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    The influence of social and psychological factors on practices and performance of Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) endurance rider-owner-trainers in Aotearoa/New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Animal Science at Massey University, Manawatū, Aotearoa/New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2021) Webb, Hilary Jane
    Since 1998, governance of endurance horse riding in Aotearoa/New Zealand was aligned with the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) to enable regular participation in world championships. These aspirations were facilitated by a high-performance programme. Despite this support, New Zealand riders performed poorly in FEI-level competitions within New Zealand and at world championships. This research aimed to understand factors that influenced the practices and performance of endurance riders in FEI-level competition within New Zealand. A qualitative methodology was chosen for the ability to understand meaning from participants’ perspectives, to understand context, and to identify unanticipated influences in this under-researched subject. Twenty-three purposively selected participants contributed data to four studies during the 2016–17 endurance riding season in New Zealand. A survey and an observational study collected participants’ self-reported descriptions of practices. Pre- and post season interviews explored participants’ motivations, competitive orientations, experiences, and perspectives. The complementary results from all studies showed that the performances of rider-owner-trainer participants were logistically, psychologically, and socially constrained. Amateur status limited time, money, and number of horses so participants rode slowly to avoid harming their horse and not achieving their goals. Performances were constrained by autonomous forms of motivation that drove risk averse practices and a task-focused competitive orientation that emphasised horsemanship over winning. Finally, through modelling, compliance, and comparison, the small, closely connected endurance riding community reinforced a conservative ethos that stigmatised harming horses. Based on the understanding of performance constructed in this research, adaptive performance strategies, autonomy-supportive coaching and greater use of sport science tools were recommended to enable riders to be comfortable with risk and riding at speed. Inadequate training could not be dismissed as a reason for poor performances, therefore further work was suggested to explore variation and periodisation in training programmes. The results suggest the qualitative methodology could provide contextual understandings of practices and performance in other countries where horse welfare suffers from competitiveness. The results also bring into question the relevance of the FEI for New Zealand riders because, although competitive, participants’ style of endurance riding emphasised intrinsic enjoyment, their own and their horses’ well-being, and persistence in their sport of choice.
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    Rapua te mea ngaro : exploring the access of Māori to veterinary education in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2021) Jillings, Eloise Katherine Puia
    Currently there is no research literature regarding the ethnicity of veterinary applicants, veterinary students, or the veterinary workforce in New Zealand. Recent unpublished data indicates only 2% of veterinarians identify as Māori, despite Māori comprising 16.5% of the New Zealand population. This PhD is the first step in addressing this gap and bringing to light the important issues of Māori representation and inclusion in veterinary education and subsequently the veterinary profession in New Zealand. The thesis has two overarching goals. The first is to explore how the access of Māori to veterinary education, and therefore the veterinary workforce, is influenced by sociodemographic factors under three separate admission processes. The second is to explore the impact of sociodemographic factors and academic achievement prior to admission on the academic success of Māori once selected into the program. The studies in this thesis were conducted with Kaupapa Māori research positioning. The thesis presents a quantitative analysis of veterinary applicant and selected student data from 2003 to 2019. Descriptive statistics and linear and logistic regression are utilised to explore the representation of Māori in the veterinary applicant and selected student cohorts, the association of sociodemographic variables and selection assessments, and academic outcomes of Māori and non-Māori once selected. From this thesis it has been shown that Māori were underrepresented in the veterinary applicant pool and experienced more educational barriers than non-Māori. Māori are also underrepresented in the selected student cohort, and had 0.37 times the odds of selection than non-Māori prior to introduction of an equity process for Māori student selection. Scores on five of the six selection assessments were associated with ethnicity, with Māori receiving lower scores. However, once selected into the veterinary programme, there was no difference in the academic outcomes of Māori and non-Māori. Introduction of the equity process for Māori was not associated with a decrease in academic outcomes post-selection, and introduction of non-academic criteria into the selection process was associated with an improvement in academic outcomes. The veterinary profession is not representative of New Zealand. Māori underrepresentation is also seen in the veterinary applicant and selected student cohorts. This needs to be addressed for reasons of Indigenous rights, social justice, social mobility, and to ensure the veterinary profession benefits from Māori worldviews and therefore is relevant to a growing Māori population. Enacting initiatives aimed to widen access to the veterinary programme, with the eventual goal of improving representation of Māori in the veterinary workforce, needs to be a priority for Massey University, the sole provider of veterinary education in Aotearoa, and the wider profession.
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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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    Investigating the social validity of an early literacy assessment tool in New Zealand classrooms : 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, 2018) Davidson, Lauren
    There is vast evidence that emergent literacy skills provide the foundation for reading success. Print concept knowledge and listening comprehension are two emergent literacy skills that make important contributions to reading and can be developed in early childhood. However, some children may start school without the necessary knowledge to succeed with formal literacy instruction and will be at-­‐risk for underachievement. Appropriate assessment and subsequent support can produce positive outcomes for these children, however, there are currently few tools dedicated to assessing print concept knowledge and listening comprehension in the early stages of schooling. The current research involved the development of an assessment tool that assessed these skill areas. Four Year 0-­‐1 teachers in New Zealand then trialled the tool with children who they perceived may need additional literacy support. Interviews were conducted to seek teacher perceptions about the tool’s social validity. Findings suggest this tool could be an effective resource for teachers who prefer authentic assessment and it has the potential to provide valuable information about a child’s understanding of print concept knowledge and listening comprehension abilities to inform teacher planning. Future directions for related research are discussed including the recommendation for a larger scale study seeking feedback from a greater number of teachers in New Zealand.
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    Assessing four-year-old children's learning : New Zealand early childhood teachers' purposes, practices and knowledge : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Cameron, Monica Jane
    Assessment is a core element of quality teaching and learning experiences for all children enrolled in early childhood education settings. This study explored New Zealand early childhood teachers’ purposes, practices and knowledge related to assessing four-year-old children’s learning. Understanding teachers’ beliefs related to the assessment of four-year olds is particularly important for supporting effective transition to school and continuity between early childhood and school contexts. To investigate teachers’ assessment purposes, practices and knowledge, a mixed methods sequential research design was developed. Phase one involved a nationwide survey of early childhood teachers, while phase two involved 14 key informant interviews with teachers representing nine different service types. Interview questions were derived from the survey results. Interviewees were asked to complete the survey and to share three pieces of assessment documentation. Descriptive statistics and thematic coding were utilised to analyse the data gathered. Findings from both phases were used to answer the study’s research questions. Findings demonstrated that teachers recognised the important role of assessment but their assessment knowledge, purposes and practices varied widely. Teachers favoured informal methods and focussed on sharing information with others as a primary purpose for assessment. Teachers’ knowledge of assessment was predominantly developed through their experiences in the sector, thereby conserving established assessment practices. Learning stories were found to dominate teachers’ assessment practices, which focused on specific aspects of children’s learning. Assessing four-year-old children’s learning was considered to be important in relation to transition to school, though challenges associated with sharing assessment information were repeatedly identified. The findings of this study, along with those of extant research, are of concern because New Zealand early childhood teachers’ assessment purposes, practices and knowledge in relation to assessing four-year-olds appear to be constrained relative to international recommendations for quality assessment in early childhood. One implication is that teachers need additional support to develop their knowledge of assessment and understand its multiple purposes. The development of a repertoire of assessment tools would further assist the advancement of teachers’ assessment practices. Early childhood and new entrant teachers need support to develop their understandings of each other’s assessment methods, so that methods with appropriate fit for purpose can be used to promote children’s successful transition to school. Continued research, professional development and initial teacher education need to play a key role in challenging current rhetoric and misunderstandings around assessment.
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    An integrated approach : holistic assessment of vocational trainees in the NZ dairy farming industry : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Tertiary Education) at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Couper, Graeme William
    Vocational training qualifications in New Zealand have undergone significant change since 2008 due to the Targeted Review of Qualifications (TRoQ) initiated by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). In 2016, Primary ITO introduced programmes for these new qualifications to the dairy farming sector. A new holistic assessment approach was implemented, centred on an integrated Evidence Portfolio. The purpose of this research was to: a) Compare the new assessment methodology with the previous approach, from the perspective of the Trainees, Employers, and Assessors, and: b) Determine the extent to which the new assessment approach enabled Learners to apply theoretical knowledge to practical workplace situations. While much research has been done about competency-based Vocational Education and Training (VET), it largely focusses on institution-based learners, not those who are based in the workplace. This research aimed to contribute to the literature by examining competency-based assessment in a post-TRoQ, New Zealand workplace-based context. The sample groups for this research were drawn from dairy farming trainees who were enrolled in the new qualifications, and had also achieved one of the previous qualifications. The employers and assessors of these trainees were also included. The research utilised semi-structured interviews with the participants to gain their views on the new assessment methodology and how it compared to the previous method. The findings of this research largely reinforce the literature on competency-based VET. A new contribution is made by examining competency-based VET in a workplace-based context. The new assessment methodology was successful in enabling trainees to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical workplace situations and it was preferred by the participants over the previous assessment method. It is concluded that the notion of how competence is viewed in a New Zealand VET context should be revisited, and that it could assume a wider focus. This research also highlights the link between underpinning theoretical knowledge and practical workplace performance and suggests that performance of practical workplace tasks could provide sufficient evidence to assess Trainees’ theoretical knowledge in the final stages of their qualification.
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    Factors that influence teacher appraisal in primary schools : making appraisal meaningful for teachers : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate in Education at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2015) Offen, Bilinda
    Research from a range of countries revealed commonalities in how teachers perceived appraisal. It was common that teachers viewed appraisal negatively, and that appraisal was a process teachers completed because it was mandated to do so. In order to present a solution to the negativity that is often associated with appraisal, this study investigated teachers’ perceptions of the appraisal process in relation to the purpose of appraisal, the impact of appraisal on student learning outcomes and how appraisal can lead to improved teacher practice. The roles of communities of practice, reflective practice and the impact of leadership on the appraisal process were examined. The key component of effective appraisal was identified as being a quality relationship of teaching colleagues within a school. A school that incorporated improved student learning outcomes through improved teaching practice as a key objective of their appraisal process was examined in depth. This case study illustrated how an effective and purposeful appraisal process resulted in empowered teachers, which led to a positive impact on student outcomes. The overall findings of this study reveal that there are a set of conditions that need to be embedded into a school’s culture before appraisal can become meaningful. In order for a school to develop an effective appraisal strategy, these conditions must be inherent in the school culture. A four-step process for establishing the conditions is offered, followed by a suggested cycle of appraisal. However, the cycle would be ineffective if the conditions for effective appraisal were not embedded into the culture of the school first.
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    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 Erica
    Senior 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.
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    Rethinking assessment : the challenging issues for schools and teachers : a thesis submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Administration, Massey University, Albany
    (Massey University, 1998) Hill, Jan
    This thesis examines how four urban primary schools used changes to their assessment practices as a means to improve the learning opportunities and outcomes of their students. In 1993, a new national curriculum was introduced into New Zealand schools and this was accompanied by legislation and guidelines mandating new requirements in assessment. These reforms were occurring against a backdrop of burgeoning developments in assessment internationally. The study documents how the four schools responded to the new demands, to the challenges posed by alternative approaches to assessment and how they were able to incorporate and build on their previous assessment practices. Action research was selected as the methodology and was used both by the schools and the researcher on two distinct yet overlapping levels. lt gave the schools the opportunity to take ownership of the issues that emerged and greater control over the research process. The data gathering strategies woven into the programme included group discussions, individual interviews, observations, questionnaires, document analysis and a Help Desk which formalised contact with the schools between school-based visits and workshops and provided the researcher with valuable ongoing insights into the work of the schools. The thesis incorporates an analysis of methodological issues relating to collaboration, the tension between first and second order domains of action research and difficulties the schools experienced in relation to the action research process itself. The data revealed a number of emerging themes. Summative rather than formative assessment practices dominated the aspects of assessment the schools selected to work on as a result of their baseline data collection. All of the schools put new school-wide recording systems in place. This had the most impact on the practices of the teachers who, in the past, had assessed in an ad hoc way, often based on 'gut reaction'. For many teachers, it was first time they had investigated and understood assessment theory. The data also highlighted that many do not have a level of technical assessment expertise that allows then to design basic assessment tasks that they know to be valid measures or to analyse and use the results with confidence. Although the common orientation of the teachers was towards a learner-centred philosophy, there is a considerable gap between theory and practice. Rethinking assessment practices provided some of the teachers with a vehicle for shifting the locus of control in their classrooms. Traditional reporting practices were also challenged and possibilities emerged for new assessment partnerships with parents. For some teachers, giving honest feedback to students and parents, in particular, poses a dilemma. The transfer of assessment information both within and between schools remains a possible barrier to student achievement. The thesis concludes that, overall, the curriculum and assessment changes appear to have had a positive impact on the learning and teaching programmes in the four schools, but that much professional development work remains to be done if both contemporary assessment theory and policy are to translate into classroom practice.
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    Appraisal : reducing control, enhancing effectiveness : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Ph. D. in Education at Massey University, Albany Campus, Auckland, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2001) Piggot-Irvine, Eileen
    Between 1995 and 1999 the Ministry of Education (MoE) tightened the requirements for appraisal in schools in New Zealand (NZ). The first of three parts of the thesis reports on the impact of this tightening and enhanced control. The results from this impact study showed little indication of outcomes often associated with enhanced control such as increased defensiveness, decreased internal commitment, increased compliance, and inconsistent adoption of initiatives in appraisal. The results demonstrated an overall positive impact on appraisal implementation in schools associated with the enhanced control. On the downside, the results also provided a strong indication that much of the training conducted for appraisal had largely been superficial, and had failed to help appraisers to deal with problems with appraisees. These results led me to clarify 'effectiveness' in appraisal training, and to determine how such training could help appraisers and appraisees to establish educative appraisal interactions. Such interactions lead to effective outcomes in terms of resolving problems, and consequently improved teaching and learning. The theory, philosophy, guiding values and strategies of productive reasoning were refined and adapted to underpin the development of two approaches to training in problem confronting and resolution: one short-term (one day of training fitting national training allocation for approximately 219 appraisers in 25 secondary schools), and one long-term (an action research approach with five appraisers in one school). My implementation of these training interventions, and their evaluation, determined the second and third phases reported on in this thesis. For Intervention #1 (the short-term training), the evaluation results showed a considerable gap between appraiser espousals of educative process implementation and their practice. This became particularly evident when the majority of appraisers reported that the training had helped them to be more open and to deal with, rather than avoid, problems with appraisees, and yet the closer examination of their interactions with appraisees, and appraisee feedback, revealed little employment of an educative process. Intervention #2 (the longer-term training), was designed to enable appraisers to better understand and further internalise the educative process, to provide further opportunities for practice, and provide more extensive follow-up support from myself and other appraisers. Although the intended action research approach, the Problem Resolving Action Research (PRAR) Model, was only partially realised in this intervention, the evaluation results led me to conclude that for three of the five appraisers a considerable positive shift in implementation of educative process skills occurred. These results indicated that the elements contributing to this shift included: appraiser commitment to improvement (for both themselves as appraisers, and for the teachers they were appraising); consciousness-raising associated with exposure of the espousal-practice gap; extended support; and the opportunity to repeat learning. The research also highlighted, and confirmed, the importance in action research of: gaining ownership and commitment; enhancing collaboration, and mutually informing theory and practice. Overall, this thesis provides rare evidence to demonstrate that, given appropriate training, appraisal can ultimately improve teaching and learning.