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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.
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    The success and value of non-formal education for sustainable development : the case of children in the Wilderness Eco-Club Programme in the Zambezi region, Southern Africa : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Environmental Management at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Adams, Sarah
    Education for sustainable development (ESD) has emerged strongly in recent years to become a key mechanism for moving towards a more sustainable future. The aim of this study is to gauge the success and value of non-formal ESD using a case study approach. Children in the Wilderness (CITW), a subsidiary organisation of ecotourism operator Wilderness Safaris, offers an extracurricular ESD programme for primary school children, and their Zambezi Region operation was selected as the case study site. A qualitative research approach was taken for this study, employing data collection methods such as interviews, focus groups, observation, and the examination of national policy documents and the CITW eco-club curriculum. The CITW eco-club programme responds to UNESCO’s (2005) characteristics for ESD, particularly regarding the establishment of relationships with the wider community, and a multi-method, learner-centred approach to teaching. While the national governments in Zambia and Zimbabwe aim to respond more strongly to UNESCO’s characteristics, they are constrained by limited human and financial capital resources. The eco-club programme, however, complements the formal sector by providing teacher training and resources, demonstrating the value of the programme in providing students with a more enriching learning experience. This study concludes that the non-formal education sector provides significant support to the formal education system, leading to improved vertical integration between international guidelines and implementation at a local level. The eco-club programme enables CITW to achieve its aim and vision by focusing on prevalent issues such as poverty, deforestation, poaching, and pollution. While the scope of the research and the limited time spent in the field did not allow for a detailed examination of the eco-club programme’s influence on proenvironmental behaviour, it became clear that some pro-environmental behaviour has occurred as a result of the programme.
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    Environmentally unstable : an exegesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Design, College of Creative Arts, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2015) Watson, James
    This project is about the impact of dairy farming on our waterways. A 2004 study of more than 300 lowland waterways revealed that 96% of them in pastoral catchments failed the pathogen standard for contact recreation (Joy, 2012; Muir, 2013; Morgan, 2014). The project uses illustration to inform the public about the degradation caused by introduced nitrogen, pathogens and pollution to our waterways. In the same way that Theodore Geisel (Dr Seuss) used a playful approach in the Lorax to explain environmental issues, this project aims to engage its audience through humour and playfulness (Seuss 1971). The output is an Information Graphics Poster which represents the life and death of a waterway, and an accompanying teachers resource.
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    Exploring the potential for an alternative teacher education programme for pre-service teacher education in the Environmental Related Activities Curriculum in Sri Lanka through the Problem Based Learning approach used in one university in New Zealand : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Education at Massey University, Palmerston North
    (Massey University, 2011) Wijayawardana, Aluthge Dona Kalyani
    The researcher’s aim was to explore the potential for an alternative teacher education programme for the Environment Related Activities Primary Pre-service Teacher Education curriculum on the basis of the Problem Based Learning approach as used in the Integrated Curriculum: Science and Technology course conducted by one University in New Zealand. In this study, three methods of data collection were used in order to understand the main features of the Problem Based Learning approach used in the above course. Semistructured interviews helped to capture the ideas from teacher educators involved in this particular course. To triangulate the data, a questionnaire was used to obtain the students’ views on the Problem Based Learning approach and how it helped them in preparing to be quality teachers in the integrated primary school curriculum in New Zealand. Further, the researcher carried out a document analysis on several curriculum materials found in New Zealand and Sri Lanka. From this study, the researcher found that the Problem Based Learning approach used in this particular primary teacher education course is a curriculum model based on the principles of constructive learning theories. The Problem Based Learning approach used problems as a context for students to acquire knowledge, and the students were actively engaged in learning which is authentic to the environment as all problem scenarios are from real life contexts. The Environment Related Activities primary curriculum in Sri Lanka consists of major themes and learning activities focus on learning through the environment. All themes are related to the everyday life of the children. Similarly, in New Zealand, the primary school curriculum is based on an integrated approach. From this study, the researcher found that the Problem Based Learning approach used at one university in New Zealand, suits the integrated nature of the primary school curriculum in New Zealand. Therefore, the researcher highlights the main features of Problem Based Learning approach and explores the potential for an alternative teacher education programme for the Environmental Related Activities Primary Pre-Service teacher education curriculum in Sri Lanka.
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    Education for the environment : towards teacher empowerment : a thesis submitted as fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, November 2004, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2004) Chapman, David James
    The work of this thesis involves an exploration of teachers' practice in environmental education in New Zealand schools, conducted between 1999 and 2002. Some new theorising is conducted in response to the problems faced by teachers. This seeks to reconceptualise the way we think about environmental education in schools. The purpose of this is to provide a theoretical framework that assists teachers to rethink their practice and, as a result, be empowered to act for the environment. The thesis begins by providing a general background to the field of environmental education and by setting this in the socio-political context of New Zealand from the early 1980s until the present. The research process is described, and theorised using Problem-Based Methodology. The work then proceeds to report on the research with teachers in schools that occurred in a number of phases. It emerges that environmental education occurred in only a minority of cases. School contexts and educational structures appeared to place major barriers in the path of teacher innovation and these seem to increase with school size. Teachers that do begin sound practice appear to have strong values and a theoretical background that informs their work. In response to the complex barriers to improved environmental education practice, Problem-Based Methodology is suggested to provide an inadequate platform for addressing the issues because it is restricted to addressing micro level problems in schools. Drawing on the philosophy of critical realism that proposes three levels of reality, a Critical Problem-Based Methodology is proposed. This involves three loops of critical reflection. To support this an issues matrix that contains a sociological analysis of schooling and draws heavily on curriculum theory is developed. A reconsideration of the environmental education literature is then undertaken in the light of these proposals. The thrust of the thesis is that environmental education lacks a substantive engagement with sociology or curriculum theory and the proposals here seek to address that. It is proposed that triple loop reflection assists a better description of the problems of poor progress in the field. It is argued that many educators have a faith in schooling that is not justified by evidence and have failed to engage at a political level. It is concluded that unless engagement occurs at the three levels proposed in this thesis, and a deeper engagement with educational theory supports this, things are unlikely to change.
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    A knowledge creation approach to environmental education in early childhood : creating a community of learners : this thesis is submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements for the Doctor of Education, Massey University
    (Massey University, 2006) Prince, Cynthia Margaret
    The study investigated the creation of a community of learners to integrate environmental education into early childhood curriculum. Two centres were used for the study (one kindergarten, one childcare centre). The participants were four kindergarten teachers, eight childcare staff, along with five focus group parents and six focus children from each centre. The qualitative research was conducted in two phases over one year. In phase one a case study approach was employed to allow teachers to gain confidence in the research process. During this time a two week environmental education integrated curriculum was implemented at both centres. At the conclusion of phase one a nascent community of learners was emerging. After a transition stage when the research was shared with the researcher, the teachers at both centres made the decision to lead the research in phase two using a participatory action research approach. This resulted in a growth in professional knowledge of research processes. The teachers aimed to collaboratively create a community of learners with the parents by valuing their involvement, social capital and funds of knowledge. A project approach to environmental education based on children’s environmental interests, the emergent curriculum, and the use of documentation was implemented at both centres. A conceptual artefact in the form of a community of learners was created. Bereiter’s knowledge creation metaphor and the sociological concepts of parental social capital and funds of knowledge guided the data analysis. Environmental knowledge creation by all participants in the community of learners was a significant finding. The research process resulted in all the participants (teachers, children and parents) creating their own environmental knowledge and gaining a heightened awareness of environmental education in early childhood curriculum.