scholarly journals Factors that Encourage Student Engagement: Insights from a Case Study of ‘First Time’ Students in a New Zealand University.

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-96
Author(s):  
Barbara Russell ◽  
◽  
Gloria R L Slater ◽  

This case study reports on the findings from one of nine tertiary institutions that took part in a project funded by the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) in New Zealand. The research question explored how institutional and non institutional learning environments influence student engagement with learning in a higher education, university setting. Data was collected initially by means of a questionnaire; subsequently more in-depth data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with students randomly selected from those who indicated, on the questionnaire, that they were willing to be interviewed. Respondents were enrolled for the first time in this institution, but not necessarily for the first time in a tertiary education programme. A conceptual model with four strands: motivation and agency; transactional engagement; institutional support and active citizenship was used to organise the data. Findings were analysed against a synthesis of current literature and suggest that factors identified in the first three strands of the conceptual model played a significant role in student engagement with learning; active citizenship, however, did not feature highly in student responses and is an aspect of engagement that could benefit from further research.

2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 791-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry Lee ◽  
Ghada Hebaishi ◽  
John Hope

Purpose – The New Zealand Ministry of Education identified that teachers need to be confident they have the support of their school management team before they embrace twenty-first century teaching and learning in enterprise education (Ministry of Education, 2013b). The purpose of this paper is to outline an interpretive case study which investigated the views held by the management of a New Zealand secondary school, well known for enterprise education. Design/methodology/approach – The study used semi-structured interviews to investigate what aspects were deemed important by senior management and whether they saw themselves as pivotal in the success of enterprise education. Findings – The management team believed their role to be pivotal and that nine aspects were necessary for a successful enterprise programme. Originality/value – It is anticipated that the results from this interpretive case study will assist others in their planning, development and success of future quality enterprise education programmes.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Sarah Willette

<p>The ability of education to transform individuals' lives, and by extension those of their communities and societies, is well documented. As such, education is at the heart of the United Nations’ (2015) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), represented by SDG 4, “Quality Education”, which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Tertiary education institutions (TEIs) in particular have been highlighted as critical settings from which SDGs can be better understood and achieved.  Although the benefits of tertiary education are well understood, access to, and participation within, TEIs remains unequal for students from marginalized backgrounds, particularly those from refugee backgrounds (RBs). Over the last twenty-five years, research has begun to consider issues relating to access and participation within TEIs for students from refugee backgrounds (SRBs) highlighting numerous barriers that they face. However, very few studies have focused on identifying strengths, capabilities and supports.  The experiences of SRBs within the contexts of New Zealand TEIs are vastly understudied. In response to this gap, as well as to the dominance of barrier-focused literature, this thesis considers the experiences of SRBs within New Zealand universities from a strengths-based lens. It seeks to understand what has enhanced the experiences of SRBs, and what can facilitate further positive experiences for them in the future. It answers the primary research question: “What is working well to enhance the experiences of SRBs within New Zealand universities and why?”  To answer this question, a transformative research approach using Appreciative Inquiry (AI) methodology was taken. Primary data was generated using semi-structured interviews with sixteen undergraduate and postgraduate SRBs at four different New Zealand universities. The data was analysed using thematic analysis.  This analysis identifies several targeted provisions and personal strengths that are working well to enhance the experiences of SRBs within New Zealand universities. Comparing these results with the current landscape of targeted provisioning and policy relating to SRBs in TEIs, I argue that existing and future initiatives could be (re)designed to emphasise: social connections, institutional welcome, staff advocacy, financial provisioning, and the resource of family and community. In addition, this study strongly advocates for the designation of SRBs as an equity group within national level policy, in order to mandate all universities to provide targeted provisioning.  Overall, this research provides a New Zealand-specific perspective on the growing body of literature centred on the experiences of SRBs within tertiary education. Its strengths-based AI framework offers a unique understanding of how future practice and policy can be developed around what is working well for students. Additionally, its New Zealand context unsettles traditional understandings of where education and development research and initiatives are conducted and implemented.</p>


Author(s):  
Lex McDonald ◽  
Liz Melchior

The tertiary education sector in New Zealand is changing, with more and more emphasis being placed upon outcomes and the relationship that universities have with their stake-holders. There is a danger that the complexities of change may over-shadow some key issues in the transformation. This article highlights the importance of one of the keys to accomplishing a meaningful relationship with the stakeholders – the development of teaching strategies that ensure transfer of learning occurs. A case study of a professional education programme in dance is outlined as an example of how planning for the impact of outcomes can be accomplished.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Sarah Willette

<p>The ability of education to transform individuals' lives, and by extension those of their communities and societies, is well documented. As such, education is at the heart of the United Nations’ (2015) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), represented by SDG 4, “Quality Education”, which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Tertiary education institutions (TEIs) in particular have been highlighted as critical settings from which SDGs can be better understood and achieved.  Although the benefits of tertiary education are well understood, access to, and participation within, TEIs remains unequal for students from marginalized backgrounds, particularly those from refugee backgrounds (RBs). Over the last twenty-five years, research has begun to consider issues relating to access and participation within TEIs for students from refugee backgrounds (SRBs) highlighting numerous barriers that they face. However, very few studies have focused on identifying strengths, capabilities and supports.  The experiences of SRBs within the contexts of New Zealand TEIs are vastly understudied. In response to this gap, as well as to the dominance of barrier-focused literature, this thesis considers the experiences of SRBs within New Zealand universities from a strengths-based lens. It seeks to understand what has enhanced the experiences of SRBs, and what can facilitate further positive experiences for them in the future. It answers the primary research question: “What is working well to enhance the experiences of SRBs within New Zealand universities and why?”  To answer this question, a transformative research approach using Appreciative Inquiry (AI) methodology was taken. Primary data was generated using semi-structured interviews with sixteen undergraduate and postgraduate SRBs at four different New Zealand universities. The data was analysed using thematic analysis.  This analysis identifies several targeted provisions and personal strengths that are working well to enhance the experiences of SRBs within New Zealand universities. Comparing these results with the current landscape of targeted provisioning and policy relating to SRBs in TEIs, I argue that existing and future initiatives could be (re)designed to emphasise: social connections, institutional welcome, staff advocacy, financial provisioning, and the resource of family and community. In addition, this study strongly advocates for the designation of SRBs as an equity group within national level policy, in order to mandate all universities to provide targeted provisioning.  Overall, this research provides a New Zealand-specific perspective on the growing body of literature centred on the experiences of SRBs within tertiary education. Its strengths-based AI framework offers a unique understanding of how future practice and policy can be developed around what is working well for students. Additionally, its New Zealand context unsettles traditional understandings of where education and development research and initiatives are conducted and implemented.</p>


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Benjamin Richardson ◽  
Nina Hamaski

The rights-of-nature model is gaining traction as an innovative legal approach for nature conservation. Although adopted in several countries, it remains in its infancy, including in Australia. An important research question is whether rights of nature will offer superior environmental outcomes compared to traditional nature conservation techniques including creation of protected areas. This article investigates that question through a case study of the Tarkine wilderness, in the Australia state of Tasmania. It first identifies key lessons from existing international experience with affirmation of rights of nature, such as in New Zealand and Ecuador. The article then explores how rights of nature could apply in Australia’s Tarkine region and their value compared to existing or potential protected areas and other nature conservation measures under Australian or Tasmanian law. Affirming rights of nature represents a major conceptual shift in how people via the law relate to the natural world, but whether the model offers practical benefits for nature conservation depends on a variety of conditions, in addition to the need to address broader societal drivers of environmentaldegradation.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Wailling ◽  
Brian Robinson ◽  
M Coombs

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Aim: This study explored how doctors, nurses and managers working in a New Zealand tertiary hospital understand patient safety. Background: Despite health care systems implementing proven safety strategies from high reliability organisations, such as aviation and nuclear power, these have not been uniformly adopted by health care professionals with concerns raised about clinician engagement. Design: Instrumental, embedded case study design using qualitative methods. Methods: The study used purposeful sampling, and data was collected using focus groups and semi-structured interviews with doctors (n = 31); registered nurses (n = 19); and senior organisational managers (n = 3) in a New Zealand tertiary hospital. Results: Safety was described as a core organisational value. Clinicians appreciated proactive safety approaches characterized by anticipation and vigilance, where they expertly recognized and adapted to safety risks. Managers trusted evidence-based safety rules and approaches that recorded, categorized and measured safety. Conclusion and Implications for Nursing Management: It is important that nurse managers hold a more refined understanding about safety. Organisations are more likely to support safe patient care if cultural complexity is accounted for. Recognizing how different occupational groups perceive and respond to safety, rather than attempting to reinforce a uniform set of safety actions and responsibilities, is likely to bring together a shared understanding of safety, build trust and nurture safety culture.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Karen Coulton

<p>International and New Zealand research continues to show that there is concern about boys being less successful than girls in writing at all levels of the school. This study examines to what extent year 7 and year 8 boys are motivated to advance their writing when they collaborate with a peer and choose to use a drama strategy. A qualitative approach was taken to explore the insiders‟ view of writing from eight year 7 and year 8 boys in an intermediate school in New Zealand. Data gathered were from semi-structured interviews, in class observations and samples of writing. Sociocultural theory was used to inform the investigation of the social and cultural influences on the boys‟ learning about writing. The findings illustrate that the drama intervention was successful as the boys were motivated to write through their social interaction of role- playing characters from a choice of topics represented in their everyday lives. The boys revealed their metacognitive knowledge by showing their awareness of their thought processes about writing and how to use this knowledge to develop their writing abilities. The study makes recommendations for teachers, including the need for teachers to recognise the boys‟ position of authority over their knowledge, which is essential for their motivation and learning to write successfully.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (42) ◽  
pp. 155-167
Author(s):  
Faizahani Ab Rahman ◽  
Nurul Afrahah Hussin ◽  
Sutha Sugumaran

This paper looks at the perceptions of MRSM (Majlis Amanah Rakyat or also known as People’s Trust Council) English teachers on their current professional development and their expectations on in-service training. As teachers, they are often expected to act as a source of motivation to their students apart from being accountable in providing instructions, knowledge, and skills in their respective academic subjects. However, very often, teachers are not provided with sufficient and appropriate training that would prepare them to be the kind of teacher that they are required and expected to be. This prompts this study that determines whether the in-service training provided is sufficient and aptly to help the teachers produce academically excellent students. This case study used a qualitative approach with purposive sampling of seven English teachers at Maktab Rendah Sains MARA, Beseri in Perlis with teaching experiences between 10 to 30 years. Semi-structured interviews and focus group methods were used to answer the research question which dwells on the MRSM English teachers’ expectations of professional development teacher training of their students’ achievement. The findings of the study revealed that teachers expect to have more professional development in terms of pedagogy, proficiency level, technology integration, and stress management. They also believe that improvement in professional development can positively affect their students’ achievement as teaching and learning processes can be done more effectively. It is therefore recommended that MARA should highlight its current in-service training and development policy to be consistent with the needs of teachers.


Author(s):  
Ame Khin May-Kyawt

This article contributes to an overall understanding of the challenges faced by humanitarian aid international non-government organizations (INGOs) in specific culturally context-sensitive regions of Myanmar. This research is based on a review of literature, relevant case study analysis, and on ten semi-structured interviews with the humanitarian activists of the Myanmar Diaspora in Canada. The author investigates the following research question: To what extent does “cultural context” play a crucial role in managing humanitarian aid during disaster response operations in a given affected area, and how does it consequently link to the challenges of humanitarian aid INGOs in Myanmar? Based on the findings, a culturally appropriate framework will be introduced for the efficacy of humanitarian aid INGOs when implementing disaster response operations in Myanmar.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Fadi Shammas ◽  
Guanjie Meng ◽  
Lazar Rusu

Business-IT alignment (BITA) continues to be a top management concern for the last ten years. Moreover, organizations mangers are still looking to understand the barriers between the status of alignment and misalignment. The barriers in BITA differ from a business area to another and particularly the authors have not found any research studies concerning the barriers in BITA in the manufacturing area in Sweden. Therefore, the research question is: What are the strategic, tactical, and operational barriers in business-IT alignment in a large company in manufacturing area? The research strategy is case study, and the data was collected through semi-structured interviews and also from company's internal documents and it was analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings of this study are a number of thirty barriers in BITA that includes six new barriers in BITA at operational, tactical and strategic level.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document