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Item Classroom action research : exploring the effects of career-relevant teaching and learning on student engagement in employment skills literacy instruction : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education in Tertiary Education at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand(Massey University, 2018) Cusin, Tracy AnneThis study examined the effects of career-relevant, personalised teaching and learning on student engagement in employment skills literacy instruction for low-literate adult learners. The focus of the study was to improve student engagement in triweekly employment skills literacy instruction. The six-week study involved a small group of six low-literate adult students from the same literacy classroom and one teacher, who was also the researcher in the study. Data was collected through participant observations, qualitative questionnaires, individual coaching session discussions, and my reflective teacher journal. Analysis of the data identified several key factors that enhanced student engagement, which were: career-relevant, personalised learning; well-defined career goals; learning that has the potential for real-life application; individual task work; computer-based learning; and providing a variety of model samples. The results also indicated that, all students in this study experienced an improvement in engagement and found the personalised instruction more interesting and enjoyable than their previous instruction.Item Education : unlocking the doors to development : perspectives on the role education plays in development : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North(Massey University, 2002) Auty, Jeffrey GraemeThe needs of those living in the developing world are so great that no one area of learning or development can solve all those needs. If education is going to supply some of the keys needed to unlock the doors to appropriate and sustainable development then it needs to be education that is relevant, empowering, and available to all. This sort of education will enable individuals and countries to formulate the objectives and develop the skills necessary to engage in their own development. Human beings are born with the wonderful ability to learn, to communicate, to adapt, and to develop their environment. This ability is not limited to the information that can be gathered from the immediate surroundings. Through reciting, reading, writing, and information technologies, humans learn from the past and record today's lessons for the future. Humans have the unique abilities of being able to learn co-operatively, opening each other's minds to infinite possibilities. As a species we value education so highly we list it as a basic human right. Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights begins with the words. 'Everyone has a right to education' (Reprinted in Morsink 1999:335). It is the thesis of this paper that when everyone is allowed to exercise that right then many of the problems of the world and the doors that shut people out and deny them their basic human rights will be solved as together we learn how to live sustainably. The year 2015 has been set as the goal for countries to achieve Education for All (EFA). Setting a goal like this generates all sorts of questions such as: How can that target be achieved? What sort of education will that be? What will be the purpose of that education? What should be taught in order to make a better, more sustainable world? How can developing countries compete against rapidly changing and expensive education systems when they can hardly afford to supply basic education, let alone food and health care to their expanding populations? It also places countries and lending agencies in the dilemma of asking what comes first, economic development and repaying debt, or educating the population? In a short thesis, such as this, one can only hope to survey the surface of such a large topic and to point to some of the doors that the key of education can unlock in the quest for more sustainable forms of development. The thesis begins by showing that historically there has always been a strong link between education and development. The quantitative and qualitative issues associated with achieving Education for All (EFA) are then examined. The point is made that the 'banking concept of education' (Freire 1993:53) where education is seen as information that needs to be drilled into people is insufficient. Education that unlocks the doors to development needs to be education that, as Freire puts it, involves 'praxis and conscientization' (Narayan 2000:199). This sort of education places the emphasis upon the process by empowering people to participate in their own development and trusting them to design their own solutions. In Chapter 4 education is then placed alongside other development issues such as nutrition, health, and the environment. The relationship between each of these and education is analysed. Appropriate and relevant education is shown through the case studies as supplying some of the necessary keys so that the doors that trap people in cycles of underdevelopment can be unlocked. In the chapter on education without walls the ways alternative forms of education can be used to solve developmental problems and achieve life long learning for all is examined. Each chapter is illustrated with case studies drawn from the author's two decades of work with education in Asia and the Middle East. The conclusion of this thesis is that education does not need to be an impossible development goal on an ever-expanding list. Rather, when applied correctly, it can be part of the methodology for achieving those goals. As Dean Rusk very aptly put it, 'Education is not a luxury which can be afforded after development has occurred; it is an integral part, an inescapable and essential part, of the development process itself.' (Cited in Hanson & Brembeck 1966:28)Item 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 JuneThis 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.Item Modernist expert to postmodernist innovative cultural hermaneutist : a journey in adult education : a thesis submitted to Massey University (Wellington) in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Adult Education)(Massey University, 2004) Palapathwala, Ruwan BandaraThe repercussions of the turbulent years of the greater part of the twentieth century have been responsible for the demise of both the Enlightenment project and the modern period which was its bearer. This modern period was characterised by legitimising grand metanarratives (récits) that were built on the foundations of rationality, optimism and progress in which reality was represented, understood and lived. Human emancipation was expected to be the ultimate goal. An impressive modernist representative of these metanarratives in the field of my own academic expertise, theology, is the German philosophical theologian, Paul Tillich (1886-1965). His "theology of culture" was a significant theological adult educational project in which he had attempted to represent and convey reality (and meaning) to a generation of adults in the postwar era of the 20 th century. Postmodernism has come to be characteristic of our experience of the world and our present worldview. It questions the legitimacy of the modernist project and along with it the modernist approach to education. In the context of discussing self-directed learning and its application in my own role as an educator, in this thesis I use Paul Tillich's "theology of culture" as an example of a collapsed modern metanarrative to examine how the educator as an "innovative cultural hermeneutist" would better reposition his/her role as an adult educator in the present.Item A comparative study of Massey University Centre for University Extramural Studies (CUES) and the University of Zambia Centre for Continuing Education, Department of Correspondence Studies : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Massey University(Massey University, 1981) Chiwaura, Harrison JonasBecause the future of developing countries, to a greater extent, depends and will continue to depend, on the provision of higher educational opportunities, the present thesis aims at elucidating the characteristics of a general distance education model, which will, hopefully, assist the reader to comprehend more fully the two distance education systems discussed - one in a developed and the other in a developing country. The main aim of this thesis is to bring to light what distance education at tertiary level can do in the provision of manpower requirements and this point is largely addressed to educationist in developing countries who may already be in distance education or are contemplating to set up a distance education scheme at tertiary level. It is the belief of the author that the provision of higher education through correspondence is an endeavour by universities and colleges to make opportunity of access much wider and not just for more young students but for a wider range of age in society and thereby provide (not all) the manpower that our present sophisticated economies need. If these universities and colleges disperse their activities, it is imperative that they do it effectively and efficiently.Item Learner success in eLearning : room for improvement-- but how? : an analysis of the problem of retention and completion in an online programme : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education in Adult Education at Massey University(Massey University, 2006) Roberts, ChristineLack of time to work on their online programme was a more significant barrier for students on an online programme than problems such as cost, access to a computer, computer difficulties, childcare or other family responsibilities, or lack of employer support. A 2004 online survey of 77 students of the online Public Sector Knowledge programme, at Change Training, Wellington, followed up by telephone interviews and a focus group session, showed that 92% of students gave 'lack of time' as the critical factor making it hard to study online, and that even when they had dedicated time to do it, work-based tasks and colleagues took priority over working on their online programme. Findings also showed that allied to the time issue was the evidence that for the majority of students their goal for the programme was not to complete assessments, but to get what they wanted from the learning materials. Without the need to gain the qualification for personal or work reasons, most students chose to bypass the time-consuming summative assessments that constitute a 'completion' and effectively 'drop out'.Item Breaking through the dumb barrier : an in-depth study of the signals the education system sends to adults in adult education : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Adult Education), Massey University(Massey University, 2004) Ledingham, Mary-AdrianThis thesis explores some of the aspects faced by students who return to learning after a number of years out of the education system in New Zealand. It highlights issues which affect confidence, acceptance, access to information, ability to be heard, finances, workloads, family/friend relationships and the many realities of being an adult student. At the same time it rejoices in the strength, courage and determination shown by those who have dared to return to formal education. A number of case studies and focus groups have been used to develop the critical analysis. Past and present literature has assisted in creating the anchor to the ideas that have emerged. A combination qualitative and interpretive methodology was followed in the production of this thesis. The reality that unfolded was a recognition of also needing to develop a workable framework, as personal assumptions were left behind, new information was discovered and became an integral part of the environment and subsequent information sharing of the researcher and the study participants. The experience of each and every one of this group provided both questions and answers to the usefulness of past and current systems in terms of positive facilitation into education. The failure of the system with its dependency on academic correctness and academic systems will require a more open and transparent re-culturing to enable equitable opportunity, encouragement and practice, or the changes will remain cosmetic and result in sameness. Systems, while necessary, are not in themselves enabling. They can be useful tools to ensure enabling, but if they serve only to disable the very people who are left with no choices but to try to navigate them, then the quest for education can be lost. Education is for people, it is about people, and only if it retains this focus will it continue to educate. Each of the stories in this thesis has at the root of each individual's success, a thread of how "an enabling person" (or persons) made the difference to a system that was fraught with difficulties, that was often cold, inhuman and unbending. These were the lucky ones as, like me, they too came to realise that the system sends very mixed messages to some people. This is not the way it should be.Item Mature students : life choice or life's necessity : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Social Policy at Massey University(Massey University, 2001) Barratt, Diane RuthThis thesis has two key strands: mature students, and the funding of tertiary education. Primarily, it concerns the reasons mature students decide to study, the financial and non-financial barriers they face, and the strategies they implement to overcome those barriers. It does this in the context of current tertiary education sector policy regarding the funding of tertiary education, for the purposes of assessing the fit between the needs of mature students and the policy environment. Mature students: life choice or life's necessity? became the focus. To operationalise the phrase, five objectives were formulated. Using survey research, with a sample population drawn from the Student Learning Centre database, 38 participants indicated a willingness to participate in this research. Overwhelmingly, the primary reason the respondents of this research were at the university was for their future careers. While many respondents thought it was important that personal considerations, e.g. some interest in the subject, were taken into account, these personal considerations were very much secondary. The barriers faced by mature students are academic, primarily a lack of study skills; domestic, primarily as a result off family demands; and financial. While both the Student Loan and Student Allowance Schemes assist mature students in their academic pursuits, they are also hindrances. Many mature students would be unable to complete their studies if they did not have the support of their families. Suggestions have been made for future policy directions at two levels: institution-specific and sector-wide.Item Exploring business students' ability to think in an economic way : a study in an introductory economics course at one New Zealand tertiary institution : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Adult Education) at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2014) Turvey, Janet LindaThe teaching of economics at an introductory level in the tertiary sector is fraught with challenges. Students arrive from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some have little more than a lay person’s understanding of the economic world, whilst others have studied the subject previously and are familiar with the language, techniques and models embedded within it. These techniques are usually described collectively as the ‘economic way of thinking’ by economists. Most students are also studying the subject as part of a wider business qualification and therefore it is not their main focus during their studies. This problem has been researched extensively by many teachers of economics over the past forty years, but students still appear to emerge from their fast paced courses with only the rudimentary understandings of the subject. The aim of this study was designed to investigate whether students, studying a one semester introductory course in economics at an Institute of Technology and Polytechnic (ITP) in New Zealand, could demonstrate that they were beginning to ‘think like economists’. The data used as evidence were the reflective journals or diaries of the students’ learning. The study further aimed to discover whether the construct of threshold concepts could contribute to an understanding of the problems and challenges that many students demonstrated within their journals. The sample group for study was taken from three introductory economics courses at one ITP in New Zealand. Students were studying this course either as a compulsory component of their Bachelor of Business Studies or part of a core of subjects for New Zealand Diploma in Business. Thirty seven students’ journals provided valid data for the study. The design employed a constructivist epistemology and an interpretivist theoretical perspective, using a qualitative research approach. The journals were analysed for evidence of students’ understanding by means of tables developed specifically for this purpose. An analysis was further carried out of students’ quotations from the reflective journals to establish evidence of the ‘economic way of thinking’ through nineteen foundation aspects within their journals. ii The findings of this study showed that from 703 observations of 37 students’ journal entries 206 had demonstrated a sophisticated level of the ‘economic way of thinking’ (categorised as level 3), 338 showed they were transitioning in their thinking (level 2), and 159 demonstrated negligible understanding of the ‘economic way of thinking’ (level 1). Four propositions and recommendations were developed. A substantial group of students did demonstrate evidence of a sophisticated understanding of certain foundation aspects of the ‘economic way of thinking’ and the reflective journals provided evidence of this. Some of the foundation aspects appeared to create greater challenges for all students, but they were not all necessarily threshold concepts by themselves. It was also proposed that the literature on threshold concepts could assist in targeting the gaps students had in their understanding, whilst a web developed of the foundation aspects of the ‘economic way of thinking’ might assist students to appreciate the integrative nature of these aspects. Other avenues of further research might be the importance of teaching about threshold concepts to target specific troublesome areas, and the significance of the type of activities carried out in the journal that most contributes to the students’ understanding. The perceptions students have of the use of reflective journals for their learning and teacher feedback during the writing of the journal could be further possibilities in the future.Item Back to school : an observational study of adult students at secondary school(Massey University, 1988) Cocklin, BarryThe objectives of this study were two-fold: to establish a profile of the adult student returning to secondary school on the basis of a selected sample [N=36], and to derive from an indepth and systematic view of the everyday experiences of this sample an account of the processes involved in becoming an adult student. In meeting these objectives, a further priority for the study was: to elaborate upon the application of field research techniques within an educational setting. This involved the provision of an ongoing autobiographical component to the report, detailing the 'processes, pitfalls, dilemmas, and discoveries' encountered during the development and implementation of methodological and analytic strategies. Throughout the 1984 school year, data was collected from the sample of adult students, school Principal, Dean of Adult Students and classroom teachers, using a selection of field research techniques (e.g., participant observation, interviews, questionnaires, diary accounts, and documentary materials). The data was gathered within a broadly categorised symbolic interactionist perspective and subjected to a 'grounded theory' form of analysis. This 'emergent' form of analysis, combined with the data gathering strategies, provided a basis for the elaboration of the social and cultural landscape necessary in this initial attempt at documenting the processes of becoming an adult student. The outcome of using these two approaches in tandem was the identification of six 'factors of influence' as organizational headings to subsume the day-to-day experiences of becoming an adult student: Returning to School; School Policy, Adult Status and the Role of the Dean; In the School; In the Classroom; Decision Points; and, Goal Achievements. Furthermore, two overriding themes indicated the processes through which the adult student was, at one and the same time, both 'integrated' into the overall school culture and 'differentiated' as a member of the separate adult student subculture. The notion of these processes of becoming was subjected to a theoretical elaboration incorporating the establishment of a conceptual model and explanatory constructs. From this cumulative form of theory development, linkages were indicated suggesting a group of 'common processes' existing across a variety of different comparative contexts. In addition to the recommendation that the further development of theories of such processes need to explore such linkages, the final sections of this report discuss a number of implications and uses which might be derived. For instance, it is suggested that this preliminary, yet extensive, investigation provides both descriptive data and theoretical categories which may be of use to: teachers, adult students, policy-makers and researchers interested in the study of adult students in secondary schools, developments within the areas of methodological and analytical strategies, and in elaborating the processes of becoming. Finally, an overall implication arising from the report is that the complex, dynamic and individualistic nature of the processes involved in becoming an adult student lends little support to deterministic models and theories, or to superficial accounts derived from 'one-shot methodologies and perspectives of such processes and experiences.