title: Associations between school climate and student life satisfaction: resilience and bullying as mediating factors

authors: Aldridge, Jill M.

abstract: Because adolescent life satisfaction is associated with important affective, behavioural and health-related outcomes during both adolescence and later life, strategies for promoting adolescent life satisfaction have potential social value. In the study reported in this article, associations are reported between perceptions of the school climate and reports of bullying, resilience and life satisfaction for 6120 Australian adolescents. The study extended past research, which has given little attention to either the relationships between these variables or the relative roles of various school climate sub-constructs. Aspects of the school climate explained 41% of the variance in adolescents’ resilience, 16% of the variance in bully victimisation, and 54% of the variance in life satisfaction. Further, resilience was positively associated with life satisfaction. These results affirm the importance of the psychosocial school climate as a mechanism for improving adolescent (and life-course) outcomes, strengthening calls for schools to give greater attention to improving their psychosocial climates.

text: Associations between school climate and student life satisfaction: resilience and bullying as mediating factors Because adolescent life satisfaction is associated with important affective, behavioural and health-related outcomes during both adolescence and later life, strategies for promoting adolescent life satisfaction have potential social value. In the study reported in this article, associations are reported between perceptions of the school climate and reports of bullying, resilience and life satisfaction for 6120 Australian adolescents. The study extended past research, which has given little attention to either the relationships between these variables or the relative roles of various school climate sub-constructs. Aspects of the school climate explained 41% of the variance in adolescents’ resilience, 16% of the variance in bully victimisation, and 54% of the variance in life satisfaction. Further, resilience was positively associated with life satisfaction. These results affirm the importance of the psychosocial school climate as a mechanism for improving adolescent (and life-course) outcomes, strengthening calls for schools to give greater attention to improving their psychosocial climates.

year: 2019

title: Boat electrofishing survey of Apata Pond and Lake McLaren

authors: Hicks, Brendan J.

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: We used New Zealand’s first successful electrofishing boat to catch koi carp (Cyprinus carpio haemaotopterus; Zhou et al. 2003) and rudd (Scardinius erythophthalmus) at two sites in the Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand. Five large koi carp were caught in a pond near Apata; shortfinned eels and adult inanga were also caught. In Lake McLaren, a small hydro-electric impoundment on the Wairoa River, two rudd were caught; longfinned eels (Anguilla dieffenbachii), common bullies (Gobiomorphus cotidianus), and brown and rainbow trout (Salmo trutta and Oncorhynchus mykiss) were also caught.
Low ambient conductivities (43-90 µS cm⁻¹) is likely to have restricted the electrofishing field and power transfer to the fish, but fish capture was still successful. Clear water compensated somewhat for the reduced effectiveness of the field.
Fish densities were low at both locations. The minimum fish density was 0.31 fish 100 m⁻² in the pond at Apata, and 0.61 fish 100 m⁻² in Lake McLaren.  These should be regarded as minimal densities because only a single pass was conducted. All the koi carp caught in the pond at Apata were 521 to 564 mm fork length and all were 8 years old; there were two males and three females. One female was about to spawn; however, no other koi carp were found, so breeding appears to have been unsuccessful in this habitat. The two rudd from Lake McLaren were 203 and 240 mm fork length 6 and 7 years old respectively. Thought no younger age classes were caught, we cannot exclude the possibility that rudd could reproduce successfully in Lake McLaren.

text: Boat electrofishing survey of Apata Pond and Lake McLaren We used New Zealand’s first successful electrofishing boat to catch koi carp (Cyprinus carpio haemaotopterus; Zhou et al. 2003) and rudd (Scardinius erythophthalmus) at two sites in the Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand. Five large koi carp were caught in a pond near Apata; shortfinned eels and adult inanga were also caught. In Lake McLaren, a small hydro-electric impoundment on the Wairoa River, two rudd were caught; longfinned eels (Anguilla dieffenbachii), common bullies (Gobiomorphus cotidianus), and brown and rainbow trout (Salmo trutta and Oncorhynchus mykiss) were also caught.
Low ambient conductivities (43-90 µS cm⁻¹) is likely to have restricted the electrofishing field and power transfer to the fish, but fish capture was still successful. Clear water compensated somewhat for the reduced effectiveness of the field.
Fish densities were low at both locations. The minimum fish density was 0.31 fish 100 m⁻² in the pond at Apata, and 0.61 fish 100 m⁻² in Lake McLaren.  These should be regarded as minimal densities because only a single pass was conducted. All the koi carp caught in the pond at Apata were 521 to 564 mm fork length and all were 8 years old; there were two males and three females. One female was about to spawn; however, no other koi carp were found, so breeding appears to have been unsuccessful in this habitat. The two rudd from Lake McLaren were 203 and 240 mm fork length 6 and 7 years old respectively. Thought no younger age classes were caught, we cannot exclude the possibility that rudd could reproduce successfully in Lake McLaren.

year: 2004

title: A criterion referenced analysis and evaluation of the processes involved in formulating a Māori language regeneration strategy for Whakamārama marae

authors: Lewis, Roger Brian

subjects: critical success factors

abstract: The quality of the processes involved in language regeneration strategy formation is critical to the creation of an effective language regeneration strategy and this, in turn, is critical to the achievement of successful language regeneration outcomes. The overall aim of this research project was to evaluate, using a range of effectiveness criteria, the processes involved in the creation of a marae-based te reo Māori regeneration strategy in the hope that others involved in similar projects in the future would benefit and in the hope that the Whakamārama whānau will themselves derive benefit from it in reviewing what has already been achieved. In Chapter 1, the background to the research project and its rationale are outlined
and the research questions and research methods are introduced. Chapter 2 provides a critical review of selected literature in the area of strategic planning aspects of language regeneration and relevant aspects of mātauranga Māori. Using an ethnographic approach, the processes and immediate outcomes (in terms of a
survey report and a regeneration plan for Whakamārama marae) of the language regeneration project are outlined in Chapter 3. In Chapter 4, effectiveness criteria are derived on the basis of the literature review in Chapter 2. These include criteria relating to leadership, participation, Kaupapa Māori values, environmental
analysis and outcomes. The criteria are then applied to the analysis and evaluation of the processes and outcomes outlined in Chapter 3 in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses. The overall conclusion is that Whakamārama's
language regeneration activities to date can be regarded as successful in many ways, including the fact that they have resulted in the production of high quality documentation that is widely appreciated by the whānau in the form of a maraebased language survey and a marae-based te reo Māori regeneration plan. Working voluntarily and often under difficult circumstances, core group members demonstrated that they possessed the essential characteristics of commitment,
motivation and determination, in addition to the willingness and ability to use existing skills and knowledge effectively and to develop further skills and knowledge as the project proceeded. Perhaps most important, they developed a caring and effective working culture. However, the weaknesses of the project included a lack of preparation and planning prior to the commencement of the project which resulted in a build up of work at a number of stages. This, in turn, lead to delays in producing outcomes and some loss of momentum. It also led, indirectly, to the views of two or three members of the core group being overrepresented in the reo plan goals. The information and analysis provided here
have relevance to any language community involved in micro-level language regeneration activities of a similar type. It is hoped therefore that this thesis may help others to not only avoid the problems experienced by the Whakamārama whānau but also to benefit from their successes.

text: A criterion referenced analysis and evaluation of the processes involved in formulating a Māori language regeneration strategy for Whakamārama marae The quality of the processes involved in language regeneration strategy formation is critical to the creation of an effective language regeneration strategy and this, in turn, is critical to the achievement of successful language regeneration outcomes. The overall aim of this research project was to evaluate, using a range of effectiveness criteria, the processes involved in the creation of a marae-based te reo Māori regeneration strategy in the hope that others involved in similar projects in the future would benefit and in the hope that the Whakamārama whānau will themselves derive benefit from it in reviewing what has already been achieved. In Chapter 1, the background to the research project and its rationale are outlined
and the research questions and research methods are introduced. Chapter 2 provides a critical review of selected literature in the area of strategic planning aspects of language regeneration and relevant aspects of mātauranga Māori. Using an ethnographic approach, the processes and immediate outcomes (in terms of a
survey report and a regeneration plan for Whakamārama marae) of the language regeneration project are outlined in Chapter 3. In Chapter 4, effectiveness criteria are derived on the basis of the literature review in Chapter 2. These include criteria relating to leadership, participation, Kaupapa Māori values, environmental
analysis and outcomes. The criteria are then applied to the analysis and evaluation of the processes and outcomes outlined in Chapter 3 in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses. The overall conclusion is that Whakamārama's
language regeneration activities to date can be regarded as successful in many ways, including the fact that they have resulted in the production of high quality documentation that is widely appreciated by the whānau in the form of a maraebased language survey and a marae-based te reo Māori regeneration plan. Working voluntarily and often under difficult circumstances, core group members demonstrated that they possessed the essential characteristics of commitment,
motivation and determination, in addition to the willingness and ability to use existing skills and knowledge effectively and to develop further skills and knowledge as the project proceeded. Perhaps most important, they developed a caring and effective working culture. However, the weaknesses of the project included a lack of preparation and planning prior to the commencement of the project which resulted in a build up of work at a number of stages. This, in turn, lead to delays in producing outcomes and some loss of momentum. It also led, indirectly, to the views of two or three members of the core group being overrepresented in the reo plan goals. The information and analysis provided here
have relevance to any language community involved in micro-level language regeneration activities of a similar type. It is hoped therefore that this thesis may help others to not only avoid the problems experienced by the Whakamārama whānau but also to benefit from their successes.

year: 2007