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Research Commons is the University of Waikato's open access research repository, housing research publications and theses produced by the University's staff and students.
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Publication Integrating behavioural and formal specifications(Thesis, The University of Waikato, 2024)Behaviour-driven development and formal methods have been shown to be effective techniques for different parts of the interactive system development process. However, when the different parts of an interactive system are combined, issues may arise due to the different focuses of the techniques. For a safety-critical interactive system, where safety is particularly emphasised, using either technique individually does not cover all aspects of the system. Thus a complementary approach of integrating behaviour-driven development and formal methods, would be better suited for developing safety-critical interactive systems. This thesis presents an investigation into a method that integrates formal methods and behavioural specifications. This method enables the identification of any inconsistencies between the behavioural specification and the Z specification, allowing potential problems to be found and fixed earlier. We also demonstrate how our method supports ensuring consistency after refinement of the Z specification.Publication Maldivian primary teachers activate and shape their Social Studies pedagogies through reflection(Thesis, The University of Waikato, 2024)This study emerges from a deep-seated concern about the potential erosion of Maldivian cultural heritage and identity, reflected in the diminishing prominence of traditional cultural practices, language, beliefs, which are often threatened by tourism and foreign influences. The research investigates how Maldivian primary teachers perceive and teach social studies, a subject crucial for preserving cultural identity and for promoting sustainable development. As a Maldivian social studies educator, I view social studies education as an empowering force for fostering critical thinking, empathy, and global citizenship among future leaders. The research explores how primary teachers activate and shape their social studies pedagogy through reflection, with a focus on Key Stage 1 and 2 levels. Some findings indicate that teachers face challenges due to limited access to specialised professional learning, resulting pedagogical approaches that are often teacher-led and exam focused, rather than being inquiry-based and student-centred. This thesis sheds light on these dynamics and contributes to critical need for educational reform conversations in the Maldives on the quality of social studies education. Conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, this largely qualitative study initially adopted a Participatory Action Research [PAR] methodology and later transitioned to Online Participatory Action Research [OPAR]. Data was collected from ten participants via a Qualtrics questionnaire and online workshops, with four teachers contributing reflective narrative texts and participating in online interviews. Thematic analysis and grounded theory guided the analysis, which uncovered key themes and generating theoretical insights drawn from the firsthand experiences of the participants within the realm of social studies education in the Maldives. The findings highlight the crucial role of reflective practice in shaping pedagogy and fostering professional growth. Analysis of teachers’ experiences suggested how reflective practice influences their social studies teaching, helping them adapt to the evolving educational landscape in the Maldives. The study also highlights strategies teachers employ to navigate challenges, and illustrated the practical impact of reflective practice on improving teaching, learning, and ongoing professional development for Maldivian social studies teachers. Four key implications arise from this study. First, the study highlights the importance of understanding teachers’ perceptions of social studies within the National Curriculum Framework, and the need for more targeted exploration of its significance. Second, it underscores the need to address challenges in professional learning, with recommending tailored interventions to enhance teachers’ social studies pedagogy being necessary. Third, the research emphasises the role of reflective practice in shaping teaching methods and urges educational institutions, including the Maldives National University, to integrate reflective strategies into teacher training. Finally, the findings advocate for policy initiatives and support structures to create an environment that fosters reflective practices, enhancing social studies education in primary schools.Publication COVID-19, capital flows and sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa(Thesis, The University of Waikato, 2025)The Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region suffered severe economic impacts from COVID-19, despite experiencing some of the lowest numbers of cases and deaths from the pandemic. The attainment of sustainable development in the region was significantly affected partly because of the region’s huge reliance on industrialised economies who were most hit by the pandemic. The SSA countries covered 33 of the 45 countries listed by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) as least developed countries (LDCs) requiring significant assistance. Moreover, the countries in the region experience some of the lowest inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI), both in comparison to other regions and to the flow of other foreign capitals into SSA. Again, as these countries were more vulnerable to economic shocks because of their lower resilience capacities, the attainment of sustainable development was significantly threatened when COVID-19 resulted in reduced economic activity, foreign investment and deteriorating socio-economic inequalities. Although earlier studies have concentrated on the impact of various cross-border capital flows on economic growth and some development indicators, those studies have not empirically evaluated how this global shock has impacted the inflows of foreign capital and their effects on sustainable development. In view of these, this thesis provides three empirical studies, using data from SSA countries over the period 2000 – 2022. The first paper evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on the nexus between remittances and sustainable development. Relying on both static and dynamic estimation techniques, the study found that remittance is positively associated with sustainable development, both before and after the threshold, subject to the absorptive capacity of the SSA economies. In effect, there is a minimum level of institutional quality and financial development, below which their effects on sustainable development would be negative; at which the stimulating effect of remittances may be reversed. In addition, COVID-19 was observed to reduce the progress towards sustainable development, directly and when interacted with remittances. In the second paper, the impact of the pandemic was estimated in the nexus between FDI and sustainable development. The empirical estimates showed that FDI does not exert a significant impact on sustainable development. When the effect of FDI was further analysed on economic growth, the environment, and human development, the estimates remained consistent. While COVID-19 was found to reduce the levels of economic growth, the environment, human development, and sustainable development, the interaction effect showed that FDI reduces the negative effect of COVID-19 on economic growth and sustainable development. The third paper measured the impact of COVID-19 on the aid – sustainable development nexus. The findings revealed that foreign aid facilitates the attainment of sustainable development and many of its goals. Even though the pandemic was found to exert a diminishing effect, foreign aid was not only found to reduce the negative effect of the pandemic but to also enhance the complementary roles of financial and institutional infrastructures on the attainment of sustainable development.Publication Full-scale experimental study on the stability of chords of cold-formed steel c-section roof trusses(Thesis, The University of Waikato, 2025)The use of cold-formed steel (CFS) roof trusses is growing as a substitute for wood because of their advantages in quick fabrication, high strength-to-weight ratio, and lightweight nature [1]. However, the torsional buckling behaviour of these trusses remains inadequately understood. There have been experimental studies conducted for the behaviour of CFS roof trusses [2], wide-span roof trusses [1] and small-scale roof trusses [3]. The common failures in the previous studies of CFS roof trusses include distortion of heel plates, local buckling of the top chords [3] and flexural-torsional buckling becoming a concern in elevated temperatures [4]. The behaviour of CFS under loads applied away from the shear centre requires more testing due to its thin nature. Through eight full-scale experiments, different truss configurations (back-to-back and linear), different lateral restraint spacing and internal support inclusions, this study investigates the structural behaviour of lipped channel (C-section) chords in CFS Howe roof truss assemblies. The experimental total load at failure exceeds factored predicted capacities by 12% and 34%, and factored design capacities by 34% and 60%, depending on lateral restraint spacing. Design equations, however, are conservative with predicted-to-experimental capacity ratios as low as 0.7 for wider spaced lateral restraints and 0.5 for closely spaced restraints. In 37.5% of cases, the design standards fail to predict the correct failure modes. Observed failures during the experiments include lateral-torsional buckling, out-of-plane buckling, and inward torsional buckling. The single-channel linear truss system (face of web connected to back of chords) proved more robust than back-to-back system (back of web connected to back of chords), offering better torsional restraint and load-bearing capacity post-failure. Truss strength is enhanced by increased lateral restraints, but current design standards lack provisions for calculating member lengths with such restraints. Therefore, further research, including FEM analysis, is needed to address this gap and improve design accuracy.Item Photography within te ao Māori: Decolonising the photographic lens(Conference Contribution, 2024)Ūkaipō: Wānanga, places of origin and photographic representation. Ūkaipō recognises the cultural, emotional, and spiritual along with the physical ties a Māori has with their place of origin, even if it is not their place of birth, emphasising grounded forms of connection between people and place and subsequent understandings of places and spaces. Hence the importance today of people asserting their pēpeha, tohu whenua landmarks with which they most strongly identify, consolidating their ‘birth of place’ or ‘place of birth’.
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