title: Genealogical Family History in Aotearoa-New Zealand: From Community of Practice to Transdisciplinary Academic Discourse?

authors: Brown, Margaret Mary Selman

subjects: genealogical family history

abstract: Genealogical Family Historians conduct research in order to reconstruct genealogical families, through the application of a rigorous methodology: weighing the evidence for placing each individual in a family group, linking family groups of the past and making contact with kin of the present. Genealogical Family Historians trace the movements and migrations of identified individuals and family groups; and study the local, national and international social settings of lives lived in families and households in different times and places, over many generations. A large worldwide Community of Practice with many constituent groups, including the New Zealand Society of Genealogists Incorporated, has formed itself around this research activity. 

In this transdisciplinary study focused on social learning, I have explored and analysed the domain, the practice and the community of Genealogical Family Historians researching in and from Aotearoa-New Zealand during the past 50 years. Genealogical Family Historians meet formally and informally, in small groups or at large conferences to pursue their self-directed learning. 

The collaborative practice includes publishing and teaching; and the locating, preserving and indexing of records. Many conduct research and communicate with others in the new world of cyberspace. My overarching research question has been: where is the future place for this scholarly discourse? My approach to this study is transdisciplinary: my point-of-view is above and across departments and disciplines. The ethos and vision of transdisciplinarity is attained only through existing disciplines, and transdisciplinary research has the potential to contribute to those disciplines, as I demonstrate in this thesis. 




The transdisciplinary scholarly discourse of Genealogical Family History owes much to the disciplines of history, geography and sociology; and draws on biology, law, religious studies, linguistics, demography, computer science and information technology. I have also drawn on understandings from my own prior and concurrent disciplinary knowledge and experience for this study. Other Genealogical Family Historians bring different disciplinary understandings to the discourse that is Genealogical Family History. 

My positionality is that of an insider, an involved member of the Community of Practice for many years. In this study, I have allowed my key informants to speak with their own voices; and I have sought illustration and evidence from documentation and observation in the wider Genealogical Family History Community, past and present. I have used enhanced reflection on my own practice in my analysis and in case studies. This study demonstrates how the Community of Practice has played an important role in developing a transdisciplinary mode of inquiry and suggests that there are some generic features of the field and practice of Genealogical Family History that form the substance of a transdisciplinary discourse ready to take its place in academia.

text: Genealogical Family History in Aotearoa-New Zealand: From Community of Practice to Transdisciplinary Academic Discourse? Genealogical Family Historians conduct research in order to reconstruct genealogical families, through the application of a rigorous methodology: weighing the evidence for placing each individual in a family group, linking family groups of the past and making contact with kin of the present. Genealogical Family Historians trace the movements and migrations of identified individuals and family groups; and study the local, national and international social settings of lives lived in families and households in different times and places, over many generations. A large worldwide Community of Practice with many constituent groups, including the New Zealand Society of Genealogists Incorporated, has formed itself around this research activity. 

In this transdisciplinary study focused on social learning, I have explored and analysed the domain, the practice and the community of Genealogical Family Historians researching in and from Aotearoa-New Zealand during the past 50 years. Genealogical Family Historians meet formally and informally, in small groups or at large conferences to pursue their self-directed learning. 

The collaborative practice includes publishing and teaching; and the locating, preserving and indexing of records. Many conduct research and communicate with others in the new world of cyberspace. My overarching research question has been: where is the future place for this scholarly discourse? My approach to this study is transdisciplinary: my point-of-view is above and across departments and disciplines. The ethos and vision of transdisciplinarity is attained only through existing disciplines, and transdisciplinary research has the potential to contribute to those disciplines, as I demonstrate in this thesis. 




The transdisciplinary scholarly discourse of Genealogical Family History owes much to the disciplines of history, geography and sociology; and draws on biology, law, religious studies, linguistics, demography, computer science and information technology. I have also drawn on understandings from my own prior and concurrent disciplinary knowledge and experience for this study. Other Genealogical Family Historians bring different disciplinary understandings to the discourse that is Genealogical Family History. 

My positionality is that of an insider, an involved member of the Community of Practice for many years. In this study, I have allowed my key informants to speak with their own voices; and I have sought illustration and evidence from documentation and observation in the wider Genealogical Family History Community, past and present. I have used enhanced reflection on my own practice in my analysis and in case studies. This study demonstrates how the Community of Practice has played an important role in developing a transdisciplinary mode of inquiry and suggests that there are some generic features of the field and practice of Genealogical Family History that form the substance of a transdisciplinary discourse ready to take its place in academia.

year: 2008

title: Body fractions: A physical approach to fraction learning

authors: Mills, Judith Patricia

subjects: primary school

abstract: Many students experience great difficulty understanding the meaning of fractions (Anthony & Walshaw, 2007; Behr, Lesh, Post & Silver, 1983; Davis, Hunting & Pearn, 1993; Lamon, 2007; Verschaffel, Greer & Torbeyns, 2006; Young-Loveridge, Taylor, Hawera & Sharma, 2007). For many students who have spent their early mathematics lessons focusing on counting (whole) numbers, recognising that there are many numbers between those whole numbers called fractional numbers, is quite revolutionary. The foundation of understanding fractions is the idea that they are parts of a whole. The fact that one whole object can be divided into many equal parts, with each part having a name relative to the original whole, opens up a whole new realm of number understanding for the students.

text: Body fractions: A physical approach to fraction learning Many students experience great difficulty understanding the meaning of fractions (Anthony & Walshaw, 2007; Behr, Lesh, Post & Silver, 1983; Davis, Hunting & Pearn, 1993; Lamon, 2007; Verschaffel, Greer & Torbeyns, 2006; Young-Loveridge, Taylor, Hawera & Sharma, 2007). For many students who have spent their early mathematics lessons focusing on counting (whole) numbers, recognising that there are many numbers between those whole numbers called fractional numbers, is quite revolutionary. The foundation of understanding fractions is the idea that they are parts of a whole. The fact that one whole object can be divided into many equal parts, with each part having a name relative to the original whole, opens up a whole new realm of number understanding for the students.

year: 2011

title: School leadership for Māori succeeding as Māori: A Mataatua perspective

authors: Barrett, Te Arani

subjects: tribal leadership

abstract: This thesis recounts how Ngāti Awa leadership principles from the past became evident in Te Kotahitanga schools. The thesis discusses Principals’ actions and reflections of fostering Māori students’ success as Māori in secondary schooling. Through case studies, it identifies the strategies engaged by these effective leaders and explores their undertakings in achieving successful outcomes for Māori with whom they have worked.
This study is an imperative to addressing the long-term levels of education under-achievement for Māori as indigenous people of New Zealand. The nexus for the study comes from Robinson (2007) who identified that ‘in many ways the question of how much impact [school] leaders have on student outcomes is a flawed one, because the answer surely depends on what it is that leaders do’. Marzano et al  (2005) also identifies ‘the relative paucity of empirical studies’ and ‘little specific guidance as to effective practices in school leadership’.
The purpose of this study is to identify the contribution effective leaders have made towards realising Durie’s (2001) landmark goals for Māori advancement, that is, for self-determining prosperity, good health and global participation. Identifying exceptional outcomes for Māori in a range of contexts establishes the criteria for selecting the case studies and therefore the foundation for the study. Successful outcomes include increased participation, better retention, improved academic achievement results and lesser disparities within the selected education sites.

text: School leadership for Māori succeeding as Māori: A Mataatua perspective This thesis recounts how Ngāti Awa leadership principles from the past became evident in Te Kotahitanga schools. The thesis discusses Principals’ actions and reflections of fostering Māori students’ success as Māori in secondary schooling. Through case studies, it identifies the strategies engaged by these effective leaders and explores their undertakings in achieving successful outcomes for Māori with whom they have worked.
This study is an imperative to addressing the long-term levels of education under-achievement for Māori as indigenous people of New Zealand. The nexus for the study comes from Robinson (2007) who identified that ‘in many ways the question of how much impact [school] leaders have on student outcomes is a flawed one, because the answer surely depends on what it is that leaders do’. Marzano et al  (2005) also identifies ‘the relative paucity of empirical studies’ and ‘little specific guidance as to effective practices in school leadership’.
The purpose of this study is to identify the contribution effective leaders have made towards realising Durie’s (2001) landmark goals for Māori advancement, that is, for self-determining prosperity, good health and global participation. Identifying exceptional outcomes for Māori in a range of contexts establishes the criteria for selecting the case studies and therefore the foundation for the study. Successful outcomes include increased participation, better retention, improved academic achievement results and lesser disparities within the selected education sites.

year: 2018