title: Jacqueline Fahey

authors: Dart, William

subjects: Jacqueline Fahey

abstract: Chez Jacqueline Fahey is a Grey Lynn bungalow. After walking past palmy luxuriance that could pass as a tropical setting for her 1998 novel, Cutting Loose, I'm soon in her front room, the wonders and delights of which would rival those of a Victorian parlour. There are additions since my last visit - beyond a 19205 screen is a vast mirror, its faux-baroque frame livened with cerulean blue from Fahey's brush. Significantly, it echoes the hue of the plastic flowers threaded through the chandelier.

text: Jacqueline Fahey Chez Jacqueline Fahey is a Grey Lynn bungalow. After walking past palmy luxuriance that could pass as a tropical setting for her 1998 novel, Cutting Loose, I'm soon in her front room, the wonders and delights of which would rival those of a Victorian parlour. There are additions since my last visit - beyond a 19205 screen is a vast mirror, its faux-baroque frame livened with cerulean blue from Fahey's brush. Significantly, it echoes the hue of the plastic flowers threaded through the chandelier.

year: 2007

title: A composer-teacher in context: Music for the performing arts faculty in a New Zealand secondary school

authors: Jennings, Janet

subjects: composer-teacher

abstract: This thesis examines the processes and outcomes of a composer-teacher's practice in the context of a New Zealand secondary school.  The research was undertaken by the composer-teacher/researcher as a case study that integrates an investigation of the context with four action research music composition projects developed as a creative response to that context.

Chapters One to Three comprise the background theory.  Chapter One provides an introduction and overview of the research; Chapter Two explains and justifies the research methods.  Chapter Three peels away and examines five layers of the secondary school context identified as significant in shaping the perceptions of the participants: approaching the context in a multi-layered way enabled coherent synthesis and appraisal of the relevant literature.  

Chapters Four to Seven comprise the four action research music composition projects.  Each action research project focuses on a music score composed by the composer-teacher/researcher for a specific group of students at Macleans College, Auckland.  The composition, production, and performance processes are investigated from the perspectives of all the participants.  Each music project comprises a four part progression - plan (composition process), data (music score), data analysis (recordings of performances, surveys, and interviews with all participants) and reflection (feedback, and feedforward into the next project). 

Each phase of the research generated significant outcomes, such as the four original music scores.  Chapter Eight summarizes the themes, issues, and patterns that emerged, and makes recommendations for further research.  

A model of co-constructive practice emerges from this research: teacher and students co-construct artistic worlds through performance.  The model is not new (it is common practice, adopted by generations of musician-teachers) but is rarely acknowledged and currently un-researched.  This research demonstrates the validity of the practice from both musical, and teaching and learning perspectives, and examines the strengths and limitations of the model.  At its best, the creative processes co-constructed by a teacher with her students are shown to provide a crucible within which intense and creative learning experiences occur.  Students of all levels of ability are shown to gain confidence in this context, and subsequently develop skills with apparent ease.  The co-constructive model is limited in that it cannot meet the musical needs of all students: co-construction should be considered as one model of practice, appropriate for use in association with many others.

This research provides 'virtual access' to a particular world of performance practice, revealing the secondary school context as a realm of authentic and valid musical practice.

text: A composer-teacher in context: Music for the performing arts faculty in a New Zealand secondary school This thesis examines the processes and outcomes of a composer-teacher's practice in the context of a New Zealand secondary school.  The research was undertaken by the composer-teacher/researcher as a case study that integrates an investigation of the context with four action research music composition projects developed as a creative response to that context.

Chapters One to Three comprise the background theory.  Chapter One provides an introduction and overview of the research; Chapter Two explains and justifies the research methods.  Chapter Three peels away and examines five layers of the secondary school context identified as significant in shaping the perceptions of the participants: approaching the context in a multi-layered way enabled coherent synthesis and appraisal of the relevant literature.  

Chapters Four to Seven comprise the four action research music composition projects.  Each action research project focuses on a music score composed by the composer-teacher/researcher for a specific group of students at Macleans College, Auckland.  The composition, production, and performance processes are investigated from the perspectives of all the participants.  Each music project comprises a four part progression - plan (composition process), data (music score), data analysis (recordings of performances, surveys, and interviews with all participants) and reflection (feedback, and feedforward into the next project). 

Each phase of the research generated significant outcomes, such as the four original music scores.  Chapter Eight summarizes the themes, issues, and patterns that emerged, and makes recommendations for further research.  

A model of co-constructive practice emerges from this research: teacher and students co-construct artistic worlds through performance.  The model is not new (it is common practice, adopted by generations of musician-teachers) but is rarely acknowledged and currently un-researched.  This research demonstrates the validity of the practice from both musical, and teaching and learning perspectives, and examines the strengths and limitations of the model.  At its best, the creative processes co-constructed by a teacher with her students are shown to provide a crucible within which intense and creative learning experiences occur.  Students of all levels of ability are shown to gain confidence in this context, and subsequently develop skills with apparent ease.  The co-constructive model is limited in that it cannot meet the musical needs of all students: co-construction should be considered as one model of practice, appropriate for use in association with many others.

This research provides 'virtual access' to a particular world of performance practice, revealing the secondary school context as a realm of authentic and valid musical practice.

year: 2008

title: Empowerment evaluation of Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga Family Start: Improving service delivery

authors: Little, Gaylene Robina

subjects: Family Start

abstract: This thesis explores child maltreatment in New Zealand by considering service delivery of the Family Start programme at Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga through an empowerment evaluation. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the service delivery process of the Family Start programme at this site to inform the organization and other Family Start key agents of possible improvements to service delivery so that the Family Start programme is best able to reduce the risk factors that are known to influence child maltreatment in New Zealand. The best possible service delivery by kaupapa providers supports sustainability and the continuity of service with Māori through continual funding. The two objectives of this research are to look at how well the Family Start programme is implemented at Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga and to consider the cultural appropriateness of service delivery. Community psychology is the paradigm within which I position myself. I respect the values of community psychology that aim to improve the position of disadvantaged people through their participation in social change and community development. Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga is a kaupapa Māori provider and I see an empowerment evaluation as a tool for internal evaluation to assist organizations who value self determination in their own practice. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed. There are two objectives to consider service delivery; firstly process aspects of service delivery are looked at and secondly the cultural relevance of service delivery to the population receiving the Family Start programme at this site. These are described as nine points about service delivery. The aim is to provide an empowerment evaluation for Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga to inform, assist and improve service delivery of the Family Start programme in a culturally appropriate manner. The findings suggest better understanding is needed by Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga Family Start staff, about the programme intentions, the use of tools such as Born to Learn/Ahuru Mōwai, individual family plans, service delivery levels, maintaining health records and ways to encourage collaboration between agencies. Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga are shown in this research to be reaching the intended population for the Family Start programme, and service delivery appears to be culturally relevant to the clients on the programme at this time. The findings are limited by the fact that access to some information was restricted by Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga Family Start management. Consequently, this research looked only at service delivery, and not the benefits of or barriers to the actual programme. The effectiveness of the programme in reducing child maltreatment is important but could not be measured in this research. Reducing child maltreatment is the main aim of the Family Start programme and would be measured through client outcomes. This research considered service delivery to see if the Family Start programme is offered optimally to assist the aim of reducing child maltreatment.

text: Empowerment evaluation of Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga Family Start: Improving service delivery This thesis explores child maltreatment in New Zealand by considering service delivery of the Family Start programme at Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga through an empowerment evaluation. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the service delivery process of the Family Start programme at this site to inform the organization and other Family Start key agents of possible improvements to service delivery so that the Family Start programme is best able to reduce the risk factors that are known to influence child maltreatment in New Zealand. The best possible service delivery by kaupapa providers supports sustainability and the continuity of service with Māori through continual funding. The two objectives of this research are to look at how well the Family Start programme is implemented at Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga and to consider the cultural appropriateness of service delivery. Community psychology is the paradigm within which I position myself. I respect the values of community psychology that aim to improve the position of disadvantaged people through their participation in social change and community development. Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga is a kaupapa Māori provider and I see an empowerment evaluation as a tool for internal evaluation to assist organizations who value self determination in their own practice. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed. There are two objectives to consider service delivery; firstly process aspects of service delivery are looked at and secondly the cultural relevance of service delivery to the population receiving the Family Start programme at this site. These are described as nine points about service delivery. The aim is to provide an empowerment evaluation for Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga to inform, assist and improve service delivery of the Family Start programme in a culturally appropriate manner. The findings suggest better understanding is needed by Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga Family Start staff, about the programme intentions, the use of tools such as Born to Learn/Ahuru Mōwai, individual family plans, service delivery levels, maintaining health records and ways to encourage collaboration between agencies. Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga are shown in this research to be reaching the intended population for the Family Start programme, and service delivery appears to be culturally relevant to the clients on the programme at this time. The findings are limited by the fact that access to some information was restricted by Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga Family Start management. Consequently, this research looked only at service delivery, and not the benefits of or barriers to the actual programme. The effectiveness of the programme in reducing child maltreatment is important but could not be measured in this research. Reducing child maltreatment is the main aim of the Family Start programme and would be measured through client outcomes. This research considered service delivery to see if the Family Start programme is offered optimally to assist the aim of reducing child maltreatment.

year: 2010