title: Teachers' Perceptions of Behaviour Difficulties in Primary Schools: A Madang Province Perspective, Papua New Guinea

authors: Saun, Gabriel John

subjects: Behaviour difficulties

abstract: Behavioural difficulty is probably the least understood area of special education as it is very problematic to identify a specific cause. Behavioural difficulties are those behaviours that students sometimes exhibit that are inappropriate and unacceptable in the classrooms or schools, as they disrupt the smooth process of teaching and learning. 

        This study investigated primary school teachers' perspectives of the causal factors of students' behavioural problems and what can be done to minimise this problem. The study was carried out in the Madang Province involving two primary schools. From the two schools, twelve teachers (six from each school) participated in the study. The same participants were involved in both the questionnaire and the semi structured interview. The data gathered for the questionnaire and interview were analysed and transcribed respectively. 

        The findings discovered that the family and school factors contributed substantially towards students' inappropriate behaviours. Family factors include parental problems, abuse in the families, and the constant struggle to provide the basic necessities due to the high living cost. School factors, on the other hand, include negative teacher attitudes, teacher lack of knowledge and skills to adapt the curriculum to include social skills, lack of teacher support and encouragement, and peer influences. The findings also discovered that teachers were more bothered about externalising behaviours such as disruption and aggression than internalising behavioural problems like withdrawal and depression displayed by students. Further, teachers' limited pre-service and in-service training and lack of experience in teaching students with behavioural problems contributed significantly for teachers not attending to students who behave inappropriately. 

        Based on the findings identified in the study, several recommendations were made on how to intervene to alleviate this problem. Of particular importance is teacher training at both the pre-service and in-service level. Also government support is needed in terms of funding for training, involving specialists and other resources to respond to student behavioural problems effectively and efficiently. The findings may have particular relevance to future studies in this area and provide teachers with effective and workable intervention strategies for students' behavioural problems in the classrooms.

text: Teachers' Perceptions of Behaviour Difficulties in Primary Schools: A Madang Province Perspective, Papua New Guinea Behavioural difficulty is probably the least understood area of special education as it is very problematic to identify a specific cause. Behavioural difficulties are those behaviours that students sometimes exhibit that are inappropriate and unacceptable in the classrooms or schools, as they disrupt the smooth process of teaching and learning. 

        This study investigated primary school teachers' perspectives of the causal factors of students' behavioural problems and what can be done to minimise this problem. The study was carried out in the Madang Province involving two primary schools. From the two schools, twelve teachers (six from each school) participated in the study. The same participants were involved in both the questionnaire and the semi structured interview. The data gathered for the questionnaire and interview were analysed and transcribed respectively. 

        The findings discovered that the family and school factors contributed substantially towards students' inappropriate behaviours. Family factors include parental problems, abuse in the families, and the constant struggle to provide the basic necessities due to the high living cost. School factors, on the other hand, include negative teacher attitudes, teacher lack of knowledge and skills to adapt the curriculum to include social skills, lack of teacher support and encouragement, and peer influences. The findings also discovered that teachers were more bothered about externalising behaviours such as disruption and aggression than internalising behavioural problems like withdrawal and depression displayed by students. Further, teachers' limited pre-service and in-service training and lack of experience in teaching students with behavioural problems contributed significantly for teachers not attending to students who behave inappropriately. 

        Based on the findings identified in the study, several recommendations were made on how to intervene to alleviate this problem. Of particular importance is teacher training at both the pre-service and in-service level. Also government support is needed in terms of funding for training, involving specialists and other resources to respond to student behavioural problems effectively and efficiently. The findings may have particular relevance to future studies in this area and provide teachers with effective and workable intervention strategies for students' behavioural problems in the classrooms.

year: 2008

title: What are the views and experiences of daily life for women living with visible, physical disabilities in Papua New Guinea?

authors: Yenas, Alice Mona

subjects: views and experiences

abstract: Papua New Guinea (PNG) developed its National Policy for Disability (NPD) in 2005. The NPD aims to remove barriers that hinder the right of people with disabilities to live a life that is no different to able bodied people in PNG. This policy also reflects PNG‘s commitment to the ratification on the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) (United Nations, 2006). This study examines the views and experiences of women living with disabilities in rural PNG. This is the first time these narratives have been gathered for research purposes. This study adopts a qualitative approach and used the three theoretical underpinnings of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach─ phenomenology, hermeneutics and idiography─ to develop the research methodology and method. Semi-structured individual interviews from five women with visible, physical disabilities in rural PNG were used to gather narratives about their daily lives. The interviews were transcribed in Tok Pisin, translated to English, and five narratives were developed from the scripts, to capture the voices of the participants about their lives and concerns. Key findings from these narratives indicate that both the socio-cultural practices and the physical environment substantially influence the women‘s level of involvement in their communities. The narratives also revealed that the women‘s daily lives are strongly influenced by how non-disabled perceive disability and disabled people in PNG. These influences include negative self-perceptions, discrimination, marginalisation and being disadvantaged in their communities. It is suggested that current policies and practices that relate to women and people with disabilities should include programmes that raise awareness at the community level about inclusive practices and strengthen social participation and empowerment activities and programmes for women with disabilities at community levels.

text: What are the views and experiences of daily life for women living with visible, physical disabilities in Papua New Guinea? Papua New Guinea (PNG) developed its National Policy for Disability (NPD) in 2005. The NPD aims to remove barriers that hinder the right of people with disabilities to live a life that is no different to able bodied people in PNG. This policy also reflects PNG‘s commitment to the ratification on the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) (United Nations, 2006). This study examines the views and experiences of women living with disabilities in rural PNG. This is the first time these narratives have been gathered for research purposes. This study adopts a qualitative approach and used the three theoretical underpinnings of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach─ phenomenology, hermeneutics and idiography─ to develop the research methodology and method. Semi-structured individual interviews from five women with visible, physical disabilities in rural PNG were used to gather narratives about their daily lives. The interviews were transcribed in Tok Pisin, translated to English, and five narratives were developed from the scripts, to capture the voices of the participants about their lives and concerns. Key findings from these narratives indicate that both the socio-cultural practices and the physical environment substantially influence the women‘s level of involvement in their communities. The narratives also revealed that the women‘s daily lives are strongly influenced by how non-disabled perceive disability and disabled people in PNG. These influences include negative self-perceptions, discrimination, marginalisation and being disadvantaged in their communities. It is suggested that current policies and practices that relate to women and people with disabilities should include programmes that raise awareness at the community level about inclusive practices and strengthen social participation and empowerment activities and programmes for women with disabilities at community levels.

year: 2019

title: Viewing the world through a wider lens: Māori and council planning documents

authors: Kennedy, Nathan

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: My effort to convey an iwi perspective on environmental resource management - what we call kaitiakitanga – should highlight for new planners about to enter the profession that the environmental perspectives of hapū  and iwi (which are provided for in the RMA), are currently not well covered in either mainstream local government planning or education.

text: Viewing the world through a wider lens: Māori and council planning documents My effort to convey an iwi perspective on environmental resource management - what we call kaitiakitanga – should highlight for new planners about to enter the profession that the environmental perspectives of hapū  and iwi (which are provided for in the RMA), are currently not well covered in either mainstream local government planning or education.

year: 2008-07-30