title: Exploring the front end of New Zealand curriculum in student teacher education: an example from language and mathematics education.

authors: Bailey, Judy

subjects: New Zealand curriculum

abstract: This paper reports on two components of a collaborative project conducted by members of the language and literacy education, mathematics education and social studies teaching teams at the Faculty of Education, The University of Waikato. The teams decided to research the implications of the front end of The New Zealand Curriculum document [NZC] (Ministry of Education, 2007). The front end of the document includes key competencies and a statement describing each learning area. The language and literacy team chose to explore student teacher understandings of the English essence statement and the way in which that learning area is structured. The mathematics education team explored student teacher understandings of and implications for the "thinking" key competency for the teaching and learning of mathematics. Data were collected through in-class observations and tasks, and the analysis of aspects of student assessment work. The findings highlighted the value of an explicit focus on a particular facet of the NZC along with the challenges student teachers experience in envisaging how this might play out in practice.

text: Exploring the front end of New Zealand curriculum in student teacher education: an example from language and mathematics education. This paper reports on two components of a collaborative project conducted by members of the language and literacy education, mathematics education and social studies teaching teams at the Faculty of Education, The University of Waikato. The teams decided to research the implications of the front end of The New Zealand Curriculum document [NZC] (Ministry of Education, 2007). The front end of the document includes key competencies and a statement describing each learning area. The language and literacy team chose to explore student teacher understandings of the English essence statement and the way in which that learning area is structured. The mathematics education team explored student teacher understandings of and implications for the "thinking" key competency for the teaching and learning of mathematics. Data were collected through in-class observations and tasks, and the analysis of aspects of student assessment work. The findings highlighted the value of an explicit focus on a particular facet of the NZC along with the challenges student teachers experience in envisaging how this might play out in practice.

year: 2010

title: Career development and the vitality of academic women in an era of intensifying globalisation

authors: John Asirvatham, Sheeba Rosaline

subjects: Career development

abstract: Globalisation is a term used by authors such Korten (2015b), Klein (2016), Kelsey (2016a), Maxton (2011), Stiglitz (2014) and Shiva (2016) to denote the greater integration and intensification of capitalist ideas globally. The form of globalisation under critique has been characterised by Seo and Creed (2002) as embedding hegemonic control, ultimately achieving what Kobrin (2009) calls a post-Westphalia world order. This order is sustained by a form of institutional logics critics find rife with contradiction and paradoxes. 

Gender dynamics are crucially entwined with globalisation. From my review of the literature, I came to think neoliberal feminist ideals and projects have rewarded a limited number of women at the cost of the wellbeing of people and planet. To target simple equality between men and women seemed increasingly inadequate for transformation of the trajectory of globalisation if the thriving of all humanity and restoration of Earth is to be achieved. To enquire more deeply into this reflection, I shaped my fieldwork around conversations with twelve academic women who hold senior positions in business or management schools in the North Island of New Zealand. New Zealand has been at the vanguard of neoliberal [re]organisation and, given its size and seeming geographic isolation, curiously influential in global affairs.

 From a rich set of literature, field-notes, stories, and self-reflective journaling, I crafted five themes for further reflection: i) career depictions, ii) vitality, iii) radical feminist theory, iv) globalisation, and v) critic and conscience of society. Examined separately these themes allowed for a particular view into aspects of participants’ lives with confluences and divergences of ideas within and among the women, and between their experiences and the literature. Seen together our conversations provide insights into the complexity of women’s lives, their commitment to their values, the opportunities and constraints of an academic career, and their hopes for the future. I examined what dynamics were reported as enhancing or diminishing their vitality. Most participants implied a commitment to women’s authority that I would call ‘feminist’ - some more explicitly than others. Notable was the fluid movement from neoliberal observations and strategies for their own careers and a more radical analyses brought to reflection on the seeming intractability of many issues that concern them. 

My research contribution through this work covers overlapping fields of organisational and critical management studies. Through the Education Act (1989), New Zealand public universities are mandated to contribute as a critic and conscience of society. A similar mandate is variously expressed by universities across the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. To enact such a mandate, scholars need to be critically aware of self and one’s potential as an influence on the future. My participants showed a great sensitivity to this self-awareness and expressed a commitment to such service as integral to a career that enhances vitality, self, others, and Earth. Their insights, many of which I would call feminist, hold much of value. I advocate for greater inclusion of radical feminist orientations to teaching and research for a transformation of the trajectory of globalisation for the betterment of society. To do so would strengthen the position of scholars as always activist, unable to position our influence as politically neutral, and more conscious of the part we play in the preservation or transformation of the degrading dynamics of globalisation.

text: Career development and the vitality of academic women in an era of intensifying globalisation Globalisation is a term used by authors such Korten (2015b), Klein (2016), Kelsey (2016a), Maxton (2011), Stiglitz (2014) and Shiva (2016) to denote the greater integration and intensification of capitalist ideas globally. The form of globalisation under critique has been characterised by Seo and Creed (2002) as embedding hegemonic control, ultimately achieving what Kobrin (2009) calls a post-Westphalia world order. This order is sustained by a form of institutional logics critics find rife with contradiction and paradoxes. 

Gender dynamics are crucially entwined with globalisation. From my review of the literature, I came to think neoliberal feminist ideals and projects have rewarded a limited number of women at the cost of the wellbeing of people and planet. To target simple equality between men and women seemed increasingly inadequate for transformation of the trajectory of globalisation if the thriving of all humanity and restoration of Earth is to be achieved. To enquire more deeply into this reflection, I shaped my fieldwork around conversations with twelve academic women who hold senior positions in business or management schools in the North Island of New Zealand. New Zealand has been at the vanguard of neoliberal [re]organisation and, given its size and seeming geographic isolation, curiously influential in global affairs.

 From a rich set of literature, field-notes, stories, and self-reflective journaling, I crafted five themes for further reflection: i) career depictions, ii) vitality, iii) radical feminist theory, iv) globalisation, and v) critic and conscience of society. Examined separately these themes allowed for a particular view into aspects of participants’ lives with confluences and divergences of ideas within and among the women, and between their experiences and the literature. Seen together our conversations provide insights into the complexity of women’s lives, their commitment to their values, the opportunities and constraints of an academic career, and their hopes for the future. I examined what dynamics were reported as enhancing or diminishing their vitality. Most participants implied a commitment to women’s authority that I would call ‘feminist’ - some more explicitly than others. Notable was the fluid movement from neoliberal observations and strategies for their own careers and a more radical analyses brought to reflection on the seeming intractability of many issues that concern them. 

My research contribution through this work covers overlapping fields of organisational and critical management studies. Through the Education Act (1989), New Zealand public universities are mandated to contribute as a critic and conscience of society. A similar mandate is variously expressed by universities across the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. To enact such a mandate, scholars need to be critically aware of self and one’s potential as an influence on the future. My participants showed a great sensitivity to this self-awareness and expressed a commitment to such service as integral to a career that enhances vitality, self, others, and Earth. Their insights, many of which I would call feminist, hold much of value. I advocate for greater inclusion of radical feminist orientations to teaching and research for a transformation of the trajectory of globalisation for the betterment of society. To do so would strengthen the position of scholars as always activist, unable to position our influence as politically neutral, and more conscious of the part we play in the preservation or transformation of the degrading dynamics of globalisation.

year: 2016

title: Kaumātua mana motuhake: Kaumātua managing life-transitions through tuakana-teina/peer-education

authors: Hokowhitu, Brendan

abstract: People face signifi cant transition points as they age, such as loss of independent living, loss of a spouse and changing health conditions. Successfully navigating these transitions depends on being able to manage emotional and socio-economic factors, as well as service systems, while often being reliant on family or whānau. Historically however, kaumātua have faced a dominant society that has failed to realise their full potential as they age. Yet, for Māori, kaumātua are “carriers of culture, anchors for families, models for lifestyle, bridges to the future, guardians of heritage and role models for younger generations.” Kaumātua mana motuhake is invested in upholding kaumātua tino rangatiratanga (independence and autonomy) via high-quality Māori research that will lead to better life outcomes for kaumātua and their whā nau.

text: Kaumātua mana motuhake: Kaumātua managing life-transitions through tuakana-teina/peer-education People face signifi cant transition points as they age, such as loss of independent living, loss of a spouse and changing health conditions. Successfully navigating these transitions depends on being able to manage emotional and socio-economic factors, as well as service systems, while often being reliant on family or whānau. Historically however, kaumātua have faced a dominant society that has failed to realise their full potential as they age. Yet, for Māori, kaumātua are “carriers of culture, anchors for families, models for lifestyle, bridges to the future, guardians of heritage and role models for younger generations.” Kaumātua mana motuhake is invested in upholding kaumātua tino rangatiratanga (independence and autonomy) via high-quality Māori research that will lead to better life outcomes for kaumātua and their whā nau.

year: 2017