title: Some thoughts about the value of an OECD international assessment framework for early childhood services in Aotearoa New Zealand

authors: Carr, Margaret

abstract: We were alerted to this warning from James Gee because it is from a chapter that reflects on assessment from a sociocultural-situated perspective. The New Zealand early childhood education curriculum, Te Whāriki, also takes this perspective and, in this short article, we argue that the use of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) standardized tests to evaluate our early childhood education sector, while it may be perfectly ‘scientific’, could be disastrous for Te Whāriki.

text: Some thoughts about the value of an OECD international assessment framework for early childhood services in Aotearoa New Zealand We were alerted to this warning from James Gee because it is from a chapter that reflects on assessment from a sociocultural-situated perspective. The New Zealand early childhood education curriculum, Te Whāriki, also takes this perspective and, in this short article, we argue that the use of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) standardized tests to evaluate our early childhood education sector, while it may be perfectly ‘scientific’, could be disastrous for Te Whāriki.

year: 2016

title: Jonathan Sumption's conceptual gaps and misconceptions on historical apologies and judicial diversity

authors: Alvarez-Jimenez, Alberto

abstract: Which historical wrongs necessitate an apology? What is the value of judicial diversity, and what is the best way to achieve this? Writing for 𝘊𝘑𝘓𝘗𝘈, University of Waikato senior lecturer Alberto Alvarez-Jimenez tackles the treatment of these topics in Jonathan Sumption's recent book 𝘓𝘢𝘸 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘴, suggesting that the work is characterized by misconceptions and conceptual gaps.

text: Jonathan Sumption's conceptual gaps and misconceptions on historical apologies and judicial diversity Which historical wrongs necessitate an apology? What is the value of judicial diversity, and what is the best way to achieve this? Writing for 𝘊𝘑𝘓𝘗𝘈, University of Waikato senior lecturer Alberto Alvarez-Jimenez tackles the treatment of these topics in Jonathan Sumption's recent book 𝘓𝘢𝘸 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘴, suggesting that the work is characterized by misconceptions and conceptual gaps.

year: 2024

title: A critical analysis of the place of culture in evaluation

authors: Masters-Awatere, Bridgette

abstract: For the past 100 or so years formal evaluation has taken its lead from frameworks that originate from a culturally blind standpoint. Worldwide the major influence on evaluation practice comes from the United States of America. The absence of non-dominant (or indigenous) culturally constructed frameworks has been replicated around the world. Before the formation of the Aotearoa New Zealand Evaluation Association (ANZEA), as a New Zealand specific evaluation group, practitioners generally belonged to the Australasian Evaluation Society (AES) and joined in the sharing, adoption and adaptation of USAs Program Evaluation Standards. However, the context of evaluation in New Zealand has been somewhat different from the rest of the world, becoming more culturally centered than other countries. The role and place of the Treaty of Waitangi has been acknowledged as an attributing factor (ANZEA, 2011). Four indigenous “By Maori for Maori” health & wellbeing programmes externally evaluated were case studies within my research. I draw upon examples from the cases studies to highlight the vulnerable and contentious position indigenous service providers and indigenous evaluators were in. Adapting Sandra Grande’s (2004) analysis, I critiqued the context of the case study evaluations that commissioners considered as Kaupapa Maori. In this presentation I argue that while stakeholders perceived the work to be an indigenous evaluation, the case studies demonstrate that whitestream evaluation was prevalent.

text: A critical analysis of the place of culture in evaluation For the past 100 or so years formal evaluation has taken its lead from frameworks that originate from a culturally blind standpoint. Worldwide the major influence on evaluation practice comes from the United States of America. The absence of non-dominant (or indigenous) culturally constructed frameworks has been replicated around the world. Before the formation of the Aotearoa New Zealand Evaluation Association (ANZEA), as a New Zealand specific evaluation group, practitioners generally belonged to the Australasian Evaluation Society (AES) and joined in the sharing, adoption and adaptation of USAs Program Evaluation Standards. However, the context of evaluation in New Zealand has been somewhat different from the rest of the world, becoming more culturally centered than other countries. The role and place of the Treaty of Waitangi has been acknowledged as an attributing factor (ANZEA, 2011). Four indigenous “By Maori for Maori” health & wellbeing programmes externally evaluated were case studies within my research. I draw upon examples from the cases studies to highlight the vulnerable and contentious position indigenous service providers and indigenous evaluators were in. Adapting Sandra Grande’s (2004) analysis, I critiqued the context of the case study evaluations that commissioners considered as Kaupapa Maori. In this presentation I argue that while stakeholders perceived the work to be an indigenous evaluation, the case studies demonstrate that whitestream evaluation was prevalent.

year: 2015