title: The digital technology components in the New Zealand Curriculum: Teachers’ journey of adoption

authors: Rhodes, Kate

subjects: Digital technology

abstract: Over the last century, digital technology (DT) has revolutionized our world. A digital revolution has taken hold; reshaping industries and schools, and making information, games and tools more accessible. Digital technology now has a steadfast place in our society and is changing the way we work and live. Subsequently, governments around the world are realising the benefit of digital technology and the need to incorporate it into educational curricula. 
In 2020, new digital technology components (DTC) became a mandatory part of the New Zealand Curriculum technology subject area. DTC aim to create students who are not just passive users of technology, but instead students who are digital creators and understand how computers work. DTC aim to teach skills that could be considered essential in the twenty-first century, such as deeper understanding of technology, problem solving and the processes involved (TKI, n.d.b). 
This research investigated teachers’ adoption of DTC. Scrutinizing how DTC can be effectively integrated, the main affordances for implementation and what teachers’ capabilities enable them to do. Adopting DTC was challenging for schools, as the new components encompass skills that are currently beyond many teachers' understanding of digital technologies. Therefore, the implementation of DTC can be problematic, needing to be scrutinized and unpacked by teachers as they work out how, when and where it will best fit and be integrated into existing classroom practices. 
A qualitative approach to the research was adopted in this study as highly skilled teachers could struggle with DTC implementation. DTC recent establishment meant it introduced new concepts to teachers and schools and therefore a qualitative approach allowed participants to partake no matter what their current knowledge or experience of DTC. Participatory Action Research (PAR) was selected as the most appropriate research methodological approach. This approach enabled the teachers to have ownership and create lasting change, as teachers took on the role of coresearchers. The researcher also intended that participants would gain from the iii research, as they developed their knowledge of DTC during their personal journeys of adoption and implementation. 
The research found there were several problems in adopting DTC. Teachers articulated that professional learning development (PLD) and integration of DTC was unclear, misinterpreted and insufficient. Additionally, it was identified that teachers’ confidence played an important role in DTC implementation. However, through suitable professional development sessions and successful integration teachers could build confidence and subsequently overcome several of the negative affordances associated with DTC adoption. 
The agenda for completing this research lay within a belief that ICT is valuable to educational outcomes, that it should be utilised to benefit the next generation, enhancing their learning, abilities and subsequent employment opportunities. Assisting teachers in their adoption of this new curriculum and anticipating that schools and policy makers might take note of these findings is the main rationale for the research.

text: The digital technology components in the New Zealand Curriculum: Teachers’ journey of adoption Over the last century, digital technology (DT) has revolutionized our world. A digital revolution has taken hold; reshaping industries and schools, and making information, games and tools more accessible. Digital technology now has a steadfast place in our society and is changing the way we work and live. Subsequently, governments around the world are realising the benefit of digital technology and the need to incorporate it into educational curricula. 
In 2020, new digital technology components (DTC) became a mandatory part of the New Zealand Curriculum technology subject area. DTC aim to create students who are not just passive users of technology, but instead students who are digital creators and understand how computers work. DTC aim to teach skills that could be considered essential in the twenty-first century, such as deeper understanding of technology, problem solving and the processes involved (TKI, n.d.b). 
This research investigated teachers’ adoption of DTC. Scrutinizing how DTC can be effectively integrated, the main affordances for implementation and what teachers’ capabilities enable them to do. Adopting DTC was challenging for schools, as the new components encompass skills that are currently beyond many teachers' understanding of digital technologies. Therefore, the implementation of DTC can be problematic, needing to be scrutinized and unpacked by teachers as they work out how, when and where it will best fit and be integrated into existing classroom practices. 
A qualitative approach to the research was adopted in this study as highly skilled teachers could struggle with DTC implementation. DTC recent establishment meant it introduced new concepts to teachers and schools and therefore a qualitative approach allowed participants to partake no matter what their current knowledge or experience of DTC. Participatory Action Research (PAR) was selected as the most appropriate research methodological approach. This approach enabled the teachers to have ownership and create lasting change, as teachers took on the role of coresearchers. The researcher also intended that participants would gain from the iii research, as they developed their knowledge of DTC during their personal journeys of adoption and implementation. 
The research found there were several problems in adopting DTC. Teachers articulated that professional learning development (PLD) and integration of DTC was unclear, misinterpreted and insufficient. Additionally, it was identified that teachers’ confidence played an important role in DTC implementation. However, through suitable professional development sessions and successful integration teachers could build confidence and subsequently overcome several of the negative affordances associated with DTC adoption. 
The agenda for completing this research lay within a belief that ICT is valuable to educational outcomes, that it should be utilised to benefit the next generation, enhancing their learning, abilities and subsequent employment opportunities. Assisting teachers in their adoption of this new curriculum and anticipating that schools and policy makers might take note of these findings is the main rationale for the research.

year: 2020

title: Selected data exploration methods in hydroclimatology

authors: Vetrova, Varvara

subjects: hydrclimatology

abstract: The volumes of climatological data are rapidly growing due to development of new acquisition platforms and advances in data storage technologies. Such advances provide new challenging problems for data analysis methods. As a result, there is an increasing interest in application and development of new machine learning and data mining methods in climatological data analysis.

This dissertation contributes to the field of data analysis by evaluation of selected methods and developing new techniques with application to hydro-climatological datasets. 

It is shown that data pre-processing with the decimated wavelet discrete transform can cause false predictive accuracy in regression machine learning algorithms. A general result is obtained that a decimated wavelet discrete transform based on a pyramidal algorithm requires utilizing some future values of the time series concerned. When the discrete wavelet transform is utilized as a pre-processing step for forecasting the time series, the necessary independence of calibration and validation data is compromised. This in turn translates into over-optimistic forecasting accuracy or even giving the illusion of forecasting skill when there in none. The obtained result is general and has wide implications in any discipline where the discrete wavelet transform is utilised in forecasting frameworks.

In addition, a general framework for creating simple predictive models is presented, based on LASSO regularised regression. The method is illustrated for time series modelling with external event forcing but the approach has general applicability. 

As a contribution to association discovery, two tests of bivariate association are developed. The first method is designed for detecting threshold-like associations in a scatter plot with particular reference to testing the significance of the extent of a data-sparse region within a scatter plot. The second method is a more general test of non-random associations. Both methods utilise significance testing based on randomizations.

Finally, LASSO regularized regression is investigated as a tool for discovering informative large scale climatogical predictors of local hydrological processes. A cross-validation scheme is proposed, which is related to practical forecasts of the next time interval to come, while at the same time maximising use of available information. The proposed methodology was applied to a case study predicting next-season river discharges in the Upper Waitaki River in New Zealand. The proposed forecasting methodology and cross-validation frameworks are applicable for similar hydroclimatological forecasting situations. The physical aspect of this part of the study included discovering the influence of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation on winter discharges in the upper Waitaki catchment.

text: Selected data exploration methods in hydroclimatology The volumes of climatological data are rapidly growing due to development of new acquisition platforms and advances in data storage technologies. Such advances provide new challenging problems for data analysis methods. As a result, there is an increasing interest in application and development of new machine learning and data mining methods in climatological data analysis.

This dissertation contributes to the field of data analysis by evaluation of selected methods and developing new techniques with application to hydro-climatological datasets. 

It is shown that data pre-processing with the decimated wavelet discrete transform can cause false predictive accuracy in regression machine learning algorithms. A general result is obtained that a decimated wavelet discrete transform based on a pyramidal algorithm requires utilizing some future values of the time series concerned. When the discrete wavelet transform is utilized as a pre-processing step for forecasting the time series, the necessary independence of calibration and validation data is compromised. This in turn translates into over-optimistic forecasting accuracy or even giving the illusion of forecasting skill when there in none. The obtained result is general and has wide implications in any discipline where the discrete wavelet transform is utilised in forecasting frameworks.

In addition, a general framework for creating simple predictive models is presented, based on LASSO regularised regression. The method is illustrated for time series modelling with external event forcing but the approach has general applicability. 

As a contribution to association discovery, two tests of bivariate association are developed. The first method is designed for detecting threshold-like associations in a scatter plot with particular reference to testing the significance of the extent of a data-sparse region within a scatter plot. The second method is a more general test of non-random associations. Both methods utilise significance testing based on randomizations.

Finally, LASSO regularized regression is investigated as a tool for discovering informative large scale climatogical predictors of local hydrological processes. A cross-validation scheme is proposed, which is related to practical forecasts of the next time interval to come, while at the same time maximising use of available information. The proposed methodology was applied to a case study predicting next-season river discharges in the Upper Waitaki River in New Zealand. The proposed forecasting methodology and cross-validation frameworks are applicable for similar hydroclimatological forecasting situations. The physical aspect of this part of the study included discovering the influence of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation on winter discharges in the upper Waitaki catchment.

year: 2016

title: Kia tata mai te pae tāwhiti: Nurturing success in psychology for Māori and Pasifika

authors: Bidois, Devyn

abstract: Embarking on the university education journey is commonly perceived as a pathway to success and enhanced career prospects. However, for Māori and Pasifika students in psychology, this trajectory is distinctly burdened with challenges beyond their control, particularly concerning low clinician representation and educational achievement. This thesis thus explores the experiences, barriers, and aspirations of Māori and Pasifika students engaged in psychology studies in Tauranga Moana. Guided by the principles of Kaupapa Māori, the overarching goal of this thesis is to empower and advocate for students, shedding light on their unique journeys and fostering a platform for meaningful change within the academic landscape. Two group interviews with undergraduate students and two individual interviews with postgraduate students were conducted to explore the research topic. These were then analysed using inductive thematic analysis, and a social constructionist epistemology within a Kaupapa Māori paradigm, to contextualise participant experiences. Three core themes are identified in this analysis. The first theme, the Western Educational Environment, underscores the challenges students face within a system shaped by Western norms. A monocultural, individualistic approach to curriculum, assessments, and teaching methods impacts the diverse cultural perspectives of students, shaping their overall study experiences. The second theme, Pathways, explores the nuanced journeys of tauira navigating various options related to papers, qualifications, and future career prospects. The third theme, Equity, critically examines the (lack of) equity in relation to facilities and services at the Tauranga campus compared to those in Hamilton. Recommendations for the School of Psychology focus on improving discipline relevance for Māori and Pasifika students through methods integrating Kaupapa Māori content and strategies as well as addressing historical issues aims to empower, retain, and support students to higher positions in psychology.

text: Kia tata mai te pae tāwhiti: Nurturing success in psychology for Māori and Pasifika Embarking on the university education journey is commonly perceived as a pathway to success and enhanced career prospects. However, for Māori and Pasifika students in psychology, this trajectory is distinctly burdened with challenges beyond their control, particularly concerning low clinician representation and educational achievement. This thesis thus explores the experiences, barriers, and aspirations of Māori and Pasifika students engaged in psychology studies in Tauranga Moana. Guided by the principles of Kaupapa Māori, the overarching goal of this thesis is to empower and advocate for students, shedding light on their unique journeys and fostering a platform for meaningful change within the academic landscape. Two group interviews with undergraduate students and two individual interviews with postgraduate students were conducted to explore the research topic. These were then analysed using inductive thematic analysis, and a social constructionist epistemology within a Kaupapa Māori paradigm, to contextualise participant experiences. Three core themes are identified in this analysis. The first theme, the Western Educational Environment, underscores the challenges students face within a system shaped by Western norms. A monocultural, individualistic approach to curriculum, assessments, and teaching methods impacts the diverse cultural perspectives of students, shaping their overall study experiences. The second theme, Pathways, explores the nuanced journeys of tauira navigating various options related to papers, qualifications, and future career prospects. The third theme, Equity, critically examines the (lack of) equity in relation to facilities and services at the Tauranga campus compared to those in Hamilton. Recommendations for the School of Psychology focus on improving discipline relevance for Māori and Pasifika students through methods integrating Kaupapa Māori content and strategies as well as addressing historical issues aims to empower, retain, and support students to higher positions in psychology.

year: 2024