title: Technology education in New Zealand secondary schools: Time to realise future-focused and innovative practices.

authors: Reinsfield, Elizabeth

abstract: The official New Zealand Curriculum in technology education (MoE, 2007) counters past interpretations of the subject and provides opportunities for teachers to offer future-focused and innovative learning opportunities for all learners, regardless of their social or academic need. Teacher perceptions and the dominant discourse within a teaching community however, influence the way that professionals interpret, make meaning, and develop their professional identity or practice. This presentation will focus on the ways that technology teachers can work in partnership at an organisational level, to support professional ownership and change. It reports upon findings from research that explored how secondary technology teachers’ perceptions and interpretation of the curriculum impacted upon their knowledge for practice. The theoretical concepts include interpretivist and socio-cultural perspectives, as well as activity theory. The research was subjective in nature and designed to explore how understanding can be deduced from a participant’s actions, which are shaped and manifested in culturally meaningful ways. The presentation will propose threshold concepts that can support teachers to work towards learning-centred pedagogies, with a view to maximise the subject’s promise, in praxis.

text: Technology education in New Zealand secondary schools: Time to realise future-focused and innovative practices. The official New Zealand Curriculum in technology education (MoE, 2007) counters past interpretations of the subject and provides opportunities for teachers to offer future-focused and innovative learning opportunities for all learners, regardless of their social or academic need. Teacher perceptions and the dominant discourse within a teaching community however, influence the way that professionals interpret, make meaning, and develop their professional identity or practice. This presentation will focus on the ways that technology teachers can work in partnership at an organisational level, to support professional ownership and change. It reports upon findings from research that explored how secondary technology teachers’ perceptions and interpretation of the curriculum impacted upon their knowledge for practice. The theoretical concepts include interpretivist and socio-cultural perspectives, as well as activity theory. The research was subjective in nature and designed to explore how understanding can be deduced from a participant’s actions, which are shaped and manifested in culturally meaningful ways. The presentation will propose threshold concepts that can support teachers to work towards learning-centred pedagogies, with a view to maximise the subject’s promise, in praxis.

year: 2017

title: An Evaluation of a Self-directed Parent Training Programme.

authors: Huxtable, Jenny Marie

subjects: self-help

abstract: The aim of this thesis was to investigate the effects of a self-directed parent training programme for preschoolers externalising behaviour problems on child and parenting behaviours. The programme used was the Triple P self-help book and DVD. A non-concurrent multiple baseline design across five participants was used to examine changes in preschoolers externalising and prosocial behaviours over time and parents use of behaviour management strategies was also monitored at baseline and throughout using the self-help programme. A pre-post design was used to further test changes in preschoolers externalising behaviours and parents use of ineffective discipline, and to examine changes in parenting knowledge, competence, and depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. Significant and large effect sizes were found for increased prosocial behaviour, decreased externalising behaviour as shown by the multiple baseline data and parents' decreased ineffective discipline and increased parental competence as shown by the test battery. The pre- and post-measures showed non-significant improvements for parenting knowledge and depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. These findings are comparable to previous research. Parents were satisfied with the intervention, although some participants did not trial all of the strategies taught. This study supports the effectiveness of the self-directed Triple P intervention, without therapist assistance, and suggests that the preschool period may be a particularly important point in preventing the otherwise adverse developmental pathway of externalising behaviour problems. These results require further replication due to the small sample size in the study and the lack of a control group for the pre- post-comparisons. Future parent training research should examine changes in children's prosocial behaviours and parenting knowledge and monitor parents' use of and satisfaction with behaviour management strategies. This would be beneficial in clarifying the nature of these changes and relationship among these variables and to improve parent training programmes to maximise treatment gains.

text: An Evaluation of a Self-directed Parent Training Programme. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the effects of a self-directed parent training programme for preschoolers externalising behaviour problems on child and parenting behaviours. The programme used was the Triple P self-help book and DVD. A non-concurrent multiple baseline design across five participants was used to examine changes in preschoolers externalising and prosocial behaviours over time and parents use of behaviour management strategies was also monitored at baseline and throughout using the self-help programme. A pre-post design was used to further test changes in preschoolers externalising behaviours and parents use of ineffective discipline, and to examine changes in parenting knowledge, competence, and depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. Significant and large effect sizes were found for increased prosocial behaviour, decreased externalising behaviour as shown by the multiple baseline data and parents' decreased ineffective discipline and increased parental competence as shown by the test battery. The pre- and post-measures showed non-significant improvements for parenting knowledge and depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. These findings are comparable to previous research. Parents were satisfied with the intervention, although some participants did not trial all of the strategies taught. This study supports the effectiveness of the self-directed Triple P intervention, without therapist assistance, and suggests that the preschool period may be a particularly important point in preventing the otherwise adverse developmental pathway of externalising behaviour problems. These results require further replication due to the small sample size in the study and the lack of a control group for the pre- post-comparisons. Future parent training research should examine changes in children's prosocial behaviours and parenting knowledge and monitor parents' use of and satisfaction with behaviour management strategies. This would be beneficial in clarifying the nature of these changes and relationship among these variables and to improve parent training programmes to maximise treatment gains.

year: 2010

title: Evaluating the effects of invasive brown bullhead catfish (Ameiurus nebulosus) on kōura (freshwater crayfish, Paranephrops planifrons) in Lake Rotoiti

authors: Francis, Laura Beverley

subjects: catfish

abstract: Brown bullhead catfish (Ameiurus nebulosus) are opportunistic carnivores native to North America and were first detected in Te Weta Bay, Lake Rotoiti, in March 2016. A cordon was placed across the bay to try and contain catfish, but they had already established populations elsewhere. Spread of catfish in the lake raised concern for resident populations of freshwater crayfish or kōura (Paranephrops planifrons), which are of ecological and cultural significance to Māori. Given the limited knowledge of the potential impacts of catfish on native biota, this thesis aims to evaluate the effects of catfish on kōura in Lake Rotoiti. To do this, Bay of Plenty Regional Council (BOPRC) routine fyke netting data was used to explore species trends and relationships. A habitat survey was also conducted using whakaweku (bracken fern bundles) and fyke nets, to generate data on species’ habitat preferences and kōura metrics (e.g., sizes and sex ratios). In addition to fishing, kōura and catfish stomachs were dissected to determine diet. Potential food items of catfish were also collected for stable isotope analysis to estimate dietary overlap between catfish and kōura, and long-term resource acquisition. 

Routine BOPRC fyke netting results indicated that kōura catch per unit effort (CPUE) has declined in Lake Rotoiti, with mean catch rates dropping from 10.6 kōura net-1 night-1 in 2016 to 4.2 kōura net-1 night-1 in 2018. Over the same period, catfish CPUE has increased in the lake, with the highest catch rates in Te Weta Bay, where mean catch rates have increased from 1.1 catfish net-1 night-1 in 2016 to 63.7 catfish net-1 night-1 in 2018. Catfish catch rates were negatively associated with catch rates of kōura (r = −0.180). Mean catfish density also had a significant effect on kōura catch rates, with significantly more kōura being caught at sites without catfish. The negative association between catfish and kōura could be due to catfish eating or competing with kōura, or their differing habitat preferences. Catfish were positively associated with sites that are weedy or muddy and kōura were negatively associated with muddy habitats and were positively associated with rocky habitats. Whakaweku set at shallow depths <1 m in the lake littoral zone were ineffective at catching kōura during the habitat survey. 

Catfish diet consisted largely of chironomid larvae (Chironomidae), detritus, common bullies (Gobiomorphus cotidianus), and to a lesser extent kōura. Kōura were found in 12% of large catfish (>200 mm fork length; FL) stomachs analysed and contributed 5% volumetrically to large catfish diet. Unfortunately, the contribution of kōura to catfish diet could not be established using stable isotopes because isotopic signatures of kōura and bullies were too close to differentiate. Kōura diet consisted primarily of animal remains (common bullies and invertebrates) and detritus. Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen revealed that diets of kōura and catfish overlapped, with kōura sharing more of their diet with catfish than vice versa, likely reflecting catfish’s broad diet. This study suggests that catfish are responsible for the recent decline in kōura CPUE in Lake Rotoiti and that catfish are directly and indirectly affecting kōura through predation and competition for shared food resources.

text: Evaluating the effects of invasive brown bullhead catfish (Ameiurus nebulosus) on kōura (freshwater crayfish, Paranephrops planifrons) in Lake Rotoiti Brown bullhead catfish (Ameiurus nebulosus) are opportunistic carnivores native to North America and were first detected in Te Weta Bay, Lake Rotoiti, in March 2016. A cordon was placed across the bay to try and contain catfish, but they had already established populations elsewhere. Spread of catfish in the lake raised concern for resident populations of freshwater crayfish or kōura (Paranephrops planifrons), which are of ecological and cultural significance to Māori. Given the limited knowledge of the potential impacts of catfish on native biota, this thesis aims to evaluate the effects of catfish on kōura in Lake Rotoiti. To do this, Bay of Plenty Regional Council (BOPRC) routine fyke netting data was used to explore species trends and relationships. A habitat survey was also conducted using whakaweku (bracken fern bundles) and fyke nets, to generate data on species’ habitat preferences and kōura metrics (e.g., sizes and sex ratios). In addition to fishing, kōura and catfish stomachs were dissected to determine diet. Potential food items of catfish were also collected for stable isotope analysis to estimate dietary overlap between catfish and kōura, and long-term resource acquisition. 

Routine BOPRC fyke netting results indicated that kōura catch per unit effort (CPUE) has declined in Lake Rotoiti, with mean catch rates dropping from 10.6 kōura net-1 night-1 in 2016 to 4.2 kōura net-1 night-1 in 2018. Over the same period, catfish CPUE has increased in the lake, with the highest catch rates in Te Weta Bay, where mean catch rates have increased from 1.1 catfish net-1 night-1 in 2016 to 63.7 catfish net-1 night-1 in 2018. Catfish catch rates were negatively associated with catch rates of kōura (r = −0.180). Mean catfish density also had a significant effect on kōura catch rates, with significantly more kōura being caught at sites without catfish. The negative association between catfish and kōura could be due to catfish eating or competing with kōura, or their differing habitat preferences. Catfish were positively associated with sites that are weedy or muddy and kōura were negatively associated with muddy habitats and were positively associated with rocky habitats. Whakaweku set at shallow depths <1 m in the lake littoral zone were ineffective at catching kōura during the habitat survey. 

Catfish diet consisted largely of chironomid larvae (Chironomidae), detritus, common bullies (Gobiomorphus cotidianus), and to a lesser extent kōura. Kōura were found in 12% of large catfish (>200 mm fork length; FL) stomachs analysed and contributed 5% volumetrically to large catfish diet. Unfortunately, the contribution of kōura to catfish diet could not be established using stable isotopes because isotopic signatures of kōura and bullies were too close to differentiate. Kōura diet consisted primarily of animal remains (common bullies and invertebrates) and detritus. Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen revealed that diets of kōura and catfish overlapped, with kōura sharing more of their diet with catfish than vice versa, likely reflecting catfish’s broad diet. This study suggests that catfish are responsible for the recent decline in kōura CPUE in Lake Rotoiti and that catfish are directly and indirectly affecting kōura through predation and competition for shared food resources.

year: 2019