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Item Planning and assessment for two-year-olds : a kindergarten perspective : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) Underwood, JenniferThe present research study explored kindergarten teachers’ perceptions of how planning and assessment is utilised to support the learning and development of two-year-olds in kindergarten. The study was framed within an interpretivist-constructivist paradigm and used a case study design to investigate and explore teachers’ perspectives and understandings of planning and assessment practices with two-year-olds. Descriptive data was gathered through focus group interviews with 17 teachers from three kindergartens. The focus group interview questions were divided into three main areas. The initial questions focused on teachers current experiences with, and perceptions of, two-year-olds in the kindergarten setting. Planning for the learning for two-year-olds, within the context of the New Zealand early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki, was then considered; assessment for learning was also explored, including methods of assessment and documentation. Lastly, teachers professional knowledge and how this supported their teaching practice with two-year-olds was examined. Key findings suggest that the teachers were aware of the complexities of teaching two-year- olds and what was needed to support them in their own kindergartens. Teachers engaged with early childhood literature and professional development to support their knowledge and understanding of planning and assessment and how to support the learning of two-year-olds. The majority of the responses highlighted the positive perspectives of the teachers’ and their awareness of the characteristics pertinent to two-year-olds. Responsive and reciprocal relationships between teacher, child and parents and whānau underpinned practice with children. Within these relationships, teachers identified that primary caregiving was an important aspect of their practice in supporting the learning for two-year-olds. The findings provided a snapshot of the way in which teachers plan and assess for learning and suggest that planning the environment plays a significant role in the ways in which children’s learning and development were supported, as teachers navigate the characteristics of both older and younger children within the same space. Understanding how these processes can support two-year-olds is important in order for planning and assessment practices to be effectively utilised for decision making and implementation of the early childhood curriculum. The current study provides a valuable contribution in describing what teachers do to support learning for two-year-olds in a kindergarten context.Item Teachers' perspectives on learning stories and their implementation in Dubai : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Early Years), at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) Ward, SharonThe New Zealand developed, narrative assessment approach referred to as learning stories is increasingly gathering interest in international early childhood education (ECE) settings. Yet relatively few studies have explored the implementation of the learning stories approach in non- New Zealand settings. This study explored the perspectives of teachers using learning stories in an ECE setting in Dubai. Positioned within an interpretivist paradigm, this research endeavoured to explore the ways in which teachers understand and interpret learning stories as well as teachers’ perspectives related to the quality features of learning stories in this unique context. The research was conducted through qualitative case study design in which the perspectives of six teachers from one setting were collected through semi structured in-depth interview. Inductive data analysis was used to examine teacher’s perspectives through two levels of coding, which were then further developed into key themes. Findings are discussed in terms of the similarities and differences evident between Dubai, New Zealand and other international ECE settings. These topics highlight contextually common challenges, advantages and critiques of the learning story approach and alternative methods to implementation are highlighted and discussed in terms of curriculum and pedagogy. This research seeks to expand on research related to learning stories in New Zealand and to contribute to a wider understanding of learning stories and their implementation in an international context.Item Unit standards : an 'easy' pathway for foundation learners : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Adult) at Massey University, Massey Campus(Massey University, 2006) Barrer, AnneFoundation learners come into the tertiary environment at levels one, two and three. They can select from courses of study that include unit standard assessment. These unit standards are credits toward a vast array of national certificates. In recent years, learners have been faced with an ever increasing variety of ways in which they can complete these qualifications from classroom based to online modes of delivery. Many of the programmes and courses on offer are zero fee and promise a self-paced and individualised learning environment. Further investigation reveals that even at this foundation level these programmes play an important role in the political and social agenda to upskill all New Zealanders to better prepare them for the 21st century. The sweeping reforms of the 1990s have turned educational courses at all levels into industry focused curricular (Peters & Marshall, 1996; Olssen & Mathews, 1997; O'Neill et al., 2004) and unit standards are increasingly the chosen pathway of those changes. Over the last 15 years, polytechnics and private training establishments have incorporated New Zealand Qualifications Authority unit standards into many of their programmes. The intention was that these units would be assessments only and would be able to be 'massaged' into existing courses. This proved to be challenging for educators (Goodwill, 1999) and unit standards now dominate the curriculum (Codd, 1997). This research focused on how foundation learners were experiencing unit standards. Nineteen foundation learners, studying at an ITP and two PTEs, were invited to talk about their feelings about assessment, what they thought unit standards were, and how they were finding them. These learners took part in an individual interview and a focused group conversation. The results identified that foundation learners are having an 'easy ride' with unit standards. They can learn the material and then pass the unit. If they don't meet the requirements of the unit standard, they get another chance and do a resit. They like learning 'unit' by 'unit' and doing the assessment straight after the learning, while it is still 'fresh.' If possible they prefer to do it at their own pace, working through the material and being assessed when they are ready. They are now finding assessment less scary than previous experiences and there is opportunity to feel a sense of achievement and not be compared with others. The transparency of the units appeals and the relationship with the tutor is seen as important. It was also evident that students are studying 'units' and that sometimes they find the language of the assessments difficult to understand. There has been a shift in learning, from curriculum-driven 'education' focused programmes to student-driven 'industry-influenced' credit acquisition. The National Qualifications Framework has succeeded in its goal of offering units as attractive learning packages. These learners accept the new language of learning; they don't have the knowledge or understanding about assessment to question the units that are offered to them. "They have no insights into the reforms, no understanding of their political rationales, nor any methods of critiquing them"(O'Neill et al., 2004, p, 17). The biggest challenge for educators is not to teach the unit standard, rather engage learners and encourage them to explore their curriculum in a broader sense. Foundation learners now understand the value of credits; they also need to be encouraged to understand the value of education. 'Learning for life' should be more intrinsic than getting a box ticked. This research highlights the importance of the learning environment, the relationship between learner and tutor, and the relevance of explaining clearly what unit standards are, and how they fit into the bigger picture of the National Qualifications Framework and education itself as a life changing path.Item What assistance is needed? : assessment for literacy learning difficulties in NZ schools : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2017) Neville, AngelaAt the present time, contemporary information regarding effective assessment and remediation practices for children with literacy learning difficulties in New Zealand/Aotearoa schools is scarce. The aim of the present study was to fill that gap in our understanding by carrying out a survey of current practices and comparing these with the research literature on best practice in assessment and remediation. To address the research questions, an online survey was developed and emailed to all schools in New Zealand/Aotearoa. There were 208 responses from a wide range of schools across the country and from a number of specialist teachers and school leaders. In addition to the online survey, interviews were carried out with 13 of the respondents, representing both teachers and specialist teachers. The results indicated a wide diversity of assessment and remediation practices in schools for students with literacy learning difficulties. A possible explanation for this is that assessment and remediation methods are often tied to theoretical views of the literacy process. At the current time in New Zealand/Aotearoa there are varied theoretical perspectives that seem to account for that diversity, in particular, the difference between whole language and phonological theories and their implications for assessment and remediation. The results from this study indicated that teachers and specialists were focusing mainly on proximal factors in assessment and were teaching to those factors. They paid less attention to the assessment of distal factors which is more of a focus among psychologists. This study provides the basis for further discussion into how best to identify and remediate students with literacy learning difficulties in New Zealand/Aotearoa.Item Computerised ACER advanced test BL : analysis of equivalency, test anxiety, and the effects of input device using New Zealand university participants : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University(Massey University, 1996) Gosse, Michelle AStudy I examined the effects of the computerised format of the ACER Advanced Test BL (ACER-BL) on the test scores and anxiety of undergraduate participants, compared with the traditional paper-and-pencil format. Forty-one students were assigned to either a computer or paper-and-pencil treatment group using a stratified random design. Participants sequentially completed a general background questionnaire, the ACER-BL, an anxiety questionnaire, the ACER-BL, and a final anxiety questionnaire, with a 10 minute test-retest period between the ACER-BL administrations. There were no significant differences in ACER-BL score, and subsection scores, between the 2 treatment groups on either administration. The internal consistency reliability of each formats was moderate to high, and there was a high test-retest reliability for each format. While the mean scores for each treatment group were higher for the second test administration compared with the first, this result only reached significance for the computerised group. Gender, Undergraduate Year, and Typing Ability significantly influenced test score, although these failed to remain significant when treatment group was included in each analysis. These results suggest that the computerised version of the ACER-BL is equivalent to the paper-and-pencil version. Generally, there was no significant difference in reported test anxiety measures between the treatment groups, with mean reported anxiety indicating "slight anxiety." These anxiety results suggest little influence of test format on test anxiety. Study 2 examined the influence of input device (keyboard, numeric pad, and mouse) on ACER-BL scores and test anxiety of undergraduate participants. Using stratified random assignment, 90 subjects were tested on all three input devices using a one factor repeated measures design. Each participant sequentially completed a general background questionnaire, the ACER-BL, an anxiety questionnaire, the ACER-BL, an anxiety questionnaire, the ACER-BL, and a final anxiety questionnaire, with a 10 minute delay between each ACER-BL administration. There was no significant main effect of input device on test score, and there was no significant order effect for input device. Between- subjects analyses indicated a significant increase in mean test score across administrations for the keyboard and numeric pad, but no significant change in mean scores with the mouse. These results were also reflected in the analyses of mean input response time. While there was no significant effect of any measured participant characteristic on input device scores, mathematical ability and undergraduate year each had a significant influence on mean scores in the first ACER-BL administration. Participants with higher mathematical ability or more years at university had significantly higher mean test scores than participants with less mathematical ability or first year undergraduates respectively. While mean reported anxiety on all test anxiety measures decreased over the ACER-BL administrations, all mean reported anxiety indicated "slight anxiety." These anxiety results suggest little influence of input device on test anxiety. The lack of test-retest comparisons between the computerised and paper-and-pencil formats of a test was discussed along with the need for future computerised testing research to use participants from the general population.Item An appraisal of a project for academically gifted children : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Education(Massey University, 1968) Forrest, AtholThe study which is the basis of this thesis is part of a project for the education of gifted children which had its inception in the deliberations of the Palmerston North Institute for Educational Research in the late 1950s. For a period of 7 years a committee, specially set up for the purpose, has organised a series of 'enrichment' programmes for groups of gifted children from Std 4 through to Form II. A complete review of the whole project is being undertaken by Mr K. McIlroy who is the secretary of the Committee for the Education of Academically Gifted Children, but this particular study was designed to provide some objective evaluation of a programme being provided for one group over a two year period. This necessitated the selection of a control as well as an experimental group, both of which were given a series of tests and rating scales at the beginning and the end of the period of study. By comparing the amount and direction of change in scores from the pre-test to the post-test situation it was anticipated that some conclusions could be made about the effectiveness of this particular enrichment programme. The results of this analysis seem to indicate quite clearly that, as far as can be determined by the instruments used, the programme had no significant effect on the experimental group as a whole compared with the control. Consequently it would be well worth considering ways of educating the gifted other than those used in this Palmerston North project. In addition to the analysis of the data obtained from the series of tests an attempt has been made to review some of the extensive literature on the gifted as it relates to the objectives and procedures of this local programme. In the light of some of the current writings in this field and as a consequence of the findings of this study some attempt has been made to make constructive suggestions about any future developments in this area.Item Integrated curriculum, mathematics and standards based assessment in secondary education : parts of the solution : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Studies in Mathematics at Massey University(Massey University, 2008) Morey, ChrisThe concept of integrated curriculum (IC) has a long history in the education literature dating back to the 1920s. The approach is based on the belief that curriculum is most engaging and effective when driven by student interest and subject boundaries are transcended as required to support thematic and inquiry based learning. Integrated approaches had little impact on mainstream subject based curricula through most of the twentieth century but in the last 10 to 20 years interest has increased markedly. A case study methodology was adopted for this research to explore: how IC is currently being implemented in New Zealand, how mathematics is related to integrated programmes; how standards based assessment (SBA), particularly NCEA, impacts on IC; and how current proposals for the evolution of NCEA and SBA for IC are regarded by IC practitioners. Three secondary schools with substantial IC programmes participated. Data was gathered primarily through semi-structured interviews with senior teachers: four from integrated studies disciplines (English and social sciences) and four from mathematics. The three schools were found to be distributed widely along the interdisciplinary continuum from strongly subject based to more transdisciplinary curricula. Three major categories of integration themes were common to all three schools: Social Justice and Local Issues; Sustainable Economics and Environment; and Biography, Self discovery and Change. The three schools had quite distinct ways of managing the formal collegial collaboration required for the coordination and development of integration programmes. All three reported tensions related to this collaboration. It is suggested that the interdisciplinary continuum conceptualization of IC be expanded to include a social dimension. Learning gains, increased student motivation and improved student behaviour were reported to be the main benefits of IC although the mathematics participants were more equivocal about motivational benefits than the integrated studies participants. The main challenges reported were concerned with integrated curriculum development, rigour, assessment, and timetable and programme coordination. Strategies suggested for overcoming perceived difficulties included professional development for teachers in all aspects of IC, and time and funding for the development of integrated curriculum and assessment resources. Mathematics was found to be a particularly difficult discipline to integrate with others, especially the social sciences. The mathematics/integrated studies divide was characterised by contrasting orientations toward curriculum and assessment, differing perceptions of student motivation and differences in collegial collaborative styles. The mathematics participants regarded small group and inquiry based learning and assessment as promising strategies for developing IC in mathematics. Level 1 NCEA mathematics unit standards and level 3 statistics standards were reported as being amenable to combinations with standards in other learning areas for assessing interdisciplinary courses. The NCEA was seen by participants as a positive development for IC. However, negative impacts also noted included: credit seeking, curriculum fragmentation, and constraints placed on interdisciplinary combinations of standards by university entrance requirements. The proposed development for NCEA regarded as most promising for IC was new broad-based integrated standards linked to groups of existing content and skills specific standards.Item Motivation and high-stakes certification assessment : secondary school students' perceptions : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand(Massey University, 2013) Chapman, Jan EricaSenior secondary students’ future social and economic well-being is significantly affected by their performance in high-stakes certification assessment. Motivation plays a key role in students’ academic performance. In light of the dearth of literature examining students’ motivation in high-stakes certification assessment, in the domain of English, and from the students’ perspective, this study examined Year 12 students’ motivation to achieve the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) level 2 English achievement standards over the period of an academic year. A contemporary person-in-context perspective was adopted in recognition that motivation is influenced by the interplay of personal, social, and contextual variables. A mixed methods research methodology was employed in this longitudinal two-phased study. In the first phase participants completed a series of questionnaires, and in the second phase a subsample of the participants was interviewed. Students’ motivation was examined primarily through the lens of self-determination theory. Self-efficacy, attribution theory, goal theories, and interest were also drawn on to explain facets of students’ motivation. Findings indicate that most students expected to pass a number of NCEA level 2 English achievement standards and they believed it was important to pass these. Most valued English for utility reasons. Students’ interest in English varied markedly across different aspects of the English programme. Gender differences in students’ motivation were not apparent in relation to students’ motivation-related attitudes. External and introjected regulation were the most prevalent types of motivation influencing students’ performance in NCEA English. However, their impact was not as detrimental as theory and research would have predicted. Teachers played a pivotal role in many students’ motivation to achieve, especially in relation to feedback, expectations, and student-teacher relationships. Past performance was also an important influence. Difficulties with or a dislike of aspects of English and academic demands from other school subjects were identified as negatively impacting on students’ motivation to achieve in English. Overall, students’ motivation was found to be complex, dynamic, multidimensional, and situation dependent. Matthew effects were particularly evident for high and low achievers, highlighting the bi-directional relationship between motivation and achievement. Implications for educators and researchers are discussed.Item Formative assessment and re-action : a theory-seeking case study crossing the bridge from theory to practice and back again : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Massey University(Massey University, 2002) Vickerman, Martin PaulFormative assessment is increasingly being recognised for its potential to enhance learning. Studies from the United Kingdom and New Zealand have revealed that frequently classroom teachers are engaged in formative assessment practices without being aware of it, or are inefficient users of formative assessment information. This research used a theory-seeking case study approach in an attempt to establish how formative assessment was being used in three senior primary school teachers' classrooms. Through semi-structured interviews and in-depth classroom observations, five emergent themes were recognised. One of these themes, that formative assessment is on-going and a cyclical process, led to the development of a model of formative assessment in action. Key features of the model include the use of assessment information/indicators to decide appropriate actions, or more frequently re...actions, to create further learning opportunities. Appraisal and verification of the model by participants and other teachers from both the research school and others in the area, suggest that it is an accurate representation of how teachers do assess children for the purpose of enhancing their learning.Item Mind the gap! : policy change in practice : school qualifications reform in New Zealand, 1980-2002 : 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, 2007) Alison, Judie'Policy gaps' in education mean that the visions of policy-makers frequently fail to materialise fully, or at all, in teacher practice. This thesis argues that a significant 'policy gap' developed in New Zealand around school qualifications policy during the 1990's, and puts forward some explanations for that. A significant shift in government discourses over that period, from largely social democratic to predominantly neo-liberal discourses, was not matched by a similar shift in the discourses of teachers or the union that represents them. During the same period, teachers and their representative bodies were excluded from policy development, reflecting this shift in government discourses. Government and teachers were 'talking past each other'. As a result, qualifications reforms that might have been expected to be generally welcomed by the profession, as a government response to calls from the profession over many decades, were instead rejected by the majority of teachers. Furthermore, the absence of the teacher voice from policy development meant that the shape of the reforms moved significantly away from the profession's original vision, a further reason for its unacceptability to teachers. Reform was only able to be achieved when teachers and their union were brought back into the policy-making and policy-communicating processes and a version of standards-based assessment closer to the union's original vision was adopted by government. Nevertheless, the National Certificate of Educational Achievement that resulted appears to still be perceived by teachers as externally imposed and its origins in the profession's advocacy for reform over many years have been lost. This indicates that 'policy gaps', while easily opened, are not as easily closed.