title: Exploring effective digital technologies programmes: Perspectives of middle school teachers and leaders

authors: Buckle, Shannon

subjects: Digital Technologies

abstract: Recognising the growing demand for digital skills in the 21st century, the Ministry of Education (MoE) introduced a Digital Technologies (DT) element to the Technology Curriculum in 2018, aiming to equip students with the knowledge and capabilities to thrive in a technology-driven world. However, the implementation of this new curriculum, mandated to start in 2020, presented challenges for schools, leaders and teachers, particularly regarding teacher confidence, skill development, and pedagogical approaches. 

This thesis examines the implementation of the digital technologies content of the New Zealand Technology Curriculum (DTC) in New Zealand middle schools, specifically focusing on how schools can effectively implement DT programmes. The research adopts a qualitative, interpretivist, collective Case Study approach, focusing on two middle schools in the Waikato region. Data was gathered through focus groups, document analysis, classroom observations, and interviews with teachers and leaders at the participating schools. This data was then analysed thematically. The findings highlight the crucial roles that both school leaders and teachers play in the effective implementation of DT programmes. The research identified two central themes: ‘Leaders as Catalysts for Digital Advancement’ and ‘Teachers as Digital Technologies Champions’.

Leaders were found to catalyse digital advancement by:
• Establishing clear goals and expectations.
• Allocating resources strategically.
• Attending to their own learning.
• Supporting teachers to build their confidence and competence in DT.

Teachers, in turn, championed successful DT programmes by:
• Understanding and responding to the rationale and purposes for digital technologies.
• Demonstrating learning dispositions towards innovation and change.
• Deliberately utilising a range of DT tools.
• Leveraging pedagogical strategies to enhance engagement and achievement.

The research emphasises the importance of aligning leadership actions with teacher needs to create a supportive environment for DT implementation. Furthermore, a Digital Technologies Content Implementation Tool (DTCIT V2) has been proposed, through partnering the findings of the study with the TPACK model and other scholarship. Literature suggests that the challenges associated with implementation of the DTC – confidence, skill and pedagogy, can be addressed through teachers developing their content knowledge, technological knowledge and curriculum integration.

The findings highlight the need for ongoing, tailored professional learning and development (PLD) opportunities to address teacher anxieties and build confidence and competence in delivering the DTC. It is hoped that the findings of this research will assist teachers and leaders to move through the challenges of implementing the DTC and develop effective Digital Technologies programmes for their learners.

text: Exploring effective digital technologies programmes: Perspectives of middle school teachers and leaders Recognising the growing demand for digital skills in the 21st century, the Ministry of Education (MoE) introduced a Digital Technologies (DT) element to the Technology Curriculum in 2018, aiming to equip students with the knowledge and capabilities to thrive in a technology-driven world. However, the implementation of this new curriculum, mandated to start in 2020, presented challenges for schools, leaders and teachers, particularly regarding teacher confidence, skill development, and pedagogical approaches. 

This thesis examines the implementation of the digital technologies content of the New Zealand Technology Curriculum (DTC) in New Zealand middle schools, specifically focusing on how schools can effectively implement DT programmes. The research adopts a qualitative, interpretivist, collective Case Study approach, focusing on two middle schools in the Waikato region. Data was gathered through focus groups, document analysis, classroom observations, and interviews with teachers and leaders at the participating schools. This data was then analysed thematically. The findings highlight the crucial roles that both school leaders and teachers play in the effective implementation of DT programmes. The research identified two central themes: ‘Leaders as Catalysts for Digital Advancement’ and ‘Teachers as Digital Technologies Champions’.

Leaders were found to catalyse digital advancement by:
• Establishing clear goals and expectations.
• Allocating resources strategically.
• Attending to their own learning.
• Supporting teachers to build their confidence and competence in DT.

Teachers, in turn, championed successful DT programmes by:
• Understanding and responding to the rationale and purposes for digital technologies.
• Demonstrating learning dispositions towards innovation and change.
• Deliberately utilising a range of DT tools.
• Leveraging pedagogical strategies to enhance engagement and achievement.

The research emphasises the importance of aligning leadership actions with teacher needs to create a supportive environment for DT implementation. Furthermore, a Digital Technologies Content Implementation Tool (DTCIT V2) has been proposed, through partnering the findings of the study with the TPACK model and other scholarship. Literature suggests that the challenges associated with implementation of the DTC – confidence, skill and pedagogy, can be addressed through teachers developing their content knowledge, technological knowledge and curriculum integration.

The findings highlight the need for ongoing, tailored professional learning and development (PLD) opportunities to address teacher anxieties and build confidence and competence in delivering the DTC. It is hoped that the findings of this research will assist teachers and leaders to move through the challenges of implementing the DTC and develop effective Digital Technologies programmes for their learners.

year: 2025

title: Measuring the impact of the copyright amendment act on New Zealand residential DSL users

authors: Alcock, Shane

subjects: internet law

abstract: The Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Act 2011 (CAA) is a New Zealand law that aims to provide copyright holders with legal recourse when content is illegally shared over the Internet. This paper presents a study of residential DSL user behaviour using packet traces captured at a New Zealand ISP before, shortly after and several months after the CAA coming into effect. We use libprotoident to classify the observed traffic based on the application protocol being used to identify and examine any changes in traffic patterns that may be a result of the new law. We find that the use of peer-to-peer applications declined significantly once the CAA was in effect, suggesting a strong correlation. We also found that there were increases in tunneling, secure file transfer and remote access traffic amongst a small segment of the user population, which may indicate an increased uptake in the use of foreign seedboxes to bypass the jurisdiction of the CAA.

text: Measuring the impact of the copyright amendment act on New Zealand residential DSL users The Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Act 2011 (CAA) is a New Zealand law that aims to provide copyright holders with legal recourse when content is illegally shared over the Internet. This paper presents a study of residential DSL user behaviour using packet traces captured at a New Zealand ISP before, shortly after and several months after the CAA coming into effect. We use libprotoident to classify the observed traffic based on the application protocol being used to identify and examine any changes in traffic patterns that may be a result of the new law. We find that the use of peer-to-peer applications declined significantly once the CAA was in effect, suggesting a strong correlation. We also found that there were increases in tunneling, secure file transfer and remote access traffic amongst a small segment of the user population, which may indicate an increased uptake in the use of foreign seedboxes to bypass the jurisdiction of the CAA.

year: 2012

title: Listening and Learning from Rangatahi Māori: the Voices of Māori Youth

authors: Berryman, Mere

subjects: student self-determination

abstract: This paper presents three stories-over-time of the secondary schooling experiences of New Zealand’s rangatahi Māori–or Māori youth. The stories span fifteen years of New Zealand schooling and are told from three perspectives: the experiences of the students as told in their own words; the voices of youth within the prevailing political contexts of government policy; and, the reframing and repositioning of researchers listening to the experiences of rangatahi Māori who believe they have succeeded as Māori. In reality, the stories are interwoven, however, in an effort to make sense of the various methodological dilemmas, risks, and entanglements across the three points of learning, we have endeavored to disentangle these different threads from the whole and follow these independent of each other. We then weave these threads together again, as we sense-make across this complexity to identify implications for other educators, policy makers and researchers.

text: Listening and Learning from Rangatahi Māori: the Voices of Māori Youth This paper presents three stories-over-time of the secondary schooling experiences of New Zealand’s rangatahi Māori–or Māori youth. The stories span fifteen years of New Zealand schooling and are told from three perspectives: the experiences of the students as told in their own words; the voices of youth within the prevailing political contexts of government policy; and, the reframing and repositioning of researchers listening to the experiences of rangatahi Māori who believe they have succeeded as Māori. In reality, the stories are interwoven, however, in an effort to make sense of the various methodological dilemmas, risks, and entanglements across the three points of learning, we have endeavored to disentangle these different threads from the whole and follow these independent of each other. We then weave these threads together again, as we sense-make across this complexity to identify implications for other educators, policy makers and researchers.

year: 2017