title: "Not right in the head": How should teachers assess new talk about teenagers?

authors: Payne, Monica A.

subjects: adolescent discourse

abstract: Recently in New Zealand the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor has warned of changing circumstances creating a "powder keg" during adolescence, another top government advisor is reported as claiming young people's behaviour problems are the country's "biggest social issue", and the catchphrase of a parenting series on national television has been that teenagers are best understood as "not right in the head". Perhaps it is unsurprising that surveys have been reporting high levels of teacher stress and increasing levels of abuse and assault. Should secondary teaching therefore be considered a dubious career choice and a mass exodus from the profession anticipated? With regard to the implications for those whose lives continue to meet and mix in schools, this paper critically examines some of the local and overseas "expert talk" inspired by key features of scientific assertions regarding the changing nature of physical and cognitive development in adolescence.

text: "Not right in the head": How should teachers assess new talk about teenagers? Recently in New Zealand the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor has warned of changing circumstances creating a "powder keg" during adolescence, another top government advisor is reported as claiming young people's behaviour problems are the country's "biggest social issue", and the catchphrase of a parenting series on national television has been that teenagers are best understood as "not right in the head". Perhaps it is unsurprising that surveys have been reporting high levels of teacher stress and increasing levels of abuse and assault. Should secondary teaching therefore be considered a dubious career choice and a mass exodus from the profession anticipated? With regard to the implications for those whose lives continue to meet and mix in schools, this paper critically examines some of the local and overseas "expert talk" inspired by key features of scientific assertions regarding the changing nature of physical and cognitive development in adolescence.

year: 2011

title: The year after: sustaining the effects of literacy professional development in New Zealand secondary schools

authors: Whitehead, David

subjects: literacy practices

abstract: This paper describes some key characteristics of two secondary schools that were able to sustain benefits accrued from funded, externally facilitated literacy professional development intervention, during the year after facilitation had ceased. Characteristics that, together, signal a school with the potential to sustain gains in understanding about learning and literacy included the role of key people in building a critical mass community of practice, the theoretical and learner-focused nature of professional learning sessions built around an inquiry cycle, the use of intellectual resources focused more broadly on learning rather than literacy and the use of literacy data to facilitate evidence-based teaching.

text: The year after: sustaining the effects of literacy professional development in New Zealand secondary schools This paper describes some key characteristics of two secondary schools that were able to sustain benefits accrued from funded, externally facilitated literacy professional development intervention, during the year after facilitation had ceased. Characteristics that, together, signal a school with the potential to sustain gains in understanding about learning and literacy included the role of key people in building a critical mass community of practice, the theoretical and learner-focused nature of professional learning sessions built around an inquiry cycle, the use of intellectual resources focused more broadly on learning rather than literacy and the use of literacy data to facilitate evidence-based teaching.

year: 2010

title: Haumanu Hauora: Strengthening health institution responsiveness to climate change

authors: Masters-Awatere, Bridgette

abstract: The “Haumanu Hauora: Strengthening health institution responsiveness to climate change” project (Haumanu Hauora) is funded by the Deep South National Science Challenge. Our research team has 
been working to determine how health institutions (for example DHBs) develop Māori responsive policy as a preparatory step in anticipation of climate change impacts on Māori health. The project 
has involved several components, one of which involved speaking with tāngata whenua and DHB staff from the Bay of Plenty, Lakes and Waikato DHB regions about their experiences of climate 
change and involvement with health services. Another component was an environmental scan of available website information on the 17 other DHBs to ascertain the extent of policy that speaks to 
both the Treaty of Waitangi and climate change. This report presents an overview of the findings. 

This report begins with some context setting. We provide a summary of our literature reviews before a brief outline of the establishment of DHBs, which are the “health institution” of focus for 
this research. As the primary health provider and funders around the country, DHBs have been engaged as the site through which to understand the Māori health and climate change policy needs. 
Although DHBs were disestablished at the conclusion of our project, there are still lessons to learn from the ‘old’ health system. We present themes from tāngata whenua and rangatahi interviews as 
a way to foreground policy development information provided by DHB staff.

text: Haumanu Hauora: Strengthening health institution responsiveness to climate change The “Haumanu Hauora: Strengthening health institution responsiveness to climate change” project (Haumanu Hauora) is funded by the Deep South National Science Challenge. Our research team has 
been working to determine how health institutions (for example DHBs) develop Māori responsive policy as a preparatory step in anticipation of climate change impacts on Māori health. The project 
has involved several components, one of which involved speaking with tāngata whenua and DHB staff from the Bay of Plenty, Lakes and Waikato DHB regions about their experiences of climate 
change and involvement with health services. Another component was an environmental scan of available website information on the 17 other DHBs to ascertain the extent of policy that speaks to 
both the Treaty of Waitangi and climate change. This report presents an overview of the findings. 

This report begins with some context setting. We provide a summary of our literature reviews before a brief outline of the establishment of DHBs, which are the “health institution” of focus for 
this research. As the primary health provider and funders around the country, DHBs have been engaged as the site through which to understand the Māori health and climate change policy needs. 
Although DHBs were disestablished at the conclusion of our project, there are still lessons to learn from the ‘old’ health system. We present themes from tāngata whenua and rangatahi interviews as 
a way to foreground policy development information provided by DHB staff.

year: 2022-07-12