This 29th issue of the Waikato Journal of Educational Research includes five articles on the teaching and learning of mathematics and four articles that focus on the challenges and opportunities offered by technology, cultural responsiveness and school governance. The issue concludes with a book review.
Renowned globally as a country that produces high quality goods, New Zealand has a reputation second to none when it comes to science and research related to increasing primary produce. Hence, New Zealand’s reliance on export of primary produce to drive the economy is no secret. However, education related to protecting this industry appears to be scant, including in schools. New Zealand’s primary produce driven economy is protected through maintaining biosecurity. Biosecurity plays an expansive role, from protecting the economy through stopping pests and diseases of economic significance from arriving and establishing to protecting human health and sociocultural values. Given the emphasis on education to help manage the biosecurity pandemic caused by the outbreak of Covid-19, as a society we need to look beyond legislation, including the Biosecurity Act 1993, to manage biosecurity. The long-term prospect for biosecurity in New Zealand might be said to be relatively secure, considering that New Zealand is an island nation with biosecurity regulations that have been in place for decades. However, the critical importance of maintaining biosecurity requires a strategic long-term approach. This conceptual article advocates for biosecurity education in New Zealand schools. Maintaining biosecurity not only prevents pests and diseases from arriving, but eradicating pests and diseases already present contributes to the conservation of endemic flora and fauna. Further, New Zealand has a reputation for providing businesses with a highly transparent and democratic environment to operate. This foundation is built upon a strong economy that, nonetheless, is susceptible because, unlike other countries, New Zealand relies on the export of primary produce to drive its economy (International Trade Administration, 2023). Primary produce industries, such as dairy farming, that heavily rely on monoculture are prone to risks posed by diseases, such as foot and mouth. Subsequently, educating future generations on biosecurity can help maintain a stable agricultural sector, critical for a robust democracy and economy.
Elements of culture and indigenous knowledge are integral to instruction and foundational to meaningful learning experiences. Using an embedded mixed-method design, this study examined instructional strategies and their extent of usage in integrating Ifugao indigenous knowledge systems and practice (IKSPs) in the teaching of Philippine Studies at the Ifugao State University-Potia Campus. Equally, the difficulties of the 24 Philippine Studies teachers experienced in integrating Ifugao culture and IKSPs were investigated via interviews. Results showed that behavioural and attitudinal teaching strategies were employed primarily in integrating Ifugao IKSPs while output-driven and project-based teaching strategies were used to a lesser extent. Qualitative data analysis revealed that felt problems and predicaments encountered primarily encompassed pedagogical and instructional skills, classroom management, and teachers' attitudes towards cultural differences. Implications of this study include the need for collaboration between and among teachers, educational managers, and community stakeholders to craft responsive interventions to capacitate teachers about the principles of culturally responsive instruction in the University.
The use of digital technologies is increasing in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) schools to support future-focused learning and allow students to gain 21st century skills that can enable them to participate and thrive in a digital future. NZ students have among the highest use of digital technologies in the world, and digital devices present both opportunities and risks to educational outcomes and health/well-being. Pragmatic guidelines have been developed internationally to support the safer use of digital technologies in education settings, and a review was carried out to examine the need for such guidance in a NZ context. While studies present mixed results, emerging evidence from analysis of international and national standardised assessments indicates that the impact of digital technologies on learning outcomes is not neutral, and while some use can benefit learning, frequent use has been associated with reduced learning outcomes. Conditions and context of use seem important, including factors such as task selection, length of use, and whether device use is teacher-led or independent. Further research is needed to better understand the most effective ways to use digital technologies for learning. Additionally, emerging evidence highlights numerous negative health impacts that are associated with frequent and extended use of digital devices. Informed recommendations for the use of digital technologies in NZ schools may allow students to get the best that digital technologies can offer to learning, with lower risk.
How do pre-service teachers practice culturally-responsive critical pedagogy in the classroom? This study of two pre-service teachers investigated a professional practice placement that followed theory courses. The research found five applications of culturally-responsive critical pedagogy: reflecting on self and identity; centring ākonga (learners); uplifting culture; developing critical consciousness; and improving academic outcomes for non-dominant culture learners. However, the pre-service teachers placed varied emphasis on those applications, including not engaging with the achievement application. The research offers concrete practice examples of culturally-responsive critical pedagogy by pre-service teachers, and questions the assumption that novice pre-service teachers have the skills to enact theory-to-practice.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has recently been gaining popularity in a number of countries. This seems to have ramifications for increasing the intensity with which professional development programmes are implemented at both in-service and pre-service teacher levels. The present study provides a systematic literature review on scientific articles published between 2015 and 2021, examining how STEM teacher professional development programmes (STEM-TPD) led in the pre-service teacher corpus. Following a screening process, 66 studies were found to be eligible and in compliance with the review criteria. The review's findings indicate a positive trend in STEM-TPD scientific articles, with an increase in publications from year to year in many countries. The majority of studies were conducted in the United States and Turkey using various research methods. The STEM-TPD programme is carried out in three areas, namely, included in existing courses, conducted outside of lectures, and carried out on newly developed courses. We also ultimately discuss the seven most frequently used elements of STEM-TPD and the types of participant collaboration.
Best practice guidelines for psychologists working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer+ (LGBTIQ+) people and position statements against “conversion therapies” have been published internationally. These call for professional psychologist education to develop competence for work with this community, but studies show variability and lack of inclusion of LGBTIQ+ content in professional programmes in higher education institutions. A critical narrative review examined approaches to the inclusion of LGBTIQ+ concerns in the education of psychologists. A systematic literature search identified 33 papers for review. Synthesis of findings highlighted benefits and challenges of the cultural competence approach to LGBTQ+ curricular inclusion; a contested pedagogic space relating to religious belief, homophobia, and sexualities; a shift in psychology to include resilience-based frameworks of sexuality and gender diversity; and finally disaggregation of the LGBTQ+ umbrella with emergence of transgender and gender diversity focused research. Lack of research relating to people with intersex variations and the need for LGBTIQ+ representation/voices in this research area were evidenced.
O le tali atu a Samoa i le Koviti-19 sa faigata ona o tagata ma meafaaletino e pei o tekonolosi ma auala sa faaaogaina mo le a’oa’o atu ma le a’oa’oina aua e le’i fa’ataitaia, pe na mautu se fa’ aaogaina muamua e o’o mai i le taimi nei. O le Koviti-19, sa fa’amalosia e le malo o Samoa le puipuiga o tagata i feoaiga vava mamao faapea ma le tapunia o nofoaga mo le saogalemu o tagata uma. Sa faapea fo’i ona suia le a’oa’o atu ma le a’oa’oina o tama ma teine aoga faapea ma faiaoga. Ua avea ma faalavelave le tapunia o aoga, galuega ma nofoaga i le fa’agaoioiga o galuega, ma fa’alapotopotoga. O le utiuti o alagaoa e pei o mea faitino na a’afia tele ai le a’oa’o atu ma le a’oa’oina i le tapunia o aoga. O le tali atu i le Koviti-19 sa unaia ai faiaoga ia fa’aleleia le malamalama i le fa’aaogaina o tekonolosi mo aoaoga. O le Matagaluega o Aoga, Ta’aloga ma Aganu’u (MATA) sa galulue fa’avavevave e faatino a’oa’oga e fa’aaoga ai upega tafa’ilagi e tali ai i le Koviti-19 ma aiaiga fa’ale tulafono a le malo o Samoa i le tapunia o le atunu’u. O le fa’amasaniga o faiaoga, tama ma teine aoga i a’oa’oga e lagolago ai le fa’aaogaina o upega tafa’ilagi, ma tomai fa’apitoa mo komipiuta sa avea ma fa’amuamua i tapenaga aua le fa’aleleia o aoaoga i totonu o Samoa. O fanau mai aiga e leai ni alagaoa e pei o komipiuta ma upega tafailagi o i latou nei sa tuga lo latou afaina. Sa fa’ailoa i tagata uma ia fa’atauaina le fa’atinoga o vaega tau le soifua maloloina ia malu puipuia mai le faamai o le Koviti-19, ae maise aua ne’i iai ni afaina tuga o a’oao’ga mo le fanau. O faiaoga o lo’o i totonu o aoga ua toe foi mai e a’ooga i le faailoga maualuga o le tusi pasi tau a’oa’oga mo le tulaga lua, ma o loo a’oa’oina i totonu o le Saofaiga o A’oa’oga i le Iunivesite Aoao o Samoa, ma o i latou ia sa auai i lenei suesuega. Samoa’s educational response to Covid-19 was impeded by human and physical obstacles largely because the new educational technologies and strategies that came into effect to support teaching and learning had not been trialled nor implemented well to date. During Covid-19, the Samoan government emphasised the importance of social distancing and lockdown as health safety measures necessary for the welfare of all, but these changed learning and teaching for students and teachers and impacted daily organisation and operations for these people, and schools. Samoa’s limited physical and human resources affected schools’ lockdown and teaching and learning. Responses to Covid-19 called for teachers’ improved understanding of educational technology and its utilisation. The Ministry of Education, Sports, and Culture (MESC) acted immediately to activate online learning in response to Covid-19 and the government’s lock-down policy. Familiarising teachers and students with online support and acquiring appropriate computer skills were Samoa’s immediate educational goals. Nevertheless, the children of families without access to resources like computers and the Internet were the most affected. It is acknowledged that for citizens to survive Covid-19 it was vital to adopt appropriate health safety measures, although it is also important to ensure that no student’s educational progress is negatively impacted. Teacher upgraders studying for the Bachelor of Education primary teaching in the Faculty of Education at the National University of Samoa (NUS) were the participants.
The aim of this study was to examine the current trends and main findings of the empirical computer-assisted foreign language learning studies. The database, Web of Science, was reviewed and a total of 36 studies between 2000 and 2020 were analysed. The systematic analysis was performed with the content analysis method. The content of the reviewed articles was analysed in the following categories: The technological trends, the technological context used, variables, duration of the studies, data collection tools, data analysis strategies, skills/factors analysed, underlying theories, and countries of the studies, target languages, participants, and years of the studies. Along with other insights this review found, the most common technological trend was educational software, while the technological contexts used varied greatly. Key variables from mostly small studies (less than 100 participants generally tertiary students), focused on technological contexts, language learning skills (typically vocabulary and speaking) and participants’ attitudes. Underlying theories of these studies varied greatly, Technology Acceptance Model and Cognitive Load Theory being common. This review study can serve as a guide for practitioners who plan designing computer-assisted language learning and teaching activities.
In this paper we consider how the integration of mobile technology apps into classroom practice can form an alternative pedagogical medium that influences the learning process in mathematics. We give an account of one aspect of a research project that examined the use of tablets and apps in primary-school mathematics programmes and report teacher and student perceptions on how they used the apps, in combination with other manipulatives, to solve problems. Through teacher and researcher co-inquiry, three themes emerged: multi-modal affordances, collaboration, and assemblages. We examined how the interplay between these themes evoked ranges of social, tangible, and digital entities resulting in different learning experiences. We draw on notions of collectives to articulate a socio-technological assemblage and suggest that the notion of an assemblage helps to understand how teachers can use educational technologies to support new learning experiences in their mathematics classrooms.
The majority of Pasifika students at the University of Otago come from other parts of New Zealand and have to adapt to studying and living in an environment that does not have a strong Pacific culture. These changes potentially affect their education experience and academic performance. Students may form social networks through religious institutions or student associations. Using a brief (10–15 minute) survey, we investigated how religiosity, social provision, and social anxiety as ethnic minorities are associated with perceived academic stress among Pasifika students in our department. We recruited 54 Pasifika students from a cohort of 101 students: 20 male, 33 female, and 1 akava’ine. Male students had higher academic stresses related to academic expectation than female students. Religiosity, social provision, and avoiding interaction with New Zealand European people were all associated with perceived academic stress in our cohort. Students preferred seeking social support from Pasifika friends and family members, and academic support from academic staff, tutorials organised by the University’s Pacific Islands Centre, and friends. In conclusion, social factors are associated with academic stress of Pasifika students in the University of Otago. Institutions need to establish strong support infrastructure for ethnic minority students as they may have additional stressors which may affect their study.
Embedding the use of technology for authentic social interactions with L2 teaching and learning needs to be supported by effective pedagogical practices. This article explores how technology can support the learning of te reo Māori in New Zealand. Thirteen kaiako (teachers) from a variety of teaching and learning backgrounds and experiences, and five ākonga (students) representing a range of ages were individually interviewed. The ākonga reported that synchronous online classes were very helpful for their language development and enjoyed the whanaungatanga created by being a part of the online community. They felt less, isolated and felt that they got to know some members of the class better. The kaiako reported, that connecting with the heart enhanced engagement in te reo Māori, which increased the confidence of ākonga, which advanced the level of proficiency in te reo Māori.
