scholarly journals Critical perspectives on the transformative potential of higher education in Aoteara New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Chelsea Maria Grootveld
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Class ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Material Wealth ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Positive Transformation ◽  
The Masses

<p>The global economic recession has resulted in unprecedented levels of inequality among the masses and paradoxically extraordinary levels of wealth and fortune among an elite few. In Aotearoa New Zealand, there is a widely held belief among Māori that higher education provides the key to dismantling inequalities and a ‘good education’ will help in the making of a better life. This research study looks at how to create positive transformation for Māori through education by exploring the inter-relationship between higher education, transformation and social class in contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand.  Based on semi-structured interviews with 30 ‘highly educated’ Māori from diverse backgrounds, aged 25 to 46 years old, this thesis explores the perspectives and tensions that arise for contemporary Māori who are creating a landscape for themselves and their whānau (family), particularly how higher education is complicit in both the potential to transform and the potential to constrain transformation. At the end of the day, are highly educated Māori simply maintaining the status quo, or are they in fact building organic intellectuals with the capacity to create and effect positive transformation for the collective?  The research found that higher education success was a key enabler for transformation. Higher education opened doors and provided opportunities for participants to build critical consciousness and accrue material wealth as individuals in order to contribute to collective (whānau, hapū and Iwi) transformation. Only half of the participants identified with social class and therefore class consciousness was not a lever for transformation, rather it was at the level of whakapapa (genealogy) where transformative consciousness might be accelerated. Whānau is the critical transformation site and participants are leading transformative strategies in a range of dynamic ways, however, at present this action is uncoordinated. The findings showed scope for increased cohesion and collaboration in order to develop innovative strategies which draw on ‘both’ cultural and material wealth to address structural inequalities and enliven whānau, hapū, iwi and Māori transformative aspirations.</p>

scholarly journals Critical perspectives on the transformative potential of higher education in Aoteara New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Chelsea Maria Grootveld
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Class ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Material Wealth ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Positive Transformation ◽  
The Masses

<p>The global economic recession has resulted in unprecedented levels of inequality among the masses and paradoxically extraordinary levels of wealth and fortune among an elite few. In Aotearoa New Zealand, there is a widely held belief among Māori that higher education provides the key to dismantling inequalities and a ‘good education’ will help in the making of a better life. This research study looks at how to create positive transformation for Māori through education by exploring the inter-relationship between higher education, transformation and social class in contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand.  Based on semi-structured interviews with 30 ‘highly educated’ Māori from diverse backgrounds, aged 25 to 46 years old, this thesis explores the perspectives and tensions that arise for contemporary Māori who are creating a landscape for themselves and their whānau (family), particularly how higher education is complicit in both the potential to transform and the potential to constrain transformation. At the end of the day, are highly educated Māori simply maintaining the status quo, or are they in fact building organic intellectuals with the capacity to create and effect positive transformation for the collective?  The research found that higher education success was a key enabler for transformation. Higher education opened doors and provided opportunities for participants to build critical consciousness and accrue material wealth as individuals in order to contribute to collective (whānau, hapū and Iwi) transformation. Only half of the participants identified with social class and therefore class consciousness was not a lever for transformation, rather it was at the level of whakapapa (genealogy) where transformative consciousness might be accelerated. Whānau is the critical transformation site and participants are leading transformative strategies in a range of dynamic ways, however, at present this action is uncoordinated. The findings showed scope for increased cohesion and collaboration in order to develop innovative strategies which draw on ‘both’ cultural and material wealth to address structural inequalities and enliven whānau, hapū, iwi and Māori transformative aspirations.</p>

scholarly journals Zero Carbon Building Practices in Aotearoa New Zealand

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4455
Author(s):  
Thao Thi Phuong Bui ◽  
Suzanne Wilkinson ◽  
Niluka Domingo ◽  
Casimir MacGregor
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Zero Carbon

In the light of climate change, the drive for zero carbon buildings is known as one response to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Within New Zealand, research on climate change mitigation and environmental impacts of buildings has received renewed attention. However, there has been no detailed investigation of zero carbon building practices. This paper undertakes an exploratory study through the use of semi-structured interviews with government representatives and construction industry experts to examine how the New Zealand construction industry plans and implements zero carbon buildings. The results show that New Zealand’s construction industry is in the early stage of transiting to a net-zero carbon built environment. Key actions to date are focused on devising a way for the industry to develop and deliver zero carbon building projects. Central and local governments play a leading role in driving zero carbon initiatives. Leading construction firms intend to maximise the carbon reduction in building projects by developing a roadmap to achieve the carbon target by 2050 and rethinking the way of designing and constructing buildings. The research results provide an insight into the initial practices and policy implications for the uptake of zero carbon buildings in Aotearoa New Zealand.

scholarly journals The incorporation of Māori environmental values as part of the Ruamāhanga Whaitua Implementation Programme in the Wellington Region, Aotearoa New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Bryn Cal Hickson Rowden
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Environmental Decision Making ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Management Processes ◽  
Local Government Level ◽  
Implementation Programme

<p>In recent years, there has been significant efforts to create frameworks in which Māori values are incorporated as part of environmental management processes in Aotearoa New Zealand(Forster, 2014; Harmsworth et al., 2016). This research explores the factors that influence the incorporation of Māori values at the local government level, and what barriers Māori values face to being incorporated in environmental management. This research focused on a case study of the Ruamāhanga Whaitua Committe Implementation Programme process in the Wellington region. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect information on the opinions of members of the Ruamāhanga Whaitua Committee. The interviews were analysed using a critical theory approach. The research found that there was a clear discrepancy between the values and behaviours expressed by some non-Māori members of the Committee. The result of such a discrepancy was that Māori values were not sufficiently part of environmental decision making. Such a discrepancy was a result of the political structures of the Regional Council’s Whaitua Implementation Programme process. The majority of the decision-making power was found to be situated ‘higher’ up in the organisation, outside of the Committee. Overall this research found that there are important opportunities to make sure iwi values are not only included, but form the basis of decisions.</p>

Educational Online Technologies in Blended Tertiary Environments

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberley Tuapawa
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Online Technologies ◽  
Key Characteristics ◽  
Effective Use

Although educational online technologies (EOTs) present an extraordinary range of higher education opportunities, significant gaps in knowledge about their purpose and functionality may impede levels of adoption. As the demand for online learning grows, it is critical that tertiary education institutes (TEIs) address gaps in knowledge by developing their understandings of EOT applications. This paper aimed to identify, and describe the application of a range of EOTs popularly used in blended tertiary environments (BTEs). Through qualitatively designed semi-structured interviews with 13 blended learning experts from New Zealand, Australia and Canada, and a 5-step analyses of data, it verified the use of 35 different EOTs in BTEs, including Adobe Connect, Blackboard, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Their key characteristics were summarised using a multi-dimensional taxonomy, called the Pentexonomy, which synergised a range of perspectives into a robust, contextualised, and multi-dimensional framework for categorising EOTs. An outline of recommendations for the effective use of some of these EOTs was also provided. As EOTs advance and usage accelerates, the outcomes of this research will assist TEIs in their efforts to keep abreast of EOT developments, make informed choices about EOT use, and contribute to the delivery of relevant, meaningful EOT support.

scholarly journals Reflexivity, Internal Conversation and Societal Influences on Higher Education Students’ Consideration of Values and Priorities during their Citizenship Studies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Linda Rowan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Social Worlds ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
New Graduates ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Technological Developments

<p>My thesis examines the reflexive processing of knowledge, beliefs, values and personal priorities in the internal and external conversations of students during a period of university study. In higher education, learners encounter the values and views of knowledge prioritised by political, institutional, departmental and academic discourses; beliefs, values and dispositions which may differ from their own. Currently there is little understanding of how university students examine and act on new understandings of knowledge in light of their existing reference points and priorities. I use structure-agency and reflexivity theory as lenses to understand individuals’ agentic responses to the personal, social and structural enablements and constraints encountered in their university studies and daily lives.  Using reflexivity methods drawn from Margaret Archer’s work, I investigated students’ responses to citizenship concepts presented in three compulsory courses at one Aotearoa/New Zealand university. My research involved a unique application of framework analysis methods to draw themes from the 31 participants’ stories while retaining the integrity of each narrative.  In a new application of Archer’s work, I found that some participants demonstrated controlled reflexivity in containing their reflexive thought processes in response to situational changes such as family trauma or mental health. Controlled reflexivity ensured the actor balanced their concerns against their projects and goals to manage and contain both their internal and external deliberations. This research challenges Archer’s idea that the disruptions of late modernity removed people from their natal contexts, increasing their need for higher levels of reflexivity. While reflexivity shifts when students’ values and concerns are challenged, I found that technological developments have allowed individuals to retain more and deeper connections with their natal context than in Archer’s work. Furthermore, I argue that Archer’s claim of a reflexive progression in dominant modes due to increased education is too simplistic and fails to acknowledge that students’ reflexive practices are highly contextual (such as living in a bicultural country like Aotearoa/New Zealand) and strongly influenced by personal circumstances. Internal conversations for my research participants were complemented with external conversations to build reflexivity. Single, dual or multi modes of reflexivity were revealed in study-work life as students’ personal priorities shifted. The specificity of reflexive processing means reflexivity typologies need to be robust to be applied across cultures and contexts.  This work is a reminder to policy developers, universities, teachers and employers that the “invisible” personal characteristics and attributes that society seeks to see in new graduates are neither easy to assess nor to confirm using typologies. Academics need to remain open to understanding the multiple intersections of the study world with individuals’ wider social worlds and circumstances.</p>

scholarly journals Faithfulness and fidelity across identities and contexts for SOTL in the global South

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
KC Lee ◽  
Zach Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Global South ◽  
The Other ◽  
Scholarship Of Teaching ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand

Issue 5.2 of SOTL in the South features four peer-reviewed articles, one reflective piece and one book review. The peer-reviewed articles include two articles about broader concerns related to the scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education, namely the discursive and negotiated work of producing SoTL work and the importance of considering diverse worldviews regarding research ethics. In addition, there are two detailed accounts of instances of SoTL, one from Lesotho, addressing the challenges facing students from rural contexts, and the other from South Africa, investigating the implementation of collaborative learning in a fourth-year social work classroom. The issue concludes with a reflection on an action-oriented workshop held in Aotearoa New Zealand aimed at increasing the number of Māori and Pasifika academics, and a review of The Bloomsbury Handbook of the Internationalization of Higher Education in the Global South.

scholarly journals Cultural health literacy: the experiences of Māori in palliative care

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 15-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacquie Kidd ◽  
Stella Black ◽  
Rawiri Blundell ◽  
Tamati Peni
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Palliative Care Setting ◽  
Maori Health

Abstract: Health literacy is a concept that is frequently applied to the patient’s ability to find and comprehend health information. However, recent literature has included the skill of the health professional and the accessibility of health resources as important factors in the level of health literacy achieved by individuals and populations. In 2014 a qualitative study undertaken in Aotearoa New Zealand, investigated the context of health literacy for Māori in a palliative care setting (Māori are the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand). The study included the experiences of patients, whānau (families), and health professionals. Method: Individual semi-structured interviews were held with 21 patients, whānau and six key informants: a medical specialist, a service leader involved in developing culturally specific responses to patients, two Māori service managers, and two Māori health team leaders. Focus groups were held with a total of 54 health professionals providing palliative care services. Data analysis: A thematic analysis was undertaken using a general inductive approach. The trustworthiness and reliability of the analysis was supported by sharing analysis of the transcripts among the research team. Member checking or respondent validation was used in seeking confirmation of the interim findings at five hui (meetings) with the research communities involved. Findings: This study found that the shock and grief that attends a life-limiting illness made hearing and processing health information very difficult for patients and whānau. Further, ‘hard conversations’ about moving from active treatment to palliative care were often avoided by health professionals, leaving patients and whānau distressed and confused about their choices and prognosis. Finally, poor cultural health literacy on the part of organisations has likely impacted on late access to or avoidance of palliative care for Māori.

scholarly journals The role of “not for profits” (NFPs) in disaster preparedness in Aotearoa New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Torstonson ◽  
Denise Blake ◽  
Darrin Hodgetts ◽  
David M Johnston
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Single Parents ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Group Setting ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
The Right

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to highlight the role of not-for-profit (NFP) organisations in enhancing disaster preparedness. The authors set out to understand their perspectives and practices in regard to disaster preparedness activities to support people who live precarious lives, especially those who live as single parents who are the least prepared for disasters.Design/methodology/approachThe research draws on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 12 staff members, either in a group setting or individually, from seven NFP organisations, who were located in Ōtautahi (Christchurch) and Kaiapoi in Aotearoa New Zealand. These participants were interviewed eight years after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.FindingsFour key narrative tropes or elements were drawn from across the interviews and were used to structure the research results. These included: “essential” support services for people living precarious lives; assisting people to be prepared; potential to support preparedness with the right materials and relationships; resourcing to supply emergency goods.Originality/valueThis research contributes to disaster risk reduction practices by advocating for ongoing resourcing of NFP groups due to their ability to build a sense of community and trust while working with precarious communities, such as single parents.

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