title: Access to primary music education in Aotearoa New Zealand

authors: Wrathall, Jade

subjects: music education

abstract: Music is a compulsory subject in the New Zealand Curriculum, intended for every child. Despite this, the literature illustrates inconsistent provision and enactment of music education in Aotearoa New Zealand, suggesting that some children are unable to access the full curriculum. While this situation has been attributed to a range of factors, there are significant gaps in the literature, making it difficult to determine how children’s access to music education is enabled and constrained by these factors.

To understand the provision and enactment of music education, case studies were conducted in three different primary and intermediate schools in New Zealand. Informed by critical realism, a range of data collection methods were used, including semi-structured interviews, surveys, focus groups, observations, documents, and field notes. Participants were principals, members of senior leadership teams, generalist, specialist, and itinerant teachers, in addition to private contractors, children and their parents. Data were thematically analysed, revealing the intricacies of how the policy technologies of neoliberalism operate in schools. To understand generative mechanisms that impact children’s access to music education, a deeper layer of analysis was undertaken using Pierre Bourdieu’s (2018) theoretical concepts of capital and habitus. These analytical tools provided the opportunity to carefully examine the intersectionality of neoliberalism and social class.

The findings of this study demonstrate how neoliberalism has reinforced a hierarchy of subjects in the curriculum, which positions music as an extracurricular activity that is either omitted, sidelined, or enacted for social objectives. Participation and success in music education are also informed by social class, with the subject being used as a tool by some parents to advantage their children and develop cultural capital. Nevertheless, this study also revealed that music education is not universally valued by the middle class, thus challenging widely held assumptions about the relationship between music and social class. These findings highlight the importance of context, in particular the role of school structure, teacher agency, and the pressures of managerialism and marketisation. This contributes to a broader understanding of policy enactment, and how the enactment of music education is influenced by the neoliberal policy regime. The study concludes that children are not given equal access to music education and that substantive change needs to occur. Implications are discussed at national and local levels, examining the role of policy alongside the roles of principals, teachers, and parents, all of whom have the agency to make change. Implications for international contexts are also considered, reinforcing the complexity of policy enactment and how children’s access to the full curriculum cannot be solved through policy alone.

text: Access to primary music education in Aotearoa New Zealand Music is a compulsory subject in the New Zealand Curriculum, intended for every child. Despite this, the literature illustrates inconsistent provision and enactment of music education in Aotearoa New Zealand, suggesting that some children are unable to access the full curriculum. While this situation has been attributed to a range of factors, there are significant gaps in the literature, making it difficult to determine how children’s access to music education is enabled and constrained by these factors.

To understand the provision and enactment of music education, case studies were conducted in three different primary and intermediate schools in New Zealand. Informed by critical realism, a range of data collection methods were used, including semi-structured interviews, surveys, focus groups, observations, documents, and field notes. Participants were principals, members of senior leadership teams, generalist, specialist, and itinerant teachers, in addition to private contractors, children and their parents. Data were thematically analysed, revealing the intricacies of how the policy technologies of neoliberalism operate in schools. To understand generative mechanisms that impact children’s access to music education, a deeper layer of analysis was undertaken using Pierre Bourdieu’s (2018) theoretical concepts of capital and habitus. These analytical tools provided the opportunity to carefully examine the intersectionality of neoliberalism and social class.

The findings of this study demonstrate how neoliberalism has reinforced a hierarchy of subjects in the curriculum, which positions music as an extracurricular activity that is either omitted, sidelined, or enacted for social objectives. Participation and success in music education are also informed by social class, with the subject being used as a tool by some parents to advantage their children and develop cultural capital. Nevertheless, this study also revealed that music education is not universally valued by the middle class, thus challenging widely held assumptions about the relationship between music and social class. These findings highlight the importance of context, in particular the role of school structure, teacher agency, and the pressures of managerialism and marketisation. This contributes to a broader understanding of policy enactment, and how the enactment of music education is influenced by the neoliberal policy regime. The study concludes that children are not given equal access to music education and that substantive change needs to occur. Implications are discussed at national and local levels, examining the role of policy alongside the roles of principals, teachers, and parents, all of whom have the agency to make change. Implications for international contexts are also considered, reinforcing the complexity of policy enactment and how children’s access to the full curriculum cannot be solved through policy alone.

year: 2024

title: Frenemy: The Friend Who Bullies

authors: Beard, Shannon

abstract: The purpose of this research was to look into the slang term frenemy, what it meant for adolescent girls and their friendships. Therefore, this research had three key objectives. The first objective was to define the word frenemy and to determine how young women recognise one. The second objective was to find out what types of bullying young women have experienced from frenemies and what impact that had on them. The last objective was to find out how the young women responded to the bullying and what things supported or undermined attempts to deal with the frenemy. Seven individual interviews were held with young women who had had a frenemy. The results gave an insight into the complex nature of what and who a frenemy can be. This study has shown that any friend can become a frenemy and use indirectly aggressive behaviours to bully. As female adolescents have highly intimate friendships, frenemies can be particularly effective in causing pain when they were once a ‘best friend’. When a target seeks help, she is most likely to go to other friends first or seek advice but not intervention from parents. The attitudes of school personnel towards indirect aggression among girls have resulted in failed attempts to stop the bullying.

text: Frenemy: The Friend Who Bullies The purpose of this research was to look into the slang term frenemy, what it meant for adolescent girls and their friendships. Therefore, this research had three key objectives. The first objective was to define the word frenemy and to determine how young women recognise one. The second objective was to find out what types of bullying young women have experienced from frenemies and what impact that had on them. The last objective was to find out how the young women responded to the bullying and what things supported or undermined attempts to deal with the frenemy. Seven individual interviews were held with young women who had had a frenemy. The results gave an insight into the complex nature of what and who a frenemy can be. This study has shown that any friend can become a frenemy and use indirectly aggressive behaviours to bully. As female adolescents have highly intimate friendships, frenemies can be particularly effective in causing pain when they were once a ‘best friend’. When a target seeks help, she is most likely to go to other friends first or seek advice but not intervention from parents. The attitudes of school personnel towards indirect aggression among girls have resulted in failed attempts to stop the bullying.

year: 2013

title: A Critical Analysis of a Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Towards Improving Māori Achievement

authors: Richards, Stephanie Moana

subjects: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

abstract: The research task presented in this thesis examines how one English medium school, provides a culturally responsive practice that ensures the improved educational achievement of Māori students. The thesis begins by looking at some of the discourses that have transpired concerning Māori and the disparity in education that has affected Māori students’ educational outcomes. It investigates kaupapa Māori approaches and interventions that came about to combat Māori education disparity and gave Māori autonomy over their own outlooks. It also focuses on Te Kotahitanga and culturally responsive pedagogy as a response in raising Māori educational achievement.

This study was conducted in a kaupapa Māori and culturally responsive manner with a mixed method approach that included the triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data included student, their parents and teacher voice as semi-structured interviews and quantitative data comprised of student achievement data and Te Kotahitanga teacher observation data. The discoveries are discussed as to the influence of the culturally responsive discourses that affected Māori student achievement.

This study suggests that when teachers implement culturally responsive practices in their classrooms, students improve educationally. Therefore, to combat the disparity that Māori students in English medium schools experience a change in school and teacher practice needs to occur so that it reflects a culturally responsive pedagogy of relations.

text: A Critical Analysis of a Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Towards Improving Māori Achievement The research task presented in this thesis examines how one English medium school, provides a culturally responsive practice that ensures the improved educational achievement of Māori students. The thesis begins by looking at some of the discourses that have transpired concerning Māori and the disparity in education that has affected Māori students’ educational outcomes. It investigates kaupapa Māori approaches and interventions that came about to combat Māori education disparity and gave Māori autonomy over their own outlooks. It also focuses on Te Kotahitanga and culturally responsive pedagogy as a response in raising Māori educational achievement.

This study was conducted in a kaupapa Māori and culturally responsive manner with a mixed method approach that included the triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data included student, their parents and teacher voice as semi-structured interviews and quantitative data comprised of student achievement data and Te Kotahitanga teacher observation data. The discoveries are discussed as to the influence of the culturally responsive discourses that affected Māori student achievement.

This study suggests that when teachers implement culturally responsive practices in their classrooms, students improve educationally. Therefore, to combat the disparity that Māori students in English medium schools experience a change in school and teacher practice needs to occur so that it reflects a culturally responsive pedagogy of relations.

year: 2017