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    Change management : structural change-- a case study in the Maldives : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Educational Administration at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2007) Qasim, Mizna
    Changes to schools structure is a common practice in the Maldives. Structural change impacts on people at every level of the organisation. It is essential to identify how change is managed at different levels in schools in order to implement change successfully. This study is based in a secondary school in the Republic of Maldives. This research examines the processes, school systems and practices, that facilitate change in structure. It seeks to understand how processes facilitate structural change at the various levels of school organisation, namely senior management (principal, assistant principals, supervisors), middle management (heads of departments) and teachers. In this inquiry, the structure selected to examine processes of change is the 'Organisation Chart'; in particular, changes to the roles and responsibilities of individuals. To understand aspects involved in managing change, a review of literature focused on change and change management, leadership, structures of organisations, change agents and culture. This provided the researcher insight into the processes, aspects and issues in managing change. A qualitative case study was undertaken for this research. A qualitative approach allowed the researcher to understand multiple realities, interpretations and perspectives of individuals associated with structural change. Data collection incorporated individual interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis and observations. Data was analysed using the, 'constant comparative method' (Merriam, 1998). Evidence from this study suggests that equal attention needs to be given to the systems, change agents and culture of the school to facilitate and manage change.
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    Toxigenic fungi and mycotoxin production in Maldive fish (smoked dried tuna fish) : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Food Technology, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2013) Mohamed, Shazla
    This is the first study on the mycological safety of “Maldive fish”, a smoked dried tuna product that is both economically and nutritionally important to the Maldives. The most obvious concern with this product is the effect of fungal contamination. The initial aim of the current study was therefore to determine if Maldive fish supports the growth of toxigenic fungi and production of mycotoxins. The uncontrolled mycoflora on the product were characterised and related to the physiological parameters of the Maldive fish. Ninety six percent of the samples (n=25) were contaminated with one or more mycotoxigenic fungi with Aspergillus flavus (92%), A. tamarii (96%), A. niger (40%), A. ochraceus (12%) and Penicillium citrinum (60%) identified as the significant species. Subsequently, the potentially toxigenic isolates were screened for their corresponding mycotoxins aflatoxins, ochratoxin A (OTA), cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) and citrinin. A high proportion (72%) of isolates was able to produce toxic metabolites in vitro indicating possible contamination of the product with mycotoxins. Almost half (46%) of the A. flavus isolates were able to produce the potent carcinogen, aflatoxin B. All species on the surface were also found invading the product. The huge variability in aw levels (0.951 to 0.720) of the samples would support growth of a wide range of species. Furthermore, the slightly acidic pH (5.65 to 6.68) and low salt content (1.48 to 4.29%) together with the high ambient temperatures of the Maldives were eminently suitable for fungal growth and mycotoxin production. Quantification of aflatoxins from the product revealed two of the 25 samples to be contaminated above the legal limits and confirms potential exposure to significant levels of this toxin from Maldive fish infected with fungi. These results led to a new question: can fungal growth and mycotoxin production in Maldive fish be eliminated or reduced to safe levels? The most practical approach would be to reduce the aw to sufficiently low levels that inhibit fungal growth and mycotoxin production. The limiting aw levels for the most important species were therefore evaluated. The limiting aw for growth of A. tamarii was between 0.82 and 0.85 on NaCl media and between 0.79 and 0.75, on media containing sugars at ambient storage temperatures (25 to 35°C). The aw of Maldive fish should be maintained below 0.75 to prevent the growth of A. tamarii. The physiology of A. flavus has been extensively studied previously but the limiting values are dependent on the food matrix. A smoked fish agar was used to simulate Maldive fish for fungal growth (A. flavus) and mycotoxin production (aflatoxin and CPA) under varying conditions. No growth occurred at an aw of 0.75 while the toxin production was limited at an aw 0.80 under all incubation conditions (25°C to 40°C). Hence, control of A. flavus can be achieved by rapid drying of Maldive fish to an aw of 0.75 or below. This study has provided scientific evidence that the mycoflora on Maldive fish produce aflatoxins and other mycotoxins that are a food safety risk. Hence, control of toxigenic fungi is imperative and can be achieved through adequate drying. This information is crucial for the Maldives as well as other developing countries that consume hot smoked dried fish while it potentially has a broader application for other food products.
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    'I don't learn at school, so I take tuition' : an ethnographic study of classroom practices and private tuition settings in the Maldives : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Second Language Teaching at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2012) Mariya, Maryam
    This study explores the classroom practices of both secondary classrooms and private tuition settings in the Maldives. By adopting ethnographic methods of data collection informed by an interview as social practice approach, the study aimed to further understanding of these practices in urban and rural classrooms and in private tuition settings in the context of the Maldives. Qualitative data was collected through observation, interview and document analysis over the course of nine months. Detailed observations of the learning sites and interview as social practice were applied when conducting interviews with teachers, students and parent in the three various settings. Participants of this study included six teachers from the two secondary schools; students and parents from both schools; six private tuition teachers; and four students and parents from private tuition settings. Rich contextual data was obtained relating to classroom practices, and private tuition settings and their interrelationship in the Maldives. The analysis of the data was on-going throughout the observations. Thematic analysis was adopted within an interview as social practice approach, by examining the ‘hows’ as well as the ‘whats’ of the interviews. The detailed ethnographic ‘thick descriptions’ were analysed, including in-depth reflection on the interviews and how they were used as communication tools in social situations. The findings of the study revealed that the practices of teachers and students in the classrooms were shaped by: the sustained mini exam sessions of teaching and learning, the absence of teachers’ voices in decision-making; teacher-centred approaches; passive learning; the physical conditions of the classrooms; and ever-present concerns about noise and managing time in the classroom. The analysis was extended to uncover the complex reasons that led students and their parents to opt for private tuition, and how these reasons were interrelated with classroom practices. In addition, it was found that teachers preferred to give private tuition not only for financial reasons, but also to counterbalance some of the pressures they experienced in classroom settings. The study revealed the value of the interview as social practice approach within an ethnographic study as well as the need for sustained enquiry within and across both classroom and private tuition settings so as to reveal the meaning and significance of the practices that form learning contexts in both public and private contexts in the Maldives.
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    Distance education on the remote islands of Maldives : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of PhD in Information Systems at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2005) Shareef, Ali Fawaz
    Maldives is a country in the Indian Ocean consisting of 200 inhabited islands. Due to the small population sizes in the rural islands infrastructure development had been a major hurdle in Maldives. This has led to the lack of secondary schools in most of the islands in the country. This research aimed at creating a distance education model that can provide access to secondary education to the students in these islands. The research looked at the existing infrastructure of Maldives and the different media used in other countries in the world to provide distance education. Based on these two sets of information a criteria was made to develop a distance education model suitable in Maldivian context. A theoretical model was then developed to suit these requirements in Maldives. The accessibility of this model was then evaluated through a field study in Maldives to find out whether the model was able to reach the students in the outer islands. A learning system was designed based on this theoretical model and implemented in different parts of the country. A questionnaire survey was then carried out to find whether the students accepted the learning system as a mode of study. The study showed that the theoretical model was able to provide access to the students in the outer islands of Maldives. Three aspects of accessibility in the outer islands were investigated, namely physical access, student learning, and student acceptance. Since the evaluation included a successful implementation of the proposed model in some of remotest inhabited islands in Maldives, physical accessibility was achieved. The study showed that the students using the proposed model were able to achieve grades similar or higher to those they obtain in normal schooling. This showed the students' ability to learn using the proposed model. Finally, the study showed that most students liked using the proposed model and were willing to use it for other courses.
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    Improving efficiency of schooling in the Maldives : is de-shifting a desirable policy direction? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Economics at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2010) Sheryn, Aishath
    Education, a vital component of human capital, is essential for the growth of nations. Developing countries, faced with limited resources and budget constraints, adopt strategies that they believe will improve access to education and at the same time reduce costs. This thesis explores the desirability of one such policy option, double-shift schooling, with respect to de-shifting, its reverse policy. Whether de-shifting is a desirable policy direction is assessed, based on other countries’ experiences, alternative strategies and the current education situation in the Maldives, a country presently under this transition. Some of these alternative strategies are explored for their effectiveness in improving the quality of education. In the case of the Maldives all schools were operating a double-shift system prior to 2009 and the government is now attempting to convert all schools to single-shift, by the end of 2013. Although the Maldives has achieved 100 per cent enrolment at primary school level, this access has not been transferred to secondary level. Statistics indicate low levels of achievement at all stages of education. The education situation in the atolls is of particular concern, where the majority of schools suffer from a lack of locally trained teachers and learning resources. In general, it has been found that double-shift schooling does not affect the academic standards of students. However, several costs, both direct and indirect, tend to make the quality of education in double-shift schools appear to be inferior, in comparison to single-shift schools. De-shifting, which involves large costs, does not guarantee an improvement in the quality of education, since there are several other factors which significantly affect academic performance. For the Maldives, findings from the study indicate that in addition to the high costs involved, scarcity of land, may affect the progress of de-shifting. The attitude of teachers, whose working day is lengthened without financial compensation, is also a concern. Moreover, there are other areas within the education sector which are greatly in need of immediate investment. These include, improving access and equity at secondary level, especially in the atolls, and improvement in the training of local teachers. Unless such aspects are addressed, de-shifting, although desirable in the long run, may fail to deliver the benefits that it claims.
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    Higher education quality assurance policy and practice in the Maldives : a case study from a small developing nation : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2008) Maniku, Ahmed Ali
    This thesis comprises a case study of quality assurance policy and practice in the emerging higher education sector of the Maldives. The policy analysis is extended to incorporate a glonacal perspective, allowing analysis of quality assurance policy issues from the global, national and local contexts. In order to illuminate the analysis in the Maldives' primary case study, two secondary less intensive case studies are presented of quality assurance processes from a New Zealand polytechnic and the University of the South Pacific. Documentary evidence and semi-structured interviews from Key Informants form the main evidence base for the study. Data analysis is facilitated using NVivo. The thesis argues that the upsurge in quality assurance in higher education is primarily legitimated within a neoliberal discourse, Urged by transnational organisations such as the World Bank, there is widespread policy convergence in quality assurance. Whilst neoliberalism has had partial effects in the case of the Maldives, the study reveals that neoliberal ideology and the associated strategies of marketisation, privatisation, human resource development and managerialism have shaped quality assurance policy processes in varying degrees in the three cases. Findings in this study contribute to a fuller understanding of quality assurance policy processes in a small developing nation context: a perspective largely missing from current debates on the subject. The findings confirm that a combination of global, national and institutional factors influenced quality assurance policy processes in the Maldives. From the global context, globalisation and internationalisation of higher education trends affect quality assurance policy. At the national level, the desire for higher quality education found expression in the state's reassertion of its role in protecting public interest in regulating the sector through formal quality assurance. The social demand for international comparability has also lead to a growing trend of transnational quality assurance practices. The creation of the Maldives College of Higher Education was shown to be the principal impetus in quality assurance development. This national college played a lead role in developing a quality assurance model that tends to promote a regulatory compliance to quality. The study argues for a more inclusive model that acknowledges external compliance but also seeks to assure quality of teaching and learning leading to improved student outcomes.