Massey Documents by Type

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/294

Browse

Subject: search.filters.subject.Study and teaching (Primary)

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    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.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Opportunities for learning mathematics in a newly established Innovative Learning Environment (ILE) : 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, 2018) Logan, Maree Joanne
    There is currently an increasing movement towards the implementation of innovative Learning Environments (ILEs) in primary schools across New Zealand, advocated by the Ministry of Education. This ILE implementation has been met with both support and opposition from the public and educators alike. Simultaneously, mathematics education in New Zealand is undergoing reform, with research informing changes from traditional transmission-style approaches to those that place students at the centre and promote mathematical understandings in communities of learning. Reforms in how students learn mathematics are well-aligned to the skill sets promoted as reflecting the competencies required of 21st century learners. However, the paucity of research into opportunities for students learning mathematics in ILEs warrants the need for further research. Using a qualitative methodology and single case study design, this research explored the opportunities afforded to Year 7 and Year 8 students when learning mathematics in a newly established ILE. Throughout Term 2, 2018, data collected from one-to-one teacher interviews, classroom observations, and student focus group discussions were coded, analysed, and triangulated. Four salient themes emerged from the data: the affordances of spatial arrangement, opportunities for student agency, students leading the learning, and the ILE as a mathematics community of learners. Teacher and student participants reported space within the ILE opened opportunities for individual and collaborative mathematics learning. The increased affordance of student voice and choice positioned students as the central drivers in both the leading and learning of mathematics. The open, fluid, and flexible spaces within the ILE presented increased opportunities for varied grouping structures. When combined with new co-planning and teaching arrangements, teachers and students considered that opportunities to learn involved greater options for mathematical challenge and multiple perspectives on mathematics. This research study presents mathematics learning within an ILE through the voices of the participants, particularly the student participants. It provides insights into the set up and spatial qualities afforded within the ILE, ways students described their mathematical learning opportunities, and comparisons they made to their previous single-space learning environments. Teacher and student participants in this research were very supportive of the ILE arrangement and the opportunities for learning mathematics that it afforded.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Perceptions of technology : a Malaysian primary education perspective : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1998) Abdullah, Nur Juliana
    This study investigates the perceptions of technology held by Malaysian in primary education. In particular, the study looks into students' understandings of and attitudes towards technology. The study was carried out with 521 primary students, 272 girls and 249 boys, and 28 of their teachers in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. A case study design, using a measure of student perceptions of technology consisting of a writing/drawing activity, a picture quiz, and a technology questionnaire, teacher interviews and curriculum content analysis was employed in this study. The findings from this study show that students' understandings of technology are low. Like the findings obtained elsewhere, students associate technology with products, especially high-tech products and electrical appliances. A comparison by gender, however, shows that there is significant difference in the understanding of technology between boys and girls. Meanwhile, in the comparison related to ethnicity, native students' understandings of technology are slightly lower than those of non-native students. In the comparison by location, the findings show that rural students tend to associate technology with building and low-tech products, while urban students tend to associate technology with computers. Malaysian students' attitudes towards technology, however, are positive. This finding parallels findings obtained in Australia, England, New Zealand and elsewhere. Comparison by gender, ethnicity and location shows that there is no apparent difference between boys and girls and between urban and rural students interest in technology. However, native students are more interested in technology as compared to non-native students, while urban students are more positive about the social aspects of technology. This view about technology among students corresponds to the views held by teachers and as stated in the technology curriculum documents.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Talking in class : new entrant teachers' beliefs about oral language : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Special Education), Massey University
    (Massey University, 2005) McDonald, Shona
    While oral or spoken language is a primary medium for teaching and classroom communication, there is an absence of literature that relates to the beliefs teachers have about oral language. This study aims to document and discuss seven teachers' beliefs about oral language. To do so, the recording and transcription of the teachers' beliefs about the development of children's oral language, including the strategies and programmes used to assess and promote it in new entrant classrooms, is undertaken. Later, following a period of reflection, each teacher outlines the changes or affirmations to their earlier beliefs, assessments, programmes or teaching strategies that they have considered or implemented. While this study documents the teachers' beliefs, it also discusses them in light of their implications for teaching and learning. In particular, the findings suggest the emergence of a literacy paradigm that includes reading, written and oral language, and within which the teachers view oral language primarily as a conduit to the promotion of reading. Although the teachers discuss how the engagement of learners with and through reading is actively promoted, oral language and its potential to engage five-year-olds in classroom communications, meaning making and learning is not promoted.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The perceptual preferences of a group of Malaysian kindergarten children and the effects of tactile and kinaesthetic teaching methods on their learning of Bahasa Malaysia as a second language : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1997) Lau, Linda
    This intervention study was undertaken in response to a teacher's desire to acquire more effective language teaching methods to use with a small class of academically able, but disinterested five to six year olds. It was decided to trial the use of tactile and kinaesthetic methods because learning style research literature indicates that these are the preferred perceptual modalities of children of this age and the existing language teaching programme consisted almost entirely of auditory and visual activities. Pre-intervention interviews confirmed the first hypothesis: that the children preferred tactile and kinaesthetic learning. Pre- and post-testing of each lesson also confirmed the second hypothesis: that the class as a whole would achieve greater gains in vocabulary acquisition with the introduction of tactile and kinaesthetic learning activities. In a total of 18 out of 23 instances there was a significant pre-post gain on tactile lessons. In a total of 19 out of 24 instances there was a significant pre-post gain on kinaesthetic lessons. However, the final two hypotheses positing an advantage of the tactile and kinaesthetic experimental lessons over control lessons were less strongly supported. Whilst the experimental lessons were slightly more effective than the controls, yielding three, and virtually four significant gains over the control lessons in six trials (p= .0157, p= .0389, p=.0440, p= .0633), the gains registered for matched conditions did not significantly exceed those for unmatched conditions. Reasons are argued to lie in a spread of effect from the experimental to the control lessons, and the need to consider the influence of other learning style elements.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Individualised instruction, attitude and achievement in mathematics learning : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Education at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1974) Naftel, Anthony Edwin
    This investigation reports a quasi experimental study of an individualised approach to mathematics learning which was operated in a New Zealand Primary School at the Standard Three level. The emphasis in the study was on student attitude towards mathematics and achievement in mathematics. The research was based on the following questions:– 1. Does student involvement in an individualised programme in mathematics result in a significant change in their attitude towards mathematics? 2. Does student involvement in an individualised programme in mathematics result in a significant change in their mathematics achievement? 3. What relationship, if any, is shown between student attitudes towards mathematics and student achievement in mathematics? The research design was a 'Non-Equivalent Control Group Design' in which two experimental and two control classes were used. No significant differences were shown between the experimental and control groups on four separate factors and thus they were considered as equivalent matched groups. Teachers were matched on the basis of length of teaching service. To measure student attitude towards mathematics a Likert typescale suitable for the Standard Three level was developed, entitled 'My Feelings About Maths'. Achievement was assessed by a standardised test. Pre treatment tests of attitude and achievement were administered to all subjects. The experimental classes then undertook the individualised programme for a fourteen week period whilst the control classes followed a textbook based programme. At the end of the experimental period, post treatment tests of attitude and achievement were administered to all subjects. The experimental subjects completed a questionnaire to indicate their attitude towards the individualised programme as also did the experimental teachers. Both questionnaires were specially constructed for the study. Analysis of data showed a significant positive change in attitude in the experimental group. There was no significant change in attitude in the control group. Both groups showed a significant gain in achievement. Attitude towards mathematics and achievement in mathematics was found to be correlated positively, at a low level, for both groups at the pre treatment stage. However, at the post treatment stage the correlation was non significant for the experimental group. Some evidence was obtained of the differential effects of the individualised programme on children at different ability levels. There was also evidence of a sex difference interaction. A large majority of the students in the experimental group indicated very positive attitudes towards the individualised programme. Teacher attitude was also positive.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Influences on practice in the mathematics classroom : an investigation into the beliefs and practices of beginning teachers : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Studies in Mathematics at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1996) Haynes, Maggie
    This study reports on an investigation into some of the issues impacting on the provision of equitable classroom programmes in mathematics by beginning teachers, and focuses in particular, on the ways in which the teachers were able to cater for both the girls and boys in their classes. Due to the constructivist environment within which their pre-service mathematics education courses had been presented, constructivist principles formed the belief-framework for the teachers. The initial aim was to explore the relationship between the beliefs and practices of beginning teachers but during the course of the study, it became apparent that teacher-belief is only one of the many factors influencing practice. Therefore, a case study approach was used, to explore what life is really like, for six teachers in their first year of primary teaching. The findings from the study confirmed the complexity of classroom research and identified, in particular, three crucial issues of influence on practice: the teachers' own beliefs about mathematics and mathematics teaching; the mathematics curriculum and its philosophy; and the process of socialisation into their school culture as it affected their professional survival as teachers. The results of the study have implications for all involved in the support of beginning teachers and in particular, for pre-service educators.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Promoting student thinking in primary school : successful strategies in New Zealand's Year 3-6 classrooms : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2002) Laursen, Jill Wright
    This thesis examines the promotion of student thinking by six primary school teachers in Auckland, New Zealand. All students think; however, cognitive research indicates the powerful ability teachers have to promote higher levels of student thinking. In a rapidly changing world, the researcher believes now is an ideal time to link relevant literature to the practices of New Zealand primary teachers. This study has three aims: firstly, to investigate why the teachers believe in the significance of promoting student thinking; secondly, to examine what the teachers are doing to facilitate higher levels of thinking by investigating their teaching practices and learning environments; and lastly, to provide descriptive examples of how New Zealand teachers in Year 3-6 primary classrooms are promoting student thinking. The qualitative, case study research design provided descriptive data that was subsequently analyzed. This study was undertaken in three phases to achieve the research aims. The first phase asked teachers to assess their promotion of student thinking on a written scale. The second phase involved the observation of lessons that the teachers believed facilitated higher levels of student thinking. Individual interviews comprised the third and final phase of this study. The collection and triangulation of the data informed the analysis from which emerged the common themes and results. The teachers represented a range of experience levels and worked in schools with differing socio-economic statuses. All teachers believed in developing the children 'holistically' with consideration of the children's academic, social, emotional and physical growth. They involved their students in collaborative activities, stressed the importance of literacy, and included time for children's reflections. Discrepancies in the extent to which children were engaged in metacognitive activities and the school support received by the teachers appeared to be the largest disparity. The differences and similarities provide important discussion points. The researcher suggests that successful approaches to promoting student thinking are first and foremost in the hands of teachers. This research indicates that teachers can independently develop their professional knowledge in this area; however, a whole school promotion of student thinking benefits the teaching staff and the student body, which in turn can positively affect New Zealand.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Year 8 students' responses to literature : the development of reading comprehension and literary awareness : 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, 2015) Orme-Whitlock, Megan
    The objective of this project was to investigate the responses to literature that two Year 8 class groups made over the course of an academic year, to understand more fully how students of this age develop both comprehension and literary understandings of texts. Specifically, the questions this research addresses are: 1. What do Year 8 students’ responses to text reveal about the development of their reading comprehension? 2. What do Year 8 students’ responses to text reveal about the development of their literary understandings? Using a qualitative case study design, responses to literature were collected by the teacher-researcher, over a normal year’s teaching. This meant the recording of 40 literature discussion groups over the school year, as well as collecting written responses related to those discussion groups. In addition, data from PAT Reading Comprehension assessments in March and September were used to further corroborate development of reading comprehension in the students. The classroom environment is described, illustrating the ways in which the characteristics of early adolescent learners are met, both in terms of their increasing drive for autonomy and ability to think in more abstract ways, and in meeting the curriculum requirements for students who will graduate into secondary education at the end of the school year. The rich data gathered were organised into three illustrative case studies, demonstrating examples of the progress in both literary understanding and reading comprehension that students made. Students worked together in literature discussions to construct new understandings of the texts they were reading. They were also agentic, within the learning environment, using literature discussions to address their unique ‘noticings’ and questions about texts, and challenging the views of their peers. Written responses revealed that students actively listened and then developed ideas further, after their discussions, elaborating and clarifying responses into ‘defensible interpretations’ of texts. Their responses were indicative of a developing ‘literary literacy’, as described by Lehman (2007), whereby the literacy goals of reading comprehension and the literary goals underpinning developing literary understandings are compatible and often develop in conjunction with each other. The findings show that Year 8 children are capable of developing sophisticated understandings about texts. The findings suggest that a learning environment designed to foster a literary cycle of reading and interaction with literature, promoting literary growth, and sharing responses to literature with other students (Lehman, 2007) can provide Year 8 students with the opportunity to be engaged, motivated readers; meet their early adolescent drive for autonomy; and address increasingly sophisticated curriculum requirements in preparation for the disciplinary reading required for secondary education. These results have implications for classroom practice for Year 8 students.