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    Psychosocial risks experienced by international students in the security industry of New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the Master of Business Studies (specialisation in HRM), Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Arslan, Hafiz Syed Muhammad
    Many international students in New Zealand are employed under non-standard work arrangements as part-time/casual security guards in the security industry. The literature on the experiences of international students indicates that they often work irregular schedules, are paid minimum wages and benefits, and tend to be exploited by employers due to their limited knowledge about employment rights. Similarly, the literature concerning work in the security industry worldwide suggests that security guards generally work under unsafe and hazardous working conditions and are provided with limited equipment and training, which tends to have negative repercussions for their psychosocial wellbeing. However, there is sparse literature at both the national and global level discussing the experiences of international students working as security guards in the security industry. Thus, the present research was designed to qualitatively explore the experiences of international students engaged in non-standard work arrangements in the security industry of New Zealand and investigate their psychosocial wellbeing. Seven international students working as casual security guards within the broader Auckland region were interviewed. Three main overarching themes were identified in the analysis. Theme 1 highlighted ‘accessibility issues’ identified as workers’ inaccessibility to adequate provisions such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), kitchen and toilet facilities, sufficient training, adequate income and benefits, regular working hours, and knowledge about employment rights; all of which had negative consequences for their wellbeing. Relatedly, theme 2 ‘threats to psychosocial wellbeing’ presented a picture of the vulnerability of international student security guards in the industry by illuminating their exposure to physical and psychosocial harm, such as physical abuse and racial harassment, during their work. Additional stressors due to this group’s extended engagement with both studies and part-time work were also explored. In theme 3, the ‘unprofessional practices’ of both international students and employers (subcontractors) in relation to New Zealand employment law were outlined. Here, sub-themes of exploitation and self-exploitation were further investigated. Overall these findings emphasised the need for vigorous policy initiatives focussed on improving the working standards of the security industry and wellbeing of international students working as security guards, through collaborative efforts on the part of the regulatory agencies, main- contractors and subcontractors.
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    The impact of an international unit on a school culture : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Administration at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2002) Hegarty, Terrelle Ann
    This thesis presents a single site case study that investigates the impact of an international unit on the organisational culture of a Catholic Girls College in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. Four main data collection procedures were employed in this study to obtain relevant material useful for describing the school culture and for identifying any apparent changes to the organisational culture between 1996-2002. Statistical searches, document searches, on-site observations, and interviews occurred at various times throughout the school year. Incoming data was analysed to search for emergent themes consistent with the literature. Results from the study relate to identifying demographic patterns, describing the school culture, examining and describing the cultural change process and describing the corresponding impact on the culture elements of this school community. Two basic directions underpin this study. One is concerned with the intangible and tangible manifestations within the school culture that have been subject to change, and the other with the implications of change on the members of the school community. The examination of cultural elements was aligned with the framework of school culture provided by Beare, Caldwell & MilliKen (1989). A school culture model is provided to give insight into the main cultural characteristics of Villa Maria College. A second culture model, the Change Wave Process Model is introduced as an analysis framework for a selection of cultural change examples applicable to the development of the international unit at this school. This study has revealed that a school is a culturally unique learning organisation that is directly, indirectly or unconsciously changed by people for the purpose of providing positive impacts on the people and the organisation as a whole. The major outcomes from this study indicate that the development of a new international unit at Villa Maria College has produced a number of positive and negative interactive forces that have in various ways impacted on the organisational culture. The changes that have occurred since 1996 as the international unit has grown and became established have affected the composition of a number of cultural elements that lie at different levels within the school organisation. The surface manifestations that are obvious in physical features or human interaction patterns have been further enhanced as new staff roles and responsibilities, rituals, ceremonies and symbols have been introduced with the formation of the international unit. The subsurface manifestations such as the values and the underlying assumptions of the school have also been subjected to change though to a lesser degree. A broadening assumption base has appeared in the most recent decade as the school has introduced new policies and programmes in an attempt to meet the standards set down in the national policy and curriculum frameworks relating to the education of international students. As a result key values such as equality, social justice, appreciation, tolerance and respect have been openly expressed and accentuated with the introduction of this new group to the school. The study concludes with an action-based model that encourages members of the various cultural units of this organisation to be involved in ongoing critical cultural evaluation activities that enable members of the school to inspect cultural change processes in the future.
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    Exporting New Zealand education services : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Education at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1993) Hanna, Nita
    The entry of New Zealand state education into the export market provided an unique opportunity for the researcher to combine interests in education, exporting, marketing and finance. The challenge was to investigate an entirely new export industry which was growing at a very rapid rate. In the absence of other studies relating to the New Zealand situation, information was obtained from relevant documents, interviews with people associated with aspects of the industry and questionnaires to students in selected institutions and to a spokesperson for overseas students within each of the institutions. The intended benefits and possible pitfalls perceived by people associated with forming the legislation were identified. In addition to the expected financial gains a number of non-financial benefits based on past experience with government assisted students were revealed. They related to trade and internationalisation. Some were of a very long-term nature. Anticipated problems were largely associated with traditional attitudes about the role of state education in New Zealand. The study revealed: There were wide differences of opinion on the role of legislation and on the policies which should be adopted. Students, unlike respondents from New Zealand institutions, did not consider the high standard of New Zealand education qualifications their main reason for choosing New Zealand as an educational destination. Although students tended to compare aspects of New Zealand with those of their home country, there was overall agreement about liking the cultural experience, the way of life, the people, and the New Zealand countryside. Students adapted to most differences in teaching institutions between New Zealand and their home country within one year, except mastery of the English language. Spokespeople for institution did not indicate language was such a persistent problem. Aspects of New Zealand students would most like to change included costs (especially rising costs) and the attitudes of some New Zealanders to foreigners. Respondents from institutions believed there was a very large market for New Zealand education, but the rate of growth was dependent on the acceptability of numbers of overseas students by New Zealanders. There was very little difference between fee-paying and government funded students' responses. Lack of funding has restricted some generic activities including a co-ordinated approach to catering for student's needs once they are in New Zealand.
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    An exploratory comparison of the inferential ability of EFL and ESL students : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2003) Zhang, Weidong
    The ability to access and interpret information is a very important component in generating knowledge. However, people are not always able to discover information, quickly evaluate the importance of the information and access it (Tichenor, Donohue & Olien, 1970; Chatman, 1991; Sligo & Williams, 2002). Especially in a tertiary academic setting, the ability to access information and integrate information from various sources to infer what is not overtly stated in a text is an essential skill during the reading process (Kintsch, 1994; Barnes, Dennis, & Haefele-Kalvaitis, 1996; Cain, Oakhill, Barnes, & Bryant, 2001). Because of differences among people's educational background, existing pools of knowledge and communication abilities, the ability to access information will affect their inferential ability in the reading process (Alexander, 1994; Ericsson, 1996; Mckoon & Ratcliff, 1992). Although inferential ability is to be of consequence for academic functioning, very little research has been done on the comparison of inferential ability among students with English as their first language and those with English as their second language. This study examines the relative extent of text inferential ability among students with English as a first language (EFL) and students to whom English is a second language (ESL), employing the knowledge gap hypothesis, and assesses its implications. Using a procedure to assess inferential ability, this thesis compares the differences in inferential ability demonstrated by EFL and ESL students, employing cloze tests. This study found that EFL students' performance on the inferential ability and cloze item completion task is significantly better than that of their ESL counterparts via the first two scoring methods (Methods A and B). However, the inferential ability of ESL students is almost as good as their EFL counterparts when assessed by the third scoring method (Method C). The research findings suggest that Sligo and Williams (2002) are right in terming the knowledge gap as an amalgam of knowledge, comprehension and inference (p.6). Subsidiary analyses of the source of inference failures revealed different underlying sources of difficulty for both EFL and ESL students. The results of the research provide insights into the nature of gaps in accessing information and inference making. Education in a tertiary institution may or may not reduce gaps. Though both EFL and ESL students improved from their original starting level, the gaps of inferential ability between EFL and ESL students in the two tests, especially via Methods A and B, widened. In the second test, both EFL and ESL students made progress in inferential ability. Yet there still remained a gap between the two groups of students in test two as the knowledge rich individuals improved at a similar rate as the knowledge poor. The present study supports the contention of Sligo and Williams (2002) that there is an unexamined area at the heart of the knowledge gap hypothesis literature. The findings of the present study suggest the correctness of the proposal by Sligo and Williams (2002) that what knowledge gap hypothesis researchers call knowledge gaps should in fact be better described as some amalgam of gaps in knowledge, and/or inferential ability. This is the most significant finding of the present research.
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    Itinerant migrants : a case study of the characteristics and adjustment of Malaysian students in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Geography at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1973) Leo, Ann Mean
    The world today is witnessing a rapid breakdown of cultural barriers as more people migrate, either temporarily or permanently, from one society to another. The study of this phenomenon is of special interest to social scientists. For geographers the study of the process of migration and immigrant communities has long been a major branch of inquiry. Relatively little however, has been done on temporary forms of migration. This thesis is concerned with one group of itinerant migrants in New Zealand - Malaysian university students. An attempt was made to examine the characteristics of the selection process, the cultural, sociological and personal background of the student migrants, and their distribution and other characteristics in New Zealand. These characteristics were compared with those of other groups of migrants, foreign students, local students and people in the society of origin and the society of study. The study also examined the adjustment of the students in New Zealand and the relationship between the characteristics of the students and their adjustment. The main tool of investigation was a postal questionnaire developed specially for this study. It was supplemented by personal observations and experience as an overseas student in New Zealand. The questionnaire was administered to a random sample comprising 30 percent of the total Malaysian student population in New Zealand universities in 1973. Out of 415 questionnaires posted, 285 were returned. Four were not completed and one rejected, leaving 280 respondents in the final analysis. A number of hypotheses were made on the characteristics and the relationship between the characteristics and the adjustment of the students, based on personal observations, migration studies and previous researches on overseas students, in New Zealand and overseas. The hypotheses on the characteristics include an expectation of the predominance of young, male and single student migrants who are privately financed and come from urban areas and middle socio-economic class backgrounds. The results indicated that the characteristics were as predicted and were therefore similar to other migrants in general though there were several differences which were expected due to the very specific nature of the migration, viz. for educational purposes. Prodictions on the relationship between the characteristics and adjustment cover characteristics such as religious background, rural-urban origin and socio-economic class. It was predicted that those with backgrounds closest to the New Zealand norm are best adjusted, for example on religion Christians were expected to be best adjusted, followed by those with no religion and non-Christians being least adjusted. For situational characteristics such as type of accommodation, duration of stay ana friendship with New Zealanders it was predicted that the more exposed the students were to the New Zealand society the better would be the adjustment made. Most of the predictions emerged as expected. The study is exploratory and the findings tentative. It is only one approach to a complex research area. Its significance if any, lies in its illustration of the potential of research in this field.
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    Beyond 'OK' : capturing the student wellbeing of Korean international students : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Educational Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2015) Park, Deborah
    Research on international students in New Zealand has found that they face multiple stressors during their sojourn. Currently there is a lack of research on the student wellbeing of very young international students, particularly research that includes their direct voices. This study explored what wellbeing meant to two Korean international students enrolled in a New Zealand primary school. The photovoice method of data collection was used, where the students took photographs of things in their school environment they felt made an important impact on their wellbeing. The students discussed the importance of these photographs during follow up interviews and a focus group. The themes that emerged were compared to the student wellbeing framework developed by the New Zealand Ministry of Education (Education Review Office, 2013b). This study found that wellbeing for the two participants meant being able to form new relationships in New Zealand while maintaining relationships with family in Korea, communicating effectively in English, having the necessary resources and materials to function well in their class, experiencing nature in their physical space, being physically well, having fun, and retaining access to aspects of their own culture. Practical ways that schools and home stay families can support the wellbeing of international students include providing stimulating learning environments, access to adequate language support, peer-pairing programs to encourage the formation of social networks with host-nationals and providing access cultural foods.
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    The relationship between self-construal and psychological and socio-cultural adjustment of Asian Indian international students studying in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology, Massey University, Palmerston North
    (Massey University, 2015) Cooper, Mary Christine
    New Zealand has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of Asian Indian international students undertaking study in this country in recent years, with the majority choosing a Polytechnic Institute to pursue their tertiary education. This phenomenon is part of a global trend which has encouraged a large body of literature describing international students’ acculturation and adjustment experiences. However, as little research centres on Indian students, this study seeks to address in some way that gap by exploring the association between self-construal and socio-cultural and psychological adjustment of Indian international students to life in New Zealand. A total of 39 Indian students, studying at Waiariki Institute of Technology, 63% of whom were males, completed an online survey. The survey comprised of a number of measures investigating the four hypotheses which explore student self-construal and adjustment and those factors that predict and mediate the adjustment of Indian students. The findings of this study show that in spite of India being described as a collectivist and traditional family-centred culture, Indian students adopt a bicultural approach as early as six months after their arrival in New Zealand. They show positive levels of adjustment, with social connectedness and English language fluency having a partial mediating effect on the relationship between the horizontal-relational dimension of self-construal and psychological adjustment. While there are a number of limitations to this study, the findings are encouraging and suggest that Indian students possess a number of attributes that facilitate their adjustment. The influence of the horizontal-collective dimension of self-construal on Indian students’ adjustment highlights the importance of on-campus strategies to encourage the development of meaningful relationships among students which support ongoing adjustment to academic study and life in New Zealand.
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    IT as a social and learning tool for international students : a case study in ICT education : a thesis presented in a partial fulfilment of the requirements for Masters of Information Science (IT) at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand, in 2015
    (Massey University, 2015) Christian, Shelly
    Internationalisation of education industry has increased the international student intake amongst private and public funded education providers in western countries. However, international students face many challenges in different educational and societal settings of the host country. This study examines a case (PlayIT) which is a non-university education provider involved in the information and communication technology (ICT) education sector in Auckland, New Zealand. In the first stage, study has identified some of the learning and social issues faced by international students. Learning issues relate to understanding of the host country’s education framework structure and to application of subject related concepts to real world practice. Social issues relate to linguistic difficulties and cultural diversity in foreign countries. The first stage proposes to enhance the student’ socio-learning experience by using a game based learning (GBL) strategy aligned with the ICT course structure, to encourage student interactions by having more learning and social exchanges. In the second stage, GBL has been used alongside traditional teaching methods to engage students and to bring about active learning for a subject module in an introductory ICT course. A GBL approach has been applied to international students enrolled in an ICT course at PlayIT. The study has utilised a GBL approach to engage students in learning and enhance their programming skills sets. The study gives a detailed narrative of how an educational game were first mapped with the curriculum of a programming course, and then examines the socio-learning experience of two separate student cohorts pursuing an introductory ICT course who participated in this classroom game-based learning intervention. One student cohort had not yet started study of the programming module, while the second student cohort had recently completed the introductory module on programming. Effectiveness of GBL has been analysed through students' feedback and results of outcomes achieved in the final assessment of programming module. Findings reveal that educational games add to the fun element in learning, with students rating the game as an effective way to learn programming. The study contributes to ongoing development of innovative pedagogies in teaching and learning with use of gaming elements in ICT education.