title: Culture is our business: Issues and challenges for forensic and correctional psychologists

authors: Tamatea, Armon J.

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: Psychology has made significant advances in the development of more empirical, standardized, and consistent approaches to the prediction, assessment, and treatment of offending behaviour. However, crime occurs in a cultural context. Similarly, forensic and correctional psychology derive from a cultural basis that privileges certain types of knowledge and promotes certain forms of practice that are incommensurate with the outlook and realities of some offenders and their communities. While there is an emerging literature on ethnicity and race in criminal justice psychology, very little research that addresses culture is published. The reasons for this knowledge gap are complex, not least because the worldviews of indigenous and diverse communities do not superimpose neatly onto current best-practice models of risk assessment or offender rehabilitation. Given Australia and New Zealand’s commitment to the involvement and wellbeing of indigenous peoples as well as the shared experience of progressively more pluralistic societies, it is argued that there is a critical need to bring the somewhat disparate domains of forensic psychology and culture into conversation with a view to informing policy and practice. The example of risk assessment is used to illustrate some of the complexities of working with cultural difference. Central to this article is a call for a culturally-engaged and proactive philosophy of practice that embraces the needs of diverse offenders, victims and communities.

text: Culture is our business: Issues and challenges for forensic and correctional psychologists Psychology has made significant advances in the development of more empirical, standardized, and consistent approaches to the prediction, assessment, and treatment of offending behaviour. However, crime occurs in a cultural context. Similarly, forensic and correctional psychology derive from a cultural basis that privileges certain types of knowledge and promotes certain forms of practice that are incommensurate with the outlook and realities of some offenders and their communities. While there is an emerging literature on ethnicity and race in criminal justice psychology, very little research that addresses culture is published. The reasons for this knowledge gap are complex, not least because the worldviews of indigenous and diverse communities do not superimpose neatly onto current best-practice models of risk assessment or offender rehabilitation. Given Australia and New Zealand’s commitment to the involvement and wellbeing of indigenous peoples as well as the shared experience of progressively more pluralistic societies, it is argued that there is a critical need to bring the somewhat disparate domains of forensic psychology and culture into conversation with a view to informing policy and practice. The example of risk assessment is used to illustrate some of the complexities of working with cultural difference. Central to this article is a call for a culturally-engaged and proactive philosophy of practice that embraces the needs of diverse offenders, victims and communities.

year: 2017

title: Walking into the past to explore the future: Utulizing larval densities to measure the effects of two climate change factors, temperature and salinity on Poorohe (common smelt, Retropinna retropinna) abundance in Te Puuaha o Waikato

authors: Robcke, Sidney

subjects: Common smelt

abstract: Poorohe (common smelt, Retropinna retropinna) are a highly valued kai species in Te Puuaha o Waikato (the lower 66 km of the Waikato River). Fisher whaanau have observed changes in the amount Poorohe that are harvested during annual fish harvests. Since Poorohe are particularly vulnerable to environmental changes, whaanau are particularly concerned about the how climate change might impact Poorohe populations. Climate change vulnerability assessments (CCVA) currently exist for several native New Zealand fish freshwater species; however, one does not yet exist for Poorohe. Previous larval distribution studies in the lower Waikato River only sampled as far downstream as Tuakau bridge (approximately 45km from the river mouth). These studies indicated that important spawning habitats likely existed downstream of Tuakau bridge. Temperature increases and saltwater intrusion have been identified as two climate change factors that will likely impact Poorohe in Te Puuaha o Waikato, because ambient temperatures have increased since the industrial revolution and the proximity of the study area to the ocean. A literature review was used to explore the experiences of fisher whaanau through the past, present and how the experiences will continue to change in a changing climate. The effects of temperature and saltwater intrusion on Poorohe populations were explored through replicating the methods of past research carried out in the 1980s and 2010s. Current river temperatures are in the optimal temperature range (12°C - 18°C) for Poorohe spawning. The saltwater wedge was suppressed by the high river flow during the eight-week sampling period, and it is unclear whether saltwater intrusion has an impact on Poorohe spawning. Larval densities did not significantly increase down river, which suggests large spawning habitat is not found downstream of Tuakau bridge. Furthermore, there were no decreases in larval densities in the two saltwater sites. This study has contributed to the available literature necessary to develop a CCVA for Poorohe and explored the cultural heritage of traditionally significant practices in Te Puuaha o Waikato relating to Poorohe.

text: Walking into the past to explore the future: Utulizing larval densities to measure the effects of two climate change factors, temperature and salinity on Poorohe (common smelt, Retropinna retropinna) abundance in Te Puuaha o Waikato Poorohe (common smelt, Retropinna retropinna) are a highly valued kai species in Te Puuaha o Waikato (the lower 66 km of the Waikato River). Fisher whaanau have observed changes in the amount Poorohe that are harvested during annual fish harvests. Since Poorohe are particularly vulnerable to environmental changes, whaanau are particularly concerned about the how climate change might impact Poorohe populations. Climate change vulnerability assessments (CCVA) currently exist for several native New Zealand fish freshwater species; however, one does not yet exist for Poorohe. Previous larval distribution studies in the lower Waikato River only sampled as far downstream as Tuakau bridge (approximately 45km from the river mouth). These studies indicated that important spawning habitats likely existed downstream of Tuakau bridge. Temperature increases and saltwater intrusion have been identified as two climate change factors that will likely impact Poorohe in Te Puuaha o Waikato, because ambient temperatures have increased since the industrial revolution and the proximity of the study area to the ocean. A literature review was used to explore the experiences of fisher whaanau through the past, present and how the experiences will continue to change in a changing climate. The effects of temperature and saltwater intrusion on Poorohe populations were explored through replicating the methods of past research carried out in the 1980s and 2010s. Current river temperatures are in the optimal temperature range (12°C - 18°C) for Poorohe spawning. The saltwater wedge was suppressed by the high river flow during the eight-week sampling period, and it is unclear whether saltwater intrusion has an impact on Poorohe spawning. Larval densities did not significantly increase down river, which suggests large spawning habitat is not found downstream of Tuakau bridge. Furthermore, there were no decreases in larval densities in the two saltwater sites. This study has contributed to the available literature necessary to develop a CCVA for Poorohe and explored the cultural heritage of traditionally significant practices in Te Puuaha o Waikato relating to Poorohe.

year: 2024-11-23

title: Personalised learning with mobile technologies in mathematics: An exploration of classroom practice

authors: Willacy, Helen

subjects: Personalised learning;

abstract: Personalised learning is generally understood to be of benefit to students’ learning. In addition, the flexible nature of mobile technologies (MTs) and the variety of available apps are seen to respond to the needs of individual students, and hence have the potential to support personalised learning. This paper reports on an aspect of a larger research project that investigated the use of mobile technologies in primary mathematics classrooms. Personalised learning was determined as one theme that emanated from the teachers’ and students’ use of MTs, and this paper aims to investigate how personalised learning was evidenced within the practice of three teachers. Video data of classroom practice were used to analyse the use of MTs within the theme of personalised learning. Four pathways to personalised learning emerged, enabling a more practical understanding of different types of personalisation afforded by MTs.

text: Personalised learning with mobile technologies in mathematics: An exploration of classroom practice Personalised learning is generally understood to be of benefit to students’ learning. In addition, the flexible nature of mobile technologies (MTs) and the variety of available apps are seen to respond to the needs of individual students, and hence have the potential to support personalised learning. This paper reports on an aspect of a larger research project that investigated the use of mobile technologies in primary mathematics classrooms. Personalised learning was determined as one theme that emanated from the teachers’ and students’ use of MTs, and this paper aims to investigate how personalised learning was evidenced within the practice of three teachers. Video data of classroom practice were used to analyse the use of MTs within the theme of personalised learning. Four pathways to personalised learning emerged, enabling a more practical understanding of different types of personalisation afforded by MTs.

year: 2017