Research Reports

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    Wairua and the relationship it has with learning te reo Māori within Te Ataarangi : a report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Administration at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2005) Browne, Marcia H
    This “compressed ethnographic study” (LeCompte & Schensul 1999:59,88) investigates wairua as an aspect of second language acquisition within the organisation of Te Ataarangi, and suggests that wairua is an important phenomenon within the discipline of second language teaching and learning. As this particular area of enquiry has not been a subject of research, the literature review was essentially interdisciplinary. A literature search that incorporated Ethno-linguistics, Linguistics, Psycholinguistics, Philosophy, Psychology, Physics and Indigenous epistemologies provided the support for clear understandings that are being discussed in this thesis. An analysis of ‘organic intellectual’ experiences and flax-root theory regarding wairua and its relationship with learning te reo Māori was interpreted through Māori and Language Acquisition epistemologies based upon implicit learning, and then tied back to other disciplines when the literature was scarce. Wairua a spiritual phenomenon, as described by participants in this study enters the learning environment through a variety of means, which can then be utilised within the teaching and learning process. It is posited that this is essentially through a physical gateway as paralinguistic phenomena, such that sound vibration derived from positive thought intent with related kinaesthetic body responses act as vehicles to transport wairua. Thus wairua becomes an affective input for the implicit unconscious of students. Common links, patterns and themes within participant interview material triangulated with observations, written teaching resources and documents were arrived at with the aid of NVivo, a computer program designed specifically to “give access to data” that “can be examined and analysed” (Gibbs 2002:11) in order to build theoretical understandings. Teaching principles and practices identified by participants as the essential keys in accessing wairua to enhance the learning of te reo Māori are documented. This study opens the field for further investigation which potentially strengthens the work being done to “further current goals for Māori wellbeing” (Durie1995:8) within the cultural framework of a Māori world view.
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    Food for thought : increasing nutritional diversity by adapting to droughts in Timor-Leste's permaculture/agroecology garden schools : a research project presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Marra, Peter
    The main aim of the research was to explore community resilience, and specifically whether and how garden schools that use permaculture/agroecology principles may be usefully contributing to adaptation to climate change and nutritional diversity in Timor-Leste. The research also aimed to investigate the challenge of implementing garden schools in Timor-Leste. Specifically, targets of the Sustainable Development Goals relating to water conservation, resilience and food security were utilized to measure the progress of garden schools. The above is embedded in a conceptual agroecology framework that assesses the resilience of food growing systems in relation to climate change as the schools utilize permaculture/agroecology principles, with permaculture being a form of agroecology. Timor-Leste is now faced with extreme climate patterns as a result of climate change that can lead to more prolonged droughts. This study used a qualitative methodolology, which included interviews of teachers with school gardens, to help understand how teachers and their students are adapting to these droughts. The study also examines nutritional diversity in schools and the benefits and challenges of implementing school gardens. Furthermore, the study explores the transfer of nutritional and gardening knowledge from schools to the community to increase community resilience. The research revealed that garden schools internationally improve students’ scientific understanding and agricultural knowledge and their taste for locally grown fruit and vegetables. The school gardens in Timor-Leste have multiple benefits with regard to improving educational outcomes and community resilience as a school garden transforms a schoolyard into a green laboratory for students to learn about nutrition, mathematics and linguistics.