title: The impact of a professional development programme on the effectiveness of school leaders in Solomon Islands

authors: Rouikera, Charles

subjects: Professional development of school leaders

abstract: Professional development is a process by which a person acquires and maintains personal and professional abilities and skills, which leads to increased competence in their field. Professional development for school leaders is therefore crucial to providing opportunities for them to reflect on their practice, debate issues about their work, and develop strategies to improve their teaching and leadership practice.

This study is concerned with the professional development of school leaders in Makira Ulawa Province (MUP) in Solomon Islands. In particular, it investigates the impact of a New Zealand Aid funded Professional Development Programme (PDP) on developing head teachers’ understandings of their roles and responsibilities, and on increasing their effectiveness. While much research on professional development (PD) of head teachers has been conducted, especially in developed countries, very little research has been carried out in Melanesian countries such as Solomon Islands. Thus very little is known about the professional development of head teachers in Solomon Islands.

For this study data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Interviews were conducted with five rural primary school head teachers who had participated in the PDP and the two facilitators who were involved in leading it. A thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the data and six themes were identified: learning experiences of the head teachers during the PDP; positive impacts of the PDP; cooperation; the head teachers’ views on PD and learning; the facilitators’ views on the PDP; and the challenges experienced by the facilitators and head teachers.

The findings show that head teachers’ PD of the kind provided by the PDP needs to be on-going and a career-long developmental process so that head teachers can sustain, enhance, and put into action the knowledge and skills they gain. School based PD of head teachers through programmes such as the PDP has potential and is appropriate for developing countries such as Solomon Islands.  For such programmes to be consistently successful however, they need to be tailored to the local education context and needs of the head teachers, and conducted for an appropriate length of time. 

This study highlights the need to provide effective PD programmes for school leaders and has identified important implications for the development and effectiveness of head teachers in Solomon Islands. It has been concluded that Solomon Islands should aim to develop a national on-going PD programme for school leaders with an emphasis on a school-based approach which involves local support personnel.

text: The impact of a professional development programme on the effectiveness of school leaders in Solomon Islands Professional development is a process by which a person acquires and maintains personal and professional abilities and skills, which leads to increased competence in their field. Professional development for school leaders is therefore crucial to providing opportunities for them to reflect on their practice, debate issues about their work, and develop strategies to improve their teaching and leadership practice.

This study is concerned with the professional development of school leaders in Makira Ulawa Province (MUP) in Solomon Islands. In particular, it investigates the impact of a New Zealand Aid funded Professional Development Programme (PDP) on developing head teachers’ understandings of their roles and responsibilities, and on increasing their effectiveness. While much research on professional development (PD) of head teachers has been conducted, especially in developed countries, very little research has been carried out in Melanesian countries such as Solomon Islands. Thus very little is known about the professional development of head teachers in Solomon Islands.

For this study data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Interviews were conducted with five rural primary school head teachers who had participated in the PDP and the two facilitators who were involved in leading it. A thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the data and six themes were identified: learning experiences of the head teachers during the PDP; positive impacts of the PDP; cooperation; the head teachers’ views on PD and learning; the facilitators’ views on the PDP; and the challenges experienced by the facilitators and head teachers.

The findings show that head teachers’ PD of the kind provided by the PDP needs to be on-going and a career-long developmental process so that head teachers can sustain, enhance, and put into action the knowledge and skills they gain. School based PD of head teachers through programmes such as the PDP has potential and is appropriate for developing countries such as Solomon Islands.  For such programmes to be consistently successful however, they need to be tailored to the local education context and needs of the head teachers, and conducted for an appropriate length of time. 

This study highlights the need to provide effective PD programmes for school leaders and has identified important implications for the development and effectiveness of head teachers in Solomon Islands. It has been concluded that Solomon Islands should aim to develop a national on-going PD programme for school leaders with an emphasis on a school-based approach which involves local support personnel.

year: 2013

title: The use of microscopic traffic simulation model for the analysis of vehicle emission

authors: Kaushalya, Jani

subjects: vehicle emission

abstract: Road transport is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and urban air pollution in New Zealand, particularly in the rapidly growing Bay of Plenty region. The high vehicle density during peak hours and the reliance on petrol and diesel fuels in most fleets contribute significantly to vehicle emissions, which contribute to climate change and air quality degradation. This research investigates the use of a microscopic traffic simulation model to analyse vehicle emissions in order to identify practical measures to reduce transport-related emissions. SUMO (Simulation of Urban Mobility), an open-source software was used to construct the road network, generate realistic vehicle demand, and execute the simulation, while the HBEFA (Handbook Emission Factors for Road Transport) emission model was used to estimate vehicle emissions. This simulation utilised vehicle count data provided by the Tauranga City Council, and MongoDB was employed as the main database to facilitate effective storage, retrieval, and real-time querying of the simulation output. Three targeted emission reduction scenarios were developed and tested based on the simulation results: increasing electric vehicle ownership by 20%, introducing trackless trams on high-demand routes, and encouraging carpooling to reduce single-occupancy vehicle usage. As a result of the simulation, each measure resulted in significant reductions in vehicle emissions, and the effectiveness of each scenario was examined and compared. The findings of this study provide practical, data-driven insights for local councils, transport planners, and policymakers in implementing effective strategies to reduce vehicle emissions and contribute to New Zealand’s emission reduction targets.

text: The use of microscopic traffic simulation model for the analysis of vehicle emission Road transport is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and urban air pollution in New Zealand, particularly in the rapidly growing Bay of Plenty region. The high vehicle density during peak hours and the reliance on petrol and diesel fuels in most fleets contribute significantly to vehicle emissions, which contribute to climate change and air quality degradation. This research investigates the use of a microscopic traffic simulation model to analyse vehicle emissions in order to identify practical measures to reduce transport-related emissions. SUMO (Simulation of Urban Mobility), an open-source software was used to construct the road network, generate realistic vehicle demand, and execute the simulation, while the HBEFA (Handbook Emission Factors for Road Transport) emission model was used to estimate vehicle emissions. This simulation utilised vehicle count data provided by the Tauranga City Council, and MongoDB was employed as the main database to facilitate effective storage, retrieval, and real-time querying of the simulation output. Three targeted emission reduction scenarios were developed and tested based on the simulation results: increasing electric vehicle ownership by 20%, introducing trackless trams on high-demand routes, and encouraging carpooling to reduce single-occupancy vehicle usage. As a result of the simulation, each measure resulted in significant reductions in vehicle emissions, and the effectiveness of each scenario was examined and compared. The findings of this study provide practical, data-driven insights for local councils, transport planners, and policymakers in implementing effective strategies to reduce vehicle emissions and contribute to New Zealand’s emission reduction targets.

year: 2025

title: Tariao Whitiwhitiora

authors: Totorewa, Te Oko Horoi

abstract: I te tau 1875 i tiihooka tahi atu a Kiingi Taawhiao ki Taranaki ka tau ki mua ki te aroaro o Te Uahaumeene. Matua raa ko te rongomau me te rangimaaria, te kotahitanga me te aroha o teetehi ki teetehi maa roto mai i te whakapono ki te atua te whaainga i haere ai ia.

Ka tutuki i a Kiingi Taawhiao te rongomau me te rangimaaria, te kotahitanga me te aroha o teetehi ki teetehi maa te whakakotahi i ngaa ngaa koorero, ngaa hiitori, ngaa whakapapa, ngaa maataapono mai o te taioretanga o ngoo taatou tuupuna ka toopuuria ki te whakapono Tariao.

He whakapono teenei i whakaorangia e ia, e Kiingi Taawhiao maa roto mai i te tongikura, “E Ua, e toru ngaa taonga kei te kapu o taku ringa, ko te Mihinare, ko te Katorika me te Weteriana. Homai taau ka whaa. Kopi katoa ngeenei taonga i au ki te kapu o taku ringa, ka puta ko te Paimaarire.” Ko te whakapono Tariao me ngaa karakia Paimaarie ka hikitia, ka haapaingia tonu e maatou ngaa mangainga, ngaa kaiwhakapuumau i te Kiingitanga inaa raa koia teenei te whakapono matua moo te Kiingitanga.

I teenei tuhinga whakapae ko te whakapono Tariao te taahuhu o ngaa koorero. I konei ngahere mai ai te kaupapa matua o teenei tuhinga.

“He kura Tariao he kura whakapapa, te herenga ki te whakaoranga o Waikato tangata”

Ko teenei kaupapa ka whakarukuhia maa te rangahau i te ahunga mai o te maatauranga kei aa teenei whakapono i whea. Ka rangahautia ko te whakapaparanga o Kiingi Taawhiao mai i te Kore, ki a Rangi raaua ko Papa heke iho mai ki a Hoturoa, aa, ka tau ki a ia ki a Kiingi Taawhiao inaa raa, ko ngeenei momo he mea e tauiratia ana ki roto ki ngaa karakia, ki ngaa Kura kei teenei whakapono.

Ka hereherea ko Te Uahaumeene ki koneki naa, ki ngaa koorero e kitea ai maa whea i puaawai mai ai te Tariao me ngaa karakia Paimaarire. Ko te Kiingitanga me ngaana pehonga kaupapa e taapae atu ana ki te oranga o teenei whakapono maa te whakamahi i teenei whakapono teeraa ka waahia. Taea noatia ki te puutakenga mai o te whakapono ake, ngoonaa koorero, ngoona tuuranga, ngoona karakia, ngoona kura, ngoona whakamaaramatanga, tau iho mai ki te reo
 
tupuna o roto. Ko ngaa aupiki me ngaa auheke, te whakaraakeiora hoki i waatea mai, i whaipaanga atu ki te whakapono Tariao ka whakamaaramahia. Ka whakamutua atu me te taatari i ngaa putanga ka puta e kite ake ai me he herenga too teenei whakapono ki te whakaoranga o Waikato tangata.

text: Tariao Whitiwhitiora I te tau 1875 i tiihooka tahi atu a Kiingi Taawhiao ki Taranaki ka tau ki mua ki te aroaro o Te Uahaumeene. Matua raa ko te rongomau me te rangimaaria, te kotahitanga me te aroha o teetehi ki teetehi maa roto mai i te whakapono ki te atua te whaainga i haere ai ia.

Ka tutuki i a Kiingi Taawhiao te rongomau me te rangimaaria, te kotahitanga me te aroha o teetehi ki teetehi maa te whakakotahi i ngaa ngaa koorero, ngaa hiitori, ngaa whakapapa, ngaa maataapono mai o te taioretanga o ngoo taatou tuupuna ka toopuuria ki te whakapono Tariao.

He whakapono teenei i whakaorangia e ia, e Kiingi Taawhiao maa roto mai i te tongikura, “E Ua, e toru ngaa taonga kei te kapu o taku ringa, ko te Mihinare, ko te Katorika me te Weteriana. Homai taau ka whaa. Kopi katoa ngeenei taonga i au ki te kapu o taku ringa, ka puta ko te Paimaarire.” Ko te whakapono Tariao me ngaa karakia Paimaarie ka hikitia, ka haapaingia tonu e maatou ngaa mangainga, ngaa kaiwhakapuumau i te Kiingitanga inaa raa koia teenei te whakapono matua moo te Kiingitanga.

I teenei tuhinga whakapae ko te whakapono Tariao te taahuhu o ngaa koorero. I konei ngahere mai ai te kaupapa matua o teenei tuhinga.

“He kura Tariao he kura whakapapa, te herenga ki te whakaoranga o Waikato tangata”

Ko teenei kaupapa ka whakarukuhia maa te rangahau i te ahunga mai o te maatauranga kei aa teenei whakapono i whea. Ka rangahautia ko te whakapaparanga o Kiingi Taawhiao mai i te Kore, ki a Rangi raaua ko Papa heke iho mai ki a Hoturoa, aa, ka tau ki a ia ki a Kiingi Taawhiao inaa raa, ko ngeenei momo he mea e tauiratia ana ki roto ki ngaa karakia, ki ngaa Kura kei teenei whakapono.

Ka hereherea ko Te Uahaumeene ki koneki naa, ki ngaa koorero e kitea ai maa whea i puaawai mai ai te Tariao me ngaa karakia Paimaarire. Ko te Kiingitanga me ngaana pehonga kaupapa e taapae atu ana ki te oranga o teenei whakapono maa te whakamahi i teenei whakapono teeraa ka waahia. Taea noatia ki te puutakenga mai o te whakapono ake, ngoonaa koorero, ngoona tuuranga, ngoona karakia, ngoona kura, ngoona whakamaaramatanga, tau iho mai ki te reo
 
tupuna o roto. Ko ngaa aupiki me ngaa auheke, te whakaraakeiora hoki i waatea mai, i whaipaanga atu ki te whakapono Tariao ka whakamaaramahia. Ka whakamutua atu me te taatari i ngaa putanga ka puta e kite ake ai me he herenga too teenei whakapono ki te whakaoranga o Waikato tangata.

year: 2022