title: “Who am I to tell them how to coach”: A critical analysis of the work and learning of coach developers in Aotearoa, New Zealand

authors: Davidson, James

subjects: Coach

abstract: This thesis shares research undertaken in New Zealand on the learning and development of sports coach developers. It specifically focuses attention on how coach developers understand and perform their roles. Drawing on multiple semi-structured interviews, observations and reflexive insights, the research highlights the idiosyncratic, complex nature of coach developers’ learning and development. Specifically, the data highlighted a level of ambiguity around their role and competing ideologies on how to best facilitate coaches’ learning. For example, coach developers often entered the role with deeply held beliefs about learning formed through personal biography and a lifetime of learning. However, the data highlighted the multiple and competing interests and networks of power that influenced their beliefs and practices about effective coach development. This tension provided instances of ideological conflict, and a requirement for social, cultural, and contextual literacy within their individual coach development ecosystems. Finally, of interest was the ways in which the research interviews provided a learning intervention and an opportunity to reflect on previously unexplored understandings of their roles. This allowed coach developers the opportunity to reflect, build, craft, and even develop their own personal understanding of their roles. This further underlined the differential impact of existing coach developer training programmes and the need for structured reflective conversations in practitioner development. The research therefore offers novel insights into an important and previously underexplored aspect of the coach development landscape and has implications for informing coach developer trainers.

text: “Who am I to tell them how to coach”: A critical analysis of the work and learning of coach developers in Aotearoa, New Zealand This thesis shares research undertaken in New Zealand on the learning and development of sports coach developers. It specifically focuses attention on how coach developers understand and perform their roles. Drawing on multiple semi-structured interviews, observations and reflexive insights, the research highlights the idiosyncratic, complex nature of coach developers’ learning and development. Specifically, the data highlighted a level of ambiguity around their role and competing ideologies on how to best facilitate coaches’ learning. For example, coach developers often entered the role with deeply held beliefs about learning formed through personal biography and a lifetime of learning. However, the data highlighted the multiple and competing interests and networks of power that influenced their beliefs and practices about effective coach development. This tension provided instances of ideological conflict, and a requirement for social, cultural, and contextual literacy within their individual coach development ecosystems. Finally, of interest was the ways in which the research interviews provided a learning intervention and an opportunity to reflect on previously unexplored understandings of their roles. This allowed coach developers the opportunity to reflect, build, craft, and even develop their own personal understanding of their roles. This further underlined the differential impact of existing coach developer training programmes and the need for structured reflective conversations in practitioner development. The research therefore offers novel insights into an important and previously underexplored aspect of the coach development landscape and has implications for informing coach developer trainers.

year: 2021

title: Measurement of antennas and microwave components using time-domain reflectometry of a voltage impulse

authors: McCabe, Steven Owen

subjects: antenna measurements

abstract: Band-pass microwave systems such as ultra-wideband antennas are traditionally characterized in the frequency-domain through a vector network analyzer in an anechoic chamber. A recent study proved antennas could be accurately measured in the time-domain using a step-function time-domain reflectometer (TDR), without the need for an anechoic chamber. We propose a new advance in the TDR characterization method. An impulse generator is employed in place of the step generator in a TDR set-up. The advantage conferred by this change is that more energy is available beyond a given frequency than with a step, and so a higher signal-to-noise ratio is achieved. The theoretical result is compared with measurement.

text: Measurement of antennas and microwave components using time-domain reflectometry of a voltage impulse Band-pass microwave systems such as ultra-wideband antennas are traditionally characterized in the frequency-domain through a vector network analyzer in an anechoic chamber. A recent study proved antennas could be accurately measured in the time-domain using a step-function time-domain reflectometer (TDR), without the need for an anechoic chamber. We propose a new advance in the TDR characterization method. An impulse generator is employed in place of the step generator in a TDR set-up. The advantage conferred by this change is that more energy is available beyond a given frequency than with a step, and so a higher signal-to-noise ratio is achieved. The theoretical result is compared with measurement.

year: 2011

title: Māori and the [potential] demographic dividend

authors: Jackson, Natalie

subjects: demography

abstract: This paper outlines a recently articulated concept in the demographic literature known as the ‘demographic dividend’, and connects it with key features of Māori and non- Māori demography. The dividend arises – or has the potential to arise - as each population passes through a particular point in its demographic transition. During these years, the maximum proportion of the population moves into the key working and income-earning age groups, and the minimum (comprised of youth and the elderly) is notionally dependent. With proactive and timely investment in the youthful base of the population, there is potential to convert the demographic dividend into two economic windfalls, the first arising as fertility decline causes youthful dependency to fall and the last large waves of young adults flood into the working age population, the second as the latter age and move on into the higher income earning age groups. However the window of opportunity to invest in the first dividend is fleeting, while failure to invest in that stage seriously compromises the second. This paper shows that for the Māori population, despite its relative youth, the first opportunity is already coming to an end and with it the potential gains of the second. But it also argues that there is a third window of opportunity which holds particular promise for Māori. This period will also be fleeting, but is arising in both absolute and relative terms as the relatively youthful Māori population co-exists alongside its structurally older counterpart, and together (with other New Zealanders) comprise an ‘economic dividend system’ that produces the potential for a ‘collateral dividend’.

text: Māori and the [potential] demographic dividend This paper outlines a recently articulated concept in the demographic literature known as the ‘demographic dividend’, and connects it with key features of Māori and non- Māori demography. The dividend arises – or has the potential to arise - as each population passes through a particular point in its demographic transition. During these years, the maximum proportion of the population moves into the key working and income-earning age groups, and the minimum (comprised of youth and the elderly) is notionally dependent. With proactive and timely investment in the youthful base of the population, there is potential to convert the demographic dividend into two economic windfalls, the first arising as fertility decline causes youthful dependency to fall and the last large waves of young adults flood into the working age population, the second as the latter age and move on into the higher income earning age groups. However the window of opportunity to invest in the first dividend is fleeting, while failure to invest in that stage seriously compromises the second. This paper shows that for the Māori population, despite its relative youth, the first opportunity is already coming to an end and with it the potential gains of the second. But it also argues that there is a third window of opportunity which holds particular promise for Māori. This period will also be fleeting, but is arising in both absolute and relative terms as the relatively youthful Māori population co-exists alongside its structurally older counterpart, and together (with other New Zealanders) comprise an ‘economic dividend system’ that produces the potential for a ‘collateral dividend’.

year: 2011-06