title: Teaching Physical Education: Primary School Teachers as Learners

authors: Petrie, Kirsten Culhane

subjects: Physical education

abstract: This research focused on physical education (PE) teaching and learning in New Zealand primary school settings. The project had two key aims:  first, to develop an understanding of the knowledges primary teachers use to teach PE, prior to a one-year professional development (PD) programme; and second, to evaluate the impacts of a PD programme on knowledges associated with teaching PE, and the complexity of subject specific knowledge development for generalist teachers. Specifically, the impact of the Physical Activity Initiative professional development (PD) programme (Ministry of Education, 2005a) on primary classroom teacher's knowledge and practice was investigated.
  
The project was interpretive in orientation and used qualitative methods such as teacher interviews, lesson observations, questionnaires and document analysis to gather data related to teachers' understanding of their pre and post PD programme experience. Twenty-five teachers from ten schools involved in the Physical Activity Initiative PD programme participated in the study. 

Theories of teacher knowledge and understandings of effective PD provided a framework for data analysis. In contrast to most previous studies that have involved the researcher as both instigator and deliverer of physical education professional development (PE-PD), this research involved the researcher as the outsider, seeking an outside-in and inside-out perspective. 
The research findings indicated that promoting teacher learning through PD is complex. The sample of primary school teachers gained benefit from PD opportunities that allowed for the transfer of pedagogical strategies and skills from the classroom to the PE context. However, there was evidence that these learning opportunities needed to be balanced with opportunities to develop PE content knowledge. Consequently, it was theorised that PE-PD for primary teachers needs to consist of connected and explicit knowledge building experiences associated with PE: its nature, purpose, curriculum, content, and pedagogical strategies. It was further hypothesised that effective PE-PD design would support teachers to blend these knowledges in ways that allow them to develop appropriate learning experiences for their particular students. 

The findings also signalled that PD resources provided teachers with examples of practice and, as such, they had the potential to enhance  quality  PE learning and teaching. The study drew attention to the role resources played in standardising PE in primary schools, thus advancing PE teaching yet restricting teachers' broader knowledges and limiting their range of practices in PE. The findings of this study challenge PD providers (pre- and in-service) to consider the educative role of resources and the ways resources can be used to support teachers to become independent practitioners who utilise outside 'experts' without becoming totally reliant on them.

Finally this study illustrates the importance of recognising the teacher as both learner and teacher. It is imperative that teacher learning sits alongside student learning as a central aim for PD programmes, since teacher learning is the foundation for changes in learning outcomes for students.

text: Teaching Physical Education: Primary School Teachers as Learners This research focused on physical education (PE) teaching and learning in New Zealand primary school settings. The project had two key aims:  first, to develop an understanding of the knowledges primary teachers use to teach PE, prior to a one-year professional development (PD) programme; and second, to evaluate the impacts of a PD programme on knowledges associated with teaching PE, and the complexity of subject specific knowledge development for generalist teachers. Specifically, the impact of the Physical Activity Initiative professional development (PD) programme (Ministry of Education, 2005a) on primary classroom teacher's knowledge and practice was investigated.
  
The project was interpretive in orientation and used qualitative methods such as teacher interviews, lesson observations, questionnaires and document analysis to gather data related to teachers' understanding of their pre and post PD programme experience. Twenty-five teachers from ten schools involved in the Physical Activity Initiative PD programme participated in the study. 

Theories of teacher knowledge and understandings of effective PD provided a framework for data analysis. In contrast to most previous studies that have involved the researcher as both instigator and deliverer of physical education professional development (PE-PD), this research involved the researcher as the outsider, seeking an outside-in and inside-out perspective. 
The research findings indicated that promoting teacher learning through PD is complex. The sample of primary school teachers gained benefit from PD opportunities that allowed for the transfer of pedagogical strategies and skills from the classroom to the PE context. However, there was evidence that these learning opportunities needed to be balanced with opportunities to develop PE content knowledge. Consequently, it was theorised that PE-PD for primary teachers needs to consist of connected and explicit knowledge building experiences associated with PE: its nature, purpose, curriculum, content, and pedagogical strategies. It was further hypothesised that effective PE-PD design would support teachers to blend these knowledges in ways that allow them to develop appropriate learning experiences for their particular students. 

The findings also signalled that PD resources provided teachers with examples of practice and, as such, they had the potential to enhance  quality  PE learning and teaching. The study drew attention to the role resources played in standardising PE in primary schools, thus advancing PE teaching yet restricting teachers' broader knowledges and limiting their range of practices in PE. The findings of this study challenge PD providers (pre- and in-service) to consider the educative role of resources and the ways resources can be used to support teachers to become independent practitioners who utilise outside 'experts' without becoming totally reliant on them.

Finally this study illustrates the importance of recognising the teacher as both learner and teacher. It is imperative that teacher learning sits alongside student learning as a central aim for PD programmes, since teacher learning is the foundation for changes in learning outcomes for students.

year: 2009

title: Designs with a priori information for nonmarket valuation with choice experiments: A Monte Carlo study

authors: Ferrini, Silvia

subjects: experimental design

abstract: Good practice in experimental design is essential for choice experiments used in nonmarket valuation. We review the practice of experimental design for choice experiments in environmental economics and we compare it with advances in experimental design. We then evaluate the statistical efficiency of four different designs by means of Monte Carlo experiments. Correct and incorrect specifications are investigated with gradually more precise information on the true parameter values. The data generating process (DGP) is based on estimates from data of a real study. Results indicate that D-efficient designs are promising, especially when based on Bayesian algorithms with informative prior. However, if good quality a priori information is lacking, and if there is strong uncertainty about the real DGP—conditions which are quite common in environmental valuation—then practitioners might be better off with shifted designs built from conventional fractional factorial designs for linear models.

text: Designs with a priori information for nonmarket valuation with choice experiments: A Monte Carlo study Good practice in experimental design is essential for choice experiments used in nonmarket valuation. We review the practice of experimental design for choice experiments in environmental economics and we compare it with advances in experimental design. We then evaluate the statistical efficiency of four different designs by means of Monte Carlo experiments. Correct and incorrect specifications are investigated with gradually more precise information on the true parameter values. The data generating process (DGP) is based on estimates from data of a real study. Results indicate that D-efficient designs are promising, especially when based on Bayesian algorithms with informative prior. However, if good quality a priori information is lacking, and if there is strong uncertainty about the real DGP—conditions which are quite common in environmental valuation—then practitioners might be better off with shifted designs built from conventional fractional factorial designs for linear models.

year: 2007

title: Contextualizing street homelessness in New Zealand: A case study approach

authors: Groot, Shiloh Ann Maree

subjects: homelessness

abstract: Homelessness is commonly associated with large urban settings. For people who sleep on the streets it encompasses experiences of stigma, regulation and displacement, marginalization, violence, loneliness, and bodily decline. This thesis addresses the lack of research into the everyday practices of homeless people in New Zealand through a detailed exploration of the experiences of four homeless people. Through critically engaging with relevant scholarly literature this study documents the importance of human fortitude, agency, and meaningful social engagements in the lives of homeless people. Attention is given to how four homeless people (Brett, Daniel, Joshua and Ariā) construct place-based identities and the relational, spatial and material dimensions of homelessness, which are central to participants’ everyday lives. Participants were recruited through experienced community workers at the Auckland City Mission. A case-based ethnographic approach was used to engage with participants through volunteer work, direct observations, biographical interviews, photo-production projects, and photo-elicitation interviews. Workshops with staff on each case study were conducted to bridge the divide between critical scholars and community groups through advocacy and joint action. The analysis considers each case in turn. Brett differentiates himself from other homeless people and works to find space for himself to gain respite and solitude. Daniel engages in domestic practices on the streets that are commonly associated with home-making, such as decorating a physical space with personal objects and cultivating a sense of place, routine, comfort, and familiarity. Joshua immerses himself in a street family and forms close relationships with other homeless people that provide him with a sense of belonging, purpose, connection, support and responsibility. Ariā exemplifies how Māori cultural practices can enrich and mould a person’s efforts to retain a positive sense of self while homeless. Māori cultural concepts relating to caring, leadership, unity, relationships, spirituality, history and place are evoked to ground understandings of Ariā’s everyday life. Strategies for making a life on the streets involves Brett, Daniel, Joshua and Ariā working to maintain a sense of self and place in the face of adversity. A core finding from this research relates to the resilience of these participants, which spans personal and relational dimensions and extends to the social and physical environment.

text: Contextualizing street homelessness in New Zealand: A case study approach Homelessness is commonly associated with large urban settings. For people who sleep on the streets it encompasses experiences of stigma, regulation and displacement, marginalization, violence, loneliness, and bodily decline. This thesis addresses the lack of research into the everyday practices of homeless people in New Zealand through a detailed exploration of the experiences of four homeless people. Through critically engaging with relevant scholarly literature this study documents the importance of human fortitude, agency, and meaningful social engagements in the lives of homeless people. Attention is given to how four homeless people (Brett, Daniel, Joshua and Ariā) construct place-based identities and the relational, spatial and material dimensions of homelessness, which are central to participants’ everyday lives. Participants were recruited through experienced community workers at the Auckland City Mission. A case-based ethnographic approach was used to engage with participants through volunteer work, direct observations, biographical interviews, photo-production projects, and photo-elicitation interviews. Workshops with staff on each case study were conducted to bridge the divide between critical scholars and community groups through advocacy and joint action. The analysis considers each case in turn. Brett differentiates himself from other homeless people and works to find space for himself to gain respite and solitude. Daniel engages in domestic practices on the streets that are commonly associated with home-making, such as decorating a physical space with personal objects and cultivating a sense of place, routine, comfort, and familiarity. Joshua immerses himself in a street family and forms close relationships with other homeless people that provide him with a sense of belonging, purpose, connection, support and responsibility. Ariā exemplifies how Māori cultural practices can enrich and mould a person’s efforts to retain a positive sense of self while homeless. Māori cultural concepts relating to caring, leadership, unity, relationships, spirituality, history and place are evoked to ground understandings of Ariā’s everyday life. Strategies for making a life on the streets involves Brett, Daniel, Joshua and Ariā working to maintain a sense of self and place in the face of adversity. A core finding from this research relates to the resilience of these participants, which spans personal and relational dimensions and extends to the social and physical environment.

year: 2010