title: The re-integration of Tongan postgraduate scholars after study abroad

authors: Langi, Nautalus Tuituiovai Kaho

subjects: re-integration

abstract: Scholars returning to Tonga after their study go through re-integration. Limited investigation has documented their experiences and the impacts of their new knowledge and skills, both in the workplace and the community. Therefore, it is important that the Tongan society and community, and also the workplaces, are aware of the scholars’ experiences and the challenges they face during the process of re-integration.
This study was conducted with selected returned scholars in the main island of Tongatapu, Tonga. These scholars had secured scholarships funded by foreign agencies and successfully completed overseas postgraduate studies, after which they had returned to Tonga and worked for less than five years. The goal of this research study was to investigate the experiences of returned postgraduate scholars in Tonga. In particular, it focuses on how these scholars utilise their new-found knowledge and skills in the workplace and the community. The scholars’ experiences, including their perspectives and emotions associated with their new knowledge and skills, and specifically the professional usage of their new knowledge and skills in the workplaces, are investigated.
A qualitative approach was employed with semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews for this study. Participants were categorised into two groups: government and non-government groups. The semi-structured interviews were conducted with each of the selected participants from both government and non-government organisations. Focus group interviews were conducted with both government and non-government groups respectively. These interviews were recorded and analysed using codes and themes.
The data generated from these methods demonstrated scholars reporting their experiences, how they were reintegrated both into the workplace and the community, and how their new knowledge and skills had been utilised in both contexts. The data also showed how scholars felt during the re-integration process, the challenges they faced and how they confronted them. The findings of this study suggest that scholars experienced challenges when they returned to Tonga after their study. These challenges fall into particular categories: culture, management, reception and, most importantly, the utilisation of their new-found knowledge and skills. The findings also demonstrate that the scholars were resourceful in accommodating to the needs and demands from both the workplace and the community. Their cultural ways became resources that helped them respond to the challenges in the workplace and the community.
This study also revealed interesting contradictions when it came to scholars’ knowledge and skills. Some scholars were able to utilise their new knowledge and skills in their workplace; however, some scholars were not able to utilise their new knowledge and skills because their new assignments upon arrival did not allow this to take place. As a result, some of the unfortunate scholars felt the need to move career or migrate to find a job that would fit not only their qualification but also the new knowledge and skills they had acquired from their study.
This study has unveiled the returned scholars’ experiences both in the workplace and in the community. This knowledge will make a contribution to the Human Resources Administration, advocating the importance of reintegrating the returning scholars to jobs that allow the utilisation of their new knowledge and skills, thereby therefore contributing to the development of Tonga.

text: The re-integration of Tongan postgraduate scholars after study abroad Scholars returning to Tonga after their study go through re-integration. Limited investigation has documented their experiences and the impacts of their new knowledge and skills, both in the workplace and the community. Therefore, it is important that the Tongan society and community, and also the workplaces, are aware of the scholars’ experiences and the challenges they face during the process of re-integration.
This study was conducted with selected returned scholars in the main island of Tongatapu, Tonga. These scholars had secured scholarships funded by foreign agencies and successfully completed overseas postgraduate studies, after which they had returned to Tonga and worked for less than five years. The goal of this research study was to investigate the experiences of returned postgraduate scholars in Tonga. In particular, it focuses on how these scholars utilise their new-found knowledge and skills in the workplace and the community. The scholars’ experiences, including their perspectives and emotions associated with their new knowledge and skills, and specifically the professional usage of their new knowledge and skills in the workplaces, are investigated.
A qualitative approach was employed with semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews for this study. Participants were categorised into two groups: government and non-government groups. The semi-structured interviews were conducted with each of the selected participants from both government and non-government organisations. Focus group interviews were conducted with both government and non-government groups respectively. These interviews were recorded and analysed using codes and themes.
The data generated from these methods demonstrated scholars reporting their experiences, how they were reintegrated both into the workplace and the community, and how their new knowledge and skills had been utilised in both contexts. The data also showed how scholars felt during the re-integration process, the challenges they faced and how they confronted them. The findings of this study suggest that scholars experienced challenges when they returned to Tonga after their study. These challenges fall into particular categories: culture, management, reception and, most importantly, the utilisation of their new-found knowledge and skills. The findings also demonstrate that the scholars were resourceful in accommodating to the needs and demands from both the workplace and the community. Their cultural ways became resources that helped them respond to the challenges in the workplace and the community.
This study also revealed interesting contradictions when it came to scholars’ knowledge and skills. Some scholars were able to utilise their new knowledge and skills in their workplace; however, some scholars were not able to utilise their new knowledge and skills because their new assignments upon arrival did not allow this to take place. As a result, some of the unfortunate scholars felt the need to move career or migrate to find a job that would fit not only their qualification but also the new knowledge and skills they had acquired from their study.
This study has unveiled the returned scholars’ experiences both in the workplace and in the community. This knowledge will make a contribution to the Human Resources Administration, advocating the importance of reintegrating the returning scholars to jobs that allow the utilisation of their new knowledge and skills, thereby therefore contributing to the development of Tonga.

year: 2014

title: ‘Once my relatives see me on social media… it will be something very bad for my family’: The Ethics and Risks of Organizational Representations of Sporting Girls from the Global South

authors: Thorpe, Holly Aysha

abstract: This paper explores the ethics of representing girls and young women from the global South in Sport for Development (SfD) organizational campaigns via the case of Skateistan—an international SfD organization with skateboarding and educational programmes in Afghanistan, Cambodia and South Africa. Focusing particularly on Skateistan’s representations of skateboarding girls and young women in Afghanistan, we draw upon interviews with staff members as well as digital ethnography and organizational curriculum materials, to reveal some of the nuanced power relations within such media portrayals. In so doing, we also draw attention to some of the unintended risks of ‘positive’ representations of sporting girls from the global South, and some of the strategies employed by Skateistan to navigate such issues.

text: ‘Once my relatives see me on social media… it will be something very bad for my family’: The Ethics and Risks of Organizational Representations of Sporting Girls from the Global South This paper explores the ethics of representing girls and young women from the global South in Sport for Development (SfD) organizational campaigns via the case of Skateistan—an international SfD organization with skateboarding and educational programmes in Afghanistan, Cambodia and South Africa. Focusing particularly on Skateistan’s representations of skateboarding girls and young women in Afghanistan, we draw upon interviews with staff members as well as digital ethnography and organizational curriculum materials, to reveal some of the nuanced power relations within such media portrayals. In so doing, we also draw attention to some of the unintended risks of ‘positive’ representations of sporting girls from the global South, and some of the strategies employed by Skateistan to navigate such issues.

year: 2017

title: Te Kotahitanga Phase 3 School Reform: The impact of a professional development programme within a large, multi-cultural, secondary school in New Zealand.

authors: Cranston, Shirley Ann

subjects: Te Kotahitanga Phase 3

abstract: This thesis examines the impact of Te Kotahitanga on leaders, teachers and Māori students within the context of a large, multi-cultural, secondary school in New Zealand. This school was one of twelve secondary schools invited to join Phase 3 of the Te Kotahitanga Research and Development Project from 2003 to 2010. This initiative aimed to work with teachers and school leaders to improve the engagement and success of Māori students. 
This thesis presents and reflects on qualitative evidence from interviews with the leaders, the Te Kotahitanga facilitation team and teachers in this school. Evidence from the Rongohia te Hau survey and teachers’ classroom walkthroughs provide further qualitative and quantitative evidence.  To observe some of the results of teachers’ work with Māori students, it then discusses Māori students’ Rongohia te Hau survey data and their NCEA results from 2004 – 2010, and post 2010 up to the reactivation of Te Kotahitanga in this school in 2013.
There are three themes that emerged from my findings. The first theme identifies leadership as a key emerging concept and the important role of Rangatira (school leaders) in bringing people together around a common vision. The spread of the programme across the school clearly emerged as the second theme, where this education reform was spread through relationships of whānautanga. Thirdly, the theme of ownership towards sustainability emerged from the findings. Ownership required working as one towards the common unity of purpose (Kotahitanga). The evidence shows that when Te Kotahitanga was fully implemented in this school and it did work during the period of this study and again when Te Kotahitanga was reactivated in 2013. However, although the school had been working on ownership towards sustainability of positive changes, sustainability did not ensue.
This thesis suggests that once a school has established a common vision that is clearly understood by all the leaders and teachers in the school, everyone has to remain committed to that vision. To be successful the moral imperative for any reform towards social justice has to be fully committed to and understood by the leaders of the school and all the teachers.  
This thesis hopes to contribute to the journey other schools might take in their commitment to raising the participation and academic achievement of Māori students.

text: Te Kotahitanga Phase 3 School Reform: The impact of a professional development programme within a large, multi-cultural, secondary school in New Zealand. This thesis examines the impact of Te Kotahitanga on leaders, teachers and Māori students within the context of a large, multi-cultural, secondary school in New Zealand. This school was one of twelve secondary schools invited to join Phase 3 of the Te Kotahitanga Research and Development Project from 2003 to 2010. This initiative aimed to work with teachers and school leaders to improve the engagement and success of Māori students. 
This thesis presents and reflects on qualitative evidence from interviews with the leaders, the Te Kotahitanga facilitation team and teachers in this school. Evidence from the Rongohia te Hau survey and teachers’ classroom walkthroughs provide further qualitative and quantitative evidence.  To observe some of the results of teachers’ work with Māori students, it then discusses Māori students’ Rongohia te Hau survey data and their NCEA results from 2004 – 2010, and post 2010 up to the reactivation of Te Kotahitanga in this school in 2013.
There are three themes that emerged from my findings. The first theme identifies leadership as a key emerging concept and the important role of Rangatira (school leaders) in bringing people together around a common vision. The spread of the programme across the school clearly emerged as the second theme, where this education reform was spread through relationships of whānautanga. Thirdly, the theme of ownership towards sustainability emerged from the findings. Ownership required working as one towards the common unity of purpose (Kotahitanga). The evidence shows that when Te Kotahitanga was fully implemented in this school and it did work during the period of this study and again when Te Kotahitanga was reactivated in 2013. However, although the school had been working on ownership towards sustainability of positive changes, sustainability did not ensue.
This thesis suggests that once a school has established a common vision that is clearly understood by all the leaders and teachers in the school, everyone has to remain committed to that vision. To be successful the moral imperative for any reform towards social justice has to be fully committed to and understood by the leaders of the school and all the teachers.  
This thesis hopes to contribute to the journey other schools might take in their commitment to raising the participation and academic achievement of Māori students.

year: 2018