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Nature connection: An educational outcome for a sustainable Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textEcological degradation is threatening the life-giving capacity of Earth. This is an unsustainable, existential crisis that requires transformational change. Such a change requires a paradigm shift of the cultural belief and value systems which drive our interactions and relationships with the material world. The global spread of the dominant social paradigm through Westernisation has been driving the development of our social systems in ways that perpetuate human-nature disconnection (physical and psychological separation), leading to adversarial human-nature relations that allow for the ongoing exploitation and degradation of non-human nature. This disconnection is a root cause of our current sustainability crisis.
Increasing calls for interventions that restore nature connection, a construct pertaining to the human-nature relationship, as a mechanism of transformational change are supported by theoretical and empirical evidence. Although nature contact and learning about non-human nature are integral components of environmental education, there is limited research about context-specific meanings and praxis of nature connection as an educational outcome. Furthermore, with respect to the Aotearoa New Zealand context, the challenge of realising nature connection as an educational goal is two-fold. First, environmental education is a non-mandated discipline of the formal education sector and, consequently, viewed by the education community as a ‘nice-to-have’ rather than an educational priority. Second, when environmental education is implemented in schools, cognitive outcomes are often prioritised over affective outcomes. This has implications for the objective of fostering nature connection because an emotional bond with non-human nature requires nurturing students’ feelings and values for all forms of life.
Based on an explanatory sequential research design, the first stage of this study provided a systematic description of environmental education organisations, a network known to support schools across the country with environmental education. A ‘snapshot’ of features associated with the network’s organisational structures and education programmes characteristics was elicited from predominantly quantitative data collected via an online questionnaire. A key finding demonstrated the network’s prioritisation of nature connection as an educational outcome of their programmes. To further explore this finding, two additional qualitative stages of research (a questionnaire comprised of open-ended questions, and semi-structured interviews) were undertaken. Based on an interpretive methodology and utilising a grounded theory approach, stages two and three clarified the understandings participants have of nature connection as an educational outcome, their perspectives about its significance for English-medium schools, and how these views inform their praxis.
The findings confirmed that environmental education organisations prioritise nature connection as an educational outcome for the purposes of resolving unsustainability. Participants identified three cultural aspects as root causes of disconnection. Anthropocentric beliefs and a predominant focus on a utilitarian value of non-human nature were associated with psychological separation, while some features of contemporary lifestyles were linked to humanity’s physical separation from non-human nature. Participants highlighted the perpetuation of disconnection through people losing a holistic knowing of non-human nature and a sense of belonging with all of life.
Participants’ conceptualisations of nature connection frame the phenomenon as interrelated experiences and outcomes that collectively empower a state of being, knowing and becoming in relationship with non-human nature. This conceptualisation laid the foundation from which to explore the benefits of nurturing the human-nature relationship as perceived by participants.
At the individual level, participants believed educating for nature connection empowers students to become capable and motivated agents of change toward more sustainable trajectories, through safeguarding health and wellness, developing a conceptual understanding of interconnectivity, and serving as a motivational impetus that enhances pro-environmental action and behaviour. Findings pointed to the development of these outcomes as vital for correcting the empirically demonstrated ‘teenage dip’—a progressive trend of disconnection that begins around the age of ten and culminates in adolescence. Nature connection was also recognised as a vital co-requisite to issues-based learning, such as climate change education, by helping to prevent the onset of cognitive dissonance and apathy as a response to the profound challenges posed by the Anthropocene.
The systemic impacts of nature connection, as identified by participants, related to shifting societal views, structures and practices that contribute to transformational change. Fostering nature connection through nature-based education was thought to provide students with opportunities to ‘see and be’ in the world differently. Nature connection as an educational outcome can illuminate indigenous ways of knowing and being, such as te ao Māori, which the participants felt were grounded in eco-centric beliefs and intrinsic values that foster respect for non-human nature and harmonious interactions with the Earth system as a whole. In this sense, the study casts light on nature connection as an act of indigenisation that has the potential to heal human-nature disconnection and contribute to resolving unsustainability.
Based on their lived-experiences of working in the formal education sector, the participants identified aspects of the school structure, curriculum and norms as significant contributors of disconnection. Findings also suggest that nature-based education at the present time, as framed by this study, is often not recognised or valued by educational communities, which include teachers, school administrators, students and parents. Underpinned by place-based, holistic and relational approaches, the findings offer five principles of nature-based education that help bridge the scholarly gap regarding effective praxis for fostering nature connection through education and provide a foundation for future research.
This research is significant as humanity grapples with an existential crisis arising from the entwined socio-ecological challenges of the Anthropocene. The findings suggest that policies promoting nature connection, particularly during childhood and adolescence, are vital for improving human-nature relations that lead to more sustainable futures. Continuing to uphold an education system that perpetuates the reproduction of unsustainable societal norms and paradigms is morally untenable. For life to endure, modern culture must embrace a new trajectory based on reciprocal relationships that unite the wellbeing of both human and non-human nature
Protecting the deep: The combined impact of climate change and bottom trawling on VME indicator taxa in New Zealand and implications for management
No full textThe deep sea remains one of the least explored ecosystems on the planet, with 95% still uncharted. From what is known, it harbours critical habitat-forming species like cold-water corals and sponges that sustain extraordinary biodiversity and provide key ecosystem services, including supporting fisheries. These fragile ecosystems face escalating threats from climate change and bottom trawling, yet the extent of their impacts remains poorly understood. This PhD addresses these gaps by examining how these stressors influence Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem (VME) indicator taxa in New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone and explores implications for conservation. The research explores (i) climate change impacts and potential refugia, (ii) the added pressure of bottom trawling, and (iii) management strategies with policymakers and fishery regulators to fast-track spatial protection measures in the New Zealand region.
In Chapter 2, species distribution models were used to predict the spatial distribution of density for several deep-water VME indicator taxa under present-day environmental conditions and two future climate scenarios (SSP2-4.5 and SSP3-7.0) projected by the end of the 21st century. Results showed a significant decline in both the density (54%) and spatial extent (61%) of all assessed taxa under future conditions compared to the current day. However, the models also identified potential climate refugia: areas where certain taxa may persist despite changing environmental pressures, representing crucial conservation targets. This and previous research, however, indicate that existing spatial management measures with respect to bottom trawling may be insufficient to protect VME indicator taxa now and into the future. This suggests that present-day densities, even within potential climate refugia areas, may have already declined due to this activity.
Chapter 3 examines the impact of bottom trawling by estimating the density loss of VME indicator taxa in high-density areas, particularly climate refugia, in New Zealand waters over the past 30 years. Bottom trawling was predicted to have reduced the current density of all assessed taxa across the study region, with the most pronounced reductions in taxon density and habitat extent (up to 10% loss) occurring in areas predicted to be climate refugia. Such declines may undermine the ability of taxa to form ecologically functional habitats in the future if these impacts persist.
The interplay between climate change and bottom trawling presents a complex multi-stressor scenario for VMEs and their indicator taxa. Addressing these cumulative impacts requires integrated approaches that simultaneously consider ecological and social dimensions to provide the scientific knowledge required to support management decisions.
Chapter 4 introduces a social-ecological perspective by combining density-based spatial analysis of VME indicator taxa distributions under multiple stressors (e.g., climate change and bottom trawling) with participatory methods, including interviews and group elicitation with policy regulators and fishery experts. This approach aimed to assess risk perceptions, inform potential management actions, and identify barriers and solutions for effective conservation in the New Zealand region. Findings revealed that presenting additional scientific evidence and engaging a diverse group of stakeholders in discussions enhanced their risk perceptions and confidence about the impacts of climate change and bottom trawling on VME indicator taxa. Additionally, stakeholder engagement helped refine potential strategies for implementing spatial management measures.
By adopting a social-ecological approach, this PhD thesis integrated ecological modelling, spatial impact analysis, and participatory methods to provide insights into the multiple effects of climate change and bottom trawling on VME indicator taxa and their effective management. The findings that originated from this work can contribute to the development of climate-resilient marine spatial planning strategies aimed at strengthening the long-term protection of deep-sea VMEs as well as from additional impacts such as bottom trawling. Moreover, the thesis identifies key scientific knowledge gaps, including the need for connectivity analyses and recovery following disturbance from local stressors such as bottom trawling. This information can be useful to enhance the predictive power of species distribution models and the importance of broader stakeholder involvement—particularly the fishing industry—to facilitate the implementation of management initiatives in a socially just and equitable manner
Examining the spatial and temporal variability of historical drought events to inform future climate risk in Canterbury
No full textDroughts are severe and unpredictable climate hazards that are challenging to predict and quantify. They are widely regarded as one of the most destructive natural hazards due to their unpredictability and far-reaching impacts, which extend across both time and space. Droughts affect socioeconomic and environmental systems, with their impacts often cascading beyond the initially impacted areas and systems. With climate change projected to increase the frequency and intensity of drought events globally, there is a growing need to further knowledge and understanding of drought characteristics to mitigate their impacts and develop effective adaptation strategies. Canterbury, a key agricultural region in New Zealand, is particularly vulnerable to drought.
This study explores the spatiotemporal variability of historical summer droughts in Canterbury using long-term rainfall records from 1950–2022 at twenty five weather stations. The analysis reveals significant spatial and temporal variability in drought rarity and severity, identifying five sub-regional clusters with similar rainfall experiences. Further investigation of the temporal characteristics of Canterbury droughts at weather stations with at least one hundred years of rainfall data highlighted the extreme 1897/98 drought, which affected much of the region.
Using a storyline approach, a worst-case drought scenario was developed. The 1897/98 drought was compared with more recent known high impact droughts in 1988/89, 1997/98, and 2000/01 using rainfall and, where available, soil moisture data from two stations situated in the intensive dairying area of the Canterbury Plains. Each drought exhibited unique characteristics: the 1988/89 event had the driest March–November period on record, while the 2000/01 drought experienced the driest December–May. However, the most severe 15-month rainfall deficits occurred during the 1897/98 drought, marking it as an unprecedented event in Canterbury’s climate history. The findings highlight an increased risk of severe and prolonged droughts in Canterbury under climate change.
Understanding historical drought spatiotemporal patterns and constructing a worst-case scenario provide valuable insights for assessing future drought risk, supporting the development of targeted mitigation and adaptation strategies in a changing climate
From willingness to engage to willingness to pay: A behavioral experiment on green consumer information in a digital product passport
No full textInformation represents the “third wave” of environmental policy. Existing evidence shows consumers increase their willingness to pay (WTP) for environmentally friendly products with clear labelling. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding whether consumers have a willingness to engage (WTE) with detailed information, for example, through a Digital Product Passport (DPP). This technological innovation is part of the European Union’s new circular economy action plan. In our theoretical model, a green consumer decides whether to invest in information on how to mitigate their environmental damage, but at a cognitive cost. We test the model in a lab experiment selling an environmentally friendly toothbrush, but information about its environmental credentials is only available through a DPP. We find education on the DPP’s purpose is key to increasing revealed WTE when a DPP is available. Participants with a high stated WTE engage with the DPP regardless; the increase in revealed WTE comes from those with a lower stated WTE. Engagement with the DPP, in the case that it contains positive environmental information, increases WTP. The policy implications of our results are that education about the purpose of the DPP is required in order to increase the likelihood of actual consumer engagement with it, as long as it is user friendly. However, engagement with a DPP may not lead to further shifts in environmental orientation and behavior. Our study also demonstrates novel measures of WTE, and how these can be used to understand pro-environmental consumer behavior in a theoretically informed manner
Exploring effective digital technologies programmes: Perspectives of middle school teachers and leaders
No full textRecognising the growing demand for digital skills in the 21st century, the Ministry of Education (MoE) introduced a Digital Technologies (DT) element to the Technology Curriculum in 2018, aiming to equip students with the knowledge and capabilities to thrive in a technology-driven world. However, the implementation of this new curriculum, mandated to start in 2020, presented challenges for schools, leaders and teachers, particularly regarding teacher confidence, skill development, and pedagogical approaches.
This thesis examines the implementation of the digital technologies content of the New Zealand Technology Curriculum (DTC) in New Zealand middle schools, specifically focusing on how schools can effectively implement DT programmes. The research adopts a qualitative, interpretivist, collective Case Study approach, focusing on two middle schools in the Waikato region. Data was gathered through focus groups, document analysis, classroom observations, and interviews with teachers and leaders at the participating schools. This data was then analysed thematically. The findings highlight the crucial roles that both school leaders and teachers play in the effective implementation of DT programmes. The research identified two central themes: ‘Leaders as Catalysts for Digital Advancement’ and ‘Teachers as Digital Technologies Champions’.
Leaders were found to catalyse digital advancement by:
• Establishing clear goals and expectations.
• Allocating resources strategically.
• Attending to their own learning.
• Supporting teachers to build their confidence and competence in DT.
Teachers, in turn, championed successful DT programmes by:
• Understanding and responding to the rationale and purposes for digital technologies.
• Demonstrating learning dispositions towards innovation and change.
• Deliberately utilising a range of DT tools.
• Leveraging pedagogical strategies to enhance engagement and achievement.
The research emphasises the importance of aligning leadership actions with teacher needs to create a supportive environment for DT implementation. Furthermore, a Digital Technologies Content Implementation Tool (DTCIT V2) has been proposed, through partnering the findings of the study with the TPACK model and other scholarship. Literature suggests that the challenges associated with implementation of the DTC – confidence, skill and pedagogy, can be addressed through teachers developing their content knowledge, technological knowledge and curriculum integration.
The findings highlight the need for ongoing, tailored professional learning and development (PLD) opportunities to address teacher anxieties and build confidence and competence in delivering the DTC. It is hoped that the findings of this research will assist teachers and leaders to move through the challenges of implementing the DTC and develop effective Digital Technologies programmes for their learners
Improving ensembles and prediction intervals for machine learning on data streams
No full textThe rapid growth of streaming data presents significant challenges for traditional machine learning, including popular tasks like regression and classification. This thesis proposes adaptive and dynamic methods to address key issues, including concept drift, uncertainty quantification, and ensemble optimization, in evolving data streams.
The Self-Optimising K Nearest Leaves (SOKNL) regression algorithm integrates k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN) and Adaptive Random Forest Regression (ARF-Reg), dynamically optimizing neighbor selection to improve regression accuracy without relying on fixed window sizes. Extensive experimental results suggest that SOKNL outperforms the state-of-the-art streaming regression algorithms, including its origin, ARF-Reg.
For classification tasks, the Dynamic Ensemble Member Selection (DEMS) method dynamically adjusts ensemble size and selects members based on accuracy and diversity, improving predictive performance while handling concept drift. DEMS extends the idea of dynamic selection of ensemble members from SOKNL to classification tasks, with more flexible selection criteria.
The Adaptive Prediction Interval (AdaPI) framework provides robust uncertainty quantification by adaptively adjusting prediction intervals based on historical coverage, ensuring reliability in streaming regression. To evaluate prediction intervals holistically, the thesis introduces Coverage Interval Width in Non-dominated Groups (CING), a multi-objective evaluation method balancing interval width and coverage.
Aiming at analyzing the proposed methods for regression, this thesis also contributes the New Zealand Energy Pricing (NZEP) datasets, a comprehensive repository for real-time energy analytics. NZEP aims at providing a real, growing, customizable regression data source that can enrich the current regression benchmark data for stream learning, and potentially time-series.
By providing scalable, adaptive solutions for regression and classification, this research advances real-time decision-making in streaming data environments
Variability in the trophic level index in Lake Rotoehu from 1990 to 2021
No full textSetting an appropriate Trophic Level Index (TLI) target for lakes in the Rotorua Te Arawa region is critical for informing short- and long-term management decisions. Due to high variability in the observed TLI of Lake Rotoehu, coupled with contrasting understanding of historical water quality in the lake, the Bay of Plenty Regional Council requested a robust analysis of the drivers of the TLI over time to help inform the suitability of the current TLI target. To undertake this, we first quantified the uncertainty around the TLI in the 1990s, when the current TLI target was set based on the “best” observed water quality within the long-term monitoring program, to understand how a lower sampling frequency from 1990-2000 (~every 2-3 months) impacted TLI estimates. We found that while sampling fewer times in the year in the 1990s increased uncertainty around TLI estimates by 0.2-0.3 TLI units, a marked shift in water quality from a TLI of 3.6 in 1992 to 4.5 in 1993 remained evident.
To understand if the main drivers affecting the TLI were different during the 1990s as opposed to later decades, we calculated the Pearson correlation coefficient between the TLI and several driver variables separately for each decade. Drivers in this analysis included meteorological variables, lake water level, and in-lake water quality not in the TLI calculation (e.g., bottom water nutrients, water temperature, stratification metrics), and the amount of aluminium sulphate dosed to the lake. While several variables were consistently important across all decades (e.g., bottom water nutrients, bottom water temperature, and mean monthly air temperature), average monthly water level and minimum windspeeds were only important in the 1990s, indicating that these variables had been related to major shifts in water quality seen during that time.
Lastly, to better understand the relative importance of multiple drivers of the TLI and whether this importance changes over time, we conducted a moving window analysis. We fit autoregressive models, meaning the models included the previous month’s TLI estimate, as well as a single driver variable over a moving window of ~8 years, where each window moved forward one month at a time. We found that air temperature, bottom water temperature, and bottom water dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) were most often the top predictors of the TLI. However, the relative importance of average monthly water level increased sharply to the most important driver during a time period which also corresponded to very high water levels. Additionally, examination of model parameters over the simulation period demonstrated that the strength and magnitude of the relationship between the TLI and individual drivers changed over time, indicating that that relationships are not fixed through time.
Overall, this work highlights the importance of re-evaluating the underlying relationships between the TLI and drivers over time, emphasising the dynamic nature of Lake Rotoehu. We demonstrate a clear shift in water quality between 1992 and 1993, likely driven by low water levels and windspeeds, which may have induced a pattern of increased external loading that still exists. Importantly, many of the variables which emerged as important for the TLI (water level, windspeed) will continue to vary with changing climate and are outside of the control of management. In light of this, while the current TLI target (3.9) may be feasible for Lake Rotoehu given historical observations and possible reference conditions, achieving this target consistently may be very difficult going forward due to catchment and climate pressures which have put Lake Rotoehu outside of an undisturbed reference state. This work can be built upon through future analyses which continue quantifying the changing relationships between the TLI and drivers over time, increasing the use of high-frequency buoy data to better inform water quality dynamics at shorter time scales, and testing our understanding of the drivers of water quality through predictions. The overall aim for future research would therefore be to establish water quality targets that not only align with community aspirations but are also technically feasible, especially in light of global change
Dynamic Nonlinear Resistance Model for a Power MOSFET in an Oscillatory RLC Circuit
No full textThis paper presents the development of a new Matlab mosfet model specifically designed for RLC circuits. The key contribution is the formulation of a novel equation that accurately captures the device behavior across subthreshold, above-threshold regions and at threshold point, addressing limitations in existing models. The developed model treats the mosfet as a variable resistance element, with the resistance changing dynamically at each instant, enabling the solution of differential equations governing the RLC circuit. Curve fitting and refinement were conducted based on experimental results, leading to a close match between the simulations and experimental data. The model was tested with triangle, sinusoidal and quadrilateral gate voltages, and the simulation results show good match with the experimental data, demonstrating the model's accuracy. It provides a straightforward way to predict performance, making it easier to refine and optimize the design gate voltage before physical implementation. This work provides a solid foundation for mosfet modeling in oscillatory RLC circuits, which can be applied to a wide range of power electronics applications
“Whānau Vibes”: Reclamation of self, space and community within group fitness gyms.
No full textGroup fitness gyms are becoming more popular in Aotearoa, New Zealand. This thesis is an investigation of the lived experiences of Māori members within a commercialised fitness space called BFT Hamilton East, located in Kirikiriroa, Hamilton. Drawing on Indigenous anthropology and autoethnography, and grounded in Kaupapa Māori theory, this thesis firstly explores how the gym becomes a site in which Māori members seek to reclaim the narrative around their own bodies. I explore the colonial depictions, the politics of the Indigenous body and how Māori-owned clothing brands contribute to this reclamation. I then examine how Māori gym members use the gym space with a sense of purpose, balancing the values of culture and commercialisation. And finally, I investigate the importance of relational well-being and the use of whanaungatanga and manaakitanga to create a sense of belonging among participants in their search for connection. In foregrounding Indigenous ways of knowing, being and moving in a commercial group fitness gym, this thesis aims to contribute to the anthropological conversations that advocate for the inclusion of Indigenous methodologies into Anthropology, centring Indigenous agency and advocating for the decolonisation of fitness spaces
Alternative anthropologies: Kete aronui from the Waikato
No full textAs three anthropologists working at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, Aotearoa (New Zealand), we experience anthropology in our daily work in the context of our local histories, communities and politics. While many anthropologists are familiar with the critiques of anthropology that play out in the USA or Europe, the narratives and practices of anthropology from places such as New Zealand are less well known. We argue that these local, diverse experiences of anthropology can enlarge our international understandings and imaginations of what anthropology can be, as well as the challenges it may face.
Anthropologists working in New Zealand today face the same plethora of academic pressures as those found in their counterparts in North America, Britain and Europe; pressures instigated by decades of neoliberal reform, managerialism, and the impact of new entrepreneurial and corporate models of universities that shape everyday identities and social relationships (Shore 2010). Similarly, the critique of anthropology as a discipline rooted in colonial imperatives and practices, resounds in a society whose imperial history and settler colonial present continues to imprint on educational institutions, pedagogy and research. In New Zealand, no neat historical trajectory marks a path from extractive research, wherein Indigenous knowledge and ways of life are pottled for export to the empire’s core, to one based on mutuality, co-creation and the indigenisation of anthropological knowledge