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Item Special abilities : a Māori perspective : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Massey University(Massey University, 1993) Bevan-Brown, JillThis study investigated special abilities from a Māori perspective. In particular it sought to discover if traditional and contemporary concepts of special abilities existed and if so, what these concepts were. It also sought Māori opinion on effective and appropriate ways of identifying and catering for Māori CWSA. A two-pronged approach was utilised. Possible traditional and contemporary Māori concepts were constructed from: • a documentary analysis of a variety of resources • informal, exploratory interviews with 33 Māori participants. Whānau networks were used to select the interview sample of 6 kaumātua, 12 educators and 15 "others" who strongly identified themselves as being Māori and had a demonstrated commitment to Māoritanga. Participants came from a variety of educational and socio-economic backgrounds and there was wide tribal and hapū representation. Data from documentary analysis and interviews was both equivalent and complementary. The concepts of special abilities from the past and present that emerged: • were holistic in nature and inextricably intertwined with other Māori concepts, values, customs and beliefs. • were broad and wide-ranging. Many abilities and qualities were valued. These included spiritual, cognitive, affective, aesthetic, artistic, musical, psychomotor, social, intuitive, creative, leadership and cultural abilities and qualities. • were not bounded by social class, economic status or gender. • were grounded firmly in Māori kaupapa. • placed importance on both "qualities" and "abilities." Qualities in the intrapersonal, affective domain were particularly valued. • incorporated an expectation that abilities and qualities would be used in the service of others. • involved the bestowing of mana tāngata especially in the areas of service to others and cultural knowledge. The suggestions about how Māori CWSA could be identified and catered for at home and at school contained many approaches equally applicable to all children. Culture-specific suggestions emphasised the encouragement and teaching of Māoritanga, the development of strong, supportive whānau networks, the training of teachers in Māoritanga especially aspects relevant to recognising and catering for Māori CWSA and the provision of culturally appropriate education. The latter involved teaching programmes, strategies, styles and environments particularly suited to Māori children. It was also emphasised that educational provisions for Māori CWSA should not isolate them from their culture. The research concluded that to enable children who identify as Māori and live within Māori norms to realise their potential, identification procedures and educational provisions should be based firmly on a Māori concept of special abilities.Item The concepts of equality and centralisation and some of their implications in the New Zealand education system : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master [of Arts] in Education at Massey University(Massey University, 1974) Sievwright, John DonaldThe Concepts of 'Equality' and 'Centralization' and some of their implications in the New Zealand Education System. SECTION A: Egalitarianism in New Zealand Education This section sketches the development of the New Zealand statement of equality of educational opportunity, from its beginnings in England to pre-Provincial New Zealand, the several developments in the Provincial period, through the first national education system till the present day. The major relationship with Centralization is pointed out and a New Zealand definition of the concept is made. SECTION B: Centralization in Education in New Zealand The development in historical terms, towards a strongly centralised department, owing much to the fact of central funding is shown. Past and present problems associated with centralization are pointed out. The administrative system is discussed and the theory of centralization as it relates to New Zealand education is examined. SECTION C: An Examination of Some Concepts of the Egalitarian Principle The section begins with an analysis of Peter's concept of equality. There follows a comparison with that concept expressed by Lieberman and the section concludes with an examination of the concept in terms of New Zealand education. SECTION D: Some Problems Associated with 'Equality' and 'Centralization' In this section, the way the two concepts are seen to work in New Zealand education is examined. Examples are cited which indicate their shortcomings as a basis for an education system. A plea is made for an examination of principles upon which it might be possible to base New Zealand education.Item User-pays in New Zealand's free compulsory education system : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Public Policy, Massey University(Massey University, 2002) Latimer, Sandra GailIn 1989 New Zealand embarked on the reform of its compulsory education sector. The resulting model, known as Tomorrow's Schools, decentralised administration and gave each individual school its own Board of Trustees responsible for managing the school's finances. Since then, the cost to parents for their children's compulsory education has increased considerably. This thesis examines schools' behaviour when requesting and collecting money from parents and caregivers, compliance of this behaviour with Ministry of Education policy and the changes over time in the amounts of money raised locally by schools. Schools' compliance with Ministry of Education policy is generally poor. Many schools do not tell parents that donations are voluntary and charge parents for items not allowed under Ministry policy, including photocopying, use of information technology equipment and subject fees for subjects which do not have a take home component. Costs to parents are lowest in small schools and rural schools. Larger primary schools request and collect more in donations from parents and are more likely to exclude children from participation because of non-payment, and this was consistent across decile groups. Parents with children in large/urban high-decile schools pay most. Secondary education is much more expensive to parents than is primary education and parents expressed concern about this and about children being excluded from curricular and extra-curricular activities because of parental inability to pay. In addition, compliance with Ministry policy appears to be lower in secondary schools. Decile-related funding has caused some higher-decile schools to conclude that government no longer fully funds them and they must raise additional money from parents. Schools turn to parent communities to make up any shortfall in funding, and there are indications of erosion in belief in the ideal of a free compulsory education.Item Technology education and industry links : an exploratory case study : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masterate in Education at Massey University(Massey University, 2001) O'Sullivan, Gary ChristopherThe purpose of this research is to provide an exemplar of one school's innovative approach to developing links with local industry in order to enrich its technology education programme. Investigation of the rationale and policy for having such a link is discussed and possible benefits and deficits are presented in a case study. The research has been undertaken in one school which has won national awards for its involvement in these links. This school is the focus of an exploratory and evaluative case study. A variety of procedures has been used including a document analysis, teacher and student interviews and a small questionnaire. The data has been gathered from the principal, the classroom teacher, the industry person and the fourteen children involved in the link. The technology curriculum was introduced as a compulsory part of the New Zealand curriculum framework for schools in January 1999. It was appropriate that this research should be carried out at the same time. This research also investigates the introduction of the new curriculum. Questions such as, what is technology education? and, where has it come from?, are addressed. Identified as important aspects of this new curriculum are the links to be developed with the local community which include business and industry, tertiary institutions, and local authorities. It is proposed that these links could work together to develop what is described as an "inclusive" technology curriculum. A case study of an existing school-industry link is reported. Interested parties are identified, their perceptions and the possible underlying principles behind their visions are discussed. This investigation explores the notion of an inclusive technology curriculum and discusses in the light of the case study whether it is feasible or even desirable.Item An investigation into how Māori students who are gifted and talented are identified in mainstream schools : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Education at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2012) Scobie-Jennings, EmmaThis study examined the current practices used by 11 schools in one region of Aotearoa New Zealand when identifying Māori students who are gifted and talented. It sought to establish and discuss definitions and identification procedures schools are using as well as the barriers and challenges that schools face when attempting to identify Māori students who are gifted and talented. A multi-method approach to gathering data was used. Survey research methodology was used to gain information from principals and teachers in charge of gifted and talented education. Content analysis was used to analyse the policies and documents the schools used when identifying gifted and talented students to cross-reference and add to data gathered through the survey. The key finding of this study was that the identification of Māori students who are gifted and talented was an area that the majority of sample schools were not confident in. Several of the schools involved in the research indicated this was an area they were pursuing professional development and learning in. The research indicates that although some schools have definitions and identification practices which are culturally responsive, their practices are not resulting in the formal identification of the numbers of gifted and talented Māori students that are suggested by the literature. The research concludes that culturally responsive environments are the most appropriate way of generating effective identification practices, but in order to create these teachers need to have the knowledge and expertise required. As the main barrier to culturally responsive identification of Māori students who are gifted and talented is the lack of teacher expertise and knowledge, there is a major need for ongoing professional development and learning in this area.Item 'The cluster team' : a model of collaboration and collegiality in New Zealand gifted and talented education 2003-2008 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2011) Bush, Karen; Bush, KarenThis study investigated the evolution of a cluster concept involving primary schools that collaborated in a rural region of New Zealand to solve the problem of disadvantage for gifted and talented children. The principals formed a management committee to direct the implementation of a programme to ensure geographic isolation did not mean high ability children missed out on learning opportunities for the fulfilment of personal potential. As a collective provision, the cluster was an inaugural Talent Development Initiative and resourced by the Ministry of Education for six years from 2003–2008. One landmark feature was the partnership with an independent, rural education provider responsible for the facilitation and co-ordination. The literature revealed no evidence of similar provisions, so this paucity of research indicated the cluster management model was unique in Aotearoa-New Zealand. The purpose of this case study was to gain an insight from the perceptions of the principals into the ways the cluster was managed; the effectiveness of the provision; and the central ethos. The methodology was based on a phenomenological approach. Data was generated through a focus group because this forum paralleled the decision-making mode of leadership. The key finding for this investigation was that the cluster was an applicable and effective mechanism to provide for gifted and talented students in New Zealand. This success as a TDI was premised on the core principles for the creed of the cluster. Passion and commitment were essential. Professional development was critical to grow a teacher knowledge base and improve outcomes for students. Good funding was crucial to enhance talent and enable sustainability. It was important to develop a special concept of giftedness befitting the values of the cluster community and reflecting a child-centred approach integral to the shared philosophy. A significant component was the external facilitation to co-ordinate the programme and to weld the group into a cluster team. The ethos at the centre was the extraordinary spirit of collegiality and camaraderie binding the cluster together. These findings from this study confirm the cluster as a model of best practice in the field of New Zealand gifted and talented education.Item Industrial design and engineering transition to radical innovation for sustainability in tertiary education : concept design strategies based on a New Zealand study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Product Development at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2011) Haemmerle, Linda; Haemmerle, LindaA UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD) is currently in progress from 2005 – 2014.The importance of Sustainable Development (SD) and Sustainable Product Design (SPD) has been recognized by the professional bodies for industrial design and engineering, and promoted within tertiary education. A consensus gained from a literature review revealed that radical innovation is now necessary to achieve Factor 4 (i.e. reducing resource use to a quarter of the total), or Factors 10-20 (reducing resource use to a 10th – 20th of levels in the present production/consumption model) in upholding global environmental and social integrity. Design and engineering are seen as “core catalysts of change” towards radical innovation for sustainability, and therefore essential that industrial designers and engineers be appropriately educated. The motivation and main aim of this research was therefore to develop an educational framework for mainstream industrial design and engineering in SD/SPD at tertiary level. This should be based on the key concepts of SD/SPD towards radical innovation, successful international examples of industrial design and engineering curricula, as well as any pertinent information derived locally from the New Zealand design and engineering scenario. The latter was derived via a survey of industrial/product design, mechanical/mechatronics engineering students in their final year of undergraduate study in New Zealand. These research strands were synthesized and further refined, using a 4-year undergraduate degree structure (combined years 1-2 for a 3-year design degree programme). The Conceptual Educational Framework and Guidelines are intended as an aid and underlying structure towards embedding radical innovation for sustainability in Industrial Design and Engineering curricula. Together, they provide a draft, a roadmap of essential and important concepts, to combine with discipline-specific core content of Industrial Design and Engineering undergraduate degrees The NZ survey results proved similar to international studies: an overall discrepancy between the high ratings of the importance of sustainability and low values in actual knowledge, with definitions of ecodesign (eco-efficiency through reduction and/or minimization of harmful environmental impacts), rather than eco-effective, beneficial sustainable design (comprising environmental, economic and social considerations). The key recommendations are documented within four concepts: 1. Emphasis on the Social Element of SD/SPD, 2. Transition towards Systems Thinking via PSS (Product-Service Systems), 3. Complementary Sustainable Design Strategies and 4. Transition towards Strategic Design. These concepts advocate emphasis on the social element of SD/SPD through context and creativity; systems thinking via PSS; eco-effectiveness and Cradle-to-Cradle design principles (C2C), followed by eco-efficiency for optimization; and all governed by strategic design. The design intent of the Conceptual Educational Framework and Guidelines is to maximize beneficial, eco-effective systems, sustainable behaviour, equity, quality of life, and connecting design, technology and human behaviour.Item Changing school practices : the impact of school development on primary and area school organisation and learning management : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University(Massey University, 1997) Stewart, David James; Stewart, David JamesThe thesis is an investigation of how principals construct meaning from experiences as they work through a School Development initiative. The study is not a formal evaluation of a particular strategy nor a comparison between different strategies. Its purpose is to understand more clearly the interface between principal thinking and action, and the development of coherent practices that lead to more effective teaching and learning in a school. Three case studies provide the data for the dissertation which focuses on the workings of schools following the major administrative changes in New Zealand education of 1989 in the establishment of self-managing schools. This context is further elaborated to consider the crucial role of the principal, how a School Development approach operates, and the conflicting positions of educational and reflective thinking, and managerial action. Throughout the case studies five propositions developed from personal experience and research findings are used to gain understanding and as indicators of principal thinking and action. The case studies occurred sequentially beginning with a residential design (Case Study A), having both residential and networked modes (Case Study B), and progressing to the inclusion of an audio-graphic component where there were large geographical separations between the groups of schools (Case Study C). Data gathering, use of teacher narrative within professional discussion, and a critical reflective stance were recognised as essential elements of the School Development approach. A commitment, by schools, to the ensuing hermeneutic practice tended to spread into other more casual staff interactions further supporting the concept of school as community. It is proposed that there are three critical periods for schools engaging in this kind of School Development activity. The first involves the link between personal and institutional development. A second involves networking and the third is when individuals and the school as a whole combine to celebrate successes. A visual metaphor constructed around sigmoid curves is presented for mapping and planning.Item Devolved school-based financial management in New Zealand : observations on the conformity patterns of school organisations to change(2003) Tooley, S.; Guthrie, J.This paper examines the intent and consequences of ‘new’ financial management (the ‘New Public Financial Management’) (NPFM) procedures invoked to facilitate a macro-micro interface within the context of the significant administrative reform of the New Zealand (NZ) state education system. The 1989 administrative reform of the NZ education system was predicated on a particular view of public sector management, which was characterised by the umbrella heading of ‘New Public Management’ (NPM). It was claimed that NPFM provided a link between the sets of values highlighted through the NPM reform process and the internal workings of various public sector organisations. The study provides case studies of the organisational financial management practices of four schools, some ten years after the reform. The observed practices are analysed and interpreted within a theoretical framework comprising two competing theories of change – NPM which provides the ‘normative’ intent for public sector organisational change, and institutional theory that offers an explanation of the ‘operational’ consequences of public sector organisational (i.e. schools) response to change. The findings suggest that accounting and management technologies have served a useful, political purpose, although not in the way espoused by NPM proponents.