title: Parental perceptions of preschooler overweight and obesity: Implications for health providers

authors: Chatwin, Julie Louise

subjects: preschooler

abstract: Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in developed countries and is a serious public health issue in New Zealand. An increasing prevalence of young children identified as being overweight or obese has prompted a recent shift in research focus from older children to the pre-schooler population. Although the risk factors for young children becoming overweight or obese have been explored, there is little research that has focused solely on the perceptions of pre-schooler parents. The primary aim of this research was therefore to explore the perceptions of pre-schooler parents towards overweight and obesity in pre-schoolers. The secondary aim was to inform how health providers may effectively engage with pre-schooler parents and encourage them to participate in relevant interventions. Sixteen parents of pre-schoolers aged 3-5 years old who were concerned about their pre-schooler being overweight participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis identified five broad themes. Parents considered childhood overweight to be a serious health problem, although not necessarily in early childhood. Parents were apprehensive about the prospect of their pre-schooler being overweight when they were older and appeared more concerned about the psychosocial implications for their child than the physical health risks. They were conscious of being negatively evaluated by others, including their health provider. Barriers to a healthy lifestyle included the perceived high cost of healthy food options, time scarcity, and difficulty managing challenging behaviour, particularly around eating. Finally, specific cultural perceptions of childhood overweight were identified. The implications of these findings for health providers included the need to engage with pre-schooler parents in a sensitive and culturally responsive way when seeking to address overweight and obesity in the pre-schooler population.

text: Parental perceptions of preschooler overweight and obesity: Implications for health providers Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in developed countries and is a serious public health issue in New Zealand. An increasing prevalence of young children identified as being overweight or obese has prompted a recent shift in research focus from older children to the pre-schooler population. Although the risk factors for young children becoming overweight or obese have been explored, there is little research that has focused solely on the perceptions of pre-schooler parents. The primary aim of this research was therefore to explore the perceptions of pre-schooler parents towards overweight and obesity in pre-schoolers. The secondary aim was to inform how health providers may effectively engage with pre-schooler parents and encourage them to participate in relevant interventions. Sixteen parents of pre-schoolers aged 3-5 years old who were concerned about their pre-schooler being overweight participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis identified five broad themes. Parents considered childhood overweight to be a serious health problem, although not necessarily in early childhood. Parents were apprehensive about the prospect of their pre-schooler being overweight when they were older and appeared more concerned about the psychosocial implications for their child than the physical health risks. They were conscious of being negatively evaluated by others, including their health provider. Barriers to a healthy lifestyle included the perceived high cost of healthy food options, time scarcity, and difficulty managing challenging behaviour, particularly around eating. Finally, specific cultural perceptions of childhood overweight were identified. The implications of these findings for health providers included the need to engage with pre-schooler parents in a sensitive and culturally responsive way when seeking to address overweight and obesity in the pre-schooler population.

year: 2015

title: Perceptions of technology and existing technological capability of Tongan secondary school students

authors: Mone, Fisi'ihoi

abstract: Many countries have now recognized Technology Education as a new subject in the school curriculum. It has been accepted internationally as a distinct area of education (McCormick, 1993; Layton, 1994; Lewis, 1996; and Jones, 1996). However, this worldwide trend has not yet reached most of the Pacific Island countries. These islands are unaware of the trend of transforming traditional technical subjects like Industrial Arts, with their focus on craft and technical skills, into Technology Education, which compounds more learning areas and emphasises technological literacy. Tonga, which is one of these islands, may benefit from this new development, in terms of teaching the more important aspects of technology, by developing a new curriculum in Technology Education.

There is evidence to suggest that the current Technical Education Curriculum in Tongan secondary schools is ineffective in teaching the higher-level skills in technology. A new and better curriculum should therefore be developed to enhance students’ learning of concepts and processes in technology. This study argues that the best way of developing a new technology education curriculum for Tonga is to start by identifying the students’ perceptions of technology and their existing technological capability. The curriculum should then build on this information, so that effective teaching and learning in technology may take place. This approach is guided by the socio-cultural view of learning. This learning theory recognises the impact of social, cultural, institutional and historical contexts on students’ learning. It suggests that learning is a situated social process and knowledge is situated within particular historical, cultural, institutional and physical settings (Brown, Collins and Duguid, 1989; Wertsch, 1991; Resnick, 1991; Lave, 1991; Johnson, 1997).

This study was designed to identify Tongan students’ perceptions of technology and existing technological capability. Data collection in this study was twofold. First it used modified versions of three instruments developed by Rennie and Jarvis (1995), to explore Tongan secondary school students’ perceptions of technology. The second phase of data collection followed methods employed by Jones and Carr (1993b) on the second phase of Learning in Technology Education Project, to analyse Tongan secondary students’ existing technological capability. This study was intended to show the perceptions of technology and the level of technological capability that the present technical curriculum in Tonga is enabling students to achieve. These results may be used later to inform the development of a suitable Technology Education Curriculum for Tonga.

The research methodology adopted in this study belongs to the umbrella term of Postpositivist Paradigms and takes the stance of interpretive paradigm (Lather, 1992; Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2000). Understanding and interpreting students’ perceptions of technology and their existing technological capability were considered to be the dominant feature of this study. The research method employed is a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods of research.

The results of this study have shown that Tongan secondary school students have a poor perception of technology. Interest in technology was high among the students although many had limited ideas about the effect of technology on society. The overall performance of the students in the technological capability task was poor. They performed worst in searching for the best solution for the identified needs and opportunities and performed best in the production of the solution. Most of the students concentrated mainly on building the products and were not able to link the parts of the task together. One of the major factors that influenced the ability of the students to link the components of the task together was task affordance. Task affordance category challenge influenced the problem solving pathway that the students followed in the task. 

The component of the task that contributed most to the quality of the students’ final products was the production of the solution. The contributions that the other components could make towards the quality of the final products were minimal in the performances of the students in this study. No relationship was found in this study between the performances of the students in the three instruments that assessed their perceptions of technology and their performances in the technological capability task.

text: Perceptions of technology and existing technological capability of Tongan secondary school students Many countries have now recognized Technology Education as a new subject in the school curriculum. It has been accepted internationally as a distinct area of education (McCormick, 1993; Layton, 1994; Lewis, 1996; and Jones, 1996). However, this worldwide trend has not yet reached most of the Pacific Island countries. These islands are unaware of the trend of transforming traditional technical subjects like Industrial Arts, with their focus on craft and technical skills, into Technology Education, which compounds more learning areas and emphasises technological literacy. Tonga, which is one of these islands, may benefit from this new development, in terms of teaching the more important aspects of technology, by developing a new curriculum in Technology Education.

There is evidence to suggest that the current Technical Education Curriculum in Tongan secondary schools is ineffective in teaching the higher-level skills in technology. A new and better curriculum should therefore be developed to enhance students’ learning of concepts and processes in technology. This study argues that the best way of developing a new technology education curriculum for Tonga is to start by identifying the students’ perceptions of technology and their existing technological capability. The curriculum should then build on this information, so that effective teaching and learning in technology may take place. This approach is guided by the socio-cultural view of learning. This learning theory recognises the impact of social, cultural, institutional and historical contexts on students’ learning. It suggests that learning is a situated social process and knowledge is situated within particular historical, cultural, institutional and physical settings (Brown, Collins and Duguid, 1989; Wertsch, 1991; Resnick, 1991; Lave, 1991; Johnson, 1997).

This study was designed to identify Tongan students’ perceptions of technology and existing technological capability. Data collection in this study was twofold. First it used modified versions of three instruments developed by Rennie and Jarvis (1995), to explore Tongan secondary school students’ perceptions of technology. The second phase of data collection followed methods employed by Jones and Carr (1993b) on the second phase of Learning in Technology Education Project, to analyse Tongan secondary students’ existing technological capability. This study was intended to show the perceptions of technology and the level of technological capability that the present technical curriculum in Tonga is enabling students to achieve. These results may be used later to inform the development of a suitable Technology Education Curriculum for Tonga.

The research methodology adopted in this study belongs to the umbrella term of Postpositivist Paradigms and takes the stance of interpretive paradigm (Lather, 1992; Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2000). Understanding and interpreting students’ perceptions of technology and their existing technological capability were considered to be the dominant feature of this study. The research method employed is a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods of research.

The results of this study have shown that Tongan secondary school students have a poor perception of technology. Interest in technology was high among the students although many had limited ideas about the effect of technology on society. The overall performance of the students in the technological capability task was poor. They performed worst in searching for the best solution for the identified needs and opportunities and performed best in the production of the solution. Most of the students concentrated mainly on building the products and were not able to link the parts of the task together. One of the major factors that influenced the ability of the students to link the components of the task together was task affordance. Task affordance category challenge influenced the problem solving pathway that the students followed in the task. 

The component of the task that contributed most to the quality of the students’ final products was the production of the solution. The contributions that the other components could make towards the quality of the final products were minimal in the performances of the students in this study. No relationship was found in this study between the performances of the students in the three instruments that assessed their perceptions of technology and their performances in the technological capability task.

year: 2003

title: Kāinga tahi, kāinga rua: A kaupapa Māori response of Te Puea Memorial Marae.

authors: Lee-Morgan, Jenny Bol Jun

abstract: In the winter of 2016, Te Puea Memorial Marae (TPMM) initiated a kaupapa Māori marae-led response, opening their doors to vulnerable whānau seeking emergency housing. Following in the legacy of Te Puea Herangi,¹ the marae answered the call of homeless whānau in Auckland and in doing so disrupted the dominant Auckland housing narrative where the government had until that time refused to acknowledge homelessness as a serious issue. In the full view of the media, TPMM not only made the reality of homelessness visible by caring for 181 people (of all ethnicities and cultural backgrounds), but named the housing situation in Auckland as a ‘crisis’. ²

text: Kāinga tahi, kāinga rua: A kaupapa Māori response of Te Puea Memorial Marae. In the winter of 2016, Te Puea Memorial Marae (TPMM) initiated a kaupapa Māori marae-led response, opening their doors to vulnerable whānau seeking emergency housing. Following in the legacy of Te Puea Herangi,¹ the marae answered the call of homeless whānau in Auckland and in doing so disrupted the dominant Auckland housing narrative where the government had until that time refused to acknowledge homelessness as a serious issue. In the full view of the media, TPMM not only made the reality of homelessness visible by caring for 181 people (of all ethnicities and cultural backgrounds), but named the housing situation in Auckland as a ‘crisis’. ²

year: 2017