title: Enhancing learner agency: Engaging appreciative inquiry to support school transitions

authors: McNae, Rachel Elizabeth

abstract: There is a growing body of literature highlighting the various challenges both teachers and students face when students transition between schools, (e.g. from intermediate to high school), with very little focus given to transitions within school contexts. The nature of common transition processes frequently positions students within a deficit model as individuals needing to be fixed, reflects managerial rather than pedagogical decision-making, (e.g. fluidity, staffing considerations, time management, maximising time on task and minimising disruption), and can lack overall pedagogical focus. As a team of educators and researchers, we strongly believed that Appreciative Inquiry had the potential to be an innovative practice which can aid in creating coherent learning pathways for a more seamless education experience.

text: Enhancing learner agency: Engaging appreciative inquiry to support school transitions There is a growing body of literature highlighting the various challenges both teachers and students face when students transition between schools, (e.g. from intermediate to high school), with very little focus given to transitions within school contexts. The nature of common transition processes frequently positions students within a deficit model as individuals needing to be fixed, reflects managerial rather than pedagogical decision-making, (e.g. fluidity, staffing considerations, time management, maximising time on task and minimising disruption), and can lack overall pedagogical focus. As a team of educators and researchers, we strongly believed that Appreciative Inquiry had the potential to be an innovative practice which can aid in creating coherent learning pathways for a more seamless education experience.

year: 2018

title: Adolescent property offending and socialisation

authors: McKissack, Ian James

abstract: A stable aspect of adolescent property offending has been coincidence of the peak age of such offences with the last year of compulsory schooling. This fact is taken as the focus of three epidemiological analyses. These were:

1. A survey of child welfare records of adolescent property offences for Hamilton, N.Z., in 1971.
2. The collection of teacher ratings of behaviour for a delinquent sample and a random sample, in the classroom situation.
3. Investigation of an unexpected finding, the disappearance of the peak age in Scotland in 1961.

Study 1. confirmed earlier work suggesting that the property offences of the younger adolescent are more likely to be first offences and of a casual, low expertise nature. It added to such findings the fact that this is not so much an age effect as a difference between those attending school and those who have left school.

Study 2. replicated the well established finding of close association between difficult behaviour at school and delinquent acts. It added to such studies the fact that while property offending increases rapidly in early adolescence, difficult behaviour remains fairly stable.

Study 3. provided an unusual example of variation in delinquency rates, and showed that children born immediately after World War 2 in Scotland were significantly less delinquent than expectation.

The results of these studies are extensively discussed in relation to a general concept of primary deviance, the interaction between socialisation and situational or life style variables, and the nature of socialisation processes.

text: Adolescent property offending and socialisation A stable aspect of adolescent property offending has been coincidence of the peak age of such offences with the last year of compulsory schooling. This fact is taken as the focus of three epidemiological analyses. These were:

1. A survey of child welfare records of adolescent property offences for Hamilton, N.Z., in 1971.
2. The collection of teacher ratings of behaviour for a delinquent sample and a random sample, in the classroom situation.
3. Investigation of an unexpected finding, the disappearance of the peak age in Scotland in 1961.

Study 1. confirmed earlier work suggesting that the property offences of the younger adolescent are more likely to be first offences and of a casual, low expertise nature. It added to such findings the fact that this is not so much an age effect as a difference between those attending school and those who have left school.

Study 2. replicated the well established finding of close association between difficult behaviour at school and delinquent acts. It added to such studies the fact that while property offending increases rapidly in early adolescence, difficult behaviour remains fairly stable.

Study 3. provided an unusual example of variation in delinquency rates, and showed that children born immediately after World War 2 in Scotland were significantly less delinquent than expectation.

The results of these studies are extensively discussed in relation to a general concept of primary deviance, the interaction between socialisation and situational or life style variables, and the nature of socialisation processes.

year: 1974

title: Empowerment evaluation of Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga Family Start: Improving service delivery

authors: Little, Gaylene Robina

subjects: Family Start

abstract: This thesis explores child maltreatment in New Zealand by considering service delivery of the Family Start programme at Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga through an empowerment evaluation. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the service delivery process of the Family Start programme at this site to inform the organization and other Family Start key agents of possible improvements to service delivery so that the Family Start programme is best able to reduce the risk factors that are known to influence child maltreatment in New Zealand. The best possible service delivery by kaupapa providers supports sustainability and the continuity of service with Māori through continual funding. The two objectives of this research are to look at how well the Family Start programme is implemented at Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga and to consider the cultural appropriateness of service delivery. Community psychology is the paradigm within which I position myself. I respect the values of community psychology that aim to improve the position of disadvantaged people through their participation in social change and community development. Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga is a kaupapa Māori provider and I see an empowerment evaluation as a tool for internal evaluation to assist organizations who value self determination in their own practice. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed. There are two objectives to consider service delivery; firstly process aspects of service delivery are looked at and secondly the cultural relevance of service delivery to the population receiving the Family Start programme at this site. These are described as nine points about service delivery. The aim is to provide an empowerment evaluation for Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga to inform, assist and improve service delivery of the Family Start programme in a culturally appropriate manner. The findings suggest better understanding is needed by Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga Family Start staff, about the programme intentions, the use of tools such as Born to Learn/Ahuru Mōwai, individual family plans, service delivery levels, maintaining health records and ways to encourage collaboration between agencies. Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga are shown in this research to be reaching the intended population for the Family Start programme, and service delivery appears to be culturally relevant to the clients on the programme at this time. The findings are limited by the fact that access to some information was restricted by Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga Family Start management. Consequently, this research looked only at service delivery, and not the benefits of or barriers to the actual programme. The effectiveness of the programme in reducing child maltreatment is important but could not be measured in this research. Reducing child maltreatment is the main aim of the Family Start programme and would be measured through client outcomes. This research considered service delivery to see if the Family Start programme is offered optimally to assist the aim of reducing child maltreatment.

text: Empowerment evaluation of Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga Family Start: Improving service delivery This thesis explores child maltreatment in New Zealand by considering service delivery of the Family Start programme at Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga through an empowerment evaluation. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the service delivery process of the Family Start programme at this site to inform the organization and other Family Start key agents of possible improvements to service delivery so that the Family Start programme is best able to reduce the risk factors that are known to influence child maltreatment in New Zealand. The best possible service delivery by kaupapa providers supports sustainability and the continuity of service with Māori through continual funding. The two objectives of this research are to look at how well the Family Start programme is implemented at Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga and to consider the cultural appropriateness of service delivery. Community psychology is the paradigm within which I position myself. I respect the values of community psychology that aim to improve the position of disadvantaged people through their participation in social change and community development. Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga is a kaupapa Māori provider and I see an empowerment evaluation as a tool for internal evaluation to assist organizations who value self determination in their own practice. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed. There are two objectives to consider service delivery; firstly process aspects of service delivery are looked at and secondly the cultural relevance of service delivery to the population receiving the Family Start programme at this site. These are described as nine points about service delivery. The aim is to provide an empowerment evaluation for Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga to inform, assist and improve service delivery of the Family Start programme in a culturally appropriate manner. The findings suggest better understanding is needed by Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga Family Start staff, about the programme intentions, the use of tools such as Born to Learn/Ahuru Mōwai, individual family plans, service delivery levels, maintaining health records and ways to encourage collaboration between agencies. Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga are shown in this research to be reaching the intended population for the Family Start programme, and service delivery appears to be culturally relevant to the clients on the programme at this time. The findings are limited by the fact that access to some information was restricted by Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga Family Start management. Consequently, this research looked only at service delivery, and not the benefits of or barriers to the actual programme. The effectiveness of the programme in reducing child maltreatment is important but could not be measured in this research. Reducing child maltreatment is the main aim of the Family Start programme and would be measured through client outcomes. This research considered service delivery to see if the Family Start programme is offered optimally to assist the aim of reducing child maltreatment.

year: 2010