title: Discourses Shaping Primary School Leaders’ Approaches to Transition to School in New Zealand

authors: Souness, Katherine

abstract: Children’s initial transition from early childhood education (ECE) to school has been well studied across the world, with diverse accounts of policy and practice in a variety of contexts. However, to date, the specific contributions of those school staff in leadership roles who shape and oversee transition-to-school processes have been under-researched. Furthermore, little research to date has considered transition to school through a discourse lens. This paper responds to these gaps, reporting findings from a post-structural discourse analysis of interviews with five primary school leaders (deputy/associate principals or across school leaders) responsible for supporting children transitioning from ECE to large New Zealand primary schools. The data analysis suggested that leaders’ ways of talking about transition to school reflected four specific discourses, which we termed structural, relational, pedagogical, and achievement discourses. These discourses within the schools intersected with each other and with wider social and educational discourses (e.g., discourses of managerial leadership, “best transition practice,” sociocultural, child readiness, neoliberal, data, and play). The paper looks critically at the discourses on transition that both produce and are reproduced by policies and practices in some of New Zealand’s schools. In doing so, the paper offers a fresh perspective on the role of primary school leaders in constructing transition-to-school approaches within their school contexts. The paper highlights the importance of critical examination of discursive forces and invites school leaders and others to exercise agency in constructing transition-to-school approaches and discourses within their specific contexts.

text: Discourses Shaping Primary School Leaders’ Approaches to Transition to School in New Zealand Children’s initial transition from early childhood education (ECE) to school has been well studied across the world, with diverse accounts of policy and practice in a variety of contexts. However, to date, the specific contributions of those school staff in leadership roles who shape and oversee transition-to-school processes have been under-researched. Furthermore, little research to date has considered transition to school through a discourse lens. This paper responds to these gaps, reporting findings from a post-structural discourse analysis of interviews with five primary school leaders (deputy/associate principals or across school leaders) responsible for supporting children transitioning from ECE to large New Zealand primary schools. The data analysis suggested that leaders’ ways of talking about transition to school reflected four specific discourses, which we termed structural, relational, pedagogical, and achievement discourses. These discourses within the schools intersected with each other and with wider social and educational discourses (e.g., discourses of managerial leadership, “best transition practice,” sociocultural, child readiness, neoliberal, data, and play). The paper looks critically at the discourses on transition that both produce and are reproduced by policies and practices in some of New Zealand’s schools. In doing so, the paper offers a fresh perspective on the role of primary school leaders in constructing transition-to-school approaches within their school contexts. The paper highlights the importance of critical examination of discursive forces and invites school leaders and others to exercise agency in constructing transition-to-school approaches and discourses within their specific contexts.

year: 2023-11-14

title: Dragonriding: Live and Let Fly

authors: Sheridan, Brendan Daniel

subjects: Dragons

abstract: This article examines the dragon rider as a recurring trope within contemporary fantasy fiction and film. While considerable scholarship has focused on dragons in literature, the subject of dragon riders has been neglected, an oversight this article seeks to redress. My research utilises Jonathan D. Evans’ application of Validimir Propp’s Morphology of the Folktale to construct a formula reflecting this narrative pattern. It also draws on human-animal studies, particularly the work of Phillip Armstrong and J. M. Coetzee. Through these theoretical lenses I interrogate the relationship between dragon and rider, exploring how the relationship forms as well as the power dynamic between the participants.

text: Dragonriding: Live and Let Fly This article examines the dragon rider as a recurring trope within contemporary fantasy fiction and film. While considerable scholarship has focused on dragons in literature, the subject of dragon riders has been neglected, an oversight this article seeks to redress. My research utilises Jonathan D. Evans’ application of Validimir Propp’s Morphology of the Folktale to construct a formula reflecting this narrative pattern. It also draws on human-animal studies, particularly the work of Phillip Armstrong and J. M. Coetzee. Through these theoretical lenses I interrogate the relationship between dragon and rider, exploring how the relationship forms as well as the power dynamic between the participants.

year: 2016

title: Materials for enhancing denitrification performance in partially saturated vertical flow wetlands for marae

authors: Liu, Lucian XiaoRan

abstract: There are upwards of 773 marae in New Zealand which are responsible for many key events for the indigenous people, Māori, many of which are located rurally and have inadequate on-site wastewater treatment mostly comprising of a septic tank followed by land application. Māori have many strong beliefs about water and subsequently criteria surround the treatment of wastewater due to the effects it can have on people and environment. One proposed solution that meets criteria are treatment wetlands, more specifically partially saturated vertical flow wetlands which require a smaller footprint and produce better effluent than traditional wetland designs. NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) has experimented with mesocosm scale versions of this design and has encountered issues with denitrification in the saturated zone.

This research is therefore directed at enhancing denitrification in the saturated zone with materials that are able to supplement organic carbon for denitrification. Several woodchip materials (Eastern Cottonwood, Mahogany, Manuka, Eucalyptus, Crack Willow, Princess Tree and Pine) along with two industry by-product materials (Brewers Spent Grain and Slum gum) and Coir (Coconut derivative) were examined for denitrification capabilities and to serve in producing a leachate for dosing the proposed system to supplement organic carbon for denitrification.

The research is split into three phases; the first examines the ability of materials to release organic carbon into water over 60 days, the second examines the same but over three 10 day cycles, and the third quantifies denitrification performance of the materials at lab scale.

Results showed that producing a suitable leachate is not possible without the use of fresh material for each batch. By-product materials had great capacity for releasing organic carbon into water and denitrification (up to 85.5% nitrate removal) but had limited lifespans as media. While woodchip materials did not exhibit as great carbon release, they achieved comparable denitrification (74.2-74.5% nitrate removal) with long lifespans. Therefore, a woodchip and industry by-product mix could be the solution. Alternatively, there are many woodchip species, some which could have better denitrification capacity or suitable industry by-products with longer useful lifespans.

text: Materials for enhancing denitrification performance in partially saturated vertical flow wetlands for marae There are upwards of 773 marae in New Zealand which are responsible for many key events for the indigenous people, Māori, many of which are located rurally and have inadequate on-site wastewater treatment mostly comprising of a septic tank followed by land application. Māori have many strong beliefs about water and subsequently criteria surround the treatment of wastewater due to the effects it can have on people and environment. One proposed solution that meets criteria are treatment wetlands, more specifically partially saturated vertical flow wetlands which require a smaller footprint and produce better effluent than traditional wetland designs. NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) has experimented with mesocosm scale versions of this design and has encountered issues with denitrification in the saturated zone.

This research is therefore directed at enhancing denitrification in the saturated zone with materials that are able to supplement organic carbon for denitrification. Several woodchip materials (Eastern Cottonwood, Mahogany, Manuka, Eucalyptus, Crack Willow, Princess Tree and Pine) along with two industry by-product materials (Brewers Spent Grain and Slum gum) and Coir (Coconut derivative) were examined for denitrification capabilities and to serve in producing a leachate for dosing the proposed system to supplement organic carbon for denitrification.

The research is split into three phases; the first examines the ability of materials to release organic carbon into water over 60 days, the second examines the same but over three 10 day cycles, and the third quantifies denitrification performance of the materials at lab scale.

Results showed that producing a suitable leachate is not possible without the use of fresh material for each batch. By-product materials had great capacity for releasing organic carbon into water and denitrification (up to 85.5% nitrate removal) but had limited lifespans as media. While woodchip materials did not exhibit as great carbon release, they achieved comparable denitrification (74.2-74.5% nitrate removal) with long lifespans. Therefore, a woodchip and industry by-product mix could be the solution. Alternatively, there are many woodchip species, some which could have better denitrification capacity or suitable industry by-products with longer useful lifespans.

year: 2023