title: The Eco-classroom project: Fostering student participation through education for sustainability

authors: Wake, Susan J.

subjects: education

abstract: This thesis investigates learning and other outcomes in participants, particularly students (9-11 years), as a result of their involvement in an education for sustainability (EfS) co-design and build project at their primary school, in New Zealand, which was conducted within the Enviroschools Programme. The research focused on four areas that distinguished the project: sustainability learning as the issue, participatory practice as the method, design as the process and community partnerships as the sphere of involvement. Each of these was considered in terms of its influence on learning that was either cognitively-based (knowledge), psychomotor (skills) or affective (attitudes and values). This led to the set-up of a matrix to collect qualitative data that was gathered using a narrative inquiry method of collecting participants stories. This included focus groups with students who were part of the Eco-building Working Party, interviews with key adults from the school and the wider community, survey questionaires to parents of the focus group students, and other observations and materials. Findings demonstrated a correlation between the set-up and execution of the eco-classroom project and the Danish-developed pedagogical EfS concept of Action Competence. This was indicated through the authentic, relevant and democratic action-taking focus of the eco-classroom project that is linked to making learning transformations, which have been established as being more likely to lead to genuine changes in behaviour towards the environment. Also in agreement with an action competence approach was the strong focus in the project on both individual and collective learning. This was partly a result of the process-focused nature of the project, which was related to the learning mandate and commitment to a democratic process with students. The project ran for a number of years with annually changing groups of students, who all had different experiences. The teacher used ‘peer education’ and reflective tools to manage the ‘changeover’ positively, give depth and breadth to learning and ensure the project was truly collaborative. Student learning occurred in all three learning domains and included EfS learning (particularly about aspects of architecture and the built environment), learning about the process of design, and cross-disciplinary learning that included skills such as leadership, teamwork and public speaking. Adult participants also gained from their involvement in the project. The embedding of learning in the project within the New Zealand Curriculum, provided evidence of the flexible and multidisciplinary nature of EfS. Finally, a number of key characteristics were identified as contributing significantly to learning in the project.

text: The Eco-classroom project: Fostering student participation through education for sustainability This thesis investigates learning and other outcomes in participants, particularly students (9-11 years), as a result of their involvement in an education for sustainability (EfS) co-design and build project at their primary school, in New Zealand, which was conducted within the Enviroschools Programme. The research focused on four areas that distinguished the project: sustainability learning as the issue, participatory practice as the method, design as the process and community partnerships as the sphere of involvement. Each of these was considered in terms of its influence on learning that was either cognitively-based (knowledge), psychomotor (skills) or affective (attitudes and values). This led to the set-up of a matrix to collect qualitative data that was gathered using a narrative inquiry method of collecting participants stories. This included focus groups with students who were part of the Eco-building Working Party, interviews with key adults from the school and the wider community, survey questionaires to parents of the focus group students, and other observations and materials. Findings demonstrated a correlation between the set-up and execution of the eco-classroom project and the Danish-developed pedagogical EfS concept of Action Competence. This was indicated through the authentic, relevant and democratic action-taking focus of the eco-classroom project that is linked to making learning transformations, which have been established as being more likely to lead to genuine changes in behaviour towards the environment. Also in agreement with an action competence approach was the strong focus in the project on both individual and collective learning. This was partly a result of the process-focused nature of the project, which was related to the learning mandate and commitment to a democratic process with students. The project ran for a number of years with annually changing groups of students, who all had different experiences. The teacher used ‘peer education’ and reflective tools to manage the ‘changeover’ positively, give depth and breadth to learning and ensure the project was truly collaborative. Student learning occurred in all three learning domains and included EfS learning (particularly about aspects of architecture and the built environment), learning about the process of design, and cross-disciplinary learning that included skills such as leadership, teamwork and public speaking. Adult participants also gained from their involvement in the project. The embedding of learning in the project within the New Zealand Curriculum, provided evidence of the flexible and multidisciplinary nature of EfS. Finally, a number of key characteristics were identified as contributing significantly to learning in the project.

year: 2010

title: Skeleton Islands of New Zealand and elsewhere

authors: Cotton, C.A.

abstract: Skeleton Islands are a variety of the class of islands resulting from subsidence of dissected land, subcategory 4a of a classification of islands here offered. Such islands are characterised by development of a sprawling outline with a narrow axial ridge from which slender lateral spurs, or ribs, extend more or less at right angles. Extreme skeletonisation is associated with development before a final drowning, or redrowning, of amphitheatre heads in valleys already heading in the main divide. This may be a climatically induced change of the valley form related, in the case of the New Zealand example, Arapawa Island, to cryergic (periglacial) activity in the Pleistocene glacial ages.
Kakeroma Island (Ryukyu Group), an example of a skeleton island described by W. M. Davis, has quite possibly a history different from that of Arapawa Island as regards both the development of the relief of the subsiding lands and. being in a low latitude, the possibly climatic process responsible for shaping its now submerged valley heads and thus emaciating the ribs of the island.

text: Skeleton Islands of New Zealand and elsewhere Skeleton Islands are a variety of the class of islands resulting from subsidence of dissected land, subcategory 4a of a classification of islands here offered. Such islands are characterised by development of a sprawling outline with a narrow axial ridge from which slender lateral spurs, or ribs, extend more or less at right angles. Extreme skeletonisation is associated with development before a final drowning, or redrowning, of amphitheatre heads in valleys already heading in the main divide. This may be a climatically induced change of the valley form related, in the case of the New Zealand example, Arapawa Island, to cryergic (periglacial) activity in the Pleistocene glacial ages.
Kakeroma Island (Ryukyu Group), an example of a skeleton island described by W. M. Davis, has quite possibly a history different from that of Arapawa Island as regards both the development of the relief of the subsiding lands and. being in a low latitude, the possibly climatic process responsible for shaping its now submerged valley heads and thus emaciating the ribs of the island.

year: 1969

title: Māori students and issues of hybrid identity: The response of one inner-city state school

authors: Johnson, Diane

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: As a result of a more liberal national migration policy than was the case in the past, school communities in Aotearoa /New Zealand are increasingly multi-cultural, with both students and teachers coming from a wide range of linguistic and cultural backgrounds. In these global village environments, managers and governors strive (with varying degrees of success) to acknowledge, value and accommodate the heritage of new-migrant groups and to address the particular educational needs, interests and aspirations of the individuals within them. While it is extremely important to be inclusive of those students who are newly-arrived in the country, another imperative is, of course to protect and enhance, within an increasingly global educational perspective, the special status of indigenous Māori students, particularly those in mainstream education, as they explore and shape the hybrid identity (part indigenous / part global citizen) that will undoubtedly characterize their lives in the 21st century. The purpose of this paper is to discuss some identity-building strategies which one central-city, state, single-sex secondary school has initiated to support its indigenous students. While the strategies discussed must be considered as part of an ongoing, evolutionary process, indications are that the approach adopted is having a significant impact on the personal, social and academic development of Māori students.

text: Māori students and issues of hybrid identity: The response of one inner-city state school As a result of a more liberal national migration policy than was the case in the past, school communities in Aotearoa /New Zealand are increasingly multi-cultural, with both students and teachers coming from a wide range of linguistic and cultural backgrounds. In these global village environments, managers and governors strive (with varying degrees of success) to acknowledge, value and accommodate the heritage of new-migrant groups and to address the particular educational needs, interests and aspirations of the individuals within them. While it is extremely important to be inclusive of those students who are newly-arrived in the country, another imperative is, of course to protect and enhance, within an increasingly global educational perspective, the special status of indigenous Māori students, particularly those in mainstream education, as they explore and shape the hybrid identity (part indigenous / part global citizen) that will undoubtedly characterize their lives in the 21st century. The purpose of this paper is to discuss some identity-building strategies which one central-city, state, single-sex secondary school has initiated to support its indigenous students. While the strategies discussed must be considered as part of an ongoing, evolutionary process, indications are that the approach adopted is having a significant impact on the personal, social and academic development of Māori students.

year: 2008