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    Remaining student centred : a critical discourse study of an adult literacy organisation's publicity in Aotearoa New Zealand from 1973 to 2009 : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2013) Shearer, Fiona Margaret
    This thesis undertakes a historical critical discourse study of an adult literacy provider’s publicity in Aotearoa New Zealand. It investigates how the organisation attempted to publicise a critical literacy mission and communicate with hard-to-reach learners within the structuring effects of wider marketised publicity discourses and a hegemonic functional account of literacy. Drawing on Laclau and Mouffe’s Discourse Theory and Habermas’ critical theory of publicity, the research found that the case study organisation, Literacy Aotearoa, was increasingly impacted by the need to produce marketised publicity which centres on garnering positive attention from state funding agencies and business. Despite the paradox that in order to raise funds it had to publicise and in order to publicise it had to raise funds, Literacy Aotearoa managed to produce glossy, branded publicity in order to survive a tight fiscal environment. At the same time, it also articulated a student-centred critical literacy discourse in its publicity which was able to critique impediments to adult literacy provision. In addition, Literacy Aotearoa carefully engaged with lowkey publicity methods that were better suited to learners’ needs. This reconciliation of diverse literacy and publicity needs was achieved, in large part, due to the commitment, skills and resources of practitioners and learners in the organisation. However, because of the organisation’s need to identify with commonsense understandings of literacy learners as “lacking”, stubborn deficit discourses remained in the organisation’s publicity, which were at odds with a more empowering learner identity, although these discourses became less obvious in later years. In addition, the strain on the organisation’s resources in adhering to accountability requirements in a competitive funding environment impacted the organisation’s full potential to connect with all learner audiences. Building on previous recommendations for the sector, this thesis argues that in order to increase the sector’s ability to reach a diverse range of adult literacy learners, agencies should support learners to publicise in their own social networks. It is also argued that this labour-intensive publicity work, which better meets the particular information and communication needs of adult literacy learners, should be recognised and supported in state policy and funding.
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    Dispositional coping styles and adult literacy : exploring stress and coping in adult vocational training environments : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2009) Murray, Nicola Sheree
    Since the publication of the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) findings in 1996, governments internationally have been cognisant of the need for functional literacy skill training for large segments of the New Zealand working-age population (Culligan1, Arnold, Noble, & Sligo, 2004; Ministry of Education, 2001; OECD, 2000). Individuals with low literacy levels generally report negative prior experiences of formal learning environments that are due to and have contributed to their current functional literacy capability (for example, see Neubauer & Dusewicz, 1988; Ross, 1987, 1988; Tilley et al., 2006). The present study aimed to systematically investigate and measure the dispositional coping styles and strategies associated with differing prose literacy capabilities. The purpose of this project was to provide an understanding of the coping-literacy relationship as a first step toward the development of coping strategy training interventions specifically targeted at improving the educational experience (current and future) of low literacy individuals. Secondary aims of the current study included exploring the relationship between persistence and coping style, adaptability, and prose literacy; determining whether and how coping styles, adaptability, and prose literacy changed over time; and, assessing the relationship between prose literacy, coping style, adaptability, and post-course goal achievement. Fifty-six students in adult vocational programmes were interviewed pre- and post-course. At each time point assessments of dispositional coping style and strategies via use of the COPE tool (Carver, Scheier, & Weintraub, 1989) were gathered, as were measures of emotional intelligence (including adaptability), and prose literacy score. Participants also took part in a semi-structured qualitative interview which gathered information on their educational and employment history, and goals post-course. Situational assessments of coping behaviours outside of the course were also gathered as part of a larger study for future analysis purposes and are outside the scope of this thesis. Respondents were also interviewed at three and six months post-course to determine achievement or non-achievement of post-course goals. Low prose literacy scores were significantly associated with more frequent use of emotionfocused coping strategies (particularly avoidance). Higher prose literacy scores were significantly associated with more frequent use of problem-focused coping strategies. Indicative data showed that non-persisting participants showed higher emotion-focused coping strategy use than their persisting counterparts alongside lower prose literacy scores. Further, emotionfocused coping, adaptability, and prose literacy score were found to change significantly over time. However, post-course goal achievement was not significantly associated with any of the variables of interest except bivariately with prose literacy. The model of transactional stress and coping (Lazarus, 1966; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) and the control theory of self-regulation (Carver & Scheier, 1981, 2000) provided a framework for the discussion of the dispositional coping styles and strategies used by individuals of differing prose literacy ability. It was argued that a negative self-schema of the individual as a learner is developed through prior negative experiences of formal education. It was hypothesised that this negative self-schema, built from a low self-confidence and fear of educational failure and rejection, predisposed the individual to a heightened negative self-focus. This in turn was proposed to direct attention to the self and the associated emotional aspects of a response to a stressor, leading to a bias towards habitual coping strategies of avoidance and less frequent use of problem-focused strategies by this group. These findings and the associated interpretations have implications for the future development of coping strategy training interventions for individuals with low functional literacy competencies who wish to re-engage with formal education.