title: Virtuous and right action: A relaxed view

authors: van Zyl, Liezl

subjects: virtue ethics

abstract: In this chapter I consider two questions about action evaluation: (1) Is it the central task of normative ethics to concern itself with action evaluation?, and (2) When it does concern itself with action evaluation, should its focus be on developing an account of right and wrong action, as opposed to, say, good and bad (or virtuous and vicious) action? I argue that for virtue ethicists, the task of providing an account of right action is not of central importance, and that the strength of virtue ethics lies in the fact that it allows us to evaluate actions in terms of a rich aretaic vocabulary. In the second half of the chapter I propose a “relaxed” virtue-ethical account of right action, which denies that rightness is a particular quality shared by all actions appropriately referred to as “right,” and acknowledges that the meaning of “right action” differs from one context to another.

text: Virtuous and right action: A relaxed view In this chapter I consider two questions about action evaluation: (1) Is it the central task of normative ethics to concern itself with action evaluation?, and (2) When it does concern itself with action evaluation, should its focus be on developing an account of right and wrong action, as opposed to, say, good and bad (or virtuous and vicious) action? I argue that for virtue ethicists, the task of providing an account of right action is not of central importance, and that the strength of virtue ethics lies in the fact that it allows us to evaluate actions in terms of a rich aretaic vocabulary. In the second half of the chapter I propose a “relaxed” virtue-ethical account of right action, which denies that rightness is a particular quality shared by all actions appropriately referred to as “right,” and acknowledges that the meaning of “right action” differs from one context to another.

year: 2020

title: The potential for a future-focused curriculum in New Zealand: The perceptions and practice of six secondary school technology teachers

authors: Reinsfield, Elizabeth

subjects: Activity theory

abstract: Technology education is a subject that has seen significant conceptual change within its curriculum since its inception. In New Zealand, the national curriculum positions technology education as a means to expose students to learning, which can be future-focused in nature. The subject affords opportunities for pedagogical practice to be responsive to student interests and focused on technology-related issues and societal need. Students’ learning has the capacity for creative and critical thinking in a variety of learning contexts and technological areas.
This qualitative research uncovers new knowledge about the nature and enactment of technology education in New Zealand, using a combination of interpretive, sociocultural, and case study methods. It explores how six teachers’ perceptions affected their interpretation and enactment of the technology curriculum in two secondary schools. One school was well established, and the other was a newly built Innovative Learning Environment (Ministry of Education (MoE), 2017a; Osborne, 2016). Data relied on several primary sources, namely the New Zealand curriculum document (MoE, 2007) and its supporting materials (MoE, 2010), two or three semi-structured interviews per participant, lesson observations, department meetings, teacher reflections, and teacher-generated resources. Activity theory was the interpretive framework used to establish each teacher’s circumstances and experiences.
The findings confirmed that teachers’ perceptions directly influenced their interpretation and commitment to the curriculum’s enactment. There was disparity between some teachers’ espoused perceptions and manifesting practice, as determined by their cultural context. The most limiting perceptions were that students should first be taught teacher-designated skills and knowledge, and that it was satisfactory for technological outcomes to be replications or adaptations of existing products rather than to be innovative or future-focused in nature.
When interpreting the curriculum, all teacher participants in the study defaulted to the Technological Practice strand because of its association with practical outcomes. There was some hesitance to engage with the Nature of Technology strand, which was perceived by the teachers to be more conceptually challenging and less valued by students. Whilst some teachers aspired to foster a learner-centred classroom, there was acknowledgement that to do so, students were required to be self-regulating and actively engaged in their work.
It is concluded that technology teachers’ perceptions and practice do not necessarily explicitly align with the concepts outlined in the New Zealand curriculum (MoE, 2007). This research challenges the notion that if a teacher is knowledgeable about their specialist area of technology, they can effectively interpret and make meaning of the generic curriculum concepts for their own teaching practice. This is significant because in a context where teachers are encouraged to be curriculum decision makers, such a gap in professional knowledge signals a barrier to its enactment. It is suggested that to address this barrier, teachers need to adopt a form of “technological thinking” in support of their existing “technical thinking” (Reinsfield & Williams, 2017).
This research illustrates how technology teachers’ perceptions can enable, moderate, or limit, their capacity to make the connection between curriculum and practice. How teachers make meaning of the curriculum to develop their knowledge for practice is presented as a threshold concept (Meyer & Land, 2003, 2006; Peter et al., 2014). Some enablers to practice are proposed. To enable change there needs to be a sustained and collaborative approach to support technology teachers’ evolving pedagogical practice, which centres on learner- centred pedagogies and demonstrates a commitment to the enactment of the curriculum (MoE, 2007). I conclude by proposing a professional learning model, intended to support teachers who are motivated to reflect upon and transform their perceptions and practice, and to align their teaching with current policy and practice in New Zealand.

text: The potential for a future-focused curriculum in New Zealand: The perceptions and practice of six secondary school technology teachers Technology education is a subject that has seen significant conceptual change within its curriculum since its inception. In New Zealand, the national curriculum positions technology education as a means to expose students to learning, which can be future-focused in nature. The subject affords opportunities for pedagogical practice to be responsive to student interests and focused on technology-related issues and societal need. Students’ learning has the capacity for creative and critical thinking in a variety of learning contexts and technological areas.
This qualitative research uncovers new knowledge about the nature and enactment of technology education in New Zealand, using a combination of interpretive, sociocultural, and case study methods. It explores how six teachers’ perceptions affected their interpretation and enactment of the technology curriculum in two secondary schools. One school was well established, and the other was a newly built Innovative Learning Environment (Ministry of Education (MoE), 2017a; Osborne, 2016). Data relied on several primary sources, namely the New Zealand curriculum document (MoE, 2007) and its supporting materials (MoE, 2010), two or three semi-structured interviews per participant, lesson observations, department meetings, teacher reflections, and teacher-generated resources. Activity theory was the interpretive framework used to establish each teacher’s circumstances and experiences.
The findings confirmed that teachers’ perceptions directly influenced their interpretation and commitment to the curriculum’s enactment. There was disparity between some teachers’ espoused perceptions and manifesting practice, as determined by their cultural context. The most limiting perceptions were that students should first be taught teacher-designated skills and knowledge, and that it was satisfactory for technological outcomes to be replications or adaptations of existing products rather than to be innovative or future-focused in nature.
When interpreting the curriculum, all teacher participants in the study defaulted to the Technological Practice strand because of its association with practical outcomes. There was some hesitance to engage with the Nature of Technology strand, which was perceived by the teachers to be more conceptually challenging and less valued by students. Whilst some teachers aspired to foster a learner-centred classroom, there was acknowledgement that to do so, students were required to be self-regulating and actively engaged in their work.
It is concluded that technology teachers’ perceptions and practice do not necessarily explicitly align with the concepts outlined in the New Zealand curriculum (MoE, 2007). This research challenges the notion that if a teacher is knowledgeable about their specialist area of technology, they can effectively interpret and make meaning of the generic curriculum concepts for their own teaching practice. This is significant because in a context where teachers are encouraged to be curriculum decision makers, such a gap in professional knowledge signals a barrier to its enactment. It is suggested that to address this barrier, teachers need to adopt a form of “technological thinking” in support of their existing “technical thinking” (Reinsfield & Williams, 2017).
This research illustrates how technology teachers’ perceptions can enable, moderate, or limit, their capacity to make the connection between curriculum and practice. How teachers make meaning of the curriculum to develop their knowledge for practice is presented as a threshold concept (Meyer & Land, 2003, 2006; Peter et al., 2014). Some enablers to practice are proposed. To enable change there needs to be a sustained and collaborative approach to support technology teachers’ evolving pedagogical practice, which centres on learner- centred pedagogies and demonstrates a commitment to the enactment of the curriculum (MoE, 2007). I conclude by proposing a professional learning model, intended to support teachers who are motivated to reflect upon and transform their perceptions and practice, and to align their teaching with current policy and practice in New Zealand.

year: 2018

title: Young Maori males experiences in a secondary school context as sporting, academic and cultural identities.

authors: Porteous, Erin

subjects: Male Maori

abstract: This research focused on the journey of male Māori through secondary school and the effect on their identities in terms of sport, culture and academia. The two key areas of focus were how the culture of the school, including cultural stereotypes, impacts on male Māori learner self-concept, and whether the effect of creating an all Māori boys form class has resulted in an increased sense of belonging and engagement. 
The research was conducted as a case study underpinned by an interpretive methodology, using a focus group interview. The group was made up of five boys, chosen from a newly formed all boys’ Year 11 Māori form class. The boys were selected in conjunction with their form teacher and the schools Kaitiaki, in order to reflect a range of sporting, academic and cultural levels. 
The research findings found that although the boys view of their experiences in school seemed positive overall, they described common incidences and reactions to racial discrimination. The exposure to embedded racial stereotypes and behaviours caused them to create their own solutions, often through threatening violence or aggressive reactions. It appears that when young male Māori are more closely connected to Māori culture, they are more likely they are to create these responses. 
Teachers remain integral to the engagement and belonging of a young male Māori in secondary school. In support of the findings from Kia Eke Panuku (2013), this study found that male Māori require positive relationships with their teachers to engage in the subject and school in a general sense. Relationships based on ako and manaakitanga are key to these students viewing their experiences in school as successful.
Another finding showed the importance of sport and physical activity to young male Māori, though success in this area has been a limiting factor in contributing to overall success in secondary school. The placing of male Māori as a ‘physical being’ (Hokowhitu, 2003a; Hokowhitu, 2003b; Hokowhitu, 2004) creates spaces where Māori can be successful, such as practical based subjects like physical education. This success is perceived as acceptable yet often isolates them away from success in other areas (Erueti & Palmer, 2014), feeding into the stereotype itself.
The success of the all boys’ Māori form class was scrutinised by this study, and found the intended outcomes had not necessarily been met. The overall impact was that the boys had been grouped with a Māori form teacher and the intentions of additional support had been overlooked due to time pressures and deficit thinking in terms of capabilities of the class members.  For the Māori boys in this study, the challenges of overcome historical cultural stereotypes added to the challenge of succeeding at secondary school. The expectation that they walk successfully between the realms of Māori and pākehā to achieve in the current education system coupled with the feeling they needed to act ‘pākehā’ in order to achieve is particularly disturbing. The inequity for them in denying part of their identity seems a hefty price to pay for educational success.
This study highlights the need for schools, communities and individual teachers to recognise these racial and systemic inequities and work tirelessly to develop strategies to eliminate them, in order to create to take a giant step towards equity for all New Zealanders within education.

text: Young Maori males experiences in a secondary school context as sporting, academic and cultural identities. This research focused on the journey of male Māori through secondary school and the effect on their identities in terms of sport, culture and academia. The two key areas of focus were how the culture of the school, including cultural stereotypes, impacts on male Māori learner self-concept, and whether the effect of creating an all Māori boys form class has resulted in an increased sense of belonging and engagement. 
The research was conducted as a case study underpinned by an interpretive methodology, using a focus group interview. The group was made up of five boys, chosen from a newly formed all boys’ Year 11 Māori form class. The boys were selected in conjunction with their form teacher and the schools Kaitiaki, in order to reflect a range of sporting, academic and cultural levels. 
The research findings found that although the boys view of their experiences in school seemed positive overall, they described common incidences and reactions to racial discrimination. The exposure to embedded racial stereotypes and behaviours caused them to create their own solutions, often through threatening violence or aggressive reactions. It appears that when young male Māori are more closely connected to Māori culture, they are more likely they are to create these responses. 
Teachers remain integral to the engagement and belonging of a young male Māori in secondary school. In support of the findings from Kia Eke Panuku (2013), this study found that male Māori require positive relationships with their teachers to engage in the subject and school in a general sense. Relationships based on ako and manaakitanga are key to these students viewing their experiences in school as successful.
Another finding showed the importance of sport and physical activity to young male Māori, though success in this area has been a limiting factor in contributing to overall success in secondary school. The placing of male Māori as a ‘physical being’ (Hokowhitu, 2003a; Hokowhitu, 2003b; Hokowhitu, 2004) creates spaces where Māori can be successful, such as practical based subjects like physical education. This success is perceived as acceptable yet often isolates them away from success in other areas (Erueti & Palmer, 2014), feeding into the stereotype itself.
The success of the all boys’ Māori form class was scrutinised by this study, and found the intended outcomes had not necessarily been met. The overall impact was that the boys had been grouped with a Māori form teacher and the intentions of additional support had been overlooked due to time pressures and deficit thinking in terms of capabilities of the class members.  For the Māori boys in this study, the challenges of overcome historical cultural stereotypes added to the challenge of succeeding at secondary school. The expectation that they walk successfully between the realms of Māori and pākehā to achieve in the current education system coupled with the feeling they needed to act ‘pākehā’ in order to achieve is particularly disturbing. The inequity for them in denying part of their identity seems a hefty price to pay for educational success.
This study highlights the need for schools, communities and individual teachers to recognise these racial and systemic inequities and work tirelessly to develop strategies to eliminate them, in order to create to take a giant step towards equity for all New Zealanders within education.

year: 2016