title: Japanese language teaching in Malaysia and New Zealand: Recent history, current practice and curriculum

authors: Abdul Jabbar, Sazlina

subjects: Japanese language teaching

abstract: Comparisons of curriculum have been shown to be useful in terms of finding new ideas to raise the standard of education in one country and to enhance global competitiveness (Adamson & Morris, 2007). The purpose of the research reported in this thesis was to examine Japanese language education in Malaysia and New Zealand. The study compared the approach to Japanese language learning and teaching in both countries and also compared the curriculum and syllabus for both countries. This study employed three methods: semi-structured interview, autoethnography, and document analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to find out the recent history and current practice of Japanese Language teaching in Malaysia and New Zealand. Four participants, one from Malaysia and three from New Zealand were involved in the interviews. Autoethnography was also infused in the research which permitted the author to share her knowledge and experiences as an experienced Japanese language teacher in Malaysia. The analysis of the curriculum and syllabus documents were carried out to look at the content of both countries‟ Japanese Language Curriculum to investigate its underpinning approach to language teaching, and to analyze the similarities and differences between the Malaysian and New Zealand Japanese Language Curricula.

The results show that both Japanese language curricula shared many similarities in terms of their types of syllabus, language learning aims and language areas focused in the curricula content. This indicates that Malaysia and New Zealand, like other countries in the world, follow international trends in language teaching.
   Both countries‟ Japanese language syllabi have strong characteristics of Skills-Based and Outcomes-Based Syllabi. The curricula emphasize the acquisition of four very important language skills: listening, writing, reading and speaking. Both curricula promote teachers autonomy in decision-making and designing or planning programs. However, in comparison, New Zealand shows more teacher-autonomy than Malaysia. The findings also indicate that, although Japanese Language Curriculum in both Malaysia and New Zealand follows the global trends in language teaching, each also reflects its nation‟s visions and the needs of its people: Malaysian Japanese Language Curriculum was established to enable students to recognize and embrace the values that had brought Japan to its economic level now. While, Japanese language education in New Zealand starts because of the government‟s desire to trade and do business with Japan, a new economic power at the time.

text: Japanese language teaching in Malaysia and New Zealand: Recent history, current practice and curriculum Comparisons of curriculum have been shown to be useful in terms of finding new ideas to raise the standard of education in one country and to enhance global competitiveness (Adamson & Morris, 2007). The purpose of the research reported in this thesis was to examine Japanese language education in Malaysia and New Zealand. The study compared the approach to Japanese language learning and teaching in both countries and also compared the curriculum and syllabus for both countries. This study employed three methods: semi-structured interview, autoethnography, and document analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to find out the recent history and current practice of Japanese Language teaching in Malaysia and New Zealand. Four participants, one from Malaysia and three from New Zealand were involved in the interviews. Autoethnography was also infused in the research which permitted the author to share her knowledge and experiences as an experienced Japanese language teacher in Malaysia. The analysis of the curriculum and syllabus documents were carried out to look at the content of both countries‟ Japanese Language Curriculum to investigate its underpinning approach to language teaching, and to analyze the similarities and differences between the Malaysian and New Zealand Japanese Language Curricula.

The results show that both Japanese language curricula shared many similarities in terms of their types of syllabus, language learning aims and language areas focused in the curricula content. This indicates that Malaysia and New Zealand, like other countries in the world, follow international trends in language teaching.
   Both countries‟ Japanese language syllabi have strong characteristics of Skills-Based and Outcomes-Based Syllabi. The curricula emphasize the acquisition of four very important language skills: listening, writing, reading and speaking. Both curricula promote teachers autonomy in decision-making and designing or planning programs. However, in comparison, New Zealand shows more teacher-autonomy than Malaysia. The findings also indicate that, although Japanese Language Curriculum in both Malaysia and New Zealand follows the global trends in language teaching, each also reflects its nation‟s visions and the needs of its people: Malaysian Japanese Language Curriculum was established to enable students to recognize and embrace the values that had brought Japan to its economic level now. While, Japanese language education in New Zealand starts because of the government‟s desire to trade and do business with Japan, a new economic power at the time.

year: 2012

title: Labour unions, wellbeing, and individual differences: How are unions related to global and domain-specific wellbeing, and who tends to join them?

authors: Sutherland, Cian

subjects: Psychology

abstract: Labour unions have been instrumental in the institution and maintenance of what many in the Western world would now consider basic business practices, from the forty-hour working week to stringent health and safety regulations. Despite their historical influence and contemporary resurgence in popularity evincing their importance to many members of the past, present, and future working class, unions are a disproportionately large blind spot in the industrial-organisational psychology literature. While several studies have found correlations between union membership or level of participation in one’s union and positive and negative economic, health, and psychological outcomes, we do not know how unions affect their members’ subjective sense of wellbeing. We also do not know who those members tend to be in terms of personality or sociopolitical characteristics—a significant oversight given the relationships between these individual differences, workplace outcomes, and wellbeing. This thesis sought to connect and address both gaps. 

Unionised (n = 307) and non-unionised (n = 162) academic staff from public secondary and tertiary schools in New Zealand (n = 287) and Australia (n = 182) were recruited via email to participate in an online survey from June 25th to September 14th, 2023. Unionised staff were further classified as casual (n = 152) or dedicated (n = 155) members, depending on their willingness to participate in union activities. The survey assessed union attitudes and beliefs (study-specific questions, Kelly and Kelly (1994) questionnaire, New Zealand Worker Representation & Participation Survey), personality characteristics (HEXACO-60, HEXACO Interstitial Altruism Scale, Goldberg’s (1999) 10-item International Personality Item Pool Representation of the NEO-PI-R Neuroticism Domain, Authenticity Scale), sociopolitical characteristics (Auckland Individualism-Collectivism Scale, study-specific questions), and global and domain-specific wellbeing (I COPPE). 

Two-way ANOVAs comparing total I COPPE scores between members and non-members, and casual and dedicated members, in Australia and New Zealand, found no statistically significant differences in wellbeing; notably, mean wellbeing scores were relatively high in all groups. Logistic regression models using demographics and personality and sociopolitical characteristics significantly predicted variance in union membership (member/non-member) and participation level (casual/dedicated) in New Zealand (22.50%, 25.00%) and Australia (28.20%, 48.70%); the individual differences that served as significant predictors were different in each of the four models. Finally, a linear regression model (collapsed between countries) using demographics, individual differences, and union membership significantly predicted variance in total global wellbeing (15.60%); union membership was not a significant predictor. 

Although union membership was not a significant correlate of wellbeing, most members and many non-members attributed improvements in working conditions and wellbeing to the influence of unions. We believe that, rather than having no significant beneficial or detrimental effect on wellbeing, unions positively affect the standards of the education industry holistically. Additionally, education unions seem to attract different people in different countries. It seems unlikely, then, that differences in the wellbeing of members can be attributed to correlations between individual differences and wellbeing. We conclude that future research should investigate wellbeing and individual differences in unions in different countries, industries, states of industrial relation, and time periods.

text: Labour unions, wellbeing, and individual differences: How are unions related to global and domain-specific wellbeing, and who tends to join them? Labour unions have been instrumental in the institution and maintenance of what many in the Western world would now consider basic business practices, from the forty-hour working week to stringent health and safety regulations. Despite their historical influence and contemporary resurgence in popularity evincing their importance to many members of the past, present, and future working class, unions are a disproportionately large blind spot in the industrial-organisational psychology literature. While several studies have found correlations between union membership or level of participation in one’s union and positive and negative economic, health, and psychological outcomes, we do not know how unions affect their members’ subjective sense of wellbeing. We also do not know who those members tend to be in terms of personality or sociopolitical characteristics—a significant oversight given the relationships between these individual differences, workplace outcomes, and wellbeing. This thesis sought to connect and address both gaps. 

Unionised (n = 307) and non-unionised (n = 162) academic staff from public secondary and tertiary schools in New Zealand (n = 287) and Australia (n = 182) were recruited via email to participate in an online survey from June 25th to September 14th, 2023. Unionised staff were further classified as casual (n = 152) or dedicated (n = 155) members, depending on their willingness to participate in union activities. The survey assessed union attitudes and beliefs (study-specific questions, Kelly and Kelly (1994) questionnaire, New Zealand Worker Representation & Participation Survey), personality characteristics (HEXACO-60, HEXACO Interstitial Altruism Scale, Goldberg’s (1999) 10-item International Personality Item Pool Representation of the NEO-PI-R Neuroticism Domain, Authenticity Scale), sociopolitical characteristics (Auckland Individualism-Collectivism Scale, study-specific questions), and global and domain-specific wellbeing (I COPPE). 

Two-way ANOVAs comparing total I COPPE scores between members and non-members, and casual and dedicated members, in Australia and New Zealand, found no statistically significant differences in wellbeing; notably, mean wellbeing scores were relatively high in all groups. Logistic regression models using demographics and personality and sociopolitical characteristics significantly predicted variance in union membership (member/non-member) and participation level (casual/dedicated) in New Zealand (22.50%, 25.00%) and Australia (28.20%, 48.70%); the individual differences that served as significant predictors were different in each of the four models. Finally, a linear regression model (collapsed between countries) using demographics, individual differences, and union membership significantly predicted variance in total global wellbeing (15.60%); union membership was not a significant predictor. 

Although union membership was not a significant correlate of wellbeing, most members and many non-members attributed improvements in working conditions and wellbeing to the influence of unions. We believe that, rather than having no significant beneficial or detrimental effect on wellbeing, unions positively affect the standards of the education industry holistically. Additionally, education unions seem to attract different people in different countries. It seems unlikely, then, that differences in the wellbeing of members can be attributed to correlations between individual differences and wellbeing. We conclude that future research should investigate wellbeing and individual differences in unions in different countries, industries, states of industrial relation, and time periods.

year: 2024-01-25

title: Assessment of effects of proposed treated wastewater discharge to the Te Arikiroa Thermal Channel and Sulphur Bay (Lake Rotorua)

authors: Dada, Ayokunle Christopher

abstract: After 2019, irrigation operations at the Land Treatment System (LTS) in the Whakarewarewa Forest are scheduled to cease. A number of options and locations have been considered for the discharge of the treated wastewater when the current discharge consent ceases. Following consultations and technical assessments, the preferred option of Rotorua Lakes Council is to upgrade the existing plant to a full Membrane Bioreactor Plant with the addition of an Ultraviolet Disinfection System (or alternative treatment to achieve an equivalent performance in terms of treated wastewater quality). Under this arrangement, wastewater would be subjected to biological, chemical and physical treatment processes, and the treated wastewater discharged through Te Arikiroa Thermal Channel to Sulphur Bay. Rotorua Lakes Council is thus undertaking an environmental impact assessment study to determine the effects of discharging treated wastewater to the thermal channel and Puarenga Bay (Lake Rotorua), with particular reference to aesthetic, water quality and ecological considerations. These considerations include potential effects related to faecal indicator bacteria, nutrient concentrations, metals, dissolved oxygen, and taonga species (native species of cultural significance).
The assessment focused on:
(i)	The projected treated wastewater characteristics;

(ii)	Existing conditions of the receiving water;

(iii)	The sensitivity of the receiving water and the impact of the proposed discharge on water quality and taonga species (native species of cultural significance) in Te Arikiroa Thermal Channel and Sulphur Bay.

The main techniques used to inform the assessment in this study were:
1) Analysis of historical water quality data, 2011-2014;
2) Collection of additional water quality data at Te Arikiroa Thermal Channel and Sulphur Bay and along a transect to quantify spatial variability (sampling in 2016 and 2017);
3) Mass balance dilution modelling to predict water quality in the Te Arikiroa Thermal Channel and Sulphur Bay (Lake Rotorua), at a site outside of the assumed mixing zone;
4) Lake ecosystem modelling conducted by Abell et al. (2015) to assess effects related to eutrophication;
5) Background review of biological information and field investigations for taonga species at Sulphur Bay and Te Arikiroa Thermal Channel (2017).

text: Assessment of effects of proposed treated wastewater discharge to the Te Arikiroa Thermal Channel and Sulphur Bay (Lake Rotorua) After 2019, irrigation operations at the Land Treatment System (LTS) in the Whakarewarewa Forest are scheduled to cease. A number of options and locations have been considered for the discharge of the treated wastewater when the current discharge consent ceases. Following consultations and technical assessments, the preferred option of Rotorua Lakes Council is to upgrade the existing plant to a full Membrane Bioreactor Plant with the addition of an Ultraviolet Disinfection System (or alternative treatment to achieve an equivalent performance in terms of treated wastewater quality). Under this arrangement, wastewater would be subjected to biological, chemical and physical treatment processes, and the treated wastewater discharged through Te Arikiroa Thermal Channel to Sulphur Bay. Rotorua Lakes Council is thus undertaking an environmental impact assessment study to determine the effects of discharging treated wastewater to the thermal channel and Puarenga Bay (Lake Rotorua), with particular reference to aesthetic, water quality and ecological considerations. These considerations include potential effects related to faecal indicator bacteria, nutrient concentrations, metals, dissolved oxygen, and taonga species (native species of cultural significance).
The assessment focused on:
(i)	The projected treated wastewater characteristics;

(ii)	Existing conditions of the receiving water;

(iii)	The sensitivity of the receiving water and the impact of the proposed discharge on water quality and taonga species (native species of cultural significance) in Te Arikiroa Thermal Channel and Sulphur Bay.

The main techniques used to inform the assessment in this study were:
1) Analysis of historical water quality data, 2011-2014;
2) Collection of additional water quality data at Te Arikiroa Thermal Channel and Sulphur Bay and along a transect to quantify spatial variability (sampling in 2016 and 2017);
3) Mass balance dilution modelling to predict water quality in the Te Arikiroa Thermal Channel and Sulphur Bay (Lake Rotorua), at a site outside of the assumed mixing zone;
4) Lake ecosystem modelling conducted by Abell et al. (2015) to assess effects related to eutrophication;
5) Background review of biological information and field investigations for taonga species at Sulphur Bay and Te Arikiroa Thermal Channel (2017).

year: 2018