Massey Documents by Type
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Item An exploratory study of final grades awarded to bachelor with honours and masters students : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University(Massey University, 1990) Bolger, PatriciaThis study explores the final grades awarded to Bachelor with honours and Masters students in New Zealand universities from 1960 to 1989 as a function of students' gender, the university attended, the degree completed, and the subject studied. These grades were also compared with the grades awarded to Bachelor with honours students in England and Wales from 1974 to 1989. Chi-square test statistics were used to measure the significance of these relationships. In New Zealand women were awarded significantly more first class degrees than men. In England and Wales men were awarded significantly more first class degrees than women. Science students were awarded a higher percentage of first class degrees than other students in both New Zealand and England and Wales. In New Zealand Bachelor with honours students were awarded first class degrees more frequently than Masters students. Political and historical developments, the nature of the grading procedures used, and institutional and departmental variance provide partial explanation for some of the results. It is clear that no single factor is responsible for these variations in degree performance, but rather a complex interaction of several factors. It is concluded that in New Zealand and England and Wales, gender, university, the degree undertaken, and the subject studied, all have an effect on the final grade a student is awarded.Item Developing effective partnerships in reporting student achievement : making links between educative theory and schools reporting practices : a thesis presented as partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Administration, Massey University, Albany(Massey University, 2003) Taylor, KerryThis thesis examines how three participant schools reported the achievement of students to parents and the extent to which reporting practices reflected current educative theories and effective partnership. The understanding of parents and teachers of the process of the reporting practices, and how practice promoted or hindered educative partnerships between teachers and parents were examined. Over the past ten years schools, in New Zealand, have spent much time realigning their reporting practices to New Zealand national requirements, and the expectations of their school communities. This research examined what led schools to make their decisions about their reporting practices, comments on the effectiveness of current practices and draws conclusions based on the findings of the research. Evaluative case study was selected as the methodology for this study. The study is located within three school contexts and involves in-depth examination and analysis of teachers' and parents' perceptions about educative theory, partnership and reporting student achievement. The methodology used provided an opportunity to evaluate current practice, provide feedback to each participant school and allowed the cooperative development of recommendations for improving reporting processes. Issues and themes were identified as data were gathered. Exploration of emerging themes occurred throughout the data gathering phase. Data gathering strategies included parent and teacher questionnaires, individual interviews with senior leaders, teachers and parents and document analysis. That data revealed a number of themes in relation to educative theory, reporting and partnership. Initial themes included: important educational outcomes identified by parents and teachers, the purpose of reporting identified by parents and teachers, the type of information parents found helpful, the role of teacher-parent interviews, the desire of parents to be actively involved in their children's' learning, and the frequency and timing of personal contact between parents and teachers. This thesis concludes that each school had not directly linked their practices to educative theory or conditions for effective partnerships with parents. A key purpose identified by both parents and teachers was the support of parents in helping their children achieve, yet this key purpose was omitted from any documentation identifying purposes and, in many cases, from the implementation of reporting processes by teachers. A further conclusion is that the link between educative theories, the relationship of those theories to the reporting process and how effective links could be made to develop effective partnerships between teachers, parents and students is a significant area for future research.Item When two worlds collide : a Heideggerian interpretive phenomenological study into the experience of assessing 'failing' nursing students within clinical practice : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Education at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2015) Dobbs, SallyClinical nurse educators employed by New Zealand polytechnics experience challenges when assessing Bachelor of Nursing students in clinical practice, particularly students who are considered to be “failing”. This phenomenological study sought to explore the experience of clinical assessment and why assessors fail to award “failing” nursing students a fail grade. Fourteen clinical nurse educators, employed within three New Zealand polytechnics were interviewed about their experiences of educating and assessing nursing students’ clinical practice. All participants used a preceptorship model of clinical teaching. The interviews were analysed for key themes using Heideggerian Interpretive Phenomenology. The study revealed tensions for participants between being-in the world-of-nursing as well as being-in the world-of-education. Less than half the participants had not failed a nursing student in clinical practice, despite having concerns about their safety to practice. Participants felt ill prepared for their role as educators and assessors. The phenomenon of care was revealed when assessing failing students. Participants acknowledged that some students are thrown into the world-of-nursing; they wanted to care for students by not failing them and questioned whether assessment should occur in the first year. As students progressed through the programme, participants used the phenomenon of care for the health consumer to make a judgement about a students’ competence. The responsibility to fail nursing students was frequently disburdened to others. The ambiguity of clinical assessment tools, especially the use of competencies, and the lack of progression created challenges for assessors. The threat of students appealing the fail grade inhibited less experienced participants from failing students. Clinical nurse educators lack adequate preparation to educate and assess nursing students. The limitations of this study are its small sample size and lack of generalisability. This study showed that nursing students are passing clinical assessments despite concerns about their competence to practice. Further research is warranted to include a larger sample size and different clinical teaching models, as well as researching the phenomenon of failing from a student perspective.Item The relationship between student engagement with feedback and lecturer and student views of teaching, learning and assessment : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Adult Education) at Massey University, New Zealand(Massey University, 2013) Palfreyman, SueFeedback is widely acknowledged to be a key component of quality teaching and important for effective learning and yet the extent to which it meets its potential in improving learning outcomes for students has been questioned in the literature. Whilst many explanations for this failing have been proffered, one area that would seem to have been neglected is the relationship between feedback and perspectives of teaching and learning. A case study approach was adopted to explore the relationship between student engagement with feedback and lecturer’s and students’ perceptions of teaching, learning and assessment. The case consisted of: a lecturer at a large, urban Institute of Technology in New Zealand; students enrolled in two of his courses; and some of the interactions between them, particularly in relation to specific assignment. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and documentary analysis of feedback on an early assignment in each course. Findings indicated that there were disparities between lecturer’s and students’ views about the nature of knowledge and learning and that when views are misaligned, students can struggle to interpret assessment requirements. Tensions exist between requirements for a quick marking turnaround and provision of detailed feedback and the resulting tendency to provide only brief feedback comments. Student engagement with feedback was not always aligned with their perceptions of learning and assessment, suggesting that other factors influence engagement. This finding supports previous research in acknowledging feedback as a complex process.