title: Student-centred curriculum integration in primary schools: Implementing democratic principles and practices

authors: Brough, Chris Jane

subjects: Curriculum Integration

abstract: Establishing more inclusive, democratic learning environments for students is receiving renewed attention in today’s educational climate. In New Zealand, the Ministry of Education (2007) advocated that students should be “active, visible members of the learning community” (p. 34). Student-centred curriculum integration is a curriculum design theory founded on democratic teaching pedagogy and practices. This approach places students at the centre of learning, involving them in classroom decisions and curriculum planning. Research reveals that while challenging to implement, student-centred integration has significant benefits for learners academically, socially and attitudinally. To date, research has predominantly been conducted internationally and has largely been confined to middle school or intermediate level. The aim of this study is to help redress the research gap by contributing to knowledge relating to the primary school sector. This project looks at what happens when teachers explore the democratic principles and practices inherent in student-centred curriculum integration. Past research indicated teachers found the power-sharing pedagogy challenging to implement, hence the project’s initial exploration of small democratic practices. Participatory action research (PAR) was considered the most appropriate methodology for this qualitative study as it concurred with the democratic pedagogy which underpinned the research issue. PAR allowed three novice teachers the opportunity to pose their own research questions and reflect on their practice. Mixed methods were used to collect data with interviews, informal discussions, focus group meetings, photographs, observations, and student work samples included. Case studies were utilised to provide an explanation of events. Findings from this study indicate that the implementation of student-centred curriculum integration provides a relevant, engaging and equitable learning environment for primary school students. The research revealed useful implementation strategies for teachers interested in adopting a more democratic teaching pedagogy. Strategies included taking time to establish democratic learning environments, involving students in classroom decisions, acting on students’ suggestions and asking empowering questions. This initial foundation provided the skill base and confidence which led teachers to plan collaboratively with students. This thesis therefore argues that student-centred curriculum integration is feasible in the primary-school setting and that the educational and social benefits indicate the approach justifies further research.

text: Student-centred curriculum integration in primary schools: Implementing democratic principles and practices Establishing more inclusive, democratic learning environments for students is receiving renewed attention in today’s educational climate. In New Zealand, the Ministry of Education (2007) advocated that students should be “active, visible members of the learning community” (p. 34). Student-centred curriculum integration is a curriculum design theory founded on democratic teaching pedagogy and practices. This approach places students at the centre of learning, involving them in classroom decisions and curriculum planning. Research reveals that while challenging to implement, student-centred integration has significant benefits for learners academically, socially and attitudinally. To date, research has predominantly been conducted internationally and has largely been confined to middle school or intermediate level. The aim of this study is to help redress the research gap by contributing to knowledge relating to the primary school sector. This project looks at what happens when teachers explore the democratic principles and practices inherent in student-centred curriculum integration. Past research indicated teachers found the power-sharing pedagogy challenging to implement, hence the project’s initial exploration of small democratic practices. Participatory action research (PAR) was considered the most appropriate methodology for this qualitative study as it concurred with the democratic pedagogy which underpinned the research issue. PAR allowed three novice teachers the opportunity to pose their own research questions and reflect on their practice. Mixed methods were used to collect data with interviews, informal discussions, focus group meetings, photographs, observations, and student work samples included. Case studies were utilised to provide an explanation of events. Findings from this study indicate that the implementation of student-centred curriculum integration provides a relevant, engaging and equitable learning environment for primary school students. The research revealed useful implementation strategies for teachers interested in adopting a more democratic teaching pedagogy. Strategies included taking time to establish democratic learning environments, involving students in classroom decisions, acting on students’ suggestions and asking empowering questions. This initial foundation provided the skill base and confidence which led teachers to plan collaboratively with students. This thesis therefore argues that student-centred curriculum integration is feasible in the primary-school setting and that the educational and social benefits indicate the approach justifies further research.

year: 2010

title: Book selection behavior in the physical library: implications for ebook collections

authors: Hinze, Annika

subjects: digital libraries

abstract: Little is known about how readers select books, whether they be print books or ebooks. In this paper we present a study of how people select physical books from academic library shelves. We use the insights gained into book selection behavior to make suggestions for the design of ebook-based digital libraries in order to better facilitate book selection behavior.

text: Book selection behavior in the physical library: implications for ebook collections Little is known about how readers select books, whether they be print books or ebooks. In this paper we present a study of how people select physical books from academic library shelves. We use the insights gained into book selection behavior to make suggestions for the design of ebook-based digital libraries in order to better facilitate book selection behavior.

year: 2012

title: Challenges Faced – Implications for Policy: The Everyday Lives of Eastern European Women in New Zealand

authors: Ember, Adrienna

subjects: everyday life

abstract: This study explored the everyday lives, aspirations, and coping strategies of seven Eastern European immigrant women in New Zealand who came from Bulgaria, the former Eastern Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Slovakia. The answers to the research questions aimed to contribute to the deconstruction of the invisibility and marginalisation of these women in New Zealand.
Guided by the philosophies of Kaupapa Māori Research; the theory of Human Wellbeing; and the theory of Positive Psychology, and using the methods of narrative inquiry, three interviews were conducted with each participant. The focus of the first interviews was to learn about the everyday lives of research participants in their countries of origin. The second interview explored the reasons of relocation to New Zealand, the settlement process, and how women re-established their lives in their new locations. In the final interviews women talked about their current everyday lives and their plans for the future.
Interviews were recorded and summarised in interview summary reports which research participants modified in collaboration with the researcher until a final version was achieved. In addition, women participated in two focus group sessions. The first session was devoted to establish connections among the participants and allow themes to emerge from their conversations. The second group session aimed to explore areas women struggled with in their lives the most: relationships and employment opportunities.
The study yielded contributions to the research topic, to the acculturation literature, and to the design of research with migrants. Firstly, it revealed both negative and positive aspects of the participants’ everyday lives and highlighted some under-researched cultural differences from the mainstream population.
Women highlighted as an important cultural difference their strong preference for straightforward communication which was often experienced as offensive and blatant by local New Zealanders. Research participants critiqued the necessity of networking to obtain jobs in New Zealand which is a clear obstacle for a newly arrived migrant.
This study also highlighted how the acculturation process is more individual and complex than conventional models have sought to explain. While traditional acculturation literature suggests that migrants go through some common patterns during their settlement that ideally leads to their assimilation to the host culture, in this research not all migrant women intended to assimilate. Indeed, those with a stronger wish to become part of the host culture reported more disappointments than those who embraced their cultural otherness as a positive aspect and did not mind reminding different from the dominant Pakeha culture.
Finally, for migrant studies a less common research design was applied by using the Kaupapa Māori framework. This philosophy proposes a research process that empowers immigrants to voice their needs and strengthen them as agents of their lives beyond the research process. While two strength based theories were used for data interpretation (the 3-D model of the Human Wellbeing Theory and the PERMA model of Positive Psychology), the data analysis revealed that both models showed some limitations by failing to incorporate the dimension of spiritual and physical wellbeing within their domains.

text: Challenges Faced – Implications for Policy: The Everyday Lives of Eastern European Women in New Zealand This study explored the everyday lives, aspirations, and coping strategies of seven Eastern European immigrant women in New Zealand who came from Bulgaria, the former Eastern Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Slovakia. The answers to the research questions aimed to contribute to the deconstruction of the invisibility and marginalisation of these women in New Zealand.
Guided by the philosophies of Kaupapa Māori Research; the theory of Human Wellbeing; and the theory of Positive Psychology, and using the methods of narrative inquiry, three interviews were conducted with each participant. The focus of the first interviews was to learn about the everyday lives of research participants in their countries of origin. The second interview explored the reasons of relocation to New Zealand, the settlement process, and how women re-established their lives in their new locations. In the final interviews women talked about their current everyday lives and their plans for the future.
Interviews were recorded and summarised in interview summary reports which research participants modified in collaboration with the researcher until a final version was achieved. In addition, women participated in two focus group sessions. The first session was devoted to establish connections among the participants and allow themes to emerge from their conversations. The second group session aimed to explore areas women struggled with in their lives the most: relationships and employment opportunities.
The study yielded contributions to the research topic, to the acculturation literature, and to the design of research with migrants. Firstly, it revealed both negative and positive aspects of the participants’ everyday lives and highlighted some under-researched cultural differences from the mainstream population.
Women highlighted as an important cultural difference their strong preference for straightforward communication which was often experienced as offensive and blatant by local New Zealanders. Research participants critiqued the necessity of networking to obtain jobs in New Zealand which is a clear obstacle for a newly arrived migrant.
This study also highlighted how the acculturation process is more individual and complex than conventional models have sought to explain. While traditional acculturation literature suggests that migrants go through some common patterns during their settlement that ideally leads to their assimilation to the host culture, in this research not all migrant women intended to assimilate. Indeed, those with a stronger wish to become part of the host culture reported more disappointments than those who embraced their cultural otherness as a positive aspect and did not mind reminding different from the dominant Pakeha culture.
Finally, for migrant studies a less common research design was applied by using the Kaupapa Māori framework. This philosophy proposes a research process that empowers immigrants to voice their needs and strengthen them as agents of their lives beyond the research process. While two strength based theories were used for data interpretation (the 3-D model of the Human Wellbeing Theory and the PERMA model of Positive Psychology), the data analysis revealed that both models showed some limitations by failing to incorporate the dimension of spiritual and physical wellbeing within their domains.

year: 2016