title: Thai Students’ Understanding about Celestial Motion within Their Social and Cultural Context

authors: Anatasook, Sakanan

abstract: This study investigated forty-one Thai 9th grade students’ understanding about the motion of the sun, moon, and stars within their social and cultural context. Students' understanding was explored using a survey tool titled “Students’ Understanding about Celestial Motion within Their Social and Cultural Context Questionnaire (SCMSCQ).” This questionnaire gave students the opportunity to express their ideas about celestial motion within their social and cultural context. The study reveals some interesting features of student understanding, and particularly their difficulty in perceiving the relationship between the study of celestial motion and their social and cultural context. Many students used descriptions from their everyday observations of the daily motion of the sun, moon, and stars, rather than scientific explanations, to answer questions about the relationship between social and cultural context and celestial motion. This study has implications for the development of teaching the sociocultural approach in Thailand.

text: Thai Students’ Understanding about Celestial Motion within Their Social and Cultural Context This study investigated forty-one Thai 9th grade students’ understanding about the motion of the sun, moon, and stars within their social and cultural context. Students' understanding was explored using a survey tool titled “Students’ Understanding about Celestial Motion within Their Social and Cultural Context Questionnaire (SCMSCQ).” This questionnaire gave students the opportunity to express their ideas about celestial motion within their social and cultural context. The study reveals some interesting features of student understanding, and particularly their difficulty in perceiving the relationship between the study of celestial motion and their social and cultural context. Many students used descriptions from their everyday observations of the daily motion of the sun, moon, and stars, rather than scientific explanations, to answer questions about the relationship between social and cultural context and celestial motion. This study has implications for the development of teaching the sociocultural approach in Thailand.

year: 2015

title: The Value of Irrigation Water in New Zealand

authors: Kravchenko, Alexey

subjects: irrigation

abstract: The aim of this thesis is to examine issues pertaining to freshwater quantity in New Zealand agriculture. Currently, freshwater is managed under the Resource Management Act (1991) and the allocation system is essentially on a “first-come first-served” basis – whoever gains access to water rights first blocks out subsequent users, if catchment allocation limits have been reached.   One of the recommendations from a government taskforce engaged to look at the issues of freshwater management suggests that market mechanisms or charges could be viable options of demand management. For any such market or price mechanism to work, it is imperative to know the value of irrigation water in New Zealand as well as to understand wider economic ramifications of establishing such mechanisms. Currently, there is relatively little research concerning these issues and this thesis aims to fill this research gap. The methodologies used include an econometric analysis of dairy farm panel data, a stated choice experiment of irrigation consent holders and a computable general equilibrium [CGE] analysis. In addition to filling the research gap, this thesis also aims to provide improvements in each of the methodologies used. Panel data analysis imputes the water demand function without actual data on water through examining the relationship between milksolid production and output-weighted expected payout – a unique dairy price index developed that more accurately reflects farmers’ incentives than the final payout. The choice modelling section pays particular attention to the issue of attribute non-attendance [ANA], eexamining  its effects on model outputs and compares methods of data collection on ANA. The main findings of the survey suggest that the majority of farmers would be willing to pay for water instead of facing an abstraction ban. In terms of ANA, the results indicate that not accounting for ANA, particularly if it is due to heuristics or respondent fatigue, may significantly bias the welfare estimates and decrease statistical significance. A novel calibration method is presented to negate the ANA bias. Finally, the CGE modelling work modifies the well-known GTAP model to include water as factor of production, as well as to disaggregate the results to a regional level within the New Zealand economy. The findings indicate strong interconnectedness between sectors and regions, with policies in one region having the potential to affect economic activity and resource demand in other regions.

text: The Value of Irrigation Water in New Zealand The aim of this thesis is to examine issues pertaining to freshwater quantity in New Zealand agriculture. Currently, freshwater is managed under the Resource Management Act (1991) and the allocation system is essentially on a “first-come first-served” basis – whoever gains access to water rights first blocks out subsequent users, if catchment allocation limits have been reached.   One of the recommendations from a government taskforce engaged to look at the issues of freshwater management suggests that market mechanisms or charges could be viable options of demand management. For any such market or price mechanism to work, it is imperative to know the value of irrigation water in New Zealand as well as to understand wider economic ramifications of establishing such mechanisms. Currently, there is relatively little research concerning these issues and this thesis aims to fill this research gap. The methodologies used include an econometric analysis of dairy farm panel data, a stated choice experiment of irrigation consent holders and a computable general equilibrium [CGE] analysis. In addition to filling the research gap, this thesis also aims to provide improvements in each of the methodologies used. Panel data analysis imputes the water demand function without actual data on water through examining the relationship between milksolid production and output-weighted expected payout – a unique dairy price index developed that more accurately reflects farmers’ incentives than the final payout. The choice modelling section pays particular attention to the issue of attribute non-attendance [ANA], eexamining  its effects on model outputs and compares methods of data collection on ANA. The main findings of the survey suggest that the majority of farmers would be willing to pay for water instead of facing an abstraction ban. In terms of ANA, the results indicate that not accounting for ANA, particularly if it is due to heuristics or respondent fatigue, may significantly bias the welfare estimates and decrease statistical significance. A novel calibration method is presented to negate the ANA bias. Finally, the CGE modelling work modifies the well-known GTAP model to include water as factor of production, as well as to disaggregate the results to a regional level within the New Zealand economy. The findings indicate strong interconnectedness between sectors and regions, with policies in one region having the potential to affect economic activity and resource demand in other regions.

year: 2016

title: Issues in testing the proficiency of learners of indigenous languages: an example relating to young learners of Maori

authors: Crombie, Winifred

subjects: te reo Māori

abstract: In 1999 the New Zealand Ministry of Education commissioned the authors to develop and trial a Māori language proficiency test.  The test was to be appropriate for students in Year 5 of schooling (aged 9/10) who were being educated wholly, or in part, through the medium of Māori language.  In this paper, we discuss the development and trialling of that proficiency test, focusing on the problems we experienced as well as on the test itself and on the ways in which it can be further developed. We also consider the implications of this project for the development of proficiency tests for other indigenous languages.

text: Issues in testing the proficiency of learners of indigenous languages: an example relating to young learners of Maori In 1999 the New Zealand Ministry of Education commissioned the authors to develop and trial a Māori language proficiency test.  The test was to be appropriate for students in Year 5 of schooling (aged 9/10) who were being educated wholly, or in part, through the medium of Māori language.  In this paper, we discuss the development and trialling of that proficiency test, focusing on the problems we experienced as well as on the test itself and on the ways in which it can be further developed. We also consider the implications of this project for the development of proficiency tests for other indigenous languages.

year: 2000-10