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    Problematizing Māori achievement in education policy : an exploratory mixed-methods study on teacher enactment of Ka Hikitia : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2022) Niwa, Timu-o-te-rangi
    This thesis analyses and describes a range of factors that impact upon mainstream primary school teachers’ enactments of the Māori education policy strategy, Ka Hikitia (Ministry of Education, 2013, 2018, 2020). Where this study differs is that it goes beyond the traditional implementation approach to policy research and seeks to identify and investigate the ‘messier’ aspects of interpretation, subjectivity and context, factors that are often missing in accounts of how policy works in schools. It has utilised an exploratory, two-phase mixed-methods approach to collect the data. The initial phase was a series of one-to-one interviews with a small cohort of primary school teachers from the Manawatū region of New Zealand. The data collated helped to develop a set of initial themes that were used to formulate the second phase survey that was sent out to a wider cohort. The themes from both two phases of the study have been used in a complementary manner to engage with research and literature from the fields of Māori education, culturally responsive pedagogy and critical policy enactment. This study concludes that teachers rely heavily upon school context and personal subjectivities to interpret and enact Ka Hikitia. It contends that teachers respond to Ka Hikitia in three key ways: considered enactment, perfunctory enactment, and/or enactment resistance. While teacher enactment is a focus of this study, it is purported that a broader consideration of how government and institutional factors impact upon teacher enactment of Ka Hikitia needs to be taken into account. Solely focusing on teachers as mere ciphers of policy reinforces institutional invisibility. This study calls for a broader understanding of how Māori student achievement is understood and problematized in Ka Hikitia. While supporting the necessity for Māori language, culture and identity to be an integral part of mainstream primary schools, this research urges policy makers and Māori academics to re-consider and re-calibrate the impact of socio-economic factors upon Māori student achievement and, henceforth, rework policy designed to address this.
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    Learning to lead student achievement : a mixed methods study on the leadership practices of New Zealand primary school principals : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2021) Rowe, Kathryn Joy
    The study’s purpose was to contribute to the understanding of professional learning needs of primary school principals and to provide more information about effective leadership practices which raise student achievement in the context of New Zealand’s self-managing school system. This study employed a mixed methods research design to explore how a group of New Zealand primary principals used their direct and indirect influence to impact student achievement. The principals participated in a pedagogically-based leadership programme over 18 months as first-time principals in 2007. The study was situated within a pedagogical leadership discourse to explore how the principals developed their leadership practices over the decade to 2017. The research took place in two phases. In Phase One, a questionnaire was used to explore how 67 principals had developed their leadership practices during the decade 2007-2017. In Phase Two, 12 volunteer principals participated in interviews and contributed documents for analysis to investigate the influence of principals’ leadership practices on student achievement in New Zealand primary schools. Findings appeared to show that an influence of New Zealand’s self-managing schooling system was to increase principals’ work intensity and reduce principals’ focus on teaching and learning within their schools and the time for reflective practice. This work intensity was particularly noticeable for principals of small schools. Principals’ decision making was strongly linked to their theories of action. Theories of action based on pedagogical leadership better influenced student achievement. However, the findings suggested that principals also required time to influence practices within their schools. Extended time enabled principals to align pedagogical theories of action with learning and teaching activities, integrate new learning, develop relationships, promote dialogue about teaching and learning within the community of practice and embed self-improving processes for reflection and development of teaching practices. Principals’ participation in teachers’ professional development enabled principals to better act as a resource for teachers, engage more effectively in dialogue about teaching and learning, integrate new learning into school-wide practices, and enhance processes which facilitated learning within the community of practice. Establishment of structures which developed a safe and orderly environment and attended to the physical and psychological needs of students, appeared important prior to establishing structures which more directly emphasized classroom teaching and learning. Findings showed that New Zealand primary school principals’ professional learning is heuristic in response to contextual needs. Despite an emphasis on pedagogical leadership within New Zealand education policy and within the principal preparation programme attended by the principals in the study, not all the principals emphasized pedagogical leadership in their practice. Principals developed most of their pedagogical knowledge during their time as teachers. Principals, who continued to develop their pedagogical content knowledge by participating in teachers’ professional development, led high achieving schools. The New Zealand education system, while providing autonomy for principals, relies on a high level of unfunded, informal support from vicarious experts such as experienced principals, school community members or other personal contacts to apprentice the principal in a proportion of the knowledge, skills and dispositions required to fulfil the principal’s role. Local funding of principals’ professional learning leads to inequities of access to professional learning for principals of small and geographically isolated schools. The implications of the study are collaboration is required between practitioners, researchers and policy makers to advance solutions for problems of educational practice and that reduce contextual influences to principals’ workloads and better enable principals to focus on teaching and learning within their schools.
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    Students' experiences and perceptions of relationships : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2020) Marsh, Brian Noel
    This thesis reports on student experiences and perceptions of the relationships they encountered in their first year of study at a faculty of education. The research design uses an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach to produce a nuanced view of the answers to the research question. Quantitative data were gathered from students via a Likert-scale survey questionnaire, followed by interviews with some of the survey participants. The quantitative data were analysed via factor analysis and factor scores were generated for five different relationship factors. The survey data were examined from the points of view provided by the demographic data gathered from the students. Semi-structured interviews with 17 students provided the opportunity to dig deeper into the stories that lay behind the questionnaire results. Findings are presented as a series of propositions: that peer relationships play a powerful role in binding students to their learning; that the relationship with the lecturer also plays this role; that the evidence about institutional relationships is mixed; that for some students, it is the relationship with the content that is the binding one; and that there exists a complex ecology of student needs, which need to be understood and addressed in different ways. Implications of the findings are that stakeholders in the higher education enterprise need to ensure the building of positive, supportive, learning relationships with students in the future; it is from the firm base of these relationships that successful, sustained learning will flow.
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    A critical investigation into the challenges and benefits in developing a culturally responsive framework in a mainstream Kāhui Ako/Community of Learning : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Master of Education, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Aim, Daryl
    In late 2014 the government announced the ‘Investing in Educational Success’ initiative with a $359 million budget. The initiative invited schools to form into local school clusters called Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako (CoL). Ninety-three per cent of these clusters and CoLs, identified culturally responsive practice as a core objective. The Ministry of Education has through a number of initiatives attempted to address the achievement disparity between Māori and non-Māori that has resulted in a clear directive for teaching and learning to shift towards a pedagogical practice of ‘culturally responsive teaching.’ The intention of this research was to examine one CoL that ostensibly focussed on raising Māori student achievement. A qualitative case study approach was utilised that involved participants directly included in one Community of Learning that focussed on Māori achievement in State education, disparity, educational initiatives, and implementing the aspirations of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The critical issue was whether there was evidence of tangible and measurable success for Māori students, and what, if any, barriers the CoL confronted in achieving its intended goals. The research shows that there were benefits to the schools and staff operating as members in the Community of Learning, such as the opportunity to network and work alongside colleagues from other schools. A strong view to emerge was that Across School Teacher (AST) positions benefitted substantially (and perhaps excessively) in the form of professional development, leadership opportunity, classroom release and increased pay. There was an absence of evidence to indicate any significant benefit to regular classroom teachers. The most damning finding of this research is that after four years of operation and over $2 million dollars there is no tangible evidence of any improved educational outcomes for Māori students. The CoL initiative, although meritorious in design, has in this specific CoL case study has failed to deliver any measurable benefit to priority learners. The Investing in Educational Success, with regard to the CoL can be considered, like a number of other initiatives, another lost opportunity for Māori. Further research into the impact of the Investing in Educational Success and Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako (CoL) initiative is therefore warranted and highly recommended.
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    Factors affecting educational achievement of Tongans in Auckland : a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Administration, Department of Education, Massey University, 1997
    (Massey University, 1997) Mafi, Maliumoeao
    Underachievement in New Zealand secondary schools has been a problem for Pacific Island people for a long time and unemployment over the years is testimony to the presence of underachievement. (Apart from Hawk and Hill's (1996) study, limited research has addressed this problem). Underachievement is closely associated with a person's socio-economic status and ethnic background. It has been a stigma that has been associated with Pacific Island and Maori people in New Zealand for a long time. Their children's academic performance in School Certificate and Bursary exams throughout the years has confirmed that Tongan students' achievement is below that of other ethnic groups in New Zealand. [From Introduction]
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    Unravelling mysteries of the great learning divide : barriers to learning : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education in Adult Education at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2007) Eagle-Ashmore, Phillipa June
    This thesis was motivated by a personal determination to alter my own beliefs about what I, as a learner, was capable of achieving and, in the process, unravel some of the mysteries surrounding students who leave school with low, or no, educational attainment. My own limited school achievements, and subsequent success as an adult learner, have led me to question the appropriateness and relevance of our formal learning and teaching systems, particularly at school, but also in the adult sector. By looking deeply into the human mechanisms of learning and other influential factors I began to understand why my school experience had been so inadequate and gained some insight into why it is that our school learning systems are destined to fail a great number of its students. My investigation aimed to identify why some of us appear to fail to discover our learning potential whilst others around us seem to excel. How is it that so many young people (approximately 40%) leave their schooling without gaining even the most basic skills required to enable them to manage many of the critical applications of living? Is this a reflection of ability, or does this indicate something else? What blocks or barriers have these individuals met/faced? What limitations have been imposed or imagined? How can the educators support the kind of education that enables all children grow into complete and fulfilled adults able to contribute something (positive) to their society? Looking at Adult Learning Theories what strikes me is how these theories seem so perfectly applicable across all learning and teaching situations. They are not 'rocket science', as the saying goes, but perfectly logical and reasonable assumptions about the needs, motivations and goals of the majority of learners. Why are they not more widely employed? Memories of my own secondary school learning suggest that these theories have not been a feature of our formal school systems. Had they been I believe some of us might have achieved different outcomes.
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    School performance and reference group orientation to achievement : a pilot study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Education at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1976) Moxon, David John
    The main purpose of the study was to test the thesis that a relationship exists between a pupil's performance at school and the orientation towards achievement obtaining from his 'reference group'. This concept was understood principally in terms of social psychology, although conceptual strands from sociology were woven into the theoretical considerations. The study examined the interrelationships of the main variables with socioeconomic status, ethnic origin, class s tream, pupil teacher affect and ses of proposed occupation. An (untestable) causal logic was implicit in the design, namely that a reference group orientation to achievement served as a mediator between the independent variables of (1) SES, Ethnic Origin, IQ, Class Stream and previous grades and (2) the dependent variables of Teacher-pupil affect, Pupil-teacher affect, SES of proposed occupation and present grades. The report contains a justification of the thesis, an account of the pilot study conducted with eighty four fourth form pupils from three streamed classes of a co-educational secondary school, the findings and a discussion of the implications of the study. The empirical phase called for the gathering of data by interview, questionnaire and a search of school records. As well it entailed the development of an index to measure reference group orientation to achievement. The subsequent statistical analysis relied principally on cross tabulation and step-wise multiple regression analysis. The results revealed that reference group orientation to achievement did not appear to mediate between independent and dependent variables but rather that it acted independently intervening to yield a higher correlation with present grades and SES of proposed occupation than any of the variables tested. Further, Reference Group Orientation to achievement emerged as a partial function of SES and ethnic origin, also correlating positively with a simple measure of pupil definition of the school situation and with pupil sociometricrejection.
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    Using students' participation data to understand their impact on students' course outcomes : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the MPhil degree at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand, Master of Philosophy degree in Information Technology
    (Massey University, 2016) Esnaashari, Shadi
    Many students with diverse needs are enrolled in university courses. Not all these students are able to be successful in completing their courses. Faculty members are keen to identify these students who have the risk of failing their courses early enough to help them by providing timely feedback so that students can meet the requirements of their courses. There are many studies using educational data mining algorithms which aim to identify at risk students by predicting students’ course outcomes, for example, from their forum activities, content requests, and time spent online. This study addresses this issue by clustering the students’ course outcomes using students’ class participation data which can be obtained from various online education technological solutions. Using data mining in educational systems as an analytical tool offers researchers new opportunities to trace students’ digital footprints in various course related activities and analyse students’ traced data to help the students in their learning processes and teachers in their educational practices. In this study the focus is not only on finding at risk students but also in using data for improving learning process and supporting personalized learning. In‐class participation data was collected through audience participation tools, the out‐of‐class participation data was collected from Stream and combined with the qualitative and quantitative data from questionnaires. The participation data were collected from 5 different courses in the mainstream university programs. Our first aim was to understand the perception of students regarding the effect of participation and using the audience participation tools in class and their effects on students’ learning processes. Moreover, we would like to identify to what extents their perceptions match with their final course outcomes. Therefore, the tool has been used in different mainstream courses from different departments. The results of our study show that students who participated more and thought that the tool helped them to learn, engaged and increased their interest in the course more, and eventually achieved highest scores. This finding supports the view that inclass participation is critical to learning and academic success.
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    Academic achievement and general well-being of undergraduate university students : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1999) Seymour, Benjamin James
    This study investigated the academic achievement and general well-being of a sample of 107 students studying at the Albany campus of Massey University's College of Business. Relationships between academic achievement and general well-being, and the variables of English language ability, experienced difficulties, general self-efficacy, and received social support were investigated. To further understand these variables, demographic group differences including gender, age, ethnicity, residency status, country of birth, years enrolled at Massey University, proportion of life lived in New Zealand, years of secondary schooling in New Zealand, home environment, course of study, and major subject, were assessed. In addition, a Student Difficulties Scale is constructed to measure experienced difficulties and focus group transcripts were analysed to facilitate an enhanced understanding of the specific difficulties experienced by this student population. Positive correlations were identified between academic achievement and the variables of general well-being, English language ability, and general self-efficacy. A positive correlation was also identified between general well-being and general self-efficacy. Experienced difficulties was negatively related to all variables other than received social support. English language ability was identified as the best predictor of academic achievement and experienced difficulties as the best predictor of general well-being. Significant differences between demographic subgroups were found on all variables other than the 'positive social exchange' dimension of received social support. Recommendations were made as to how the overall academic achievement and well-being of this population of students may be enhanced.
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    Bai shan xiao wei xian : filial piety, academic self-concept, and the academic achievement of students in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Educational Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Wu, Cindy
    Research has long argued in favour of the influence of culture on students’ learning and achievement. New Zealand, with its recent influx of migrants and rich multicultural background, is no exception to the way in which culture can implicate how students see themselves as learners. For East Asian students, the Confucian virtue of filial piety (‘xiao’) can be a significant motivator in their academic success. Currently, there is a lack of research on the motivational qualities of filial piety in regard to the academic self-concept of students and their subsequent achievement. This study examines the relationship between filial piety, and students’ academic self-concept and academic achievement in a New Zealand intermediate school. A quantitative method of self-reporting survey was used to assess filial piety and academic self-concept from a cohort of 43 students, and was collated in conjunction with their academic achievements in Literacy (English) and Numeracy (mathematics). Regression analysis is used to examine the relationships across the variables. Results indicate that filial piety does not have a significant impact on students’ academic self-concept and their subsequent academic achievement. However, there is a consistent, positive, and significant correlation between participants’ academic self-concept across both achievement areas. These findings suggest that students’ academic self-concept can play a key role in their levels of academic achievement, and that school and home effort should focus more on encouraging the positive self-perceptions of students of all cultures within New Zealand. While filial piety does not have a statistically significant impact on students’ academic self concept and academic achievement in this study, future research is recommended with a larger sample in order to derive results that have greater representation of the New Zealand population.