title: A Classical Oversight? The appropriateness and accessibility of Classical Studies to female students in Aotearoa New Zealand

authors: Oswald, Rowan William

abstract: Classical Studies is a subject that has a predetermined ‘canon’ of traditional texts and subjects that are recommended and expected to be studied. It focuses on the men of ancient Greece and Rome, whilst classifying non-Greeks and Romans as ‘barbarians’ or ‘other’. Women of the ancient world live comfortably outside the margins of the Classical Studies curriculum. This perception, and the continuation of teaching from a narrow and biased perspective without rigorous discussion on the impact it has in the classroom, perpetuates the gender and racial stereotypes found within. It begs the question, how can girls see themselves and their values in such a subject? Despite the values of critical thinking facilitated by this curriculum area, the perpetuation of “the dominant values of the culture of power, while at the same time failing to validate those values of minority groups” (Porter- Samuels, 2013, p.19) will continue to hinder the opportunity to diversify and grow Classical Studies as a subject. At the start of 2019, I suggested on the New Zealand Classical Studies teacher page on Facebook that I was contemplating changing my focus from men to women within the ancient world as I thought it would be more appropriate for my students of an all girls’ school. There was some excitement but also pushback, one commentator pointed out that maybe I was teaching “my hobby horses rather than the traditional Classics”. It was implied that I would be doing a disservice to my students by not sticking to the ‘traditional’ topics.
Classical Studies is a Eurocentric subject that focuses on two civilisations that are inherently patriarchal and xenophobic. Two civilisations where the resources are dominated by men and everyone else has been ‘othered’. The purpose of this research is to uncover the lived experiences of female students within Classical Studies, in order to find out whether the subject is appropriate and accessible for them. It is a way to give a voice to the students. It is a way to hear their point of view on things like the curriculum, the pedagogy of their teachers and the environment. It is a way to remove assumptions, and replace them with genuine stories and experiences. It will hopefully be a catalyst for change. A way to give back to the amazing students I have had over the years.
For this research I explored the New Zealand Curriculum and how Classical Studies is presented within it. I have looked at the research around educational achievement of females in secondary schools. To gain an insight into the lived experiences of female students in a Classical Studies classroom in Aotearoa New Zealand, I have had talanoa conversations with ten volunteers from both Year 12 and Year 13.
These talanoa were eye-opening in their honesty and frustration. It is clear there needs to be change within Classical Studies, and the pedagogical approach of teachers. The participants were clear in their desire for women to be more visible.

text: A Classical Oversight? The appropriateness and accessibility of Classical Studies to female students in Aotearoa New Zealand Classical Studies is a subject that has a predetermined ‘canon’ of traditional texts and subjects that are recommended and expected to be studied. It focuses on the men of ancient Greece and Rome, whilst classifying non-Greeks and Romans as ‘barbarians’ or ‘other’. Women of the ancient world live comfortably outside the margins of the Classical Studies curriculum. This perception, and the continuation of teaching from a narrow and biased perspective without rigorous discussion on the impact it has in the classroom, perpetuates the gender and racial stereotypes found within. It begs the question, how can girls see themselves and their values in such a subject? Despite the values of critical thinking facilitated by this curriculum area, the perpetuation of “the dominant values of the culture of power, while at the same time failing to validate those values of minority groups” (Porter- Samuels, 2013, p.19) will continue to hinder the opportunity to diversify and grow Classical Studies as a subject. At the start of 2019, I suggested on the New Zealand Classical Studies teacher page on Facebook that I was contemplating changing my focus from men to women within the ancient world as I thought it would be more appropriate for my students of an all girls’ school. There was some excitement but also pushback, one commentator pointed out that maybe I was teaching “my hobby horses rather than the traditional Classics”. It was implied that I would be doing a disservice to my students by not sticking to the ‘traditional’ topics.
Classical Studies is a Eurocentric subject that focuses on two civilisations that are inherently patriarchal and xenophobic. Two civilisations where the resources are dominated by men and everyone else has been ‘othered’. The purpose of this research is to uncover the lived experiences of female students within Classical Studies, in order to find out whether the subject is appropriate and accessible for them. It is a way to give a voice to the students. It is a way to hear their point of view on things like the curriculum, the pedagogy of their teachers and the environment. It is a way to remove assumptions, and replace them with genuine stories and experiences. It will hopefully be a catalyst for change. A way to give back to the amazing students I have had over the years.
For this research I explored the New Zealand Curriculum and how Classical Studies is presented within it. I have looked at the research around educational achievement of females in secondary schools. To gain an insight into the lived experiences of female students in a Classical Studies classroom in Aotearoa New Zealand, I have had talanoa conversations with ten volunteers from both Year 12 and Year 13.
These talanoa were eye-opening in their honesty and frustration. It is clear there needs to be change within Classical Studies, and the pedagogical approach of teachers. The participants were clear in their desire for women to be more visible.

year: 2024

title: A field test of forest canopy structure measurements with the CanopyCapture smartphone application.

authors: Lusk, Christopher H.

subjects: Canopy openess

abstract: Background: Several smartphone applications have been developed for the purpose of low-cost and convenient assessments of vegetation canopy structure and understorey illumination. Like standard hemispherical photography, most of these applications require user decisions about image processing, posing challenges for repeatability of measurements. Here I report a test of CanopyCapture, an application that instantaneously estimates percentage canopy gap fraction without any input from the user, and has the added advantage of an intuitive levelling mechanism. Methods: Gap fraction estimates by CanopyCapture were compared with gap fraction values computed by the LAI-2200C Canopy Analyzer, in two contrasting evergreen temperate forests in New Zealand: an even-aged southern beech (Nothofagus) stand and an old-growth podocarp/broadleaf forest. These comparisons were repeated using a wide-angle adapter to enhance the smartphone camera's field of view from 45 to 65°. I also asked if CanopyCapture results depended on sky condition (sunny vs. overcast) and on the type of smartphone used. Results: CanopyCapture output was significantly correlated with gap fraction computed by the LAI-2200C (R2 = 0.39), and use of the wide-angle adapter lifted this value to 0.56. However, CanopyCapture output was not significantly correlated with LAI-2200C output in the even-aged Nothofagus stand, where there was less spatial variation in canopy structure. Despite being much less sensitive to variation in gap fraction than the LAI-2200C, CanopyCapture was nevertheless able to detect differences in average gap fraction between the two forests studied. CanopyCapture results beneath intact canopies were not significantly affected by sky condition, but reflection of direct light off tree trunks in sunny weather caused slight overestimation of gap fraction beneath broken canopies and gaps. Uneven or patchy cloud cover can also cause erroneous readings beneath large canopy openings. Three different models of smartphone gave different results. Conclusions: CanopyCapture offers a rapid and repeatable proxy for comparisons of average canopy gap fraction in multiple stands/forests, provided large sample sizes are used. Measurement under even overcast skies is recommended, and studies involving multiple operators will need to standardize smartphones to ensure comparability of results. Although wide-angle adapters can improve performance, CanopyCapture's low sensitivity prevents high-resolution comparisons of the light environments of individual understorey plants within a stand.

text: A field test of forest canopy structure measurements with the CanopyCapture smartphone application. Background: Several smartphone applications have been developed for the purpose of low-cost and convenient assessments of vegetation canopy structure and understorey illumination. Like standard hemispherical photography, most of these applications require user decisions about image processing, posing challenges for repeatability of measurements. Here I report a test of CanopyCapture, an application that instantaneously estimates percentage canopy gap fraction without any input from the user, and has the added advantage of an intuitive levelling mechanism. Methods: Gap fraction estimates by CanopyCapture were compared with gap fraction values computed by the LAI-2200C Canopy Analyzer, in two contrasting evergreen temperate forests in New Zealand: an even-aged southern beech (Nothofagus) stand and an old-growth podocarp/broadleaf forest. These comparisons were repeated using a wide-angle adapter to enhance the smartphone camera's field of view from 45 to 65°. I also asked if CanopyCapture results depended on sky condition (sunny vs. overcast) and on the type of smartphone used. Results: CanopyCapture output was significantly correlated with gap fraction computed by the LAI-2200C (R2 = 0.39), and use of the wide-angle adapter lifted this value to 0.56. However, CanopyCapture output was not significantly correlated with LAI-2200C output in the even-aged Nothofagus stand, where there was less spatial variation in canopy structure. Despite being much less sensitive to variation in gap fraction than the LAI-2200C, CanopyCapture was nevertheless able to detect differences in average gap fraction between the two forests studied. CanopyCapture results beneath intact canopies were not significantly affected by sky condition, but reflection of direct light off tree trunks in sunny weather caused slight overestimation of gap fraction beneath broken canopies and gaps. Uneven or patchy cloud cover can also cause erroneous readings beneath large canopy openings. Three different models of smartphone gave different results. Conclusions: CanopyCapture offers a rapid and repeatable proxy for comparisons of average canopy gap fraction in multiple stands/forests, provided large sample sizes are used. Measurement under even overcast skies is recommended, and studies involving multiple operators will need to standardize smartphones to ensure comparability of results. Although wide-angle adapters can improve performance, CanopyCapture's low sensitivity prevents high-resolution comparisons of the light environments of individual understorey plants within a stand.

year: 2022

title: Effective implementation science processes for Māori and Indigenous health interventions

authors: Harding, Truely Janine

subjects: Implementation science

abstract: Background
This thesis considers the implications implementation science has for Indigenous communities, specifically in reducing health inequities for the Māori community of New Zealand. Implementation science has been discussed among many Western health interventions and this thesis adds to that body of literature while highlighting the impact implementation has for Indigenous communities. 
Implementation science is a growing body of literature that can identify the most effective processes for health organisations and governments to best engage with Indigenous communities facing health inequities. An important aspect of that is ensuring the Indigenous voices and perspectives are represented just as much as the academics and scholars in those fields. The purpose of this thesis is to highlight the facilitators and barriers of implementing health interventions with Māori communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. This thesis aims to contribute to the conversation about reducing health inequities Māori communities’ face in New Zealand by enhancing implementation effectiveness. Therefore, it is an effort to illuminate the importance of the inclusion of community voice and perspectives when implementing health interventions with Indigenous communities. The thesis is with publications and includes four distinct studies.
Methodology & Methods
The key methodologies used in this study were Kaupapa Māori methodology and the He Pikinga Waiora (HPW) Implementation framework. Kaupapa Māori has been used as both a form of resistance and a methodological strategy, where research is created, developed, and carried within a Māori worldview with the aim to have positive outcomes that are beneficial for Māori. The HPW framework provided a holistic approach to guide this research through its key elements of: culture-centered approach, community engagement, systems thinking, and integrated knowledge translation. It is a forward-thinking approach as it is flexible in its design, which allows the framework to be tailored to a variety of implementation situations. The framework is centred in Kaupapa Māori methodology. Each principle of Kaupapa Māori and each element of HPW provide a holistic approach to implementation science.
Given this thesis includes four publications, a range of methods were employed for data collection. The first study was a systematic review of studies that was completed using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. This involved a stringent search strategy and inclusion criteria where studies included went through data extraction and methodological appraisal followed by an analysis through a qualitative synthesis of findings. Studies two and three employed semi-structured interviews that were analysed through thematic analysis. Study two included 19 participants who were either health professionals or researchers, and study three included 17 participants who were health professionals. The fourth study included an online cross-sectional survey of 200 health professionals and used statistical modelling to identify factors important for implementation effectiveness.
Results 
The first study included a systematic literature review to examine the implementation of a non-communicable disease health intervention for Indigenous communities using HPW as an evaluation tool. Twenty-one studies were included. Two thirds of these studies demonstrated high levels of community engagement and community voice/ agency, while 40% had individual-level outcomes with some systems thinking, and 33% included individual-level outcomes and limited systems thinking. Finally, almost 40% of studies included high levels of end-user engagement reflective of integrated knowledge translation, but nearly half had limited end-user engagement with the remaining neither high or low. This study found that the HPW Implementation Framework is a comprehensive model for understanding implementation effectiveness in Indigenous communities and highlighted the high levels of community engagement and community voice. It also brings to light that the long-term sustainability and translation of evidence to practice may be inhibited because of lower levels of systems thinking and integrated knowledge translation. 
The second study researched the perceptions health professionals have on co-designing health-promotion interventions with Indigenous communities in New Zealand. Co-designing health-promotion interventions with Indigenous communities presents many benefits and challenges. This study identified that the facilitators for co-designing health-promotion interventions with Māori communities were collaboration and community voice. Furthermore, the two key barriers identified were mismanaged expectations between the researcher and community and the research constraints placed by funding agencies. The findings support the development of more effective co-design health-promotion interventions within Māori communities which may address health inequities. 
The third study endeavoured to identify the facilitators and barriers in disseminating and adopting a health intervention developed by a community-academic partnership. This study explored general perceptions of the implementation process and also included a case study of an innovative intervention. The facilitators included community engagement, programme structure, programme adaptability and creators’ experience. The barriers consisted of funding access, funding constraints and organisational constraints. This study also highlights the importance of community engagement and adaptability suggesting a need for translation as well as diffusion. Additionally, this study identified nuanced aspects of funding and resources for organisations that constrain organisations in employing health interventions designed by others.
The final study identified factors that New Zealand health professionals rate as important for implementation effectiveness for health interventions with Māori communities. This study provided a unique perspective of health professionals on implementation effectiveness when working with Māori/Indigenous communities. Paired sample t-tests revealed four levels of importance for implementation effectiveness with organisational teamwork and community autonomy as most important. Only 24% of participants had prior experience with a previous health intervention with Māori communities. The two key overall factors that were associated with participants’ rating of implementation effectiveness in these previous interventions were process and community. This study identified the key areas of implementation effectiveness as community engagement and participatory process. Furthermore, the final study contributes to the body of literature that challenges traditional top-down approaches of implementation.
Conclusion
This research aimed to identify the facilitators and barriers to disseminating and implementing health interventions with Māori communities in New Zealand. A synthesis of the four studies provided four key themes for this thesis. This thesis reinforces the position that Indigenous and Māori implementation science should be focused on the process and community engagement. In doing so, community engagement ensures a cultural-centred approach that prioritises Indigenous knowledge and autonomy in the process of implementation. Furthermore, the barriers identified in this thesis recognise the challenges that remain in limited funding for translating research into implementation practice and managing expectations amongst the implementation team. This thesis has implications for New Zealand district health boards and health organisations who are wanting to increase the effectiveness of the health interventions they are implementing with Māori communities, particularly when trying to address health inequities. Overall, this study is an attempt to bridge the gap between translating research and the processes of putting it into practice.

text: Effective implementation science processes for Māori and Indigenous health interventions Background
This thesis considers the implications implementation science has for Indigenous communities, specifically in reducing health inequities for the Māori community of New Zealand. Implementation science has been discussed among many Western health interventions and this thesis adds to that body of literature while highlighting the impact implementation has for Indigenous communities. 
Implementation science is a growing body of literature that can identify the most effective processes for health organisations and governments to best engage with Indigenous communities facing health inequities. An important aspect of that is ensuring the Indigenous voices and perspectives are represented just as much as the academics and scholars in those fields. The purpose of this thesis is to highlight the facilitators and barriers of implementing health interventions with Māori communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. This thesis aims to contribute to the conversation about reducing health inequities Māori communities’ face in New Zealand by enhancing implementation effectiveness. Therefore, it is an effort to illuminate the importance of the inclusion of community voice and perspectives when implementing health interventions with Indigenous communities. The thesis is with publications and includes four distinct studies.
Methodology & Methods
The key methodologies used in this study were Kaupapa Māori methodology and the He Pikinga Waiora (HPW) Implementation framework. Kaupapa Māori has been used as both a form of resistance and a methodological strategy, where research is created, developed, and carried within a Māori worldview with the aim to have positive outcomes that are beneficial for Māori. The HPW framework provided a holistic approach to guide this research through its key elements of: culture-centered approach, community engagement, systems thinking, and integrated knowledge translation. It is a forward-thinking approach as it is flexible in its design, which allows the framework to be tailored to a variety of implementation situations. The framework is centred in Kaupapa Māori methodology. Each principle of Kaupapa Māori and each element of HPW provide a holistic approach to implementation science.
Given this thesis includes four publications, a range of methods were employed for data collection. The first study was a systematic review of studies that was completed using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. This involved a stringent search strategy and inclusion criteria where studies included went through data extraction and methodological appraisal followed by an analysis through a qualitative synthesis of findings. Studies two and three employed semi-structured interviews that were analysed through thematic analysis. Study two included 19 participants who were either health professionals or researchers, and study three included 17 participants who were health professionals. The fourth study included an online cross-sectional survey of 200 health professionals and used statistical modelling to identify factors important for implementation effectiveness.
Results 
The first study included a systematic literature review to examine the implementation of a non-communicable disease health intervention for Indigenous communities using HPW as an evaluation tool. Twenty-one studies were included. Two thirds of these studies demonstrated high levels of community engagement and community voice/ agency, while 40% had individual-level outcomes with some systems thinking, and 33% included individual-level outcomes and limited systems thinking. Finally, almost 40% of studies included high levels of end-user engagement reflective of integrated knowledge translation, but nearly half had limited end-user engagement with the remaining neither high or low. This study found that the HPW Implementation Framework is a comprehensive model for understanding implementation effectiveness in Indigenous communities and highlighted the high levels of community engagement and community voice. It also brings to light that the long-term sustainability and translation of evidence to practice may be inhibited because of lower levels of systems thinking and integrated knowledge translation. 
The second study researched the perceptions health professionals have on co-designing health-promotion interventions with Indigenous communities in New Zealand. Co-designing health-promotion interventions with Indigenous communities presents many benefits and challenges. This study identified that the facilitators for co-designing health-promotion interventions with Māori communities were collaboration and community voice. Furthermore, the two key barriers identified were mismanaged expectations between the researcher and community and the research constraints placed by funding agencies. The findings support the development of more effective co-design health-promotion interventions within Māori communities which may address health inequities. 
The third study endeavoured to identify the facilitators and barriers in disseminating and adopting a health intervention developed by a community-academic partnership. This study explored general perceptions of the implementation process and also included a case study of an innovative intervention. The facilitators included community engagement, programme structure, programme adaptability and creators’ experience. The barriers consisted of funding access, funding constraints and organisational constraints. This study also highlights the importance of community engagement and adaptability suggesting a need for translation as well as diffusion. Additionally, this study identified nuanced aspects of funding and resources for organisations that constrain organisations in employing health interventions designed by others.
The final study identified factors that New Zealand health professionals rate as important for implementation effectiveness for health interventions with Māori communities. This study provided a unique perspective of health professionals on implementation effectiveness when working with Māori/Indigenous communities. Paired sample t-tests revealed four levels of importance for implementation effectiveness with organisational teamwork and community autonomy as most important. Only 24% of participants had prior experience with a previous health intervention with Māori communities. The two key overall factors that were associated with participants’ rating of implementation effectiveness in these previous interventions were process and community. This study identified the key areas of implementation effectiveness as community engagement and participatory process. Furthermore, the final study contributes to the body of literature that challenges traditional top-down approaches of implementation.
Conclusion
This research aimed to identify the facilitators and barriers to disseminating and implementing health interventions with Māori communities in New Zealand. A synthesis of the four studies provided four key themes for this thesis. This thesis reinforces the position that Indigenous and Māori implementation science should be focused on the process and community engagement. In doing so, community engagement ensures a cultural-centred approach that prioritises Indigenous knowledge and autonomy in the process of implementation. Furthermore, the barriers identified in this thesis recognise the challenges that remain in limited funding for translating research into implementation practice and managing expectations amongst the implementation team. This thesis has implications for New Zealand district health boards and health organisations who are wanting to increase the effectiveness of the health interventions they are implementing with Māori communities, particularly when trying to address health inequities. Overall, this study is an attempt to bridge the gap between translating research and the processes of putting it into practice.

year: 2021