title: Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Sustainable Resource Management in Papua New Guinea: The Role of Education and Implications for Policy

authors: Tiu, Sangion Appiee

subjects: Traditional ecological knowledge

abstract: Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) has been argued to have a significant role as a strategy for sustainable resource management. TEK in this context refers to all aspects of indigenous knowledge and practice related to human interactions with the environment, and is particularly important in developing countries, where significant tensions exist between indigenous ways of life and capitalistic economic development. This research explored the perceptions of indigenous Papua New Guineans about a relationship between TEK and sustainability, the role of education in using TEK in sustainable resource management, and the extent to which existing education and sustainable resource management policies emphasise TEK. Twenty-four participants were invited from stakeholder groups involved in natural resource management, such as community members, educators, conservation practitioners, policy makers and resource developers.

This qualitative study combined elements of both interpretivism and critical theory to understand and interpret participants’ perceptions of the challenges, limitations and management strategies for sustainable natural resource management using TEK. These approaches were informed by the literature on TEK and sustainability in developing the research design. Data was collected in two phases through semi-structured interviews and follow-up workshops and critically analysed using analysis of themes that emerged from the data and the literature.

The findings indicated that TEK in the indigenous Papua New Guinean context led to a sustainable way of life through exercising the values of respect, responsibility and reciprocity for continuity. TEK was found to be a way of life that used holistic approaches of maintaining connection to land and other resources, and ensuring these were equitably accessed to meet social, cultural and physical human needs. This also showed that sustainability was embedded in every social and environmental aspect of TEK.

The findings indicated that TEK had a crucial role in educating about sustainability through empowering and encouraging self-reflective learning among its users. A combination of formal, informal and non-formal education can engage and involve TEK users and learners to reflect on their beliefs and practices, develop positive attitudes and approaches towards sustainable resource management and keep TEK knowledge alive.

The findings showed that existing policies related to education and sustainable resource management do not sufficiently include emphasis on TEK. Policy has a role in empowering communities through reinforcing TEK principles in education, and in decision-making and implementation for sustainable resource management.

This study highlighted the importance of TEK as a significant approach to sustainability in the indigenous Papua New Guinean context for generations past. The application of TEK principles of respect, responsibility and reciprocity could be incorporated into formal and non-formal education. These principles could also achieve sustainable communities if consistently reinforced in policy across all sectors.

text: Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Sustainable Resource Management in Papua New Guinea: The Role of Education and Implications for Policy Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) has been argued to have a significant role as a strategy for sustainable resource management. TEK in this context refers to all aspects of indigenous knowledge and practice related to human interactions with the environment, and is particularly important in developing countries, where significant tensions exist between indigenous ways of life and capitalistic economic development. This research explored the perceptions of indigenous Papua New Guineans about a relationship between TEK and sustainability, the role of education in using TEK in sustainable resource management, and the extent to which existing education and sustainable resource management policies emphasise TEK. Twenty-four participants were invited from stakeholder groups involved in natural resource management, such as community members, educators, conservation practitioners, policy makers and resource developers.

This qualitative study combined elements of both interpretivism and critical theory to understand and interpret participants’ perceptions of the challenges, limitations and management strategies for sustainable natural resource management using TEK. These approaches were informed by the literature on TEK and sustainability in developing the research design. Data was collected in two phases through semi-structured interviews and follow-up workshops and critically analysed using analysis of themes that emerged from the data and the literature.

The findings indicated that TEK in the indigenous Papua New Guinean context led to a sustainable way of life through exercising the values of respect, responsibility and reciprocity for continuity. TEK was found to be a way of life that used holistic approaches of maintaining connection to land and other resources, and ensuring these were equitably accessed to meet social, cultural and physical human needs. This also showed that sustainability was embedded in every social and environmental aspect of TEK.

The findings indicated that TEK had a crucial role in educating about sustainability through empowering and encouraging self-reflective learning among its users. A combination of formal, informal and non-formal education can engage and involve TEK users and learners to reflect on their beliefs and practices, develop positive attitudes and approaches towards sustainable resource management and keep TEK knowledge alive.

The findings showed that existing policies related to education and sustainable resource management do not sufficiently include emphasis on TEK. Policy has a role in empowering communities through reinforcing TEK principles in education, and in decision-making and implementation for sustainable resource management.

This study highlighted the importance of TEK as a significant approach to sustainability in the indigenous Papua New Guinean context for generations past. The application of TEK principles of respect, responsibility and reciprocity could be incorporated into formal and non-formal education. These principles could also achieve sustainable communities if consistently reinforced in policy across all sectors.

year: 2016

title: Exploring individual characteristics related to community-based sentence compliance: Is there an association between neuropsychological functioning, traumatic brain injury, and non-compliance with a community-based sentence?

authors: Macdonald-Norman, Emily Anne

subjects: Non-compliance

abstract: Non-compliance with a community-based sentence can result in serious consequences for an individual, including imprisonment. Probation officers, who supervise those on community sentences, play an essential role in supporting compliance and determining how to respond when non-compliance occurs; however, little research has explored how probation officers use their discretion. Neuropsychological dysfunction and a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) are overrepresented amongst incarcerated offenders and associated with poorer outcomes (recidivism, treatment attrition, disciplinary infractions). However, much less is known about the neuropsychological function and history of TBI amongst community-based offenders (i.e., supervisees). Thus, this research project sought to understand probation officers’ perspectives on and responses to non-compliance and explore the association between a supervisee’s compliance and current neuropsychological functioning and recent TBI. 
The first study involved two focus groups with 17 New Zealand probation officers; the aim was to explore probation officers’ views on compliance and how they practice supervision. All probation officers reported using ‘social worker’ type, evidenced-based practices such as building quality relationships and using motivational interviewing. Probation officers viewed problems with cognitive skills as a key barrier to sentence compliance and reported using various strategies to support the compliance of supervisees with cognitive issues.  
The second study, involved 106 adult men (n = 82, 77.4%) and women (n = 24, 22.6%) on community sentences who participated in an initial interview that included a screen for a history of TBI and consent to collect compliance (arrests, sentence violations) and related variables (e.g., risk scores) from the New Zealand Department of Corrections database and police records over six months. At the conclusion of  the initial interview, supervisees were invited to return and complete neuropsychological tests. Sixty-four men (n = 47, 73.4%) and women (n = 17, 26.5%) returned and completed the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), the Comprehensive Trail Making Test, and Color-Word Inference Test, and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function- Adult Version (BRIEF-A). Twenty-six probation officers, whose supervisees participated in the study, were interviewed regarding their supervisees’ compliance. 
The first manuscript from this study focused on the executive functioning of this sample compared to a normative sample and investigated the association between executive functioning and compliance with sentence conditions. The results indicated that the community-based sample had significantly poorer executive functioning compared to a normative sample. Still, contrary to what was expected, those supervisees who complied with their sentence conditions had poorer executive functioning than those who were non-compliant. However, exploratory analyses showed that those with poorer executive functioning received more probation officer support to comply with sentence conditions.
The second manuscript described the sample’s neuropsychological function compared to a normative sample and investigated the association between sustaining a TBI in the last year (i.e., within the year prior to joining the study) and current neuropsychological function. We then explored if a TBI in the last year or current neuropsychological function were associated with compliance with sentence conditions and compliance with the law (i.e., being arrested). The results indicated that the community-based sample’s neuropsychological functioning was significantly poorer than a normative sample. Our findings also suggested that a TBI in the last year was a significant predictor of arrest, even when controlling for risk of reconviction and current substance use. However, a recent TBI was not associated with non-compliance with sentence conditions nor with poorer performance on the neuropsychological tests. In addition, no significant associations were found between performance on the neuropsychological tests and either measure of non-compliance.
Overall, the results from this thesis suggested that individual characteristics like TBI and neuropsychological functioning impact compliance with a community-based sentence in different ways: A recent TBI was predictive of re-arrest while serving a community sentence, and poorer neuropsychological functioning was significantly associated with increased support from the probation officer to comply.
The main implications of this research for corrections departments are that supervisees on a community sentence with poor neuropsychological functioning or a recent TBI may need additional monitoring or support to reduce the risk of non-compliance and reoffending. While further research needs to be undertaken to inform any changes in policy or practices, the results from this thesis suggest that community corrections would benefit from the implementation of services and screens to target important responsivity issues like TBI and poor neuropsychological functioning. Corrections departments attention to these issues may help alleviate the risk of individuals getting trapped in the criminal justice system for non-criminal activities (e.g., not attending an appointment).

text: Exploring individual characteristics related to community-based sentence compliance: Is there an association between neuropsychological functioning, traumatic brain injury, and non-compliance with a community-based sentence? Non-compliance with a community-based sentence can result in serious consequences for an individual, including imprisonment. Probation officers, who supervise those on community sentences, play an essential role in supporting compliance and determining how to respond when non-compliance occurs; however, little research has explored how probation officers use their discretion. Neuropsychological dysfunction and a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) are overrepresented amongst incarcerated offenders and associated with poorer outcomes (recidivism, treatment attrition, disciplinary infractions). However, much less is known about the neuropsychological function and history of TBI amongst community-based offenders (i.e., supervisees). Thus, this research project sought to understand probation officers’ perspectives on and responses to non-compliance and explore the association between a supervisee’s compliance and current neuropsychological functioning and recent TBI. 
The first study involved two focus groups with 17 New Zealand probation officers; the aim was to explore probation officers’ views on compliance and how they practice supervision. All probation officers reported using ‘social worker’ type, evidenced-based practices such as building quality relationships and using motivational interviewing. Probation officers viewed problems with cognitive skills as a key barrier to sentence compliance and reported using various strategies to support the compliance of supervisees with cognitive issues.  
The second study, involved 106 adult men (n = 82, 77.4%) and women (n = 24, 22.6%) on community sentences who participated in an initial interview that included a screen for a history of TBI and consent to collect compliance (arrests, sentence violations) and related variables (e.g., risk scores) from the New Zealand Department of Corrections database and police records over six months. At the conclusion of  the initial interview, supervisees were invited to return and complete neuropsychological tests. Sixty-four men (n = 47, 73.4%) and women (n = 17, 26.5%) returned and completed the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), the Comprehensive Trail Making Test, and Color-Word Inference Test, and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function- Adult Version (BRIEF-A). Twenty-six probation officers, whose supervisees participated in the study, were interviewed regarding their supervisees’ compliance. 
The first manuscript from this study focused on the executive functioning of this sample compared to a normative sample and investigated the association between executive functioning and compliance with sentence conditions. The results indicated that the community-based sample had significantly poorer executive functioning compared to a normative sample. Still, contrary to what was expected, those supervisees who complied with their sentence conditions had poorer executive functioning than those who were non-compliant. However, exploratory analyses showed that those with poorer executive functioning received more probation officer support to comply with sentence conditions.
The second manuscript described the sample’s neuropsychological function compared to a normative sample and investigated the association between sustaining a TBI in the last year (i.e., within the year prior to joining the study) and current neuropsychological function. We then explored if a TBI in the last year or current neuropsychological function were associated with compliance with sentence conditions and compliance with the law (i.e., being arrested). The results indicated that the community-based sample’s neuropsychological functioning was significantly poorer than a normative sample. Our findings also suggested that a TBI in the last year was a significant predictor of arrest, even when controlling for risk of reconviction and current substance use. However, a recent TBI was not associated with non-compliance with sentence conditions nor with poorer performance on the neuropsychological tests. In addition, no significant associations were found between performance on the neuropsychological tests and either measure of non-compliance.
Overall, the results from this thesis suggested that individual characteristics like TBI and neuropsychological functioning impact compliance with a community-based sentence in different ways: A recent TBI was predictive of re-arrest while serving a community sentence, and poorer neuropsychological functioning was significantly associated with increased support from the probation officer to comply.
The main implications of this research for corrections departments are that supervisees on a community sentence with poor neuropsychological functioning or a recent TBI may need additional monitoring or support to reduce the risk of non-compliance and reoffending. While further research needs to be undertaken to inform any changes in policy or practices, the results from this thesis suggest that community corrections would benefit from the implementation of services and screens to target important responsivity issues like TBI and poor neuropsychological functioning. Corrections departments attention to these issues may help alleviate the risk of individuals getting trapped in the criminal justice system for non-criminal activities (e.g., not attending an appointment).

year: 2021

title: Conscientisation and Resistance: Experiences from implementing a culturally responsive pedagogy of relations

authors: Lawrence, Dawn Cherie

subjects: culturally responsive pedagogy of relations

abstract: Consciousness of being part of a particular hegemonic force (that is to say,political consciousness) is the first stage towards a further progressive self –conscious in which theory and practice will finally be one. (Hoare & Smith,1971, p. 333)

Bishop, Berryman, Tiakiwai and Richardson, (2003) state that effective teachers of Māori students “positively and vehemently reject deficit theorizing as a means of explaining Māori students’ educational achievement” (p.95). This fundamental tenet of the Te Kotahitanga Effective Teaching Profile (ETP) moves beyond simply refraining from publicly articulating discourses that pathologise Māori students and their whānau (Bishop et al., 2003; Bishop & Berryman, 2006; Bishop, Berryman, Cavanagh, & Teddy. 2007). For many teachers it is a challenging, ongoing transformative process of critical self-reflection, which touches the very core of their own culture and identity.

This thesis contends that by working to discursively position themselves within a culturally responsive pedagogy of relations, teachers develop classroom practices that have been shown to positively affect outcomes for Māori students. It goes on to suggest that such discursive repositioning might be seen as praxis, with the potential to transform the inequities experienced by Māori within mainstream educational settings. With this understanding, the culture and leadership approach of the school context becomes a greater influence on teachers’ capacity to realize their agency within this pedagogy than any characteristic of the individual.

text: Conscientisation and Resistance: Experiences from implementing a culturally responsive pedagogy of relations Consciousness of being part of a particular hegemonic force (that is to say,political consciousness) is the first stage towards a further progressive self –conscious in which theory and practice will finally be one. (Hoare & Smith,1971, p. 333)

Bishop, Berryman, Tiakiwai and Richardson, (2003) state that effective teachers of Māori students “positively and vehemently reject deficit theorizing as a means of explaining Māori students’ educational achievement” (p.95). This fundamental tenet of the Te Kotahitanga Effective Teaching Profile (ETP) moves beyond simply refraining from publicly articulating discourses that pathologise Māori students and their whānau (Bishop et al., 2003; Bishop & Berryman, 2006; Bishop, Berryman, Cavanagh, & Teddy. 2007). For many teachers it is a challenging, ongoing transformative process of critical self-reflection, which touches the very core of their own culture and identity.

This thesis contends that by working to discursively position themselves within a culturally responsive pedagogy of relations, teachers develop classroom practices that have been shown to positively affect outcomes for Māori students. It goes on to suggest that such discursive repositioning might be seen as praxis, with the potential to transform the inequities experienced by Māori within mainstream educational settings. With this understanding, the culture and leadership approach of the school context becomes a greater influence on teachers’ capacity to realize their agency within this pedagogy than any characteristic of the individual.

year: 2014