences show that a quality online learning experience is possible, and that Pacific and Māori students value and appreciate online options
Māori data sovereignty and privacy
No full textPrivacy is a fundamental human right. One of its most important aspects is information privacy – providing individuals with control over the way in which their personal data is collected, used, disclosed and otherwise handled. Existing information privacy regulation neither recognises nor protects the collective privacy rights of Indigenous peoples. This paper explores Indigenous data
privacy, and the challenges and opportunities, in the context of Aotearoa. It has two aims: to identify gaps in existing data privacy approaches with regards to Indigenous data, and to provide a foundation for progressing alternative privacy paradigms. We argue that while personal data protection is necessary, it is insufficient to meet the needs of Māori and Aotearoa more broadly. In so doing, we draw on three areas of research: Indigenous and Māori data sovereignty; data and information privacy,
including collective privacy; and Māori and Indigenous privacy perspectives. We examine key features of the Aotearoa privacy context – including the Privacy Act 2020 (NZ) – and consider the implications of te Tiriti o Waitangi and tikanga Māori for alternative privacy approaches. Future options, including legal and extra-legal measures, are proposed