title: How prepared are Pākehā tertiary teachers to teach Māori students? Teachers’ own perceptions of their preparedness

authors: Honey, Sandra Elizabeth

subjects: tertiary teachers

abstract: In the past three decades New Zealand has seen an increasing government commitment to realising the promises of both equality and tino rangatiratanga embedded in the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. There is acknowledgement that the impacts of colonisation and past acts of government have negatively affected Māori economically, socially, politically and educationally. 
To strengthen New Zealand’s ability to compete economically and academically on an international level, the Ministry of Education 2014 – 2019 Tertiary Education Strategy set an aim for 55% of all 25-34 year olds, regardless of ethnicity, to have a qualification at Level 4 or above on the NZQA Framework, by 2017. Additionally Ka Hikitia: the Māori Education Strategy (2009, 2013) particularly aims for Māori to be achieving these educational successes as Māori, where being Māori is a strength in their learning and where learning environments acknowledge and support Te Ao Māori.
Although enrolments of students at Wānanga (tertiary institutes based on Māori principles and values) are steadily increasing, the majority of Māori tertiary students currently study at mainstream (English medium) institutes and are taught in the majority by Pākehā teachers. Regardless of which institute Māori study at, the Tertiary Education Strategy (Ministry of Education, 2014) acknowledges that culturally responsive education better engages Māori. This acknowledgement carries with it an expectation that Pākehā tertiary teachers are prepared to teach in culturally responsive ways and are confident in using culturally responsive pedagogies. 
This thesis examines how prepared Pākehā tertiary teachers perceive themselves to meet the tertiary education strategy’s expectation. It includes examining the existing literature about how tertiary teachers are prepared in New Zealand and the expectations of culturally responsive tertiary education. Pākehā tertiary teachers were then interviewed for their perspectives of their preparedness for teaching Māori students. Teachers identified themselves variably in their perceived levels of preparedness.   What emerges from the study is that tertiary teacher preparation in a cultural context should take priority in developing new teachers’ cultural capacity to meet the expectation of the tertiary education strategies for Māori to be succeeding in tertiary education, as Māori.
This research is significant because it looks at the complexity of what is required for preparing culturally responsive Pākehā tertiary teachers and aligns this with teachers’ own perceptions of how prepared they are. Studying the perception of preparedness from the teachers’ point of view is a new direction to take as the evaluation of tertiary teacher performance is usually done by means external to the teachers’ own personal evaluations; that is, teacher capability and performance is usually measured by student evaluations and student achievement outcomes.
Whilst this study is New Zealand focussed and refers to many New Zealand originating resources, literature from international studies also serve to reinforce the notion that being a culturally responsive teacher is a multifaceted journey of both personal and professional growth for teachers.

text: How prepared are Pākehā tertiary teachers to teach Māori students? Teachers’ own perceptions of their preparedness In the past three decades New Zealand has seen an increasing government commitment to realising the promises of both equality and tino rangatiratanga embedded in the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. There is acknowledgement that the impacts of colonisation and past acts of government have negatively affected Māori economically, socially, politically and educationally. 
To strengthen New Zealand’s ability to compete economically and academically on an international level, the Ministry of Education 2014 – 2019 Tertiary Education Strategy set an aim for 55% of all 25-34 year olds, regardless of ethnicity, to have a qualification at Level 4 or above on the NZQA Framework, by 2017. Additionally Ka Hikitia: the Māori Education Strategy (2009, 2013) particularly aims for Māori to be achieving these educational successes as Māori, where being Māori is a strength in their learning and where learning environments acknowledge and support Te Ao Māori.
Although enrolments of students at Wānanga (tertiary institutes based on Māori principles and values) are steadily increasing, the majority of Māori tertiary students currently study at mainstream (English medium) institutes and are taught in the majority by Pākehā teachers. Regardless of which institute Māori study at, the Tertiary Education Strategy (Ministry of Education, 2014) acknowledges that culturally responsive education better engages Māori. This acknowledgement carries with it an expectation that Pākehā tertiary teachers are prepared to teach in culturally responsive ways and are confident in using culturally responsive pedagogies. 
This thesis examines how prepared Pākehā tertiary teachers perceive themselves to meet the tertiary education strategy’s expectation. It includes examining the existing literature about how tertiary teachers are prepared in New Zealand and the expectations of culturally responsive tertiary education. Pākehā tertiary teachers were then interviewed for their perspectives of their preparedness for teaching Māori students. Teachers identified themselves variably in their perceived levels of preparedness.   What emerges from the study is that tertiary teacher preparation in a cultural context should take priority in developing new teachers’ cultural capacity to meet the expectation of the tertiary education strategies for Māori to be succeeding in tertiary education, as Māori.
This research is significant because it looks at the complexity of what is required for preparing culturally responsive Pākehā tertiary teachers and aligns this with teachers’ own perceptions of how prepared they are. Studying the perception of preparedness from the teachers’ point of view is a new direction to take as the evaluation of tertiary teacher performance is usually done by means external to the teachers’ own personal evaluations; that is, teacher capability and performance is usually measured by student evaluations and student achievement outcomes.
Whilst this study is New Zealand focussed and refers to many New Zealand originating resources, literature from international studies also serve to reinforce the notion that being a culturally responsive teacher is a multifaceted journey of both personal and professional growth for teachers.

year: 2014

title: HIEMPA: Hybrid Instruments from Electroacoustic Manipulation and Models of Pütorino and Aquascape

authors: Whalley, Ian

subjects: music

abstract: The HIEMPA project combined a team of people with technical, artistic, environmental and cultural expertise towards an artistic outcome aiming to extend the New Zealand sonic art tradition. The work involved collecting audio samples from the aquascape of the Ruakuri Caves and Nature Reserve in Waitomo, South Waikato, New Zealand; and samples of a variety of pütorino – a New Zealand Mäori wind instrument. Following a machine learning analysis of this audio material and an analysis of the performance material, hybrid digital instruments were built and mapped to suitable hardware triggers. The new instruments are playable in realtime, along with the electroacoustic manipulation of pütorino performances. The project takes into account the environmental and cultural significance of the source material, with the results to be released as a set of compositions. This paper discusses the background research and process of the project.

text: HIEMPA: Hybrid Instruments from Electroacoustic Manipulation and Models of Pütorino and Aquascape The HIEMPA project combined a team of people with technical, artistic, environmental and cultural expertise towards an artistic outcome aiming to extend the New Zealand sonic art tradition. The work involved collecting audio samples from the aquascape of the Ruakuri Caves and Nature Reserve in Waitomo, South Waikato, New Zealand; and samples of a variety of pütorino – a New Zealand Mäori wind instrument. Following a machine learning analysis of this audio material and an analysis of the performance material, hybrid digital instruments were built and mapped to suitable hardware triggers. The new instruments are playable in realtime, along with the electroacoustic manipulation of pütorino performances. The project takes into account the environmental and cultural significance of the source material, with the results to be released as a set of compositions. This paper discusses the background research and process of the project.

year: 2008

title: Can redirected aggression explain interspecific attacks by Australian magpies on other birds?

authors: Morgan, Dai K.J.

subjects: agonistic behaviour

abstract: Attacks by participants of conflicts against a third party are referred to as redirected aggression. Usually the third party is a conspecific — few documented cases of redirected aggression against other species exist. The Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), however, often attacks other species; the reasons for attacks are largely unknown. Some attacks occur after territorial disputes with conspecifics, suggesting that attacks are the result of redirected aggression. We subjected eight Australian magpie groups to simulated territorial intrusions. In one treatment an Australian magpie and rock dove (Columba livia) were presented in cages next to one another (5 m apart) on the territory for 30 min; the Australian magpie decoy was then covered and aggressive responses toward the rock dove by residents were recorded for a further 30 min (Treatment 1). Two additional treatments were presented in an identical manner on each territory where both decoys were either Australian magpies (Treatment 2) or rock doves (Treatment 3). We predicted that if Australian magpies regularly redirect aggression onto benign species after conspecific territorial intrusions, attack rates on the rock dove decoy in Treatment 1 would be higher than attack rates on the rock dove decoy in Treatment 3. Residents were seldom recorded close (<1 m) and not seen attacking rock dove decoys during tests. In contrast, Australian magpie decoys were often approached and attacked by residents. After a decoy was covered (following the first 30 min phase), residents spent little time in close proximity (on cage, <0.3 m, or 0.3-1 m) to the rock dove decoy in either Treatment 1 or Treatment 3; in contrast, residents were often recorded close to the Australian magpie decoy in Treatment 2. We found no evidence that Australian magpies redirect aggression onto other birds after territorial intrusions. The true proportion of territorial disputes leading to redirected attacks may be small, or only occur under highly specific contexts.

text: Can redirected aggression explain interspecific attacks by Australian magpies on other birds? Attacks by participants of conflicts against a third party are referred to as redirected aggression. Usually the third party is a conspecific — few documented cases of redirected aggression against other species exist. The Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), however, often attacks other species; the reasons for attacks are largely unknown. Some attacks occur after territorial disputes with conspecifics, suggesting that attacks are the result of redirected aggression. We subjected eight Australian magpie groups to simulated territorial intrusions. In one treatment an Australian magpie and rock dove (Columba livia) were presented in cages next to one another (5 m apart) on the territory for 30 min; the Australian magpie decoy was then covered and aggressive responses toward the rock dove by residents were recorded for a further 30 min (Treatment 1). Two additional treatments were presented in an identical manner on each territory where both decoys were either Australian magpies (Treatment 2) or rock doves (Treatment 3). We predicted that if Australian magpies regularly redirect aggression onto benign species after conspecific territorial intrusions, attack rates on the rock dove decoy in Treatment 1 would be higher than attack rates on the rock dove decoy in Treatment 3. Residents were seldom recorded close (<1 m) and not seen attacking rock dove decoys during tests. In contrast, Australian magpie decoys were often approached and attacked by residents. After a decoy was covered (following the first 30 min phase), residents spent little time in close proximity (on cage, <0.3 m, or 0.3-1 m) to the rock dove decoy in either Treatment 1 or Treatment 3; in contrast, residents were often recorded close to the Australian magpie decoy in Treatment 2. We found no evidence that Australian magpies redirect aggression onto other birds after territorial intrusions. The true proportion of territorial disputes leading to redirected attacks may be small, or only occur under highly specific contexts.

year: 2007