title: Education for Sustainability: An Investigation of Teachers' and Students' Perceptions and Experiences

authors: Chalmers, Jade

subjects: Sustainability

abstract: Human activity and the mismanagement of this generation and the previous, has resulted in large-scale environmental and social damage associated with climate change, ecosystem destruction, resource depletion and pollution (Littledyke, Taylor & Eames, 2009). This has caused concern for the future of our planet, and it is this concern that introduced Environmental Education/Education for Sustainability (EE/EFS) in the 1960s and 1970s. EE/EFS has been shaped by international conferences and publications to reach the notable status that it currently holds today. The New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education 2007) stopped short of mandating EE/EFS, but ‘sustainability’ is woven throughout the document, offering potential for EE/EFS to be effectively expressed in teaching and learning. 
This qualitative study sought to obtain rich qualitative data to investigate and gain a better insight into the EE/EFS learning experiences currently taking place in five Bay of Plenty primary classrooms. It explored the perceptions that were held by teachers and students participating in EE/EFS. The methods used for data collection included interviews, observation and questionnaires. 
The study found evidence to suggest that teachers and students lacked a general understanding of the terms ‘environment’ ‘EE/EFS’ and ‘sustainability’, and their views of these concepts were predominantly ecological in nature. A gap between what current research and literature on EE/EFS stipulates, and what was known by the teachers in this study, was clearly apparent. Teachers had received very little, if any tertiary education or professional development in EE/EFS, and therefore, although more specialised views exist amongst educators and specialists of the area, the teachers had not been well introduced to the current trends and issues in EE/EFS, and therefore, relied on their ‘lay’ understandings. 
Waste management and recycling activities, were the topics most frequently focused on within each of the schools, and activities appeared to address the symptoms of the waste issues rather than focusing on underlying causes or the wider issue. Examples of education ‘For’ the environment were generally absent. Barriers to EE/EFS existed, with challenges in its implementation most commonly mentioned by teachers being time limitations. The value of teachers’ personal passion and enthusiasm for EE/EFS was highlighted in this study, and as EE/EFS remains non-mandatory, its future relies on teachers with this personal interest. 
This study’s findings suggest that quality professional development is needed, both conceptual and pedagogical, as students and teachers had limited understandings of EE/EFS. Universal, clearly stated guidelines, containing information about the contemporary focus of EE/EFS should be introduced and presented to teachers, as although there are supporting resources and literature available, they were not being accessed by the teachers in this study. The implementation and development of whole school approaches to EE/EFS should continue to be encouraged, and school leaders need to play a part in initiating this. Therefore, support for school leaders may be needed to encourage collaborative EE/EFS initiatives to take place in schools.

text: Education for Sustainability: An Investigation of Teachers' and Students' Perceptions and Experiences Human activity and the mismanagement of this generation and the previous, has resulted in large-scale environmental and social damage associated with climate change, ecosystem destruction, resource depletion and pollution (Littledyke, Taylor & Eames, 2009). This has caused concern for the future of our planet, and it is this concern that introduced Environmental Education/Education for Sustainability (EE/EFS) in the 1960s and 1970s. EE/EFS has been shaped by international conferences and publications to reach the notable status that it currently holds today. The New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education 2007) stopped short of mandating EE/EFS, but ‘sustainability’ is woven throughout the document, offering potential for EE/EFS to be effectively expressed in teaching and learning. 
This qualitative study sought to obtain rich qualitative data to investigate and gain a better insight into the EE/EFS learning experiences currently taking place in five Bay of Plenty primary classrooms. It explored the perceptions that were held by teachers and students participating in EE/EFS. The methods used for data collection included interviews, observation and questionnaires. 
The study found evidence to suggest that teachers and students lacked a general understanding of the terms ‘environment’ ‘EE/EFS’ and ‘sustainability’, and their views of these concepts were predominantly ecological in nature. A gap between what current research and literature on EE/EFS stipulates, and what was known by the teachers in this study, was clearly apparent. Teachers had received very little, if any tertiary education or professional development in EE/EFS, and therefore, although more specialised views exist amongst educators and specialists of the area, the teachers had not been well introduced to the current trends and issues in EE/EFS, and therefore, relied on their ‘lay’ understandings. 
Waste management and recycling activities, were the topics most frequently focused on within each of the schools, and activities appeared to address the symptoms of the waste issues rather than focusing on underlying causes or the wider issue. Examples of education ‘For’ the environment were generally absent. Barriers to EE/EFS existed, with challenges in its implementation most commonly mentioned by teachers being time limitations. The value of teachers’ personal passion and enthusiasm for EE/EFS was highlighted in this study, and as EE/EFS remains non-mandatory, its future relies on teachers with this personal interest. 
This study’s findings suggest that quality professional development is needed, both conceptual and pedagogical, as students and teachers had limited understandings of EE/EFS. Universal, clearly stated guidelines, containing information about the contemporary focus of EE/EFS should be introduced and presented to teachers, as although there are supporting resources and literature available, they were not being accessed by the teachers in this study. The implementation and development of whole school approaches to EE/EFS should continue to be encouraged, and school leaders need to play a part in initiating this. Therefore, support for school leaders may be needed to encourage collaborative EE/EFS initiatives to take place in schools.

year: 2011

title: Derivation and experimental analysis of Peukert’s equation in terms of fractional equivalent circuits

authors: Cree, Michael J.

abstract: Using an equivalent circuit model (ECM) of a battery that involves fractional elements we analytically derive Peukert’s empirical equation along with generalisations of the equation for the increasing capacity of the battery as the charge and discharge currents are reduced. The derived generalised Peukert’s Equations are dimensionally consistent and all parameters (including Peukert’s coefficient and the so-called ‘capacity constant’) can be calculated from the parameters of the ECM and operating voltage range of the battery. Experiments are conducted on ten batteries to demonstrate that the resistor fractional-capacitor series ECM fit to discharge times predicts well the impedance spectrum found by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and vice versa, on Li-CO/NCA/NMC and Na-ion batteries. This agreement is not observed on the tested LiFePO
 and LiTO batteries because the impedance spectrum exhibits behaviour not captured by the ECM. Peukert’s Equation predicts ever increasing capacity as both the charge and discharge currents are reduced. The experimental results confirm this behaviour for all batteries down to the lowest current measured (C/256).

text: Derivation and experimental analysis of Peukert’s equation in terms of fractional equivalent circuits Using an equivalent circuit model (ECM) of a battery that involves fractional elements we analytically derive Peukert’s empirical equation along with generalisations of the equation for the increasing capacity of the battery as the charge and discharge currents are reduced. The derived generalised Peukert’s Equations are dimensionally consistent and all parameters (including Peukert’s coefficient and the so-called ‘capacity constant’) can be calculated from the parameters of the ECM and operating voltage range of the battery. Experiments are conducted on ten batteries to demonstrate that the resistor fractional-capacitor series ECM fit to discharge times predicts well the impedance spectrum found by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and vice versa, on Li-CO/NCA/NMC and Na-ion batteries. This agreement is not observed on the tested LiFePO
 and LiTO batteries because the impedance spectrum exhibits behaviour not captured by the ECM. Peukert’s Equation predicts ever increasing capacity as both the charge and discharge currents are reduced. The experimental results confirm this behaviour for all batteries down to the lowest current measured (C/256).

year: 2026-02

title: Systemic racism in clinical psychology: Symposia

authors: Wairoa-Harrison, Sophia

subjects: Racial oppression

abstract: This study constitutes a part of the Working to End Racial Oppression (WERO) project on Systemic Racism in Health Education, Training, and Practice. The focus is on the three dimensions of racism in psychology in Aotearoa New Zealand: its costs, systems and the potential responses that exist. Content: To set the scene, the session will begin with a 30-minute presentation that outlines evidence from three WERO studies on different levels of racism affecting indigenous Māori and minoritised groups. First study presents findings from a desktop analysis of papers across university psychology departments. The findings will be compared with previous studies (Levy, 2007; Levy & Waitoki, 2015) to identify the changes in inclusion of Māori and culturally focused paper at different timepoints. The second study involves semi-structured interviews with Māori students enrolled in clinical psychology training programmes (n = 19) to understand the extent of cultural responsiveness, support, disparities, and representation within programmes. The third study draws on preliminary survey findings with directors of training programmes to depict the progress towards including taha Māori and cultural competency in the psychology curriculum since the studies by Abbott and Durie (1987) and Nathan (1999). The rest of the session will be conducted as a wānanga or a forum that includes a panel discussion amongst WERO research team while allowing for a reciprocal exchange of knowledge with the attendees. Opportunities will be provided for attendees to ask questions, provide feedback to the research analyses and findings, and share their experiences of witnessing or encountering racism in psychology. The session will be opened with a karakia (prayer) and attendees to be offered manaakitanga (hospitality) and tikanga (custom) to ensure cultural safety. Goals: In this session, the research team will bring the evidence derived from robust analyses on existence and ramifications of racism in psychology to the fore. These findings will be integrated with the Waitangi Tribunal claim (Levy, 2018) to shed light on the manifestations of racism across systems and agents responsible for the regulation, training and employment of psychologists. Findings will be used to inform ways for all in psychology to embark on Te Tiriti-focused, culturally-competent and equitable approaches in the quest of indigenising the psychology discipline and advancing it to be relevant to the multicultural nature of Aotearoa populations.

text: Systemic racism in clinical psychology: Symposia This study constitutes a part of the Working to End Racial Oppression (WERO) project on Systemic Racism in Health Education, Training, and Practice. The focus is on the three dimensions of racism in psychology in Aotearoa New Zealand: its costs, systems and the potential responses that exist. Content: To set the scene, the session will begin with a 30-minute presentation that outlines evidence from three WERO studies on different levels of racism affecting indigenous Māori and minoritised groups. First study presents findings from a desktop analysis of papers across university psychology departments. The findings will be compared with previous studies (Levy, 2007; Levy & Waitoki, 2015) to identify the changes in inclusion of Māori and culturally focused paper at different timepoints. The second study involves semi-structured interviews with Māori students enrolled in clinical psychology training programmes (n = 19) to understand the extent of cultural responsiveness, support, disparities, and representation within programmes. The third study draws on preliminary survey findings with directors of training programmes to depict the progress towards including taha Māori and cultural competency in the psychology curriculum since the studies by Abbott and Durie (1987) and Nathan (1999). The rest of the session will be conducted as a wānanga or a forum that includes a panel discussion amongst WERO research team while allowing for a reciprocal exchange of knowledge with the attendees. Opportunities will be provided for attendees to ask questions, provide feedback to the research analyses and findings, and share their experiences of witnessing or encountering racism in psychology. The session will be opened with a karakia (prayer) and attendees to be offered manaakitanga (hospitality) and tikanga (custom) to ensure cultural safety. Goals: In this session, the research team will bring the evidence derived from robust analyses on existence and ramifications of racism in psychology to the fore. These findings will be integrated with the Waitangi Tribunal claim (Levy, 2018) to shed light on the manifestations of racism across systems and agents responsible for the regulation, training and employment of psychologists. Findings will be used to inform ways for all in psychology to embark on Te Tiriti-focused, culturally-competent and equitable approaches in the quest of indigenising the psychology discipline and advancing it to be relevant to the multicultural nature of Aotearoa populations.

year: 2023-03-25