title: Facies analysis and sequence stratigraphy of Early Oligocene Glen Massey Formation (Te Kuiti Group), Waikato - King Country Basin, New Zealand

authors: Kamp, Peter J.J.

abstract: This report presents a comprehensive facies and sequence stratigraphic analysis of the Early Oligocene Glen Massey Formation, one of eight formations within the Late Eocene to earliest Miocene Te Kuiti Group in the Waikato-King Country Basin in central-western North Island, New Zealand. The Glen Massey Formation is a mixed carbonate-siliciclastic succession with three main facies associations: limestone (Elgood Limestone Member), calcareous siltstone (Dunphail Siltstone Member) and calcareous sandstone (Ahirau Sandstone Member). These facies, established from field descriptions supplemented by laboratory textural and petrographic data, accumulated in a continental shelf setting above coal measure and marginal marine units in basal Te Kuiti Group or above the Mesozoic basement rocks along the eastern margin of Taranaki Basin. The formation comprises one sequence for which key surfaces are identified and described and used to establish the extent of systems tracts, representing different parts of a relative sea-level cycle. A model sequence shows the distribution of facies within systems tracts in a cross-shelf profile.

text: Facies analysis and sequence stratigraphy of Early Oligocene Glen Massey Formation (Te Kuiti Group), Waikato - King Country Basin, New Zealand This report presents a comprehensive facies and sequence stratigraphic analysis of the Early Oligocene Glen Massey Formation, one of eight formations within the Late Eocene to earliest Miocene Te Kuiti Group in the Waikato-King Country Basin in central-western North Island, New Zealand. The Glen Massey Formation is a mixed carbonate-siliciclastic succession with three main facies associations: limestone (Elgood Limestone Member), calcareous siltstone (Dunphail Siltstone Member) and calcareous sandstone (Ahirau Sandstone Member). These facies, established from field descriptions supplemented by laboratory textural and petrographic data, accumulated in a continental shelf setting above coal measure and marginal marine units in basal Te Kuiti Group or above the Mesozoic basement rocks along the eastern margin of Taranaki Basin. The formation comprises one sequence for which key surfaces are identified and described and used to establish the extent of systems tracts, representing different parts of a relative sea-level cycle. A model sequence shows the distribution of facies within systems tracts in a cross-shelf profile.

year: 2014

title: Natural and Experimental Admixture of Invasive Blowflies in New Zealand and Australia

authors: Croft, Lillian

abstract: Across the globe, native species are being outcompeted and often reach extinction due to introduced species becoming invasive. Previously confined to their native areas due to geographical, ecological, or environmental barriers that have prevented them from expanding, human impacts have resulted in a significant increase in the number of introduced species. Such species become invasive when they begin to expand their range demographically and typically cause negative impacts in the new environment. There is no current model that allows us to predict and prevent future biological invasions, though next generation sequencing, population genomics analysis, and experimental laboratory manipulations are helping to fill critical gaps in our understanding of the invasion process. 
My first analysis (Chapter 2) explored the ability of population genetics analyses of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data to identify hybridisation levels and the rate of admixture occurring in wild populations of Calliphora hilli and Calliphora stygia – two invasive blowflies found in New Zealand and originally from Australia. I analysed samples from various locations and found patterns of population genetic connectivity and structure that supported Australia as the source of the New Zealand invasion for both species. This research provided highly valuable new insights into the population structure of these two species, with hybridisation and gene flow playing a key role in their respective biological invasions. 
My second analysis (Chapter 3) first explored the population structure of the highly invasive blowfly species, Callipohra vicina, using SNP data to analyse population genomic patterns, such as genetic diversity and admixture. Following this, low genetic diversity colonies were generated from isofemale lines to simulate an invasive population that had undergone a genetic bottleneck. These low diversity lines were compared to relatively high diversity lines for a number of traits, including fecundity, body size, developmental rate, and lifespan to determine the effects of genetic diversity on population fitness. We found genetic differentiation between North and South Island New Zealand populations in the wild, while high diversity lines outcompeted low diversity lines for all measured traits in the laboratory. These results demonstrated the importance of genetic bottlenecks on invasion scenarios and suggested interesting new ideas for follow-up research.
Predicting and preventing future invasions is a significant current gap in invasion biology. Population genomic and ecological assays can together help to fill this gap to help us identify the mechanisms underlying invasive success.

text: Natural and Experimental Admixture of Invasive Blowflies in New Zealand and Australia Across the globe, native species are being outcompeted and often reach extinction due to introduced species becoming invasive. Previously confined to their native areas due to geographical, ecological, or environmental barriers that have prevented them from expanding, human impacts have resulted in a significant increase in the number of introduced species. Such species become invasive when they begin to expand their range demographically and typically cause negative impacts in the new environment. There is no current model that allows us to predict and prevent future biological invasions, though next generation sequencing, population genomics analysis, and experimental laboratory manipulations are helping to fill critical gaps in our understanding of the invasion process. 
My first analysis (Chapter 2) explored the ability of population genetics analyses of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data to identify hybridisation levels and the rate of admixture occurring in wild populations of Calliphora hilli and Calliphora stygia – two invasive blowflies found in New Zealand and originally from Australia. I analysed samples from various locations and found patterns of population genetic connectivity and structure that supported Australia as the source of the New Zealand invasion for both species. This research provided highly valuable new insights into the population structure of these two species, with hybridisation and gene flow playing a key role in their respective biological invasions. 
My second analysis (Chapter 3) first explored the population structure of the highly invasive blowfly species, Callipohra vicina, using SNP data to analyse population genomic patterns, such as genetic diversity and admixture. Following this, low genetic diversity colonies were generated from isofemale lines to simulate an invasive population that had undergone a genetic bottleneck. These low diversity lines were compared to relatively high diversity lines for a number of traits, including fecundity, body size, developmental rate, and lifespan to determine the effects of genetic diversity on population fitness. We found genetic differentiation between North and South Island New Zealand populations in the wild, while high diversity lines outcompeted low diversity lines for all measured traits in the laboratory. These results demonstrated the importance of genetic bottlenecks on invasion scenarios and suggested interesting new ideas for follow-up research.
Predicting and preventing future invasions is a significant current gap in invasion biology. Population genomic and ecological assays can together help to fill this gap to help us identify the mechanisms underlying invasive success.

year: 2024

title: How prepared are Pākehā tertiary teachers to teach Māori students? Teachers’ own perceptions of their preparedness

authors: Honey, Sandra Elizabeth

subjects: tertiary teachers

abstract: In the past three decades New Zealand has seen an increasing government commitment to realising the promises of both equality and tino rangatiratanga embedded in the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. There is acknowledgement that the impacts of colonisation and past acts of government have negatively affected Māori economically, socially, politically and educationally. 
To strengthen New Zealand’s ability to compete economically and academically on an international level, the Ministry of Education 2014 – 2019 Tertiary Education Strategy set an aim for 55% of all 25-34 year olds, regardless of ethnicity, to have a qualification at Level 4 or above on the NZQA Framework, by 2017. Additionally Ka Hikitia: the Māori Education Strategy (2009, 2013) particularly aims for Māori to be achieving these educational successes as Māori, where being Māori is a strength in their learning and where learning environments acknowledge and support Te Ao Māori.
Although enrolments of students at Wānanga (tertiary institutes based on Māori principles and values) are steadily increasing, the majority of Māori tertiary students currently study at mainstream (English medium) institutes and are taught in the majority by Pākehā teachers. Regardless of which institute Māori study at, the Tertiary Education Strategy (Ministry of Education, 2014) acknowledges that culturally responsive education better engages Māori. This acknowledgement carries with it an expectation that Pākehā tertiary teachers are prepared to teach in culturally responsive ways and are confident in using culturally responsive pedagogies. 
This thesis examines how prepared Pākehā tertiary teachers perceive themselves to meet the tertiary education strategy’s expectation. It includes examining the existing literature about how tertiary teachers are prepared in New Zealand and the expectations of culturally responsive tertiary education. Pākehā tertiary teachers were then interviewed for their perspectives of their preparedness for teaching Māori students. Teachers identified themselves variably in their perceived levels of preparedness.   What emerges from the study is that tertiary teacher preparation in a cultural context should take priority in developing new teachers’ cultural capacity to meet the expectation of the tertiary education strategies for Māori to be succeeding in tertiary education, as Māori.
This research is significant because it looks at the complexity of what is required for preparing culturally responsive Pākehā tertiary teachers and aligns this with teachers’ own perceptions of how prepared they are. Studying the perception of preparedness from the teachers’ point of view is a new direction to take as the evaluation of tertiary teacher performance is usually done by means external to the teachers’ own personal evaluations; that is, teacher capability and performance is usually measured by student evaluations and student achievement outcomes.
Whilst this study is New Zealand focussed and refers to many New Zealand originating resources, literature from international studies also serve to reinforce the notion that being a culturally responsive teacher is a multifaceted journey of both personal and professional growth for teachers.

text: How prepared are Pākehā tertiary teachers to teach Māori students? Teachers’ own perceptions of their preparedness In the past three decades New Zealand has seen an increasing government commitment to realising the promises of both equality and tino rangatiratanga embedded in the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. There is acknowledgement that the impacts of colonisation and past acts of government have negatively affected Māori economically, socially, politically and educationally. 
To strengthen New Zealand’s ability to compete economically and academically on an international level, the Ministry of Education 2014 – 2019 Tertiary Education Strategy set an aim for 55% of all 25-34 year olds, regardless of ethnicity, to have a qualification at Level 4 or above on the NZQA Framework, by 2017. Additionally Ka Hikitia: the Māori Education Strategy (2009, 2013) particularly aims for Māori to be achieving these educational successes as Māori, where being Māori is a strength in their learning and where learning environments acknowledge and support Te Ao Māori.
Although enrolments of students at Wānanga (tertiary institutes based on Māori principles and values) are steadily increasing, the majority of Māori tertiary students currently study at mainstream (English medium) institutes and are taught in the majority by Pākehā teachers. Regardless of which institute Māori study at, the Tertiary Education Strategy (Ministry of Education, 2014) acknowledges that culturally responsive education better engages Māori. This acknowledgement carries with it an expectation that Pākehā tertiary teachers are prepared to teach in culturally responsive ways and are confident in using culturally responsive pedagogies. 
This thesis examines how prepared Pākehā tertiary teachers perceive themselves to meet the tertiary education strategy’s expectation. It includes examining the existing literature about how tertiary teachers are prepared in New Zealand and the expectations of culturally responsive tertiary education. Pākehā tertiary teachers were then interviewed for their perspectives of their preparedness for teaching Māori students. Teachers identified themselves variably in their perceived levels of preparedness.   What emerges from the study is that tertiary teacher preparation in a cultural context should take priority in developing new teachers’ cultural capacity to meet the expectation of the tertiary education strategies for Māori to be succeeding in tertiary education, as Māori.
This research is significant because it looks at the complexity of what is required for preparing culturally responsive Pākehā tertiary teachers and aligns this with teachers’ own perceptions of how prepared they are. Studying the perception of preparedness from the teachers’ point of view is a new direction to take as the evaluation of tertiary teacher performance is usually done by means external to the teachers’ own personal evaluations; that is, teacher capability and performance is usually measured by student evaluations and student achievement outcomes.
Whilst this study is New Zealand focussed and refers to many New Zealand originating resources, literature from international studies also serve to reinforce the notion that being a culturally responsive teacher is a multifaceted journey of both personal and professional growth for teachers.

year: 2014