title: Weaving Mātauranga Māori into climate change education with primary school students in New Zealand

authors: Jackson, Ryan

abstract: This thesis explores the integration of Indigenous knowledge, specifically mātauranga Māori, into climate change education for primary school children in Aotearoa (New Zealand). It engages with pūrākau (verbal narratives that encode knowledge) gifted by the local hapū (Rangitāne sub-tribe) to a kura (school). The study contributes to the growing body of research that addresses a gap in research and teaching practice, which, despite global calls for action, remains inconsistent in teaching at this age level or lacks direct curriculum guidance in Aotearoa.

The main question for this study was: In what ways can Rangitāne pūrākau engage and further the understanding of Year five and six ākonga (learners) in learning about climate change within a kura in the lower North Island of Aotearoa?

This research used a mix of different research methods to explore this question. A learning intervention wove a pūrākau, climate change concepts and kai (food) together to create a ten-week learning programme. This learning intervention was then implemented by a kaiako (teacher) with a group of 21 Year five and six ākonga. Data were collected using pre- and post-tests to assess what students learned during the learning intervention, a group interview with the ākonga to hear their voices in the study, and an interview with their kaiako to gain insights into how engaged the ākonga were, their opinion on their understandings, and how aspects of the intervention went.

Analysis of the findings shows that the use of pūrākau and other forms of mātauranga Māori helped ākonga connect deeply with the material, which contributed positively to their engagement and to them gaining a sound understanding of complex climate change concepts. The research suggests that presenting scientific information through a familiar cultural lens contributed to making the topic less confusing and easier for the ākonga to grasp. This approach not only helped to improve their understanding but also enhanced the mana of ākonga Māori and their connection to the whenua (the land).

This research has several main implications. The findings provide evidence that incorporating Indigenous knowledge has wider educational benefits in climate change education, supporting the body of research that states what works well for ākonga Māori works well for all learners. The research also highlighted the importance of the concept of ako, literally meaning ‘to teach and learn,’ as the kaiako showed strength in being able to learn alongside ākonga. The thesis supports the use of Indigenous knowledge systems such as pūrākau alongside Western knowledge systems to develop holistic learning experiences. A recommendation from this thesis is to further explore the development of a climate change education model, relevant to the context of Aotearoa, which would centralise Indigenous knowledge. This could be modelled in the form of a waka hourua (double hulled ocean voyaging canoe) with the tohunga (knowledge holder and expert) on board signifying the use of Indigenous knowledge systems, with narratives such as pūrākau, playing a part in climate change education.

text: Weaving Mātauranga Māori into climate change education with primary school students in New Zealand This thesis explores the integration of Indigenous knowledge, specifically mātauranga Māori, into climate change education for primary school children in Aotearoa (New Zealand). It engages with pūrākau (verbal narratives that encode knowledge) gifted by the local hapū (Rangitāne sub-tribe) to a kura (school). The study contributes to the growing body of research that addresses a gap in research and teaching practice, which, despite global calls for action, remains inconsistent in teaching at this age level or lacks direct curriculum guidance in Aotearoa.

The main question for this study was: In what ways can Rangitāne pūrākau engage and further the understanding of Year five and six ākonga (learners) in learning about climate change within a kura in the lower North Island of Aotearoa?

This research used a mix of different research methods to explore this question. A learning intervention wove a pūrākau, climate change concepts and kai (food) together to create a ten-week learning programme. This learning intervention was then implemented by a kaiako (teacher) with a group of 21 Year five and six ākonga. Data were collected using pre- and post-tests to assess what students learned during the learning intervention, a group interview with the ākonga to hear their voices in the study, and an interview with their kaiako to gain insights into how engaged the ākonga were, their opinion on their understandings, and how aspects of the intervention went.

Analysis of the findings shows that the use of pūrākau and other forms of mātauranga Māori helped ākonga connect deeply with the material, which contributed positively to their engagement and to them gaining a sound understanding of complex climate change concepts. The research suggests that presenting scientific information through a familiar cultural lens contributed to making the topic less confusing and easier for the ākonga to grasp. This approach not only helped to improve their understanding but also enhanced the mana of ākonga Māori and their connection to the whenua (the land).

This research has several main implications. The findings provide evidence that incorporating Indigenous knowledge has wider educational benefits in climate change education, supporting the body of research that states what works well for ākonga Māori works well for all learners. The research also highlighted the importance of the concept of ako, literally meaning ‘to teach and learn,’ as the kaiako showed strength in being able to learn alongside ākonga. The thesis supports the use of Indigenous knowledge systems such as pūrākau alongside Western knowledge systems to develop holistic learning experiences. A recommendation from this thesis is to further explore the development of a climate change education model, relevant to the context of Aotearoa, which would centralise Indigenous knowledge. This could be modelled in the form of a waka hourua (double hulled ocean voyaging canoe) with the tohunga (knowledge holder and expert) on board signifying the use of Indigenous knowledge systems, with narratives such as pūrākau, playing a part in climate change education.

year: 2025

title: Tephras and New Zealand archaeology

authors: Lowe, David J.

subjects: tephrochronology

abstract: Establishing an accurate date for earliest Polynesian settlement in New Zealand is essential for understanding patterns of settlement and associated environmental impacts, and the processes and rates of cultural change in Eastern Polynesia. Tephra deposits from five volcanic centres, together with exotic sea-rafted pumice, provide isochronous constraints on the timing of earliest settlement and human impacts in northern New Zealand. A local basaltic tephra from Rangitoto Island (Auckland) and locally distributed andesitic tephras from Egmont volcano directly date human occupation to c. AD 1400–1450. Distal andesitic tephras (Tufa Trig Formation) from Mt Ruapehu, Tongariro volcanic centre, help constrain the timing of earliest anthropogenic deforestation signals in Hawke's Bay. Sea-rafted Loisels Pumice(s), although of uncertain stratigraphic reliability in places, overlies cultural remains that can be no younger than c. AD 1350 along the east coast, North Island. The regionally extensive rhyolitic Kaharoa Tephra, which erupted from Okataina volcano between c. AD  1300–1390, is the critical “settlement layer” datum for dating prehistory in the North Island: no human artefacts are recorded beneath it and the earliest inferred environmental impacts by humans are dated to c. AD  1280, just prior to its deposition. This maximum date matches the earliest radiocarbon dates derived for both settlement and human impacts from archaeological and natural sites (c. AD 1250), and implies that the onset of deforestation was essentially contemporaneous with initial settlement.
The widespread rhyolitic Taupo Tephra, which erupted from Taupo volcano c. AD 200, provides an isochronous benchmark well before earliest settlement. The tephra may coincide approximately with a putative earlier transient contact in New Zealand based on Pacific rat-bone (Rattus exulans) dates. More precise calendrical dates on the tephras—via dendrochronology or ice-core records or other dating methods—would help refine assessment of the timing of earliest settlement, while extending the distributional range of critical tephra layers, through application of crypto-tephra analysis, could lead to a greater understanding of settlement patterns.

text: Tephras and New Zealand archaeology Establishing an accurate date for earliest Polynesian settlement in New Zealand is essential for understanding patterns of settlement and associated environmental impacts, and the processes and rates of cultural change in Eastern Polynesia. Tephra deposits from five volcanic centres, together with exotic sea-rafted pumice, provide isochronous constraints on the timing of earliest settlement and human impacts in northern New Zealand. A local basaltic tephra from Rangitoto Island (Auckland) and locally distributed andesitic tephras from Egmont volcano directly date human occupation to c. AD 1400–1450. Distal andesitic tephras (Tufa Trig Formation) from Mt Ruapehu, Tongariro volcanic centre, help constrain the timing of earliest anthropogenic deforestation signals in Hawke's Bay. Sea-rafted Loisels Pumice(s), although of uncertain stratigraphic reliability in places, overlies cultural remains that can be no younger than c. AD 1350 along the east coast, North Island. The regionally extensive rhyolitic Kaharoa Tephra, which erupted from Okataina volcano between c. AD  1300–1390, is the critical “settlement layer” datum for dating prehistory in the North Island: no human artefacts are recorded beneath it and the earliest inferred environmental impacts by humans are dated to c. AD  1280, just prior to its deposition. This maximum date matches the earliest radiocarbon dates derived for both settlement and human impacts from archaeological and natural sites (c. AD 1250), and implies that the onset of deforestation was essentially contemporaneous with initial settlement.
The widespread rhyolitic Taupo Tephra, which erupted from Taupo volcano c. AD 200, provides an isochronous benchmark well before earliest settlement. The tephra may coincide approximately with a putative earlier transient contact in New Zealand based on Pacific rat-bone (Rattus exulans) dates. More precise calendrical dates on the tephras—via dendrochronology or ice-core records or other dating methods—would help refine assessment of the timing of earliest settlement, while extending the distributional range of critical tephra layers, through application of crypto-tephra analysis, could lead to a greater understanding of settlement patterns.

year: 2000

title: Physicians' perspectives of managing tensions around dimensions of effective communication in the emergency department

authors: Dean, Marleah

abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore emergency department (ED) physicians' perspectives of guidelines for effective communication. More specifically, the ways in which physicians manage the tensions among effective communication dimensions framed by relational dialectics theory are examined. This study used in-depth interviews with 17 ED physicians and 70 hours of observations to identify five dimensions of effective communication: efficiency, clarity/accuracy, relevance, comprehension, and rapport. Two communication tensions resulted from these dimensions: efficiency versus rapport and efficiency versus comprehension. In almost all instances, physicians chose efficient communication at the expense of comprehension or rapport. In addition, there was a tension between patient and physician perspectives of clarity and relevance that physicians tended to resolve by emphasizing what was relevant and clear from their own perspective. Implications for managing tensions in terms of efficiency and a physician-centered approach are discussed.

text: Physicians' perspectives of managing tensions around dimensions of effective communication in the emergency department The purpose of this study was to explore emergency department (ED) physicians' perspectives of guidelines for effective communication. More specifically, the ways in which physicians manage the tensions among effective communication dimensions framed by relational dialectics theory are examined. This study used in-depth interviews with 17 ED physicians and 70 hours of observations to identify five dimensions of effective communication: efficiency, clarity/accuracy, relevance, comprehension, and rapport. Two communication tensions resulted from these dimensions: efficiency versus rapport and efficiency versus comprehension. In almost all instances, physicians chose efficient communication at the expense of comprehension or rapport. In addition, there was a tension between patient and physician perspectives of clarity and relevance that physicians tended to resolve by emphasizing what was relevant and clear from their own perspective. Implications for managing tensions in terms of efficiency and a physician-centered approach are discussed.

year: 2013