title: The construction of participants, causes and responses in ‘problematic’ health literacy situations

authors: Franken, Margaret

abstract: The present study set out to explore primary healthcare practitioners’ views of health literacy. As an initial scoping exercise for a larger project, it sampled a relatively small number of practitioners. It did so by asking them to recount a specific event or situation where language, literacy or numeracy appeared to play a part in a patient’s ability to access and use healthcare services. What emerged in the recounts were representations of patients, literacy-related events and responses that were affective, evaluative and which, in some cases, appeared suggestive of strong attitudes and stereotyping. While a small number appeared to fully understand that health literacy is context and content dependent, other practitioners typically presented a view of health literacy that was narrow in focus and which represented health literacy as primarily drawing on reading skills. These findings suggest that any intervention focusing on health literacy and targeted at primary healthcare practitioners needs to consider the ways in which attitudinal and affective factors may mediate practitioners’ interactions with patients and interactions around healthcare texts; and ways to help practitioners understand the situated and complex nature of health literacy.

text: The construction of participants, causes and responses in ‘problematic’ health literacy situations The present study set out to explore primary healthcare practitioners’ views of health literacy. As an initial scoping exercise for a larger project, it sampled a relatively small number of practitioners. It did so by asking them to recount a specific event or situation where language, literacy or numeracy appeared to play a part in a patient’s ability to access and use healthcare services. What emerged in the recounts were representations of patients, literacy-related events and responses that were affective, evaluative and which, in some cases, appeared suggestive of strong attitudes and stereotyping. While a small number appeared to fully understand that health literacy is context and content dependent, other practitioners typically presented a view of health literacy that was narrow in focus and which represented health literacy as primarily drawing on reading skills. These findings suggest that any intervention focusing on health literacy and targeted at primary healthcare practitioners needs to consider the ways in which attitudinal and affective factors may mediate practitioners’ interactions with patients and interactions around healthcare texts; and ways to help practitioners understand the situated and complex nature of health literacy.

year: 2011

title: A mentoring approach to learner centred education in Tanzania : a case from the grass roots

authors: Collin, Anney

subjects: Mentoring

abstract: Over the past twenty years there has been an attempt to reform classroom pedagogy in Tanzania by implementing a learner-centred model of education. Even though government policy and curriculum design provide the policy conditions for implementing Learner Centred Education, research suggests that many teachers continue to implement teacher-centred approaches. This study reports on the findings of an instrumental case study that aimed to identify the strategies used by six mentor teachers to support teachers to effectively implement learner-centred education. The findings of this study revealed five strategies that mentors used to support the implementation of pedagogical change. These include; 1) supporting the development of teacher identity, 2) modelling flatter power relationships, 3) developing reflective practice, 4) modelling a learner centred environment and 5) engaging teachers in continuing professional development. The research also identified some of the challenges that mentors experienced, such as large class sizes, lack of resources and incongruent assessment and inspectorate policies.
These findings suggest that if learner-centred pedagogies are to be successfully implemented in Tanzania, an ongoing continuing professional development program based on a mentoring model provides an effective strategy for enabling the implementation of LCE.

text: A mentoring approach to learner centred education in Tanzania : a case from the grass roots Over the past twenty years there has been an attempt to reform classroom pedagogy in Tanzania by implementing a learner-centred model of education. Even though government policy and curriculum design provide the policy conditions for implementing Learner Centred Education, research suggests that many teachers continue to implement teacher-centred approaches. This study reports on the findings of an instrumental case study that aimed to identify the strategies used by six mentor teachers to support teachers to effectively implement learner-centred education. The findings of this study revealed five strategies that mentors used to support the implementation of pedagogical change. These include; 1) supporting the development of teacher identity, 2) modelling flatter power relationships, 3) developing reflective practice, 4) modelling a learner centred environment and 5) engaging teachers in continuing professional development. The research also identified some of the challenges that mentors experienced, such as large class sizes, lack of resources and incongruent assessment and inspectorate policies.
These findings suggest that if learner-centred pedagogies are to be successfully implemented in Tanzania, an ongoing continuing professional development program based on a mentoring model provides an effective strategy for enabling the implementation of LCE.

year: 2019

title: Ngōku whakaaro – hei maumaharatanga. Maori women facial adornment: A mark of remembrance

authors: Nikora, Linda Waimarie

abstract: To honour the life and memory of the late Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu, and the elevation of her son King Tuheitia, a group of women from Tainui iwi under took the process of taking moko kauae - of colouring their chins with traditional patterns. The adornment process took place at Turangawaewae marae with family, friends, elders, and grandchildren. In this presentation we will talk about the journey of these women to prepare themselves for their transformations, the process they went through, and their lives since. We will also consider how their decision also meant exposure to outside opinion, the associated risks of objectification, “image-snatching”, and cultural and intellectual property issues.

text: Ngōku whakaaro – hei maumaharatanga. Maori women facial adornment: A mark of remembrance To honour the life and memory of the late Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu, and the elevation of her son King Tuheitia, a group of women from Tainui iwi under took the process of taking moko kauae - of colouring their chins with traditional patterns. The adornment process took place at Turangawaewae marae with family, friends, elders, and grandchildren. In this presentation we will talk about the journey of these women to prepare themselves for their transformations, the process they went through, and their lives since. We will also consider how their decision also meant exposure to outside opinion, the associated risks of objectification, “image-snatching”, and cultural and intellectual property issues.

year: 2008