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    Can lameness prevalence in dairy herds be predicted from farmers' reports of their motivation to control lameness and barriers to doing so? An observational study from New Zealand.
    (Elsevier B.V., 2024-04-01) Mason WA; Laven LJ; Huxley JN; Laven RA
    Understanding what motivates and prevents behavioral change in farmers is a critical step in disease control in dairy cattle. A total of 101 New Zealand dairy farmers across 8 regions were randomly enrolled into a cross-sectional study to investigate farmer barriers and motivators to lameness control for cows managed 100% at pasture and the relationship between these responses and the true lameness status on farm. Trained technicians lameness scored all lactating cows on the enrolled farms on 2 occasions during one lactation. Farm-level prevalence proportions were calculated as the mean of the 2 lameness scores. Enrolled farmers were asked their perception of lameness in the current milking season and responded to 26 ordinal Likert-type items with 5 options ranging from not important at all to extremely important. The questions were grouped under 3 categories; barriers to lameness control (n = 9), impacts of lameness (n = 10), and motivators to control lameness (n = 7). The association between farmer perception of lameness and lameness prevalence was reported using linear regression. Multiple-factor analysis was conducted to identify latent variable themes within the responses. Linear discriminant analysis was used to assess whether barriers, impacts, and motivators could be used to predict farmer perception of lameness and lameness prevalence. Lameness prevalence was 0.8% greater on farms where farmers perceived lameness as a moderate or a major problem compared with farms where the farmer perceived lameness as a minor problem or not a problem. Farmers ranked all potential motivators to lameness control as important and declared few barriers to be important at preventing them from controlling lameness. Feeling sorry for lame cows and pride in a healthy herd were the most important motivators, with lack of time and skilled labor the most important barriers. The most important effects of lameness were cow-related factors such as pain and production, with farm and industry impacts of less importance. Farmers place different weightings of importance on barriers to lameness control compared with motivators for lameness control. The impacts and motivators were strongly correlated with the first dimension from the multiple-factor analysis, with only weak correlation between barriers and the first dimension. Linear discriminant analysis identified that the importance that farmers place on barriers, motivators, and impacts of lameness were poor predictors of farmers' belief in regard to their lameness problem or actual lameness prevalence (above or below the median lameness prevalence for the study cohort). Despite relatively low lameness prevalence, many New Zealand dairy farmers believe lameness is a problem on their farm, and they rank welfare effects of lameness of high importance. To investigate how farmer behavior change can be used to manage lameness, future studies should consider theoretical social science frameworks beyond the theory of planned behavior or involve prospective interventional studies investigating farmer actions instead of beliefs.
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    Secondary School Students and Caffeine: Consumption Habits, Motivations, and Experiences.
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2023-02-17) Turner S; Ali A; Wham C; Rutherfurd-Markwick K; Cornelis M; Tauler P
    Adolescents may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of caffeine due to a lack of tolerance, their small size, changing brain physiology, and increasing independence. Concerns about adolescent caffeine consumption relate to potentially serious physiological and psychological effects following consumption. Motivations driving caffeine intake are not well understood among adolescents but are important to understand to reduce harmful behavioural patterns. This study explored caffeine consumption habits (sources, amount, frequency) of New Zealand adolescents; and factors motivating caffeine consumption and avoidance. The previously validated caffeine consumption habits questionnaire (CaffCo) was completed by 216 participants (15-18 years), with most (94.9%) consuming at least one caffeinated product daily. Chocolate, coffee, tea, and kola drinks were the most consumed sources. The median caffeine intake was 68 mg·day-1. Gender (boy) and being employed influenced the source, but not the quantity of caffeine consumed. One-fifth (21.2%) of adolescents consumed more than the recommended European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) safe level (3 mg·kg-1·day-1). Taste, energy, and temperature were the main motivators for consumption, and increased energy, excitement, restlessness, and sleep disturbances were reported effects following caffeine consumption. This study provides information on caffeinated product consumption among New Zealand adolescents, some of whom consumed caffeine above the EFSA safe level. Public health initiatives directed at adolescents may be important to reduce potential caffeine-related harm.
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    Relationships between online motivation, participation, and achievement: More complex than you might think
    (Flexible Learning Association of New Zealand (FLANZ), 2020-04-25) Hartnett M
    With the increasing importance and rapid growth of online courses, diversification of the student population, and the growing concern over retention rates, exploration of learner online participation and possible relationships with motivation and achievement behaviour is becoming increasingly relevant in higher education. Previous studies (Gerber, Grundt, & Grote, 2008; Picciano, 2002) have tended to explore links between learner activity and performance in online environments. But the relationships that may exist between motivation and participation (both in terms of quality and quantity of activity) in online contexts are not well understood. Indeed, participation, particularly active participation such as posting messages to online discussions, is frequently used as a proxy for motivation, with more active learners being perceived as more motivated. This paper presents findings of one aspect of a larger study (Hartnett, 2010) that explored the motivation of pre-service teachers situated within two separate and distinct online distance learning contexts. Self-report motivation data, achievement, and online usage statistical data, in conjunction with asynchronous discussion-forum transcripts, were used to explore possible relationships between motivation, participation, and achievement in these contexts. Analysis revealed important differences between and within the two cases (e.g., nature of the task and assessment approaches) that indicated situational factors played a key role in determining whether any significant relationships were present. In other words, various factors within the specific learning environment combined in complex ways to influence motivation to learn and the nature of student participation. In an age of increasing exploration and interpretation of online learner behaviour via automatically collected systems statistics (Beer, Jones, & Clark, 2009), these findings highlight the need to be cautious about using online activity as the only gauge for assessing student motivation in online contexts.
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    Motivations for Caffeine Consumption in New Zealand Tertiary Students
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2021-11-25) Stachyshyn S; Wham C; Ali A; Knightbridge-Eager T; Rutherfurd-Markwick K
    Caffeine-related health incidents in New Zealand have escalated over the last two decades. In order to reduce the risk of substance-related harm, it is important to understand the consumers' motivations for its use. This is especially true for tertiary students who are presumed to be at a higher risk due to seeking out caffeine's well-known cognitive benefits as well as the targeted marketing of such products to young adults. This study examined the habits and motivations for caffeine consumption in tertiary students in New Zealand. A previously validated caffeine consumption-habits (CaffCo) questionnaire was administered online to 317 tertiary students (n = 169 females), aged ≥16 years. Of the 99.1% of participants who regularly consumed caffeine, coffee (76.3%) tea (71.6%) and chocolate (81.7%) consumption were the most prevalent. Motivations for caffeinated-product consumption differed according to caffeine source. Tea was consumed for the warmth and taste, coffee was consumed to stay awake and for warmth, and chocolate, for the taste and as a treat. Marketing was not identified by participants as influencing their consumption of caffeinated products. Knowledge of motivations for caffeine consumption may assist in identifying strategies to reduce caffeine intake in those New Zealand tertiary students who regularly consume amounts of caffeine that exceed safe level.
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    Teacher motivation to engage in the individual education plan process : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Education (Educational Psychology) at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2014) Prohm, Lindsey
    This thesis investigated teachers’ motivation to engage in the IEP process. It examined the key factors that research has identified as influencing teachers motivation and explored the potential barriers to teacher engagement in the IEP process. Teachers’ motivation and their perceptions of the success of the IEP goals were also examined. The target population was year 1-8 teachers who had been engaged in an IEP in the last 12 months. This research design utilised a mixed methods approach, where quantitative and qualitative data collection methods were used. The first phase of this study consisted of an online questionnaire where there were 267 responses. This was followed by four semi-structured interviews with four participating teachers, where the common findings identified from the questionnaire were explored in more depth. Results indicated that the value teachers place in the IEP process, the self-efficacy that teachers hold regarding their ability to engage in the IEP process and their view of inclusive teaching philosophies were all related to teachers’ motivation to engage in the IEP process. The key barriers to teacher engagement in the IEP process were the time constraints associated with the various tasks of the IEP process. This study also found that teachers who had high self-efficacy in implementing the IEP goals and who felt that the appropriate goals had been set in the IEP process were more likely to believe that students could achieve the IEP goals. This research highlights the need for professional learning and support for teachers to develop their understanding of the IEP process, establishing and writing appropriate goals, and identifying school-based support systems for teachers to engage intentionally and meaningfully within the IEP process.
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    An examination of Hellison's (2003) Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility model, its validity and effectiveness for primary school aged children in New Zealand : a thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2014) Smith, Michael Hayes
    The Hellison (2003) model was developed with a goal to enable any participant in its application to develop their personal and social responsibility. The literature demonstrates that the model has been typically made available for youth, as an after-school programme option, in which participation is voluntary. This thesis examined a longitudinal intervention over one scholastic year of an application of Hellison’s (2003) model as part of the curriculum in a New Zealand primary school. Within the model, the five levels of personal and social responsibility, 1) Respect, 2) Participation, 3) Self-direction, 4) Caring, and 5) Outside the training venue, are already translated into five operationalised goals; 1) Self-control and respect, 2) Self-motivation, 3) On-task independence, 4) Sensitivity and responsiveness, and 5) Trying these ideas in other areas of life. The intervention, a forty week training programme using a ten lesson plan format, repeated four times, utilised the goal structure of the model to formulate the individual lesson plans. The lesson plans, to convey the five social goals of the model in accordance with Hellison’s (2003) guidelines, included a karate skill set as the physical activity component of the training sessions. Two cohorts were recruited into the study, from two scholastically equivalent schools, one to receive the intervention (n = 36), and one to act as control (n = 49). The control group completed the measures only and did not receive the intervention. Each goal of the model was empirically assessed to determine change over time whilst participating in the current application of the model. A time series empirical approach was used and psychometrically reliable and valid instruments were administered at six equal-distant intervals. At each of the six intervals, four self-reporting measures were completed by the child participants. Rosenberg’s Self-Efficacy Scale (S-ES), Dishman’s Self-Motivation Inventory for Children (SMI-C9), Muris’s Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C), and Caprara and Pastorelli’s Prosocial Behavior Scale. A separate measure, Polit’s Positive Behavior Scale, was completed each by the participant’s parent, and the participant’s class teacher, at each of the six intervals. Statistical analysis using regression model fitting on the data obtained from the empirical measures demonstrated that scores increased for the intervention participants on each measure over the course of the current study. A linear model was evident from the analysis. Multivariate repeated analysis of the four child self-reporting measures demonstrated that the mean positive change, on goals 1 - 4, was greatest for the intervention group. Equality of means analysis also confirmed that the intervention group had the highest level of improvement in positive behaviour, as reported by the parents and teachers, on goal 5. Secondary analysis using Guttman (1947, 1950) scaling enabled a detailed examination of the model’s stage-like progression premise. The intention of the analysis was to determine if any participant could progress through the five stages, each in succession, as the model posits that they should. Scalograms were constructed at each of the six intervals to produce a Coefficient of Reproducibility, one each for the intervention and control groups. From the twelve coefficients, a mean Coefficient of Reproducibility ≥ .90 was acceptable evidence of temporal reliability of the scalograms in the current study. Guttman (1950) Scalogram Analysis demonstrated that a four-item scalogram, for the child self-reporting measures, and a five-item quasi-scalogram, combining the child self-reporting measures with a mean score of the parent and teacher measure, was found in the current study. In a research first, the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility model was demonstrated to possess stage progression in its goal structure. Further, participants in the intervention group demonstrated that they progressed along a single continuum, one stage after another, as the Hellison (2003) model claimed. However, the goals in the current study developed in a differing order than those proposed by the Hellison (2003) model. Specifically, the stage sequence discovered was firstly goal 2) Self-motivation, followed by goal 3) On-task independence, before goal 1) Self-control and respect, which was third. Goal 4) Sensitivity and responsiveness, and 5) Trying these ideas in other areas of life, emerged in the sequence as the model predicted. A repeated, between groups, analysis demonstrated that a significant difference between the intervention group and control group existed from sixteen weeks and beyond. The findings from the current study make a significant contribution to the literature. A detailed, empirical protocol, a research first of its type, was demonstrated to be reliable for the assessment of participant development whilst engaged in an application of the model. A revised Hellison (2003) model was valid, and effective, for the intervention participants as the model posits. A wider application of the Hellison model is warranted and continued research is recommended. A replication of the current study, as well as research of a school-wide application, of the revised Hellison (2003) model is suggested.
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    Te ara manukura : the factors motivating young Māori to enter university : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2012) Cumming-Ruwhiu, Ani Sarah Marino
    Higher education has a significant role to play in the development and progression of a people. Maori highlight for themselves that participation in tertiary education is important and necessary for advancements in matauranga Maori, economic development, environmental sustainability, health, social well-being and educational achievement. This thesis explores the factors that motivate young Maori to pursue a university degree. In addition, it explores the expectations of young Maori as a result of pursuing a university degree. Kaupapa Maori methodology underpins the theoretical framework used to direct all aspects of the research project. Te Manu Tukutuku offers a culturally appropriate theoretical framework that illustrates the fundamental principles that underpin the research. Participants were recruited through established social relationships and qualitative data was then gathered through semi-structured interviews with eleven young Maori university students in the North Island of New Zealand. A synthesis of the participants' responses and relevant literature reveal the key factors that motivate young Maori to pursue a university degree, that is, significant relationships and individual strengths. In addition, the expectations of young Maori as a result of pursuing a degree are shown in the context of building and maintaining relationships as well as individual excellence. The significant role of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators in the decision-making of young Maori is also discussed. The findings of this study are of importance to those involved with the effective achievement, motivation, educational transition and career development of young Maori. This thesis concludes with five key recommendations that relate to the findings of this study and suggestions for future research in this field.
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    Self-determination and entrepreneurship : personal values as intrinsic motivators of entrepreneurial behaviour : a thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2010) Kirkley, William Walton
    The study of entrepreneurs has often led to conflicting views about what motivates an individual to engage in entrepreneurship. The historic focus on the traits and characteristics of specific individuals perceived by others to be entrepreneurs, has yielded results that are, at best, speculative and difficult to substantiate. This study has taken a different approach by isolating entrepreneurial behaviour and examining its antecedent components. Specifically, the study sought to discover the internal loci of causality that motivate an individual to engage in entrepreneurial behaviour. The study was based on an inductive and interpretive research design within a constructivist paradigm. A small quantitative survey was conducted initially to screen an appropriate sample, the results of which were later used as an aide memoire during indepth interviews, with thirty New Zealand entrepreneurs. The bulk of the data sourced in this study originated through the interview process. These focused specifically on the meaning individuals attributed to certain fundamental values associated with entrepreneurial behaviour. The resulting narrative was subjected to discourse analysis and categorised into relevant themes. Four fundamental values are believed to be critical to entrepreneurial behaviour, namely, independence, creativity, ambition and daring. These values were expressed as psychological needs and act as intrinsic motivation for entrepreneurial behaviour. Only twenty three percent of the sample (7 out of 30), however, could demonstrate consistent motivation through these four principles. The balance of the participants acknowledged the importance of these four principles to entrepreneurial behaviour. However, the majority admitted that there had been a shift in their behaviour toward management, which placed more emphasis on independence and ambition in the value-set. Creativity and daring were accorded much lesser attention as the individual focused on growing their business. This shift in emphasis in the value-set is perceived to be one cause for the episodic and inconsistent occurrence of entrepreneurial behaviour amongst New Zealand business people.
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    Motivation to learn in online environments : an exploration of two tertiary education contexts : 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, 2010) Hartnett, Margaret Katherine
    Research evidence suggests that motivation is an important consideration for online learners. Notably, existing research has frequently focused on the design of motivating online learning environments. Alternatively, motivation has been viewed as a collection of relatively stable personal characteristics of learners. In contrast, a contemporary view that acknowledges the complexity and dynamic interplay of factors underlying and influencing motivation to learn (e.g., Turner & Patrick, 2008) is adopted here. From this „person in context‟ perspective, this study investigates the nature of motivation to learn in online distance learning environments. The study explores how student motivation relates to online participation in these contexts. In addition, social and contextual factors that foster and undermine motivation are identified. The research design utilises a case study approach which focuses on learners in two separate online distance courses within the same university programme. The boundary for each case study is defined by one piece of assessed work and the associated activities within each course. Interview and questionnaire data, supported by archived online data and course resources, were collected. Analysis of the data were made using the three conceptual lenses of self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) and the continuum of human motivation encompassed within this theoretical framework. Findings indicate that the motivation of learners in online environments was multidimensional. Intrinsic motivation and various types of extrinsic motivation were shown to co-exist. Complex relationships were also shown to exist between motivation and participation that were sensitive to situational influences. Multiple factors fostered the expression of high quality (i.e. more self-determined) motivation. Most prominent among these were the relevance of the learning activity, the provision of clear guidelines, and ongoing support and feedback from the teacher that was responsive to learners‟ needs. Supportive caring relationships were also important. A range of factors also undermined the motivation of learners; most notably high workload, assessment pressure, and the perception that the learning activity lacked relevance.
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    Flight of the kiwi : an exploration of motives and behaviours of self-initiated mobility : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2008) Thorn, Kaye Jennifer
    The primary aim of this study was to identify the motives for self-initiated mobility of highly educated New Zealanders across national boundaries. It further seeks to identify the relative importance of these motives and to explore relationships between motivation and mobility behaviour. This study on self-initiated mobility is opportune as an increasingly globalised market place and a demand for the skills of the highly educated result in competition for workers. Most literature concerning mobility focuses on expatriate assignment. By comparison, self-initiated movers remain an under-researched group. Moreover, of the limited research on self-initiated mobility, most have used interviewing and narrative methods, so that the available information is detailed but restricted to individual experiences. This study used a self-report survey via the internet to collect both quantitative and qualitative data and yielded 2,608 useable responses from New Zalanders living and working throughout the world. It was highly exploratory, using the analytical marketing tool CHAID to show linkages between subjective attitudinal motives and objective measures of moility behaviours. The desire for cultural and travel opportunities was the dominant subjective motive, being the best predictor for the objective mobility behaviours of establishment, current spatiality and return propensity and being a secondary predictor for restlessness. Other associations were evident between the quality of life motive and the behaviour of restlessness, the career motive and cultural globalism and the relationships motive and the behaviour of latent transience. Economics and the political environment motives were not found to be significant predictors of any behaviour. The subjective data reinforced the importance of the cultural and travel opportunities and career motives, ranking these the most important motives in a decision to be mobile. Within these motives, opportunities for travel and adventure and for career development were central. Economics was ranked as the third most important motive, contrary to extant literature, followed by relationships, quality of life and the political environment. The priority accorded to each of these six motives varies according to gender, location and life stage, creating different equations of motivation.