title: Parental involvement in early childhood learning: Douala, Littoral Region, Cameroon

authors: Fenmachi, Emela Achu

subjects: Parental Involvement

abstract: This thesis considers the significance of parental involvement in early childhood learning from a sociological, sociocultural and African perspective, which all emphasise the role of the home, community and early learning institutions in children’s learning and development. An interpretive paradigm was used to explore parents’ and teachers’ perspectives about parents’ involvement in children’s education in a public and private nursery school in Douala, Cameroon. Data were collected through a mixed-method approach, including questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, observations, document portfolio analysis, informal conversations, Zoom, and WhatsApp messages. Questionnaires were developed for all parents in each nursery school. In addition, eight parents and four teachers in each school were interviewed using semi-structured and open-ended questions. Two weeks of observations were made per nursery school. Following face-to-face data collection, participants were contacted via WhatsApp to obtain additional information and clarify ideas. 
Analysis revealed two types of parental involvement, home-based and school-based parental involvement. Home-based parental involvement included parental engagement of children in day-to-day home activities to develop their independence skills and responsibility, assisting children to complete homework, and providing educational resources to support school-based learning. School-based involvement was higher with private nursery school families. The private nursery school families attended several events run by the school and parents’ input was welcomed and valued through the parent-led forum. Contrastingly, the public nursery school administration offered limited opportunities for parents to participate in school-based activities. Further, due to large class sizes, communication with parents appeared to be one-way; in most cases, parents were responsible for initiating contact. Therefore, parents had limited chances to contribute to the teaching and learning process at school. Teachers of both nursery schools placed little value on the role of parents and other caregivers in supporting and supervising children’s learning and participation in the day-to-day activities of the home and therefore missed the opportunity to draw on home-based resources to incorporate this into classroom activities. 
Discussing the study findings in relation to the sociocultural and African concepts of child development led to an understanding of the different roles played by all agents involved in child development and learning (family, extended family, community, school and the Government) and how they can partner to enhance children’s learning experiences and wellbeing. It was also noted that the education system propagated more of the colonial culture and language, with little emphasis on indigenous forms of learning. Furthermore, the public nursery school faced challenges in implementing the curriculum goals and objectives. These challenges included large class sizes, higher child-teacher ratios, inadequate learning and teaching materials, and limited study space. 
The study recommends a culturally inclusive education framework incorporating children’s everyday experiences and practices into the nursery school curriculum to enhance children’s learning experiences. This implies educators working in partnership with families to integrate family resources into institutional learning programmes, creating a connection between children’s home learning experiences and school-based learning. Furthermore, policies to increase funding for nursery school education will help to provide access to quality early education for all children.

text: Parental involvement in early childhood learning: Douala, Littoral Region, Cameroon This thesis considers the significance of parental involvement in early childhood learning from a sociological, sociocultural and African perspective, which all emphasise the role of the home, community and early learning institutions in children’s learning and development. An interpretive paradigm was used to explore parents’ and teachers’ perspectives about parents’ involvement in children’s education in a public and private nursery school in Douala, Cameroon. Data were collected through a mixed-method approach, including questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, observations, document portfolio analysis, informal conversations, Zoom, and WhatsApp messages. Questionnaires were developed for all parents in each nursery school. In addition, eight parents and four teachers in each school were interviewed using semi-structured and open-ended questions. Two weeks of observations were made per nursery school. Following face-to-face data collection, participants were contacted via WhatsApp to obtain additional information and clarify ideas. 
Analysis revealed two types of parental involvement, home-based and school-based parental involvement. Home-based parental involvement included parental engagement of children in day-to-day home activities to develop their independence skills and responsibility, assisting children to complete homework, and providing educational resources to support school-based learning. School-based involvement was higher with private nursery school families. The private nursery school families attended several events run by the school and parents’ input was welcomed and valued through the parent-led forum. Contrastingly, the public nursery school administration offered limited opportunities for parents to participate in school-based activities. Further, due to large class sizes, communication with parents appeared to be one-way; in most cases, parents were responsible for initiating contact. Therefore, parents had limited chances to contribute to the teaching and learning process at school. Teachers of both nursery schools placed little value on the role of parents and other caregivers in supporting and supervising children’s learning and participation in the day-to-day activities of the home and therefore missed the opportunity to draw on home-based resources to incorporate this into classroom activities. 
Discussing the study findings in relation to the sociocultural and African concepts of child development led to an understanding of the different roles played by all agents involved in child development and learning (family, extended family, community, school and the Government) and how they can partner to enhance children’s learning experiences and wellbeing. It was also noted that the education system propagated more of the colonial culture and language, with little emphasis on indigenous forms of learning. Furthermore, the public nursery school faced challenges in implementing the curriculum goals and objectives. These challenges included large class sizes, higher child-teacher ratios, inadequate learning and teaching materials, and limited study space. 
The study recommends a culturally inclusive education framework incorporating children’s everyday experiences and practices into the nursery school curriculum to enhance children’s learning experiences. This implies educators working in partnership with families to integrate family resources into institutional learning programmes, creating a connection between children’s home learning experiences and school-based learning. Furthermore, policies to increase funding for nursery school education will help to provide access to quality early education for all children.

year: 2023

title: Refugee resettlement and socio-economic participation through entrepreneurship: The case of New Zealand

authors: Fatokun, Kolawole Ishola

abstract: Entrepreneurship is often viewed as a feasible pathway for refugee resettlement. It is regarded as a means for refugees to find employment and participate in socio-economic activities. Previous studies have suggested refugee entrepreneurship as a pathway for refugee integration. However, it is not enough to assert that entrepreneurship is a pathway for refugees to integrate and resettle in a host community; we need to understand how entrepreneurship contributes to their resettlement. The current knowledge needs to be expanded within the context of resettlement by exploring why refugees start businesses, how refugee entrepreneurship aids resettlement, the types of businesses refugees engage in, and the reasons behind these choices. How does refugee entrepreneurship influence resettlement? Focusing on spatiality, this study addresses the gap caused by the lack of a context-specific study examining refugee entrepreneurship and resettlement in a host country.

A synthesised conceptual framework that provides a structured overview of key ideas, concepts, theories, and relationships drawn from existing research and literature on (refugee) entrepreneurship and resettlement has been neglected. Exploring the phenomenon of refugee entrepreneurship and its connection to resettlement necessitates the development of a synthesised conceptual framework. In conducting this study, the framework is based on a synthesis of: (1) the mechanisms (a broad theoretical discussion) driving the motivation of (refugee) entrepreneurs; (2) social capital theory; and (3) mixed embeddedness theory.

Focusing on New Zealand as a refugee-receiving country, the developed novel context-aware conceptual framework is applied to improve understanding of the linkage between refugee entrepreneurship and resettlement. How the “enabling” factors of refugee entrepreneurship transform misfortune into positive outcomes for refugees is revealed. The term “enabling” describes how refugees overcome difficulties and turn challenges into elements that drive positive outcomes for them.

This study provides answers to why refugees engage in business activities. This improves our understanding of the motives of refugee entrepreneurs beyond the traditional push and pull dichotomy of necessity and opportunity recognition. Although motivated to start businesses, refugees encounter significant barriers to entrepreneurship and need to actively participate in socio-economic activities to support their resettlement through entrepreneurship. Refugee resettlement through entrepreneurship is a transformative process shaped by their experiences from their home country, culture, transition, and pre-entrepreneurial activities in the host country.

Applying the interpretive approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 21 refugee entrepreneurs, using a semi-structured interview guide. Qualitative methods that uniquely enable the explanation of the participants’ agentic lived experiences, capturing individuals’ meanings and interpretations of their behaviours, events, and contexts, were employed. Abductive reasoning was used to identify themes, codes, and categories. Raw data were organised through the first-order coding or open coding process, where sets of data were closely reviewed and integrated with other data to develop broader themes and theoretical dimensions. NVivo software was utilised to support and enhance the rigour of data analysis.

This study finds that refugees must transition from informal to formal entrepreneurs to resettle through entrepreneurship. This change requires support from drivers of mixed embeddedness (DME) and government intervention through policy change, especially for refugees who arrive as adults.

text: Refugee resettlement and socio-economic participation through entrepreneurship: The case of New Zealand Entrepreneurship is often viewed as a feasible pathway for refugee resettlement. It is regarded as a means for refugees to find employment and participate in socio-economic activities. Previous studies have suggested refugee entrepreneurship as a pathway for refugee integration. However, it is not enough to assert that entrepreneurship is a pathway for refugees to integrate and resettle in a host community; we need to understand how entrepreneurship contributes to their resettlement. The current knowledge needs to be expanded within the context of resettlement by exploring why refugees start businesses, how refugee entrepreneurship aids resettlement, the types of businesses refugees engage in, and the reasons behind these choices. How does refugee entrepreneurship influence resettlement? Focusing on spatiality, this study addresses the gap caused by the lack of a context-specific study examining refugee entrepreneurship and resettlement in a host country.

A synthesised conceptual framework that provides a structured overview of key ideas, concepts, theories, and relationships drawn from existing research and literature on (refugee) entrepreneurship and resettlement has been neglected. Exploring the phenomenon of refugee entrepreneurship and its connection to resettlement necessitates the development of a synthesised conceptual framework. In conducting this study, the framework is based on a synthesis of: (1) the mechanisms (a broad theoretical discussion) driving the motivation of (refugee) entrepreneurs; (2) social capital theory; and (3) mixed embeddedness theory.

Focusing on New Zealand as a refugee-receiving country, the developed novel context-aware conceptual framework is applied to improve understanding of the linkage between refugee entrepreneurship and resettlement. How the “enabling” factors of refugee entrepreneurship transform misfortune into positive outcomes for refugees is revealed. The term “enabling” describes how refugees overcome difficulties and turn challenges into elements that drive positive outcomes for them.

This study provides answers to why refugees engage in business activities. This improves our understanding of the motives of refugee entrepreneurs beyond the traditional push and pull dichotomy of necessity and opportunity recognition. Although motivated to start businesses, refugees encounter significant barriers to entrepreneurship and need to actively participate in socio-economic activities to support their resettlement through entrepreneurship. Refugee resettlement through entrepreneurship is a transformative process shaped by their experiences from their home country, culture, transition, and pre-entrepreneurial activities in the host country.

Applying the interpretive approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 21 refugee entrepreneurs, using a semi-structured interview guide. Qualitative methods that uniquely enable the explanation of the participants’ agentic lived experiences, capturing individuals’ meanings and interpretations of their behaviours, events, and contexts, were employed. Abductive reasoning was used to identify themes, codes, and categories. Raw data were organised through the first-order coding or open coding process, where sets of data were closely reviewed and integrated with other data to develop broader themes and theoretical dimensions. NVivo software was utilised to support and enhance the rigour of data analysis.

This study finds that refugees must transition from informal to formal entrepreneurs to resettle through entrepreneurship. This change requires support from drivers of mixed embeddedness (DME) and government intervention through policy change, especially for refugees who arrive as adults.

year: 2025-09-02

title: Indigidata Aotearoa post-event summary report 2023

authors: Te Kotahi Research Institute

subjects: Indigenous Data Sovereignty

abstract: From the 21st to the 24th of August, the inaugural Indigidata Aotearoa 2023 was held at Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato. In recent years there has been significant advances in the fields of Indigenous data science and sovereignty. The Indigidata Aotearoa programme was designed to develop an understanding of Indigenous data science and sovereignty alongside some of the best researchers in Aotearoa New Zealand. The fully funded wānanga was open to Māori (tauira, kaitiaki, kaipakihi) participants from across Aotearoa. Applications were received from more than 35 respondents, and 23 tauira Māori attended the inaugural event.

text: Indigidata Aotearoa post-event summary report 2023 From the 21st to the 24th of August, the inaugural Indigidata Aotearoa 2023 was held at Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato. In recent years there has been significant advances in the fields of Indigenous data science and sovereignty. The Indigidata Aotearoa programme was designed to develop an understanding of Indigenous data science and sovereignty alongside some of the best researchers in Aotearoa New Zealand. The fully funded wānanga was open to Māori (tauira, kaitiaki, kaipakihi) participants from across Aotearoa. Applications were received from more than 35 respondents, and 23 tauira Māori attended the inaugural event.

year: 2023