title: Infant and peer relationships in curriculum

authors: Redder, Bridgette Miriam

subjects: infants

abstract: The purpose of this thesis was to explore the relations between infants and their peers as they interacted intersubjectively with one another in an early childhood care and education environment and to investigate how the teacher was answerable through her engagement in these intersubjective events. Drawing upon a Bakhtinian methodological approach to research utterance was employed as my unit of analysis, providing a means to investigate the intersubjective interactions between infants and their peers in tandem with the teachers’ engagement in these interactions as answerable acts. 
This thesis builds on a previous pilot study which utilised dialogic methodology to investigate the nature of infant and teacher dialogue in an education and care context (White, Peter & Redder, 2015). The research that formed the basis for my subsequent analysis took place in a New Zealand education and care centre that catered for children less than two years of age. In the present study the same polyphonic video recording was used to capture infant and peer intersubjective interactions and the teacher’s engagement within these events. A mixed methods research approach was employed to qualitatively and quantitatively analyse the video data.
The findings of this study suggest that infants are intersubjective agents in their relationships with peers and with teachers. Infants intentionally communicated with peers in lived relational experiences that were characterised by the fleeting, elongated or connected nature of their interactions. Mutual understanding, joint attention, attunement and the employment of synchronised language forms were features of infant ― peer intersubjective experiences. In addition, the findings revealed the capacity of infants and peers to relate with one another in social interactions that promote ‘dialogic spaces’ through which intersubjective relationships are sought. 
When teachers engaged in the infant ― peer intersubjective relations they either restrained by ‘shutting’ down or sustained by ‘opening up’ the intersubjective experience for the peers. The teacher’s body language was a feature of their engagement that contributed in a variety of ways to the infant ― peer intersubjective experience. Indeed how teachers engaged themselves in the interactions that were taking place between infants and their peers often determined the orientation of the teacher’s body positioning. The findings suggest when teachers restrained infant ― peer intersubjective dialogue, this form of engagement had the potential to alter how infants related to peers in subsequent interactions, highlighting the importance of sensitive, ‘in tune’ teacher engagement. Furthermore, the results highlight the pivotal role of the teacher as a ‘connecting’ feature within infant and peer intersubjective experiences, one who has the potential to ‘open up’ dialogic spaces for infants and their peer partners through engagement that is dialogic.
These findings taken together may have implications for policymakers, educators and teacher education by ‘opening up’ dialogic spaces through which infants are seen as intersubjective agents and dialogic partners.

text: Infant and peer relationships in curriculum The purpose of this thesis was to explore the relations between infants and their peers as they interacted intersubjectively with one another in an early childhood care and education environment and to investigate how the teacher was answerable through her engagement in these intersubjective events. Drawing upon a Bakhtinian methodological approach to research utterance was employed as my unit of analysis, providing a means to investigate the intersubjective interactions between infants and their peers in tandem with the teachers’ engagement in these interactions as answerable acts. 
This thesis builds on a previous pilot study which utilised dialogic methodology to investigate the nature of infant and teacher dialogue in an education and care context (White, Peter & Redder, 2015). The research that formed the basis for my subsequent analysis took place in a New Zealand education and care centre that catered for children less than two years of age. In the present study the same polyphonic video recording was used to capture infant and peer intersubjective interactions and the teacher’s engagement within these events. A mixed methods research approach was employed to qualitatively and quantitatively analyse the video data.
The findings of this study suggest that infants are intersubjective agents in their relationships with peers and with teachers. Infants intentionally communicated with peers in lived relational experiences that were characterised by the fleeting, elongated or connected nature of their interactions. Mutual understanding, joint attention, attunement and the employment of synchronised language forms were features of infant ― peer intersubjective experiences. In addition, the findings revealed the capacity of infants and peers to relate with one another in social interactions that promote ‘dialogic spaces’ through which intersubjective relationships are sought. 
When teachers engaged in the infant ― peer intersubjective relations they either restrained by ‘shutting’ down or sustained by ‘opening up’ the intersubjective experience for the peers. The teacher’s body language was a feature of their engagement that contributed in a variety of ways to the infant ― peer intersubjective experience. Indeed how teachers engaged themselves in the interactions that were taking place between infants and their peers often determined the orientation of the teacher’s body positioning. The findings suggest when teachers restrained infant ― peer intersubjective dialogue, this form of engagement had the potential to alter how infants related to peers in subsequent interactions, highlighting the importance of sensitive, ‘in tune’ teacher engagement. Furthermore, the results highlight the pivotal role of the teacher as a ‘connecting’ feature within infant and peer intersubjective experiences, one who has the potential to ‘open up’ dialogic spaces for infants and their peer partners through engagement that is dialogic.
These findings taken together may have implications for policymakers, educators and teacher education by ‘opening up’ dialogic spaces through which infants are seen as intersubjective agents and dialogic partners.

year: 2014

title: Does Video Priming and Video Modelling help to reduce anxiety and increase social behaviours for adults who have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder or Intellectual Disability when starting paid employment?

authors: Humphrey-Rush, Amanda Margaret

subjects: autism

abstract: Employment rates for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual Disability (ID) are much lower than the general population. Social skill difficulties and experiences with anxiety are thought to be contributing factors to this low employment rate. This study incorporated two Video-based Interventions (VBI’s), Video Priming (VP) and Video Modelling (VM), to address anxiety and social skill difficulties for 2 adults with disabilities who were starting work in a supported employment service. Both participants
were adult males, one of whom had an ASD diagnosis, and the other who had an ID diagnosis. VP was used to provide a preview of the expected events at the beginning of the first day at work, in an attempt to reduce anxiety associated with starting a new job. Anxiety levels of the participant who did receive VP were compared to those of the participant who did not receive VP. Results showed a decrease in anxiety for the participant who received the VP intervention and suggested that VP may improve experiences of anxiety for people with ID and ASD who are starting a new job. VM was implemented in this study to teach target social behaviours to participants, with an aim of increasing these behaviours. Results for each participant showed increases in many, but not all, of the target social behaviours, but these increases were not maintained over time and returned to baseline levels. Overall, this research provides support for VBI’s as an intervention to reduce challenges such as anxiety and social skill deficits for adults with ASD and ID starting work. Recommendations have been made in regard to conducting further research to continue exploring the use of VP to reduce anxiety relating to starting as this is a developing area of information, and where adjustments can be made to the VM intervention to further evaluate the effectiveness of this.

text: Does Video Priming and Video Modelling help to reduce anxiety and increase social behaviours for adults who have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder or Intellectual Disability when starting paid employment? Employment rates for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual Disability (ID) are much lower than the general population. Social skill difficulties and experiences with anxiety are thought to be contributing factors to this low employment rate. This study incorporated two Video-based Interventions (VBI’s), Video Priming (VP) and Video Modelling (VM), to address anxiety and social skill difficulties for 2 adults with disabilities who were starting work in a supported employment service. Both participants
were adult males, one of whom had an ASD diagnosis, and the other who had an ID diagnosis. VP was used to provide a preview of the expected events at the beginning of the first day at work, in an attempt to reduce anxiety associated with starting a new job. Anxiety levels of the participant who did receive VP were compared to those of the participant who did not receive VP. Results showed a decrease in anxiety for the participant who received the VP intervention and suggested that VP may improve experiences of anxiety for people with ID and ASD who are starting a new job. VM was implemented in this study to teach target social behaviours to participants, with an aim of increasing these behaviours. Results for each participant showed increases in many, but not all, of the target social behaviours, but these increases were not maintained over time and returned to baseline levels. Overall, this research provides support for VBI’s as an intervention to reduce challenges such as anxiety and social skill deficits for adults with ASD and ID starting work. Recommendations have been made in regard to conducting further research to continue exploring the use of VP to reduce anxiety relating to starting as this is a developing area of information, and where adjustments can be made to the VM intervention to further evaluate the effectiveness of this.

year: 2020

title: Factors of desistance in violent offenders: Interpretative phenomenological analysis of the Tai Aroha programme

authors: Beattie, Christopher James

subjects: Desistance

abstract: The phenomenon of desistance from crime is central to the process of rehabilitation. This study examines desistance narratives from the Tai Aroha programme to identify the aspects of participation in a community-based special treatment unit that are effective from the perspective of participants. A review of desistance literature is presented in a New Zealand context. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to present common themes in 64 exit interviews of individuals who completed this programme over a period of 6 years. These themes were compared to the factors of desistance identified in the literature review. The three key concepts that emerged from this study as factors of desistance evident in the Tai Aroha programme were the Morphic Self, Family and Whanau, and Mindfulness. The concept of the Morphic Self is a perspective on the process of identity change as experienced by participants, and is a key product of this research. Three other factors were identified as prerequisites for successful completion of the programme that also therefore contribute to desistance: Motivation, Sobriety, and Peers and Support. Also identified from this research were aspects of the experience termed Elements of Influence, which are the facets of the participants, the programme and the interactions between the two that can be considered in order to improve the delivery of the programme and therefore promote desistance. A distinctive quality of the Tai Aroha programme that was influential in the successful promotion of desistance was its strong commitment to tikanga Māori and the incorporation of these cultural values into the lifestyle and therapeutic approaches adopted by the facilitators.

text: Factors of desistance in violent offenders: Interpretative phenomenological analysis of the Tai Aroha programme The phenomenon of desistance from crime is central to the process of rehabilitation. This study examines desistance narratives from the Tai Aroha programme to identify the aspects of participation in a community-based special treatment unit that are effective from the perspective of participants. A review of desistance literature is presented in a New Zealand context. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to present common themes in 64 exit interviews of individuals who completed this programme over a period of 6 years. These themes were compared to the factors of desistance identified in the literature review. The three key concepts that emerged from this study as factors of desistance evident in the Tai Aroha programme were the Morphic Self, Family and Whanau, and Mindfulness. The concept of the Morphic Self is a perspective on the process of identity change as experienced by participants, and is a key product of this research. Three other factors were identified as prerequisites for successful completion of the programme that also therefore contribute to desistance: Motivation, Sobriety, and Peers and Support. Also identified from this research were aspects of the experience termed Elements of Influence, which are the facets of the participants, the programme and the interactions between the two that can be considered in order to improve the delivery of the programme and therefore promote desistance. A distinctive quality of the Tai Aroha programme that was influential in the successful promotion of desistance was its strong commitment to tikanga Māori and the incorporation of these cultural values into the lifestyle and therapeutic approaches adopted by the facilitators.

year: 2018