title: Mentoring: Using an inquiry approach to support the development of higher education teachers' pedagogical practice

authors: Ferrier-Kerr, Jenny L.

subjects: Higher education teaching

abstract: Mentoring has been proven to contribute to the development of higher education teachers’ pedagogical practice by expanding their knowledge and understanding for teaching in an adult learning context. This development can be enhanced when in parallel, mentors encourage higher education teachers to explore the factors that influence their practice.
In this study the influence of mentoring on the development of higher education teachers’ pedagogical practice was investigated. The study was conducted in one New Zealand university where the participants and the researcher are academics who teach and engage in research. The seven participants hailed from two faculties and a teaching development centre. They elected to take part in the study because of their articulated commitment and desire to contribute to the development of effective higher education teaching. Their respective lived experiences of the ways that mentoring can support the development of higher education teachers’ pedagogical practice was integral to their decision-making. 
A qualitative in-depth narrative methodology framed by a constructivist research paradigm was used to investigate the participants’ experiences of mentoring and the implications for their practice. The main sources of data were generated by the in-depth narrative semi-structured interviews. Thematic data analysis was conducted via the interview transcripts and subsequently reinforced by re-storying. These approaches to data generation and analysis enabled an in-depth scrutiny of the participants’ experiences of both teaching and mentoring.
The study revealed that the participants’ beliefs about teaching, their prior experiences, professional development, tacit theories of learning, reflection, and mentoring were factors that had shaped and influenced their pedagogical practice. In the subsequent exploration of the participants’ experiences of being mentored and of mentoring others, mentoring was identified as a significant influence. For most of the participants mentoring had not only supported the development of their pedagogical practice, it had helped them to make sense of why they taught the way that they did. Notably, the participants indicated a preference for mentoring approaches which promoted the co-construction of learning about teaching, encouraged co-inquiry into their teaching practice and gave them ownership of the mentoring process.
Three key recommendations about mentoring for the development of higher education teachers’ pedagogical practice emerged from the study, and signal implications for higher education teachers and universities. First, that the influences on higher education teachers’ practice should be intentionally explored in mentoring settings given the significant impact these influences have upon teachers pedagogical practice; second, that mentoring must be understood and pertinent to sustain higher education teachers’ motivation and commitment to the ongoing development of their practice; third, that mentoring should be positioned as intentional and purposeful for learning about teaching.
This study has the potential to add to understandings about mentoring for the development of teachers’ pedagogical practice in higher education. It is anticipated that it will contribute to both higher education teaching and mentoring discourses. A key aspiration of this study, drawn from the participants’ insightful and honest sharing of their experiences, is for mentoring to be deliberately employed as an inquiry approach to support the development of higher education teachers’ pedagogical practice.

text: Mentoring: Using an inquiry approach to support the development of higher education teachers' pedagogical practice Mentoring has been proven to contribute to the development of higher education teachers’ pedagogical practice by expanding their knowledge and understanding for teaching in an adult learning context. This development can be enhanced when in parallel, mentors encourage higher education teachers to explore the factors that influence their practice.
In this study the influence of mentoring on the development of higher education teachers’ pedagogical practice was investigated. The study was conducted in one New Zealand university where the participants and the researcher are academics who teach and engage in research. The seven participants hailed from two faculties and a teaching development centre. They elected to take part in the study because of their articulated commitment and desire to contribute to the development of effective higher education teaching. Their respective lived experiences of the ways that mentoring can support the development of higher education teachers’ pedagogical practice was integral to their decision-making. 
A qualitative in-depth narrative methodology framed by a constructivist research paradigm was used to investigate the participants’ experiences of mentoring and the implications for their practice. The main sources of data were generated by the in-depth narrative semi-structured interviews. Thematic data analysis was conducted via the interview transcripts and subsequently reinforced by re-storying. These approaches to data generation and analysis enabled an in-depth scrutiny of the participants’ experiences of both teaching and mentoring.
The study revealed that the participants’ beliefs about teaching, their prior experiences, professional development, tacit theories of learning, reflection, and mentoring were factors that had shaped and influenced their pedagogical practice. In the subsequent exploration of the participants’ experiences of being mentored and of mentoring others, mentoring was identified as a significant influence. For most of the participants mentoring had not only supported the development of their pedagogical practice, it had helped them to make sense of why they taught the way that they did. Notably, the participants indicated a preference for mentoring approaches which promoted the co-construction of learning about teaching, encouraged co-inquiry into their teaching practice and gave them ownership of the mentoring process.
Three key recommendations about mentoring for the development of higher education teachers’ pedagogical practice emerged from the study, and signal implications for higher education teachers and universities. First, that the influences on higher education teachers’ practice should be intentionally explored in mentoring settings given the significant impact these influences have upon teachers pedagogical practice; second, that mentoring must be understood and pertinent to sustain higher education teachers’ motivation and commitment to the ongoing development of their practice; third, that mentoring should be positioned as intentional and purposeful for learning about teaching.
This study has the potential to add to understandings about mentoring for the development of teachers’ pedagogical practice in higher education. It is anticipated that it will contribute to both higher education teaching and mentoring discourses. A key aspiration of this study, drawn from the participants’ insightful and honest sharing of their experiences, is for mentoring to be deliberately employed as an inquiry approach to support the development of higher education teachers’ pedagogical practice.

year: 2022

title: A thesis on green finance

authors: Xu, Danyang

subjects: Green finance

abstract: In recent years, green finance has received considerable attention as a key tool for addressing climate change and achieving global sustainable development. It plays a critical role in driving the global transition to a green economy, achieving carbon neutrality targets and advancing environmental governance. This thesis provides an in-depth exploration of the dynamic connectedness of green financial markets and their complex interactions with various types of risks, aiming to comprehensively understand their characteristics and behaviors under different market conditions. First, using advanced econometric techniques such as the Time-Varying Parameter Vector Autoregressive (TVP-VAR) model and wavelet analysis, the study reveals the relationships between green financial markets and key driving risks, including financial and climate risks, in the time and frequency domain. Second, the thesis investigates the connectedness mechanisms between green bond markets in the United States and China and other financial markets. The analyses also reveal the intrinsic nature of the two major green bond markets. Finally, the thesis examines the dynamic relationships between key environmental, social, and governance (ESG) markets and other sources of uncertainty. 
The findings reveal that financial risks are the primary drivers of connectedness in green financial markets, with significant impacts on long-term return connectedness, whereas climate risks, particularly physical climate risks, have pronounced short-term effects on volatility connectedness. Furthermore, this thesis highlights the different roles of US and Chinese green bonds in responding to financial crises and geopolitical conflicts (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict). Green bonds in the US have demonstrated stable hedging capabilities, while Chinese green bonds have shown strong market resilience, driven by economic transition and policy support. The analysis of ESG investment markets shows that European markets dominate the global green financial system, characterized by high returns and strong risk mitigation capabilities, while ESG assets in emerging markets are more constrained by regional economic and policy environments. In addition, this thesis explores the potential of optimal portfolio strategies of green financial assets in risk diversification and asset allocation, with green bonds and ESG assets being particularly important in times of crisis. 
This work not only contributes to the theoretical understanding of the dynamic characteristics of green financial markets, but also provides practical insights for policymakers in designing effective green financial policies and for investors in optimizing asset allocation. By revealing the dynamic linkages of green financial markets, this study provides crucial empirical evidence and decision-making support for the sustainable development of global green financial markets. The findings of the thesis lay a solid foundation for future research on green finance and suggest novel solutions to address global climate change challenges and promote sustainable economic development.

text: A thesis on green finance In recent years, green finance has received considerable attention as a key tool for addressing climate change and achieving global sustainable development. It plays a critical role in driving the global transition to a green economy, achieving carbon neutrality targets and advancing environmental governance. This thesis provides an in-depth exploration of the dynamic connectedness of green financial markets and their complex interactions with various types of risks, aiming to comprehensively understand their characteristics and behaviors under different market conditions. First, using advanced econometric techniques such as the Time-Varying Parameter Vector Autoregressive (TVP-VAR) model and wavelet analysis, the study reveals the relationships between green financial markets and key driving risks, including financial and climate risks, in the time and frequency domain. Second, the thesis investigates the connectedness mechanisms between green bond markets in the United States and China and other financial markets. The analyses also reveal the intrinsic nature of the two major green bond markets. Finally, the thesis examines the dynamic relationships between key environmental, social, and governance (ESG) markets and other sources of uncertainty. 
The findings reveal that financial risks are the primary drivers of connectedness in green financial markets, with significant impacts on long-term return connectedness, whereas climate risks, particularly physical climate risks, have pronounced short-term effects on volatility connectedness. Furthermore, this thesis highlights the different roles of US and Chinese green bonds in responding to financial crises and geopolitical conflicts (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict). Green bonds in the US have demonstrated stable hedging capabilities, while Chinese green bonds have shown strong market resilience, driven by economic transition and policy support. The analysis of ESG investment markets shows that European markets dominate the global green financial system, characterized by high returns and strong risk mitigation capabilities, while ESG assets in emerging markets are more constrained by regional economic and policy environments. In addition, this thesis explores the potential of optimal portfolio strategies of green financial assets in risk diversification and asset allocation, with green bonds and ESG assets being particularly important in times of crisis. 
This work not only contributes to the theoretical understanding of the dynamic characteristics of green financial markets, but also provides practical insights for policymakers in designing effective green financial policies and for investors in optimizing asset allocation. By revealing the dynamic linkages of green financial markets, this study provides crucial empirical evidence and decision-making support for the sustainable development of global green financial markets. The findings of the thesis lay a solid foundation for future research on green finance and suggest novel solutions to address global climate change challenges and promote sustainable economic development.

year: 2025-06-09

title: Participatory data design: managing data sovereignty in IoT solutions

authors: Bowen, Judy

subjects: computer science

abstract: Within the software engineering community, deciding how to collect, store and use personal data has become about more than just understanding our users. This paper considers ethical data use which includes cultural considerations and data ownership rights. We discuss indigenous data sovereignty as a concept and how it potentially impacts technological solutions that gather personal data from users. We propose an extension to typical user-centred design processes which we call participatory data design. This incorporates the use of frameworks and tools that specifically focus on managing data within the cultural context it is gathered from. We also present a specific example of how we have used this approach in the context of a data collection project from M¯aori workers in New Zealand forestry. We conclude with a discussion of the wider implications of this approach.

text: Participatory data design: managing data sovereignty in IoT solutions Within the software engineering community, deciding how to collect, store and use personal data has become about more than just understanding our users. This paper considers ethical data use which includes cultural considerations and data ownership rights. We discuss indigenous data sovereignty as a concept and how it potentially impacts technological solutions that gather personal data from users. We propose an extension to typical user-centred design processes which we call participatory data design. This incorporates the use of frameworks and tools that specifically focus on managing data within the cultural context it is gathered from. We also present a specific example of how we have used this approach in the context of a data collection project from M¯aori workers in New Zealand forestry. We conclude with a discussion of the wider implications of this approach.

year: 2022