title: Interactive group activity: a socially mediated tool for opening an interpretive space in classroom research

authors: Whyte, Barbara

subjects: children’s meaning making

abstract: An ongoing challenge in classroom research is to understand children’s perspectives on their learning. While learning is highly individual, it is also significantly social and this raises methodological challenges. An Interactive Group Activity (IGA) is one of several data collection strategies used during the action research phase of the Connecting Curriculum, Connecting Learningproject (2010–2011) focusing on arts-based curriculum integration. This article concentrates on the IGA tool as a means of uncovering children’s meaning making following an extended period of learning. Of particular note is the use of an arts pedagogical device to introduce the IGA to children, a device that frames the purpose of the task. In effect, the IGA acts as a group assessment device underlining the socially mediated nature of children’s learning. This article describes how the IGA tool evolved, gives its form and structure, argues for its affordances and suggests possibilities for its wider use.

text: Interactive group activity: a socially mediated tool for opening an interpretive space in classroom research An ongoing challenge in classroom research is to understand children’s perspectives on their learning. While learning is highly individual, it is also significantly social and this raises methodological challenges. An Interactive Group Activity (IGA) is one of several data collection strategies used during the action research phase of the Connecting Curriculum, Connecting Learningproject (2010–2011) focusing on arts-based curriculum integration. This article concentrates on the IGA tool as a means of uncovering children’s meaning making following an extended period of learning. Of particular note is the use of an arts pedagogical device to introduce the IGA to children, a device that frames the purpose of the task. In effect, the IGA acts as a group assessment device underlining the socially mediated nature of children’s learning. This article describes how the IGA tool evolved, gives its form and structure, argues for its affordances and suggests possibilities for its wider use.

year: 2012

title: The Challenge to Fijian Methodism - the vanua, identity, ethnicity and change

authors: Degei, Sekove. Bigitibau

subjects: Fijian Methodism

abstract: Christianity is the dominant religion in the Fiji islands today. However, this was not the case in the early eighteen hundreds. Back then, the Fijians had lived a life and culture of their own that was not known to the world. This all changed when different groups of Europeans started to arrive in the early eighteen hundreds.  Of these, the group that had the most influence on the Fijians was the English Wesleyan missionaries. The result of their evangelism was the establishment of the Methodist church in 1835.  This church is the dominant denomination in Christian Fiji and has been closely meshed with concepts of Fijian identity. However, the church's dominance is being challenged, partly because of the entwining of concepts of church and the vanua (land, people). Additionally the arrival of other, new denominations with their different ideologies has also affected the standing and influence of the Methodists.

In this thesis the way in which the missionaries had introduced themselves to the Fijians and how they influenced and converted them to Christianity are outlined.  This was not a one-way affair, where only the missionaries' ways of living and ideologies were involved.  They first had to accept the structure and some of the customs of the vanua before their mission could proceed. It was found that the influence and ideologies brought by the missionaries was incorporated into the vanua ideologies and has formed the basis of what became the Fijian way of life. When Fiji became a colony of Britain in 1874, the incorporation of the vanua and Methodist Christian ideologies and structure was well established. 

However, all these views, and the previously accepted local views of Fijian culture, have changed in response to the challenges from the new denominations.  The effect of these new approaches and ideologies on the vanua and the Methodists in Fiji is discussed. The outcome of this on-going situation is not yet clear.

text: The Challenge to Fijian Methodism - the vanua, identity, ethnicity and change Christianity is the dominant religion in the Fiji islands today. However, this was not the case in the early eighteen hundreds. Back then, the Fijians had lived a life and culture of their own that was not known to the world. This all changed when different groups of Europeans started to arrive in the early eighteen hundreds.  Of these, the group that had the most influence on the Fijians was the English Wesleyan missionaries. The result of their evangelism was the establishment of the Methodist church in 1835.  This church is the dominant denomination in Christian Fiji and has been closely meshed with concepts of Fijian identity. However, the church's dominance is being challenged, partly because of the entwining of concepts of church and the vanua (land, people). Additionally the arrival of other, new denominations with their different ideologies has also affected the standing and influence of the Methodists.

In this thesis the way in which the missionaries had introduced themselves to the Fijians and how they influenced and converted them to Christianity are outlined.  This was not a one-way affair, where only the missionaries' ways of living and ideologies were involved.  They first had to accept the structure and some of the customs of the vanua before their mission could proceed. It was found that the influence and ideologies brought by the missionaries was incorporated into the vanua ideologies and has formed the basis of what became the Fijian way of life. When Fiji became a colony of Britain in 1874, the incorporation of the vanua and Methodist Christian ideologies and structure was well established. 

However, all these views, and the previously accepted local views of Fijian culture, have changed in response to the challenges from the new denominations.  The effect of these new approaches and ideologies on the vanua and the Methodists in Fiji is discussed. The outcome of this on-going situation is not yet clear.

year: 2007

title: What is the difference? What factors contribute to the variation of achievement for Year 7 and 8 Māori students in high decile, full primary schools?

authors: McLocklan, Sue

subjects: Maori student achievement

abstract: The educational disparity between indigenous Māori students and those of the majority continue to be a major issue in New Zealand. Attempting to bridge the gap for Māori students has generated focus on Māori student engagement in the classroom, the actions and understanding of the teacher and the relationship and interactions between the teacher and students in their learning environment. Elements of culturally responsive pedagogy have been identified as positive contributing factors to accelerating academic achievement for secondary Māori mainstream students. 
This small-scale cross-cultural exploratory qualitative research project seeks to identify the factors that contribute to student achievement variation for Year 7 and 8 students in high decile full primary schools and the integration of teacher’s cultural competencies in high quality learning opportunities. Within a kaupapa Māori research process, this study uses empirical data collected from a purposive sample through a semi-structured individual interview and a for self-assessment. Voluntary research participants were twelve students and six teachers in three schools in the Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Wellington regions. This research examines the engagement of student and teacher in pedagogical practice, learning variables, cultural knowledge and practices attributable to positive academic achievement for Māori. 
The findings reveal that when teachers place themselves in an agentic position; adopt a professional commitment and willingness to engage in effective relations, interactions and reciprocal practices to support Māori learners, high levels of relational trust and expectations prevail through mutual respect and interdependence to attain successful educational outcomes.
Further teacher professional learning is essential to enlighten and deepen teachers' understanding of culturally responsive pedagogy to enable Māori learners to reach their potential to participate and contribute in their world of choice.

text: What is the difference? What factors contribute to the variation of achievement for Year 7 and 8 Māori students in high decile, full primary schools? The educational disparity between indigenous Māori students and those of the majority continue to be a major issue in New Zealand. Attempting to bridge the gap for Māori students has generated focus on Māori student engagement in the classroom, the actions and understanding of the teacher and the relationship and interactions between the teacher and students in their learning environment. Elements of culturally responsive pedagogy have been identified as positive contributing factors to accelerating academic achievement for secondary Māori mainstream students. 
This small-scale cross-cultural exploratory qualitative research project seeks to identify the factors that contribute to student achievement variation for Year 7 and 8 students in high decile full primary schools and the integration of teacher’s cultural competencies in high quality learning opportunities. Within a kaupapa Māori research process, this study uses empirical data collected from a purposive sample through a semi-structured individual interview and a for self-assessment. Voluntary research participants were twelve students and six teachers in three schools in the Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Wellington regions. This research examines the engagement of student and teacher in pedagogical practice, learning variables, cultural knowledge and practices attributable to positive academic achievement for Māori. 
The findings reveal that when teachers place themselves in an agentic position; adopt a professional commitment and willingness to engage in effective relations, interactions and reciprocal practices to support Māori learners, high levels of relational trust and expectations prevail through mutual respect and interdependence to attain successful educational outcomes.
Further teacher professional learning is essential to enlighten and deepen teachers' understanding of culturally responsive pedagogy to enable Māori learners to reach their potential to participate and contribute in their world of choice.

year: 2013