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    Secondary school English language teacher agency in the aftermath of COVID-19 crises : a study from a West Sumatran Region, Indonesia : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Linguistics at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025-11-26) Yuliandri, Yuliandri
    The COVID-19 pandemic saw the prompt shift to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT), which was challenging for both learners and educators worldwide. This study explores the experiences of secondary school English language teachers working within a resource-limited setting of Lima Puluh Kota Region, West Sumatra, Indonesia. It focuses not only on the ERT period but also on the re-transition to face-to-face teaching post-pandemic. It seeks to answer two research questions: 1) What adjustments did English language teachers make to their practice during and after the pandemic lockdown period, and how did they perceive and articulate these experiences? 2) How did the teachers exercise their agency, negotiate their professional identities, and manage their emotions in response to these experiences? This study adopts a qualitative dominant mixed-methods design. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis are employed to analyse data which was collected from teachers from July to November 2022 through a survey (n=63), two rounds of interviews (n=10), and classroom observations (n=10). The findings indicated that while the teachers were emotionally affected by the abrupt shift to ERT, which was intensified by Digital Divide issues, they tried to negotiate the availability of resources and use their agency to find ways to continue teaching. Some were able to discover benefits beyond the difficulties as ERT exposed them to digital technologies, a wide range of learning modes, and opportunities to pursue professional development (PD). Throughout and after the pandemic, teachers actively negotiated their professional identities, which contributed to their professional growth and increased reflexivity on their current and future practices. This shifted their perspectives about teaching and learning and the role of technology, which proved useful when they encountered challenges re-transitioning to face-to-face classrooms. This study contributes to the literature by 1) adding evidence of how English language teachers exercised their agency during and after the pandemic and illustrating the temporal and contextual aspects involved in the process, 2) revealing different pathways of professional identity negotiation, and 3) breaking down the interplay between agency, identity, and emotions, and outlining the significant role of emotions in both enactment of agency and professional identity negotiation. In addition to these theoretical contributions, practical implications, which focus on the need for school technology infrastructure in the region, and tailored teacher professional development at both school and MoE levels to foster student teachers’ and experienced teachers’ awareness of the intersection of agency, identity and emotion in the teacher education curriculum and training programmes, are discussed.
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    Transforming early childhood teachers’ professional learning and development : a study of research, provision, and potential : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, Manawatū, Aotearoa New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2021) Clarke, Linda Rose
    Effective professional learning and development (PLD) is recognised as a key mechanism to strengthen teachers’ knowledge and pedagogical practice and improve the quality of education. However, PLD is not always effective for its intended purpose. Effectiveness depends on the match between the PLD approach, the participating teachers, and the desired outcomes. Although it is important to have a range of approaches to PLD, it is also important to be aware that different approaches will serve different purposes. In recent years, coaching has been increasingly evidenced as a PLD approach that supports teachers to develop knowledge and effectively implement new pedagogical practices. Yet, coaching is under-utilised and under-researched in the Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood education sector. The multiphase study in this thesis with publications investigated PLD in Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood education settings, with a focus on coaching as a component of the PLD. The research included a further focus on pedagogy to foster toddlers’ social-emotional learning. There were three successive research phases, designed to investigate: 1) early childhood education PLD research literature; 2) the PLD provision that early childhood teachers have received in recent years; and 3) a PLD coaching intervention to support early childhood teachers in their implementation of teaching practices to foster toddlers’ social-emotional learning. The first phase of the investigation was a study of PLD research. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) protocols were used to guide a systematic literature review of PLD research in the Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood education field. Fifty-six studies were reviewed with the intention of identifying key characteristics of the research, including how or whether coaching had been studied. The results identified Aotearoa New Zealand ECE PLD research as predominantly qualitative and descriptive, characterised by practitioner-researcher partnerships and models of PLD based on collaborative inquiry or action research. Overall, there was limited attention paid to how PLD interventions were implemented, including the strategies that facilitators used to support teachers’ professional learning. There was limited attention to coaching. Within the studies that reported using coaching as a PLD component, there were multifarious coaching definitions and descriptions. Results of the systematic literature review suggest coaching is under-researched and possibly misunderstood in Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood education. The first research phase has identified a need for a stronger and more intentional focus on a range of PLD interventions and research, including who is involved, what content is covered, and how interventions are delivered. The second research phase was a study of teachers’ PLD experiences. A nationwide survey was completed by 345 early childhood teachers who answered questions about their recent PLD experiences. A key finding was that isolated workshops predominated as a PLD model. Many teachers also engaged in reflective discussions with PLD facilitators, however, facilitation strategies that are associated with coaching, such as observation and feedback, were not common. Overall, the survey’s findings indicate there is limited emphasis on PLD models that are designed to support teachers in their implementation of new pedagogical practices. The second research phase has identified a need to support teachers’ and leaders’ access to evidence-informed PLD that promotes shifts in teaching practice and fosters positive learning outcomes for children. The third research phase was a study of coaching as a component of PLD. Practice-based coaching protocols were adapted for use in an Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood education setting, and a PLD intervention was developed. The PLD intervention combined practice-based coaching with workshops, with the intention of supporting a teaching team’s implementation of teaching practices to foster toddlers’ social-emotional learning. The relationship between the coaching and the implementation of teaching practices was analysed using single-subject multiple-baseline methods. The single-subject experiment demonstrated a functional relation between the PLD intervention and teachers’ implementation of the social-emotional teaching practices. Results suggest that some teaching practices were maintained 9 weeks after the intervention, despite staff changes. The participating teachers were interviewed to seek their perspectives of the PLD and coaching. Teachers reported that coaching with a focus on social-emotional teaching was a positive experience that improved their teaching which, in turn, improved toddlers’ social-emotional skills. The third research phase has foregrounded the potential of coaching to support and strengthen early childhood teaching. This phase has also identified pathways for further research into, and application of, coaching in the Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood sector. The findings from this thesis with publications challenge current approaches to PLD, emphasising the need for a more coherent and informed approach. The unique professional learning needs of toddler teachers and the importance of PLD that effectively supports social-emotional teaching are highlighted throughout the thesis. Coaching is affirmed as a PLD approach to promote shifts in teaching, enabling teachers to implement new pedagogical practices. Numerous recommendations are made for further PLD research, provision, and potential for maximising positive outcomes. These recommendations include the development of a shared PLD definition and conceptual framework to support rigorous PLD research and application in Aotearoa New Zealand, and to support teachers and leaders to select and engage in PLD experiences that meet their needs. There is an identified need for further research that investigates how, why, and under what conditions PLD works. The thesis advocates for greater attention to evidence-informed and coaching-driven PLD. The research and recommendations within this thesis have been developed to advance and strengthen PLD systems and programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood education.
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    Enhancing teacher development through teacher appraisal : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2021) Simon, Marianne
    Teacher appraisal in New Zealand appears to be skewed too far towards the accountability end of the continuum and too little towards the development end. However, there is a lack of research that examines how appraisal systems can be used to not only address accountability but also focus on meeting the teacher development requirements. Therefore, this study aims to examine how New Zealand schools enhance teacher development and integrate the accountability and development requirements of teacher appraisal. The study adopted a qualitative case study approach and data were collected from two primary schools in New Zealand through semi-structured in-depth interviews, participant observations and document analysis. Thematic analysis of the interviews, observations, and document analysis resulted in a holistic understanding of how the two schools established appraisal systems and processes that were developmentally focused and integrated the accountability and development requirements. Through the thematic analysis, the study identified factors that supported and enhanced the integration and developmental focus of the appraisal systems. The study found that a love for learning underpinned the school culture, leadership approach, and school systems, enabling the developmental focus and integration. There were three main leadership styles identified in the study to support and enhance the love for learning culture: transformational, pedagogical, and distributive leadership. The leadership team were eager to support teachers to improve and grow pedagogically, and the leaders provided meaningful experiences that influenced the mindset and focus of teacher development. There was active learning through reflection, self-assessment, feedback, dialogue, and questioning. The schools also used collaborative practices that influenced the integration of the accountability and development aspects of teacher appraisal. The mentors played a crucial role in introducing the love for learning culture of the school to the beginner teachers by being role models, and regularly encouraging and extending mentee’s practice. The teaching portfolio, which was a collection of reflections and evidence, was effective in supporting teacher learning because it was instrumental in the teachers’ continual reflection, self-assessment, and updating of their portfolio. Each of the elements discussed in the portfolio contributed to the developmental focus and integration of the accountability and development aspects.
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    An investigation of two models of professional development to support effective teaching through play practices in the primary classroom : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2020) Aiono, Sarah Miriam
    The use of play as a pedagogical tool in schools and early learning settings is experiencing a rise in popularity. In recent years, primary teachers have shown an increased interest in how play can be implemented in junior primary school classrooms but have also expressed a need for further support to understand how to use play and intentional teaching to meet expected learning outcomes of the curriculum. While teachers have expressed support for, and knowledge of, the benefits of learning through play, the way in which they teach through play is less well understood. The aim of this study was to identify teachers’ beliefs, knowledge and practices when implementing teaching through play in the primary school setting and investigate the impact of a professional learning and development (PLD) intervention on teachers’ subsequent implementation of play pedagogies. The study utilised a mixed methods intervention research design. Participants were assigned to one of two PLD conditions: 1) professional learning workshops only; or 2) professional learning workshops in combination with practice-based coaching. The study utilised both quantitative and qualitative data collection strategies, including questionnaires, classroom observations, and individual interviews. The creation of a Play-Based Learning Observation Tool (P-BLOT) enabled the researcher to observe and quantify the frequency and implementation fidelity of evidence-based teaching practices, desirable in an effective play-based junior school classroom. Pre-intervention findings suggested a tension between what teachers know and believe about play as a pedagogical tool, and how they implemented teaching through play practices with fidelity in their classrooms. Post-intervention findings suggest that while participating in workshop-style PLD successfully increased teachers’ knowledge about play pedagogies, it was participating in PLD that included practice-based coaching that positively influenced teacher behaviour and practices. These findings contribute to the growing international PLD literature identifying the value of more intensive PLD support over an extended period to ensure implementation fidelity of the complex teaching practices required of play pedagogy. PLD that combines workshop and coaching interventions can potentially support teachers to effectively implement play pedagogies and ensure the implementation of intentional teaching methods through both child and adult-guided play experiences.
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    High school teacher motivation to engage in continuing professional development (CPD) : a mixed method research study : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Alghamdi, Yahya
    Numerous studies have confirmed that continuing professional development (CPD) is a significant contributor for improving teacher effectiveness. A number of studies also emphasise that teacher motivation to engage in CPD is critical in order to achieve the desired goals of CPD. However, investigations of teacher motivation to engage in CPD is scarce in the literature, particularly in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study attempts to address that gap by exploring the motivation of high school teachers in Saudi Arabia to engage in CPD. In addition, the study aims to investigate what influences teacher motivation to engage in CPD. The study adopted a mixed methods research (MMR) approach for collecting and analysing the data. Specifically, it used a sequential explanatory design that starts with a quantitative phase followed by a qualitative phase. To collect the quantitative data, an online questionnaire designed in Google Forms was used. The total sample of online questionnaire participants comprised 425 high school teachers from throughout the country. For the qualitative phase, 29 high school teachers who lived in Jeddah made up six focus groups comprising up to 5 teachers per group. The findings showed that high school teachers were motivated to engage in CPD. Moreover, they highly valued CPD for their professional development. The findings also identified 48 influential factors that highly enhanced teacher motivation to participate in CPD. These factors were organised into four categories: government and policy, school, CPD and personal factors. Based on the findings from the study, a conceptual framework was developed that has the potential to contribute to the knowledge base on teacher motivation to engage in CPD. In conclusion, the study made recommendations that can assist stakeholders to ensure that teachers are motivated to engage in CPD, as well as providing some suggestions for future research.
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    Teacher professional learning for technology integration in mathematics classrooms through online learning communities : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Information Technology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Abidin, Zaenal
    The new school curricula in Indonesia emphasise the integration of technology into instructional practices. The infusion of technology in mathematics education requires teachers to align their teaching practices with ongoing technological innovations. Integrating technology into mathematics classrooms requires teachers to have a good knowledge of mathematics content, technology and pedagogy. Teachers also need to consider their school environments. Existing teacher professional development programmes are seen to be failing to meet teacher needs regarding content delivery that sometimes does not match the existing school conditions. The premise underlying this research is that the use of an online learning community (OLC) may present a possible solution to the current challenges. Thus, the intention of this study was to investigate the potential of OLCs to help develop teachers’ learning to fulfil their professional needs in integrating technology with the teaching of mathematics. An ethnographic approach was used to investigate the phenomenon of teacher learning within an OLC and the implementation of the new knowledge acquired in their mathematics teaching practices. Empirical data from five case studies were used to examine how participation in the OLC affected teaching practices for five teachers. The results revealed that teacher participation in an OLC offered opportunities and challenges. Teachers de-privatized their practices as they actively engaged in social learning interactions to share knowledge and help each other with the appropriate use of technology in teaching mathematics. Teachers also faced some challenges, which impeded them. These challenges included differences in school policies, such as restrictions on using social media and limited technical infrastructure, which hindered teachers from fully leveraging the OLC. Teachers with less experience in teaching with technology and with low levels of technology skills tended to be passive in the OLC. Cultural contexts revealed that lack of experience and caution about expressing opinions made teachers feel ewuh pakewuh, a shyness in openly expressing their thoughts. Despite these barriers, the study provided evidence that teachers improvised and dealt with situations as they rose. The findings of this study provided evidence that participation in the OLC had significant impacts on teachers’ professional learning. Teachers altered their mode of using technology either as a partner or as an extension of self as they gained more confidence in their own learning. The teachers gradually transformed their participation from peripheral to full participation in promoting the use of technology for teaching mathematics. The research provides new insights into ways teachers can be helped to develop their professional learning in the use of technology for teaching mathematics through participation in OLCs. Particularly for Indonesia, the findings of this research provide an OLC-based model that could be implemented in other contexts that share similar technology landscapes and sociocultural heritages.
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    Developing teacher-led professional learning in a Tanzanian secondary school : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Mwakabenga, Rehema Japhet
    The competence of Tanzanian teachers, as in other countries, depends on high quality and widely available ongoing professional learning opportunities. Currently, in Tanzania, provision of professional development for secondary teachers is inadequate and sporadic. This study explores the complexities of teacher-led professional learning in the context of a Tanzanian secondary school and as such, provides a nuanced model of how teachers can develop a sense of agency of their own professional learning. Firstly, this study investigated how Tanzanian secondary school teachers perceived and engaged in school based professional learning. Practice changes made by teachers and their understandings of school-based professional learning are then examined as they engaged in an inquiry and knowledge-building cycle. The factors that constrained and enabled teachers to engage in this school-based professional learning are also analysed. An embedded mixed action research was conducted in two phases. Phase One survey data revealed that teachers were not satisfied with the quality of their existing professional learning and that they wanted to engage in more learning. When four teachers in one secondary school were assisted to engage in a series of inquiry cycles, as a means to engage in effective professional learning, they demonstrated varying degrees of change in their practices. These transformations were primarily related to implementing new pedagogies based on their students’ learning needs and reflecting on their professional learning. This shift in practice was associated with the teachers’ changes in their understanding and valuing of teacher-led professional learning and distinguishing this from previous external training that lacked relevance to their teaching situations. Lack of learning materials and funds were found to be critical barriers that constrained their engagement in professional learning. Established support systems enabled the teachers to strengthen their collaborative learning practice and their understanding of ways to engage in their own professional learning. The findings revealed the teachers’ developing capacities to carry out professional learning and to own and manage it themselves. The changes shown by teachers in this study suggest that teachers can initiate and collaborate in effective professional learning if they are supported to do so. This study contributes to understanding of Tanzanian teacher engagement in professional learning, especially in poorly resourced schools. Based on these findings, implications and recommendations are made to develop teacher-led professional learning in Tanzania and similar jurisdictions.
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    Teachers’ perceptions of their ongoing implementation of the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Programme : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Educational Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) McGovern, Evanni
    Children’s challenging behaviour has the potential to have long-term and widespread detrimental impacts on their academic success and wellbeing (Church, 2003). In order to manage and prevent the occurrence of challenging behaviours, teachers require evidence-based strategies that are culturally responsive. The Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management programme (IYT) is an example of teacher PLD and a programme to be implemented to manage challenging behaviour. This research focused on exploring teachers’ perceptions of their ongoing implementation of IYT, with particular focus on the supports and barriers for IYT’s sustainability, and the cultural responsiveness of IYT to the New Zealand context. The study employed a qualitative approach, gathering data through semi-structured interviews with five teachers. Through the thematic analysis, the supports and barriers to teachers’ ongoing implementation of IYT were identified, along with the positive outcomes of IYT. The main findings showed that teachers were positive about IYT overall, and universally felt it aligned with their values, and their schools’ culture. The teachers felt supported by their peers and other professionals, particularly in the collaborative context of the Modern Learning Environment (MLE), and by the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) framework (Ministry of Education, 2015b). Additionally, the findings also provided in-depth and unique examples of how teachers were able to reflect on their practice to ensure they were continuing to use IYT in a culturally responsive way.
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    Theory and practice in the induction of five graduate nurses : a reflexive critique : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Education at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1985) Perry, Judith
    This thesis investigates the induction of comprehensive nurses into a professional culture during their polytechnic nursing education and first year of hospital practice. It combines a critical theory approach with case study method. The ways in which social forces constrain individual and professional action are demonstrated through a critical reflexive analysis of the perceptions of five recently graduated comprehensive nurses. Each graduate was interviewed at regular intervals over a three month period. It is argued that previous studies of professional socialisation of nurses conducted within both empirico-analytic and interpretive epistemologies, have tended to objectify the day-to-day actions that students and new graduates take. While providing descriptions of the socialisation process, previous studies have not explored the reflexivity of understanding and action as well as the structural constraints of nursing education and practice. In this thesis critical social theory provides a framework in which to reveal, through empirical research, the constraining conditions of actions, and, through interpretive forms of enquiry, human perception and understanding. The reflections of the five participants in this study reveal that there are similar structural constraints in education as in hospital based nursing practice. There is, in effect, a continuity of structural constraints and this is contrasted with a disjunction between knowledge and beliefs gained through education and those apparently required in nursing practice. The graduates' perceptions are discussed and interpreted in terms of both the intended and the unintended learning states engendered by their actual experiences in the polytechnic and hospital settings. It is suggested that, at present, nursing education and practice are shaped by forms of technical control which arise from the dominant ideologies already embedded in the education and health care structures. In particular, nursing curricula are dominated by the technical linear paradigm of curri­culum design which contributes to a distorted separation of theory and practice and which obscures the process of reproduction of professional culture. It is argued that a more socially critical approach to the design of nursing curricula might begin to transform some of the structures which presently inhibit and constrain the professional choices and actions of student and graduate nurses.
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    The place of professional learning groups in the induction of in-service teacher educators : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education in Adult Education at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2009) Lancaster, Doris
    In New Zealand In-service Teacher Educators (ISTEs) provide professional development for teachers, principals and management in Early Childhood Centres and Schools. ISTEs have been teachers or principals themselves. However, the role of ISTE is different to that of a teacher or principal. There are varied practices throughout New Zealand relating to the induction of ISTEs. The research of Trowler and Knight (1999) concluded that educators required support in gaining explicit knowledge about their new professional role and a process was required to enable this learning to take place. This study investigated how the use of professional learning groups (PLGs) supported the professional learning of five new ISTEs and also examined the perspectives of three members of the team responsible for implementing the PLGs. A mixed-methods approach was taken with predominantly qualitative and some quantitative information gathered from on-line surveys and semi-structured interviews. Broadly, the study's findings suggested that ISTEs do find the transition into their new role difficult and that the PLGs were a relevant structure to support their professional learning and induction. The findings also identified factors related to the broader area of induction of ISTEs. These were collaboration, observation and feedback related to ISTE practice and the leadership and facilitation of the PLG. This study's findings support research that concluded PLGs had the potential to strengthen professional learning and that there were conditions that were necessary for this to occur. The first was the purpose of the PLG related to the PLG as part of a larger induction structure. The second was what occurred in the PLG including the composition of the PLG and the environment that was necessary within the PLGs for them to be effective. Finally, the findings are presented relating to the ISTEs' and the Implementation Team's perspective on the continuation of the PLGs to support the professional learning of new ISTEs. The findings support research that proposed the transition into new professional roles was stressful and that an induction process that met educators' needs was vital to positively support the transition. The findings culminate in five recommendations and three suggestions for further research.