title: Investigating teachers’ lived experiences in teaching Literature in English in Ghana

authors: Adjei Baah, Eric

abstract: This thesis investigates the professional experiences of a group of Literature in English secondary school teachers in Ghanaian schools. At the secondary level, LiE is an elective (optional) subject, and so we could expect that those choosing it would probably do well. However, this thesis investigation arose from a concern about the persistent lack of quality of student achievement in this subject, as noted in the annual Chief Examiner’ Literature in English report. These reports outlined challenges students face in responding to West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) Literature in English questions. I was curious about understanding what might be behind this persistent issue.  

Though English is the official language and medium of instruction from the upper primary to the tertiary level in Ghana, English is a second language. This is important when considering the nature of texts mandated by the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) Ghana every five years.  

In order to investigate this Literature in English phenomenon, I recruited volunteer teachers from Ashanti Mampong Municipal, using phenomenology as the methodological framework. As part of the investigation, I reviewed teachers’ perspectives about their professional lives through the lens of PCK, since teachers’ knowledge is an important element in teaching specific subjects. I also sought to know more about their professional teaching conditions - both barriers and enablers.  

The findings revealed teachers’ great passion for the subject and what they thought it could provide for students’ learning in terms of reading, critical thinking and writing skills. However, major barriers interfered with their good intentions:  

- the unreliability of having mandated texts available in a timely manner  
- the cost of texts to students and teachers, who must purchase them  
- the language complexity and cultural, social and historical contexts of some set texts  
- class sizes.  

The findings implied that if texts were supplied in a timely manner, and offered for students and teachers to borrow rather than purchase outright, then teachers would not need to find their own workarounds to manage the lack of texts. Also if the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) chose more contemporary and local texts, students might be more familiar with the language and contexts of the literature, and thus be more able to offer original perspectives. Teachers also had to manage large classes, making it difficult to meet students’ specific learning needs. Such barriers are likely to mitigate against teachers using the kinds of co-constructive, student-centred pedagogical practices known to enhance learning and leverage teachers’ PCK. Instead, they resorted to a range of teacher-centred pedagogies, especially when neither students nor teachers could access copies of the set texts.  

Revealing these barriers to learning can inform WAEC as it makes the next set of mandated literature choices for the next five year term. Should the government also review the status of the subject and how learning materials are provided in a timely manner, this might also benefit both learners and teachers.  

For participant teachers themselves, knowing their experiences - both positive and negative - are shared, may help them develop networks of professional support to mitigate the effects of access, class size, and text difficulty. In the end, these relatively small changes may be significant in positively altering the experiences of students and teachers in classes of Literature in English.

text: Investigating teachers’ lived experiences in teaching Literature in English in Ghana This thesis investigates the professional experiences of a group of Literature in English secondary school teachers in Ghanaian schools. At the secondary level, LiE is an elective (optional) subject, and so we could expect that those choosing it would probably do well. However, this thesis investigation arose from a concern about the persistent lack of quality of student achievement in this subject, as noted in the annual Chief Examiner’ Literature in English report. These reports outlined challenges students face in responding to West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) Literature in English questions. I was curious about understanding what might be behind this persistent issue.  

Though English is the official language and medium of instruction from the upper primary to the tertiary level in Ghana, English is a second language. This is important when considering the nature of texts mandated by the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) Ghana every five years.  

In order to investigate this Literature in English phenomenon, I recruited volunteer teachers from Ashanti Mampong Municipal, using phenomenology as the methodological framework. As part of the investigation, I reviewed teachers’ perspectives about their professional lives through the lens of PCK, since teachers’ knowledge is an important element in teaching specific subjects. I also sought to know more about their professional teaching conditions - both barriers and enablers.  

The findings revealed teachers’ great passion for the subject and what they thought it could provide for students’ learning in terms of reading, critical thinking and writing skills. However, major barriers interfered with their good intentions:  

- the unreliability of having mandated texts available in a timely manner  
- the cost of texts to students and teachers, who must purchase them  
- the language complexity and cultural, social and historical contexts of some set texts  
- class sizes.  

The findings implied that if texts were supplied in a timely manner, and offered for students and teachers to borrow rather than purchase outright, then teachers would not need to find their own workarounds to manage the lack of texts. Also if the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) chose more contemporary and local texts, students might be more familiar with the language and contexts of the literature, and thus be more able to offer original perspectives. Teachers also had to manage large classes, making it difficult to meet students’ specific learning needs. Such barriers are likely to mitigate against teachers using the kinds of co-constructive, student-centred pedagogical practices known to enhance learning and leverage teachers’ PCK. Instead, they resorted to a range of teacher-centred pedagogies, especially when neither students nor teachers could access copies of the set texts.  

Revealing these barriers to learning can inform WAEC as it makes the next set of mandated literature choices for the next five year term. Should the government also review the status of the subject and how learning materials are provided in a timely manner, this might also benefit both learners and teachers.  

For participant teachers themselves, knowing their experiences - both positive and negative - are shared, may help them develop networks of professional support to mitigate the effects of access, class size, and text difficulty. In the end, these relatively small changes may be significant in positively altering the experiences of students and teachers in classes of Literature in English.

year: 2024

title: Spatiotemporal variability of hydrology in Moanatuatua drained peatland and its influence on CO₂ emissions and surface oscillations

authors: Glover-Clark, Georgia

abstract: Drained agricultural peatlands can be highly productive but problematic ecosystems, including releasing substantial carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions to the atmosphere as peat decomposes. The ongoing and permanent loss of soil carbon from drained peatlands worldwide represents approximately 5% of global anthropogenic CO₂ emissions, which are accompanied by long-term irreversible subsidence of the peatland surface, affecting land management. Hydrology, particularly with respect to water table depth and soil moisture content, is seen as an important control on soil physical and hydraulic properties, reversible and irreversible subsidence, and biogeochemical processes including the emission of CO₂. The globally unique peatlands of Aotearoa New Zealand, including in their drained state, have a relatively limited research history when compared to those in the Northern Hemisphere. As such, we lack a comprehensive understanding of hydrological regimes and how they act to influence environmental effects. 

To improve our understanding, I have conducted a spatially and temporally detailed hydrological investigation over a one-year period within Moanatuatua drained peatland in the Waikato region of Aotearoa New Zealand. My primary objective was to determine the controls on spatiotemporal variation in hydrology and its influence on CO₂ emissions and oscillations in peat surface elevation, by comparing and contrasting two dairy farms with similar management practices but different drainage designs and drainage histories. Using a combination of manual and automatic measurement techniques, water table depth (relative water level, RWL) and soil moisture (volumetric moisture content, VMC) were measured, as well as peat physical properties, water vapour and CO₂ fluxes, and peatland surface oscillations (PSO).

Both RWL and VMC were spatially and temporally variable. Spatial patterns of RWL were very similar between sites, indicating limited control of drainage design during a climatically warm and dry year. The deeper drains at Site 2 did, however, appear to increase RWL depth. Temporal patterns of RWL and VMC at both sites responded to water storage changes largely driven by the water balance components of precipitation and evaporation. Evident hydrological differences between sites appeared to be predominantly influenced by soil physical properties, which led to more variable VMC at Site 1 and more variable RWL at Site 2. Lower VMC at Site 1 initiated hydrophobicity in surface peat over an extended drought period, while Site 2 was little affected. Deep capillary zones at both sites indicated subsurface moisture redistribution, the depths of which far exceeded those in published literature. A dependent relationship between RWL and VMC was only apparent when peat was near saturation, otherwise displaying considerable long and short-term hysteresis caused by different and delayed responses of RWL and VMC to rainfall.

CO₂ emissions at both sites were primarily influenced by VMC and were not at all correlated with RWL, raising questions for the continued use of RWL as a proxy to estimate near-surface moisture conditions in carbon studies. Soil temperatures also influenced emissions, and appeared to be the dominant control only when VMC was high. The ability of soil at Site 2 to retain more moisture during an extended summer drought meant that ecosystem respiration (ER) was not constrained by water limitations to the extent it was at Site 1. As gross primary production was very similar at the two sites, the ongoing differences in ER initiated in late January led to accumulated emissions over the full year of 5.6 t C ha-1 greater than at Site 2. 

Over a 10 month period, PSO at both sites were in the upper range of values published in international literature, and were between 2.5 – 3.5 times greater than the annual average irreversible subsidence rate for the Waikato region. PSO was correlated with rainfall, RWL and VMC, each of which had varying influence during the measurement period. Considerable hysteresis was measured in the relationship between surface elevation and RWL, distinctly separating drying and wetting cycles. Short term hysteresis was likely induced by a delay between equilibration of effective stresses within the peat matrix before a change in surface elevation incurred. Higher bulk density at Site 2 acted to reduce the magnitude of PSO, a phenomenon that was also noted at both sites adjacent to drainage channels. 

Overall, this research has revealed the importance of hydrology, drainage history, and their effects on peat physical properties, each of which strongly influenced CO₂ emissions and PSO, raising questions about their continued use for agriculture.

text: Spatiotemporal variability of hydrology in Moanatuatua drained peatland and its influence on CO₂ emissions and surface oscillations Drained agricultural peatlands can be highly productive but problematic ecosystems, including releasing substantial carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions to the atmosphere as peat decomposes. The ongoing and permanent loss of soil carbon from drained peatlands worldwide represents approximately 5% of global anthropogenic CO₂ emissions, which are accompanied by long-term irreversible subsidence of the peatland surface, affecting land management. Hydrology, particularly with respect to water table depth and soil moisture content, is seen as an important control on soil physical and hydraulic properties, reversible and irreversible subsidence, and biogeochemical processes including the emission of CO₂. The globally unique peatlands of Aotearoa New Zealand, including in their drained state, have a relatively limited research history when compared to those in the Northern Hemisphere. As such, we lack a comprehensive understanding of hydrological regimes and how they act to influence environmental effects. 

To improve our understanding, I have conducted a spatially and temporally detailed hydrological investigation over a one-year period within Moanatuatua drained peatland in the Waikato region of Aotearoa New Zealand. My primary objective was to determine the controls on spatiotemporal variation in hydrology and its influence on CO₂ emissions and oscillations in peat surface elevation, by comparing and contrasting two dairy farms with similar management practices but different drainage designs and drainage histories. Using a combination of manual and automatic measurement techniques, water table depth (relative water level, RWL) and soil moisture (volumetric moisture content, VMC) were measured, as well as peat physical properties, water vapour and CO₂ fluxes, and peatland surface oscillations (PSO).

Both RWL and VMC were spatially and temporally variable. Spatial patterns of RWL were very similar between sites, indicating limited control of drainage design during a climatically warm and dry year. The deeper drains at Site 2 did, however, appear to increase RWL depth. Temporal patterns of RWL and VMC at both sites responded to water storage changes largely driven by the water balance components of precipitation and evaporation. Evident hydrological differences between sites appeared to be predominantly influenced by soil physical properties, which led to more variable VMC at Site 1 and more variable RWL at Site 2. Lower VMC at Site 1 initiated hydrophobicity in surface peat over an extended drought period, while Site 2 was little affected. Deep capillary zones at both sites indicated subsurface moisture redistribution, the depths of which far exceeded those in published literature. A dependent relationship between RWL and VMC was only apparent when peat was near saturation, otherwise displaying considerable long and short-term hysteresis caused by different and delayed responses of RWL and VMC to rainfall.

CO₂ emissions at both sites were primarily influenced by VMC and were not at all correlated with RWL, raising questions for the continued use of RWL as a proxy to estimate near-surface moisture conditions in carbon studies. Soil temperatures also influenced emissions, and appeared to be the dominant control only when VMC was high. The ability of soil at Site 2 to retain more moisture during an extended summer drought meant that ecosystem respiration (ER) was not constrained by water limitations to the extent it was at Site 1. As gross primary production was very similar at the two sites, the ongoing differences in ER initiated in late January led to accumulated emissions over the full year of 5.6 t C ha-1 greater than at Site 2. 

Over a 10 month period, PSO at both sites were in the upper range of values published in international literature, and were between 2.5 – 3.5 times greater than the annual average irreversible subsidence rate for the Waikato region. PSO was correlated with rainfall, RWL and VMC, each of which had varying influence during the measurement period. Considerable hysteresis was measured in the relationship between surface elevation and RWL, distinctly separating drying and wetting cycles. Short term hysteresis was likely induced by a delay between equilibration of effective stresses within the peat matrix before a change in surface elevation incurred. Higher bulk density at Site 2 acted to reduce the magnitude of PSO, a phenomenon that was also noted at both sites adjacent to drainage channels. 

Overall, this research has revealed the importance of hydrology, drainage history, and their effects on peat physical properties, each of which strongly influenced CO₂ emissions and PSO, raising questions about their continued use for agriculture.

year: 2020

title: Researching the Process of Auahi Kore for Marae

authors: Masters-Awatere, Bridgette

abstract: • The current report is piece of a qualitative research exploring issues relating the development of Marae Auahi Kore. Such aspects as; factors that aid or impede the process, resources available or required by marae, and people's perceptions of the Auahi Kore brand were explored.

• Interviews were conducted with people from a variety of backgrounds. Research participants included: Marae Trustees, Public Health Workers, Runanga Staff as well as Kaumatua and Kuia. These people were identified as key informants for the current project. A total of 25 people were interviewed during March and April using an open interview schedule.

• Exploration into the Smokefree policies of marae was not pursued within the current project as this was not the focus nor the intent of the research. Project constraints such as time and budget meant there was a limit to what could be undertaken for the current piece of research.

text: Researching the Process of Auahi Kore for Marae • The current report is piece of a qualitative research exploring issues relating the development of Marae Auahi Kore. Such aspects as; factors that aid or impede the process, resources available or required by marae, and people's perceptions of the Auahi Kore brand were explored.

• Interviews were conducted with people from a variety of backgrounds. Research participants included: Marae Trustees, Public Health Workers, Runanga Staff as well as Kaumatua and Kuia. These people were identified as key informants for the current project. A total of 25 people were interviewed during March and April using an open interview schedule.

• Exploration into the Smokefree policies of marae was not pursued within the current project as this was not the focus nor the intent of the research. Project constraints such as time and budget meant there was a limit to what could be undertaken for the current piece of research.

year: 2000