scholarly journals Understanding New Zealand Homeowners Apparent Reluctance to Adopt Housing-Sustainability Innovations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lauren Hilary Christie
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Verbal Report ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Thought Processes ◽  
Financial Return ◽  
Social Wellbeing ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Improve Health

<p>This thesis investigates why sustainability innovations are not being adopted at the expected rate when they not only reduce environmental problems but also improve health, comfort, productivity, and economic and social wellbeing. Homeowners' demonstrate an apparent preference for sustainability innovations. However, there are apparent inconsistencies in their decisions as demonstrated by the lack of success of numerous intervention schemes. The aim of this research was to understand the motivations behind New Zealand homeowners' apparent reluctance to adopt sustainability innovations such as solar water heating panels or double glazing. A mixed methods research approach was taken to account for the numerous explanations and to address the research questions and concerns. This included a preliminary study to further establish the need for this research by investigating the implied market value of sustainability through real estate advertisements; a survey to identify homeowners engaging in this behaviour and their reasons for doing so; and a series of verbal report interviews to develop a qualitative insight of the thought processes behind their decisions. Numerous groups of homeowners were identified; the focus of this research however were those who displayed apparently unreasonable behaviour in that despite knowing what the logical answer should be they still said that they were not willing-to-pay full price for the innovation. This group were found to represent the largest proportion of homeowners suggesting that our time and resources need to be focussed primarily on convincing this large group of homeowners. The cause of these homeowners apparently unreasonable behaviour was observed to be due to an exaggerated perception of risk. In addition to the obvious risks that the innovation might not suit their house or that the financial return would not occur, these homeowners seemed averse to being seen to be different from the average homeowner. It is proposed that the findings from this research can be used to plan interventions that either change behaviour or align policy and other marketing responses to the characteristics this group of homeowners displayed.</p>

scholarly journals Understanding New Zealand Homeowners Apparent Reluctance to Adopt Housing-Sustainability Innovations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lauren Hilary Christie
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Verbal Report ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Thought Processes ◽  
Financial Return ◽  
Social Wellbeing ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Improve Health

<p>This thesis investigates why sustainability innovations are not being adopted at the expected rate when they not only reduce environmental problems but also improve health, comfort, productivity, and economic and social wellbeing. Homeowners' demonstrate an apparent preference for sustainability innovations. However, there are apparent inconsistencies in their decisions as demonstrated by the lack of success of numerous intervention schemes. The aim of this research was to understand the motivations behind New Zealand homeowners' apparent reluctance to adopt sustainability innovations such as solar water heating panels or double glazing. A mixed methods research approach was taken to account for the numerous explanations and to address the research questions and concerns. This included a preliminary study to further establish the need for this research by investigating the implied market value of sustainability through real estate advertisements; a survey to identify homeowners engaging in this behaviour and their reasons for doing so; and a series of verbal report interviews to develop a qualitative insight of the thought processes behind their decisions. Numerous groups of homeowners were identified; the focus of this research however were those who displayed apparently unreasonable behaviour in that despite knowing what the logical answer should be they still said that they were not willing-to-pay full price for the innovation. This group were found to represent the largest proportion of homeowners suggesting that our time and resources need to be focussed primarily on convincing this large group of homeowners. The cause of these homeowners apparently unreasonable behaviour was observed to be due to an exaggerated perception of risk. In addition to the obvious risks that the innovation might not suit their house or that the financial return would not occur, these homeowners seemed averse to being seen to be different from the average homeowner. It is proposed that the findings from this research can be used to plan interventions that either change behaviour or align policy and other marketing responses to the characteristics this group of homeowners displayed.</p>

scholarly journals A study of the adjustment experiences of Indian international students in New Zealand universities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Johnson Kukatlapalli
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
International Students ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
International Student ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Indian Students

<p>A review of literature on the experiences of international students reveals their mostly adverse experiences in academic and social lives during their stay in a host country. At the same time, despite facing challenging experiences, international student numbers are rapidly increasing worldwide every year. Moreover, studies in general find that the facilities and services provided by the concerned educational providers are not being utilized by the international students as intended. Within this context, it may be mentioned that although Indian students have been coming to New Zealand for studies since 1951 as a result of the popular Colombo plan, there is no exclusive study on them, although we have such studies on the Chinese and Vietnamese international students.  The absence of such a study prevents us from recognising the specific requirements or identifying the unique features of their experiences of adjustment to the new academic and social environment. A few studies on Indian students in other countries have identified some of their difficulties while adjusting to the conditions of host countries. Furthermore, the current statistics of international students in higher education sector worldwide reveal that India is one of the top source countries for international student migration at present and for the future. In New Zealand context, even though India is being considered as an important source country for international students in the university sector, the statistics indicate that the majority of Indian international students are not enrolled in universities. All these reasons indicate the need for a specific study on Indian international students and thus, this study was initiated to explore the adjustment experiences of Indian international students studying in eight universities in New Zealand, focussing on their language, academic and social life experiences.  A mixed methods research approach was employed in this study. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data in the initial quantitative phase, and in the later phase, interviews were conducted for qualitative data collection. Both male and female Indian international students participated in this study. They were studying undergraduate or postgraduate courses at different universities in New Zealand, and belonged to different age groups and religions. Most of them have been studying outside India for the first time in their lives.  The findings of this study revealed that Indian students have adequate levels of language proficiency; they adjusted well to their academic life; enjoyed their learning experiences in New Zealand; and minimised their psychological issues through utilising social media facilities. These findings differ from those of the other generic research on Asian students. But apart from these positive aspects, the findings also point to a few concerns about their initial adjustment to a new academic system and new social environment in New Zealand, arising from a lack of proper understanding and information. This study therefore suggests a model for better cross-cultural understanding of both the prospective students and the universities as a possible means to minimize the initial difficulties of these students.</p>

scholarly journals Mixed Methods Research: A Comprehensive Approach for Study into the New Zealand Voluntary Carbon Market

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Birchall ◽  
Maya Murphy ◽  
Markus Milne
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Carbon Market ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Wicked Problem ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach

Climate change and solutions to solving this wicked problem require a mixed methods research approach that draws on quantitative and qualitative inquiry together. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the applicability (and effectiveness) of a mixed methods approach applied to research into the voluntary carbon market (VCM), a key path available for organisations electing to offset their carbon emissions, in New Zealand. The mixed methods approach included three unique data sets (quantitative documents, quantitative surveys, qualitative in-depth interviews), and was both explanatory (qualitative interviews built upon and contextualized the document analysis and survey results) and convergent (data sets were examined separately, then, as they represent different aspects of the same phenomenon, were combined for analysis). These complementary methods were used to gain a fuller picture of the evolution and institutional dynamics of the VCM field in order to produce a comprehensive case study.

scholarly journals A study of the adjustment experiences of Indian international students in New Zealand universities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Johnson Kukatlapalli
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
International Students ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
International Student ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Indian Students

<p>A review of literature on the experiences of international students reveals their mostly adverse experiences in academic and social lives during their stay in a host country. At the same time, despite facing challenging experiences, international student numbers are rapidly increasing worldwide every year. Moreover, studies in general find that the facilities and services provided by the concerned educational providers are not being utilized by the international students as intended. Within this context, it may be mentioned that although Indian students have been coming to New Zealand for studies since 1951 as a result of the popular Colombo plan, there is no exclusive study on them, although we have such studies on the Chinese and Vietnamese international students.  The absence of such a study prevents us from recognising the specific requirements or identifying the unique features of their experiences of adjustment to the new academic and social environment. A few studies on Indian students in other countries have identified some of their difficulties while adjusting to the conditions of host countries. Furthermore, the current statistics of international students in higher education sector worldwide reveal that India is one of the top source countries for international student migration at present and for the future. In New Zealand context, even though India is being considered as an important source country for international students in the university sector, the statistics indicate that the majority of Indian international students are not enrolled in universities. All these reasons indicate the need for a specific study on Indian international students and thus, this study was initiated to explore the adjustment experiences of Indian international students studying in eight universities in New Zealand, focussing on their language, academic and social life experiences.  A mixed methods research approach was employed in this study. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data in the initial quantitative phase, and in the later phase, interviews were conducted for qualitative data collection. Both male and female Indian international students participated in this study. They were studying undergraduate or postgraduate courses at different universities in New Zealand, and belonged to different age groups and religions. Most of them have been studying outside India for the first time in their lives.  The findings of this study revealed that Indian students have adequate levels of language proficiency; they adjusted well to their academic life; enjoyed their learning experiences in New Zealand; and minimised their psychological issues through utilising social media facilities. These findings differ from those of the other generic research on Asian students. But apart from these positive aspects, the findings also point to a few concerns about their initial adjustment to a new academic system and new social environment in New Zealand, arising from a lack of proper understanding and information. This study therefore suggests a model for better cross-cultural understanding of both the prospective students and the universities as a possible means to minimize the initial difficulties of these students.</p>

Fit for Purpose: Using a Distance Education Approach to Support Underperforming Schools in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica Irene McKay
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Educational Design ◽  
Learner Performance ◽  
Poor Learner ◽  
Fit For Purpose ◽  
Additional Support ◽  
Content Support

This article explores the South African government’s national school workbook intervention aimed at addressing poor learner performance in the context of teacher under-preparedness and curriculum reform. It shows how the workbooks use a distance education approach to provide pedagogical and content support for teachers, albeit in the context of classroom teaching, to compensate for teachers’ pedagogical challenges. This article uses a mixed methods research approach to explore how teachers, learners and parents used the workbooks and shows that while the distance educational design scaffolded teaching, additional support is necessary to enable the intervention to be more impactful. 

Young Adults’ Contextualization of Environmental and Sustainability Issues: A Critical Issue for Environmental Education Intervention

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony KOLA-OLUSANYA
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Environmental Education ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Insight Into

As soon as decision makers are expected to make differences towards sustainable future, young adults’ ability to make informed and sound decisions is considered essential towards securing our planet. This study provides an insight into young adults’ knowledge of key environment and sustainability issues. To answer the key research questions, data were obtained using a qualitative phenomenographic research approach and collected through 18 face-to-face in-depth interviews with research participants. The findings of this study suggest that young adults lived experiences that play a huge role in their level of awareness of topical environmental and sustainability issues critical to humanity’s future on earth. 

Change, Challenges, and Mixed Methods

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeasik Cho
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Evaluation Strategy ◽  
Validity Criteria ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
The Way

This chapter discusses three ongoing issues related to the evaluation of qualitative research. First, the chapter considers whether a set of evaluation criteria is either determinative or changeable. Due to the evolving nature of qualitative research, it is likely that the way in which qualitative research is evaluated can change—not all at once, but gradually. Second, qualitative research has been criticized by newly resurrected positivists whose definitions of scientific research and evaluation criteria are narrow. “Politics of evidence” and a recent big-tent evaluation strategy are examined. Last, this chapter analyzes how validity criteria of qualitative research are incorporated into the evaluation of mixed methods research. The elements of qualitative research seem to be fairly represented but are largely treated as trivial. A criterion, the fit of research questions to design, is identified as distinctive in the review guide of the Journal of Mixed Methods Research.

scholarly journals Motivation, self-efficacy beliefs, and speaking anxiety in language MOOCs

ReCALL ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-160
Author(s):  
Zsuzsanna Bárkányi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Course Completion ◽  
Efficacy Beliefs ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Anxiety Levels

AbstractThis paper examines the role of motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy beliefs and their interplay with regard to speaking on beginners’ Spanish LMOOCs. It answers three research questions: (1) what are learners’ motivations and goals for joining these LMOOCs and how do these relate to foreign language speaking anxiety; (2) how do learners’ self-efficacy beliefs and anxiety levels change as a result of course completion; and (3) is there a correlation between motivation, foreign language speaking anxiety, and self-efficacy beliefs in this context? A mixed-methods research design used quantitative and qualitative data gathered from self-reflective questionnaires and forum discussions. The results reveal that learners with intrinsic motivation are more likely to complete the courses than those who sign up to manage a personal situation or advance in their career or studies. No direct correlation was, however, found between motivation and the other variables under scrutiny. Learners present higher self-efficacy beliefs at the end of the courses than at the beginning, while anxiety levels are affected to a much smaller degree by course completion. Although spoken interactions in this learning environment are not synchronous, apprehension and anxiety prevent many learners from fully participating in the speaking activities.

He awa whiria—A “Braided River”: An Indigenous Māori Approach to Mixed Methods Research

2021 ◽  
pp. 155868982098402
Author(s):  
Rhiannon Martel ◽  
Matthew Shepherd ◽  
Felicity Goodyear-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
North American ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Mixed Methodology ◽  
Braided River ◽  
Research Framework ◽  
Research Philosophy

While literature on mixed methodology predominantly focuses on North American and European philosophical stances, non-Eurocentric worldviews and indigenous philosophies are also relevant to mixed methods research. This article aims to present the indigenous Māori worldview ( te ao Māori) and how this lends itself to mixed methods research, in a New Zealand European and Māori partnership, to conduct bicultural research. The authors use the Māori metaphor He awa whiria (braided river) to describe combining the strengths of two distinct worldviews into a “workable whole.” A framework brings together these two different paradigms as equals, incorporating both numerical and opinion-driven results. The authors illustrate this with a research example of creating a bicultural research framework, underpinned by mixed methods research philosophy.

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