title: Re-thinking ways of being a teacher and doing an early childhood project: A critical examination of discourses and identities in early childhood policies and practice

authors: Kamenarac, Olivera

subjects: teachers professional identities

abstract: The conference presentation draws on the author's recent study on how teacher professional identities have been re-constructed in response to shifting discourses in Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood (ECE) policies and practices (Kamenarac, 2019). Through the theoretical lens of feminist poststructuralists (Baxter, 2016; Weedon, 1997), it critically looks at the text of leading New Zealand ECE policies and interviews with early childhood teachers to examine the power of language as a constitutive force in producing particular ways of seeing the world (e.g. the purpose of ECE) and being a subject (i.e. a teacher, a child, a parent) in the world. The author employs a discourse-analysis approach (Bacchi, 2000; Gee, 2014; Kamenarac, 2019) to explore how meanings of the policy concepts, or, to put it another way, a translation of policy discourses, shifted in diverse institutional contexts, producing oppositional views of teachers' work, identities and relationships. By choosing consciously (or not) language and discourses to make sense of themselves and others, teachers positioned some groups of children and families as 'disempowered subjects', while construing themselves as 'catalysts for preventing vulnerability', narrowing views of the purpose of education in society. The author argues, to re-position themselves towards what it means to be advocate-activist teachers (Kamenarac, 2019b) and 'citizen scholars' (Giroux & Giroux, 2016) in the world, teachers need to critically look at discourses underpinning their ways of being and doing and deliberately construct identities and practices embedded in the ideas of socially just, democratic and equitable education and the world.

text: Re-thinking ways of being a teacher and doing an early childhood project: A critical examination of discourses and identities in early childhood policies and practice The conference presentation draws on the author's recent study on how teacher professional identities have been re-constructed in response to shifting discourses in Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood (ECE) policies and practices (Kamenarac, 2019). Through the theoretical lens of feminist poststructuralists (Baxter, 2016; Weedon, 1997), it critically looks at the text of leading New Zealand ECE policies and interviews with early childhood teachers to examine the power of language as a constitutive force in producing particular ways of seeing the world (e.g. the purpose of ECE) and being a subject (i.e. a teacher, a child, a parent) in the world. The author employs a discourse-analysis approach (Bacchi, 2000; Gee, 2014; Kamenarac, 2019) to explore how meanings of the policy concepts, or, to put it another way, a translation of policy discourses, shifted in diverse institutional contexts, producing oppositional views of teachers' work, identities and relationships. By choosing consciously (or not) language and discourses to make sense of themselves and others, teachers positioned some groups of children and families as 'disempowered subjects', while construing themselves as 'catalysts for preventing vulnerability', narrowing views of the purpose of education in society. The author argues, to re-position themselves towards what it means to be advocate-activist teachers (Kamenarac, 2019b) and 'citizen scholars' (Giroux & Giroux, 2016) in the world, teachers need to critically look at discourses underpinning their ways of being and doing and deliberately construct identities and practices embedded in the ideas of socially just, democratic and equitable education and the world.

year: 2021

title: Physical education in primary schools: holding on to the past or heading for a different future?

authors: Petrie, Kirsten Culhane

subjects: primary schools

abstract: This paper reports on research undertaken by Pétrie, jones, and McKlm (2007)' during 2006, as part of a Ministry of Education funded evaluation ofthe Impacts of professional learning on currlcular and co-currlcular physical activity. While the evaluative research explored physical activity In the broadest sense, this paper concentrates specifically on the aspect ofthe research that focussed on physical education [PEj as a curriculum subject. The paper provides a snapshot of how PE ¡s understood and practised by generallst teachers In ten primary schools. It then identifies some of the factors that contribute to interpretations and delivery of PE, and Issues that need to be addressed If PE is to move beyond the past and towards an alternative future.

text: Physical education in primary schools: holding on to the past or heading for a different future? This paper reports on research undertaken by Pétrie, jones, and McKlm (2007)' during 2006, as part of a Ministry of Education funded evaluation ofthe Impacts of professional learning on currlcular and co-currlcular physical activity. While the evaluative research explored physical activity In the broadest sense, this paper concentrates specifically on the aspect ofthe research that focussed on physical education [PEj as a curriculum subject. The paper provides a snapshot of how PE ¡s understood and practised by generallst teachers In ten primary schools. It then identifies some of the factors that contribute to interpretations and delivery of PE, and Issues that need to be addressed If PE is to move beyond the past and towards an alternative future.

year: 2008

title: The use of Māori words in National Science Challenge online discourse

authors: Calude, Andreea S.

abstract: This paper presents data relating to the use of Maori borrowings as they occur in a corpus of scientific discourse on the websites of the eleven National Science Challenges (NSCs) and their associated Twitter feeds.

text: The use of Māori words in National Science Challenge online discourse This paper presents data relating to the use of Maori borrowings as they occur in a corpus of scientific discourse on the websites of the eleven National Science Challenges (NSCs) and their associated Twitter feeds.

year: 2018