title: Youth sport in Trinidad and Tobago: Extending the possibilities and pathways for post-secondary school participation

authors: Lawrence-Ince, Karen

subjects: youth

abstract: Sport in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) emerged out of centuries of occupation by different colonisers becoming more entrenched through the influences of the British. Continued but intermittent successes at the international level have led to increasing attention being directed to youth sport development within recent times. Whilst this has been unfolding at the national level, schools have been utilising resources within their command to keep youth involved in sport.  
This study primarily focused on youth sport practices in the senior comprehensive schools (SCS), a school type that was created and continuously reconfigured to meet the changing demands of education. In spite of a series of transitions, sport arose and persisted within these institutions carrying greater and greater significance as time elapsed. Whereas the SCS contributed to youth sport engagement at schools, community sport clubs and their respective National Governing Bodies (NGBs) working within the framework of a new service company, The Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT), which operated under the aegis of the Ministry of Sport (MOS), provided additional opportunities for sport engagement. Efforts at these two levels however, appeared not to have produced maximum or prolonged benefits. Attrition rates in youth sport engagement at both school and community levels appeared to be sufficiently high, especially after students completed secondary schooling.   
The study therefore reports on research that investigated sport provision for youth in T&T, and specifically addressed coherence in provision across school, club, community and representative contexts. It followed the qualitative tradition and utilised an interpretative approach that bore a critical edge. Data was generated from investigations in three regional SCS school sites, and from participants in their homes and work places. Data collection involved conducting interviews with sport students past and present, as well as teachers, principals and professionals in the field of physical education and sport, and the collection of documents from the different sites. Analysis utilised a thematic approach within an iterative process.  
Findings revealed notable tensions and fragmentation in provision, particularly relating to (i) NGBs’ continued focus on elite development to the detriment of mass participation and capacity building; (ii) a relative lack of support in the community (with the exception of cricket); and (iii) pedagogical experiences and opportunities for young people within and beyond school characterised by disconnections. Discussion focuses on insights arising from an engagement with data and literature on education and sport policy, youth sport practices and physical education and sport pedagogy internationally. Recommendations arising from the research draw attention to actions needed to achieve coherence in sport provision for young people with a view to maximising pathways for sustained participation at all levels.

text: Youth sport in Trinidad and Tobago: Extending the possibilities and pathways for post-secondary school participation Sport in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) emerged out of centuries of occupation by different colonisers becoming more entrenched through the influences of the British. Continued but intermittent successes at the international level have led to increasing attention being directed to youth sport development within recent times. Whilst this has been unfolding at the national level, schools have been utilising resources within their command to keep youth involved in sport.  
This study primarily focused on youth sport practices in the senior comprehensive schools (SCS), a school type that was created and continuously reconfigured to meet the changing demands of education. In spite of a series of transitions, sport arose and persisted within these institutions carrying greater and greater significance as time elapsed. Whereas the SCS contributed to youth sport engagement at schools, community sport clubs and their respective National Governing Bodies (NGBs) working within the framework of a new service company, The Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT), which operated under the aegis of the Ministry of Sport (MOS), provided additional opportunities for sport engagement. Efforts at these two levels however, appeared not to have produced maximum or prolonged benefits. Attrition rates in youth sport engagement at both school and community levels appeared to be sufficiently high, especially after students completed secondary schooling.   
The study therefore reports on research that investigated sport provision for youth in T&T, and specifically addressed coherence in provision across school, club, community and representative contexts. It followed the qualitative tradition and utilised an interpretative approach that bore a critical edge. Data was generated from investigations in three regional SCS school sites, and from participants in their homes and work places. Data collection involved conducting interviews with sport students past and present, as well as teachers, principals and professionals in the field of physical education and sport, and the collection of documents from the different sites. Analysis utilised a thematic approach within an iterative process.  
Findings revealed notable tensions and fragmentation in provision, particularly relating to (i) NGBs’ continued focus on elite development to the detriment of mass participation and capacity building; (ii) a relative lack of support in the community (with the exception of cricket); and (iii) pedagogical experiences and opportunities for young people within and beyond school characterised by disconnections. Discussion focuses on insights arising from an engagement with data and literature on education and sport policy, youth sport practices and physical education and sport pedagogy internationally. Recommendations arising from the research draw attention to actions needed to achieve coherence in sport provision for young people with a view to maximising pathways for sustained participation at all levels.

year: 2016

title: Advancements in work-integrated learning research: Editorial insights

authors: Zegwaard, Karsten E.

subjects: Developments

abstract: Over the past two decades, scholarship into work-integrated learning (WIL) has significantly expanded,
highlighting the importance of its contribution to higher education. The International Journal of Work-Integrated
Learning (IJWIL) has been an important part of the promotion of research and scholarship of WIL, and the
dissemination of new knowledge. This current IJWIL Issue includes three articles that provide a bibliometric
analysis of what is now a significant body of WIL literature. These analyses reveal trends in themes such as equity
and access, professional identity development, stakeholder engagement, risks, and highlight the high level of collaboration among WIL researchers. This editorial emphasizes the advances of WIL scholarship by further identifying key developments and topical challenges and linking these to recent published WIL literature to inspire further research to enhance the understanding of WIL as a transformative pedagogy.

text: Advancements in work-integrated learning research: Editorial insights Over the past two decades, scholarship into work-integrated learning (WIL) has significantly expanded,
highlighting the importance of its contribution to higher education. The International Journal of Work-Integrated
Learning (IJWIL) has been an important part of the promotion of research and scholarship of WIL, and the
dissemination of new knowledge. This current IJWIL Issue includes three articles that provide a bibliometric
analysis of what is now a significant body of WIL literature. These analyses reveal trends in themes such as equity
and access, professional identity development, stakeholder engagement, risks, and highlight the high level of collaboration among WIL researchers. This editorial emphasizes the advances of WIL scholarship by further identifying key developments and topical challenges and linking these to recent published WIL literature to inspire further research to enhance the understanding of WIL as a transformative pedagogy.

year: 2024

title: Kia Maanu, Kia Ora: Stay Afloat, Stay Alive – Acknowledging the significance of tikanga Māori in formulating and communicating water safety policies and practices

authors: Haimona, Mark

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: The traditional beliefs and practices of Māori demonstrate great respect for water, for its dangers as well as its life-giving properties, and Māori have, along with other Polynesian peoples, been known for their skill in swimming, fishing and canoeing. However, Māori now outnumber others in New Zealand in terms of the proportion involved in drowning and water-related injury. In seeking to promote water safety among Māori, Water Safety New Zealand has enlisted the help of Māori communities. Its message - Kia Maanu, Kia Ora (Stay Afloat, Stay Alive) - is underpinned by an acknowledgment of the need to reinforce the traditional respect for water that permeates the Māori worldview.

text: Kia Maanu, Kia Ora: Stay Afloat, Stay Alive – Acknowledging the significance of tikanga Māori in formulating and communicating water safety policies and practices The traditional beliefs and practices of Māori demonstrate great respect for water, for its dangers as well as its life-giving properties, and Māori have, along with other Polynesian peoples, been known for their skill in swimming, fishing and canoeing. However, Māori now outnumber others in New Zealand in terms of the proportion involved in drowning and water-related injury. In seeking to promote water safety among Māori, Water Safety New Zealand has enlisted the help of Māori communities. Its message - Kia Maanu, Kia Ora (Stay Afloat, Stay Alive) - is underpinned by an acknowledgment of the need to reinforce the traditional respect for water that permeates the Māori worldview.

year: 2007