title: Exploring the process of educational change in English medium senior secondary school Assessment in Vanuatu

authors: Tarosa, Gayleen Harrison

abstract: Educational change is ongoing. It is generally aimed at improving teaching and learning, but usually comes with challenges. Scholars have devoted a great deal of research to minimise the challenges faced by implementers of change, but there is no one method that fits all situations. A method that works in a particular country may not suit other countries.
Vanuatu has experienced numerous educational changes since attaining political independence in 1980. However, official reports show that educational standards in Vanuatu are declining, which suggests that some recent educational changes may not have contributed to the enhancement of teaching and learning. This is therefore a concern that needs to be addressed.
This study sets out to explore this issue by investigating the process of educational change management in Vanuatu through the experiences, perceptions and expectations of Ministry of Education (MoE) officials, head of schools, and teachers, with specific reference to the change in the English medium senior secondary school assessment process. While a small amount of research has been done on some aspects of educational change in Vanuatu, none had been carried out specifically on the implementation of the recent change to senior school assessment. As well as contextualising the process of educational change within the Vanuatu education system, this study also examined educational change management from a global perspective in order to identify ways to improve such processes for the Vanuatu education system.
The research data for this study were gathered by means of a qualitative case study approach which used individual semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Participants included two Ministry of Education officials, two heads of senior secondary schools and four senior secondary teachers. The heads of schools and teachers included in this study were from urban centre senior secondary schools in Port Vila, Vanuatu. The data were collected within the month of November, 2012 and were analysed using thematic analysis.
The key findings reveal that the participants welcomed the change to the English medium senior secondary school assessment process, as it enables Vanuatu to have its own national certificate at this level. However, the study also identified several factors that appeared to have hindered the implementation process. Hence, participants’ experiences, perceptions, and expectations were used to develop a proposed change management process framework for the Vanuatu education system, and to develop recommendations for improving the implementation of future educational changes in Vanuatu.

text: Exploring the process of educational change in English medium senior secondary school Assessment in Vanuatu Educational change is ongoing. It is generally aimed at improving teaching and learning, but usually comes with challenges. Scholars have devoted a great deal of research to minimise the challenges faced by implementers of change, but there is no one method that fits all situations. A method that works in a particular country may not suit other countries.
Vanuatu has experienced numerous educational changes since attaining political independence in 1980. However, official reports show that educational standards in Vanuatu are declining, which suggests that some recent educational changes may not have contributed to the enhancement of teaching and learning. This is therefore a concern that needs to be addressed.
This study sets out to explore this issue by investigating the process of educational change management in Vanuatu through the experiences, perceptions and expectations of Ministry of Education (MoE) officials, head of schools, and teachers, with specific reference to the change in the English medium senior secondary school assessment process. While a small amount of research has been done on some aspects of educational change in Vanuatu, none had been carried out specifically on the implementation of the recent change to senior school assessment. As well as contextualising the process of educational change within the Vanuatu education system, this study also examined educational change management from a global perspective in order to identify ways to improve such processes for the Vanuatu education system.
The research data for this study were gathered by means of a qualitative case study approach which used individual semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Participants included two Ministry of Education officials, two heads of senior secondary schools and four senior secondary teachers. The heads of schools and teachers included in this study were from urban centre senior secondary schools in Port Vila, Vanuatu. The data were collected within the month of November, 2012 and were analysed using thematic analysis.
The key findings reveal that the participants welcomed the change to the English medium senior secondary school assessment process, as it enables Vanuatu to have its own national certificate at this level. However, the study also identified several factors that appeared to have hindered the implementation process. Hence, participants’ experiences, perceptions, and expectations were used to develop a proposed change management process framework for the Vanuatu education system, and to develop recommendations for improving the implementation of future educational changes in Vanuatu.

year: 2013

title: Wave mixed, wind-generated near-surface shear observed over a tidal flat

authors: Henderson, Stephen M.

subjects: waves

abstract: Around high tide over a ﬂooded tidal ﬂat, vertical shear measured 0.13–0.4 m beneath the sea surface by upward-looking Acoustic Doppler Proﬁlers (ADPs) was usually aligned with the wind. However, shear did not increase with increasing windspeed, likely owing to an increase in wave heights and wave-generated mixing with increasing windspeed. The associated increase in water-side drag coefﬁcient with windspeed was predicted, with substantial scatter, by a model for near-surface mixing by breaking waves. A depth-independent eddy-viscosity model yielded only slightly less skill than a ﬁtted depth-dependent model. Farther (0.3–0.6 m) from the surface, model skill was low, suggesting that shear at depth was often determined by factors other than wind. Wave heights tended to increase with increasing water depth. Consequently, the simulated wave-generated surface eddy viscosity tended to increase with increasing depth.

text: Wave mixed, wind-generated near-surface shear observed over a tidal flat Around high tide over a ﬂooded tidal ﬂat, vertical shear measured 0.13–0.4 m beneath the sea surface by upward-looking Acoustic Doppler Proﬁlers (ADPs) was usually aligned with the wind. However, shear did not increase with increasing windspeed, likely owing to an increase in wave heights and wave-generated mixing with increasing windspeed. The associated increase in water-side drag coefﬁcient with windspeed was predicted, with substantial scatter, by a model for near-surface mixing by breaking waves. A depth-independent eddy-viscosity model yielded only slightly less skill than a ﬁtted depth-dependent model. Farther (0.3–0.6 m) from the surface, model skill was low, suggesting that shear at depth was often determined by factors other than wind. Wave heights tended to increase with increasing water depth. Consequently, the simulated wave-generated surface eddy viscosity tended to increase with increasing depth.

year: 2012

title: Aotearoa's heart language: An investigation of compulsory te reo Māori language learning for non-Māori teaching students in Aotearoa New Zealand

authors: Moon, Watene Malcolm Ernest

subjects: Te reo Māori

abstract: Te Reo Māori is becoming more prominent on our airwaves, in government agencies and within schools. Within a wider education system that increasingly seeks to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, teachers in New Zealand are being asked to become more competent in their development and use of Te Reo Māori, despite over 70% of teachers identifying as New Zealand European. The Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand passed a requirement in 2021 specifying that new teachers should demonstrate Te Reo Māori competency at between level 3 and 4 of the Māori language curriculum by the time they graduate from their initial teacher education. Learning any second language as an adult can be challenging, and so the Teaching Council’s requirement is a big ask, particularly for non-Māori teaching students who may have had little to no exposure to the Māori language prior to enrolling into the teaching programme.

This thesis reports on a qualitative study that investigated the experiences of four non-Māori pre-service teaching students in relation to the requirement that they learn Te Reo Māori as a part of their teaching degree programme. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data, incorporating culturally responsive approaches during data collection and thematic analysis was undertaken to identify findings. The backdrop for this study was an interpretivist paradigm that recognises the socially constructed nature of each individual’s reality. This research paradigm was appropriate for this research study as I sought to interpret and understand the experiences of each participant with the Teaching Council’s Te Reo Māori requirement. An interpretivist research design also aligns with a qualitative approach to data collection which made this paradigm a good fit for the research project.

The findings suggest that the new Teaching Council requirement is leading to language progress, although there have been challenges for the participants. All four participants have increased their knowledge, understanding and confidence to engage with Te Reo Māori. There was also a noticeable shift in cultural competence amongst all four participants. A very positive outcome when considering that all of the participants came into the teaching programme with little to no experience with Māori language and culture. However, learning Te Reo Māori has at times been confronting for these participants, primarily when historical issues associated with colonisation and the repression of the Māori language have surfaced. Technical aspects of second language acquisition have also caused challenges such as in relation to correct pronunciation and participants’ opportunities to use Te Reo Māori.
 
An over-riding theme from this research has been that although the Teaching Council’s language learning mandate presents an ambitious challenge for pre-service teachers, the four participants in this study have all experienced what can be characterised as a transformative learning process in relation to their Te Reo Māori journey thus far. That is, each participant had learning moments where they were able to critically reflect on their worldview and prior knowledge of Māori language and culture. Through this transformative process not only did the participants gain a deeper understanding of a Māori worldview, but they were able to transition this understanding into their developing teacher practice to the benefit of themselves and their students. While the participants for this study were purposively selected, the positive outcomes evident in their language learning journey suggest that there is potential for this new Teaching Council mandate to be achievable. The findings suggest that this new mandate might be a powerful lever towards a cultural shift for our English-medium teachers and within their classrooms as Te Reo Māori becomes more prominent. This study is also significant because of the scarcity of research on this new policy, and on non-Māori who are required to learn Te Reo Māori as part of their teaching degree. There could be wider significance for this research in the public sphere with attitudes potentially shifting more favourably towards Te Reo Māori and a bicultural country, centred on a Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership. The findings of this study will be of use to future and current non-Māori teaching students to help navigate this new mandate. Teacher educators could benefit from the implications for culturally responsive teaching and learning. This study may inform researchers in the field of linguistics and education who might wish to build on the results of this research project to inform further studies. Finally, policy makers may be interested to learn about the benefits and challenges that have emerged from this new Teaching Council mandate. Lastly, this research presents an exciting opportunity to showcase this new Teaching Council mandate, and what one participant in the present study described as the ‘heart language’ of New Zealand, with the potential for Te Reo Māori to flourish beyond language classrooms and Māori-medium education and into our mainstream education system, where it belongs.

text: Aotearoa's heart language: An investigation of compulsory te reo Māori language learning for non-Māori teaching students in Aotearoa New Zealand Te Reo Māori is becoming more prominent on our airwaves, in government agencies and within schools. Within a wider education system that increasingly seeks to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, teachers in New Zealand are being asked to become more competent in their development and use of Te Reo Māori, despite over 70% of teachers identifying as New Zealand European. The Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand passed a requirement in 2021 specifying that new teachers should demonstrate Te Reo Māori competency at between level 3 and 4 of the Māori language curriculum by the time they graduate from their initial teacher education. Learning any second language as an adult can be challenging, and so the Teaching Council’s requirement is a big ask, particularly for non-Māori teaching students who may have had little to no exposure to the Māori language prior to enrolling into the teaching programme.

This thesis reports on a qualitative study that investigated the experiences of four non-Māori pre-service teaching students in relation to the requirement that they learn Te Reo Māori as a part of their teaching degree programme. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data, incorporating culturally responsive approaches during data collection and thematic analysis was undertaken to identify findings. The backdrop for this study was an interpretivist paradigm that recognises the socially constructed nature of each individual’s reality. This research paradigm was appropriate for this research study as I sought to interpret and understand the experiences of each participant with the Teaching Council’s Te Reo Māori requirement. An interpretivist research design also aligns with a qualitative approach to data collection which made this paradigm a good fit for the research project.

The findings suggest that the new Teaching Council requirement is leading to language progress, although there have been challenges for the participants. All four participants have increased their knowledge, understanding and confidence to engage with Te Reo Māori. There was also a noticeable shift in cultural competence amongst all four participants. A very positive outcome when considering that all of the participants came into the teaching programme with little to no experience with Māori language and culture. However, learning Te Reo Māori has at times been confronting for these participants, primarily when historical issues associated with colonisation and the repression of the Māori language have surfaced. Technical aspects of second language acquisition have also caused challenges such as in relation to correct pronunciation and participants’ opportunities to use Te Reo Māori.
 
An over-riding theme from this research has been that although the Teaching Council’s language learning mandate presents an ambitious challenge for pre-service teachers, the four participants in this study have all experienced what can be characterised as a transformative learning process in relation to their Te Reo Māori journey thus far. That is, each participant had learning moments where they were able to critically reflect on their worldview and prior knowledge of Māori language and culture. Through this transformative process not only did the participants gain a deeper understanding of a Māori worldview, but they were able to transition this understanding into their developing teacher practice to the benefit of themselves and their students. While the participants for this study were purposively selected, the positive outcomes evident in their language learning journey suggest that there is potential for this new Teaching Council mandate to be achievable. The findings suggest that this new mandate might be a powerful lever towards a cultural shift for our English-medium teachers and within their classrooms as Te Reo Māori becomes more prominent. This study is also significant because of the scarcity of research on this new policy, and on non-Māori who are required to learn Te Reo Māori as part of their teaching degree. There could be wider significance for this research in the public sphere with attitudes potentially shifting more favourably towards Te Reo Māori and a bicultural country, centred on a Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership. The findings of this study will be of use to future and current non-Māori teaching students to help navigate this new mandate. Teacher educators could benefit from the implications for culturally responsive teaching and learning. This study may inform researchers in the field of linguistics and education who might wish to build on the results of this research project to inform further studies. Finally, policy makers may be interested to learn about the benefits and challenges that have emerged from this new Teaching Council mandate. Lastly, this research presents an exciting opportunity to showcase this new Teaching Council mandate, and what one participant in the present study described as the ‘heart language’ of New Zealand, with the potential for Te Reo Māori to flourish beyond language classrooms and Māori-medium education and into our mainstream education system, where it belongs.

year: 2023