title: Inclusive education for children with disabilities in Fiji: Teacher perspectives and attitudes

authors: Daveta, Mereoni Laveti

subjects: inclusive education

abstract: The purpose of this research was to examine teacher perspectives and
attitudes on inclusive education for children with disabilities in Fiji. Teachers'
perspectives and attitudes are crucial in providing insights that could
help improve education and services for children with disabilities in regular
schools in Fiji.
A qualitative approach using semi structured interviews was selected as
the methodology for this research. Nine teachers from nine different
schools in Suva, the capital city of Fiji, participated in this research. The
nine participants were selected from three different school settings. Three
of the participants were from special schools, three were from primary
schools and three were from secondary schools.
Data collected showed that teachers support inclusive education, however,
they had reservations on the inclusion of students with severe disabilities.
Several factors were identified to influence teachers' attitudes towards inclusion.
The most common factors were severity of disability that the students
had, inadequate training of teachers on teaching students with disabilities,
inadequate government funding, lack of specialised resource personnel
and lack of appropriate equipment and resources to support students
and teachers in the teaching learning process. Limited commitment
from the Ministry of Education and limited participation and consultation of
teachers on policy and curriculum design were also identified as contributing
factors for non inclusion of students with disabilities in regular schools.
Teachers need to change their perspectives and attitudes and schools
need to be welcoming and prepared to accept all students with disabilities
into the general education system in Fiji.

text: Inclusive education for children with disabilities in Fiji: Teacher perspectives and attitudes The purpose of this research was to examine teacher perspectives and
attitudes on inclusive education for children with disabilities in Fiji. Teachers'
perspectives and attitudes are crucial in providing insights that could
help improve education and services for children with disabilities in regular
schools in Fiji.
A qualitative approach using semi structured interviews was selected as
the methodology for this research. Nine teachers from nine different
schools in Suva, the capital city of Fiji, participated in this research. The
nine participants were selected from three different school settings. Three
of the participants were from special schools, three were from primary
schools and three were from secondary schools.
Data collected showed that teachers support inclusive education, however,
they had reservations on the inclusion of students with severe disabilities.
Several factors were identified to influence teachers' attitudes towards inclusion.
The most common factors were severity of disability that the students
had, inadequate training of teachers on teaching students with disabilities,
inadequate government funding, lack of specialised resource personnel
and lack of appropriate equipment and resources to support students
and teachers in the teaching learning process. Limited commitment
from the Ministry of Education and limited participation and consultation of
teachers on policy and curriculum design were also identified as contributing
factors for non inclusion of students with disabilities in regular schools.
Teachers need to change their perspectives and attitudes and schools
need to be welcoming and prepared to accept all students with disabilities
into the general education system in Fiji.

year: 2009

title: Using task models to understand the intersection of numeracy skills and technical competence with medical device design

authors: Bowen, Judy

abstract: Task models are used in many different ways throughout the design and development of interactive systems. When the interactive systems are safety critical, task models can play an important role in ensuring system behaviours are consistent with user requirements, which may help to prevent errors. While task models can be used to describe a user’s goals and the steps required to achieve that goal, to understand where user errors may occur we also need to consider the users’ understanding of how to perform a task and how this relates to the system they are using. Our focus is on the use of medical devices such as syringe drivers and infusion pumps for intravenous medication, which forms a major part of hospital inpatient care throughout the world. While we might rely on software engineering and human factors techniques to ensure correctness of such devices, their use by medical personnel in practice includes other factors that are equally important. These include training medical personnel in the use of medical devices. Also numeracy education for medical staff to ensure that they are able to set up and perform the necessary calculations to convert prescribed medication into the appropriate values and measures for their delivery mechanisms. We have developed an approach that aims to bring together concepts of technology design (both functional correctness and usability concerns), numeracy and medication delivery competency. In order to do so we use task models as a common language that enables us to consider these different domains in a single way. We find that the ability to describe the two domains within a single process allows us to compare models of knowledge, tasks and use of devices, which can elicit potential mismatches and problems.

text: Using task models to understand the intersection of numeracy skills and technical competence with medical device design Task models are used in many different ways throughout the design and development of interactive systems. When the interactive systems are safety critical, task models can play an important role in ensuring system behaviours are consistent with user requirements, which may help to prevent errors. While task models can be used to describe a user’s goals and the steps required to achieve that goal, to understand where user errors may occur we also need to consider the users’ understanding of how to perform a task and how this relates to the system they are using. Our focus is on the use of medical devices such as syringe drivers and infusion pumps for intravenous medication, which forms a major part of hospital inpatient care throughout the world. While we might rely on software engineering and human factors techniques to ensure correctness of such devices, their use by medical personnel in practice includes other factors that are equally important. These include training medical personnel in the use of medical devices. Also numeracy education for medical staff to ensure that they are able to set up and perform the necessary calculations to convert prescribed medication into the appropriate values and measures for their delivery mechanisms. We have developed an approach that aims to bring together concepts of technology design (both functional correctness and usability concerns), numeracy and medication delivery competency. In order to do so we use task models as a common language that enables us to consider these different domains in a single way. We find that the ability to describe the two domains within a single process allows us to compare models of knowledge, tasks and use of devices, which can elicit potential mismatches and problems.

year: 2021

title: Tikanga Tainui: Tikanga whare wānanga

authors: Roa, Tom

subjects: Tikanga Māori

abstract: This paper is a preliminary report on an ongoing research project begun in 1999. The project involves consultation with Waikato-Tainui, the tāngata whenua of the Waikato region, about the construction of guidelines for University of Waikato staff (both Māori and non-Māori) who are involved in gatherings that call for adherence to Tainui protocols. Here, the emphasis is on guidelines for the conduct of pōwhiri (formal welcomes) on the University Marae.

text: Tikanga Tainui: Tikanga whare wānanga This paper is a preliminary report on an ongoing research project begun in 1999. The project involves consultation with Waikato-Tainui, the tāngata whenua of the Waikato region, about the construction of guidelines for University of Waikato staff (both Māori and non-Māori) who are involved in gatherings that call for adherence to Tainui protocols. Here, the emphasis is on guidelines for the conduct of pōwhiri (formal welcomes) on the University Marae.

year: 2005-09