title: School Planning: An Investigation into the Factors that Influence School Planning in Community High Schools in the Solomon Islands from the Principal's Perspective

authors: Aruhu, Samuel Coleridge

subjects: School planning

abstract: This study sought to investigate the factors that influence school planning in Community High Schools in Solomon Islands. In particular, it examines principal's perceptions of having worked with school plans.  While the international literature focuses on school planning and the planning process, much of this literature relates to western contexts which are sometimes irrelevant to the context of a developing nation such as the Solomon Islands. Thus contextual specificity is an important underlying factor in the study. 
This qualitative research gathered the stories of community high school principals on Makira Island through semi-structured interviews.  These interviews were analysed on a case by case basis and then analysed using a thematic analysis approach. 
While school planning is critical for schools, this study showed that most principals in community high schools in the Solomon Islands do not have the confidence to formulate, implement, and successfully evaluate a school plan.  Key findings of this research include the urgency of providing professional development and ongoing support for Community High School principals, the role and priority of interpersonal and school-community relationships, the critical importance of school planning as a process, and the notion of seeing a school plan as a working, living document that supports the activity and development of a school. 

Amongst the implications from this research is the need for current and future school principals to undergo professional development which is geared towards improving principal's understanding and skills in school planning. A thorough understanding of the essential elements of the school planning process, alongside ongoing support, will greatly enhance current and future community high school principals' capacity to improve planning in their schools.

text: School Planning: An Investigation into the Factors that Influence School Planning in Community High Schools in the Solomon Islands from the Principal's Perspective This study sought to investigate the factors that influence school planning in Community High Schools in Solomon Islands. In particular, it examines principal's perceptions of having worked with school plans.  While the international literature focuses on school planning and the planning process, much of this literature relates to western contexts which are sometimes irrelevant to the context of a developing nation such as the Solomon Islands. Thus contextual specificity is an important underlying factor in the study. 
This qualitative research gathered the stories of community high school principals on Makira Island through semi-structured interviews.  These interviews were analysed on a case by case basis and then analysed using a thematic analysis approach. 
While school planning is critical for schools, this study showed that most principals in community high schools in the Solomon Islands do not have the confidence to formulate, implement, and successfully evaluate a school plan.  Key findings of this research include the urgency of providing professional development and ongoing support for Community High School principals, the role and priority of interpersonal and school-community relationships, the critical importance of school planning as a process, and the notion of seeing a school plan as a working, living document that supports the activity and development of a school. 

Amongst the implications from this research is the need for current and future school principals to undergo professional development which is geared towards improving principal's understanding and skills in school planning. A thorough understanding of the essential elements of the school planning process, alongside ongoing support, will greatly enhance current and future community high school principals' capacity to improve planning in their schools.

year: 2010

title: Lived experiences of childfree lesbians in the United Kingdom: A qualitative exploration

authors: Clarke, Victoria

subjects: Social Sciences

abstract: Evidence suggests that most lesbians remain childless, but little is known about the childfree lesbian experience. The current study qualitatively explores the experiences of five childfree lesbians. The results show that even for a group for which childlessness is arguably still presumed, it remains socially difficult to articulate a desire to remain childfree. The women presented their childfreedom as both essential and politically and biographically motivated. Being lesbian and childfree was framed as different from being heterosexual and childfree—discourses and practices of “families of choice” and “co-independence” in intimate partnerships provided a way of “doing” family outside of dominant, heteronormative expectations. Concurrently, the greater visibility of lesbian parenting had resulted in the unwelcome imposition of heteronormative expectations. The results raise questions about the normalizing effects of the legal recognition of same-sex marriage and queer parenthood on the lives of lesbian women, and other queers, who choose to remain childfree.

text: Lived experiences of childfree lesbians in the United Kingdom: A qualitative exploration Evidence suggests that most lesbians remain childless, but little is known about the childfree lesbian experience. The current study qualitatively explores the experiences of five childfree lesbians. The results show that even for a group for which childlessness is arguably still presumed, it remains socially difficult to articulate a desire to remain childfree. The women presented their childfreedom as both essential and politically and biographically motivated. Being lesbian and childfree was framed as different from being heterosexual and childfree—discourses and practices of “families of choice” and “co-independence” in intimate partnerships provided a way of “doing” family outside of dominant, heteronormative expectations. Concurrently, the greater visibility of lesbian parenting had resulted in the unwelcome imposition of heteronormative expectations. The results raise questions about the normalizing effects of the legal recognition of same-sex marriage and queer parenthood on the lives of lesbian women, and other queers, who choose to remain childfree.

year: 2018

title: Boat electrofishing survey of fish abundance in the Ohau Channel, Rotorua, in 2013

authors: Hicks, Brendan J.

abstract: The aim of this survey was to provide on-going monitoring of the fish communities and abundance in the Ohau Channel, especially fish species that are taonga to Maori (eels, goldfish, and koura). In the current study we present the findings from the seventh year of sampling (2013) in view of previous surveys using boat electrofishing in the Ohau Channel. 
We used the University of Waikato's 4.5 m-long, aluminium-hulled electrofishing boat to catch a total of 1,025 fish (20.3 kg) from 11 sites comprising 2,817 lineal m and 11,484 m² in area on 27 November 2013. Common bully were the most abundant fish species (57% of the catch) followed by common smelt (36% of the catch).
Goldfish had their highest biomasses in the lower channel, especially at site 10 near Lake Rotoiti (up to 7.25 g m⁻²). Catch per unit effort (CPUE) for common bullies exceeded smelt CPUE at all sites except site 1, reflecting their greater densities. CPUE for rainbow trout was variable between the sites, and greatest at site 3. 
The abundance of common bullies in 2013 reversed the apparent trend of reducing abundance since these surveys started in 2007. The cause of fluctuating bully abundance is not known, and was not accounted for by water clarity expressed as black disc distance (BDD) or water conductivity. Poor water clarity can reduce the efficiency of electrofishing, but BDD was greater in 2012 than in 2011 when common bully densities were lower. In 2013, the apparent decline in smelt abundance was also reversed, but the relatively inefficient sampling resulting from boat electrofishing for these two species should be considered. 
The increased goldfish biomass in 2011-2013 arose because of targeted fishing in the excavated side branch, which clearly offers good habitat for goldfish. Removal of goldfish in the previous years may have reduced the density in the excavated side channel (site 11) compared to previous years. In 2013, a shortfin eel was caught, following the first shortfin eel encountered in the Ohau Channel in 2012.

text: Boat electrofishing survey of fish abundance in the Ohau Channel, Rotorua, in 2013 The aim of this survey was to provide on-going monitoring of the fish communities and abundance in the Ohau Channel, especially fish species that are taonga to Maori (eels, goldfish, and koura). In the current study we present the findings from the seventh year of sampling (2013) in view of previous surveys using boat electrofishing in the Ohau Channel. 
We used the University of Waikato's 4.5 m-long, aluminium-hulled electrofishing boat to catch a total of 1,025 fish (20.3 kg) from 11 sites comprising 2,817 lineal m and 11,484 m² in area on 27 November 2013. Common bully were the most abundant fish species (57% of the catch) followed by common smelt (36% of the catch).
Goldfish had their highest biomasses in the lower channel, especially at site 10 near Lake Rotoiti (up to 7.25 g m⁻²). Catch per unit effort (CPUE) for common bullies exceeded smelt CPUE at all sites except site 1, reflecting their greater densities. CPUE for rainbow trout was variable between the sites, and greatest at site 3. 
The abundance of common bullies in 2013 reversed the apparent trend of reducing abundance since these surveys started in 2007. The cause of fluctuating bully abundance is not known, and was not accounted for by water clarity expressed as black disc distance (BDD) or water conductivity. Poor water clarity can reduce the efficiency of electrofishing, but BDD was greater in 2012 than in 2011 when common bully densities were lower. In 2013, the apparent decline in smelt abundance was also reversed, but the relatively inefficient sampling resulting from boat electrofishing for these two species should be considered. 
The increased goldfish biomass in 2011-2013 arose because of targeted fishing in the excavated side branch, which clearly offers good habitat for goldfish. Removal of goldfish in the previous years may have reduced the density in the excavated side channel (site 11) compared to previous years. In 2013, a shortfin eel was caught, following the first shortfin eel encountered in the Ohau Channel in 2012.

year: 2014