title: The Characteristics of Adult Readers in Entry Level Tertiary Settings in New Zealand

authors: McHardy, Janet Mary

subjects: adult reading

abstract: International literacy and life skills surveys in 1996 and 2006 assessed the broad group of skills encompassing reading, numeracy, and problem solving skills across OECD countries. Findings show that around half of the adult population in New Zealand have literacy levels below the minimum level of competence required to meet everyday life (Ministry of Education, 1998; 2001; 2005; 2007b). This study examines the specific literacy skill of reading and looks at the reading related characteristics of 52 New Zealand adults in entry level tertiary settings. The 40 males and 12 females attended three Private Training Establishments and engaged in employment skills courses, security work training or trade skills courses. Participants ranged in age from 16 years to over 50, and 22 identified as European, 20 as Māori, 2 as Pasifika with the remaining 8 identifying with more than one of these ethnicities. 

The simple view of reading (Gough  Tunmer, 1986) which suggests that decoding and linguistic comprehension make separate contributions to reading comprehension is used to examine the relationships between the sub-components of reading in this population. One-to-one interviews are used to test participants on decoding skill, word reading skills, sentence comprehension skills and receptive vocabulary knowledge. In addition, information on self-belief in reading ability, value placed on reading and reading habits is collected from each participant.

The 3 sub-groups of less-skilled readers described by the simple view are found to be present in this population and correlations between the key measures indicate strong positive correlations between decoding and listening comprehension in the over-all general population of readers. In the general population of less-skilled readers there are significant positive correlations between decoding and sentence comprehension and between receptive vocabulary skill and sentence comprehension. Further analyses indicate negative correlations exist between decoding and listening comprehension among the participants in each of the 3 less-skilled readers groups. The results support the pattern expected under the simple view of reading and the previously reported pattern of spiky skill profiles of adult learners.

Over-all there is no apparent relationship between actual skill of the readers in this study and their perception of that skill or between the value placed on reading and actual skill. Generally the skilled readers in this study read a broader range of materials and read more regularly than less-skilled readers in this study.

These results, by providing evidence of reading related characteristics of adults in tertiary training in New Zealand, will help inform adult literacy programme content and delivery methods and increase our understanding of the specific reading instruction needed for less-skilled adult readers.

text: The Characteristics of Adult Readers in Entry Level Tertiary Settings in New Zealand International literacy and life skills surveys in 1996 and 2006 assessed the broad group of skills encompassing reading, numeracy, and problem solving skills across OECD countries. Findings show that around half of the adult population in New Zealand have literacy levels below the minimum level of competence required to meet everyday life (Ministry of Education, 1998; 2001; 2005; 2007b). This study examines the specific literacy skill of reading and looks at the reading related characteristics of 52 New Zealand adults in entry level tertiary settings. The 40 males and 12 females attended three Private Training Establishments and engaged in employment skills courses, security work training or trade skills courses. Participants ranged in age from 16 years to over 50, and 22 identified as European, 20 as Māori, 2 as Pasifika with the remaining 8 identifying with more than one of these ethnicities. 

The simple view of reading (Gough  Tunmer, 1986) which suggests that decoding and linguistic comprehension make separate contributions to reading comprehension is used to examine the relationships between the sub-components of reading in this population. One-to-one interviews are used to test participants on decoding skill, word reading skills, sentence comprehension skills and receptive vocabulary knowledge. In addition, information on self-belief in reading ability, value placed on reading and reading habits is collected from each participant.

The 3 sub-groups of less-skilled readers described by the simple view are found to be present in this population and correlations between the key measures indicate strong positive correlations between decoding and listening comprehension in the over-all general population of readers. In the general population of less-skilled readers there are significant positive correlations between decoding and sentence comprehension and between receptive vocabulary skill and sentence comprehension. Further analyses indicate negative correlations exist between decoding and listening comprehension among the participants in each of the 3 less-skilled readers groups. The results support the pattern expected under the simple view of reading and the previously reported pattern of spiky skill profiles of adult learners.

Over-all there is no apparent relationship between actual skill of the readers in this study and their perception of that skill or between the value placed on reading and actual skill. Generally the skilled readers in this study read a broader range of materials and read more regularly than less-skilled readers in this study.

These results, by providing evidence of reading related characteristics of adults in tertiary training in New Zealand, will help inform adult literacy programme content and delivery methods and increase our understanding of the specific reading instruction needed for less-skilled adult readers.

year: 2009

title: High-risk Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: An Examination of Abuse Characteristics, Psychosocial Vulnerabilities and Reported Revictimization

authors: Tomkins, Jordan

abstract: Purpose: To support service provision, we sought to advance the existing evidence base about the characteristics of—and potential predictors of reported revictimization for—women identified as being at high risk of experiencing ongoing intimate partner violence (IPV).
Method: Our sample included 165 high-risk IPV cases with a female victim and a male aggressor managed by the Integrated Safety Response in New Zealand. Based on police and multi-agency risk assessment information, we (a) described the characteristics of these cases, focusing on victims’ abuse experiences and psychosocial vulnerabilities; (b) examined rates of reported recurrence and physical recurrence; and (c) explored which variables predicted these two outcomes across a 12-month follow up, using the Nested Ecological Model as an organizing framework.
Results:In addition to experiencing harmful patterns of IPV, victims had relatively high rates of mental health issues, drug use, housing instability and unemployment. Reported revictimization was common: 62.8% of cases involved (at least one) recurrence, and 35.8% of cases involved physical recurrence. Most variables did not predict either outcome; but two variables predicted decreased rates of recurrence and physical recurrence: prior strangulation and a victim’s initial engagement with IPV interventions.
Conclusions: As predicted, reported revictimization rates were high. Victims also experienced other psychosocial vulnerabilities, confirming their need for wide-ranging support. However, this study raises questions about whether these needs are relevant to predicting reported revictimization within high-risk cohorts, and highlights the difficulties of empirically validating treatment targets that could minimize further IPV harm for this group.

text: High-risk Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: An Examination of Abuse Characteristics, Psychosocial Vulnerabilities and Reported Revictimization Purpose: To support service provision, we sought to advance the existing evidence base about the characteristics of—and potential predictors of reported revictimization for—women identified as being at high risk of experiencing ongoing intimate partner violence (IPV).
Method: Our sample included 165 high-risk IPV cases with a female victim and a male aggressor managed by the Integrated Safety Response in New Zealand. Based on police and multi-agency risk assessment information, we (a) described the characteristics of these cases, focusing on victims’ abuse experiences and psychosocial vulnerabilities; (b) examined rates of reported recurrence and physical recurrence; and (c) explored which variables predicted these two outcomes across a 12-month follow up, using the Nested Ecological Model as an organizing framework.
Results:In addition to experiencing harmful patterns of IPV, victims had relatively high rates of mental health issues, drug use, housing instability and unemployment. Reported revictimization was common: 62.8% of cases involved (at least one) recurrence, and 35.8% of cases involved physical recurrence. Most variables did not predict either outcome; but two variables predicted decreased rates of recurrence and physical recurrence: prior strangulation and a victim’s initial engagement with IPV interventions.
Conclusions: As predicted, reported revictimization rates were high. Victims also experienced other psychosocial vulnerabilities, confirming their need for wide-ranging support. However, this study raises questions about whether these needs are relevant to predicting reported revictimization within high-risk cohorts, and highlights the difficulties of empirically validating treatment targets that could minimize further IPV harm for this group.

year: 2023-10-31

title: The Te Kotahitanga Observation Tool: Development, use, reliability and validity.

authors: Berryman, Mere

subjects: chool reform

abstract: Te Kotahitanga is a New Zealand school reform project aimed at improving the pedagogical contexts in mainstream classrooms in which the indigenous Māori students have traditionally been marginalised. It does this by assisting teachers to implement an Effective Teaching Profile. Part of this process uses an observation tool to monitor the degree to which participating teachers are incorporating the interactions and relationships described in the Effective Teaching Profile into their day-to-day teaching. Given the central importance of these tasks, the Te Kotahitanga team undertook to test the observation tool for measurement reliability and validity. In order to undertake this study, the team conducted synchronous observations amongst trainers (the Professional Development Coordinator and Regional Coordinators) to ascertain their level of consistency when using the tool. The team then conducted synchronous observations between trainers and 38 in-school facilitators in the 12 schools involved in Phase 3 of the project. In total 41 teachers were observed and over 200 Māori students were involved in these observations. This study suggests that the tool can produce consistent and reliable results when observers have been effectively trained.

text: The Te Kotahitanga Observation Tool: Development, use, reliability and validity. Te Kotahitanga is a New Zealand school reform project aimed at improving the pedagogical contexts in mainstream classrooms in which the indigenous Māori students have traditionally been marginalised. It does this by assisting teachers to implement an Effective Teaching Profile. Part of this process uses an observation tool to monitor the degree to which participating teachers are incorporating the interactions and relationships described in the Effective Teaching Profile into their day-to-day teaching. Given the central importance of these tasks, the Te Kotahitanga team undertook to test the observation tool for measurement reliability and validity. In order to undertake this study, the team conducted synchronous observations amongst trainers (the Professional Development Coordinator and Regional Coordinators) to ascertain their level of consistency when using the tool. The team then conducted synchronous observations between trainers and 38 in-school facilitators in the 12 schools involved in Phase 3 of the project. In total 41 teachers were observed and over 200 Māori students were involved in these observations. This study suggests that the tool can produce consistent and reliable results when observers have been effectively trained.

year: 2011