title: Why students answer TIMSS science test items the way they do

authors: Harlow, Ann

subjects: elementary science

abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore how Year 8 students answered Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) questions and whether the test questions represented the scientific understanding of these students. One hundred and seventy-seven students were tested using written test questions taken from the science test used in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study. The degree to which a sample of 38 children represented their understanding of the topics in a written test compared to the level of understanding that could be elicited by an interview is presented in this paper. In exploring student responses in the interview situation this study hoped to gain some insight into the science knowledge that students held and whether or not the test items had been able to elicit this knowledge successfully. We question the usefulness and quality of data from large-scale summative assessments on their own to represent student scientific understanding and conclude that large scale written test items, such as TIMSS, on their own are not a valid way of exploring students' understanding of scientific concepts. Considerable caution is therefore needed in exploiting the outcomes of international achievement testing when considering educational policy changes or using TIMSS data on their own to represent student understanding.

text: Why students answer TIMSS science test items the way they do The purpose of this study was to explore how Year 8 students answered Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) questions and whether the test questions represented the scientific understanding of these students. One hundred and seventy-seven students were tested using written test questions taken from the science test used in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study. The degree to which a sample of 38 children represented their understanding of the topics in a written test compared to the level of understanding that could be elicited by an interview is presented in this paper. In exploring student responses in the interview situation this study hoped to gain some insight into the science knowledge that students held and whether or not the test items had been able to elicit this knowledge successfully. We question the usefulness and quality of data from large-scale summative assessments on their own to represent student scientific understanding and conclude that large scale written test items, such as TIMSS, on their own are not a valid way of exploring students' understanding of scientific concepts. Considerable caution is therefore needed in exploiting the outcomes of international achievement testing when considering educational policy changes or using TIMSS data on their own to represent student understanding.

year: 2004

title: The role of tourism promoting community participation in the development of Jiwaka Province in Papua New Guinea

authors: Kau, Theresia Wome

subjects: Tourism development

abstract: This master’s thesis explored whether or not tourism can facilitate community development in the Jiwaka Province in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG). The people of Jiwaka Province, a newly created province, could benefit from tourism if a national tourism policy is implemented at the provincial level. The literature review examined the role of tourism development in less developed countries, indigenous tourism development, tourism policy, indigenous tourism, tourism advocacy and community development. Action research was used to identify the role of tourism in development of the new province to identify the role, if any, that community participation can have in tourism development. It identified the extent of tourism demand for the Jiwaka Province, some obstacles to tourism development in the province, and how people and smaller communities can become involved in tourism development in Jiwaka Province. The research process led to tourism advocacy, where the researcher helped to educate local people in awareness of the potential they possess and the opportunities available for their community to participate in and to promote development through tourism. The qualitative techniques adopted as part of action research to collect data were interviews and participatory observation. Individual and focus group interviews were used, involving 271 participants, including tourism policy officials in Port Moresby, political leaders of Jiwaka Province, Local leaders and community representatives. 
The results indicate that the top down approach of the current tourism policy is not effective for tourism development and does not facilitate community participation at the grass roots level. Most local people in Jiwaka Province are very ignorant of the potential and benefits of tourism. There is potential for tourism development, but there are obstacles at all levels of government. Currently, development for all sectors of Jiwaka Province is at an embryonic stage. Therefore, growth in tourism and the Jiwaka community can become a reality over time alongside infrastructural development and other economic advancements. 
The key issues preventing community participation in tourism are corruption in the government, limited government funding, security and law and order problems, and issues related to tourism marketing and policy implementation at the national, provincial and district levels. Other issues involve funding from the office of the governor in Jiwaka, delays in establishing the provincial government apparatus in the province due to inefficient government human resource processes in Port Moresby, no tourism office space in the province, infrastructural development, and ignorance of tourism. 
The thesis concluded that community tourism development is the only way for tourism development in Jiwaka because of customary land ownership; a bottom-up approach will deliver more benefits to the community than the current top down approach; a government policy/funding vacuum to support community development leading the communities to turn to corporate and NGO support is deeded, as is the need for tourism advocacy. Recommendations are made to the Jiwaka Provincial Government to prioritise tourism, as a key development agent for communities in Jiwaka Province, using a bottom-up approach, which empowers local people and encourages community participation.

text: The role of tourism promoting community participation in the development of Jiwaka Province in Papua New Guinea This master’s thesis explored whether or not tourism can facilitate community development in the Jiwaka Province in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG). The people of Jiwaka Province, a newly created province, could benefit from tourism if a national tourism policy is implemented at the provincial level. The literature review examined the role of tourism development in less developed countries, indigenous tourism development, tourism policy, indigenous tourism, tourism advocacy and community development. Action research was used to identify the role of tourism in development of the new province to identify the role, if any, that community participation can have in tourism development. It identified the extent of tourism demand for the Jiwaka Province, some obstacles to tourism development in the province, and how people and smaller communities can become involved in tourism development in Jiwaka Province. The research process led to tourism advocacy, where the researcher helped to educate local people in awareness of the potential they possess and the opportunities available for their community to participate in and to promote development through tourism. The qualitative techniques adopted as part of action research to collect data were interviews and participatory observation. Individual and focus group interviews were used, involving 271 participants, including tourism policy officials in Port Moresby, political leaders of Jiwaka Province, Local leaders and community representatives. 
The results indicate that the top down approach of the current tourism policy is not effective for tourism development and does not facilitate community participation at the grass roots level. Most local people in Jiwaka Province are very ignorant of the potential and benefits of tourism. There is potential for tourism development, but there are obstacles at all levels of government. Currently, development for all sectors of Jiwaka Province is at an embryonic stage. Therefore, growth in tourism and the Jiwaka community can become a reality over time alongside infrastructural development and other economic advancements. 
The key issues preventing community participation in tourism are corruption in the government, limited government funding, security and law and order problems, and issues related to tourism marketing and policy implementation at the national, provincial and district levels. Other issues involve funding from the office of the governor in Jiwaka, delays in establishing the provincial government apparatus in the province due to inefficient government human resource processes in Port Moresby, no tourism office space in the province, infrastructural development, and ignorance of tourism. 
The thesis concluded that community tourism development is the only way for tourism development in Jiwaka because of customary land ownership; a bottom-up approach will deliver more benefits to the community than the current top down approach; a government policy/funding vacuum to support community development leading the communities to turn to corporate and NGO support is deeded, as is the need for tourism advocacy. Recommendations are made to the Jiwaka Provincial Government to prioritise tourism, as a key development agent for communities in Jiwaka Province, using a bottom-up approach, which empowers local people and encourages community participation.

year: 2014

title: Conscientisation and Resistance: Experiences from implementing a culturally responsive pedagogy of relations

authors: Lawrence, Dawn Cherie

subjects: culturally responsive pedagogy of relations

abstract: Consciousness of being part of a particular hegemonic force (that is to say,political consciousness) is the first stage towards a further progressive self –conscious in which theory and practice will finally be one. (Hoare & Smith,1971, p. 333)

Bishop, Berryman, Tiakiwai and Richardson, (2003) state that effective teachers of Māori students “positively and vehemently reject deficit theorizing as a means of explaining Māori students’ educational achievement” (p.95). This fundamental tenet of the Te Kotahitanga Effective Teaching Profile (ETP) moves beyond simply refraining from publicly articulating discourses that pathologise Māori students and their whānau (Bishop et al., 2003; Bishop & Berryman, 2006; Bishop, Berryman, Cavanagh, & Teddy. 2007). For many teachers it is a challenging, ongoing transformative process of critical self-reflection, which touches the very core of their own culture and identity.

This thesis contends that by working to discursively position themselves within a culturally responsive pedagogy of relations, teachers develop classroom practices that have been shown to positively affect outcomes for Māori students. It goes on to suggest that such discursive repositioning might be seen as praxis, with the potential to transform the inequities experienced by Māori within mainstream educational settings. With this understanding, the culture and leadership approach of the school context becomes a greater influence on teachers’ capacity to realize their agency within this pedagogy than any characteristic of the individual.

text: Conscientisation and Resistance: Experiences from implementing a culturally responsive pedagogy of relations Consciousness of being part of a particular hegemonic force (that is to say,political consciousness) is the first stage towards a further progressive self –conscious in which theory and practice will finally be one. (Hoare & Smith,1971, p. 333)

Bishop, Berryman, Tiakiwai and Richardson, (2003) state that effective teachers of Māori students “positively and vehemently reject deficit theorizing as a means of explaining Māori students’ educational achievement” (p.95). This fundamental tenet of the Te Kotahitanga Effective Teaching Profile (ETP) moves beyond simply refraining from publicly articulating discourses that pathologise Māori students and their whānau (Bishop et al., 2003; Bishop & Berryman, 2006; Bishop, Berryman, Cavanagh, & Teddy. 2007). For many teachers it is a challenging, ongoing transformative process of critical self-reflection, which touches the very core of their own culture and identity.

This thesis contends that by working to discursively position themselves within a culturally responsive pedagogy of relations, teachers develop classroom practices that have been shown to positively affect outcomes for Māori students. It goes on to suggest that such discursive repositioning might be seen as praxis, with the potential to transform the inequities experienced by Māori within mainstream educational settings. With this understanding, the culture and leadership approach of the school context becomes a greater influence on teachers’ capacity to realize their agency within this pedagogy than any characteristic of the individual.

year: 2014