title: Design Patterns: Infrastructure and Examples

authors: Crickett, Scott

subjects: Computer Science

abstract: Modern interactive systems can be incredibly complex, with a variety of screens, menus, widgets, etc. available to the user. Due to this, modelling these interactive systems can also be incredibly complex and while there are techniques to help overcome this, it can often lead to radically different models depending on the modeller.
    
This thesis explores the use of two design patterns created in order to help simplify modelling interactive systems. In the process of doing this, we first explore µ-Charts and its semantics, which are defined in Z, in order to understand its capabilities. We then discover a feature we name the Return feature, which we break down into two parts, Return Home and Return Back, and create patterns in order to concisely model them. Finally, we test these patterns and evaluate the tools we used to create the µ-charts, translate them into their Z semantics and test them.

text: Design Patterns: Infrastructure and Examples Modern interactive systems can be incredibly complex, with a variety of screens, menus, widgets, etc. available to the user. Due to this, modelling these interactive systems can also be incredibly complex and while there are techniques to help overcome this, it can often lead to radically different models depending on the modeller.
    
This thesis explores the use of two design patterns created in order to help simplify modelling interactive systems. In the process of doing this, we first explore µ-Charts and its semantics, which are defined in Z, in order to understand its capabilities. We then discover a feature we name the Return feature, which we break down into two parts, Return Home and Return Back, and create patterns in order to concisely model them. Finally, we test these patterns and evaluate the tools we used to create the µ-charts, translate them into their Z semantics and test them.

year: 2017

title: Introduction

authors: Roche, Maree A.

abstract: Tena koutou and welcome to the NZ Journal of Human Resource Management’s special issue on Positive Psychology at Work. Positive Psychology at work is the applied study of human flourishing and optimal functioning. It is grounded in the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within them and to enhance their experiences of work. One of the principal aims has been to redress the imbalance of research from the deficit or illness approach, towards harnessing the benefits of flourishing and positivity at work. In 2001 Fred Luthans led the organisational and applied focus of positive psychology into the workplace, setting standards of research and expectations, and the area has continued to surge. Last year, Donaldson, Dollwet and Rao conducted a systematic review and identified 1336 articles published between 1999 and 2013 in the area. The findings demonstrate that positive psychology is a growing and vibrant area, committed to using the same rigorous scientific methods as other academic disciplines, and dedicated to the pursuit of understanding well-being, excellence and optimal human functioning at work. This special issue contributes to improving our understanding of positive psychology in the New Zealand workplace and publishes a range of perspectives in the area.

text: Introduction Tena koutou and welcome to the NZ Journal of Human Resource Management’s special issue on Positive Psychology at Work. Positive Psychology at work is the applied study of human flourishing and optimal functioning. It is grounded in the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within them and to enhance their experiences of work. One of the principal aims has been to redress the imbalance of research from the deficit or illness approach, towards harnessing the benefits of flourishing and positivity at work. In 2001 Fred Luthans led the organisational and applied focus of positive psychology into the workplace, setting standards of research and expectations, and the area has continued to surge. Last year, Donaldson, Dollwet and Rao conducted a systematic review and identified 1336 articles published between 1999 and 2013 in the area. The findings demonstrate that positive psychology is a growing and vibrant area, committed to using the same rigorous scientific methods as other academic disciplines, and dedicated to the pursuit of understanding well-being, excellence and optimal human functioning at work. This special issue contributes to improving our understanding of positive psychology in the New Zealand workplace and publishes a range of perspectives in the area.

year: 2015

title: Examining Culturally Responsive Leadership: An investigation into how one school leader, in a primary school setting, provides culturally responsive leadership that ensures Maori students achieve

authors: Ford, Therese

subjects: Culture

abstract: Addressing the achievement disparities that exist within New Zealand education between Maori and non-Maori is a major government priority and is identified by the Ministry of Education as being a critical challenge for school leadership (Ministry of Education, 2008a). Therefore, an important question for school leaders to contemplate is: How do we raise Maori student achievement and eliminate the ‘gap’, or more specifically, what are the teaching and leadership practices that will make a difference? The research project presented in this thesis examines how one school leader, in a mainstream primary school setting, provides culturally responsive leadership practice that ensures Maori students achieve. This case study was conducted within a kaupapa Maori theoretical framework and used a mixed methods approach that incorporated the triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data included student achievement data in reading, while qualitative data collection and analysis included school documents, participant observations of the principal, a series of semi-structured interviews and a stimulated recall interview with the principal and focus group interviews with the school leadership team and a group of teachers. The literature reviewed highlighted the centrality of culture in education, the implications for relationships and interactions between teachers and students that are born out of cultural deficit theorising and the potential culturally responsive teaching practices hold for students from minority groups. It also identified a series of effective leadership practices that enable school leaders to influence classroom teaching and have a subsequent impact on student outcomes. The case study school reflects a mainstream primary school context where the majority of Maori students are achieving at or above national expectations in reading. The findings indicate that the principal is implementing many of the practices that characterise effective leadership in successful schools. The principal’s leadership practice is guided by her understandings of culturally responsive leadership, which emphasises the importance of developing quality relationships and quality teaching and learning. Consequently, she has focused her leadership practice on three interrelated strategies that reflect this theorising. The strategies include: prioritising the development of relationships with and between school stakeholders, establishing systems and structures to support the development of relationships and creating a school culture of learning where teachers reject deficit theorising, accept ownership for the performance of students, implement culturally responsive teaching practices and are critically reflective about their practice. This study suggests that further research examining culturally responsive leadership in mainstream education is needed to provide a more comprehensive profile of a culturally responsive leader in the New Zealand context. However, this report does provide an interesting point for reflection and discussion amongst school leaders who want to raise Maori student achievement and reduce disparities.

text: Examining Culturally Responsive Leadership: An investigation into how one school leader, in a primary school setting, provides culturally responsive leadership that ensures Maori students achieve Addressing the achievement disparities that exist within New Zealand education between Maori and non-Maori is a major government priority and is identified by the Ministry of Education as being a critical challenge for school leadership (Ministry of Education, 2008a). Therefore, an important question for school leaders to contemplate is: How do we raise Maori student achievement and eliminate the ‘gap’, or more specifically, what are the teaching and leadership practices that will make a difference? The research project presented in this thesis examines how one school leader, in a mainstream primary school setting, provides culturally responsive leadership practice that ensures Maori students achieve. This case study was conducted within a kaupapa Maori theoretical framework and used a mixed methods approach that incorporated the triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data included student achievement data in reading, while qualitative data collection and analysis included school documents, participant observations of the principal, a series of semi-structured interviews and a stimulated recall interview with the principal and focus group interviews with the school leadership team and a group of teachers. The literature reviewed highlighted the centrality of culture in education, the implications for relationships and interactions between teachers and students that are born out of cultural deficit theorising and the potential culturally responsive teaching practices hold for students from minority groups. It also identified a series of effective leadership practices that enable school leaders to influence classroom teaching and have a subsequent impact on student outcomes. The case study school reflects a mainstream primary school context where the majority of Maori students are achieving at or above national expectations in reading. The findings indicate that the principal is implementing many of the practices that characterise effective leadership in successful schools. The principal’s leadership practice is guided by her understandings of culturally responsive leadership, which emphasises the importance of developing quality relationships and quality teaching and learning. Consequently, she has focused her leadership practice on three interrelated strategies that reflect this theorising. The strategies include: prioritising the development of relationships with and between school stakeholders, establishing systems and structures to support the development of relationships and creating a school culture of learning where teachers reject deficit theorising, accept ownership for the performance of students, implement culturally responsive teaching practices and are critically reflective about their practice. This study suggests that further research examining culturally responsive leadership in mainstream education is needed to provide a more comprehensive profile of a culturally responsive leader in the New Zealand context. However, this report does provide an interesting point for reflection and discussion amongst school leaders who want to raise Maori student achievement and reduce disparities.

year: 2010